Open House Picks
Park Slope 404 Bergen Street Nancy McK: Saturday 1-3 BHS: Sunday 11:30-2pm $1,495,000 GMAP P*Shark Boerum Hill 494 Warren Street Corcoran Sunday 12:30-2pm $1,290,000 GMAP P*Shark Windsor Terrace 88 Prospect Park SW Warren Lewis Sunday 1-3pm $885,000 MAPQ P*Shark South Slope 297 22nd Street Townsley & Gay Sunday 1-3pm $699,000 GMAP P*Shark Crown Heights 1370…
Park Slope
404 Bergen Street
Nancy McK: Saturday 1-3
BHS: Sunday 11:30-2pm
$1,495,000
GMAP P*Shark
Boerum Hill
494 Warren Street
Corcoran
Sunday 12:30-2pm
$1,290,000
GMAP P*Shark
Windsor Terrace
88 Prospect Park SW
Warren Lewis
Sunday 1-3pm
$885,000
MAPQ P*Shark
South Slope
297 22nd Street
Townsley & Gay
Sunday 1-3pm
$699,000
GMAP P*Shark
Crown Heights
1370 Pacific Street
Mr. Clarke
Sunday 1-2pm
$599,000
GMAP P*Shark
Hal, you are absolutely right. To say that block lacks architectural character is an understatement. I’ve never seen so much vinyl and asbestos siding in my life. Some salesman pulled the con of the year on that block. There are a couple of nice places on that block, however, and you are also right that in 5 years or so, if the Bklyn boom continues, the block will look very different. It would be a good place to invest, not necessarily run to now. If one could get a house cheaply enough, and put a pile of money into it, I think it’s a good value. As I mentioned before, it is very close to the train, shopping, bus lines, etc. Since I do live a block away, I’d love to see the block revitalize, as mine is slowly doing.
On the way to the Foodtown at Restoration Plaza on Sunday (great supermarket BTW) I peeked in at the Pacific Street open house.
CONS: No effort was made to make the house presentable. The concrete porch in front under that bay window will have to come down, if not for engineering reasons, at least because it’s ugly. There is some detail intact inside that needs restoration. The forced air heating system is delivered in places with exposed ductwork, I presume because of the unorthodox way the interior was divided. On top of that and more, the block has a long way to go before it feels like a livable place. There are a number of boarded up houses and some others in very poor condition. The block lacks architectural character, in my opinion. When I mentioned some of the shortcomings to the agent, he said the price is negotiable.
PROS: I suppose this property is a good opportunity for an investor, or a potential homeowner who has the patience to see this block *come up*, because it likely will in the next five years. Some evidence is the other open house on the block, which was a nicely renovated brownstone a few houses west, asking $799k.
The Bergen St. house looks lovely, but in my view only has two bedrooms. I don’t need large bedrooms (mine are in fact quite small), but 10 by 6 barely fits a twin bed, especially with little closet space and one bathroom (unless you trek down to take a shower off the kitchen). I suppose someone with $1.5 million and no kids would not mind, but it seems like a lot to me for two bedrooms.
So what’s your point 1:21? Unfortunately, crime and shootings take place in housing projects, and also in apartment complexes, and for that matter, in posh homes in the Hamptons. I think what 11:52 was trying to say is that the mere presence of a housing project does not automatically mean your yuppie butt is going to get mugged/shot/assaulted. I agree that there are many brownstone and tenement buildings out there that are much worse, in the hands of private landlords. The city at least has a bit (albeit not much) more control of the surroundings.
I guess it depends on your definition of “disruptive;” it’s easier to disturb people in a 6 – 8 family building than it is in a huge project (or apartment building in general for that matter). Things that pass for disruptive in the houses around me (2 -3 family, mostly owner-occupied) in Brooklyn would be unnoticed in the building on the Lower East Side where I also have an apartment, and certainly even less so in a project.
Evicting a tenant for disruptive behaviour anywhere is extremely difficult, especially if the tenant is current on his/her rent.
Ok. A 17 year old kid was shot to death in the hallway of those projects a few days ago. How’s that for an “apartment complex.”
I walk past the projects on Warren St all the time and no one ever bothers me. It might as well be an apartment complex. The projects maybe unattractive but they are well maintained with parking, playgrounds, basketball courts and landscaped gardens.
There are blocks that are entirely frame/aluminum siding 6 to 8 family tenements. I’d rather look at projects then frame tenements. At least disruptive tenants in the projects can be evicted. Disruptive tenants in tenements never get evicted.
Interesting point about brownstone blocks vs. housing projects — can you be more specific — which brownstone blocks are worse than which projects? Could be an investment idea.
anon 11:35 — a correct and irrelevant statement. we’re not talking about all projects. we’re talking about these particular two, which are pretty bad and definitely warrant a discount on the block.