1372-Dean-Street-0708.jpg
We’re loving the looks of this brick three-story house at 1372 Dean Street in the Crown Heights North Historic District. From the outside, that is. Who could resist that rounded tower? The inside, however, is looking a little worse for the wear and makes the asking price of $1,250,000 little more than a pipe dream in this market, in our opinion. What’s more, this place is chopped up into a five units, which presents its own set of potential drawbacks. (Three of the apartments are currently rented.) On the positive side, there’s a driveway with room for two cars. We just don’t see how a place like this is going to clear a million bucks in this environment.
1372 Dean Street [Century 21] GMAP P*Shark


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  1. Evening, Montrose.

    I finally figured out how to register, although it’s a little late to comment on this house.

    Anyway, enjoyed its pic and discussion.

    For those with doubts, this house looks like it belongs on a block in the South End which when I lived in Boston years ago was to the Back Bay what Crown Heights is to Park Slope today. Now of course, you can’t touch places there for less than a couple of million.

    I’m really struck by so many people’s lack of vision. But then, few people had vision for the South End back in the day.

    Anyway, looking forward to the next posting about my boyhood neighborhood, Crown Heights, which has come a long way since my family left in the early 60s.

    Nostalgic on Park Avenue

  2. To clarify: the neighborhood may not be for everyone, I’m not saying that the improvements won’t benefit everyone. That is not fine, although probably also true, sadly enough. Our rising tide will not lift all boats, or be appreciated by all, and we must never forget that those concerns need to be addressed, as well.

  3. is coming back into its own. My vision is a multicultural neighborhood that retains its unique Afro-Caribbean/American culture, and is enriched by the participation and contributions of everyone else who chooses to make it home. The amenities will come, make no mistake, as will the other improvements that are necessary for the betterment of all. Probably never for everyone, and that’s just fine. But by no means, not even now, a place that can be classified by anyone as somewhere that “most people would not want to live”. Who are most people? If it’s not code, then what is?

  4. Brooklynnative, I get defensive over “most people would not want to live here” remarks not because it implies that other parts of town are better for whatever reason, but because it implies that there is something so inherently wrong with Crown Heights, that no rational person would want to live here. And that is just not true.

    Tonight, after reading your initial remarks, I had to go to a meeting about 6 blocks from this Dean Street house. It was around 6:30, and walking up a very quiet and beautiful NY Ave, past 2 amazing churches just across the street from the Dean St. house I had to laugh at the absurdity of your statement. I saw an interracial couple piling their beautiful kids into a car. I passed two older men who have obviously been here for years having a spirited discussion about rent pricing. Two 20’s something white girls were carrying grocery bags into one of those dreaded apartment buidings on NY Ave, and all up and down the avenue people were coming in from work, sitting on their stoops, walking their dogs,and doing everday normal neighborhood stuff. No one looked like they didn’t want to be here.

    I was tempted to shouts “We are so normal, we are you, we all want the same things. Why is that so hard for people outside of this neighborhood to understand?” Then I went to my community meeting, where we were about the business of improving Crown Heights for everyone.

    I think where you live is great. I would love to have Prospect Park, the museum and the Botanic Garden at my door, and great restaurants down the block. But not everyone can live in Park Slope, even if we all could afford it. Crown Heights is a beautiful neighborhood that

  5. brooklynnative- I was trying to explain the neighborhood, not imply anything about you being elitist or racist. Some people really aren’t comfortable in poor, middle or working class ethnic neighborhoods but this is what CHN is largely. It’s not for everyone- some people won’t like it the way some people don’t like the Heights or Park Slope. (I have friends who won’t come here because walking down the street makes them nervous. they live on the UES and UWS, and feel out of their element. That’s all it is.) Sorry you took it the wrong way but I really wasn’t implying either of those things about you..

  6. Amzi, I see lots of good things happening on Bedford on your side of Atlantic. I think it will be a very viable location. It’s too bad they tore down those great old large mixed use apartment buildings, I think that they could have been rehabbed into really nice new housing. I hope whatever replaces them is not as fugly as further north on Bedford.

    I agree about Grant Square, although I think the seniors have a pretty good claim to the Union League Club. I did some research on the building, and it was amazing for its time, and was quite influential in the community. The square must have been something, with the Imperial Apartments, the 23rd Regiment Armory, the Union League Club, and the other grand buildings on the square. Not to mention old Ulysses S. Grant on his horse. The Union League sponsored the statue, btw, as they were a Republican (party of Lincoln) club. Lincoln and Grant are prominantly featured in the terra cotta facade.

    I love this stuff – the book is forthcoming.

  7. Montrose Morris I think that you are right about Bedford Ave. I live in Bedford Stuyvesant and I can see Bedford Ave becoming nice on this side of Atlantic also. Grant Sq. can become something really nice. Also L.P Lauritzen 1889 Union League Club that looks a lot like the Montauk Club. Today the Union League Club is a Senior Center that needs to be restored along with most of Grant Sq. This could once again become a very grand intersection of Brooklyn.

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