Brooklyn

The history of Weeksville: When Crown Heights had the second-largest free black community in the U.S.

Historic Hunterfly Road Houses via the Brooklyn Historical Society

July 18, 2018

The history of Weeksville: When Crown Heights had the second-largest free black community in the U.S.

By
It’s a mighty sounding moniker, but the name “King’s County” also speaks to Brooklyn’s less-than-democratic origins. At the turn of the 19th century, the city of Brooklyn was known as the “slaveholding capital” of New York State and was home to the highest concentration of enslaved people north of the Mason-Dixon Line. But, after New York State abolished slavery in 1827, free black professionals bought land in what is now Crown Heights and founded Weeksville, a self-supporting community of African American Freedman, which grew to become the second-largest free black community in Antebellum America. By 1855, over 520 free African Americans lived in Weeksville, including some of the leading activists in the Abolitionist and Equal Suffrage movements.
More about free black Brooklyn
Our 1,000sqft: Creative couple Amy and Brian show off their newly renovated Prospect Park South co-op

6sqft’s series “My sqft” checks out the homes of New Yorkers across all the boroughs. Our latest interior adventure brings us to the Prospect Park South co-op of an adorable and creative couple. Want to see your home featured here? Get in touch!

July 17, 2018

Our 1,000sqft: Creative couple Amy and Brian show off their newly renovated Prospect Park South co-op

By
Back in 2015, 6sqft visited bubbly Amy Sprague at her Boerum Hill studio. Three years, two dogs, and one adorable meet-cute story later, Amy has moved over to Prospect Park South with her fiance Brian Schundler. After their dogs, Charlie and Ladybug, brought them together in the dog park, these two lovebirds decided to not only become homeowners but to undertake a complete gut renovation of their pre-war co-op. Brian, a landscape architect, favors mid-century-modern decor and minimalism, while Amy, a packing designer, loves vintage finds and earthy vibes. Luckily, this creative couple was able to mix their styles to create a comfortable home that uses clean lines and crisp architectural elements as a backdrop for their more eclectic finds and textures. Amy and Brian recently gave 6sqft a tour of their recently completed two-bedroom apartment and shared how the reno process went, how they mixed their aesthetics, and what it's like living with two 80+ pound pups.
Take the tour!
8 chances to snag an apartment near the Pulaski Bridge in Greenpoint, from $2,270/month
July 17, 2018

8 chances to snag an apartment near the Pulaski Bridge in Greenpoint, from $2,270/month

By
Via EXR A Greenpoint rental building located near the foot of the Pulaski Bridge launched a housing lottery this week for eight middle-income apartments. The development, dubbed Freeman's Corner, contains two buildings at 215 and 216 Freeman Street. Units boast oversized windows, polished concrete floors, built-in Bluetooth speakers and some feature private balconies. Qualifying New Yorkers earning 130 percent of the area median income can apply for the units, which include four $2,270/month one-bedrooms and four $2,733/month two-bedrooms.
Find out if you qualify
Live one block from the J, M, Z trains in Bushwick, from $1,979/month
July 16, 2018

Live one block from the J, M, Z trains in Bushwick, from $1,979/month

By
Photo via CityRealty Three middle-income units in Bushwick are up for grabs for New Yorkers earning 130 percent of the area median income. Located at 20 Jefferson Street, the newly constructed rental building sits right next to J, M and Z trains at the Myrtle Avenue subway station. The apartments boast state-of-the-art appliances and on-site laundry. Available units include one $1,979/month one-bedroom and two $2,387/month two-bedrooms.
Find out if you qualify
Cuomo to investigate allegations of tenant harassment by Kushner Cos. at Williamsburg condo

Rendering via Morris Adjmi Architects

July 16, 2018

Cuomo to investigate allegations of tenant harassment by Kushner Cos. at Williamsburg condo

By
Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Monday launched an investigation into allegations of tenant harassment by Kushner Companies at the Austin Nichols House in Williamsburg. The announcement comes on the same day a group of 19 current and former residents of the building are set to file a $10 million lawsuit against the company for creating unlivable conditions from construction noise and dust and pushing them out to make room for condo buyers. The company, run by the family of Donald Trump's son-in-law and senior advisor Jared Kushner, purchased the 338-unit property at 184 Kent Avenue in 2015, and has since sold or emptied 75 percent of the rent-stabilized apartments, the Associated Press reported.
Find out more
Preservationists, LGBT groups push Landmarks to designate Walt Whitman’s Clinton Hill home

Photo of Whitman via Wikimedia; Photo of 99 Ryerson Street via NYC LGBT Historic Sites Project

July 16, 2018

Preservationists, LGBT groups push Landmarks to designate Walt Whitman’s Clinton Hill home

By
A coalition of preservationists, LGBT groups and literary experts is asking the Landmarks Preservation Commission to reassess their decision last year to not landmark Walt Whitman's Brooklyn home, the last residence of the 19th-century poet remaining in New York. Located at 99 Ryerson Street in Clinton Hill, the home was where Whitman and his family lived between May 1, 1855 and May 1, 1856. While living at the home, Whitman wrote "Leaves of Grass," a collection of poems considered to be one of the most significant American works ever. The home is also one of the earliest extant buildings in NYC associated with a member of the LGBT community.
More here
FREE RENT: This week’s roundup of NYC rental news

Images (L to R): The Modern, The Forge, 178 North 11th Street and 1009 Willoughby Avenue

July 14, 2018

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

By

Images (L to R): The Modern, The Forge, 178 North 11th Street and 1009 Willoughby Avenue Fort Lee’s The Modern: 47-Story Tower Launches with 2 Months Free [link] Rooftop Lounge + Pool Now Open at The Forge – and Up to 3 Months Free [link] Williamsburg Boutique Rental Near McCarren Park Offers 3 Months Free […]

Lottery opens for six middle-income apartments near the Greenpoint waterfront, from $2,100/month

197 Freeman Street via CityRealty

July 13, 2018

Lottery opens for six middle-income apartments near the Greenpoint waterfront, from $2,100/month

By
197 Freeman Street via CityRealty A $2,255/month one-bedroom might not be the deal of the century, but compared to the fact that the same market-rate apartment is asking $3,115, it sure seems like a steal. At 197 Freeman Street in Greenpoint, just a few blocks from the waterfront and right near cool spots like the Lobster Join and Troost, six apartments are available through the city's affordable housing lottery to New Yorkers earning 130 percent of the area median income. They range from $2,100/month studios to $2,715/month two-bedrooms, and the newly constructed building offers a gym, roof deck, and laundry.
Find out if you qualify
Brooklyn Bridge Park’s five-acre Pier 3 opens with an interactive labyrinth and moveable furniture

Photo by Nicholas Sella

July 11, 2018

Brooklyn Bridge Park’s five-acre Pier 3 opens with an interactive labyrinth and moveable furniture

By
With the opening of five lush waterfront acres of park at Pier 3 on Tuesday, Brooklyn Bridge Park is now 90 percent complete. Designed by Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates, it's the final pier to be converted into parkland and features two lawns surrounded by shrubs and trees, which will offer both shade and protection from gusts of wind. "Brooklyn Bridge Park is a gem that gleams brighter with each exciting acre it adds, building on our borough’s commitment to offer high-quality open space that brings people together from all walks of life," Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams said.
Plan your visit
Live one block from the G train in Bed-Stuy for just $1,074/month

Photo via Julien Magne/Flickr

July 11, 2018

Live one block from the G train in Bed-Stuy for just $1,074/month

By
With the impending L train shutdown, the G train is looking better and better, and here's a chance to live less than a block from the Myrtle-Willoughby Avenues stop. The affordable housing lottery is for seven $1,074//month one-bedrooms, open to New Yorkers earning 60 percent of the area median income, at 901 Myrtle Avenue, a new 30-unit rental building.
Find out if you qualify
Four chances to live off the J train in Bushwick, from $947/month

Photo via CityRealty

July 10, 2018

Four chances to live off the J train in Bushwick, from $947/month

By
Bushwick may not be the affordable, artsy neighborhood it once was, but a new affordable housing lottery will give four lucky New Yorkers a chance to regain some of that long-lost Brooklyn cheap factor. At 894 Bushwick Avenue, just three blocks from the J train at Kosciuszko Street, two $947/month one-bedrooms and two $1,072/month two-bedrooms are available to households earning 60 percent of the area median income.
See if you make the cut
July 10, 2018

Live across from Lincoln Terrace Park in Crown Heights for $822/month

By
Right across the street from Crown Heights' Lincoln Terrace/Arthur S. Somers Park, a new affordable housing opportunity has come online. Ten units at the newly built rental 12 Ford Street are available to New Yorkers earning 60 percent of the area median income, ranging from $822/month studios to $1,070/month two-bedrooms. In addition to building amenities including a bike room, laundry, on-site parking, roof terrace, and fitness center, the park offers baseball and football fields, handball, basketball, and tennis courts, playgrounds, water features, dog runs, and outdoor exercise equipment. Plus, the park is in the midst of a $4 million renovation which will only enhance this value.
Find out if you qualify
ODA reveals playful facade, outdoor space for former Jehovah’s Witnesses’ site in Dumbo

Rendering of 80 Adams Street courtesy of BH3 Partners

July 6, 2018

ODA reveals playful facade, outdoor space for former Jehovah’s Witnesses’ site in Dumbo

By
In the latest news from CityRealty, a new rendering of the exciting design for a 10-story, 165-unit building that will rise at the former Jehovah's Witnesses-owned property at 80 Adams Street has been revealed. Buyer Jeffrey Gershon of Hope Street Capital closed on the $60 million purchase of what was a single-story garage in November. ODA New York was listed on the permits, which meant we were likely to see an innovative design; now that design is here in rendering form.
More details this way
Lottery opens for 30 middle-income units at Bushwick’s Gothic church conversion
July 6, 2018

Lottery opens for 30 middle-income units at Bushwick’s Gothic church conversion

By
A little over a year ago, an affordable housing lottery opened for 20 low-income units at  The Saint Marks, a Bushwick church-to-rental conversion at 618 Bushwick Avenue. And now, 30 more below-market-rate residences are up for grabs, this time for middle-income New Yorkers earning 130 percent of the area median income. They range from $2,013/month studios to $2,564/month two-bedrooms. The former St. Mark’s Lutheran School and Evangelical Church retains its 1890 Victorian Gothic church and four-story former school building but has a seven-story addition from developer Cayuga Capital at the corner.
Find out if you qualify
Uber is bringing dockless, electric bikes to the Bronx, Rockaways, and Staten Island
July 5, 2018

Uber is bringing dockless, electric bikes to the Bronx, Rockaways, and Staten Island

By
In May, 6sqft reported that outer-borough neighborhoods underserved by Citi Bike would get dockless bike-share programs this summer. On Tuesday, the city’s pilot officially kicked off in the Rockaways, the area around Fordham University in the Bronx, and the North Shore of Staten Island, and to make things more exciting, the city is also offering electric bikes (h/t NY Times). The Uber-owned Jump Bikes is providing dockless electric bikes that can reach speeds of up to 20 miles per hour with little user effort. The bikes will cost only a dollar or two and can be reserved and paid for in the Uber app.
All the details
Live in Williamsburg off the G, M, J trains for $2,250/month

Photo via Wiki Commons

July 3, 2018

Live in Williamsburg off the G, M, J trains for $2,250/month

By
Fear not the L train shutdown; this Williamsburg middle-income housing opportunity puts you just one block away from the G train at Broadway and the M and J trains at Lorimer. There are three $2,250/month one-bedroom units up for grabs at 37 Montrose Avenue for households earning 130 percent of the area median income, or between $77,143 and $122,070 annually. The five-story rental building, which was recently completed, has just 10 units and offers a laundry room and rooftop patio. The building website says it has "an industrial warehouse vibe with high-end finishes [and] original art throughout.
READ MORE
Stars and stripes highlight new-old-fashioned style in this $10.5M Brooklyn Heights brownstone
July 3, 2018

Stars and stripes highlight new-old-fashioned style in this $10.5M Brooklyn Heights brownstone

By
This palatial five-story, 19th-century brownstone at 13 Monroe Place in Brooklyn Heights is a study in meticulously preserved historic detail integrated into a crisp, livable setting of all-American decor. After an 18-month renovation, the nearly 6,000-square-foot Yankee Doodle Dandy of a home appeared in Swedish Elle Decor, Paris Vogue, and MilK Magazine. Asking $10.5 million, the legal two-family dwelling is currently being used as a single-family home, complete with deck, backyard, gym, media room, and six bedrooms.
Tour this traditional tour-de-force
Where I Work: Go inside NYC’s first sake brewery at Brooklyn Kura

Brandon Doughan (left) and Brian Polen (right). Photo © Molly Tavoletti for Brooklyn Kura

July 2, 2018

Where I Work: Go inside NYC’s first sake brewery at Brooklyn Kura

By
6sqft’s series “Where I Work” takes us into the studios, offices, and businesses of New Yorkers across the city. In this installment, we’re touring Industry City's Brooklyn Kura, New York's first sake brewery. Want to see your business featured here? Get in touch! "It was my first ‘oh, my God’ sake which was made in the U.S.A." said Japanese-born sake sommelier Chizuko Niikawa-Helton when he tasted the product of Brooklyn Kura, NYC's first sake brewery and one of only 15 in the nation. And this is exactly what co-founders Brian Polen and Brandon Doughan strive for. They're committed to respecting the thousands-year-old Japanese sake brewing traditions, but they also hope to inspire a new interest in this ancient beverage by using unique American ingredients and engaging New Yorkers in the process at their Sunset Park brewery and tap room. After meeting at a mutual friend's wedding in Japan and developing a passion for sake, Brian and Brandon teamed up and got to work on their 2,500-square-foot space in Industry City, which combines the functionality of traditional Japanese breweries with a contemporary Brooklyn design aesthetic. 6sqft recently paid them a visit and had a drink in the tap room (yes, we agree with Niikawa-Helton that the sakes are "so soft, so gentle"), got a look at the sake making process, and chatted with Brian and Brandon about their journey, life at Industry City, and how they're turning New Yorkers into sake lovers.
Read our interview with Brian and Brandon and see inside Brooklyn Kura
Before the Belt: Looking at Brooklyn’s lost bay in Gravesend

“The area seen in these views was later filled with sand from the Bay and the new circumferential highway.” 1930; via NYPL

July 2, 2018

Before the Belt: Looking at Brooklyn’s lost bay in Gravesend

By
In the curve of Brooklyn between the Narrows and the borough's southwestern edge at Sea Gate, there is a lesser loved body of water called Gravesend Bay. The boundary of what was once Gravesend Town and is now simply Gravesend, among other nabes, was along a wetland of sandhill dunes before it became an oil-saturated trash marsh. Now, it's home to a relatively scenic portion of the Belt Parkway, where the Verrazano Bridge emerges from around the bend or Brooklyn's tip juts into your vision, depending on your direction. Dated photos from the New York Public Library reveal--as old New York photos tend to-- a Bay apart. In part it's likely because the smells and oil sheens of today's bay can't be experienced in these vintage pics. The unimpeded openness of the water, kept from humans only by what appears to be a single giant tube, however, clearly belongs to a Brooklyn long past.
See the Bay back in time
FREE RENT: This week’s roundup of NYC rental news

Images (L to R): Henry Hall, The Clark, Denizen Bushwick and Monterey at Park

June 30, 2018

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

By

Images (L to R): Henry Hall, The Clark, Denizen Bushwick and Monterey at Park Henry Hall in Hudson Yards Offers 4 Months Free on 25-Month Leases [link] Live at The Clark in Prospect Lefferts Gardens from $1,920/Month [link] The Denizen Launches; Modern Bushwick Rentals with Impressive Amenities [link] Murray Hill’s Emery Roth-Designed Monterey at Park […]

Historic fireboat gets marbled ‘dazzle’ design before it sets sail around the NY Harbor this summer

Photo by Nicholas Knight

June 29, 2018

Historic fireboat gets marbled ‘dazzle’ design before it sets sail around the NY Harbor this summer

By
Marking the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I, local artist Tauba Auerbach has transformed a historic fireboat into a modern "dazzle" ship. First invented by British painter Norman Wilkinson during WWI, dazzle camouflage patterns were painted onto ships to distort their forms and confuse enemy submarines. The Public Art Fund and 14-18 NOW, a U.K.-based art program, commisioned the painting of the John J. Harvey fireboat, which first launched in 1931 and helped the FDNY extinguish fires until it retired in the 1990s. "With Flow Separation, I didn't want to ignore the John J. Harvey's identity, so I took the boat's usual paint job and scrambled it. Dragged a comb through it," Auerbach said. "The palette also exaggerates the fact that 'dazzle'  was more about confusing and outsmarting, than about hiding."
Get the dazzling details
von Dalwig Architects animates a Park Slope rowhouse with three skylights and chic cutouts
June 29, 2018

von Dalwig Architects animates a Park Slope rowhouse with three skylights and chic cutouts

By
von Dalwig Architects, formerly known as Manifold Architecture Studio, changed their name as they changed their focus, from a broad architectural lens to a more concentrated vision on space, program and the relationship between them. The firm achieved their vision in the gut renovation and expansion of a 19.5’ wide x 42’ long three-story, single family Brooklyn townhouse, completed in 2016. This renovation both infused the traditionally dark rowhouse with light from the front, back and sky and also created a continuous connection from the house to the backyard.
See inside the bright space
Apply for a $960/month one-bedroom apartment in colorful Bushwick
June 29, 2018

Apply for a $960/month one-bedroom apartment in colorful Bushwick

By
Photo via bslax28 on Flickr An affordable housing lottery launched this week for just two one-bedroom apartments in the heart of hip Bushwick in Brooklyn. Located at 176 Knickerbocker Avenue, the newly constructed rental sits just off bustling Flushing Avenue, as well as near beloved spots like pizza place Roberta's, Art Deco cocktail bar The Narrows and music venue House of Yes. Qualifying New Yorkers earning 60 percent of the area median income can apply for the two available $960/month one-bedroom units.
Find out if you qualify
Live across from Crown Heights food hall Berg’n, from $1,769/month
June 27, 2018

Live across from Crown Heights food hall Berg’n, from $1,769/month

By
Photo via Berg'n An affordable housing lottery launched Wednesday for four newly constructed, middle-income apartments in Crown Heights. Located at 916 Bergen Street, the rental building sits directly across from local favorite, Berg'n, a beer/ food hall from the founders of Smorgasburg. Residents will have access to a bike room and the building's rooftop. Qualifying New Yorkers earning 130 percent of the area median income can apply for the units, including one $1,769/month studio and three $2,635/month three-bedrooms.
Find out if you qualify
Park Slope brownstone with fretwork, backyard pond and waterfall asks $4M
June 27, 2018

Park Slope brownstone with fretwork, backyard pond and waterfall asks $4M

By
Just two blocks from Prospect Park, this four-story brownstone is rich with original details as well as recent additions. The home is right at the edge of the Park Slope Historic District and, according to the designation report, is a neo-Italian Renaissance brownstone built circa 1895 by one Walter M. Coats. The home has had the same owners for decades and is currently configured as an owner's triplex over a garden rental with private entrance, and it's asking just under $4 million.
Take a peek inside
New Historic District more than doubles the landmarked buildings in Boerum Hill
June 26, 2018

New Historic District more than doubles the landmarked buildings in Boerum Hill

By
In a vote today, the Landmarks Preservation Commission designated the Boerum Hill Historic District Extension. The 288-building district is split into three distinct sections, all adjacent to the existing 250-building Boerum Hill Historic District that was designated in 1973. According to an LPC press release, the extension "represents the diverse cultural and economic history of Boerum Hill, as well as its largely intact 19th-century architecture." It's mostly residential blocks, made up of late 19th-century brownstone and brick townhouses, along with a block-and-a-half commercial stretch of Atlantic Avenue.
READ MORE
Pitch a story icon

Pitch a Story

We love to hear from you!

"*" indicates required fields

Interested in seeing the property in person?

It’s free, with no obligation.

CityRealty Logo

"*" indicates required fields

or Call (212) 755-5544

Interested in seeing the property in person?

It’s free, with no obligation.

CityRealty Logo

Distinctive Post Form

"*" indicates required fields

or Call (212) 755-5544
Contact us image

Get in Touch

We love to hear from you!

"*" indicates required fields

Send us a tip image
Delivering New York stories focused on design, lifestyle & real estate.

Send us a Tip

We love to hear from you!

"*" indicates required fields

Interesting in learning more about purchasing a new home?

Let us know what you are looking for and we’ll help you find the home of your dreams. It’s free, with no obligation.

CityRealty Logo
or Call (212) 755-5544

Thinking about selling your home?

We’ll provide current market comps and connect you with a trusted expert.

CityRealty Logo

Sell a Home (Footer)

"*" indicates required fields

or Call (212) 755-5544

Before You Move On
from this Page.

Subscribe for NYC's Lastest Design, Lifestyle,
and Real Estate Trends!

No Worries. We Don’t Spam.

By providing your email address, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
You can unsubscribe at any time.

Your Passport to NYC:
Subscribe for Local Insights and Stories!

No Worries. We Don’t Spam.

By providing your email address, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
You can unsubscribe at any time.