Search Results for: Brooklyn Heights

If you've got a big family and you want to live within city limits, it's said that you'd better be able to afford it; this Brooklyn Heights house helps make the case. This whopping 5,000-square-feet of townhouse goodness at 281 Henry Street is missing very little as far as house-in-the-city perfection. There's a stylishly appointed room ready for everyone and their guests—and an opportunity for rental income with a freshly renovated garden apartment to help offset costs. It almost makes the $7.2 million price tag seem like a deal. The current owner has decorated the five-story, six-bedroom brownstone to the nines with a cake-frosting-pastel palette and contemporary design elements, while retaining the home's lovely historic details; the basic infrastructure is as modern as can be with central a/c, alarm and intercom systems and every appliance, fixture and finish freshly and stylishly updated. Besides the fact that the home is actually a bit narrow at 15.5 feet (though over 54 feet deep) there's only one thing we can think of that would improve this impressive townhome: An elevator.
Five floors of eye candy, this way...

Distinctive Homes

September 16, 2015

Trader Joe’s to Open in Downtown Brooklyn’s City Point; REBNY Landmarking Report Flawed Says Data Source

Trader Joe’s has officially inked a 13,700-square-foot lease at the 1.9-million-square-foot site at City Point. It’s scheduled to open in 2016. [City Point; 6sqft inbox] Here are the before and afters of the numerous towers going up in Queens. [Rent Cafe] Red Hook’s upcoming massive waterfront tech campus has gotten an updated design. [Curbed] Airbnb […]

Real Estate Trends

September 15, 2015

Brooklyn Brownstone by McGrath II Shines With Subtle Color Palettes and Curated Accessories

By Rebecca Paul

The mother-daughter design team that makes up McGrath II recently renovated this beautiful Brooklyn brownstone. Their eclectic but elegant aesthetic combines traditional furnishings with contemporary style, resulting in a whole that's definitely greater than its parts. Not only is their ability to curate refined yet surprising design accessories apparent in all of their projects, their talent for selecting subtle colors outlined by bold, bright accents is also always worth another look.
Explore the space in greater detail

Google Earth rendering of the new residential buildings going up in Downtown Brooklyn, via CityRealty

August 18, 2015

22,000 New Apartments Coming to Northern Brooklyn by 2019

By Dana Schulz

We recently reported that New York City was entering its biggest building boom since 1963. Building permits rose 156 percent over the last year, accounting for 52,618 new residential units. If that number seems large to you, keep in mind it's spread over the five boroughs, including the supertall towers of Manhattan. But a new report from CityRealty shows that northern Brooklyn alone with get 22,000 new apartments over the next four years. According to the report, which only looked at buildings with 20 or more units, "around 2,700 new units are expected to be delivered in 2015. That number will nearly double in 2016, when approximately 5,000 apartments will be ready for occupancy." The majority of these units, 29 percent or 6,412 apartments, will come to Downtown Brooklyn, followed by Williamsburg with 20 percent or 4,341 units.
More on the Brooklyn building boom

Real Estate Trends

August 15, 2015

Washington Heights’ First Two Hotels Set to Open This Summer

By Emrys Fitzgerald

Overnight visitors to Washington Heights–you know, that hotel-free neighborhood "upstate somewhere"—will soon have two brand new lodging options. Both hotels feature geographic monikers, will yield more than 100 rooms combined, and will reportedly open this summer.
more on the two new developments here

Green, Grand, Great Eats: A History of Jackson Heights and Its Future as the Next Hot ‘Hood

Photo: Joe Buglewicz

August 12, 2015

Green, Grand, Great Eats: A History of Jackson Heights and Its Future as the Next Hot ‘Hood

By Lauren Price

As the transformation of Queens reaches a bit deeper into the borough, it’s really no surprise that Jackson Heights is quickly becoming a focal point for savvy buyers and renters. The area, roughly bounded by Northern Boulevard, Junction Boulevard, Roosevelt Avenue and the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway, is fully loaded with stunning pre-war co-ops practically everywhere and shiny new redevelopments for under $800,000. Combine this with its diverse cultural offerings and a myriad of subways that can always get you smack dab in the middle of Manhattan in less than 30 minutes (that’s better than a lot of the up-and-coming areas of Brooklyn, mind you), it has all the makings for the next hipster-setting housing boom.
Why Jackson Heights is one to consider

Uncategorized

August 7, 2015

Brooklyn Bridge Park Condo Asking $895K Takes Its Storage Seriously

By Emily Nonko

If you thought it'd take at least $1 million to buy an apartment along the Brooklyn Bridge Park waterfront, here's something that's (a little) cheaper. Unit #306 at 360 Furman Street–aka One Brooklyn Bridge Park–is the cheapest unit up for sale currently in the building, asking $895,000. At that price point, it doesn't look like you're getting views of the water or Lower Manhattan. But you still get a decent amount of space and a pretty cool, custom-designed storage system.
Check it out

Distinctive Homes

July 30, 2015

Historic Grandeur and an Architect’s Eye for Modern Design Meet in This Prospect Heights Townhouse

We've featured the work of this home's current owners–principals at WE Design–before, including the architects' previous home, and this latest oeuvre (or possibly magnum opus) is yet another impressive example. Though the luck of having a great house to begin with helps, this 4,100-square-foot, four-story beauty at 390 Sterling Place, on what is arguably the prettiest street in prime Prospect Heights, hits all the high notes after an amazing renovation. For lovers of historic homes there are pristine original details at every turn. For modern interior design fans the renovation has meant the latest and greatest in appliances and fixtures (including central A/C and "new everything") and a perfectly on-trend clean and modern look throughout. At $4.25 million, it's a big price tag, but the location is super-prime–and so is the home.
Tour this grand and gorgeous home, this way

Distinctive Homes

July 30, 2015

Bidding Wars and Over-Ask Sales on the Rise in Brownstone Brooklyn Neighborhoods

Homes in brownstone Brooklyn neighborhoods have been selling over the asking price and bidding wars are becoming even more commonplace, according to DNAinfo. In the second quarter of 2015, for example, homes in Prospect Heights and Park Slope were selling for 4 percent over their asking price–the highest percentage seen in Brooklyn or Manhattan.
Find out where to expect bidding wars

Real Estate Trends

July 23, 2015

Crown Heights Townhouse with 18 Rooms Asks $11,000 a Month

By Emily Nonko

Oftentimes renting in Brooklyn means cramming into a modest apartment with roommates or building out a loft bed in a former warehouse space. You don't typically think of sharing a massive three-story townhouse. But this historic home at 851 Park Place in Crown Heights is now on the rental market for $11,000 a month. There are eight bedrooms total (!), plenty of well-kept historic details, and extra spaces like a library and card room. Not a bad way to rent in Brooklyn.
Check it out

Distinctive Homes

June 25, 2015

$2M Townhouse in Downtown Brooklyn Has a Goldfish Pond and 30 Types of Flowers

Sitting on a quiet block of colorful, historic homes in Vinegar Hill (okay, Downtown Brooklyn, but minor details...) is the perfect three-bedroom townhouse for a budding family. The 100-year-old storybook home covers 1,878 square feet and features a shady landscaped backyard with more than 30 types of flowers, a stone goldfish pond, and a winding path. And it's back on the market for $1.995 million.
Check it out here

Distinctive Homes

The High and Low: Architecturally Distinct Modern Townhouse in Brownstone Brooklyn

81 Hanson Place (L); 21 State Street (R)

June 22, 2015

The High and Low: Architecturally Distinct Modern Townhouse in Brownstone Brooklyn

Townhouses are having a moment. Manhattan’s most lavish single-family homes are top-ticket trophies for the superwealthy. And families who've outgrown their apartments, investors banking on rising rents, and a celebrity or two, are snapping up brownstones on leafy Brooklyn blocks. But a handful of more adventurous buyers -- seeking space and privacy and possessed of some architectural vision -- chose the less-traveled road of creating modern-design homes on the decidedly un-trendy historic blocks of brownstone Brooklyn many decades ago. On the market now is the rare pair below. The first, more of a compound than merely a house, has a creative pedigree and architectural icon status (and a $13 million price tag). This combination of a 1892 school building and the townhouse next door sits among the impressively ornate 19th-century mansions of Fort Greene and boasts an un-missable modern extension and peerless minimalist interior, not to mention sheer size. The second is a more modest home–for a relatively more modest $3.5 million–but is also a unique modern dwelling with a laid-back and livable interior on a coveted tree-lined block of historic Brooklyn Heights.
See more of these unique modern homes this way

June 10, 2015

An Apple Tree Grows in Brooklyn, and It Could Be in Your Own Backyard

Want to live in the city without giving up your greenery? This $1.45 million two-bedroom garden apartment in Cobble Hill might be the perfect solution. It offers 1,020 square feet of space in a 25-foot-wide brownstone co-op, with a beautifully manicured backyard and a gorgeous patio. We're talking enough green space to entertain you, friends and family, Fido, and your weedwhacker. Now that sounds promising.
More pics inside

Distinctive Homes

June 4, 2015

Cobble Hill Townhouse Sets Record for Most Expensive Home Sale in Brooklyn at $15.5M

By Dana Schulz

You know the real estate market is getting shaken up when Brooklynites are abandoning their beloved borough for the cheaper island of Manhattan. And today's record breaker just goes to show how hot Brooklyn is right now. The Daily News reports that the super-modernized Cobble Hill carriage house at 177 Pacific Street sold for $15.5 million, setting the record for most expensive home sale ever in the borough. The four-story, six-bedroom house takes the top spot from Truman Capote's former home at 70 Willow Street in Brooklyn Heights, which sold in 2012 for $12.5 million.
More details about this Brooklyn record breaker

Real Estate Trends

May 8, 2015

Brooklyn Buyers Sell Off Their Homes and Head Back to a Cheaper Manhattan

Brooklyn has long been thought of the place to find great deals, but increasing interest in the borough has also brought with it an increase prices across the board. A story published today by the Times takes a look at the shift back to Manhattan as the "better value" for buyers and renters. Although the median price in the city does remain higher than Brooklyn—$970,000 versus $610,894—northern neighborhoods like Washington Heights, Inwood and Morningside Heights do provide a much cheaper alternative to coveted neighborhoods like DUMBO and Boerum Hill. But is the offer really worth the move?
More on the shift here

Uncategorized

April 30, 2015

Unconventional Greenwood Heights Home Has Two Gardens and Mid-Century Modern Appeal

Here's a gorgeous single-family home just blocks away from Prospect Park that just hit the market for $2.25 million. Located in Greenwood Heights, the 2,280 square-foot home features multiple skylights, landscaped gardens, exposed beams, hardwood floors, industrial-style finishes, and built-in storage. And, of course, there are those sunken floors giving this pad the ultimate mid-century modern vibe.
More pics inside

Distinctive Homes

April 27, 2015

Who Billionaires Enlist to Manage Their Money May Surprise You; Pittsburgh the Next Brooklyn?

Let’s all move to Pittsburgh! [Brooklyn Based] A Navy SEAL, a yacht captain, a photographer and an archivist are just a few of the people Google’s Sergey Brin has enlisted to manage his billions and his life. [Bloomberg] Is Wall Street robbing your pension fund? [The New Yorker] ODA Architect‘s Nassau Street tower will be topped with […]

Real Estate Trends

April 22, 2015

Stuyvesant Heights Townhouse Offers Three Kinds of ‘Green’ for $1.45M

By Stephanie Hoina

This multi-family townhouse at 633 Macdonough Street in Stuyvesant Heights is an exquisite combination of high-end renovations and beautifully restored details—and green in more ways than one. Fully renovated in 2011 and impeccably maintained, this three-story home features a new EPDM roof with an environmentally-friendly solar array (green #1), an income-producing rental on the top floor (green #2), and your very own garden (green #3).
See more of this very green home

Distinctive Homes

New Yorker Spotlight: Getting the Scoop with Jennie Dundas of Brooklyn’s Blue Marble Ice Cream

Blue Marble co-founders Alexis Gallivan (L) and Jennie Dundas (R) in one of their scoop shops, via Blue Marble

April 17, 2015

New Yorker Spotlight: Getting the Scoop with Jennie Dundas of Brooklyn’s Blue Marble Ice Cream

By Susan Cohen

Spring may have taken its time this year, but the sun is shining, the trees are finally starting to bloom, and this means one thing–it's officially ice cream season. If you're looking for the perfect local scoop, which also happens to be consciously sourced and organic, then you might just stop by Blue Marble Ice Cream's Cobble Hill or Prospect Heights shops or pick up one of their pints on your next grocery store trip. Blue Marble Ice Cream was co-founded in 2007 by former roommates turned entrepreneurs Jennie Dundas and Alexis Gallivan. For Jennie and Alexis, who originally connected on Craiglist, a love of ice cream inspired them to open a scoop shop. And while neither had a business background, they were determined and opened up in Brooklyn. Fast forward several years, and Blue Marble is ready to expand nationwide after being picked up by a number of major supermarket chains. On a local scale, they're part of a wave of businesses helping to transform Industry City in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, something of which the company is extremely proud. We recently spoke with Jennie to get the scoop on Blue Marble's founding, its headquarters in Industry City, and of course, to find out why ice cream is everyone's favorite warm-weather (or year-round!) treat.
Read our interview with Jennie here

April 17, 2015

Staten Island’s Revival Offers Brooklyn Cool Alongside $600,000 Six-Bedroom Homes

It's only a matter of time before Staten Island gets pinned as the next Brooklyn. As new developments pop up along the northern tip, the oft-forgotten borough is seeing the tides turn in its favor. Today the Times ran a piece on some of the biggest projects coming to the island, and unlike those popping up in Manhattan, this bunch is far more focused on livability and community building. Moreover, with rooftop beehives, shared vegetable gardens, small-batch espresso, pet spas, artisanal shops shilling specialty olive oils, and cheese caves in the pipeline, Staten Island is also starting to sound a lot like some of the city's most hipster-run areas. In fact, in casting its net for local testimonials, the Times was able to find Ridgewood and Bushwick refugees that have already high-tailed it southwest. And it's no wonder, with real estate being offered at just a fraction of the price—one couple in the story closed on a house with "numerous porches and six bedrooms, for $620,000"—it's only a matter of time before we turn to our significant others and say, "Let's move to Staten Island!"
More on Staten Island's next steps here

Real Estate Trends

April 9, 2015

At Brooklyn’s Gateway, Woods Bagot Kicks Off Construction of the Jay Street Residences

By Ondel Hylton

AmTrust Realty has recently kicked off construction on a 250,000-square-foot, mixed-use project near Brooklyn's Manhattan Bridge approach. The development will be a step towards reconnecting Downtown Brooklyn to its waterfront, and, along with several other proposals, helps remedy a maelstrom of mid-century planning disasters between the two areas. Known as the Jay Street Residences by its designers Woods Bagot Architects, the project has previously gone by the addresses 120 Nassau, 199 Jay, 203 Jay, and 213 Jay Street. Its 38,000-square-foot lot, now under excavation, will give rise to an L-shaped complex composed of a 33-story tower anchoring Concord and Jay Streets, as well as an eight-story hotel and amenity wing along its western Jay Street frontage.
More details on the project here

April 7, 2015

Brooklyn’s Most Expensive Condo Relists for $32M, Is So Large Owners Can’t Find Each Other

By Dana Schulz

Imagine this: You and your spouse have both been home for three hours, but neither one of you knows the other is there because your home is that big. It's a "problem" most New Yorkers can't fathom, but for one Brooklyn couple it's encouraged them to relist their 11,000-square-foot triplex for $32 million, making it the borough's most expensive condo listing ever. Stuart and Claire Leaf originally listed their home in May, but then took it off the market in February after getting cold feet about moving. As the Wall Street Journal reports, "The apartment is a combination of no less than nine units spanning the 10th, 11th and 12th floors of the waterfront condo One Brooklyn Bridge Park." It includes six bedrooms, two deeded parking spaces, a 3,500-bottle wine room, a gym with a rock-climbing wall, a screening room, and a 75-foot-long terrace.
Take a look around the mega-home here

Distinctive Homes

April 6, 2015

Historic Prospect Heights Townhouse with Glass Addition Wants $4M