House of the Day: 176 Bainbridge Street
This three-story brownstone at 176 Bainbridge Street in Bed Stuy just hit the market with an asking price of $695,000. While the ultimate selling price may end up barely having a “6” at the front of it, the current ask is probably too high given the size (2,700 square feet) and the condition—while the whitewashed…
This three-story brownstone at 176 Bainbridge Street in Bed Stuy just hit the market with an asking price of $695,000. While the ultimate selling price may end up barely having a “6” at the front of it, the current ask is probably too high given the size (2,700 square feet) and the condition—while the whitewashed walls and sanded floors sit fine with us, the Home Depot light fixtures and tacky door knobs make us fear the worst about the unphotographed bathrooms and kitchens. What do you think? If this were $100,000 cheaper would it be a buy?
176 Bainbridge Street [Douglas Elliman] GMAP P*Shark
But that wasn’t my point; to know that the world is a big place with lots of different stuff and it’s all normal is an important thing for a kid. Not to grow up sheltered and surrounded by lots of the same thing.
(I haven’t even mentioned the opportunities to explore art museums, the library, music, etc.)
And you keep harping on the safety thing. The city is pretty safe. In fact, everywhere, generally speaking, is pretty safe. And even the unsafe parts are unlikely to permanently damage you.
Why do you think a nice quiet town is better, anyway? Just curious.
It’s better to grow up in a nice, safe, quiet town, and move to NYC as an adult. As an adult, one can appreciate all the city offers. Kids don’t need 24 hour bars and roti stands. . .
ditto- Agreed. I don’t think growing up in the city will necessarily make you more interesting, but it certainly give you wider/different opportunities for having interesting experiences. I grew up in a town was pretty quiet, and while it was great (totally beautiful, great topography, fabulous weather, etc.) there was very little diversity, there were fewer opportunities, hell, to pick something at random, there was no salted fish at the grocery store or dressed lamb hanging in the window. I don’t know if my son will be more interesting for living in the city, but at least he’ll know more varieties of normal, which i hope will serve him well in the wide world.
ferrouspheres- I’m not talking about helicopter parenting either. I expect my kid the explore the city on his own, once he’s old enough to call home and use a metrocard. This paranoia about kids being abducted every five minutes drives me crazy. Crackheads and criminals (crackheads?? really?? In 2009??) are not a constant threat.
once more, with feeling: not a constant threat. Not even a frequent threat. Same as the myth that methheads and pedophiles haunt the streets of suburbia (where a lot of people are also too paranoid to let their kids go bikeriding by themselves). And re nerds/cocky druggies; I think that’s a class-based constant. I can say the same thing for a lot of the people I grew up in the non-city with.
Anyhow, my point was that there are a lot of intangibles that add value to living in the city vs. living in maplewood, even if you could get a cheaper box to live in. Which is not to say everyone should live in the city (there are people who just hate the city) but that there are lots of people who value the city much higher than picket fences and quaint downtown starbucks.
(though, after all that, the house is still overpriced.)
I’m a city lover, but the idea of thinking you’ll be more interesting if you grow up in the city than in the burbs, based on the people I know, seems more based on specious logic than actual reality. It comes down to the person themselves.
RF,
I’m talking about being able to let your kids go on long bike rides or to parks by THEMSELVES, not with you or daddy lurking a few feet behind. And letting them play on the stoop while you’re inside with the door open is not what I’m talking about either.
I’m not defending Maplewood since I’ve never been there, but there are lots of nice towns where kids can have a much better childhood than anywhere in NYC where crackhead/criminals are always a constant threat — and you know it!
In my opinion, a large percentage of kids who grow up in NYC are cocky young drug abusers by the time they hit high school, or they’re big nerds whose parents whip them to succeed, but when they grow up, they rebel and become the laziest trust fund slackers on the planet. . .
I know a lot of these folks. I’m not making this up.
To restate the previous points:
House layout sucks. Overpriced. I, too, wish prices would come down to a reasonable point. Of course, I’m too poor to buy it even at that point, but at least I could dream.
Maplewood, which I’ve been to, sucks. It’s boring, suburban, private, all kinds of lame. Maybe houses are cheaper, but you have to live in maplewood. Which is why the houses are cheaper.
and, fwiw, my wife and i live in crown heights and this “if you live here your children will grow up to be criminals” crap is old and boring. I want my kid growing up riding the subway, eating roti, and playing in the park down the street. Because holy shit that’s more interesting than the burbs. Just because you like boring, ain’t no reason we all gotta live that way.
crap house btw. Fact that idiots are still talking up crap like this for $600k shows we’ve still got a while to go.
The day threads such as this and blogs such as this cease to exist = the day housing reaches bottom
OMG, this is too funny. Email for everybody, coming up!