A petite but flexible one- or two-bedroom apartment in a circa 1860s brownstone mansion has grand details and is move-in ready.

The building’s 20th century history is notable– home to artist Isabel Whitney in the 1920s, art gallery Marion Grant Studios from 1931 to 1934 and then, in a sharp turn from female artists, it was donated to the Brooklyn Council, Boy Scouts of America in 1934.

By the mid 20th century, 114 Remsen Street was a rooming house and by 1966 it was divided into the seven units that remain today. Now a co-op, at some point the building’s stoop was removed and an elevator added.

Unit 1B is in the rear extension on the parlor level, with soaring ceilings and impressive floor-to-ceiling windows. The layout has been rejiggered to accommodate two bedrooms and three closets, splitting what was probably originally one room with three floor-to-ceiling windows in two.

The unit has tall Italianate wood-shuttered windows, 12-foot-high ceilings, mahogany wainscoting with a crown motif, and parquet with particularly exceptional inlaid wood borders.

The living room has one of the impressive floor-to-ceiling Italianate windows, and a closet tucked into what is probably an original doorway leading to the house’s front parlors.

The kitchen has minimalist pale wood cabinets, open shelves, and a zippy backsplash with white and colored tile laid in a diagonal pattern. It’s a little worn in pictures and could potentially be updated with a simple coat of paint, although the buyer may want to remodel it to fit a full-size refrigerator or add vertical storage.

The two bedrooms are being used as a bedroom and den in the photos, and the living room has a small breakfast table in lieu of a dining room. The listing, from Deborah Rieders and Sarah Shuken of Corcoran, suggests enlarging the opening between two biggest rooms to improve the space while still keeping it functional.

Although the closet space carved out of the unit is limited, more storage is available in the basement.


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Built in the heyday of Brooklyn Heights’ expansion in the decade following the establishment of regular service across the river at Fulton Ferry, 114 Remsen Street features ornate floriate brackets and friezes under window and door hoods.

It’s located across from the Richard Upjohn-designed Gothic Revival Our Lady of Lebanon Maronite Cathedral, temporarily hosting the local Brooklyn Public Library branch while the new branch is under construction. Across the street is also the Brooklyn Heights Synagogue, and the Court Street R and Borough Hall 2, 3, 4, and 5 are nearby.

The monthly maintenance is $876, relatively low by Brooklyn Heights standards. It’s asking $725,000. What do you think of it?

[Listing: 114 Remsen Street | Broker: Corcoran] GMAP

114 remsen street

114 remsen street

114 remsen street

114 remsen street

114 remsen street
Photo by Christopher Bride for PropertyShark

114 remsen street

[Photos via The Corcoran Group]

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