House of the Day: 439 East 19th Street
We’re liking the look of this single-family house at 439 East 19th Street in Ditmas Park—the original built-ins and coffered ceilings are stunning. The 2,800-square-foot house changed hands in 2002 for $775,000 and just hit the market now for $1,249,000. That comes out to about $450 per square foot, less than what this house a…
We’re liking the look of this single-family house at 439 East 19th Street in Ditmas Park—the original built-ins and coffered ceilings are stunning. The 2,800-square-foot house changed hands in 2002 for $775,000 and just hit the market now for $1,249,000. That comes out to about $450 per square foot, less than what this house a couple of blocks away recently sold for.
[Brooklyn Hearth] GMAP P*Shark
Architerrorist:
Believe me when I say this…I’m not judging anyone. I don’t even know if I’m going to be able to handle having a child at this stage of the game (or where the hell it would come from) and I certainly don’t know all the ins and outs of the NYC public school system (other than knowing that it’s a HUGE game which one must be good at).
I will admit it’s easier for me to sit back and say these things without kids, but at the same time I do know that I could never and would never live outside a city center. I spent far too many years as a kid in the burbs and hated it, even then. It’s just who I am now…a city boy through and through. The things I appreciate most are diversity, public transportation, a walkable lifestyle, varied dining and access to high quality music and culture within close proximity to my home.
That obviously comes out in my posts, but I don’t mean to imply that I don’t understand all of the compromises that come along with raising children.
I appreciate your honesty about where you were, where you are and everything in between. The only thing I know for sure is that it’s not easy.
Beautiful in that all children are beautiful in spirit and deserve better than some of the crappy educations that are forced on NYC public school kids.
This is actually ridiculous
Here’s a bigger house, equally charming, in an area closer to midtown than DP, better schools, safer, same taxes (if NYC taxes are added), same diversity FOR HALF PRICE!!!
http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/South-Orange-Village_NJ_07079_1106650416
HAHAHAHAHAHAHA Brooklyn prices are going down down down
quote:
one of my beautiful and bright enough kids getting shunted to seriously crappy ms due to the lottery, and nothing much I could do about it?
ALOL. what does that kid being “beautiful” have to do with the quality of their education? nhah
*rob*
interesting stats. it actually looks like park slope is more on par with the actual makeup of the united states in general. that’s cool.
i grew up in a super diverse area so maybe that’s why it just seems normal to me or something. so many white people are always screaming omg diversity diversity blah blah. i find a lot of it disingenuous., im not doubting you tho, i believe you do actually cherish it.
*rob*
Just to play devil’s advocate, 11217, what about quality of education. As someone who played the public school game with many children covering a span of many years, I can say with authority that it’s getting tougher and tougher to position your kids in one of the top public elementary schools, and MS is a trade-off either in terms of quality of life or quality of education. Fewer families can actually afford homes in the zoned areas for top schools… Others try to improve local schools, as we did, but never reap the desired results across the board. Variances are getting harder and harder o come by, if not impossible. Sibling variances are soon to be a thing of the past… I love many things about a NYC education – diversity, independence, sophistication, cultural exposure – all fab. Over crowded classrooms, endless prepping for state exams, drastically limited phys ed programs, lock-down middle school campuses, less than $3000 spent per pupil, one of my beautiful and bright enough kids getting shunted to seriously crappy ms due to the lottery, and nothing much I could do about it? Sucks. Plain and Simple. $24K taxes in Westchester – still cheaper than private school (and it covers an endless stream of kids per family). Do I love the $27k per pupil spending in my district? 14-20 kids in a classroom? Endless outdoor and athletic opportunities? State of the art facilities, including nature walks, ceramic studios, tennis courts, etc… You bet.
But here’s the catch – would I have traded the plusses of a city education if I hadn’t been forced to due to job issues? Probably not. We would have never left Brooklyn. Would my kids have suffered? Probably not? But do I feel slightly selfish about that choice, now that we’re actually up there and I see what they’re getting? You bet. It’s a complex argument, whatever side you take.
It’s slightly different, Rob.
Pelham:
(Race)
White 87.33% White
Black 4.57%
Native American 0.08%
Asian 3.96% Asian
Other 4.05%
(Ethnicity)
Hispanic 8.7%
Non-Hispanic 91.3%
Park Slope:
(Race)
White 66.8%
Black 11.7%
Asian/Pacfic Islander 7.5%
Other 13.6%
(Ethnicity)
Hispanic 25.6%
Non-Hispanic 74.4%
11217 I agree 100%.
quote:
Haha….too white for my taste, tyburg. Lily white, in fact. Not my cup of tea.
LOL hHahAhaHhAHAhAHAhAHaHhahhahHAhAHhahAHhHHAAHAHh that coming from the mouth of someone living in park slope is PRICELESS.
(and yes i know park slope is pretty diverse so my joke might not be that funny haha) but you get what i mean
*rob*