Brooklyn

First look at Olympia Dumbo amenities, including NYC’s highest private tennis court

All photos courtesy of Pavel Bendov for Olympia DUMBO

November 14, 2023

First look at Olympia Dumbo amenities, including NYC’s highest private tennis court

By Aaron Ginsburg

The impressive amenities at Dumbo's latest luxury tower are now complete and new photos provide a first look at the stunning spaces. Olympia Dumbo, the neighborhood's tallest and most expensive residential building, offers 38,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor amenities spread across three floors, including New York City's highest private outdoor tennis court, indoor and outdoor pools, and a playroom, shipwreck-themed playground, and waterpark for kids.
take a look

517-unit luxury development tops out along Gowanus Canal

Renderings courtesy of PMG

November 10, 2023

517-unit luxury development tops out along Gowanus Canal

By Aaron Ginsburg

A huge mixed-use development with over 500 apartments has topped out along the Gowanus Canal. The two-tower, 21-story project at 267 Bond Street and 510 Sackett Street measures over 600,000 square feet and includes 57,300 square feet of retail space and a new park and esplanade along the famously polluted waterfront. Developed by PMG and Carlyle, the development is part of the 2021 Gowanus rezoning effort, which will bring thousands of new homes to the Brooklyn neighborhood. The development, dubbed Society Brooklyn and Sackett Place, has a completion date of 2025.
more about luxury canal living

Coney Island rental a block from the beach opens lottery for 299 units, from $410/month

Renderings courtesy of BFC Partners

November 8, 2023

Coney Island rental a block from the beach opens lottery for 299 units, from $410/month

By Aaron Ginsburg

Applications are being accepted for 299 mixed-income units at a new 100 percent affordable development one block from the beach in Coney Island. The 10-story mixed-use building at 1607 Surf Avenue is the second phase of a development project from BFC Partners that includes 1,000 new affordable homes. New Yorkers earning 30, 50, 70, and 120 percent of the area median income, or between $17,006 for a single person and $210,120 for a household of seven, can apply for the apartments, priced from $410/month studios to $2,656/month three bedrooms.
see if you qualify

Affordable Housing

All-electric 30-story tower with 324 apartments and academic space breaks ground in Downtown Brooklyn

Rendering courtesy of RXR

November 2, 2023

All-electric 30-story tower with 324 apartments and academic space breaks ground in Downtown Brooklyn

By Aaron Ginsburg

Construction has begun on an all-electric residential building in Downtown Brooklyn that includes 324 apartments and academic space for Long Island University. RXR on Monday broke ground on the 30-story tower at 89 Dekalb Avenue, which is set to be one of the developer's most sustainable projects as the building is fully electric, features a smart glass facade system, and has electric vehicle charging stations.
learn more

Coney Island’s Luna Park will stay open this winter for the first time ever

Photo courtesy of Luna Park

November 1, 2023

Coney Island’s Luna Park will stay open this winter for the first time ever

By Aaron Ginsburg

Luna Park in Coney Island will stay open this winter for the first time in its 120-year history for an exciting holiday celebration. Starting on November 18, Luna Park will be home to Frost Fest, a winter festival that will let visitors ride some of the amusement park's iconic rides and attractions, glide across a brand-new ice skating rink, enjoy holiday shopping, eat festive food, and much more. Frost Fest runs through January 7.
learn more about frost fest

Events & Things To Do

Lottery opens for 40 middle-income units near the park in Prospect Lefferts Gardens, from $2,350/month

Rendering courtesy of Hill West Architects

November 1, 2023

Lottery opens for 40 middle-income units near the park in Prospect Lefferts Gardens, from $2,350/month

By Aaron Ginsburg

A housing lottery opened this week for 40 middle-income units at a new residential development in Prospect Lefferts Gardens. Located at 210 Clarkson Avenue, the eight-story mixed-use rental building offers residents modern apartments with state-of-the-art amenities and easy access to Prospect Park. New Yorkers earning 130 percent of the area median income, or between $80,572 for a single person and $198,250 for a household of five, can apply for the apartments, priced at $2,350/month for one bedrooms and $2,750/month for two bedrooms.
find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

Prospect Park reopens Fallkill Waterfall trail after nearly 30 years

All photos courtesy of Caroline Ourso

October 26, 2023

Prospect Park reopens Fallkill Waterfall trail after nearly 30 years

By Aaron Ginsburg

New Yorkers can now access a waterfall in Prospect Park without having to hop a fence for the first time in decades. The Prospect Park Alliance on Thursday opened Fallkill Trail, a new woodland pathway leading to the scenic Fallkill Waterfall that has been behind fencing since 1995. The new trail was created by staff and volunteers from Prospect Park Alliance who worked to remove invasive plants, plant native species, haul logs, grade paths, and form the trail.
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Coney Island celebrates 200th birthday by displaying its oldest artifact

Image courtesy of the Coney Island History Project

October 26, 2023

Coney Island celebrates 200th birthday by displaying its oldest artifact

By Aaron Ginsburg

Celebrate Coney Island's 200th anniversary by honoring the neighborhood's oldest surviving artifact this weekend. The Coney Island History Project, located at 3059 West 12th Street next to the entrance to Deno's Wonder Wheel Park, is displaying the 200-year-old Coney Island Toll House sign from 1823. The artifact will be on view on Saturday, October 28, from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free.
MORE ON CONEY ISLAND's 200-YEAR HISTORY HERE

Work begins on Studio Gang-designed Shirley Chisholm Rec Center in Brooklyn

Rendering of the Shirley Chisholm Recreational Center in East Flatbush. Credit: New York City Department of Design and Construction

October 17, 2023

Work begins on Studio Gang-designed Shirley Chisholm Rec Center in Brooklyn

By Aaron Ginsburg

A new recreation center that will serve as a hub for learning, fitness, and recreation is coming to East Flatbush. City officials on Monday broke ground on the $141 million Shirley Chisholm Recreation Center, a new facility named after the late congresswoman and Brooklyn native who was the first Black woman ever elected to Congress. Located in Nostrand Playground, the roughly 62,000-square-foot center will feature a public plaza, indoor swimming pool, gymnasium, walking track, commercial teaching kitchen, and a media lab.
learn more about the rec center

Architecture And Design

Michelin adds 11 restaurants to its New York dining guide

Photo of Mischa courtesy of Evan Sung.

October 16, 2023

Michelin adds 11 restaurants to its New York dining guide

By Aaron Ginsburg

The Michelin Guide has added 11 new restaurants to its New York dining guide. Located in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and the Hudson Valley, the guide's new additions include Little Myanmar, a Burmese restaurant in the East Village, Peppercorn Station, a Szechuan restaurant in Midtown West, and the Apropos Restaurant at the Abbey Inn, a Mediterranean restaurant in Peekskill. No restaurants in the Bronx, Queens, or Staten Island were included in Michelin's latest update, according to Eater New York.
learn more

Food & Dining

This three-story modern townhouse with a yard in Fort Greene asks $2.75M

Photo credit: Russ Ross for The Corcoran Group

October 13, 2023

This three-story modern townhouse with a yard in Fort Greene asks $2.75M

By Michelle Cohen

As part of the Navy Green development in the northern part of Fort Greene, Brooklyn, in the Navy Yard and Wallabout neighborhoods, this single-family townhouse belongs to a unique community. The LEED-certified development is made up of townhouses and condos, with a 30,000-square-foot park at its center. The home at 19 Clermont Avenue, asking $2,750,000, offers four floors (finished basement included) of modern-design living space and contemporary comforts.
take the tour

Distinctive Homes

Live in NYC’s first all-electric skyscraper in Downtown Brooklyn, from $763/month

Photos courtesy of Pavel Bendov Photos

October 10, 2023

Live in NYC’s first all-electric skyscraper in Downtown Brooklyn, from $763/month

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City's first all-electric skyscraper launched a housing lottery on Tuesday for 45 mixed-income apartments. The 44-story residential tower in Downtown Brooklyn, previously 100 Flatbush Avenue and now called 505 State Street, will run totally off electricity instead of natural gas and apartments will have sustainable features. New Yorkers earning 40, 60, and 100 percent of the area median income can apply for the apartments, which include studios ranging from $763 to $2,017/month, one-bedrooms from $812 to $2,155/month, two-bedrooms from $965 to $1,502/month, and three-bedrooms from $1,105 to 1,725/month.
LEARN MORE

Affordable Housing

Red Hook’s most expensive condo on the market is this $3.15M penthouse

All images courtesy of Evan Joseph Photography for Douglas Elliman unless noted otherwise

October 5, 2023

Red Hook’s most expensive condo on the market is this $3.15M penthouse

By Aaron Ginsburg

The evolution of Red Hook continues, as developers target the creative waterfront enclave for new high-end condo buildings and modern townhouses. At one building, The Conover at 199 Conover Street designed by FAB 314 architects, a new penthouse is asking $3,150,000, the priciest listing in the neighborhood. The three-bedroom, two-and-a-half bathroom condo unit boasts 1,990 square feet of living space and a spacious private rooftop terrace with sweeping views of the waterfront and Manhattan skyline.
see inside

Distinctive Homes

An ice skating rink is opening under the Brooklyn Bridge

Rendering courtesy of Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy

October 4, 2023

An ice skating rink is opening under the Brooklyn Bridge

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City's newest ice skating rink will open under the Brooklyn Bridge. Located at the Emily Warren Roebling Plaza in Brooklyn Bridge Park, Glide at Brooklyn Bridge will offer skating for guests of all ages, as well as rinkside food and beverages, with breathtaking views of the Manhattan skyline as a backdrop. The ice rink, the first to ever open in the scenic waterfront park, debuts for the season on November 15 and will remain open through March 1, 2024.
learn more about the rink

Events & Things To Do

NYC’s curbside compost program expands to Brooklyn

Photo credit: Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

October 3, 2023

NYC’s curbside compost program expands to Brooklyn

By Aaron Ginsburg

Brooklynites, it's time to get your compost on! On Monday, curbside compost collection began in New York City's most populous borough. Brooklyn is the second borough to join the city's universal composting program after Queens, which rolled out a permanent, year-round program in March after a successful pilot last year. Between Queens and Brooklyn, the program will serve nearly 5 million residents, making it the nation's largest composting program.
find out more

Policy

$3.75M Prospect Heights townhouse has laid-back charm, three big apartments, and extra-long backyard

Photo credit: Russ Ross for The Corcoran Group

September 28, 2023

$3.75M Prospect Heights townhouse has laid-back charm, three big apartments, and extra-long backyard

By Michelle Cohen

The feature that will undoubtedly impress visitors the most about this four-story brownstone at 307 Park Place in pretty Prospect Heights is its seemingly endless backyard. It's one of a fortunate handful of homes in the neighborhood to be blessed with a 131-foot lot. Within, the three-family 1910 townhouse may come up short on original architectural details, but there's still plenty of warmth and charm within its brick-accented walls. Asking $3,750,000, the property offers flexibility in the form of three large apartments that can be combined–or left as-is to maximize rental income.
tour every level

Distinctive Homes

The Refinery at Domino unveils office space and grand glass atrium at historic Williamsburg sugar factory

Photos by Max Touhey

September 27, 2023

The Refinery at Domino unveils office space and grand glass atrium at historic Williamsburg sugar factory

By Michelle Cohen

The Refinery at Domino, a 460,000-square-foot all-electric office building, is now open at the former Domino Sugar Factory plant on the Williamsburg, Brooklyn waterfront. As the latest addition by Domino Park developer Two Trees Management, the new adaptive reuse project saw the conversion of the former 19th-century factory site of what was once the largest sugar producer in the world into a net zero carbon office space. The Refinery is the newest building to open in the 11-acre, mixed-use development north of the Williamsburg Bridge.
Find out more

New Developments

Lottery opens for 230 luxury apartments at huge Greenpoint rental, from $848/month

Rendering courtesy of the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development

September 25, 2023

Lottery opens for 230 luxury apartments at huge Greenpoint rental, from $848/month

By Aaron Ginsburg

A two-tower rental development on the Greenpoint waterfront opened a lottery this week for 230 luxury apartments. Designed by CetraRuddy, Tower 77 sits on a former industrial area facing Newton Creek at the northern tip of the Brooklyn neighborhood. New Yorkers earning between 40 and 130 percent of the area median income can apply for the apartments, priced from $848/month for studios to $4,173/month for three bedrooms.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

$2.6M Cobble Hill condo is on three flexible floors of a converted 19th-century church

Photo credit: DDREPs for The Corcoran Group

September 21, 2023

$2.6M Cobble Hill condo is on three flexible floors of a converted 19th-century church

By Michelle Cohen

This unique Cobble Hill home will instantly get the attention of history buffs. Built within a converted Romanesque Revival church constructed in the 1880s, this three-bedroom home at The Landmark at 58 Strong Place was designed by top local architecture firm Baxt Ingui Architects. Asking $2,600,000, the 1,855-square-foot triplex takes full advantage of the building's unusual layout, creating loft-like spaces for privacy and ease of living.
interior blessings, this way

Distinctive Homes

Famous Bay Ridge Gingerbread House is on the market again, asking $8.75M

Photo courtesy of Brown Harris Stevens

September 19, 2023

Famous Bay Ridge Gingerbread House is on the market again, asking $8.75M

By Michelle Cohen

This one-of-a-kind dwelling at 8200 Narrows Avenue in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn is anything but cookie-cutter basic. Known as the Gingerbread House, this cute-enough-to-eat Hobbit-esque home is an American Arts and Crafts-style design by architect James Sarsfield Kennedy. Built for shipping mogul Howard Jones in 1918, the home was described as "the most magnificent residence in all of New York City." According to Brownstoner, the home was last listed in 2017 for $9 million. It's currently asking $8,750,000.
take a look inside

Distinctive Homes

Center for Brooklyn History reopens in Brooklyn Heights after renovation

Photos courtesy of Gregg Richards

September 15, 2023

Center for Brooklyn History reopens in Brooklyn Heights after renovation

By Aaron Ginsburg

The world's largest collection of Brooklyn history is once again accessible to the public. Located at 128 Pierrepont Street in Brooklyn Heights, the Center for Brooklyn History reopened this week following an extensive renovation of its first floor, which includes space for visitors to read, study, and enjoy exhibitions. As part of the reopening, the Center debuted "Brooklyn is...," an exhibition celebrating the borough through the photos, artworks, and words of Brooklyn residents, who are invited to submit their personal memories to be featured.
LEARN MORE

Townhouse living in Bay Ridge with a deck and a country-sized backyard for $1.2M

Photo credit: Allyson Lubow for The Corcoran Group

September 14, 2023

Townhouse living in Bay Ridge with a deck and a country-sized backyard for $1.2M

By Michelle Cohen

The barrel-fronted townhouse at 644 76th Street in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, may not be a mansion, but with intact pre-war details, two-family potential, and a front and backyard, the $1,200,000 ask makes it a charming condo alternative. The 20-foot-wide, four-bedroom home boasts original inlaid hardwood floors, high coffered ceilings, bay windows, pocket doors, fretwork, moldings, and colorful stained glass.
take the townhouse tour

Distinctive Homes

$16.75M Brooklyn Heights townhouse has historic layout and modern extras, like a basement movie theater

Photo credit: Scott Wintrow for Sotheby’s International Realty

September 13, 2023

$16.75M Brooklyn Heights townhouse has historic layout and modern extras, like a basement movie theater

By Michelle Cohen

The graceful brick townhouse at the aptly-named 25 Grace Court is a landmarked beauty in one of New York City's loveliest historic districts. Asking $16,750,000, the five-story urban mansion is a 5,975-square-foot single-family home, perfectly renovated from top to bottom, but with rarely-seen care taken to preserve its original grandeur. The home has received architectural preservation awards from the NY Landmarks Conservancy and the Brooklyn Heights Association–and we can see why.
Tour this historic home

Distinctive Homes

You can buy the 2023 Real Simple designer showcase home in Brooklyn’s Quay Tower for $8M

Photo courtesy of Eytan Stern Weber via Evan Joseph Images

September 12, 2023

You can buy the 2023 Real Simple designer showcase home in Brooklyn’s Quay Tower for $8M

By Michelle Cohen

The Real Simple Home 2023 has officially been unveiled in Brooklyn. And it's available for purchase. Newly-minted Brooklyn Heights condo Quay Tower at 50 Bridge Park Drive has just listed a duplex penthouse asking $7,995,000. Crowned the magazine's sixth Real Simple Home, the 2,789-square-foot duplex has been transformed by top designers and influencers, who have put a one-of-a-kind, personalized touch on the sleek space–including Bobby Berk, host of Netflix's "Queer Eye," who designed the living room.
TOUR THE DESIGNER-ENHANCED PENTHOUSE

NYC’s Atlantic Avenue rezoning plan calls for 4,000 new homes and more open space

Preliminary vision of Atlantic Avenue looking west. Courtesy of NYC Planning.

September 11, 2023

NYC’s Atlantic Avenue rezoning plan calls for 4,000 new homes and more open space

By Devin Gannon

The city wants to bring 4,000 new apartments to a stretch of Brooklyn's Atlantic Avenue currently home to vacant lots and auto shops. The Department of City Planning last week released the Atlantic Avenue Mixed-Use Plan, a preliminary rezoning framework for 13 blocks of an industrially zoned area that runs through Prospect Heights, Crown Heights, Fort Greene, and Bed-Stuy. The rezoning would allow for higher destiny residential and commercial use, with the potential for up to 1,550 income-restricted homes. Following additional community meetings and an environmental review, the proposal could enter the public review process in the spring of next year.
details here

For $2M, this Cobble Hill brownstone duplex includes a perfect private garden

Photo credit: Melanie Greene

September 6, 2023

For $2M, this Cobble Hill brownstone duplex includes a perfect private garden

By Michelle Cohen

If you've always envied the magical back gardens of brownstone Brooklyn neighborhoods like Cobble Hill, here's a chance to enjoy your own–without having to buy a brownstone. This two-bedroom co-op at 193 Clinton Street, asking $2,000,000, spans the lower levels of a pretty townhouse. In addition to the outdoor oasis, there's bonus space on the lower level–and a laundry room.
home and garden, this way

Distinctive Homes

You can ride retro NYC subway trains this weekend

Image courtesy of the New York Transit Museum

September 5, 2023

You can ride retro NYC subway trains this weekend

By Aaron Ginsburg

This weekend, take a special ride on a historic New York City subway train. The New York Transit Museum's annual Parade of Trains event returns on September 9 and September 10 with a selection of vintage trains running between Brighton Beach and Kings Highway on the B and Q lines. Admission is free with subway fare.
All ABoard

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