House of the Day: South Slope Frame
We know we focus a lot on square footage around here–often too much, as our cool-headed critics occasionally point out. It’s a helpful measure to put a house’s price in perspective, but in the end a well laid-out 2,000-square-foot space can be much better than a poorly organized 3,000-square-foot one. Which is all a long…
We know we focus a lot on square footage around here–often too much, as our cool-headed critics occasionally point out. It’s a helpful measure to put a house’s price in perspective, but in the end a well laid-out 2,000-square-foot space can be much better than a poorly organized 3,000-square-foot one. Which is all a long way of introducing the fairly small house of the day, a 2-story plus English basement in the South Slope. The place has clearly just been reno’d, and while we can quibble on points of taste, the bottom line is that there aren’t a lot of houses for under $800,000 in move-in condition out there, so this may make a lot of sense for some young couple. We are not intimately acquainted with the South Slope enough to guess where this is located from the photos, but we’re hoping one of you can. Our favorite thing about the house? The grassy garden with the high wall of bountiful ivy. Anyone been inside?
Adorable Two Family Frame [Betancourt]
I recognize the area but can’t place the block exactly – I also notice Grand Prospect Hall. I would guess 18th St. Anyone knoww for sure?
We just marked one year in our 3-fam frame on 6th Ave between 19th and 20th.
As far as arguing about the name of the neighborhood goes. There was no such thing as Greenwood Heights a few years ago. It was either the Slope or Sunset Park. Most long-time slopers (grew up there) are calling it South Slope. I always thought that it was Sunset. I don’t care what you call it though, the area is great and still on its way up.
I’ve been inside – the layout is very awkward, there are two buildings on each lot neighboring this house, plus several large dogs in each yard.
The renovations are nice – but you’d have to spend quite a bit of money to turn it into a single family. Using it as an owner/rental, you get 2 fairly spacious rail-road style 1-BR apartments.
this is on 19th street between 5th and 6th ave.
Cornice looks nice though…
Looks like a decent renovation. Too bad it is covered in vinyl siding. yuk!
Notwithstanding that this is surely in Greenwood Heights not the South Slope, the price seems quite reasonable. $800K gets you very little these days in most place. Frames in the real South Slope (between the park and 4th, between 9th and the Prospect Expressway) are going to more than $1 million near the Prospect and more closer to 9th Street. Under these circumstances, $200-$300K less for being another 6 blocks south is not an unreasonable trade off.
it looks like they did a pretty good job renovating… of course i would have made a few different decisions but everyone has different taste. i recently bought a fixer upper and while it’s fun and challenging- it’s also extremely time consuming and expensive- so for a lot of people it makes more sense to pay for someone elses design decisions. At least they appear to be decent ones.
South Slope houses — even frames — are now routinely selling for over $1 mil, even down toward (but not past) the Prospect Expwy. A three story, one family on 16th St. — bigger and nicer than this listing as you can see on Brownstoner — just went for $1.15. Houses on Windsor Place — one block past 16th — are also over $1 mil. With strong schools, good subway connections and quick access to shops/restaurants and the park, the prices have been jumping considerably.
The alternatives in terms of similarly priced properties are really farther out Prospect Heights, Gowanus, Crown Heights, Bed Stuy, Greenwood and (much farther) Bay Ridge. The housing stock in the South Slope is smaller and less ornate than some of these places — but the neighborhoods offer far more amenities, better schools, great park access and, I would guess, better safety.
Got anything specific in mind, Anon? Would be interested to hear…