$775K Ridgewood Duplex Is an Urban Loft on the Brooklyn-Queens Border

Those who stake their claim beyond the fringes of New York City’s upscale or trendy enclaves aren’t looking for the same things their more mainstream counterparts are. Every neighborhood can’t be the West Village–or even the Brooklyn version of it. Looking for lower prices and cheaper rent calls to the adventurous–Andy Warhol and his crew carved out their Factory scene in Midtown, for example.

Similarly, in the ‘90s, a flock of young space-seekers moved into former industrial spaces in Bushwick. Ridgewood was a bit further on the L and so its notable population of new residents came a little later, but they brought the same spirit. Even for the early Bushwick crowd, Ridgewood, the quintessential border town, is different, with its mix of streetscapes from historic row houses (Ridgewood has one of the largest federal historic districts in the nation) to industrial blocks much like the one on which you’ll find this one-bedroom condominium at 852 Cypress Avenue on the Ridgewood-Bushwick border.

The building, built in the 1900s to house the Ridgewood Times newspaper, was converted to condos in 2009. Anchoring a nondescript low-rise block and resembling nothing so much as a vintage newspaper office, you could compare 852 Cypress to similar buildings in various parts of Williamsburg before everything with a roof and walls became a luxury condo there.

Yet this 1,039-square-foot, one-bedroom duplex does have a certain urban charm, not to mention tons of outdoor space on two levels. The lower level of the duplex is comprised of a large open space, with plenty of light, and a modern black-and-white kitchen with maple cabinetry. There’s a full bath on this level as well as upstairs; baths have radiant heat flooring, towel warmers and skylights. An “alternate floor plan” also shows an internal room, loft-style, as a possibility on this floor. Loft details include new wood floors, walls of windows, and ten-foot beamed ceilings. New-condo perks include zoned heating and cooling and a washer/dryer.

There’s access here to a spacious deck with rooftop views in all directions; the building also offers a common roof deck.

Up a spiral staircase there’s a roomy bedroom with plenty of closet space, another full bath, and an upper level deck for more outdoor enjoyment.

The building’s entry is a fascinating Gothic-Moorish mix of (probably) accidental creativity, with dual iron-railed stairways and harlequin tiles–definitely a conversation starter.

The neighborhood boasts a growing roster of destinations both old- and new-school for dining, shopping, cultural exploration and social life, and things are definitely happening in the neighborhood; indie music venue Trans Pecos (an outer Bushwick/Ridgewood pioneer) is a block away. Other nearby favorites include Rudy’s Bakery, Morscher’s Pork Store, Norma’s, Houdini Kitchen Laboratory and Onderdonk & Sons; it’s just three blocks to the Myrtle/Wyckoff L/M subways for a 20 minute commute to Union Square.

[Listing: 852 Cypress Avenue #3B by Christian H. Wittmann for Halstead Property]

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Images courtesy of Halstead Property