House of the Day: 8 Grace Court Alley
Okay, before we even start talking about price and finishes, can we all just bask in the fact that this carriage house at 8 Grace Court Alley in Brooklyn Heights still has its original stable intact? How amazing! It’s hard to tell from the limited photos what the existing apartment on the top floor is…
Okay, before we even start talking about price and finishes, can we all just bask in the fact that this carriage house at 8 Grace Court Alley in Brooklyn Heights still has its original stable intact? How amazing! It’s hard to tell from the limited photos what the existing apartment on the top floor is like, but given the asking price of $2,950,000, it’s likely that the eventual buyer of this place will do a complete overhaul that ends up incorporating the stable into livings quarters. But at least we’ll still have the photo for posterity’s sake.
8 Grace Court Alley [Brown Harris Stevens] GMAP P*Shark
8 Grace Court Alley is now in contract.
8 Grace Court Alley is now listed as “In Contract” on BHS’s website. That was fast! Large carriage houses in Brooklyn Heights are extremely rare, which must explain why it’s in contract within a month of hitting the market. I wonder if they got anywhere close to the asking price? If they did, then the carriage house at 280 Hicks Street, which is actually larger than 8 Grace Court Alley, seems like a good deal for the buyer at $2.08 mln. I remember many people expressing surprise that it went over $2 mln, but that may seem like a bargain if 8 GC Alley went close to the nearly $3 mln ask price.
I saw 8 GC Alley and 280 Hicks on the same day. GC Alley is a better location because it’s on a very quiet and private alleyway, but 280 Hicks is, in my opinion, a better house because it had much higher ceilings, was a little bit larger in terms of square footage, had nicer features such as massive wood floor joists and an amazing skylight, and, importantly, it has a decent sized garden, which GC Alley lacks.
In all, both properties are beauties and I wish the new owners well. Each will make beautiful family homes after renovation. Even at full ask of $2.95 mln, the GC Alley carriage house makes sense because it is a unique property that can not be reproduced. Where can you get approx 3500 sf of living space plus indoor parking in Brooklyn Heights?
As for 280 Hicks, all I can say is that the $2.08 mln auction price is looking much better *if* Grace Court Alley went close to ask. Amazing when considering that 280 Hicks failed to attract any bidders at the Oct ’09 auction.
The building’s got a few problems that need to be addressed beyond preservation of the stable and the floorplan. Most notably what looks like asbestos and from the floorplan, some egress/fire stair issues. It will probably require sprinklers as well.
I hope the neighbors will allow a discreet third floor in exchange for preserving the stables. The second floor could be bedrooms and (with an elevator from the garage) the third floor can hold the usual lr/dr/kitchen and an outdoor space. The structure is deep enough that a third storey need not be visible from Grace Court Alley.
Wow. I want it for the stables alone. I’d be tempted to save the two front parking spaces and grab the rest of the ground floor for living space – gotta keep the stables as is and make that space the office or library. The upstairs layout is a bad joke – route from the kitchen to the dining room, for example, is either through two bedrooms, or via a hallway, living room and study. No.
Oh, wait, before someone corrects me: Yes I can see that these are extra nice stables, not really “ordinary,” though I don’t know how they compared to other Brooklyn Heights stables, but still — stables themselves were ordinary until only several generations ago.
“Those stables can be rented out for massages.” (Expert)
Heehee. Funny. I want a massage . . ..
I love the stables too, but I can’t help wondering what perfectly ordinary thing that we have in our houses right now will seem THIS exotic in 100 years.
Forget Billiards… Is that a 1960’s Hair Dryer Lounge Chair in the living room?
“Indoor pool in the Heights means a billiards room.”
only someone in the heights would call a room with a pool table a “billiards room” 😉
Indoor pool in the Heights means a billiards room.