Duplex Condo in Ditmas Park Edwardian With Porch, Garage Asks $1.495 Million

It has five bedrooms, two parking spaces in the driveway (in addition to the garage), and lots of built-ins.

by Stephen Zacks

05/21/2019 4 minute 0

This unusual duplex condo in Ditmas Park is one of three units in what was originally a two-family Edwardian home fronted by two tiers of columned porches and a gabled roof. The duplex is split between the second floor and the basement, and the unit includes two driveway parking spots, a garage and a private backyard.

Inside, it has a fair number of original details, including parquet with fancy inlaid borders and what is likely an original wood mantel with patterned gray brick in the living room. The latter also has bay windows facing the porch and built-in bookshelves.

A small room to the side retains its original wide opening, which has been filled in to form an office or bedroom, one of three fit within the generously proportioned 23-foot-wide floor plate.

A set of pocket doors leads from the living room to the dining room, which has a coffered ceiling, wainscoting, built-in china cabinet, and a pass-through to the kitchen.

The kitchen has cabinets that look to be in good condition, and there’s a built-in breakfast nook with benches.

The rear of the floor houses a large hall, laundry room, bathroom and two bedrooms.

Down two flights of stairs is the basement, which the listing says is legal living space, although in photos it appears to be more than 50 percent below grade. The floor plan indicates a living room, two bedrooms, two bathrooms, wet bar, laundry room, two walk-in closets and mechanicals down there.

The bathrooms appear recently renovated with lots of marble, tile and stone cabinet tops. The bathroom on the upper level has ivory-color tiled walls and brown marble mosaic tile borders.

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The building, 551 Rugby Road, is circa 1910 and was originally built as a two-family, historic maps and an ad for a neighbor reveal. A 1920 ad (presumably a resale) for No. 551 describes a “2 family first class” with 15 rooms, two bathrooms and an “extra lavatory.”

From what we can tell, there appears to be a unit on the third floor above this one as well as another unit on the ground floor, possibly accessed by a side staircase not shown on the floor plan. Ask listing agents Alexandra Reddish and Madeleine Gallagher of Compass for more information about the circulation.

It’s asking $1.495 million. Monthly common charges are $787 and tax is $270. Is the price right?

[Listing: 551 Rugby Road, Apt 2 | Broker: Compass] GMAP