Open House Picks

Wow, Cruchy Granola . . . . As a “lily-white” person who lives in Carroll Gardens and is not ashamed of being a Caucasian, I’m gunna stick up for my people.

I will look at the Tudor tomorrow because it looks beautiful and I’m curious about it and it’s under a million dollars.

BUT, I DO hesitate about PLG because the services and amenities suck.

Finally, a house in PLG that isn’t underpriced! Those Tudors are really lovely. Very charming indeed. And the location is fine. Some complain that PLG lacks services, but that’s changed and is still changing rapidly. And let’s be real – it’s not the alleged lack of services that poses a problem for people considering in PLG. It’s the fact that poor black immigrants live nearby. I once read a post that stating that PLG was unfortunate because it was “an island” surrounded by large apartment buildings, poor infrastructure and too much traffic. Hard-pressed to think of ANY neighborhood in Brooklyn that isn’t near large apartment buildings, a main thoroughfare, or in need of better infrastructure, I was tempted to suggest that the reader opt for lily-white Carroll Gardens (where the rest of us would prefer they stay) and vote for Sarah Palin in 2012!

Regarding PLG v. Clinton Hill, these are peer neighborhoods in a sense. Both have lovely homes. I think of PLG as a cheaper, more convenient alternative to Park Slope, while Clinton Hill is a cheaper, more convenient alternative to Fort Greene. It really depends on which part of Brooklyn you prefer – the part located between the bridges and the new arena, or the part located between the new arena and Prospect Park. But if you don’t mind having to transfer trains when commuting to Manhattan by subway, or if you need to be near highways, Clinton Hill is fantastic. The BQE is right there. And I fell in love with the area around Pratt. But if you’re a park-person, and you need to commute quickly to Manhattan, you can’t beat PLG. Plus the Botanic Garden and Brooklyn Museum are right there. Ultimately, I chose PLG because I commute by train and I run in the park. But if I worked from home and needed to zip in and out of Manhattan quickly by car, I might have opted for Clinton Hill.

Rutland house is nice. . .and I also think the Flatbush Ave. noise complaints are overrated. Once you turn onto the block it’s a different world altogether.
But I’d say this is a case of nearly top of the market pricing.
If you can get a big 4-story 20 foot place on one of LM’s best blocks for $1.2 (which you can), then 900K seems like the ceiling for this one.
The identical tudors on chester court went for $700K at the market peak, so you might get one for $575 or 600 now . ..which could be a great deal IMO.

I know this house on Sackett extremely well, and it is a phenomenal house in a great location. The house was completely gut renovated and has 3 amazing working fireplaces, central AC, internal AV wiring, 3 full decks, a gorgeous backyard with a treehouse, a fantastic chef’s kitchen and tons of great features. The inside details are beautiful with moldings to period. Additionally the exposed brick on both sides is very nice. The cellar is also completely finished with a laundry room and a great kids playroom and storage. This is not a flipper…it’s a family home and they’ve lived there since the renovation was complete.