Brooklyn

September 25, 2018

$3M Victorian gem in Prospect Park South is blessed with gorgeous details and outdoor space

Just under $3 million may seem steep for a house in Prospect Park South, but–in addition to being three blocks from the park–this beautifully preserved 1901 townhouse at 214 Marlborough Road is likely someone's Victorian Flatbush dream come true. The rambling and colorful home was designed by Benjamin Dreisler, who was among the area's most prominent architects of the day. Nearly 4,000 square feet provides room for seven bedrooms and grand living spaces, and there's a finished basement in addition. The home's millwork and moldings are among the neighborhood's finest–and in this neighborhood that's saying a lot.
Get a closer look
September 24, 2018

Björk lists her Brooklyn Heights penthouse for $9M

Icelandic singer-songwriter Björk is putting her sprawling 3,000-square-foot penthouse in Brooklyn Heights up for sale, Variety reported. Asking $9 million, the four-bedroom apartment at 160 Henry Street spans the full top floor. The private wraparound terrace, with Manhattan and Statue of Liberty views, may be the highlight of the pre-war home. Or it could be the bedroom with the hot-pink walls and ceiling.
See inside
September 22, 2018

FREE RENT: This week’s roundup of NYC rental news

Images (L to R): 325 Lafayette Avenue, Alvista Towers, 88 Leonard Street and 180 Riverside Boulevard Newly Built 325 Lafayette Avenue in Clinton Hill Offers 2 Months Free: Net Effective Prices from $2,375/Month [link] Live at Alvista Towers from $1,729/Month; Get 1 Month Free on Leases Signed by Nov. 1st [link] Tribeca Rental Specials at […]

September 21, 2018

Live in a Clinton Hill building with a roof deck and gym, from $867/month

At the crossroads where Clinton Hill, Prospect Heights and Fort Greene meet, apartments at this newly-minted seven-story, 38-unit building at 840 Fulton Street have in-unit laundry, plus the building features a residents' lounge, a fitness center, and a rooftop deck. Eight affordable units are currently available to households who earn between $31,612 and $62,580 (60 percent of the area median income) annually. The units range from $867/month studios to $1,123/month two-bedrooms.
Find out if you qualify
September 21, 2018

Lottery launches for 200+ affordable units in East New York, from $395/month

A lottery is set to launch on Saturday for 240 affordable apartments in Brooklyn's East New York neighborhood. The units are spread across a brand new mixed-use development, the Livonia Apartments, located at 453 Hinsdale Street, 500 Livonia Avenue, and 487 Livonia Avenue. Designed by Magnusson Architecture and Planning (MAP), the four-building development sits adjacent to the L Train at Livonia Avenue. Qualifying New Yorkers earning 30, 40, 50 and 60 percent of the area median income can apply for the units, ranging from $395/month studios to $1,339/month three-bedrooms.
Find out if you qualify
September 21, 2018

Brooklyn Heights Promenade could close for six years during BQE repairs

The Brooklyn Heights Promenade could close for six years while the city rehabilitates a 1.5 mile stretch of the crumbling Brooklyn-Queens Expressway (BQE), transportation officials announced Thursday. According to Politico, the city's transportation department unveiled two plans for revamping the Brooklyn Heights and DUMBO section of the BQE, which supports the promenade. The options include a quicker, six-year plan to divert cars to an elevated highway next to the Promenade or replace the BQE lane by lane, which could take up to eight years.
Get the details
September 20, 2018

Live in grand mansion style in this $5.25M Brooklyn Heights ‘house within a house’ co-op

This townhouse-sized and undeniably grand parlor floor duplex at 196 Hicks Street (also known as 34 Pierrepont Street) in historic Brooklyn Heights is one of only three apartments within the "mansion annex" of the 200 Hicks Street cooperative. But unlike most townhouses, the 2,800-square-foot property steps from the Brooklyn Heights Promenade comes with around-the-clock doorman, plus secure storage and a gorgeous roof deck. The apartment does, however, have its own private stoop.
Take the grand tour
September 20, 2018

NYC Council committee approves 80 Flatbush project in Downtown Brooklyn after height chop

The New York City Council's subcommittee on zoning voted unanimously Thursday to approve the rezoning application that allows for the construction of 80 Flatbush, a five-building complex planned for Downtown Brooklyn. Following negotiations between Alloy Development and Council Member Stephen Levin, the developers agreed to cut the height of two buildings, one from 986 to 840 feet and another from 560 to 510 feet (h/t Brooklyn Paper). New renderings reveal not only smaller buildings but an updated design as well. With this key approval, the project will most likely get support from the full City Council followed by Mayor Bill de Blasio.
More here
September 20, 2018

Across from the Brooklyn Navy Yard, RXR plans a 10-building complex in a former printing press factory

The Brooklyn Navy Yard and the area surrounding it continues to expand and live up to predictions calling it the city's new creative hotspot. Just a few months after the Navy Yard and developers broke ground on a nine-story mixed-use creative and manufacturing project at 399 Sands Street, RXR Realty has announced plans to renovate a 10-building, 650,000-square-foot block-long complex at the site of the former Mergenthaler Linotype Company printing press factory, across from the Yard. The refurbished complex will be home to industrial, design, and office space, with ground-floor retail, and restaurant tenants.
More renderings of the new creative space, this way
September 19, 2018

Live in a new East Williamsburg building with roof deck and courtyard for $801/month

If the Manhattan-fication of Williamsburg proper isn't quite your thing but you still want some of that artsy, gritty edge, consider heading a bit east. And if your household earns 60 percent of the area median income, or between $33,875 and $62,580 annually, you might want to apply for one of the 25 affordable units currently available at 125 Borinquen Place, a new 133-unit rental building with an impressive roster of amenities: a rooftop with hammocks, cabanas, dining, and outdoor movies; an indoor cinema room; a duplex fitness center; co-working areas; and a lovely landscaped courtyard. The units range from $801/month studios to $974/month two-bedrooms.
Find out if you qualify
September 18, 2018

LPC designates former Carroll Gardens schoolhouse as New York City landmark

The city's Landmarks Preservation Commission on Tuesday designated the Hans S. Christian Memorial Kindergarten at 236 President Street and the adjacent apartment building at 238 President Street as individual landmarks. The two Carroll Gardens buildings are associated with Elmira Christian, an advocate for early childhood education. "These two properties are distinguished by their architecture and share a great history of education and social reform in Brooklyn," LPC Vice Chair Frederick Bland said in a statement.
Get the details
September 18, 2018

Interactive map lets you explore Prospect Park’s 200 tree species

Through a $75,000 Urban Forestry Grant from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Prospect Park Alliance recently surveyed about 12,000 of the park's 30,000 trees. The survey provides a nuanced picture of the park’s ever-changing ecosystem and important insights into the economic, environmental and health benefits of "Brooklyn’s backyard." You can view an interactive map of Prospect Park’s trees and their benefit to the community here; you can also examine the results on the Prospect Park TreeKeeper Interactive Map.
To the trees
September 17, 2018

Apply for three middle-income units in Brooklyn’s historic Weeksville

After the state of New York State abolished slavery in 1827, the country's second-largest free black community was established in Brooklyn. Known as Weeksville, today the neighborhood falls a bit under the radar, surrounded by more sought-after neighborhoods like Crown Heights and Bed Stuy. But it's a charming little enclave, lined with many two-family homes and small brick rowhouses, that has done well to preserve its history. And just down the street from the Weeksville Heritage Center is a new 10-unit rental building at 1520 Prospect Place that just opened an affordable housing lottery for three $2,098/month one-bedrooms.
See the qualifications
September 15, 2018

FREE RENT: This week’s NYC rental roundup includes 3 months free rent on the Williamsburg waterfront

Images (L to R): LEVEL BK, BKLYN AIR, Synergy Chelsea and Denizen Bshwk Williamsburg Waterfront Rental LEVEL BK Offers 3 Months Free on 2-Year Leases + Free Car Share [link] BKLYN AIR Offering Half-Month Free for Leases Starting Before Sept. 30th [link] New High-Tech Corporate Residences Coming Soon to Synergy Chelsea at 232 7th Avenue […]

September 14, 2018

Plans revealed to convert abandoned hospital in Greenpoint into affordable housing complex

Shuttered since 1982, the Greenpoint Hospital will soon be home to a new mixed-use development with roughly 500 units of affordable housing, as well as a shelter for 200 homeless New Yorkers. The city's Department of Housing Preservation and Development announced on Thursday it will work with St. Nicks Alliance, Hudson Companies Incorporated, and Project Renewal on the project, with the design led by Magnusson Architecture and Planning (MAP) and Architecture Outfit. The 3.4-acre site, located at 288 Jackson Street, will include two newly constructed buildings and two rehabilitated historic buildings.
see the renderings
September 13, 2018

This cozy South Slope co-op with a private roof deck just might have $1M worth of charm

With a working fireplace and a private roof deck with Manhattan skyline views, this sweet two-bedroom co-op definitely has every season covered. Tucked into the top of a row house at 452 15th Street at the south Park Slope/Windsor Terrace border, asking $999,000, this cozy co-op looks like a great spot to escape hectic city life in an ideal Brooklyn location half a block from Prospect Park.
Have a look
September 12, 2018

Apply for 41 middle-income units at Bushwick’s Rheingold Brewery site, from $1,432/month

A lottery launched on Wednesday for 41 middle-income units at 115 Stanwix Street, a building which is part of the Rabsky Group's redevelopment of the Rheingold Brewery site in Bushwick. Designed by ND Architecture & Design, the eight-story development sits between Montieth Street and Flushing Avenue. Qualifying New Yorkers earning 80 and 130 percent of the area median income can apply for the units, which range from $1,432/month one-bedrooms to a $3,225 three-bedrooms.
Find out if you qualify
September 12, 2018

Live in a historic Williamsburg firehouse with a garage/studio and Japanese garden for $5.2M

Living in a historic firehouse is cool enough as it is, but this 4,652-square-foot carriage house at 11 Scholes Street in Williamsburg also comes with just about every other cool thing you could imagine finding in a Brooklyn pad. The three-story home, asking $5.2 million, starts with a garage and a sleek workspace/art studio and adds walls of glass and a private outdoor paradise, complete with a Japanese-style bamboo garden and luxurious outdoor shower.
Take a look, you won't want to leave
September 11, 2018

‘Affordable’ Greenpoint apartments renting for the same price as the market-rate units

We've come to accept that many middle-income "affordable" housing lotteries are nothing more than a way for a building to cross-subsidize its "deeply affordable" units. Case in point, this new lottery that just launched at 216 Freeman Street in Greenpoint. Reserved for households earning 130 percent of the median income, one-bedrooms are $2,544/month and two-bedrooms $3,050. And while a market-rate one-bedroom is currently listed for the higher price $2,975, a two-bedroom is listed for the exact same price as the lottery unit.
Find out if you qualify
September 10, 2018

Live in an amenity-rich building in Prospect-Lefferts Garden, from $1,775/month

A brand new rental building in Prospect-Lefferts Gardens launched a lottery this week for five middle-income apartments. The 16-unit building located at 664-668 Rutland Road, between Albany and Troy Avenues, offers enviable amenities like on-site laundry, central air, a fitness center, roof access and a common courtyard. Qualifying New Yorkers earning 130 percent of the area median income can apply for the one $1,775/month one-bedroom and four $2,270/month two-bedroom apartments.
Find out if you qualify
September 10, 2018

Affordable housing lottery launches for 100 units at Brooklyn Bridge Park’s Pier 6

Pier 6 and Brooklyn Bridge Park via MOSO Studio It's been just over a year since construction began at Brooklyn Bridge Park's two-towered Pier 6 development, and as of today, the affordable housing lottery has launched for 15 Bridge Park Drive, the 15-story tower (the other is 28 stories). The buildings are designed by ODA New York and have a slew of amenities, including a fitness facility, 4,000-square-foot landscaped roof terrace, and a children's playroom. 15 Bridge Park Drive has a total of 140 units; the 40 not included in the lottery are market-rate. The remaining 100 are reserved for households earning 80, 130, and 165 percent of the area median income and range from $1,394/month studios to $4,380/month three-bedrooms.
Find out if you qualify
September 8, 2018

FREE RENT: This week’s roundup of NYC rental news

Images (L to R): The Lewis, The Parkline, House39 and Twenty Broad Midtown West’s The Lewis: Sleek, Stylish + Modern Rentals Leasing with Two Months Free [link] One Month Free at The Parkline in Prospect Lefferts Gardens; Studios from $1,995/Month [link] Midtown’s House39 Offers Luxury Residences with 1 Month Free; Generous Layouts + 360 Degree […]

September 7, 2018

Brooklyn entrepreneur launches next-day delivery service in Park Slope as challenge to Amazon

With the tremendous growth of Amazon, valued this week at one trillion dollars for the first time, local businesses and brick-and-mortar shops are having to think outside of the box to entice customers. An entrepreneur from Brooklyn is hoping to directly challenge Amazon by launching his own e-commerce and next-day delivery service (h/t Bloomberg). This month, Peter Price, a 78-year-old New Yorker who formerly served as the president of Liberty Cable, will roll out a trial service in Park Slope called EMain, which will allow local stores to post deals online and deliver items the following day for free.
More here
September 6, 2018

Historic Bed-Stuy mansion smashes neighborhood record with $6.3M sale

Bedford-Stuyvesant's most expensive home has sold for $6.3 million, setting a record price for the neighborhood and sending a message that rising property prices are making their way further into Brooklyn, according to the Wall Street Journal. At nearly twice the previous record sale of $3.3 million in 2017, the Renaissance Revival-style John C. Kelley mansion at 247 Hancock Street is the most expensive single-family house ever sold in Bed-Stuy. The 8,000-square-foot, 10-bedroom townhouse was built in 1887 for water-meter magnate John Kelley, designed by noted architect Montrose Morris and modeled after a Gilded Age Vanderbilt mansion along Fifth Avenue.
Take a look inside this incredible mansion
September 5, 2018

New views and details revealed for 407-acre state park opening in Central Brooklyn next summer

The largest state park in New York City will open next summer in Brooklyn and be named after Shirley Chisholm, the first black woman elected to Congress and a native of the borough. Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Wednesday that the first phase of the 407-acre park on Jamacia Bay will be completed in 2019. The site, formerly home to two landfills, will be converted into parkland with 10 miles of trails for hiking and biking, kayaking, picnic areas, educational facilities, an amphitheater and more.
Learn more
September 5, 2018

13 middle-income apartments up for grabs across from Greenpoint’s Transmitter Park

It's been a year since leasing launched at Greenpoint's 42-unit, no-fee rental 44 Kent Street, and now 13 of those apartments are available through the city's affordable housing lottery to households earning 130 percent of the area median income. In addition to being located just across the street from Transmitter Park, the building offers a fitness center, rooftop terrace, business center, and parking. The middle-income units range from $2,023/month studios to $2,612/month two-bedrooms.
Find out if you qualify
September 5, 2018

There will be no G-train service between Bed-Stuy and LIC every weekend in September

Making weekend plans in Brooklyn this month will be a bit trickier than normal. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority is suspending service between Bed-Stuy's Bedford-Nostrand station and Long Island City's Court Square station every weekend in September for "track maintenance." There will be free shuttle buses available for North Brooklyn-bound straphangers (h/t Brooklyn Paper).
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