Search Results for: Crown Heights

March 24, 2015

Rent Stabilization Demystified: Know the Rules, Your Rights, and if You’re Getting Cheated

In New York City there are currently about one million rent stabilized apartments–about 47 percent of the city’s rental units. So why is it so hard to snag one? What are the benefits of having one (other than affordable rent, of course)? According to the New York City Rent Guidelines Board nearly 250,000 rental units have lost the protections of rent regulation since 1994. Why are we "losing" so many of them?
Find out the facts and how they could affect you
March 6, 2015

Race Drives Gentrification and Neighborhood Boundaries, Study Finds

Focusing in on just race can be taboo when looking at gentrification, but a new study finds that an area's racial composition is actually the biggest predictor of how a changing neighborhood is perceived. CityLab recently dissected the study conducted by sociologist Jackelyn Hwang to find that the way that blacks and whites perceive and talk about change in their neighborhood is often wildly different. This gap in perception has wide-reaching effects for changing neighborhoods because not only does it polarize the individual groups, but it can also have a tremendous effect on where neighborhood boundaries are drawn and investment is distributed.
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February 10, 2015

My 3,900sqft: Four Ladies Turn a Clinton Hill Townhouse into a ‘Pop-Up Mansion’

What happens when you let four ladies run loose in a four-story Clinton Hill townhouse? Closets, corners and a pantry spilling over with shoes and coats, apparently. "There are shoes lining the kitchen pantry shelves; the tiny third bedroom upstairs that resembles a Swiss chalet in the twilight zone is filled with racks of vintage frocks, coats and designer handbags. You can really tell almost everyone in this house either works in fashion or hoards it," says owner and 6sqft writer extraordinaire Michelle Cohen.  We recently visited Michelle in her Brooklyn home to see the pretty amazing setup she has created for herself. Michelle, whose house you've certainly seen on our site before, is currently undertaking a major renovation that will turn her and her fiance Stanley's brick-clad buy into a modern-meets-historic home with a rental garden apartment. But while Michelle's poring over drawings with her architect, she's found a few friends to share the journey, and the house; namely three fabulous women with wonderfully different personalities. "Stanley likes to call it a sorority for outstanding ascendant young creative professional women," she muses. Jump ahead to meet Michelle and the girls—who range from a Vogue fashion stylist to a creative producer to a journalist who covers evolution, disease and health policy—in their home to get a closer look.
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February 8, 2015

MADE IN BROOKLYN: A Rep for Authenticity and Excellence That’s Well-Earned–and Far from New

The story behind cheese-aging facility Crown Finish Caves in Crown Heights tells of an enormous amount of risk and dedication to making something on a small scale; to doing one thing well. It also once again stirs the hive of buzz around today’s Brooklyn. Article after article raises the idea that Brooklyn’s moment as the new hot spot for excellence in food, culture and authentic, hand-crafted goods, is in some quarters regarded as trite and trendy hype with little substance to it. For some, the underground cheese caves are just one more example: Cheese caves. How Brooklyn. Thirty feet below street level, in the lagering tunnels of a former brewery beneath the Monti Building in Crown Heights, Benton Brown and Susan Boyle spent several years renovating and creating “Brooklyn’s premier cheese-aging facility” complete with state-of-the-art humidity control and cooling systems. The couple created the 70-foot space with advice from the world’s top cheese experts; Crown Finish Caves opened in 2014. On an article in Cheese Notes, a commenter raves: “If I were a mouse, I would move to Crown Heights.”
More excellence and authenticity this way
February 5, 2015

Rents in Harlem Shoot Up, Brooklyn Studios Expensive as Ever

MNS has just released their 2014 report pointing to rental performance in the Manhattan and Brooklyn markets over past year. And as you've probably already guessed there are no surprises here—rents were up. Leading the charge in growth were Harlem where new luxury listings gave the area a major boost, and of course Brooklyn which continued see growth at remarkable rates, particularly with studio units which were up more than 20 percent in some nabes.
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January 31, 2015

January’s 10 Most-Read Stories & This Week’s Features

January’s 10 Most-Read Stories Photo Series Captures Three Years of NYC Subway Cars Being Dumped in the Atlantic Ocean Get Free Access to 33 Museums with the New NYC Municipal ID The Lena Dunham Real Estate Effect: Looking at the Homes of the Stars of ‘Girls’ New Study Reveals It’s More Important to Have a […]

January 28, 2015

Bunny Mellon’s Mansion Sells for $37M; East New York Focuses on Affordable Development to Stop Gentrification

Netscape co-founder James Clark has scooped up Bunny Mellon’s incredible Upper East Side mansion for $37 million. [TRD] As a way to “cushion against gentrification” in East New York, the city is vying to reserve the area for up to 7,000 affordable housing units. [DNA Info] Trump Soho may turn its condo component into hotel […]

January 24, 2015

Weekly Highlights: Top Picks from the 6sqft Staff

Photo Series Captures Three Years of NYC Subway Cars Being Dumped in the Atlantic Ocean Most Millennials Would Rather Live in the Suburbs Than in a City Condo This Turn-Key Cobble Hill Townhome Comes with a Backyard Playhouse Russian Billionaire Roman Abramovich Buys Up Three UES Townhouses to Build a Makeshift Mansion Take a Peek […]

January 20, 2015

Air Train to LaGuardia Airport Is in the Works; A Germaphobe’s Guide to Buying a MetroCard

New York state will construct an air train connecting the 7 subway line to LaGuardia Airport. [WSJ] Afflicted with germaphobia? Here’s a guide to navigating the MetroCard vending machine while staying clean as a whistle. [Next City] Meet New York’s bail bond queen. [BuzzFeed] Renzo Piano’s restaurant underneath the High Line opens. [FC] Tour an inventively rustic […]

January 14, 2015

Affordable Brooklyn Fading: Last Chance to Buy a Home Under $1M in Areas Like Bed-Stuy and Bushwick

If you've been looking to buy a home in Brooklyn, you'd better do it now–because townhouses under $1 million are going fast as investors and house hunters turn to the likes of Bushwick, Bed-Stuy, Prospect-Lefferts Gardens and Crown Heights for cheap buys after being priced out of other areas in the borough. The news, which comes via DNA Info, isn't all that surprising, as we reported just yesterday that $3 million-plus townhouses are becoming the norm in already-gentrified neighborhoods like Boerum Hill, Brooklyn Heights and Park Slope. But those mulling over whether or not to close on a home in an up-and-coming neighborhood had better make the move, because affordable townhouse listings are increasingly becoming few and far between.
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January 8, 2015

Rents in Brooklyn Still Up Even with a Boom in New Listings

MNS has just released the December rental reports covering Manhattan and Brooklyn. Far from surprisingly, rents were up in both boroughs, each seeing a solid increase year over year. But one finding that definitely stood out was Brooklyn's 9 percent uptick in new listings between November and December 2014. Whether rents will reflect the new inventory the coming months has yet to be seen; November on December figures slow only the slightest decrease with average rents falling from $2,677 to $2,666 (a 0.39 percent drop). Bigger picture figures show that since December 2013, rent prices have increased 3.08 percent rising from $2,587 to $2,667 in December 2014. Brooklyn neighborhoods that did especially well last year included Boerum Hill, which saw an average rent increase of 15.7 percent from $2,668 in December 2013 to $3,088 in December 2014; and Prospect-Lefferts Gardens, which saw a 9.5 percent increase since December 2013—a continuing trend for the nabe. So, is Brooklyn still having its moment?
More details on Brooklyn and the Manhattan dispatch this way
December 4, 2014

NYC Sees a 24 Percent Increase in Construction Loans, Especially in Brownstone Brooklyn

It's that time again when everyone starts looking back on the year as it comes to a close, but it's also the time to look ahead to the new year. We already know 2015 will bring a slew of new developments to the New York City skyline, and right on trend with that forecast, Bloomberg has reported that construction loans are up 24 percent in the city. On-the-rise neighborhoods like Bed-Stuy and Harlem are being aided by the construction loan boom, especially for the renovation of multi-family buildings. The loans, often well over $1 million, are appealing for gentrifying areas because they usually require borrowers to only begin making interest payments once the renovation is complete. For example, a Clinton Hill resident secured a $800,000 construction loan to renovate a century-old multi-family brownstone and estimates that the value of the home will more than double to at least $2.2 million after the renovation.
More information here
October 20, 2014

Churches Across Brooklyn Are Hot to Sell Their Holy Land for Millions

In the face of financial pressures, dozens of churches across Brooklyn are looking sell of their holy land in hopes of banking on the conversion trend that's taken the city by storm. According to DNA Info, more than 50 Brooklyn clergy members are looking to develop their land and air rights to offer more affordable housing and other community services. Hundreds of religious leaders attended a recent meeting hosted by Borough President Eric Adams detailing how they could raise money as their shrinking congregations give way to fundraising and budgetary constraints. “You are land-rich but cash-poor. The largest amount of housing potential in Brooklyn lies with you,” Reverend Gilford Monrose, director of the Borough President’s faith-based initiatives, said at the event.
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October 15, 2014

Bed-Stuy: From Harlem and Hip-Hop to Hipsters, Hassids and High Rents

Brooklyn is changing fast and at the forefront of this is Bedford-Stuyvesant—or as it's more commonly known, Bed-Stuy. Like most New York neighborhoods, Bed-Stuy has had its ups and downs, its most notable down being the 80s and 90s when crime and drugs were at a record high. But as hard as the times may have gotten, the neighborhood has maintained itself as one of the city's most culturally significant. Bed-Stuy has long been home to one of the largest concentrations of African-Americans in New York, it boasts beautiful well-preserved architecture spanning countless styles and centuries, and of course, there is the neighborhood's central role in the hip-hop movement.
More on the history and future of Bed-Stuy
October 10, 2014

Living on Hallowed Ground: NYC Religious Buildings Being Converted to Luxury Housing

New Yorkers know it often takes some divine intervention to land a great apartment. Luckily, with dozens of churches and synagogues now being partially or totally converted into luxury residential buildings, high-end apartment hunters can go straight to the source. As congregations grapple with changing demographics, shrinking memberships, and costly upkeep of historic buildings, many religious institutions are concluding that it makes better financial sense to sell off a portion of their development rights, relocate to a more affordable site, or even close their doors for good.
Here's a look at New York’s hottest and holiest developments
September 23, 2014

City Kids: Why Parents Pick City Living Over the Suburbs

The 'American Dream' may have dominated the last few decades, causing a mass exodus to the suburbs, but today's families are reversing the trend and turning their attention back to the city. The reasons are many: An appreciation for cultural offerings, the camaraderie and creative cross-pollination of networks of colleagues, friends and family, the convenience of being able to walk or bike to school, work or child care without a long commute—just to name a few. New York City has always been a haven for the forward-thinking, albeit a challenging one. And its newly-”discovered” outer boroughs as well as an unprecedentedly low crime rate have made the city a prime choice for family living. But what is it about those city kids—the ones with parents who planned from the start to raise their kids in a non-stop urban environment? We interrupted the busy schedules of five families currently raising school-age (or soon-to-be) children in New York City's many diverse and multifaceted neighborhoods to get some insight about why they wouldn’t have it any other way.
Hear what five parents of city kids have to say
September 12, 2014

Real Estate Wire: A Portfolio of Parking Lots Worth $250M; Upgrades Planned for Grand Central Get Flack

The Brooklyn shtetls that have embraced Crown Heights’ new hipster neighbors. [Tablet] An Afro-Caribbean has raised $7.5M to turn a long-vacant East Harlem firehouse into a new cultural center. [NYDN] New York state’s Empire State Development Corporation is trying to seize seven properties for Atlantic Yards Project through eminent domain. A judge was asked to […]

September 9, 2014

New Yorker Spotlight: Mac Sillick and Sandy Hall of Black Tree, the LES ‘Farm to Sandwich’ Favorite

Plenty of new restaurants and bars have been popping up on the Lower East Side over the last few years, but one of the more recent standout eateries to appear is Black Tree. This Brooklyn transplant has only been around for a little more than a year, but their incredible menu has drawn in everyone from food critics at the Wall Street Journal and Zagat to Guy Fieri—who by the way can be seen dusting Black Tree sandwich crumbs from his goatee in an episode of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. We recently caught up with Mac Sillick and Sandy Hall, the owners and culinary creatives behind the delicious Downtown venture, to chat about their business. Find out about their "farm to sandwich" approach, why they only use locally sourced food, and why they moved their business from Crown Heights to the Lower East Side. **GIVEAWAY**: The fellas are also offering up one lucky reader 'drinks for two' at the Black Tree bar. Keep reading to find out how you can enjoy some organic cocktails on the house!
The interview and giveaway here
September 3, 2014

Coffee Culture: Are Neighborhood Cafes the First Sign of Gentrification?

From “coffices” to lab-like minimalist gourmet coffee meccas to cozy neighborhood hangouts, neighborhood cafes are a fine example of the essential “third place” mentioned in discussions of community dynamics: that place, neither work nor home, where regulars gather and everyone’s welcome. Along with yoga studios, art galleries, community gardens, vintage clothing shops, restaurants with pedigreed owners and adventurous menus and, some say, a change in the offerings on local grocery shelves, cafes are often the earliest sign of neighborhood change. The neighborhood cafe serves as a testing ground for community cohesiveness while adventurous entrepreneurs test the still-unfamiliar waters around them. Beyond the literal gesture of offering sustenance, cafes provide a place where you can actually see who your neighbors are and appreciate the fact that at least some of them are willing to make an investment locally.
Get a fleeting glimpse of old New York City cafe culture in the West Village, meet the future of coffee distribution in Red Hook.
July 15, 2014

Real Estate Wire: New York City’s Tallest Skyscrapers; The Scary Outdoor Spaces of Craigslist Apartments

New York City’s tallest skyscrapers [TRD] Rentals on North 10th Street in Williamsburg hit the market, starting at $2,385 a month [Brownstoner] A residential tower might rise on a controversial Park Place site [Curbed] Tour the former Sisters of Mercy Convent in Clinton Hill [Brownstoner] The horrifying outdoor spaces of Craigslist apartments [Curbed] Medgar Evers […]

January 21, 2026

Lily Allen and David Harbour’s Brooklyn townhouse finds buyer

A Carroll Gardens townhouse referenced in Lily Allen’s latest album, following her split from actor David Harbour, has found a buyer. As first reported by the New York Post, the former couple’s home at 381 Union Street has sold with a last asking price of $7.3 million after hitting the market for nearly $8 million in October. The 22-foot-wide brownstone was fully renovated by architect Ben Bischoff of MADE and features a distinctive interior by AD100 designer Billy Cotton, as 6sqft previously reported.
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