Brooklyn

June 6, 2018

Old and new meet at this $1.4M Greenpoint duplex with brick feature wall and glass-enclosed staircase

Located in 62 Norman Avenue, a three-story building built in 1898 on the border of Greenpoint and Williamsburg, this large, 1,250-square-foot duplex condo has been beautifully renovated, blending old and new. With an exposed brick feature wall and beautiful, custom glasswork around the stairs, the stylish two-bedroom is asking $1,395,000.
Get a look
June 6, 2018

City’s Gowanus rezoning draft calls for more public space, residential development

Attempts to rezone the area surrounding the Gowanus Canal, a neighborhood both affluent and in transition, have been in the works for over a decade. Now, Brownstoner reports, the long-anticipated Draft Planning and Land Use Framework of Gowanus has just been released by the Department of City Planning (DCP). The 188-page report is the result of 100 hours of outreach since the launch of the Gowanus PLACES Study in 2016 as well as information contained in a previous Bridging Gowanus Study released in 2014.
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June 6, 2018

REVEALED: First look at Williamsburg’s Domino Park ahead of Sunday opening

Two Trees Management announced today that Domino Park, the long-awaited new waterfront recreational public space at the 11-acre Domino Sugar Factory site, will celebrate its grand opening this Sunday, June 10. In April, 6sqft revealed renderings of the new park and esplanade that will anchor the three-million-square-foot Williamsburg mega-development at the Domino Sugar Factory site, designed by James Corner Field Operations (of the High Line fame). The quarter-mile long public park, located just north of the Williamsburg Bridge, celebrates the history of one of the city's most iconic industrial waterfront sites with adaptively reused syrup tanks, warehouse columns, and original cranes (now painted the park's signature turquoise color "untealed"). There will also be a taco kiosk from Danny Meyer, a water feature, bocce courts, and a children's playground designed by Mark Reigelman as a reinterpretation of the original factory.
Check out industrial artifacts, water features and more
June 5, 2018

Lottery opens for 13 middle-income units in Bed-Stuy, from $1,744/month

As any New Yorker knows, convenience is key, but it'll often cost you. The city's latest affordable housing lottery, however, offers a location on the same block as the Franklin Avenue stop in Bed-Stuy, and just a short walk to both the subway and LIRR at Nostrand Avenue. The brand new building at 1068 Fulton Street has 13 middle-income units up for grabs for New Yorkers earning 130 percent of the area median income, including $1,744/month one-bedrooms and $2,099/month two-bedrooms.
Find out if you qualify
June 4, 2018

City sells million-dollar homes in Bed-Stuy to 10 families for roughly half price

Photo via CityRealty New York City has sold 10 homes valued between $1 and $1.2 million to Brooklyn families for about half the price, as part of an initiative to promote affordable homeownership throughout the five boroughs. The two-family homes are located throughout the Bed-Stuy neighborhood and sold for between an estimated $407,000 and $625,000 (h/t NY Post). To qualify for the affordable homes, the families had to apply through a housing lottery and earn 90 or 130 percent of the are median income, which ranges roughly between $50,856 for a family of three and $153,790 for a family of seven.
Get the details
June 1, 2018

Lottery launches for a boatload of affordable apartments across Brooklyn, from $850/month

A lottery launched this week for 16 renovated, affordable apartments across five different Brooklyn neighborhoods: Prospect Heights, Clinton Hill, Flatbush, Williamsburg and Bushwick. Units available include four studios, four one-bedrooms, six two-bedrooms and two four-bedrooms. Qualifying New Yorkers earning 60 percent of the area median income can apply for the affordable units ranging from $850/month studios to  $1,427/month four-bedrooms.
Find out if you qualify
June 1, 2018

Own a pair of 1840s clapboard houses in Clinton Hill for $4.4M

Wooden houses are certainly dispersed throughout Brooklyn, but it's a rare opportunity when one hits the market. A few months ago, we uncovered a listing for Crown Heights' oldest home, a circa-1850s wood frame. Now, a pair of rare clapboard homes have hit the market in Clinton Hill and they're even older. Numbers 448 and 450 Waverly Avenue are thought to have been built in the 1840s or even earlier, according to the neighborhood's designation report. "The unusual pair of extremely wide (25 feet) clapboard houses" are the only example of pure Greek Revival buildings in the district, and they can be yours, individually or together for $4.4 million.
Take the tour
June 1, 2018

New, permanent public pool coming to Brooklyn Bridge Park

A conceptual rendering of the pool via Brooklyn Bridge Park After five years of having a pop-up pool at Pier 2, Brooklyn Heights is getting its own permanent public pool. This morning, Brooklyn Bridge Park officially announced plans to build a pool at Squibb Park, above Pier 1 near the Pierhouse condo. Together with the NYC Parks Department, BBP will develop, operate and maintain the pool and future amenities. Tentatively, the pool is scheduled to open in 2020, with community planning sessions to be held this summer and fall ahead of issuing a Request for Design Proposals.
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May 30, 2018

One week after the Brooklyn Bridge opened, a rumor of its collapse caused a fatal stampede

On May 24, 1883, the Brooklyn Bridge officially opened, with roughly 1,800 vehicles and over 150,000 people crossing what was then the only passageway between Brooklyn and Manhattan. Less than a week later, 12 people were killed and over 35 others injured in a violent stampede. On that fateful day, the bridge was brimming with people celebrating the Memorial Day holiday and checking out the new overpass, which was considered the longest bridge in the world at the time. A woman had tripped and fallen down the wooden stairs headed toward Manhattan, which caused another woman to scream. In a grand misinterpretation, a rumor was started that the bridge was about to collapse, sending the crowd into complete hysteria. Pedestrians ran to get off the bridge, stampeding their way to the entrance and pushing others to the ground.
Get the scoop
May 30, 2018

Fresh set of renderings for Dock 72, the new home for WeWork at the Brooklyn Navy Yard

New renderings have been unveiled of Dock 72, a 675,000-square-foot office building co-developed by Boston Properties and Rudin Management for the evolving Brooklyn Navy Yard. Surrounded by water on all sides but one, Dock 72, designed by S9 Architecture, features outdoor terraces, 35,000 square feet of amenities and unobstructed views of Manhattan. As the anchor tenant and co-developer, WeWork will occupy a third of the space, or 220,000 square feet. With its glassy facade installed, the 16-story office building is scheduled to wrap up construction in the fall, becoming one of the largest ground-up office buildings in the borough in nearly three decades.
See them here
May 29, 2018

The backyard at this $1.2M Park Slope co-op is perfect for outdoor entertaining

For $1.2 million, get a huge, private backyard in Park Slope with an additional 900 square foot co-op attached. This two-bedroom unit at 134 Lincoln Place, just two blocks from Grand Army Plaza, has 530 square feet of sun-drenched outdoor space with enough space for a full-size dining table, lounge chairs, and a barbecue. The inside is equally charming, blending old and new details with a cool built-in dining nook perfect for when the party moves inside.
Have a look around
May 25, 2018

$3,800/month Williamsburg loft will let you buy all its cool art

This oversized one-bedroom loft, located at 63 North 3rd Street one block from the Williamsburg waterfront, is truly unique. Not only is there room for a convertible second bedroom (see the current cool cube) and access to a rooftop deck with stunning views, any and all of the art is for sale. Listed for $3,800 a month with no fee, the loft is currently home to Eye Dazzler studio's textile designers, hence all of the very cool rugs and wall hanging. 
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May 24, 2018

Proposal revealed for new public park on the Gowanus Canal’s Salt Lot

The Salt Lot is a triangular piece of land just south of the point at which all three branches of the Gowanus Canal meet. The city-owned site hosts a NYC Compost Project facility, as well as the Gowanus Canal Conservancy's nursery and educational facilities. However, the EPA has mandated a new four-million-gallon retention tank be placed there to manage combined sewer overflow. Gowanus by Design (GbD) saw this new infrastructure requirement as a catalyst for sparking conversation about much needed public urban space in the area. They've therefore created a conceptual proposal for the Gowanus Salt Lot Public Park, which includes three buildings constructed with materials that reference the Canal's industrial history, along with sloping hills and wetlands.
More details and renderings ahead
May 24, 2018

Dockless bike-share pilot will roll out in four boroughs outside of Manhattan this summer

Four outer-borough neighborhoods undeserved by Citi Bike will host dockless bike-share programs this summer, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced on Thursday. In July, the city's pilot kicks off in the beach communities of Coney Island and the Rockaways. The Bronx and Staten Island will also have the bike-share program, a first for both boroughs, near Fordham University and on the North Shore. "We are bringing new, inexpensive transportation options to neighborhoods that need them," de Blasio said in a statement. "Dockless public bike sharing starts this summer, and we're excited to see how New Yorkers embrace this new service."
Get the details
May 24, 2018

Lottery launches for three middle-income units in historic Weeksville for $2,700/month

A housing lottery launched this week for three middle-income units in the Crown Heights area of Weeksville, a historic Brooklyn neighborhood founded by freed African Americans about 180 years ago. Conveniently, the newly constructed rental at 233 Buffalo Avenue sits just a few blocks from the Weeksville Heritage Center, a museum dedicated to preserving the history of the 19th century African American community. Qualifying New Yorkers earning 130 percent of the area median income can apply for the $2,700/month three-bedroom units.
Find out if you qualify
May 23, 2018

Jennifer Connelly trades Tribeca co-op for $15M Brooklyn Heights townhouse

Actors Jennifer Connelly and Paul Bettany are switching boroughs by selling their Tribeca co-op and picking up a Brooklyn Heights townhouse for $15.5 million. The sale represents one of the most expensive deals in Brooklyn ever, according to the Wall Street Journal. While the transaction was off-market, an old listing for the Brooklyn property at 140 Columbia Heights describes the 8,000-square-foot home as having views of the Statue of Liberty and the Lower Manhattan skyline. The sellers are Timothy Ingrassia, a Goldman Sachs executive, and his wife Stephanie, who serves as a vice chair on the Brooklyn Museum's board of trustees. The Ingrassias paid $10.75 million for the property in 2006.
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May 23, 2018

A charming two bedroom co-op in the Park Slope Historic District for under $1M

A Park Slope Historic District two-bedroom co-op apartment on a quintessential tree-lined street for under $1 million? Yup. Renovated in 2015, the $925,000 home at 105 Park Place blends modern amenities with historic features such as original wood shutters, pine wood floors, and a wood burning fireplace with a carved marble mantle. Plus, with a southern exposure, this top floor residence is filled with natural light year-round--hence the current owners' plethora of plants. 
Get a look
May 22, 2018

‘Little Haiti’ district will come to Brooklyn’s Flatbush neighborhood

To celebrate the thousands of Haitian-Americans who have called Flatbush home for decades, city officials revealed last week plans to designate the "Little Haiti Business and Cultural District" in the Brooklyn neighborhood. The borough boasts one of the largest communities of Haitian-Americans in the country, with more than 90,000 individuals of Haitian descent living in Brooklyn. Once the City Council passes a resolution, an official Little Haiti district would be able to request funding earmarked for cultural initiatives, obtain permits easier, create a museum and build monuments, the Observer reported Monday. Marking the new district, lawmakers and locals on Friday unveiled a new street sign for Nostrand Avenue, where it meets Newkirk Avenue, which will now be co-named "Toussaint L'Ouverture Boulevard," to honor a leader of the Haitian Revolution.
More details here
May 22, 2018

Downtown Brooklyn gets another high-rise headed for 511 feet tall

The new hotspot for tall towers, Downtown Brooklyn, will be getting another contender, CityRealty reports. Revised permits show that a 43-story, 511-foot tower set to rise at 540 Fulton Street will contain 327 residential units along with retail and office space. The building's height is only about a foot shy of the former Williamsburgh Savings Bank Tower–now condos–which held the title of Brooklyn's tallest high-rise from 1929 to 2009. The new tower will join Brooklyn's future tallest towers: 720-foot 138 Willoughby Avenue (Brooklyn Point),986-foot 80 Flatbush, and 1,000+ foot 9 Dekalb.
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May 21, 2018

Get a free hot dog and become a living piece of art at Brooklyn Bridge Park

This summer, from June 9th to August 26th, from 12pm to 6pm, Austrian artist Erwin Wurm's Hot Dog Bus will distribute free hot dogs to anyone who agrees to eat it. The Hot Dog Bus, which will be parked at Brooklyn Bridge Park, is presented by the Public Art Fund. The project’s goal is to both get people to eat (is this really a goal we need?) and to think of the human body as a piece of art, specifically as a sculpture. According to the Public Art Fund site, “it is the participation of the viewer that 'completes' the work.”
What's cookin?
May 21, 2018

Three chances to snag a middle-income apartment in East Flatbush, from $1,733/month

A recently constructed building in the East Flatbush neighborhood of Brooklyn launched a lottery this week for three middle-income units. The rental units at 1544 Nostrand Avenue sit just a block from the 2 and 5 trains at Church Avenue and about a mile from the southern part of Prospect Park. Qualifying New Yorkers earning 130 percent of the area median income can apply for the $1,733/month one-bedroom and $2,089/month two-bedroom apartments. While the lottery offers a discount, it's relatively small, with market-rate one-bedrooms in Flatbush going for $1,917/month for a one-bedroom and $2,120 for a two-bedroom on average, according to RENTCafe.
Find out if you qualify
May 18, 2018

Live in a new Art Deco-inspired rental in Crown Heights, from $1,080/month

A Karl Fischer-designed rental in Crown Heights launched a lottery this week for 40 affordable one- and two-bedroom apartments. Dubbed The Frederick, the building at 564 St. John's Place boasts a masonry and cast stone facade lined with stunning bay windows. To break away from the cookie-cutter look of new developments, the Frederick has residences with "state-of-the-art, but full of uncommon detail," according to the building website. Qualifying New Yorkers earning 60 percent of the area median income can apply for the affordable units, consisting of $1,080/month one-bedrooms and $1,223/month two-bedrooms.
Find out if you qualify
May 17, 2018

Proposal calls for a floating pedestrian bridge to connect Greenpoint and Long Island City

A Kickstarter campaign launched on Thursday for a civic design project aimed at reconnecting the neighborhoods of Greenpoint and Long Island City and the residents who live there. Brooklyn-based studio CRÈME/ Jun Aizaki Architecture & Design's concept, called Timber Bridge at LongPoint Corridor, calls for constructing a floating bridge made of durable timber that would sit on Newtown Creek and expand past to the LIRR rail yard in LIC. Not only would it provide people greater access to transit options, according to the design team, Timber Bridge would give bikers and pedestrians a safer commute than the Pulaski Bridge, a less-than-ideal path with lots of cars.
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May 17, 2018

Holly Hunter lists historic Fort Greene townhouse for $4.5M

Holly Hunter seems to be a perennial house hunter. In 2014, the Academy Award-winning actress sold her Greenwich Village apartment for $7.6 million. Now, she’s selling again, according to the Post. Hunter has just listed her 19th-century Brooklyn brownstone at 20 South Oxford Street, half a block away from Fort Greene Park, for $4.5 million. Built in 1864, the four-bedroom Italianate home is filled with original details.
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May 16, 2018

27 middle-income apartments up for grabs in Prospect-Lefferts Gardens, from $1,807/month

Photo of Prospect Park via Maria Eklind on Flickr A second affordable housing lottery launched for the Lincoln Road Apartments, a two-tower rental building offering up 27 middle-income units. Located in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Prospect-Lefferts Gardens, the rentals at 31-33 Lincoln Road sit directly across from sprawling Prospect Park. In addition to its proximity to the park, 33 Lincoln provides residents a common roof deck, fitness center, a lounge and lots of storage. The apartments sit less than 500 feet from the B and Q trains at the Prospect Park Subway stop. New Yorkers earning 130 percent of the area median income can apply for units ranging from $1,807/month studios to $2,733/month two-bedroom apartments.
Find out if you qualify