The High and Low: Two Pretty Prewar Co-ops on Prospect Park

Just north and west of Grand Army Plaza and the green expanse of Prospect Park, the heavenly slice of brownstone Brooklyn where Prospect Heights  meets Park Slope is considered one of the best spots in the borough–possibly the city–to live. Its streets offer some of the area’s loveliest historic townhouses and some of Brooklyn’s most gracious prewar apartment buildings, home to notables from Sen. Charles Schumer to Chloë Sevigny.

Near an alphabet soup of subway lines and every amenity you could imagine–from the Brooklyn Museum to Barclays Center–these two classic prewar co-ops claim this prime location, sought-after full-service buildings and pretty Deco-era bones. The first also offers the spacious layout sought by co-op buyers, and at $1.4 million for a large three-bedroom, there’s plenty of room to roam. And though a diminutive studio is best for one (or two who like to be very close) this particular version, asking a double-take-prompting $350k, is on a high floor in one of the area’s loveliest buildings and has the same look–minus a few hundred square feet–as its more spacious sibling.

THE HIGH: This clean-lined, elegant co-op at 235 Lincoln Place has location going for it, but it also has plenty of space, tons of light and great prewar details like entry arches and casement windows.

A generous 1,400 square feet of living space includes three large bedrooms with lots of closet space in every one of them, an eat-in kitchen and two renovated baths. There are also several cool built-ins including a breakfast nook with benches and a wall of storage cabinets and bookshelves.

Lincoln Place is one the area’s prettiest streets, steps from the borough’s best farmers’ market, dining, and of course, the park. The elevator building has a doorman, live-in super, bike room, and storage (and they’re “considering” a roof deck).

***

THE LOW: The price of apartment D10 at 20 Plaza Street East is the first thing you may notice, as there aren’t too many properties available in this neighborhood for $350k. Not only that, but this adorable co-op is in one of the area’s coolest Deco apartment buildings, sitting just above Grand Army Plaza and featuring a lovely brick-paved, landscaped front courtyard and great details on its facade.

The apartment is on a high floor of this elevator building, and though it’s undoubtedly small, its limited square feet are put to good use. It possesses that clean and classic prewar look, with high ceilings, arches and original ribboned parquet floors.

The kitchen is tiny, but has been renovated with butcher block countertops, white cabinets and stainless steel, and is separate from the main space. There’s a hallway that leads to a dressing area and a renovated windowed bathroom with penny-tile flooring and a cute pedestal sink.

Though the open living space is sizeable enough, the minor alteration of adding a dividing wall with some french doors would be the perfect way to bring light into both spaces yet afford privacy to both rooms. The addition of a door in the adjacent hallway would give you your own en-suite bath, and you could head down the hallway to the kitchen without ever having to disturb a guest in the living room.

You’re steps from the same great amenities and the park, and there’s a doorman, a lounge, a kids’ playroom, storage and a bike room. An extra perk at this pied-a-terre-friendly co-op: Parking and Zipcars are available in the nearby Richard Meier building.

[Listing: 235 Lincoln Place Apt. 2C by Danielle Lurie of The Corcoran Group ] – [via CityRealty]

[Listing: 20 Plaza Street East Apt. D10 by Elizabeth Kohen and Paul Paglia of Garfield Realty] – [via CityRealty]

RELATED:

• The High and Low: Two ‘Mad’ Pads Offer Modernist Details, Timeless Appeal
• Own a Verdant Garden Oasis in Park Slope for $2.5M–and a Gorgeous Home, Too
• Lovely and Light-Filled Co-op in Park Slope Won’t Break the Bank at $525K

235  Lincoln Place images courtesy of The Corcoran Group; 20 Plaza Street East images courtesy of Garfield Realty.