House of the Day: 325 East 17th Street

There are a lot of clueless posters, especially those that think the commute to Manhattan from Ditmas Park West is over 30 minutes.

Really, ppl shouldn’t comment on what they don’t know. But then again, that helps keep the neighborhood a hidden secret. So there is some upside to the ones that are mis-informed and propogate their mis-information.

In the Spring through Fall, Ditmas Park West is absolutely beautiful. I think everyone here should at least visit it and then take a 22 minute ride to Broadway-Lafayette from an Express B train on Newkirk Ave.

Maybe you will also want to visit some of the new and wonderful resturants on Cortelyou as well.

Anyway, get the facts for those that are truly interested in living in the City with a true neighborhood feel.

I find the decor of this house oppressive – all that dark wood – yuck.

Its called an express train that is not over utilized in manhattan like the red/green lines

So after saying each chooses what is important to him/her. I thought it appropriate to say why I chose it understanding there are plenty of arguments not to choose it as well.

1. Space. I think most people would choose more space over less, but I understand that at some point more space is pointless, but for me I work from home and have two young kids so it’s important.

2. Driveway and garage. I think this is a nice alternative to have, it is not a necessity to live. I have supermarket, coffee shop, bagels, deli, restaurants, and the subway within walking distance. Plenty of people live in houses and apartments who don’t drive. But since you have a driveway, its easy to get around and is a premium I would say as I shop for a family so I go to fairway and load up. No double parking with kids in the car, lugging groceries in while getting ticketed, etc. I could go to c-town, the food coop, or the organic market just like in park slope. It’s a choice I have.

3. Community. I found it (not knowing at the time I bought) to be the most friendly welcoming nabe I have ever lived in. There are playgroups in people’s houses during the winter and on playgrounds during the summer that everyone on the flatbush family network is invited to. Also the adults make friends easier and within a month we were barbecuing with friends over from the nabe.

4. House. I often looked at brownstones and told myself, I must get a 20′ wide brownstone because otherwise its too narrow or I want the kitchen on the basement floor so it can go out to the garden so it can be bigger than take up my 900 sqaure foot 1st floor. I need a renter or the brownstone needs more light, etc. When you walk into a 34′ wide house that is sundrenced on all sides, it never feels cramped or split up between four floors.

5. I wanted a neighborhood in nyc that was never going to be truly gentrified but always have a diversity of ethnic and economic backgrounds. It’s the most diverse that I have ever seen. I chose and continue to to live in nyc for this reason. For 1.5 million I know I could live in a very nice house in darien or jersey with great schools.

6. Investment. My philosophy is that if a nabe has good transportation, stunning architecture, and is priced at a significant discount to other nabes because of a lack of amenities than it has a good chance of rising. This has happened to countless nabes in manhattan, brooklyn, and queens where amenities slowly came around. As few as they are here now…two years ago there was only vox pop and picket fence. Remember park slope was not exactly comparable to the upper west side on amenities and brooklyn heights was about as far as a manhattanite would go during the 90’s. Its also a unique neighborhood for those who want a detached house/mansion, but not in some small town in jersey or ct. There are comparable apartment nabes or brownstone nabes in brooklyn, but not single family victorian homes. Uniqueness usually counts for something ($$) in nyc.

7. Commute: I think this is issue is slightly exaggerated. Its 35 min to midtown on the express Q and 20 min to downtown. There is also this amazing express bus that zips you downtown even faster through the brooklyn battery tunnel. Unless you’re in the north slope, the F-train is longer. Further, unless you’re walking distance in manhattan, my commute on the subway was always 30 min door to door if not longer going from uptown to downtown.

8. Park. I’m virtually on the park. I run 3x week in the park and I’m closer now than I was in the north slope. Last, but not least. I love tennis and being within walking distance of the parade ground courts might just be the most important fact to me.

9. Schools. I think this is a wash. If you’re sending you’re kids to private school than I know its going to be brutal to get them in anywhere in brookyn. In terms of public, the nabe has decent public schools and bad ones just like the other nabes and most kids experiences are that at some point they will commute by subway, car…elementary, middle, and highschool.

10. Moving. And last, but not least, I know I don’t have to move again (I’ve now lived over my 15 years in nyc in 3 apartments on the UES, two on UWS, one in EV and WV, and one in hell’s kitchen, and one in park slope), but for a job. I have enough space and I and my kids can commute anywhere in nyc.

Anyway, that was my decision and I still at times drool over a classic 7 on the upper west side, but that’s 3.5 million now. Maybe some day.

For the record, I understand the negatives all too well, but given the price point, the positives far outweiged the negatives and I do know its the other way around for a lot people, but for those looking in the nabe, I think knowing why people moved here might be informative.

And 7:52 is not me, boss. So there you have it.