House of the Day: 30 South Portland Avenue

Thanks, Guest 6:50, for the full 411. Now all I want to know is: What was Derek Jeter doing visiting the place? Did he have a mistress there? Nice. This joint is beautiful– hope they’re doing an open house!

This discussion got off track fast. Sorry to the owner.

Now, since you’alls are probably hungry enough for details and since the topic got off on a tangent, here goes:

The house had a major addition to the back adding a dining room, sleeping area and balcony on the parlor floor which extended out over an existing mudroom (which is still there). It created an outdoor space for the 3rd floor rental apartment. The lower duplex parlor floor bedroom area can be made more private since there are pocket doors between the front and back parlors—the back parlor now more like a middle parlor which has a full bathroom with clawfoot tub and closet fitted out to be a kind of wardrobe. The addition-created back bed area has a Murphy-style bed that flips up out of the way so the entire space can look like a living space. That area has large doors that open out on the balcony. The ground floor also has what is listed as a parlor/living room (the burgundy room in the photographs) and can serve as the main bedroom. The building has an upper duplex which has a balcony on the top floor looking out over the living room—Derek Jeter has visited that apartment—maybe all it’ll take to sell the place. As mentioned, there is a single-floor 1-bedroom apartment with deck over the recent extension. There is much to say on the house. I’ll stay on the positive. Compared to the house on the park, if it is the one I think everyone is mentioning, that one-family that went for $3+m…this house has more income potential but it has not undergone the complete renovation the one on the park went through. I walked through the renovation of the house on the park and saw how fully that one was renovated. It was completely updated from top to bottom…and frankly, the finally decorating, furniture, color schemes, etc. made it look like an upscale B&B. It was large enough for a family of 10 but had one person with a staffer and the staffers kid living there. The S.P. House is more tasteful and has had work done on it here and there over the years. Parts of it are in excellent shape but some dough may have to be put into certain aspects down the road. There is some quirky electrical work but there’s plenty of lighting and outlets. A gas grill hooked up to Keyspan in the garden. Wired for satellite. Alarm system in… Anyone who can drum up the mortgage/down payment will not have a problem ripping out the upper bathrooms or kitchens–in fact, an eventual buyer may take over the third floor for bedrooms. The house on South Portland is NOT being sold because of A.Y. It’s being sold because of J.A. If anyone noticed, it is mentioned somewhere the owner has been in the house for 30 years. My God time flies!
The house played host to a recent Fort Greene Association holiday party (which basically has an open door policy) and has been on the FG house/garden tours so many people may know the house. We’ve all gotten smashed there at one or more parties over these many years. Sorry to see the house’s owner leaving our village!

Go back and read some posts from the last few weeks. I think you’ll find that the haters on this site are the ones who USE a user ID.

Ok- now all you haters are going to make me sign up and get a user ID. Dont like the idea, but all you damn trolls and racists made Mr B do it.

I think I’ll pass on the user ID. It just sounds like a way to identify some people as ‘in the club’. If that is what it’s for, it sucks and this blog will suffer for it.