Brooklyn

401 Hicks Street in Cobble Hill was originally St. Peters Church and Academy, built in 1858. In 2005, like a lot of churches around Brooklyn, the historic structure went residential. Now, this two-bedroom condo is up for sale here and you wouldn't necessarily guess it's located inside a former church. The unit lacks details like stained glass--which you often see in church conversions--and it's got a fun, modern aesthetic that feels more "Brooklyn" than "house of worship." It's asking $1.525 million.
Take a look

Distinctive Homes

March 30, 2017

Renaissance Revival brownstone in Bed-Stuy has original ‘speaking tubes’ dating back to 1895

You pretty much step back in time walking into this Bedford-Stuyvesant brownstone, located in the eastern portion of the neighborhood at 538 Decatur Street. It is an 1895 Renaissance Revival, bay-fronted brownstone that is 18 feet wide with three stories and a two-story extension. When the listing brags that the interior boasts an "astonishing wealth of original detail" they aren't kidding--everything from carved fireplace mantles to oak pocket doors to beveled glass. The home even has its original "speaking tubes," which the original owners would have used to call to servants working on the garden floor of the home.
You must see this historic interior

MAP: How old are the buildings in each Brooklyn neighborhood?

Photo via Brooklyn Historical Society

March 30, 2017

MAP: How old are the buildings in each Brooklyn neighborhood?

Photo via Brooklyn Historical Society One of the most exciting things about exploring Brooklyn is seeing the unique architecture of each neighborhood. Now, thanks to an interactive map from urban_calc, you can also learn the age of these structures in the borough with the oldest buildings in the city. Using the city’s OpenData project and Pluto dataset, urban_calc found the median age of buildings in each census tract. The oldest neighborhood is Ocean Hill at 1911, followed by Cypress Hill, Park Slope and Stuyvesant Heights, all with a median building year of 1920. On the other hand, the newest neighborhoods include Coney Island, West Brighton, East New York, Canarsie and Williamsburg.
Find out more here

History

March 29, 2017

$660K pretty Prospect Heights co-op is on the 21st-best block in NYC

According to its listing, the historic limestone townhouse at 205 Park Place that holds this elegant one-bedroom co-op is "conveniently located on what Time Out New York has deemed the 21st Best Block in all of NYC." This bragging point is, in fact, accurate; though the Prospect Heights block's designation happened in 2006, we doubt the stately brownstones and pre-war apartment buildings have changed much since. The apartment, asking $660,000, also comes with the good fortune of having Grand Army Plaza and the 585 acres of Prospect Park just steps away.
See what's inside

Distinctive Homes

March 28, 2017

Brooklyn cheesemongers to open their underground 1850s brewery tunnels for one night

Thirty feet below street level, Benton Brown and Susan Boyle of Crown Finish Caves age their deliciously moldy wares in the lagering tunnels of a former brewery beneath the Monti Building in Crown Heights, where 26,000 pounds of cheese ripens to perfection in one of the facility's 15-foot-high brick tunnels. This weekend Crown Finish is opening up one of the unused former brewery tunnels, seldom seen by the public, to host a cheese-and-wine tasting event to benefit the expansion efforts of Maple Street School, Prospect-Lefferts Gardens' cooperative preschool (h/t DNAInfo).
Find out more

Events & Things To Do

March 28, 2017

‘Narnia’ apartment in Park Slope has a hidden door and built-in swing

The listing calls this apartment a "gateway to a modern version of Narnia"--and it's hard not to agree. A designer has decked it out with bold colors, quirky additions like a built-in swing and a sculptural wall paneling made of walnut, even a hidden door that leads to a bedroom. It's like something out of a fantasy novel, if that novel took place in Park Slope, Brooklyn. The apartment comes from the Park Pavilion Condominiums development, at 372 15th Street. For 1,451 square feet of surprising, offbeat interiors, it'll cost just under $2 million.
You've got to see the inside

Distinctive Homes

Construction update: Extell’s Central Park Tower gets its fluted glass curtain wall

West 58th Street elevation of Nordstom’s podium; CityRealty

March 27, 2017

Construction update: Extell’s Central Park Tower gets its fluted glass curtain wall

When it reaches its projected 1,550-foot height, Extell Development’s Central Park Tower will have the highest roof-line of any residential building in the Western Hemisphere, besting the current record holder 432 Park. Though the $2.98 billion project won't be complete until 2019, construction is moving ahead along Billionaires' Row, reports CityRealty. The 58th Street side, which will hold a 285,000-square-foot, seven-story Nordstrom store, is currently receiving its fluted-glass skin, a "Waveforms Facade."
See more views here

New Developments

March 27, 2017

Eight chances to live in a new East Williamsburg building, from $985/month

A state-of-the-art fitness center, yoga room, roof deck with cabanas, designer interiors, and a prime East Williamsburg location just a few blocks from the G, M, J, and L trains--this is all up for grabs for eight qualifying New Yorkers at 73 Montrose Avenue through the city's affordable housing lottery as of today. Those earning 60 percent of the area media income can apply for $985/month one-bedrooms and $1,114/month two-bedrooms.
READ MORE

Affordable Housing

March 25, 2017

Park Slope co-op with custom bookshelves reaching 18 feet asks $1.65M

A renovation for this Park Slope co-op left it in lovely condition. The lofty floorplan--which boasts 18-foot ceilings--was taken full advantage of, getting customized floor-to-ceiling bookshelves with a library ladder. Huge windows bring in light, and the upper level of the apartment holds a large master bedroom and office space that looks down onto the living area below. The pad last sold in 2008, for $980,270, and now it's on the market for $1.65 million.
Check it out

Distinctive Homes

March 24, 2017

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

By Ondel Hylton

Upper West Side Beaux Arts Beauty ‘The Willard’ Offering Two Months Free, 1-Bedrooms From $2,996/Month [link] Live at LIC’s Hayden: These Majestic Skyline Views Could be Yours from $2,284/Month [link] Grand Opening of 845 Grand Street in East Williamsburg, 1-Bedrooms From $2,675/Month [link] Chelsea Leasing Special: $1,000 Security Deposits at 32-Story 777 Sixth Avenue [link] […]

Real Estate Trends

March 24, 2017

City reveals garment district rezoning plans, citing incentives to move makers to Sunset Park

At a Manhattan community board meeting Wednesday evening, city officials told garment industry representatives of plans to remove Midtown's manufacturing preservation requirement, Crain's reports. The change to a 1987 zoning rule means that landlords will have the option to rent the formerly set-aside space to commercial office tenants. City officials cited the failure of the preservation effort to meet its goal, highlighted by a reported 83 percent decline the number of garment workers–from 30,000 to 5,100– since it was first implemented. As 6sqft recently reported, the rezoning is seen as "a clear push to drive these businesses toward lower cost space in Sunset Park."
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Policy

March 24, 2017

New renderings revealed for NYCHA’s raised earth Red Hook Houses by KPF

When Superstorm Sandy hit the community of Red Hook, thousands of residents were left without power and basic necessities for over two weeks. The neighborhood’s infrastructure suffered substantial damage, with almost all basement mechanical rooms destroyed. In an effort to rebuild Brooklyn’s largest housing development, Red Hook Houses, post-Sandy, the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) commissioned a project by architecture firm Kohn Pederson Fox (KPF). Their “Lily Pad” design includes installing 14 “utility pods” that deliver heat and electricity to each building, as well as creating raised earth mounds to act as a flood barrier (h/t Archpaper).
Find out more here

March 24, 2017

Apply for 25 units at new affordable/supportive housing project in Brownsville, from $876/month

The Van Dyke Houses in Brownsville are a huge NYCHA compex, consisting of 24 buildings. Recently, a $56 million public/private investment went towards constructing the first new development here in decades, a 100-unit supportive and affordable housing building designed by Dattner Architects for a vacant parking lot on the site. Of these apartments, 45 will be leased to NYCHA tenants through a site-based waiting list, 30 to formerly homeless families, and 25 to those earning 60 percent of the area median income. This last group is now available through the city's housing lottery for $876/month one-bedrooms and $1,058/month two-bedrooms.
Find out if you qualify here

Affordable Housing

March 24, 2017

$665K sunny Williamsburg co-op looks like a chic Amsterdam flat

With a subtle and stylish renovation, lots of irresistible textures like pale wood and whitewashed brick, and tons of sunlight, this two-bedroom co-op at 111 South Third Street in prime south Williamsburg is the kind of home you don't see every day in this city. Its $665,000 ask, while not dirt cheap, is well below the average market price for two bedrooms in this neighborhood. Some caveats: The apartment is only 680 square feet (though there are indeed two bedrooms); it's a walk-up though only on the third floor; and it's an HDFC income-restricted co-op, which is why the price is lower than average. But none of those things make this lovely little apartment seem any less like a charming, chic flat right out of Amsterdam.
Have a look

Distinctive Homes

March 23, 2017

Starting Monday, three Brooklyn R train stations will shut down for six months

Last January, Governor Cuomo announced a massive undertaking to "modernize and fundamentally transform" the MTA and the subway by adding more countdown clocks, contactless payment by next year, Wi-Fi at all stations (mission accomplished, here), and other high-tech features. It also included news that 30 stations would be revamped, requiring them to shut down entirely for six to 12 months, instead of just on nights and weekends. As of Monday, as amNY tells us, the first three on this list-- the R train stations at 53rd Street in Sunset Park, Bay Ridge Avenue, and Prospect Avenue--will close for half a year for a combined $72 million renovation.
Get the full scoop

Transit

March 22, 2017

$800K co-op is a Zen paradise in Brooklyn Heights inspired by the Botanic Gardens

It's not every day a New York City apartment listing invites us to "Sleep safely and quietly with your doors wide open in the summertime," so we definitely took notice of this top-floor co-op at 135 Hicks Street, located in a historic brownstone in Brooklyn Heights. You'll have to hoof it up three flights to get to the serenity of this "Zen-like" one-bedroom home, but once you see the terrace, complete with Japanese garden, you'll be glad you did. Eastern-inspired details include bamboo floors, grasscloth walls, and a rustic slate fireplace, all yours for $799,000.
More Zen vibes and a Mai Tai or two, this way

Distinctive Homes

March 21, 2017

Author Chuck Klosterman lists Boerum Hill condo for $1.4M

By Annie Doge

Author Chuck Klosterman--perhaps best known for his essay collection "Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs"--is looking to unload his cheerful Boerum Hill condo. According to a tipster, he and wife Melissa Maerz are moving to Portland and are therefore trying to make a semi-sizable profit on the 88 Wyckoff Street apartment, listing it for $1,369,000 when they bought it for $960,000 in 2010
Check it out

March 20, 2017

Rent a one-bedroom in Mayor de Blasio’s Park Slope home for $1,825 a month

A one-bedroom apartment in Mayor de Blasio’s private Park Slope home is back on the market. As Politico reports, the prior tenants of the row house at 384 11th Street have moved out, opening the upstairs apartment for non-smokers without pets for $1,825 per month. The listing describes the unit as having a “comfortable, sun-filled, and flexible layout.”
Find out more here

Distinctive Homes

‘Paris-on-the-Gowanus’ rental launches affordable housing lottery, units from $833/month

363 Bond Street, via Lightstone Group

March 20, 2017

‘Paris-on-the-Gowanus’ rental launches affordable housing lottery, units from $833/month

When the Lightstone Group revealed their two-building, 700-unit, $350 million rental project at 363-365 Bond Street, right on the banks of the notoriously toxic Gowanus Canal, president Mitchell Hochberg said it was inspired by a residential project in the Canal Saint-Martin neighborhood in Paris that helped create a “newly hip atmosphere” near a similarly polluted waterway. Despite the area's Superfund status, the promise of living in a trendy, up-and-coming area surely appealed to many; when the lottery opened for the 86 affordable units at #365, nearly 60,000 people applied. Now, the lottery is opening for the 54 below-market rate apartments at the under-construction #363, ranging from $833/month studios to $1,082/two-bedrooms, available to those earning 60 percent of the area median income.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

March 17, 2017

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

By Ondel Hylton

Sutton Place High Rise Re-Introduced as Oriana Launches Leasing with Two Months Free [link] Downtown Rentals at 90W in the Financial District Offer Up to 2 Months Free [link] Spring 2017 Leasing Announced for DUMBO’s 181 Front Street, Website Launches with New Photos [link] LIC Rental ‘The Independent’ Offers Two Months Free with 14-Month Lease […]

Real Estate Trends

March 17, 2017

$3.25M Park Slope townhouse has everything you need on three charming floors

A dapper ebony cornice, a three-sided bay front, and a two-part stoop distinguish the house at 548 8th street from its Park Slope neighbors. Half a block from Prospect Park, this landmarked limestone townhouse was built at the turn of the 20th century by prolific local architect Benjamin Driesler. The three-story, two-family home has only changed hands once before, and it's currently on the market for $3.25 million.
Take the townhouse tour

Distinctive Homes

March 17, 2017

$525K Fort Greene studio has pre-war details and a thoughtful layout

Perched atop the 15th floor of the prewar Griffin co-op at 101 Lafayette Avenue, in Fort Greene, is this lovely studio apartment. Although it's modest in size, prewar finishes, large casement windows, and a well-thought-out layout (not to mention the attractive mix of rustic and modern decor) offer a sense of light and spaciousness. It has just been listed for sale at an ask of $525,000.
Time to take a look

Distinctive Homes

March 17, 2017

Oiio’s ‘Big Bend’ proposal for Billionaires’ Row would be the world’s longest building

New York City Architecture firm Oiio has proposed a conceptual skyscraper that would curve at the top and then return to the ground, becoming what the firm believes to be the “longest” building to ever be created. As reported by dezeen, their "Big Bend" proposal challenges Manhattan’s obsession with supertall skyscrapers by substituting extreme height with length—stretching 4,000 feet from end to end. If they are able to design this building, Oiio hopes it could potentially provide a solution to the height limitations imposed by city zoning laws.
See the renderings here

Architecture And Design

March 15, 2017

Governor Cuomo’s $1.4B Central Brooklyn plan stokes gentrification debate

Governor Cuomo announced a $1.4 billion initiative last week to bring resources like health care services and new jobs to Central Brooklyn. According to the governor, the plan, called “Vital Brooklyn,” will bring 7,600 jobs and more than 3,000 new affordable housing units to Brownsville, East New York, Bedford-Stuyvesant and Crown Heights. And while Cuomo’s administration found these neighborhoods to be some of the most disadvantaged in the state, residents worry about the possible gentrification and displacement effects (h/t NY Times).
Learn more about Vital Brooklyn here

March 14, 2017

Eight chances to live in East Williamsburg from $1,020/month

Starting tomorrow, New Yorkers earning between 50 and 60 percent of the area media income can apply for eight units in the heart of East Williamsburg. The apartments--six one-bedrooms for $1,020/month and two two-bedrooms for $1,224/month--are located at 845 Grand Street, a new contemporary rental building with high-end interiors and a bevy of trendy amenities, including a 4,000-square-foot roof deck with hammocks and a turf lawn, communal backyard, gym with yoga room, bike room, laundry room, and indoor lounge with pool tables.
See the interiors

Affordable Housing

March 13, 2017

$2M garage conversion in Bed-Stuy has a zen atrium and industrial glamour