House of the Day: 847 Hancock Street
Some of the renovated parts of this house at 847 Hancock don’t float our boat, but the original details that dominate the brownstone are so impressive that it doesn’t really matter. That woodwork is to die for! The three-story house is a legal three-family but currently configured as a two-family. The toughest selling point of…
Some of the renovated parts of this house at 847 Hancock don’t float our boat, but the original details that dominate the brownstone are so impressive that it doesn’t really matter. That woodwork is to die for! The three-story house is a legal three-family but currently configured as a two-family. The toughest selling point of the house is probably location–it’s pretty deep into Bed Stuy, almost at Broadway. Given the condition of the house though, the $599,000 asking price definitely takes that into account. How do you think this will fare on the open market?
847 Hancock Street [Corcoran] GMAP P*Shark
I saw (some of) this house today, in case anyone comes back to this thread looking for some information about the property.
Take all this with a grain of salt and go see the property yourself if you are curious, obviously.
The garden floor (new kitchen and bath pictured on the website) had some electrical and plumbing upgrades which were visible from the basement but the heating system looked very old and rusted. The old rusty(?!) oil burner was probably exhausting more exhaust into the house than up the exhaust stack, which didn’t strike me as all that safe. Basement was dry. Fairly new service to the house (100 & 40 AMP). Set up as a 2.
Parlor floor had what appeared to be no upgrades at all. Lots(!) of poorly patched plaster, cracks going width-wise across the property, not lengthwise. Flip switch threaded through an exposed chain for wiring the ceiling fixtures. No upgraded electrical. Extension cords running around to power what little there was.
I didn’t make it upstairs. After the house next door was listed for 75k less in arguably better shape, it seems like an insult to the potential buyer’s intelligence to list the property for 600k. There’s a fully reno’d property on Macon (yes, not as detailed, but probably solid) between Lewis and Stuyvesant for just a bit more. I shouldn’t have but I told the agent (who of course had just asked “So what do you think?”) what I thought. Totally out of scope for the neighborhood and the condition of the house. I felt as if I wasted my time.
On a side note…
When I mentioned Brownstoner and the opinions of the good people here, the agent flat out told me “They aren’t real people.” Apparently real people don’t take the time to learn about Brooklyn neighborhoods, brownstones, the process of restoring old homes, or the real estate market before making a purchase. Nor are any of the recent home buyers or owners in the ‘hood who contribute to the boards real people. Such an old school way of thinking to state so matter-of-factly that what is said here is irrelevant.
Note to the broker:
Hello, this is your target demographic.
Retlaw, that map is more confusing than anything else, because it’s not featuring street names, and the colors indicate Community Boards, not neighborhoods.
Anyway, Ocean Hill is east of Ralph, which is where this HOTD is located.
http://www.nyc.gov/html/dcp/html/neighbor/neighl.shtml
This site will give you an indication of where you live in the area. I know there is always confusion as to whether a property is located in Ocean Hill, or Bedford Stuyvesant proper. Maybe it will help.
I’m not blown away by the original detail on this house. But it appears to be in move in condition. If true, and the price were in the low 500s, I think it would be desirable.
Re the location, you are close to the Halsey stop, the Gates police station, Bed Stuy Fish Fry, and Saratoga Park. There is a good produce store at the Halsey stop and plenty of other conveniences. The person who said it’s 15 minutes to Delancey is correct (not door to door but on the train).
Crime wise, I highly doubt this area is any different than any other part of Bed Stuy. (I live a few blocks away.)
There is already an interesting community of people in east and southeast stuy. more are coming without marketing the area. businesses too. All the people who like to aggressively or passive aggressively knock the neighborhood are those who make other neighborhoods suck. Why tout how great it is to them? I know this is a sort of leak in itself.
I just have to laugh every time someone (won’t name names) questions the location, price and crime in relation to the vast Bed Stuy, but lives in “clinton hill” on Downing or Grand near Fulton in their 1m+ house right next to notorious gang buildings and drug distribution points coupled with constant shootings. I know, i know, the coop will change all.
I don’t think the comment that this house (which is technically in the Ocean Hill section of Bed-Stuy) was deep into Bed-Stuy was derogatory. It was factual, as in furthest from Clinton Hill, or closest to Bushwick. It doesn’t mean it’s far from subway lines, just further from fancy amenities like hip restaurants and coffee shops, ie. not gentrified (yet?)
The COTD got comments such as “the owners must be fat midgets”, so I do think the local contingent is being a bit thin-skinned here.
houses on decatur (as an example) between ralph / howard / saratoga are far nicer and better kept than some between malcomX and patchen. being right off of lewis or styvesant is ofcourse quite nice
but once you are east by 2 blocks (malcomX) it doesnt matter if you are east by 4 blocks! (from lewis) 509 chauncey which was reported as selling well infact is even further east.
reports on this part of bed-stuy are often too general. i think it is important to let those who live further east point (hopefully in a specific manner) to the positive aspects or changes rather than always perpetuating an offensive/defensive stance.
i recall reading about 2 empty lots on howard/macon and howard/halsey that are being converted to some sort of urban farming effort. also a new real estate company opened recently on the corner of howard and halsey. the victoria’s tea house on howard near decatur is often open now, carries organic teas etc and has an open mike night/poetry readings on thursday evenings i think..(support it)
it takes 10 mins to walk to utica A station from howard and decatur (smarter to avoid the C at ralph) the Brooklynite gallery on malcomX has interesting international/local exhibitions that are well attended..im sure there are many more things to point out and those of you who are living in east bed-stuy should share more..
Y’all are hilarious. I wouldn’t take any of this personnally. I agree that the deep in Bed-Stuy comment, while factually accurate, gives the wrong connotation to the location (re: proximity to manhattan, trains, &c.). I live “deep in Bed-Stuy” (Macon, near Saratoga Square) and understand what retlaw means, but I am happy where the price points are and the slowness with which those price points are moving upwards. Mr. Dave is fairly accurate, though, re: what will happen over the next 3 years and 5-10 years. People who do not live where I live do not necessarily see the speed of the change (i.e., community/neighborhood changes, not price) occuring, but it is noticeable and totally acceptable. I hear stories frmo neighbors about the rapidity of changes just in the last few years and they are awash in happiness at where the neighborhood is right now and the track it is on.
Bytheway, where has that guy who was always talking about Brownstones being half-off been? I don’t see his comments on here anymore.
Just for clarity, the part of Bushwick that is “happening” us not near this house. Most of the bars, restaurants, and art galleries are along the L train and to a limited extent around the Myrtle Ave. JMZ stop. The eastern end of the neighborhood is much grittier and severely lacking in amenities.