House of the Day: Somewhere in Prospect Heights
This Prospect Heights brownstone is quite a looker, with lots of wood detail and an unusual bowed front and mansard roof. We haven’t seen a lot of deals close in the neighborhood since the market started slowing so we’re really not sure how close to the mark this $1.7 million asking price is. What do…
This Prospect Heights brownstone is quite a looker, with lots of wood detail and an unusual bowed front and mansard roof. We haven’t seen a lot of deals close in the neighborhood since the market started slowing so we’re really not sure how close to the mark this $1.7 million asking price is. What do those of you who are in the market think?
Prospect Heights Brownstone [JVM Real Estate]
Oh and by the way — the AY project is NOT a done deal!
I would assume the impact will be worse on the PH side because AY will actually be IN Prospect Heights itself. Whereas FG/CH are already physically separated from the site both by Atlantic Ave itself and by the Atlantic Mall on the north side of the ave. On the other hand, the shadows will obviously be a bigger problem to the north and expect traffic to be congested in a very large area: at least from the waterfront (including the BQE of course) to south of Prospect Park.
is there any good argument that AY will do more, in terms of congestion, population density, etc., to damage the atlantic ave side than the PH side?
The house is certainly pretty but will be katty korner from the AY building site so I have to agree with other posters who predict closer to $1.3-1.5m. As someone who lives in the immediate neighborhood and has been following the AY plans very closely, I’d like to add the following comments:
1. Forest City Ratner themselves predict the construction of AY will take at least 10 years. Since they anticipated Metrotech would take 5 years and it ended up taking 14, we can assume long term disruption in the area.
2. Over the summer a rumor developed about the widening Carlton Ave, based on the misreading of an FCR report. This is NOT planned to happen. Of course, that could always change.
3. The comment about nobody wanting to live in UES or UWS brownstones seems off the wall. Many of us here may prefer Brooklyn’s brownstone neighborhoods to Manhattan’s but a simple look at the NYT RE pages will quickly tell you that brownstones across the river are highly desirable and priced accordingly.
4. For the most part, I welcome the Richard Meier building on Plaza St. It completes the arc of the street and shows signs of being a very striking modern addition to GAP. My only reservation is that it will be very prominent from the long meadow of Prospect Park. But it’s not in any way comparable to AY. The height of the Meier building is approx 13-14 storeys and is in line with most of the prewar apt bldgs around it. The AY towers — of which there will be 16 not just one — will range from 25-60 storeys with most in the 35 storey range. Visually and population density-wise it’s an entirely different proposition.
I don’t think you can compare the areas surrounding other sports stadiums to what is uniquely brownstone Brooklyn. This is an historic area with high housing prices – even in the ‘blighted’ footprint. I don’t think that the kind of fast food joints, parking lots, sports bars and such have any capacity to make this a better neighborhood. People with commercial property will be able to cash out and do well, but for the residential situation – look for more fugly condos, out of context buildings trying to max out far and a deterioration of the quality of life in PH. Not to even mention the traffic jams or the air quality issues.
A similar P.H. house, on St. Mark’s Avenue very close to Flatbush, sold for $1.725 this fall. So I have little hope that this price is too high.
My listing of the stadiums/arenas was in response to the assertion that such venues drag down neighborhoods. Clearly they don’t. All of those are examples of venues that have fine neighborhoods immediately around them.
Camden yards is a beautiful stadium, but building it did not turn the surrounding area into a desireable residential area (the old Memorial stadium is a better example of a sports center (without other development) in a nice, clean and quiet residential area). I can’t speak to the other arenas. I live in PH and believe am concerned about property values and quality of life. FCR’s track record (including huge, unfriendly, half empty or city-rented buildings) and the scale of the project for the location are serious causes for concern. I expect to lose a lot of the appreciation in my home that I have gained over the past eight years, among other things.
What proof do you have to make those assertions. Camden Yards has revitalized that area as the old warehouses are been converted into housing. Denver real estate was booming but has cooled off somewhat. Don’t know much about the other area’s but you have not given any specifics to back up your claim. Keyspan Park has been the lynch pin in getting Coney ISland revitalized. Newark is getting an arena for the Devils which is sparking renewed interests.