Not-So-Bitter Renters Embrace Brooklyn
Brownstone living is no great shakes, say people profiled in this week’s Times’ real estate section cover story. The premise of the article is that there’s a new crop of Brooklynites who go ga-ga over our borough’s condos-turned-rentals because they’re much cheaper than similar full-service buildings in Manhattan. These renters say they’re not interested in…
Brownstone living is no great shakes, say people profiled in this week’s Times’ real estate section cover story. The premise of the article is that there’s a new crop of Brooklynites who go ga-ga over our borough’s condos-turned-rentals because they’re much cheaper than similar full-service buildings in Manhattan. These renters say they’re not interested in trad brownstone living because it lacks newfangled amenities, and they don’t want to buy a condo in today’s market. My peers who have their M.B.A.’s and their new master’s degrees and new jobs, they’re looking for new condos; they’re not into the traditional houses or brownstones, says a guy who rents a $2,550-a-month pad at Bed-Stuy’s The Mynt, above. This is the lifestyle we like. You cannot put a fitness center in a brownstone. You don’t have a doorman in a brownstone. Rentals are increasingly in demand, according to stats from StreetEasy that show Brooklyn rents rising 6 percent over the past year and sales prices falling 4 percent. If this is indeed a trend, one wonders how long-lived it’ll be. If more new buildings are planned as rentals rather than condos, how many developers are going to outfit their buildings with pricey condo-style trappings?
They Love (the New) Brooklyn [NY Times]
Yeah, you’re right 1:53…after that 3 million I spent on my bstone, I’m just oh so poor now.
No money left for dinner at all, in fact.
Ramen noodles for me every night.
Sometime with a piece of bread, on rough weeks, just a cracker or two…
$2,550 in bed stuy is a joke in your town!
is that “affordable housing?”
Sober enough to post, Biff? How was your whorish weekend?
You add nothing to every post, so I am in good company in that respect.
Get a job bxgrl. Get a job. Same goes for you, Biff.
– Bizarro What
2:05…it isn’t ALWAYS about Park Slope.
But I do applaud your effort to steer this thread down another road of hate, malcontent, jealousy and loathing.
So I’ve seen insults on this thread toward the usual suspects: bitter renters, trust fund owners, midwestern transplants, suburban mcmansion owners. But what about the Park Slope stroller nazis?? C’mon folks, get with the program!
For most people, ‘owning’ just means renting from the bank. Who cares whether you own or rent, so long as you treat the building and your neighbors with respect?
If prices dropped by 50%, maybe we could talk about how to design a brownstone garden duplex instead of debating whether “owning” is the path to riches or moral ruin.
1:43: Most of the crappy new construction is quite expensive. While it is hard to do really good design without a reasonable budget, it is quite easy to spend lots of money and still build crap. The Smith+Court, the NOVO, the Forte, much of the new construction near DUMBO look bad already. Patina isn’t going to help.
Bitter owners. So jealous that they can’t afford to go out to expensive diners or a night of drinking with friends because they are dumping all their income into renovations and taxes. Upset they never get to take a nice, loooooong vacation anywhere because they can’t risk leaving their brownstone for more than a day or two. The antiquated plumbing may break, or their tenets roof may cave in. Sad, bitter owners.
1:44- as a lover of brownstones and one who chooses to live in one, you are right- adapting them to modern life isn’t easy. most people simply gut them in order to adapt them- no question they are more difficult in that respect. And age certainly takes a toll. sometimes it’s just a trade off you may have to make- Gutting an old brownstone isn’t always a matter of choice.
My wish, though, is that those who do gut these wonderful old buildings would do by salvaging whatever detail they can- they can either reuse it or resell it, but the saddest thing is to walk past a reno and see beautiful old carving in splinters and old stained glass windows in tiny, irreparable pieces.