House of the Day: 173 Webster Avenue
This modest brick house on Webster Avenue in Kensington could be an interesting option for someone looking to his (or her) own house for the price of a basic two-bedroom on the other side of the park. While the exterior is quite charming, the interior is unlikely to win any hearts. It looks like all…
This modest brick house on Webster Avenue in Kensington could be an interesting option for someone looking to his (or her) own house for the price of a basic two-bedroom on the other side of the park. While the exterior is quite charming, the interior is unlikely to win any hearts. It looks like all the details are gone. The floor-to-ceiling mirrors and wall-to-wall carpeting are easily dealt with. There’s quite a deep back yard too. For $650,000, we bet this will find some interest. The only other things at this price are in the less-desirable parts of Bed Stuy and typically need a lot of work. The plumbing and mechanicals are allegedly in good working order. Thoughts?
173 Webster Avenue [PLS Realty] GMAP P*Shark
Photo by Kate Leonova for Property Shark
carolyn’s posting is probably the most thoughtful, informative, unbiased info that i have ever seen posted on brownstoner.
thank you for that!
mr. bubble, i think mr. B is trying to keep the focus on the traditionally-brownstone neighborhoods. at any rate i think it’s just fine for him to keep the spotlight off some of those other neighborhoods, might keep this boro honest a little longer 🙂
I bought an identical house in the same row on Webster av in 1982 from my aunt and cousin, and sold to move here to Flushing 1n 1990. It was and is a charming starter house on a quiet tree-lined block that is very lovely and well-kept. When I moved it was metamorphing from the Irish (me and my relatives)and Italian neighborhood that it was to Russian Jewish as well as Hasidic spilling over from Ocean Pkwy. and Borough Park.
My aunt didnt make many changes and neither did we except to update the bathroom (only 1 in our house)and get rid of the ugly acoustic tile marring the parlor floor ceiling. It was definitely less tampered with than some of our neighbors who had made disastrous decorating decisions which made me grateful little was done to ours. (The sliding doors between the front and back rooms were removed however-sigh) Ours was a one family although our neighbor made his two–the basement–which was more than half underground with 20-inch high windows and low ceiling due to forced air heating vents. Furnace in the rear too which makes for a small uncomfortable apt. just to let you know.
All the rooms except for the upstairs front bedroom are *very* small. It’s just barely large enough for a family of 4 which is why we moved as we needed more space. Expanding the parlor floor into the backyard was not an option–our neighbor tried it and got into trouble as all that’s permitted is a wooden shed or “mudroom” outside the kitchen which all the houses in this row had.
Hopefully this unit still has good solid plaster walls and magnificent baseboards as ours did. A lovely place to live and convenient too to shopping and transportation. Parking though was getting very difficult at the time we moved out.
Other facts off the top of my head–the public school at the corner was angling to get the block closed off for a playspace duing recess. I don’t know if that ever came to pass. The NYPD 170 is on the next block (Parkville)as well as the Cerebral Palsy foundation.
The house itself is so completely obscured by so much furniture and clutter in the photos – there’s no way to tell what original details are there or not! But the description says parquet floors throughout. You can rip up any carpet laying on it. Add new baseboards and molding in any places where it’s been taken out. Remove the mirrors on the walls. The exterior is is nice.
mr b…you wrote “The only other things at this price are in the less-desirable parts of Bed Stuy and typically need a lot of work.”
where are you talking about…only the part of brooklyn that you cover or care about? there is a whole part of brooklyn that goes untalked about on this site (i.e., sheepshead bay, madison, marine park, manhattan beach, canarsie, gerritsen beach, etc.) in which you can buy a house for this price.
There are a lot of deals to be had in Kensington and its a great little area. This is quite a lot outside of Kensington and not nearly as nice of an area.
Mea Culpa… PS 134… Don’t know much about it, but from what I have heard, there are lots of little gems – unknown to brownstoners – scattered throughout central and Western Brooklyn.
the house needs a new house
I think this is technically Parkville… But I could be wrong. There are lots of charming little homes like this in Parkville, which is just across Coney Island Avenue from Ditmas Park (West)… Growing amenities on Cortelyou Road are in easy walking distance. If zoned for PS 217, that’s a big plus. Great school.