House of the Day: Field Trip to Sunset Park
We’re going a little further afield today and exposing a gaping hole in our neighborhood knowledge. Sunset Park, an ethnically diverse community of about 150,000 bordered by Bay Ridge in the South, Park Slope on the North and Borough Park on the East, is a market we are not too familiar with. As a result,…
We’re going a little further afield today and exposing a gaping hole in our neighborhood knowledge. Sunset Park, an ethnically diverse community of about 150,000 bordered by Bay Ridge in the South, Park Slope on the North and Borough Park on the East, is a market we are not too familiar with. As a result, we’re going to have to rely on our readership to evaluate this 3-family brownstone that comes with a professional office space and an above ground pool. The exterior looks nice, but, alas, the interior appears to be completely devoid of character and details. Is the asking price of $739,000 sound about right for this place? Is there a decent supply of larger 4-story brownstones in the neighborhood? If so, what do they tend to sell for? How strong have the gentrificantion forces been? Appreciate any input.
Sunset Park 3 Story [Post Properties]
Maybe you’ve already purchased your 3-family house for $739k. As a relative newcomer to the area, I would have to say it’s not a bad price at all. My husband and bought a d story, 2-family house in Sunset Park in December 2004 and it looks exactly like the one you posted. Price: $705. (We’re closer to the Bay Ridge end, on 58th Street, but I don’t know if that matters much.) At first I thought the price was a bit high, but virtually all of the original details were intact — not something you see often in the area.
As for the neighborhood:
My finacee lived in Battery Park and I lived in Park Slope. I was getting tired of the politics and inequities of co-op living. (I was also tired of hearing my upstairs neighbor’s ever move). I wanted a two-family house for the space and income, but couldn’t afford Park Slope. Or for Fort Greene, Clinton Hill, Prospect Heights…and forget Caroll Gardens, Brooklyn Heights. A broker finally showed us this house in Sunset Park and we’ve had no regrets whatsoever. We’re on a great block and have great neighbors. But I won’t mislead you: the neighborhood lacks upscale services, and I haven’t found a good restaurant yet (but I can walk to Bay Ridge in 10 minutes.)
As for gentrification, I haven’t noticed what one of the other posts mentioned about transplanted Manhattanites, etc., altough every now and then I spot what look like transplants(the Whole Food shopping bags are a dead giveaway) but for the most part, what you see is what you get. Anyway, it’s a quick bus or subway ridt to get to places where there’s more going on, better restaurants, etc.
I hope this helps, but judging by the date your original post I’m assuming you’ve already made a decision one way or another.
I moved to Sunset Park when I started school at NYU. My first concern when moving was cheaper rent, nice brownstone neighborhoods, and affordable groceries. Since I moved in one year ago, by entire block has changed. As many of you have posted, the neighborhood is mostly Mexican, Puerto Rican, and Chinese. However my block has one chinese family and the rest of the brownstones are occupied by all midtown employed Manhattanites,elite liberals, hypies, and gay and lesbians families. The brownstones in this area are up for sell before you know it. I caution anyone looking for real estate to not just look at the avenues and jump right back on the subway heading home. Please take the time to look at the blocks. It is true, the neighborhood is changing. Manhattanites are buying up entire brownstones and renovating them within three months. It has been a fascinating process to watch. I have no doubt that within five years the gentrification will spread to the avenues and then I won’t be able to buy a weeks worth of groceries for under fifty dollars anymore.
Also, in terms of “nowhere to eat,” Sunset Park offers some of the most authentic and delicious Mexican and Chinese food you will find anywhere in New York.
I don’t understand the negative comments regarding commute. I live near the 59th Street station. It takes me 30 minutes to get to Times Square on the N line. Regarding safety, I considered buying in both Bed-Stuy and Sunset Park. I went to the respective local police precincts and looked at their crime stats. Sunset Park is imcomparably safer (and I’ve never been stared at by anyone in my 5 years living there).
If you don’t speak spanish, Sunset Park can be intimidating, but not nearly as much other “new nabes”. So if you can deal with otherwise harmless staring games from the guys hanging out on the corner, it’s ok for you. While it is way more affordable than Park Slope and Bay Ridge, it offers Nowhere to eat or shop, unless you like caribbean fast food or discount stores. Plenty of bodegas. A few houses, though are truly beautiful. The commute is a bit longer than Park Slope and not too bad. I just wish they had an express bus.
$700,000 sounds about right for this place.
I was looking in Bed Stuy but chose Sunset Park.
1. Safety, not percieved – Some thuggish kids stared me down and made some ‘faggot’ comments to me in Bed Stuy. Sure nothing happened but who wants to experience that kind of hatred day to day.
2. D train much faster than A,C. If you look at a map they are relatively similar distance to Downtown Brooklyn where all the train lines pass through before crossing into Manhattan. Difference is D is a straigt shot through Chinatown. A,C goes through the West Side unless you transfer to F at Jay St. Also D is express
Bed Stuy does have better housing stock but I’d rather feel safe.
so my next door neighbor in carroll gardens isn’t the only brooklyn resident with an above-ground pool? that’s a relief. i actually looked down on it in envy today for the first time, after giggling at it, covered with its tarp and feet of snow and ice all winter long.
I don’t think the commute is as bad as it looks. It got a lot better after they re-opened the additional tracks on the manhattan bridge.
I was living in park slope before moving to Sunset park and took the F at 7th ave. Now I take the D at 9th ave and my commute is only 5 minutes longer.
I can’t comment on the N train since I don’t take it but it goes express from 36th st to Pacific street (as does the D) where you can transfer to most lines in the city.
I agree that the commute is longer than neighborhoods like B. Heights and Williamsburg but it’s not much longer than Park Slope (5 min more)
Regarding the slow cooked meals, you are correct, Bay Ridge and 5th Ave are the options but hopefully this will change soon!
Obviously each person will have his/her own factors to weigh when moving. Having said that, I saw a house in Sunset Park. Beautiful building with nice rental income potential. Problem was that the contractor, in updating the home, took out all the details that likely made it original. Of course, I’d have preferred to pay less and have the work done by my own contractor — if any work was really required. They had dropped the ceiling and put in mirrored closets and a mirrored wall — ugggh.
At any rate, my problem with Sunset Park is how far from midtown it seems and the scarce subway options it provides. Also, the avenues remind me a lot of Steinway Street in Astoria — a lot of shops and restaurants but none of which seemed too impressive. In my opinion, still gotta go to Bay Ridge or 5th Ave in PS for a decent (or romantic) slow-cooked meal. But you’ve got plenty of dollar stores and fast-food in Sunset Park, all of which serve their purpose. I was only there for a day so these were initial sightings/impressions — maybe other Brownstoners who live there are able to prove otherwise.
You can tell the area is coming around though. Just not my cup of tea due to commute and the current unimpressive shopping/eating establishments.