June 2005
June 30, 2005
Sustainable Development in Red Hook
Only the Blog Knows Brooklyn wrote an interesting profile of sustainable development group Added Value yesterday. The Red Hook-based organization grows "fast crops" in their garden atop an old baseball field in Coffey Park. They train youngsters in farming and environmental issues, selling the fruits of their labors at the Red Hook farmer's market. Funnily enough, the group's gardens are right across the street from where the Ikea store will be.
Sustainable Future [OTBKB]
Homepage [Added Value]
House of the Day: Antebellum Glory
Our heart skipped a beat when we saw this listing. We have no idea how it escaped our notice at the end of last week--it must have been added after we did our Open House picks. Anyway, it's not often you see one of these old mid-19th century frame houses on the market. The listing says Clinton Hill but doesn't give a street (Argghh!), but we suspect it's probably Eastern Fort Greene, somewhere like Clermont. At first glance we thought the asking price of $1.75 million looked low but then realized we might be letting our excitement over the house's special exterior architecture get the best of us, so we looked at the rest of the interior shots. Nothing special shown but certainly not bad. And as partial as everyone knows we are to the area, this still looks like a great deal to us compared to something like yesterday's dinky $2.15 million offering in Park Slope. Just no comparison really. We'll be interested to see if everyone thinks we're overly enthusiastic on this one, though we suspect the market will bear us out. Accuse us of boosterism if you must, but we bet this'll be another 41 Monroe with multiple bids over the ask.
Clinton Hill Antebellum [Location Location Location]
Ikea Misrepresenting in Court, Blog Says
The folks at Big Cities Big Boxes are none too pleased about the lawsuit against Ikea getting rejected. According to BCBB, Ikea has purposefully overstated the unemployment situation in the area to push their case:
Ikea claimed that unemployment among racial minorities in Red Hook was epidemic. Ikea systematically incited racial divisiveness in the community, but its claims about unemployment were simply false. As revealed on the blog BigCitiesBigBoxes, publicly available evidence proves that Ikea secured City Planning Commission approval for the gigantic Ikea-Red Hook big box store by misrepresenting the number of unemployed residents of Red Hook Houses, a public housing project. Ikea stated, misleadingly and repeatedly, that there is a twenty per cent unemployment rate at Red Hook Houses, the local public housing project, which as of the Year 2000 census had 7,278 residents, most of them African-American. The records of the Department of City Planning, however, show that in fact there were only 568 unemployed persons of working age in Red Hook Houses as of the 2000 census, not 1456, as Ikea's arguments suggested. In addition, hundreds of retail jobs are already available within walking distance of Red Hook Houses, at Lowe's and Home Depot, and another 200 union jobs will be available when Fairway opens.
Press Release: Ikea Lied [Big Cities Big Boxes]
Ikea Lawsuit Rejected
June 30, 2005, NY Times -- Ruling in a lawsuit against a proposed Ikea furniture store in Red Hook, a state judge has upheld the city's approval of the project. The decision, by Judge Karen S. Smith of State Supreme Court in Manhattan, was dated Monday but released yesterday, and it completes the public review part of the development process. The company still needs permits for work on the Erie Basin waterfront from the State Department of Environmental Conservation and the Army Corps of Engineers. The lawsuit sought to void several land use approvals, declare zoning changes for the project illegal, and block construction. The suit contended that the company's plans for a 346,000-square-foot store with 1,400 parking spaces on a 22-acre site would overwhelm the neighborhood.
Metro Briefing [NY Times, 2nd Item]
Judge Axes Ikea Foes' Suit [NY Daily News]
The Roanoke: Sign o' the Times
Set Speed points out the recent ad on Craigslist for the new-and-improved Roanoke apartment building on the corner of Lafayette and South Oxford. Gone are the days of double-parked drugged dealers. One reader comments:
I noticed something was going on with that property, but have to say i'm shocked. Somehow I thought the Roanoke would always be gentrification-proof. Interestingly enough, this building was renovated approximately 15-20 years ago following a gigantic fire that nearly burned it down. But many of the units didn't sell, the bank foreclosed, and the occupants were stuck in a building that quickly became worthless as the utilities stopped functioning. Soon after came the squatters, and then the above-mentioned luxury cars, etc. Let's hope they have better luck this time around.
We bet they will.
Revitalization of the Roanoke in Ft. Greene [Set Speed]
The Victorian Homes of Flatbush [Set Speed]
Fort Greene's Luxurious Condominiums [Set Speed]
LPC Sends Praedium Back to Drawing Board
Developers of the Candy Factory building at 20 Henry Street in Brooklyn Heights have been sent back to the drawing board by the Landmarks Commission. The LPC was concerned that the proposed nine-story addition would compromise the original modernist design from when the building was originally converted into artists' lofts; in addition, they were concerned about views of the unique garden design being obscured. The building has attracted significant attention of late: The former owner bought out of the Mitchell-Lama program two years ago and the current owner, The Praedium Group, has already begun evicting tenants in preparation for the obligatory luxury condominiums.
LPC Sends 20 Henry Back to Drawing Board [Brooklyn Eagle] GMAP
553 Madison Open House Recap
Did anyone make it to this open house last night? This looks like one of those listings that will be in the sweet spot for a lot of our readers. Not enough pics on the website to get a great feel for it, but at $735,000, we bet it will get a lot of interest.
553 Madison Street [Corcoran] GMAP
Brit None Too Fond of Bed Stuy
In an article on the impending bursting of the bubble in New York real estate, Sunday Times (UK) columnist Dominic Rushe manages to make a rather offensive comment about the borough which he is temporarily calling home:
I now live in Williamsburg, a horrifically trendy part of Brooklyn. I moved here because it was cheaper, slightly, than where I lived in Manhattan. Now warehouse properties here are selling for as much as flats in Tribeca. Prices are even going through the roof in Bed-Stuy, a horrible and inconvenient area of Brooklyn with some lovely buildings and a nasty crack habit.
Nice. Real nice.
Big Apple Homes Ripe for Fall [Sunday Times UK]
Thursday Photo of the Day
Burg Bridge from Navy Yard. Photo from Satan's Laundromat
June 29, 2005
House of the Day: Attractive Mid-Slope Miniature
Here's a new listing in Park Slope from Prudential Douglas Elliman for $2.15 million. This is a charming house to be sure, with original moldings and wide floorboards among other details, but its small size (2,650 s.f.), sunken English basement and Sub-Sixth Avenue location make us question whether over $800 a foot is too much for this puppy. The 2-family, 3-story brick house has an attractive garden as well, but that also looks on the small side. We're not deeply entrenched enough in the Park Slope market, though, to completely write this off. What do others think? Anything on this block sold in recent memory?
Bergen Street [Prudential Douglas Elliman] GMAP
Development at Ocean Parkway and Lawrence Ave
As of a couple of weeks ago, the development at 702 Ocean Parkway was topped out and the facade was partially complete. A contributor to the Wired NY Forum on Brooklyn development dug up this rendering of the project. Anyone know who the developer is or who's marketing it?
702 Ocean Parkway [Wired NY Forum] GMAP
Salvage: Schoolhouse Sink at Moon River Chattel
When we were at Moon River Chattel on Saturday scoring a set of late-nineteenth century five-panel doors, we saw this cute double-faucet schoolhouse sink. Granted we're biased having selected a similar one for our kids' bathroom, but we think these are a great touch. At $325, this is also a good deal cheaper than the one we bought last fall when we were but a novice at all this salvaging stuff. Live and learn. Moon River Chattel is at 62 Grand Street in Williamsburg. Telephone: 718-388-1121.
"Brooklyn" 101st Most Popular Name Last Year
The Brooklyn boom is extending beyond real estate and professional sports teams. Last year, 3,211 babies were given the name around the country, making it the 101st most popular name of 2004. In Utah, it came in at Number 8, beating out such perennial faves as Elizabeth, Sarah, and Ashley. The popularity of the name comes six years after Posh Spice and David Beckham named their son after the borough in which he was conceived. As for the Bronx and Queens, they're not even close to cracking the top 100.
Brooklyn, Utah? It's a Popular Name [Salt Lake Tribune]
Business Week on the Bubble Question
Business Week tackled the bubble question last week. One of the experts interviewed was Frank Nothaft, chief economist, Freddie Mac, whose view, we'll admit, should be taken with a grain of salt given the vested interest his employer has in keeping the party going:
Housing is local, local, local by nature, and it's the local economy driving valuation of a home. The large markets people think about -- New York, Boston, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Washington D.C. -- where we've seen double-digit home-value gains in the last three or four years, are driven by economic growth and rising family income, coupled with a 40-year low in mortgage rates. I would worry about local markets that have weak economies, where the unemployment rate has gone up over the last couple years, or where we have begun to see a bit more of a speculative fervor (by that I mean: A lot of investor vs. owner-occupant purchases).
Comment: New York economy seems okay and very low investor-to-owner ratio.
Housing Bubble -- or Bunk? [Business Week]
Blimpie Foes Aim to Deflate Plan
June 29, 2005, NY Daily News -- Residents in trendy Fort Greene are waging war against a new Blimpie set to open on a leafy stretch of Lafayette Ave. Home to bistros, brownstones and mom and pop shops, there is something the now high-end neighborhood doesn't have - national chains. "We don't want fast food," said Zach, 30, leading the anti-Blimpie charge. Zach didn't want to give his last name. Over the weekend, Zach and his supporters distributed 5,000 flyers asking residents to block the fast-food invasion. "This is bigger than just stopping a Blimpie," Zach said. "We don't want our neighborhood to turn into a food court." The new sandwich shop is scheduled to open by the end of the summer at 64 Lafayette Ave., the former site of a video store.
Blimpie Foes Aim to Deflate Plan [NY Daily News]
Wednesday Links
Summer Relief. Photo by Brownstoner.
Corrupt Co-op Manager in Bay Ridge [NY Daily News]
Race to Fix Subway Wall in B'hurst [NY Daily News]
Court Street Bakery Blues [NY Daily News]
Joining of Hands on Ratner's Site [NY Daily News]
Supreme Court Decision Impact on Ratner [Brooklyn Eagle]
Where Are Rates Headed? [Bankrate]
Remodeling Projects That Pay Off [Real Estate Journal]
HUD to Start Over on Mortgage Reform [Journal Sentinel]
Flatbush BBQ Scene in Crisis [Daily Heights]
Blimpie Backlash in Fort Greene [Set Speed]
Living with Art: Emerging Artists [Apartment Therapy]
Focus: Student Design [Design Sponge]
June 28, 2005
Recently on the Reno Blog: Rental Bathroom Tiles
The tiles were laid in the bathroom of the rental apartment at the end of last week and the grout is being applied today. That and our guilty conscience about not being able to preserve the lincrusta in the front hall on the Reno Blog.
Tiles and Lincrusta [Renovation Blog]
Salvager: 66" Clawfoot Tub by Owner
The owner of a house in Bed Stuy is looking to unload this old five-and-a-half foot clawfoot tub. Asking Price: $300. Contact: sevenleeps@yahoo.com. More photos and dimensions in the Forum listing.
Old Clawfoot Tub [Brownstoner Forum]
House of the Day: What's the Catch in Boerum Hill?
We could use some help getting our arms around this one. While on the small side, this Boerum Hill house has a charming exterior and retains plenty of its original detail on the inside--although it's hardly in perfect shape. Even if the floorplate were only 800 square feet (which you'd never know since the listing provides pathetically little information), the asking price of $895,000 implies a valuation of less than $400 a foot. We're thinking the location must stink or someone would have snatched this up as a cute starter home already. What gives? We're hoping the locals can tell us where this is exactly.
Boerum Hill House [Cobble Heights, #5233896]
Architectural Detail in Williamsburg
Despite its reputation as an industrial wasteland, it's amazing how much beautiful architectural detail exists in Williamsburg if you keep your eyes open. This doorway, for example, at 378 Wythe Avenue between South 3rd and South 4th Street is lovely in its relative simplicity (though it could use a new door). According to Property Shark, the house was built in 1899--we can only assume the doorway is original to this year. Like many of the brownstones in the area, it has a modest 20'x40' footprint. Currently configured as a three-family, the house has no juicy mortgage or sales figures available. GMAP
Coney Island Mermaid Parade 2005
If you missed the Coney Island Mermaid Parade this year, don't miss Forgotten NY's extensve photo coverage of the event. "The annual event," Kevin writes, "run by Dick Zigun's Coney Island USA, is technically a remembrance of the old Coney Island Mardi Gras parade (which ran between 1903 and 1954) but it's really one of Brooklyn's last spontaneous events, a street party attracting between 50 and as many as 100,000 screaming spectators. It is just about the only thing with that kind of a crowd that can attract your webmaster."
Mermaid Parade [Forgotten NY]
Ruing the Changes to Come in Northern Greenpoint
In the NY Times today, writer David Gonzalez waxes eloquent on the desolate beauty of Northern Greenpoint while ruing the inevitable loss of innocence that is sure to accompany the new rezoning plan:
A certain postindustrial beauty still haunts the blocks along North Brooklyn's waterfront, where a Hopperesque panorama rendered in rust and brick stretches from Williamsburg to Greenpoint. Frozen in time and twisted in shape, some of these streetscapes once abuzz with factories are now better known as generic urban backdrops for cop shows...While few would argue that the largely fallow waterfront was being wisely used before, the adjoining inland blocks are another story. They have long been home to scores of small factories that make everything from cabinets and candles to frames and food. As nondescript as they were affordable, their future is in flux as rezoning could allow landlords to opt for the big bucks by turning factories into loft homes.
On New Waterfront, A Place for the Old [NY Times]
South Portland G Train Entrance to Open
June 28, 2005, NY Daily News -- The long-shuttered S. Portland Ave. entrance to the Fulton St. stop on the G train in Fort Greene is expected to reopen to the public next month, transit officials said. The entrance leads to the Queens-bound platform of the G train at that stop. The reopening means straphangers using that platform won't have to walk two blocks underground and through a tunnel that stinks of urine to get to an exit, residents said. Residents said the entrance - which was never manned by a token-booth clerk - was closed because of high crime in the area in the 1980s and early 90s. Crime in the local police precinct has dropped 68% since 1993, NYPD statistics show. Still, some residents had reservations about the reopening. "The best thing they ever did was close it," said Joel Murray, who has worked at a deli on the same corner as the shuttered entrance since 1968. "It was smelly; guys were sleeping [in the entrance]," Murray said, adding, "This is the fastest, easiest way for muggers to escape."
G! This is Progress [NY Daily News]
Ratner Signs Affordable Housing Agreement
June 27, 2005, NY1 News -- The man who plans to build an arena for the New Jersey Nets in Brooklyn made a promise to the community Monday that affordable housing will be made available in the area. Developer Bruce Ratner today signed a “Community Benefits” agreement promising the affordable housing, as well as assuring that the project will set aside a certain number of jobs for minority-owned businesses. The developer says he’s also throwing in some Nets house seats for the community to share. “We hope to exceed the goals and standards, but if we don't there could be litigation,” said Ratner. “I would add something else that is even more important; you have Bruce Ratner's word, and that should be enough for you and for everybody else in this community,” said Mayor Michael Bloomberg. “This is a guy, if you don't understand that, you don't know how great this guy has been for Brooklyn and for New York City." Opponents aren't convinced by the Community Benefits agreement, and they have vowed to continue the fight against a stadium in their neighborhood.
Ratner Promises Affordable Housing [NY1]
B'kln Deal Boosts Women, Minorities [NY Post]
Tuesday Morning Craig
Pacific Street. Photo by Frank Lynch
3-Family + Commercial $1.285 Million [Williamsburg]
3-Family Brick $875K [Clinton Hill - not really]
6-Family Brick Vacant $849K [Bushwick]
2-Family Frame $843K [South Slope]
2-Family Victorian $769K [Ditmas Park]
June 27, 2005
Salvager: Wood Mantel from Bed Stuy
We stopped by Eddie's Salvage in Clinton Hill on Saturday in search of some three-over-three six-panel doors. We came up empty handed but this old wood mantel piece that came out of a house in Bed Stuy caught our eye. We'd be interested to know if anyone can place it historically for us. As for the price, you'll have to swing by the shop at 224 Greene Avenue at Grand) and ask Eddie yourself.
HOTD: Yea on Structure, Neigh on Price
Since they've blocked our links in the past, we can only assume that the folks over at Warren Lewis don't appreciate our commentary on their listings. Unfortunately, this one isn't going to improve relations. Now, we're a sucker for carriage houses--they're so cute and charming, who can resist? But in our minds, it's hard to justify pricing them on a par with traditional townhouses. At the $2.15 million asking price, this 3,500-square-foot carriage house, we'd argue, is even more expensive on a per square foot basis than neighboring brownstones. And though we can appreciate the loft-like feel that the larger floorplate offers, we see a little too much recessed lighting and molding-less edges for our taste. That said, the extra-wide landscaped garden is lovely and we think the painted brick interior wall works very well too. But everything at a price and this just feels too high to us.
410 Waverly Avenue [Warren Lewis] GMAP
410 Waverly Ave [NY Times]
So Long Stucco Shitbox, Hello Pre-War Goodness
Blogger Sassy, who started putting his two cents in to the Comments section recently, is making a move from one white-hot real estate market--San Diego--to another--Brooklyn. We dig his rationale:
Sassy is a sucker for pre-war apartments, and if I'm gonna spend 2500 a month to own a 1BR, it's gonna be in NYC, not San Diego (sorry Dago!). The stucco 70's shitbox will not cut the mustard.
Word. Sassy's Top 5 Hoods in the County of Kings? 1) Clinton Hill/Fort Greene; 2) Bay Ridge; 3) Red Hook; 4) Prospect Heights; 5) Ditmas Park.
NYC 2K5 [Vista Seeker]
Lead Paint Dangers in the Headlines
The company originally contracted to sandblast the lead paint from the Williamsburg bridge back in the early 1990s received a $20 million payment from the City this week. After residents of the Lower East Side and Brooklyn sued the city over the paint chips and clouds of paint dust wafting over their neighborhoods over a decage ago, the City made the contractor switch from sandblasting to a much slower (and hence more expensive) hands-on technique to remove the paint. We have heard through the grapevine of two children in the Burg who've had moderate levels of lead paint detected in the past week--there was also some discussion on the Reno Blog recently about the issue. Since we've been living in Williamsburg for the past couple of years and are about to move into an old house that has had its share of lead paint glopped on over the years, it's of particular interest to us as well. Can anyone direct readers to a good description of the risks and practical preventative steps homeowners and renters can take?
W'Burg Bridge Shock [NYPost]
Glass Panel Door [Brownstoner Renovations]
Mass Eviction by Owner to Occupy Tenement
A couple is trying to evict all of the tenants in the 15-unit rent-control building at 47-49 East Third Street in the East Village under a loop hole in rent laws that allows for such evictions in the case that the owner plans to use the space for himself. According to this article, the claim has to pass the "giggle" test, i.e. the landlord must prove his good faith intention to live in apartments he is seeking to evict the tenants from. While hard stats are hard to come by, one lawyer who specializes in these cases estimates that landlords were on the losing end only a quarter of the time. In the rest of the cases, tenants were forced out after receiving a low 5-figure settlement.
It's hard to take this family's claim that they need 11,200 square feet to themselves seriously, but as the real estate market has heated up, the number of these types of cases has been increasing for obvious reasons. And while it's impossible not to empathize with those being displaced, ultimately we think the problem lies with the rent control law itself, an economically unsound social policy that raises the overall cost of housing in this city. We have no problem with the decision as a society to subsidize the housing costs of certain portions of the population--the elderly, handicapped, etc.--in fact, we support it in such clear-cut cases. But rather than forcing individual landlords to absorb that cost on a random basis, we think market rates should be allowed to prevail and the government should give the members of the subsidized population direct payments to help pay their market rents (or pay the landlords directly). That would avoid situations like a friend we know who inherited his family's rent control 10-room Park Avenue apartment that he still pays less than $2,000 a month for and do a better job of making sure the subsidies get to the right people. The current system is fraught with inefficiencies and invites the kind of corner-cutting on display in this article. That's what we think, anyway.
Everybody Out? [NY Times]
Just Sold: Boerum Hill Three Bedroom $977,000
147 Bergen Street GMAP
Three-bedroom, 11/2-bath upper duplex condo, 1,600 square feet, with three wood-burning fireplaces, exposed brick, hardwood floors, washer/dryer, private deck and roof rights. Common charges $500. Asking price $936,000, on market two months.
(Broker: Sue Wolfe, Nancy McKiernan Realty)
Just Sold! [NY Post]
Recent Sale: Park Slope Two-Family $1.25 Million
503 11th Street GMAP
2-family, 100-year-old house; 2 bedrooms, 1.5 baths in primary duplex; 2 bedrooms, 1 bath in upper-floor simplex; 20-by-100ft. lot; taxes $2,800; listed at $1.35 million. (Broker: Betancourt)
Residential Sales [NY Times]
Monday Linkage
Red Hook. Photo by Amani Willett
Green Bldg Custom-Made for Two Families [NY Times]
Urban History To Go: Black, No Sugar [NY Times]
Buyers Are What They Do [NY Times]
Residential Sales [NY Times]
For Bargain Hunters, Game Grows Scarce [NY Times]
Slasher Cripples 11 Cars in Bed Stuy [NY Post]
Weiner: Subway Felonies Up 12 Percent [NY Post]
Buyer's Remorse [NY Post]
Just Sold [NY Post]
Bike Routes Blasted [NY Daily News]
June 24, 2005
New-Home Sales Up, But Median Price Down
June 24, 2005, Associated Press -- Sales of new homes in May climbed to the second highest level in history, but the median sales price fell sharply, the government reported Friday. The Commerce Department said that sales of new single-family homes rose by 2.1% last month to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.3 million homes. But the median sales price dropped 6.5% to a median $217,000. The strong new home sales followed a report Thursday that sales of previously owned homes totaled 7.13 million units at an annual rate in May, a slight decline from the record April pace, but still the second fastest sales rate on record for existing homes. The median sales price of existing homes continued rising in April to hit a record of $207,000. Sales fell by a sharp 24.5% in the Northeast to an annual rate of 74,000 units.
New-Home Sales Rise, Median Declines [Wall Street Journal]
Open Season on 14 Townhouses
It looks like the developers of 14 Townhouses on State Street in Boerum Hill are now ready to receive your deposits. Corcoran's Kerrie-Anne Scalia just put the listing up on the NY Times classifieds today for the first time. The row of townhouses, which we've already praised as about the only decent new design to go up in Brooklyn in recent memory, do a remarkably good job of fitting into their environment despite their more modern design. Each is about 4,000 square feet and asking $2,650,000. What are you waiting for? Run like the wind!
14 Townhouses [Corcoran]
State Street Townhouses: Promising Indeed [Brownstoner]
Open House Picks
Park Slope
134 Park Place
Brown Harris Stevens
Sunday 2-4pm
$2,650,000
GMAP
Fort Greene
402 Vanderbilt Avenue
Corcoran
Sunday 2-4pm
$1,750,000
GMAP
Boerum Hill
482 Warren Street
Brooklyn Landmark Real Estate
Sunday 12-3pm
$1,500,000
GMAP
Bedford Stuyvesant
877 Sterling Place
Corcoran
Sunday 2-4pm
$1,100,000
GMAP
Recap of Victorian Flatbush Tour
Cityrag has some nice shots of Victorian Flatbush along with some commentary from someone who went on last week's tour:
Most houses were built between 1900 – 1910, it had been farm land before that and was planned by two developers, who built the majority of the houses. Many families have restored the homes to their natural beauty with lots of detail. Victorian, Arts and Craft and Victorian Gothic – just incredible! The tour offered about 30 houses open to the public, with a tour guide. I had an opportunity to speak to some of the owners, many of whom had bought their homes in the 70’s and 80’s for $50,000 - $80,000.
The Victorian Homes of Flatbush [City Rag]
Victorian Flatbush [Gothamist]
Watch Out for the Swarming Volvos
Wrapping up what will heretofore be known as class warfare week on Brownstoner...We followed Set Speed's post on Tuesday about the punk rock ass crack phenomenon (huh?) and wound up reading this excerpt from Hip Hop Diary that was written back in February in response to the Clinton Hill profile in the Times:
If the median income in this area is a bit over 40 grand, and the median price for a small-ass condo is half a million and it's over a million for buildings, who's buying property here now? And what does that bode for the neighborhood's celebrated "economic and cultural diversity?" You know what I see when I walk around here now? Tons of not-exactly-fresh-outta-high school Pratt students (getting an MFA must be the same as getting an MBA was 20 years ago). Rich white dads with baby backpacks. People standing in front of the Clinton-Washington stop asking for directions to Myrtle Avenue. Nannys wheeling children in expensive strollers. And lots and lots of Volvos. They're already swarming. I've gotta get out of here.
Comment: Hey, don't look at us, we've got a used Subaru.
Biggie Shoulda Been Buying Real Estate [Hip Hop Diary]
Recurring Ass Crack Theme [Set Speed]
Personals, Williamsburg-Style
Spotted on Broadway in South Williamsburg. We're not sure whether Jeff's trying to hook up with Maggie or someone named Narcie (or maybe both?), but good luck to him in any event.
Eminent Domain Case Upheld, Developers Rejoice
Earlier this week the Supreme Court ruled against the homeowners in the closely watched case about the powers of local governments to exercise eminent domain. In their 5-to-4 decision, Kelo v. New London, the judges gave the green light to the city redevelopment authority to condemn the old waterfront neighborhood so a private developer can put office and apartment buildings in their place. While eminent domain never sits quite right with us, we can see some justification in the case of critical infrastructure like major roads, railroads, and even in truly blighted neighborhoods, though we realize that in itself can be a slippery slope. But what a scary precedent that a city can dispossess law-abiding, tax-paying citizens from their homes in order to make way for a fancier development! The amount of compensation the City of New London is offering homeowners is based upon appraisals from 5 years ago--so it's a safe bet that the numbers are significantly below market value. In her dissent, Sandra Day O'Connor worried that the decision would mean that the government could transfer any private property from the owner to another person with more political influence "so long as it might be upgraded." Bet you won't hear Bruce Ratner complaining about this decision.
Justices Uphold Taking Property for Development [NY Times]
Homeowners Frustrated at Court Ruling [NY Times]
OpEd: The Limits of Property Rights [NY Times]
New Park Under Brooklyn Bridge for Skaters
Underneath the Manhattan side of the Brooklyn Bridge, an area long referred to by skaters as the Brooklyn Banks, the city is building a new "skateboard-friendly" park. Ellen Epstein of Vollmer Associates, a landscape architect working on the new park, is trying to incorporate to "skate features" rather than make a skate park, with the goal of creating a space that both skaters and nonskaters can enjoy. We haven't been on a skateboard since around 1976, but sounds like a fine idea to us.
Under a Bridge, Skate-Friendly Park [NY Times]
Park Slope Landlord Killed in Dispute Over Keys
James McElwee, 55, allegedly stabbed his landlord, Felix Shaar, 76, to death with two knives yesterday and then calmly rang the next door neighbor's doorbell. McElwee had been a tenant at 151 Prospect Avenue for 4 years. According to the Daily News, neighbors described the suspect as a loose cannon, who worked odd hours. They recall him walking on the block, sometimes in a drunken stupor, screaming unintelligibly for no apparent reason. Friends said Shaar was born in Texas and moved to the city about 40 years ago. He was a former taxi driver and is survived by a brother and nephew.
Tenant Killing Landlord Over Keys [WNBC]
B'kln Man Slaughters His Landlord [NY Daily News]
Friday Links
Brooklyn Museum Fountain. Photo by Trevor Little
Bubble Anxiety: Sell or Rent [Wall Street Journal]
High Ri$e Continues on Homes [NY Post]
Pro-Tenant Bill Passed by Council [NY Daily News]
Manhattan Transfers [NY Observer]
Mortgage Rates Fall on Investor's Words [Bankrate]
Williamsburg North [Curbed]
Mugging on St. John's Place [Daily Heights]
New Grout Takes the Grunge Out [HGTV]
June 23, 2005
Out With The Old (Windows) in the Burg
We were a little bummed to see them knocking out the original windows in the loft building on Berry and South 3rd Street last Friday.
Last Connecticut Installment: Roseland Cottage
Just North of Brooklyn, Connecticut is the town of Woodstock. Woodstock is the site of the over-the-top Roseland Cottage. Combining Gothic Revival exteriors with predominantly Victorian interiors, the 1846 structure stands out among the white Federal houses that line the rest of the main street in town. The house was built by local-boy-made-good Henry Chandler Bowen as a summer retreat from his stately mansion (no longer standing) on Willow Street in Brooklyn Heights. Bowen, a teetotaler, made his fortune in New York and became an active abolitionist, Congregationalist, and Republican, playing host to several Presidents at his Woodstock home. The coolest aspect of the interior of the house was the incredible restored lincrusta that lined the walls of every room on the first floor. We've never seen anything like it. The barn, also pictured, was equally unusual, housing the oldest private bowling alley in the country.
Roseland Cottage [Historic New England] GMAP
Continue reading "Last Connecticut Installment: Roseland Cottage"
505 Court Street Hits the Market
Curbed alerts us to the fact that it's officially open season over at the the Court Street Lofts in Carroll Gardens. Corcoran's managing the offering which has prices ranging from $475,000 for a 6th Floor one bedroom to $1,075,000 for a Penthouse. Waddya get for your hard earned money? Full-time doorman? Check. Granite countertops? Check. Limestone tile? Sure 'nuf. You can't tell diddly from the listing--nothing but an exterior rendering. We'd love a report if anyone gets inside.
Court Street Lofts [Curbed]
505 Court Street [Corcoran]
Kensington vs. Brooklyn College Under $800K
Here are two similarly priced offerings from Aguayo & Huebener, one in Kensington and one near Brooklyn College. Aguayo usually does a decent job with the photos but, annoyingly, rarely provides the address. The Kensington house (left) is a free-standing, turn-of-the-century single-family with five bedrooms, private parking and a front garden; not much in the way of architectural detail though. Not surprisingly, it looks like you get a much bigger bang for your buck further out into Brooklyn. The house on Glenwood Road near Brooklyn College (right) is quite a bit larger and dripping with period elements like ornate woodwork, stained glass, and restored parquet floors. It also has a front yard and porch as well as private parking. Are there any readers out there who can bring us up to speed on what this nabe is like in terms of infrastructure, safety, etc?
Kensington Victorian [Aguayo & Huebener]
Glenwood Road [Aguayo & Huebener]
Quality of Life--Or Lack Thereof
We're sure we'll get accused of being a heartless elitist and some wise-ass will tell us to move to the suburbs, but there are some quality of life issues that can make you question whether living in the big city is really worth it. In our temporary perch in South Williamsburg, for example, noise is the biggest problem for sure. The one-in-the-morning commercial garbage pick-ups outside our bedroom window three nights a week, the next door neighbor with the mufferless motorcycle and the constant drilling and banging from neighboring construction sites are enough to drive anyone crazy. Even though we're not living in the Clinton Hill house yet, homelessness has been by far the biggest problem there: During the past several months, we've had to dislodge three different people who decided our stoop was an ideal spot to sleep, eat, shoot up and relieve themselves--without even the decency to clean up after any of those activities. When asked to move on by us, initially quite non-confrontationally, we were often met with an indignant sense of entitlement, as though they had a right to be there. It's mighty hard not to let one's liberal values lapse when your 2-year-old has to navigate her way through crack pipes and pools of urine to make it in your front door.
But enough about us. Here are the top five complaints of Brooklynites from the recent straw poll conducted by Citizens for NYC and Baruch College and reported in today's NY Post:
1. Dirty Streets
2. Potholes
3. Drug Dealing
4. Vandalism/Graffiti
5. Dangerous Intersections
Top City Gripes [NY Post]
NYT Residential Sales
BROOKLYN HEIGHTS $590,000
160 Columbia Heights
1-bedroom, 1-bath, 750-sq.-ft. co-op in a prewar building; part-time doormen; 3 exposures; maintenance $1,083, 50% tax-deductible; listed at $575,000 (multiple bids), 2 weeks on market (broker: Harbor View Realty; Corcoran Group Brooklyn)
FORT GREENE $345,000
372 DeKalb Avenue
2-bedroom, 2-bath, 1,200-sq.-ft. co-op in a prewar building; 24-hr. doormen; needs renovation; maintenance $986, 35% tax-deductible; listed at $360,000, 2 years on market (broker: Harbor View Realty)
PARK SLOPE $732,105
393 Dean Street
2-bedroom, 2-bath, 1,500-sq.-ft. condo in a postwar building; elevator; renovated kitchen, 2 exposures; terrace; maintenance $434; taxes $852; listed at $732,105, 1 week on market (brokers: Century 21 William B. May; Corcoran Group Brooklyn)
Residential Sales [NY Times]
Mortgage Rates, Apps Down Last Week
June 22, 2005, INMAN NEWS -- Overall mortgage applications dropped last week, going down 11.3 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis from the week before, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association's weekly survey. The MBA seasonally adjusted purchase index went down by 9.4 percent. The seasonally adjusted refinance index decreased by 13.2 percent.
The average contract interest rate for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages increased to 5.63 percent from 5.62 percent one week earlier. The average contract interest rate for 15-year fixed-rate mortgages increased to 5.24 percent from 5.18 percent one week earlier. The average contract interest rate for one-year adjustable-rate mortgages increased to 4.46 percent, compared to 4.38 percent the previous week.
Real Estate Purchases Drop [Inman]
Thursday Morning Craig
Park Slope. Photo by Hugh Crawford
2-Family By Owner $900K [Williamsburg]
5-Family Brick $875K [Williamsburg]
2-Family Frame $779K [Park Slope]
2-Family Frame $725K [Sunset Park]
6-Bedroom Brownstone $690K [Bed Stuy]
June 22, 2005
Today on the Reno Blog
We were psyched when the latest round of stripping revealed this brass ornament around the fireplace panel. Also, check out some of the shelving in the music room. Both on the Reno Blog.
Brass Ornament [Renovation Blog]
House of the Day: Park Slope Mystery
This new listing from Harborview is a bit of a head-scratcher. In the NY Times classifieds, it implies the house is on or very near Prospect Park. If it is anywhere in prime Park Slope, the $1.5 million asking price seems very low. However, when viewed in combination with the one piece of actual information given in the listing--that it's a 6-family house--and the lack of any pictures, we get very suspicious. The only explanation can be that it's full of rent control tenants or, worse, that it's an SRO. This kind of flimsy/deceptive listing is so frustrating and serves nobody's interest. Avoiding disclosure of negatives may generate a few more calls up front, but in the long run it won't fetch a higher price and the the listing firm--in this case Harborview--will only alienate potential clients in the process. When will brokers get the message and post comprehensive information and photographs? In this age of digital cameras and Property Shark, there's no excuse.
Listing #5245 [Harborview Realty]
Prospect Park Brownstone [NY Times]