Elegant Brownstone in Sleepy South Slope Asks $2.65M

The Brooklyn neighborhood of Greenwood–with Park Slope to the north and Sunset Park to the south–has become a top choice for buyers priced out of other headline-stealing neighborhoods. It retains its somewhat sleepy old-Brooklyn feel, while enabling residents to stay in the loop with an ever-growing roster of amenities–including those in nearby Park Slope, Gowanus and Red Hook. The area is convenient, transit-wise; Prospect Park is its northeast border, and adjacent Green Wood Cemetery is one of the city’s most treasured green spaces. South Slope itself has seen a precipitous price leap as it has gone from being a dodgy lower annex to merely a more laid-back option. And homes in Greenwood are no longer the “steal” they once were, but they are still expected to be considerably less costly than their northern counterparts.

The row of stately four-story 19th century brownstones that includes 228 17th Street seems almost out of place among the eclectic mix of wood-frame, vinyl-sided and brick homes, larger townhouses and apartment buildings, some of them with modern renovations (plus the unavoidable march of new construction), that give both South Slope and Greenwood their laid-back feel. But variety is certainly welcome here. The home was first listed in April with Brooklyn Properties for $2.95 million, reduced to $2.750 million shortly thereafter, delisted in July, then listed anew in the able hands of Halstead at its current ask.

Just at the border between the two neighborhoods, this well-preserved 3,400 square-foot four-story home embodies the classic Brooklyn brownstone; its $2,650,000 ask, though it would have been unheard of a few short years ago, is notably less than a similar home would fetch further into Park Slope. At the standard proportions of 20 by 45 feet, the house is set up for ideal single-family use, and many of its original details remain–though updates will undoubtedly be on order to suit the next owner.

The garden level of the home has a large eat-in kitchen that “exudes country chic;” on the bright side, it opens onto the pretty garden.

A large formal dining room adjacent the kitchen features another original mantel. There’s also a powder room on this floor.

The parlor floor offers a grand double parlor with 11-foot ceilings and a windowed office/study. Large historic windows overlook the south-facing garden. The home’s most ornate details can be found here, including two working pocket doors, two original slate mantels, stained glass, original shutters and plaster ceiling medallions.

The master suite spans the entire third floor, with a bedroom in the rear (quiet and overlooking the garden) and a cozy den and adjacent office in the front. This configuration could easily be converted to create two sizable unconnected bedrooms.

The large bathroom on this floor is both historic and bold, with a cast-iron tub and restored black and white penny tiles. On the top floor you’ll find the classic row house configuration, with two large bedrooms, each with an adjacent smaller room and another full bath. South-facing windows and a skylight keep this floor flooded with sunlight.

The garden is large and shaded, with paved areas and beds for planting, the perfect raw material for a city backyard paradise of your choosing.

The house offers the added bonus of a finished basement with new heating mechanicals, a vented washer/dryer unit and tons of storage space. The block is typically picturesque for the area with this cluster of stately brownstones surrounded by architecturally diverse homes off trendy Fifth Avenue. There’s an R subway stop at the corner for enviably easy commuting, and Prospect Park and the enormous wealth of amenities in Park Slope, Gowanus and Red Hook beckon from every direction, including new local favorites arriving seemingly every day.

[Listing: 228 17th Street by David Feldman for Halstead Property]

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Photos courtesy of Halstead Property