Co-op of the Day: 111 Hicks Railroad Loft
$500 a foot in prime Brooklyn Heights? You betcha. There is one catch with well-located and well-appointed pad: A distinct shortage of windows. The railroad-style apartment has just two windows at the front; for a space that’s roughly 70-feet deep, that’s not a lot of natural light. On the other hand, it’s been nicely renovated…
$500 a foot in prime Brooklyn Heights? You betcha. There is one catch with well-located and well-appointed pad: A distinct shortage of windows. The railroad-style apartment has just two windows at the front; for a space that’s roughly 70-feet deep, that’s not a lot of natural light. On the other hand, it’s been nicely renovated and, at $699,000, is a heckuva a lot cheaper because of the lack of natural light. How do you think this will fare on the open market?
111 Hicks Street [Brown Harris Stevens] GMAP P*Shark
Wha!! Look at that maintenance fee $2K/month!?!?
zeebee, yep, your point is still perfectly valid that there’s no way this is truly convertible to a duplex. I was just making it clear that the ceilings are currently 10 ft high.
sam, perhaps that’s a viable option for “guest management” when encountered with friends or family who have overstayed their welcome…
Biff, you’re right – I misread the listing. Point still stands about trying to squeeze two floors into 14′ – I’m in a loft sublet that tried to get creative with 14′ and ended up with a ‘sleeping loft’/mezzanine where I can’t stand upright, and I’m 5’7. I’ll have Cro-Magnon posture by the time I leave this place…
Ah yes, fresh air. If a guest should fart near the back of the space, you will be living with that for a week.
Folks, it is not just light that is lacking, though it is, but how does one get air?!?! True, this might sell in Manhattan, but that is an obscene monthly fee and likely to go up annually. Besides, I love Brooklyn, but BH ain’t Soho or Nolita.
zeebee_in_bklyn, it appears the ceilings are currently at 10 ft (but can reach up to 14 ft, according to the listing).
Ringo, you’re right about the maintenance. I’ve tracked prices in BH for quite some time now and 111 Hicks has always had high maint. I’ve mentioned this before – most of the tall, doorman buildings in the area have maintenance that seems on a par with, if not higher than doorman buildings in Manhattan. I’m not sure why this is, Miss Muffett.
Seems this might be owned by a musician (based on my keen observation skills picking up on the keyboard in the bedroom pic); hence the sound insolation.
Natural light doesn’t mean a thing to me (except for re-sale). Personally, I keep my shades closed ALL the time, anyway. But, that maint is outrageous. I can’t afford this place… but, I do like the layout and the interior. I’m guessing the soundproofing in the bedroom is to keep his/her sound IN, as opposed to keeping the neighbors sound out.
Sunlight is key for me, but somehow this place looks nice to me despite the lack of it. But I must agree with the others that the maintenance is crazy – why on earth is that?
The catch is not the layout, it’s the maintenance. It’s a real and ongoing issue with 111 hicks. I’ve heard the new board is getting things back in shape, but I’ve heard that before. There are sometimes decent 2 bed/2 baths with asking prices lower than this in this building… but again, really high monthlies