House of the Day: 357 Pacific Street
It will come as no surprise to long-time readers that we don’t tend to like renovations that try to maintain a traditional style but that end of looking too shiny and new; we like to see a little authentic imperfection in a brownstone—a creaky floorboard, an plaster wall that’s not perfectly straight, a crown molding…
It will come as no surprise to long-time readers that we don’t tend to like renovations that try to maintain a traditional style but that end of looking too shiny and new; we like to see a little authentic imperfection in a brownstone—a creaky floorboard, an plaster wall that’s not perfectly straight, a crown molding that shows its age. So, while the owners of this new listing at 357 Pacific Street clearly put a lot of work into their renovation, the place just isn’t for us. Which is probably a good thing, since we couldn’t swing the $2,499,000 price tag anyway. We’ll see whether the 17-foot width hurts the single-family home’s chances.
357 Pacific Street [Corcoran] GMAP P*Shark
As usual, this thread is off an unrelated and unresolvable tangent.
By the way… by your combined arguments above, if you just sold you place in Manhattan, got your grandma’s inheritance then MOVED TO QUEENS as you suggest we all do… you ALSO would not have to work. Thus, NOT Middle Class!!!
You make $500,000 or more a year and *choose* to buy a $2 or $3MM home — just because you have to keep on working to pay that absurd mortgage doesn’t make you less rich. It makes you rich because you could have basically retired, but chose not to.
300-400k is upper middle class? That just made my head explode
The entire borough of Queens is “affordable”?!
People are being “forced out” because of what is considered affordable. I’m not a communist… people can afford what people can afford.
But stretching the “upper limit” of what is middle class to such a ridiculous level is a self-fulfilling prophecy. A house that was $800k 10 years ago is now going for $2.4 million… We skyrocketed through many tax brackets to find the happy couple that finds the new price affordable.
The “This is NYC” argument is equally as ridiculous. Working class folk shouldn’t be able to afford a $2MM townhouse. But a *real* middle class person should probably be able to find an apartment in Brooklyn without having to live on the edge and live a modestly comfortable existence… and I include renters here. The $2MM townhouse that some “upper middle class” person buys causes the studio apartment to be $1/2 million + $800/mo for maintenance. Or the rent to be $2,500/mo. That’s how people are “forced” out.
This buy what you can afford (even if it’s not true) is a sickness….
Not my taste either but I’m sure a lot of people will like this. FWIW, the floor plan is designed with a center staircase to maximize the width of the narrow house. (You still end up with a small side room, here identified as the “library,” on the front door level.)
“I think middle class is anyone who has to work, which has a very high upper end in NYC.” Agreed.
Denton, do tell — where do all these people get their money? if a lot of it is inherited, it makes me feel like less of a loser for my sad financial career. I still live in the servant’s quarters of a “middle class” family’s brownstone in the slope. (strange place for an evil banker, no?)
I think middle class is anyone who has to work, which has a very high upper end in NYC. and I don’t see why I need to feel bad that “working class” folks can’t afford 2MM townhouses. That’s why we have Queens. I also don’t understand why we insist on new affordable units, when the entire borough of Queens is affordable, and when we don’t restrict the lotteries to people who actually live in the neighborhood that people are being “forced out of”. what a sham.
Heck, a dual income couple who takes in $300K in this city is certainly upper middle class. And still couldn’t afford this place…
They’d be rich anywhere else…
denton- give me a call when you have a chance.
I will have to disagree with you John, I like the reno, just make sure my floors are hardwood.