Houses of the Day: The Ugly Stepchild Problem
It’s a rich man’s problem, but when a broker has a lot of listings, the risk is that one can make another look pretty bad by comparison. Such is the case with two townhouse listings of Elliman power broker Kathryn Lilly. She recently got the listing for a house at 211 Carlton Avenue which is…
It’s a rich man’s problem, but when a broker has a lot of listings, the risk is that one can make another look pretty bad by comparison. Such is the case with two townhouse listings of Elliman power broker Kathryn Lilly. She recently got the listing for a house at 211 Carlton Avenue which is a classic brownstone (except for the stoop alteration) in a good Fort Greene location. The house traded for $1,580,000 in October 2006 so the current asking price of $2,650,000 may be a bit aggressive even though it appears that the owner’s doing a pretty extensive reno. Aggressive maybe, but not completely insane, like Lilly’s other listing at 171 Greene Avenue. We’ve written several posts over the last year about the owner’s fruitless efforts to sell off this place as three condos at exorbitant prices, so when we heard that he had changed tactics and put the whole house on the market we thought that maybe he’d come to his senses. Apparently not. The asking price, at a whopping $2.5 million, is just as high as he was asking for the three units collectively. This place is overpriced by a good $1 million in our opinion. So now Lilly has the awkward problem of having two houses priced about the same, one an original brownstone a block from Fort Greene Park, the other a recently constructed house on a heavily trafficed portion of Greene Avenue in Clinton Hill. We’re not sure how she’s supposed to sell the latter with a straight face. Brokers, how do you handle a situation like this?
211 Carlton Avenue [Elliman] GMAP P*Shark
171 Greene Avenue [Elliman] GMAP P*Shark
yes my thought were well intentioned and no I am not the same moron as 1:44 but it is very upsetting to see someone write something as ignorant as that and no one even inform him/her of his ignorance. And I guess that if you were probably a person of color you would be crying “booo” as well if you work hard every single day of your life to overcome the stereotypes casted down upon you and your community by people within our society.
Whoever is bashing Fort Green Park and Prospect Park are nuts.
Living in a brownstone within a few blocks of Prospect Park would be ideal, as far as I’m concerned. Especially for people like myself who run and bike regularly, it’s a great low key alternative to Central Park.
Sit down, Troll, you’re acting up again.
Re: 2:22. What an idiot. Is he related to Bush. Are you out of your mind?????
This section of Green Ave is an example of terrible architecture. You have to be without any taste to buy one of these houses.
Brownstoners, in my opinion, an example of good sensible filler is on Vernon between Marcy and Tompkins. RUnfortunately the owner keeps it empty for over a year. Something fishy, possibly they benefited for promising something to the state. By not able to rent or sell you do not have to comply. Off course the state does not know that the owner deliberately is not advertising.
4:24
You may be well intentioned, but your post is just as weirdly hateful and full of stereotypes as 1:44. The people who post those things are just trying to get a rise out of people. Too bad there’s no blog equivalent of everyone yelling ‘Boooo’ I wouldn’t be surprised if the two posts were actually by the same person.
in response to 1:44 comments about minorities and brownstones.
Hey buddy you are probably upset that you dont own a brownstone due to your poor financial condition and lack of an adequate education. You probably live in a trailer somewhere in west virginia with your kissing cousin playing house. I bet you wished this was the 50’s in the Jim Crow South all over again, but unfortunately for you most of the people that now reside in these communities that you detest so much have grown past the hate that you so cowardly want to permeate. So I say continue to be bitter and hateful and remain in your poverty of ignorance.
2:13 raises a good question about the plywood. Either the plan is to install taller windows or, dare I say it, A/C sleeves. Fedders building, anyone??
There should be a virgin mobile ad that exploits the park tensions of Fort Greene
Prospect park is depressing. That whole entrance to it reminds me of the garishness of columbus circle. And it’s basically a poor man’s Central park. No identity. Sorry.
At least Ft G park isn’t trying to be anything but what it is: Gorgeous.
3:09. Thanks for saying it all. I generally dislike all these itty bitty city parks, with the squatters and dealers (Thomkins, Wash Sq) or the friggin corporate parks (Mad Sq Park), but Ft Greene Park is actually the strangest beast: It’s small but feels big, perhaps because of the diversity of people, perhaps because of the stunning landscape design, perhaps because it’s so high up. In any case, it is a true landmark of brooklyn and greater new york, and there isn’t a single place that better exemplifies what I would consider the ideal of living in this city — and that absolutely INCLUDES the projects on one side, the brownstones on the other, the hospital on the third side, and the cafes and schools along dekalb. LOVE LOVE LOVE this place.
I respect 3:19’s opinion of course, I just couldn’t disagree more.