Brooklyn

$6.5M Flawless Merging of Two Gretsch Condominium Units is Music to Our Ears — and Our Eyes
July 2, 2014

$6.5M Flawless Merging of Two Gretsch Condominium Units is Music to Our Ears — and Our Eyes

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In our humble opinion putting down roots in New York City should be on everyone’s bucket list. And that’s exactly what Friedrich Gretsch, an immigrant from Mannheim, Germany did in 1883, when he founded a small musical instrument shop in Brooklyn that later became a dynasty still in existence today. In 1916, as The Gretsch Company expanded, his son moved the operation to a mammoth ten-story factory at 60 Broadway in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, now the site of this luxury residential condominium conversion by architect Karl Fischer and interior designer Andres Escobar & Associates completed in 2003.
Read on to see why this apartment is music to our ears - and eyes
Former Warner Music Co-Chairman Michael Fleisher Sells Brooklyn Heights Town Home for $6.4M
July 2, 2014

Former Warner Music Co-Chairman Michael Fleisher Sells Brooklyn Heights Town Home for $6.4M

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Wayfair CFO and apparent fan of extramarital endeavors, Michael Fleisher has sold his Brooklyn Heights town home, and for 6.4 million according to city records. The former Warner Music co-chairman listed the home at 273 Hicks Street five months ago with Corcoran agents James Cornell and Leslie Marshall, asking a staggering $6.95 million. After two months, he reduced the asking price to $6.495 million before finally settling in at a sale price of $6.4 million.
Take a look inside the Brooklyn Heights Beauty here
Park Slope’s Slim and ‘Super Green’ Condo Building Features a Solar Panel-Clad Facade
July 1, 2014

Park Slope’s Slim and ‘Super Green’ Condo Building Features a Solar Panel-Clad Facade

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A brand new building has popped up in Park Slope and it's got quite an interesting facade. Located at 443 Bergen Street just off of Flatbush Ave, this sleek new addition to the neighborhood boasts 5 stories of living space, a 7KW solar array, reclaimed IPE wood from boardwalks, and triple glazed Passive House windows and doors. According to the building permits, work started in the Fall of last year, and by the looks of things, construction has just about wrapped up.
More on the new solar powered building this way
Movie Producer’s Brendan Coburn-Designed Williamsburg Home Sells for $3 Million
July 1, 2014

Movie Producer’s Brendan Coburn-Designed Williamsburg Home Sells for $3 Million

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Producer Jason Sosnoff--who has worked on such films as Analyze This, The Good Shephard, and You Don’t Know Jack—has just sold his Williamsburg town home for $2.95 million, according to city records. Not only is this single family home at 154 Wythe Avenue a rare find in a neighborhood characterized by warehouse remodels, it also features three floors, a finished basement, a landscaped garden and a rooftop deck. Sosnoff had the 4BR/2.5BA townhouse redesigned by CWB Architect’s Brendan Coburn, who said, “let there be light” and–oh wait, was that another story?
Take a look inside the remodel here
If at First You Don’t Succeed… Anne Hathaway Sells DUMBO Clocktower Loft the Second Time Around
July 1, 2014

If at First You Don’t Succeed… Anne Hathaway Sells DUMBO Clocktower Loft the Second Time Around

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After re-listing her DUMBO digs for the second time in early June, Anne Hathaway has found a buyer for her Clocktower loft, last priced at $4.25 million. Hathaway snagged the 2BR/3.5BA unit at 1 Main Street with then-fiancé Adam Shulman in February 2013 for $4.1 million, but reportedly never moved in, instead using the 2,592-square-foot apartment as an extremely oversized closet. The unit first hit the market in September 2013, but was removed shortly thereafter in December. The buyer hasn't yet been identified, but he or she will certainly not be disappointed with the giant master suite, library and media room, corner layout, and spectacular views of the Brooklyn Bridge, Manhattan Bridge, and Manhattan skyline.
Get All of the A-list details this way
From Gilded Movie House to University Gym: Uncovering the Past of the Brooklyn Paramount Theatre
June 30, 2014

From Gilded Movie House to University Gym: Uncovering the Past of the Brooklyn Paramount Theatre

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We're thinking of becoming local college basketball fans — not necessarily because we love the sport, but because we're dying to get inside this Long Island University gymnasium that was once the Brooklyn Paramount Theatre. Commissioned in 1928 by Paramount Pictures, with a sister theatre in Times Square, this regal venue was the largest movie theatre in Brooklyn, second largest in the city, and the first theatre designed for talking pictures. Noted theatre architects Rapp and Rapp designed the rococo-style palace with 4,084 burgundy velvet seats, a ceiling painted with clouds, a 60-foot stage curtain decorated with satin-embroidered pheasants, huge chandeliers, and tiered fountains filled with goldfish. Movie houses struggled during the depression years, and by 1936 the Brooklyn Paramount Theatre had lost $1.5 million since opening. In 1950 Long Island University purchased the building, and twelve years later they renovated the auditorium as their gymnasium keeping the original, ornate details of the space intact. The LIU Blackbirds played their first game in 1963, and in 1975 a second renovation occurred thanks to funding from local businesses.
We uncover the storied past of this grand movie palace
$2.1M Sale at 100 Rugby Road Is Record-Breaker for Prospect Park South
June 27, 2014

$2.1M Sale at 100 Rugby Road Is Record-Breaker for Prospect Park South

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An adorable, historic, turn-of-the-century home modeled after a Swiss chalet has just sold for a record-breaking $2.1 million in Brooklyn’s Prospect Park South. Up until this point, the most expensive sale in the neighborhood was a $2 million sale from last year; however, records confirm that the 7BR/3.5BA home at 100 Rugby Road has edged out the competition by $100K.
Find out more about this historic record-breaker here
Live Like an Outlaw (At Least for a Night) at the Urban Cowboy B&B in Brooklyn
June 26, 2014

Live Like an Outlaw (At Least for a Night) at the Urban Cowboy B&B in Brooklyn

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As New Yorkers we love to think of ourselves as original and cutting edge, but there's no denying that many of us have a soft spot for things that harken back to gentler times. In a sea of towers and shiny new boutiques, Williamsburg's newest hotel addition bucks the steel and glass trend for a beautiful Adirondack design that will appeal to even the most unwavering modernist. If you're looking for an oasis in this concrete jungle of ours, look no further than the Urban Cowboy Bed & Breakfast, a ranch-style escape sure to turn any city dweller into a cowboy complete with a twang.
Check out the incredible interiors of this quirky B&B
Before DUMBO Had a Dumb Name: Eamon Loingsigh’s New Novel References the Neighborhood’s Seamy Past
June 25, 2014

Before DUMBO Had a Dumb Name: Eamon Loingsigh’s New Novel References the Neighborhood’s Seamy Past

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There’s been a lot of novels set in New York City (guilty myself, two times). When done right, such work can serve as a portal to the past, when New York was a distinctly different place, one often defined by its era and often in direct contrast to the current conditions. In Eamon Loingsigh’s powerful new novel, Light of the Diddicoy, reference is made in the very first line to the area “Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass.” Of course, any New Yorker worth his/her salted caramel custard from Shake Shack knows DUMBO, the Brooklyn nabe known for its pricey lofts and tony boutiques, its art galleries and swank eateries and a grassy park that sprawls along the water’s edge below the span of East River bridges. Lovely. The characters in Loingsigh’s novel aren’t so privileged, for they lived in DUMBO 100 years ago, long before any clunky acronyms, when the waterfront was a war zone, and the novel’s narrator, Liam Garrity, a displaced and desperate Irish immigrant, all of 14 years, fell in with a brutal gang as a matter of survival.
More about 'Light of the Diddicoy' here
$1.8M Greenpoint Apartment Boasts Incredible 16-Foot High Exposed Ceilings
June 25, 2014

$1.8M Greenpoint Apartment Boasts Incredible 16-Foot High Exposed Ceilings

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When you hear about a Greenpoint apartment for sale, "loft" might not be what first pops into your head.  But apartment 8 at 190 West Street, currently listed for $1.825 million through CORE, will make you a believer in Brooklyn loft living. The 1,364-square-foot, one-bedroom apartment has all of the loft-like charms you'd hope for--steel support columns, nine-inch oak plank flooring, and exposed wood ceiling beams, duct work, and pipes.  It also feels twice its size thanks to 16-foot ceilings, 40 feet of street-facing frontage, eight-foot-high windows, a large skylight, and an open layout that can easily accommodate a two-bedroom conversion.
Don't miss the rest of this Brooklyn beauty
Why Is This Fort Greene Residence All Lit Up?
June 22, 2014

Why Is This Fort Greene Residence All Lit Up?

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As New Yorkers, we have long come to terms with living in small spaces — we cram into tiny studios, fashion herb gardens on fire escapes and even wrap our apartments with shelves for storage space. But we're also a stylish bunch, always looking for ways to make our homes stand out. So when the owners of this Brooklyn residence wanted to tie in their many rooms without losing any space, the partners at Taylor and Miller Architecture and Design came up with a creative plan.
Click to see the interiors...
NIMBY: Residents Lose Out to Hudson Properties’s Plan to Build a 23-Story Tower Near Prospect Park
June 19, 2014

NIMBY: Residents Lose Out to Hudson Properties’s Plan to Build a 23-Story Tower Near Prospect Park

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Workers will resume construction today on the 23-story residential tower planned for 626 Flatbush Avenue at the edge of Prospect Park in Prospect-Lefferts Gardens. Yesterday, a judge threw out a lawsuit placed against Hudson Properties that demanded they chop their tower down to just eight stories. Through the Prospect Park East Network, residents managed to attain a temporary restraining order through State Supreme Court […]

Brownstone of Park Slope’s “Original Gentrifiers” Sells for $3 Million
June 19, 2014

Brownstone of Park Slope’s “Original Gentrifiers” Sells for $3 Million

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When Evelyn and Everett Ortner bought their Park Slope brownstone at 272 Berkeley Place in 1963 for $32,000 they probably never imaged it would sell 50 years later for over $3 million.  But it was their own historically sensitive and forward-looking vision that helped revitalize the area and make it a much-sought-after Brooklyn neighborhood. The Ortners moved to Park Slope when brownstones were unfashionable and the rich turned their noses down at the area.  They convinced their friends to also buy brownstones in the neighborhood. Evelyn was an interior designer specializing in period interiors, and the couple meticulously restored their home down to every last historic detail.  After a 25th anniversary trip to France, where they were inspired by local preservationists working to conserve a crumbling castle in Normandy, Mr. and Mrs. Ortner dedicated themselves to historic preservation efforts in Park Slope until their deaths in 2006 and 2012.
See the results of the couple's tireless passion
City Approves $3 Million Streetscaping Plan for Downtown Brooklyn Cultural District
June 18, 2014

City Approves $3 Million Streetscaping Plan for Downtown Brooklyn Cultural District

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The city has officially approved a $3 million streetscaping plan as part of the overall plan to create a cultural district on the border of downtown Brooklyn and Fort Greene, according to Crain’s New York. The plan, which will transform public spaces along several streets including Fulton Street, Ashland Place, Lafayette Avenue, will include ripping up the existing sidewalks and replacing them with dark stone slabs embedded with a sprinkling of lights. There will also be new seating and landscaping along a number of blocks north of Atlantic Avenue where patrons of popular institutions like the Brooklyn Academy of Music and BRIC arts and media gather. The idea is to turn that area into a cultural epicenter in Brooklyn, much like Lincoln Center in Manhattan, but comprised of several independent entities.
Find out more about Brooklyn's new cultural epicenter here
Jared Kushner and LIVWRK Make Plans to Buy a Gowanus Property, Possibly for Luxury Condos
June 18, 2014

Jared Kushner and LIVWRK Make Plans to Buy a Gowanus Property, Possibly for Luxury Condos

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Jared Kushner and LIVWRK could soon be making their way to Gowanus. According to The Real Deal, the pair are in contract to buy a 133,000-square-foot development site at 175-225 3rd Street, located right across the new 3rd and 3rd Whole Foods market and just around the corner from Lightstone Group’s 700-unit rental project at 363 Bond Street. Currently, the land has 600 feet of frontage and allows for commercial development of up to 300,000-square-feet, but sources say that one-million square feet of residential could be constructed if rezoned.
More details here
Printhouse Lofts are Ready to Make Their Mark on the Williamsburg Real Estate Scene
June 18, 2014

Printhouse Lofts are Ready to Make Their Mark on the Williamsburg Real Estate Scene

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If you follow Williamsburg real estate news, you likely read about a lot of glassy waterfront towers and swanky hotels.  It's refreshing, therefore, to hear about the Printhouse Lofts, a new residential development housed in a 104-year-old manufacturing building that seamlessly blends historic character with modern design. Located at 139 North 10th Street, the site originally housed a printmaking company and was later a toy factory.  After failed conversion attempts by two different developers, Greystone bought the property last year for $15.8 million and undertook an adaptive reuse project that resulted in 36 fabulous apartments.
Take a tour through one of these stunners
PENSA’s DIWire Machine Lets You Bend Wires Into Sculptural Decor for the Home
June 17, 2014

PENSA’s DIWire Machine Lets You Bend Wires Into Sculptural Decor for the Home

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In a day and age when printers give us the ability to create 3D models, we're surprised that it's taken so long for a machine like the DIWire to hit the market. Developed by the creative tinkerers of PENSA, this sleek gadget's seemingly simple job — to bend wires with a click of a button — is an absolute game-changer for DIY enthusiasts.
See how the DIWire works
A Tree Grows In Brooklyn: $3.18M Historic Brooklyn Heights Town Home Has a Garden
June 17, 2014

A Tree Grows In Brooklyn: $3.18M Historic Brooklyn Heights Town Home Has a Garden

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Someone just purchased a nice little income property in Brooklyn Heights, according to city records. This 4-family town home, located at 36 Schermerhorn Street, is an original 1840s brownstone in one of Brooklyn’s premier locations. It offers 3,000 square feet of living space and a garden for the lower duplex. Yes, a tree grows in Brooklyn. However, the best part of this unit, listed by Corcoran’s Vicki Negron, is that it already has tenants. Granted their lease expires in August, but minor details.
Take a Look inside this incredible BK heights building here
Growth Spurt: Brooklyn’s Tallest Tower at 333 Schermerhorn Will Soar Even Higher Than Expected

L to R: Williamsburg Savings Bank (One Hanson), The Brooklyner, 388 Bridge Street, Avalon Willoughby West, The Hub

June 17, 2014

Growth Spurt: Brooklyn’s Tallest Tower at 333 Schermerhorn Will Soar Even Higher Than Expected

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Construction filings from the Department of Buildings have revealed that Douglas Steiner's mixed use tower at 333 Schermerhorn Street, dubbed the Hub, will soar 30 feet higher than previously reported; making it the top contender for Brooklyn's tallest building at 607-feet. For more than 80 years, the title of Brooklyn's tallest belonged to the 512-foot Williamsburg Savings Bank tower at 1 Hanson Place. With its beloved 4-sided clock tower and its majestic banking hall, the tower has stood in relative isolation since its construction in 1929. Bruce Ratner's Atlantic Yards centerpiece building nicknamed "Miss Brooklyn," was the first to challenge the tower's dominance and was slated to soar more than 100-feet above the bank building's dome. The proposal incited uproar from Brooklynites, leading to its eventual downsizing in 2006 to 511-feet, just one foot shorter than the neighboring bank building.
More about The Hub and Brooklyn's tallest this way
Windsor Terrace Home Gets Scooped Up by Unexpected Buyer for $2.2 Million
June 16, 2014

Windsor Terrace Home Gets Scooped Up by Unexpected Buyer for $2.2 Million

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If you’re an older couple looking for a quiet place to tend your garden on Saturdays, you’ll love this quaint, recently purchased Windsor Terrace townhouse with a retro charm. This 2,090-square-foot town home is like your grandma’s house… made with love. The retro charmer has subway-tiled walls and original claw foot tubs to add to its vintage appeal. And it all starts when you walk through those nine-foot entry doors. A decorative archway greets you, ushering you into the sun-filled parlor with its 11-foot tin ceilings and original heart of pine floors. There’s also a working fireplace so you can read Chaucer while your cat Norman rubs up against your leg.
Take a closer look at this retro home here
Beautiful Clinton Hill Brownstone with an M.C. Escher-like Staircase Sells for $2M
June 16, 2014

Beautiful Clinton Hill Brownstone with an M.C. Escher-like Staircase Sells for $2M

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Can you make sense of this staircase? We're not sure what's going on here, but the rest of this Clinton Hill townhouse is a sight to be seen. Closed today by the Corcoran Group for $2 million and some change, the 4-story, 2-family brownstone was recently gutted and renovated to boast a modern design with cutting edge appliances and sleek finishes. If you love wood detailing, high ceilings, or just want to snoop around a historic home that has a pretty incredible backyard, hit the jump.
Take a tour of 441 Classon Avenue
Wood-clad Windsor Terrace House Mixes a Modern Layout with Rustic Elements
June 16, 2014

Wood-clad Windsor Terrace House Mixes a Modern Layout with Rustic Elements

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Row after row of wood-framed houses fill the quaint, tree-lined streets of Brooklyn's Windsor Park neighborhood. Many are decades old and like this cozy home on Reeve Place, require a bit of a face-lift after many years of wear and tear. In 2013, the owners enlisted the architects at Brooklyn's Barker Freeman Design Office to give the semi-detached house a makeover, complete with a brand new wood-paneled exterior.
See how they mix the old with the new straight ahead
Crazy Futuristic Hotel at 55 Wythe in Williamsburg Now Under Construction, Developer Zelig Weiss Scores a $18.4M Loan for the Site
June 12, 2014

Crazy Futuristic Hotel at 55 Wythe in Williamsburg Now Under Construction, Developer Zelig Weiss Scores a $18.4M Loan for the Site

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The new Level Hotel planned for 55 Wythe in Williamsburg wasn't much more than a rendering when it was revealed last month, but one of 6sqft's intrepid reporters swung by the site recently only to find that construction on the Jetson's-like building had commenced. Permits for the 320,000 square foot hotel were approved in early April, and according to locals, heavy equipment arrived on the scene a few weeks ago with groundwork now well underway. Now, further cementing Level's status as a hotel of the future, the hotel's developer, Zelig Weiss, closed on an $18.35 million loan from Madison Realty Capital to purchase the site for about $30 million, according to Crain's.
More details and photos here
Is Brooklyn the Shark That Can’t Be Jumped?
June 11, 2014

Is Brooklyn the Shark That Can’t Be Jumped?

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My wife and I took the kids to the Barclays Center in early 2013, during the Nets’ inaugural season in Brooklyn. There had been a lot of hype, not only about the Nets but also about the new arena. And there had been a lot of flack about both the Nets and the arena, respectively, as well. But after all the back and forth, over many years, both the stadium and the Nets were part of Brooklyn, and while we had been ambivalent observers during the whole imbroglio, we were anxious to check things out once matters were settled. The arena impressed. Spacious corridors and lots of polished surfaces. Professional and courteous service. We roamed around each level, sampling food and drinks from some of Brooklyn’s finest eateries and breweries. And, of course, a stop at the gift shop was mandatory for the kids to purchase Nets gear which had become the unofficial uniform of Brooklyn’s youth. By the time we sat down in our seats, we were definitely on board with the whole Nets/Barclays thing. The pregame production turned out to be top notch, too: dancers, acrobats, a DJ named TJ, a knight-of-some-sort who shot t-shirts into the crowd, and a super-stylish MC definitely on point, ratcheting the crowd into a pseudo-frenzy (it was only a mid-season game against Atlanta after all). And when the lights dimmed, and the music loomed, it was on for real: through the loud speakers came a familiar voice, smooth and deep, informed by a trademark flow... “Welcome to Brooklyn, y’all...” Oh my good-ness! That’s Jay-Z! “Birthplace of Michael Jordan.”  
Read more of Andrew's story here
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