Crown Heights

There's something about the sun porch and decked-out backyard at this Crown Heights house that feels like visiting grandma at her place in Florida. The backyard has a romantic gazebo complete with twinkly lights, BBQ grill and dining area, and two sheds. Then, there's an airy sun porch, as well as a second-floor terrace. Located at 1954 Bergen Street, the home is currently set up as a two-family plus garage, and it's asking $1,100,000.
See the rest

Distinctive Homes

$499K Crown Heights condo got a makeover from a major plant influencer

Photos by Katherine Marks

August 27, 2020

$499K Crown Heights condo got a makeover from a major plant influencer

When 6sqft took a tour of model Summer Rayne Oakes' apartment in 2016, her home was filled with more than 500 plants. Today, that collection has grown to 1,100 and Summer has written a book on how to "cultivate green space in your home and heart." Most recently, she took this idea and applied her style to a studio apartment at the new Crown Heights condo 111 Montgomery Sreet (h/t NY Post). Listed for $499,000, the apartment is a cool mix of contemporary finishes, boho decor, and, of course, plants galore.
See more

Crown Heights residents rally against proposed 182-unit complex at site of 19th-century senior home

Southern facade; Photo credit: Simia Rassouli

July 15, 2020

Crown Heights residents rally against proposed 182-unit complex at site of 19th-century senior home

The fight continues over a proposed new development on a large stretch of land in the Crown Heights North Historic District II with an online petition opposing the project collecting over 4,000 signatures. A neighborhood group, Friends of 920 Park, hopes to stop the construction of a seven-story, 182-unit apartment building on land at 959 Sterling Place (920 Park Place), originally the site of the Methodist Home for the Aged and currently the home of the Hebron French Speaking Seventh Day Adventist School. The renewed fight against the project comes ahead of a Brooklyn Community Board 8 and Landmarks Preservation Commission public hearing on the plan later this summer.
Learn more

Real Estate Trends

Crown Heights subway stations to be renamed in honor of Civil Rights icon Medgar Evers

Photo of Franklin Avenue Station © 6sqft

June 25, 2020

Crown Heights subway stations to be renamed in honor of Civil Rights icon Medgar Evers

Two subway stations in Brooklyn will be renamed after Medgar Evers College and the Civil Rights activist for whom the historic black college is named. Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Thursday announced that Franklin Avenue and President Street stations in Crown Heights will formally be renamed this fall, with MTA maps and signage updated this summer. The new stations--Franklin Avenue-Medgar Evers College and President Street-Medgar Evers College--aim to honor the contributions of the institution ahead of its 50th anniversary.
More here

Lottery opens for 13 income-restricted units in Brownsville, from $800/month

Photo of Broadway Junction by Stanley Wood on Flickr

June 24, 2020

Lottery opens for 13 income-restricted units in Brownsville, from $800/month

A lottery has opened for 13 income-restricted apartments at a new rental located on the border of Crown Heights and Brownsville in Brooklyn. Designed by Samuel Wieder Architects, the seven-story mixed-use building at 2175 Bergen Street contains 38 total residences and boasts amenities like a fitness center, backyard, and bike room. New Yorkers earning 40, 60, 80, and 130 percent of the area median income can apply for the one- and two-bedroom apartments, priced between $800/month and $2,100/month.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

Image Credit: Warburg Realty/Jamie Fedorko

June 5, 2020

Crown Heights condo is a calming two-bedroom home for under $1M

Image Credit: Warburg Realty/Jamie Fedorko The whitewashed brick walls and neutral color palette create a calming feel at this Crown Heights condo, located at 658 Park Place. In addition to its visual appeal, the two-bedroom also has a great layout for a small family; the open living area faces the street, while the bedrooms are separated down a hallway at the rear of the apartment.
Have a look

Distinctive Homes

Lottery opens for income-restricted units in Brooklyn’s historic Weeksville, from $2,245/month

Rendering courtesy of S. Wieder Architect

June 1, 2020

Lottery opens for income-restricted units in Brooklyn’s historic Weeksville, from $2,245/month

A lottery launched on Monday for 16 middle-income apartments in Crown Heights' historic Weeksville neighborhood. The Brooklyn community was once home to the second largest free black community in the country. Located at 1515 Park Place, the new building sits between Buffalo Avenue and Rochester Avenue, just around the corner from the Weeksville Heritage Center. New Yorkers earning 130 percent of the area median income can apply for the units, including $2,245/month one-bedrooms and $2,710/month two-bedrooms.
Do you qualify?

Affordable Housing

Lottery for 100-name waitlist opens at two rentals near the Brooklyn Museum, from $701/month

Photo of the Brooklyn Museum by Howard Brier on Flickr

May 12, 2020

Lottery for 100-name waitlist opens at two rentals near the Brooklyn Museum, from $701/month

A lottery launched on Tuesday to replenish a 100-name waitlist for income-restricted units at two rental buildings in Brooklyn. Located at 816 Washington Avenue and 615 Sterling Place, the buildings straddle the neighborhoods of Prospect Heights and Crown Heights, just a short walk from the Brooklyn Museum and the Botanic Garden. New Yorkers earning 80 and 130 percent of the area median income can apply for the apartments, which range from $701/month studios to $3,943/month four-bedrooms. Eligible applicants will be randomly selected and placed on the waitlist for future vacancies.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

Lottery opens for 300-name waitlist for apartments across Brooklyn’s brownstone belt

Photo by Matthew Rutledge on Flickr

May 11, 2020

Lottery opens for 300-name waitlist for apartments across Brooklyn’s brownstone belt

A lottery launched this week for placement on a 300-name waitlist for apartments at half a dozen income-restricted buildings in Crown Heights, Bed-Stuy, and Park Slope. New Yorkers earning 80 and 165 percent of the area median income can apply for the apartments, which range from an $850/month studio to a $2,371/month one-bedroom. Eligible applicants will be randomly selected and placed on the waitlist for future vacancies.
How to apply

Affordable Housing

4,000 spots open on waitlist for middle-income units across Bushwick, Bed-Stuy

Photo by Manny Moss on Flickr

April 7, 2020

4,000 spots open on waitlist for middle-income units across Bushwick, Bed-Stuy

Applications are currently being accepted to replenish a 4,000-name waitlist for income-restricted apartments across central Brooklyn. Located at 806 St. John's Place, 924 Myrtle Avenue, 682 Chauncey Street, 1140 Bushwich Avenue, and 18 Stanhope Street, the buildings are located in Crown Heights, Bed-Stuy, and Bushwick. New Yorkers earning 130 percent of the area median income can apply for the apartments, which include studios starting at $1,700/month and two-bedrooms from $2,000/month.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

March 19, 2020

A historic Crown Heights Kinko House has hit the market for $1.6M

What's a Kinko House you may ask? First off, the name comes from the developer--Kings and Westchester Land Company--who built them in the northern section of Crown Heights between 1905 and 1912, according to Brownstoner. Designed by architecture firm Mann & MacNeille, the two-family houses are unique in that each unit has its own front door, stairway, porch, and cellar. Each group of six houses also has its own architectural style, and 1040 Sterling Place, which just hit the market for $1,625,000, was done in a brick Arts and Crafts style. This home is being sold with both duplex units, so a new owner could potentially combine them for one large residence.
Find out more about this rare house

March 10, 2020

City seeks ideas for two 100 percent affordable senior complexes on NYCHA land

The city is looking to construct two affordable senior complexes with between 150 and 200 housing units each. The Department of Housing Preservation and Development on Friday released a request for proposals for two underused city-owned sites, one in the Bronx's Morrisania neighborhood and the other in Crown Heights in Brooklyn. The developments fall under Mayor Bill de Blasio's administration's "Seniors First" housing program, which aims to serve 30,000 senior households by 2026 through the creation and preservation of affordable housing.
Find out more

Bedford Union Armory redevelopment project in Crown Heights breaks ground

Rendering courtesy of BFC Partners.

December 11, 2019

Bedford Union Armory redevelopment project in Crown Heights breaks ground

The New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) along with Council Member Laurie Cumbo, BFC Partners and community members today celebrated the groundbreaking of the redevelopment project finally underway at the historic Bedford Union Armory in Crown Heights. The new community hub will offer affordable space for local non-profits, recreational space for youth and hundreds of units of affordable housing as shown in new renderings. The road to this latest milestone has been a long and storied one since community leaders first envisioned the massive armory as a multi-use gathering space for the Crown Heights community.
New renderings of the redeveloped armory, this way

Photo credit: Rise Media, courtesy of Compass.

November 20, 2019

This $2M boho-chic Crown Heights row house would make a great apartment alternative

This two-story row house in Crown Heights at 996 Saint Johns Place has plenty of space for family and friends without being too much house to handle. Asking $1.975 million, the barrel-fronted limestone facade looks out over a small front garden, and there's lots more room in the back for al fresco activities. Interiors have been lovingly restored without being too fancy, and lots of old details remain.
Take the townhouse tour

Distinctive Homes

New Brooklyn Museum exhibit will explore the legacy of Studio 54 for the first time

Dustin Pittman. Stroke of Midnight at Studio, 1978–79. Photograph, 15x 20 in. (38.1 x 50.8 cm). Courtesy of the artist. © Dustin Pittman

September 16, 2019

New Brooklyn Museum exhibit will explore the legacy of Studio 54 for the first time

An exhibition opening at the Brooklyn Museum next year will explore for the first time the enduring impact of Studio 54. Opening in March, Studio 54: Night Magic examines the influence that the disco-era nightclub continues to have on design, cinema, and fashion today. Iconic photography and roughly 650 objects, including drawings, paintings, music, and decor, will be on display.
Get the details

Events & Things To Do

The history of Brooklyn’s Caribbean Carnival, the most colorful event in New York City

Via Run With Scissors on Flickr

August 28, 2019

The history of Brooklyn’s Caribbean Carnival, the most colorful event in New York City

Every Labor Day, millions of people gather in Brooklyn to celebrate Caribbean culture at the West Indian-American Day Carnival. Since the early 20th century, the Carnival, which first got its start in the United States in Harlem, has brought together New Yorkers through beautiful costumes, music, dance, and food of the West Indies. Starting in the 1960s, the festival has taken over Crown Heights' Eastern Parkway, uniting many islands (Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, Haiti, Dominica, Saint Lucia, Jamaica, Saint Vincent and Grenda, Guyana, Suriname and Belize, and others) in one extravagant party. As one of New York City's largest, and certainly most colorful, events, the Carnival should not be missed. Ahead, learn about the history of the parade, the traditions that thrive to this day and the details of this year's festival.
More this way

August 15, 2019

This $1.35M townhouse in Crown Heights is a compact condo alternative with a Nordic vibe

This 2,450-square-foot new construction single-family townhouse at 1543 Dean Street near the Crown Heights-Bed-Stuy border may not be towering, but its 25-by-59-square-foot interior, backyard, deck and parking add the privacy and perks you won't get in a condo of the same size. Interiors have the bright, whitewashed good looks of a sunny Scandinavian home, with a wood-burning stove adding to the Euro-appeal.
More bright white space, this way

Distinctive Homes

Brooklyn Botanic Garden ramps up fight against proposed Crown Heights towers with new exhibit

Photo courtesy of the Brooklyn Botanic Garden

July 31, 2019

Brooklyn Botanic Garden ramps up fight against proposed Crown Heights towers with new exhibit

The Brooklyn Botanic Garden's fight against two high-rise towers in Crown Heights continues this week with the opening of a new educational exhibit. The display is part of the garden's larger "Fight for Sunlight" campaign opposing a proposal from developers to amend the area's current zoning and build two 39-story towers across the street. The garden argues the proposed towers on Franklin Avenue would obstruct necessary light from shining on the garden's 23 greenhouses, nurseries, and growing spaces, putting rare plants at risk.
Learn more

Lottery opens for 93 affordable units at Bedford Arms complex in Crown Heights, from $590/month

image via Google Earth

July 11, 2019

Lottery opens for 93 affordable units at Bedford Arms complex in Crown Heights, from $590/month

Applications are now being accepted in the lottery for 93 newly-constructed rental apartments at Bedford Arms at 1336 Bedford Avenue, Crown Heights, Brooklyn. The new building's 93 units are available to households earning between 40 percent and 165 percent of the area median income, ranging from $590/month one-bedrooms to $3,060/month three-bedrooms.
All the details, this way

Affordable Housing

Brooklyn Children’s Museum installs a rooftop playscape made from reclaimed water tower wood

Images courtesy of Tri-Lox

June 19, 2019

Brooklyn Children’s Museum installs a rooftop playscape made from reclaimed water tower wood

Images courtesy of Tri-Lox A new interactive playscape created by design and fabrication practice Tri-Lox brings creative play to the rooftop terrace at Brooklyn Children’s Museum in Crown Heights. Inspired by the unique nests made by the baya weaver bird, Nest is made from reclaimed NYC water tower wood fashioned into an organic form; the woven landscape has a climbable exterior, circular hammock area and permeable interior space, all designed to foster free play and discovery.
Find out what makes this playscape so special

City designation saves Brooklyn’s Weeksville Heritage Center from uncertain financial future

The Center’s historic Hunterfly Road Houses via Wiki Commons

June 17, 2019

City designation saves Brooklyn’s Weeksville Heritage Center from uncertain financial future

By Alexandra Alexa

The Weeksville Heritage Center has been added to a list of 33 Cultural Institutions Groups (CIG), guaranteeing the museum will have its basic operating costs covered, as Curbed first reported. After revealing its precarious financial position earlier this year, Weeksville launched a crowdfunding campaign in May to meet the Center’s short-term operating costs. The effort ended up bringing in over $266,000 from more than 4,100 donors around the world. The coveted CIG designation—the first new addition in more than 20 years and the first black cultural center in Brooklyn to make the list—means that Weeksville will be able to enjoy greater stability as it continues to share its vital mission with visitors and the community.
All the details

Events & Things To Do

Rendering by Darc Studio.

May 28, 2019

For a girls’ school in Crown Heights, ODA upends the traditional school building

In designing a Crown Heights girls' school seeking an addition to their current campus, design and architecture firm ODA New York challenged the traditional American school building model, taking the future of urban density into account. The resulting design introduces a sixth facade, giving the structure a new set of faces to apply materials and create openings.
More views of the cool new-school design

Architecture And Design

Brooklyn’s Weeksville Heritage Center launches crowd-funding campaign to stay afloat

The Hunterfly Road Houses, part of the Center, via Wiki Commons

May 7, 2019

Brooklyn’s Weeksville Heritage Center launches crowd-funding campaign to stay afloat

By Lucie Levine

The Weeksville Heritage Center is dedicated to documenting, preserving and interpreting the history of free African American communities in central Brooklyn and beyond. Built on the site of Weeksville, once the second-largest free black community in Antebellum America, the center maintains the landmarked Hunterfly Road Houses, which are the last standing historical remnants of that remarkable community, and mounts exhibitions, installations, and community programs. But rising operational costs have left the Center in a precarious financial position, and without support, the organization may have to close its doors as early as July. To meet its short-term operating costs, the Weeksville Heritage Center has launched a crowd-funding campaign in the hopes of raising at least $200,000 by June 30th.
READ MORE

Events & Things To Do

56 chances to live in an amenity-rich Crown Heights rental, from $1,168/month

Via 409 Eastern Parkway

April 23, 2019

56 chances to live in an amenity-rich Crown Heights rental, from $1,168/month

Applications are now being accepted for 56 middle-income apartments at a brand new luxury building in Crown Heights. Facing Brooklyn's historic thoroughfare, 409 Eastern Parkway sits just one block from bustling Franklin Avenue and two blocks from the Brooklyn Museum, Botanic Garden, and Prospect Park. Plus, the building offers residents more than 17,000 square feet of amenities, including a fitness center, pet spa, children's playroom, co-working spaces, landscaped roof with bocce ball courts, and more. Qualifying New Yorkers earning 80 and 120 percent of the area median income can apply for the units, ranging from a $1,168/month studio to a $2,759/month two-bedroom.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

Brooklyn Botanic Garden fights against shadow-casting Crown Heights towers

Image courtesy of NYC Department of City Planning

March 12, 2019

Brooklyn Botanic Garden fights against shadow-casting Crown Heights towers

By Alexandra Alexa

The Brooklyn Botanic Garden is voicing concern over a proposal that would allow real-estate developers to amend the area’s zoning—which currently caps building heights at 75 feet—in order to build two 39-story towers close enough to the botanic grounds to obstruct sunlight in key parts of the garden, including the bonsai collection and desert pavilion. The proposal is subject to city approval and a public hearing will be heard today, with officials from the BBG in attendance, as the Wall Street Journal reported.
More info

New Crown Heights mixed-use project could bring 800 affordable apartments

Image courtesy of NYC Department of City Planning

February 19, 2019

New Crown Heights mixed-use project could bring 800 affordable apartments