Brooklyn

August 29, 2017

$2.5M Windsor Terrace house offers suburban living right near Prospect Park

This laid-back little Windsor Terrace townhouse occupies a fortunate spot on a tree-lined block among similarly adorable Arts and Crafts-style homes, just on the edge of Prospect Park. The updated semi-attached, single-family home is no bargain at $2.468 million, but there are at least four bedrooms, plus more than enough space, modern comfort, and charm for the whole family. And while it may not be designer-perfect, it offers far more space than the average condo, and it's the kind of place that looks like home.
See the backyard

Distinctive Homes

August 28, 2017

$675K for a custom renovated condo in a beloved, historic building of Cobble Hill

By Emily Nonko

Most Cobble Hill residents are familiar with the Cobble Hill Towers, distinctive red brick buildings—nine six-story walk-ups in all—built in 1879 by the philanthropist Alfred Tredway White. The buildings were converted to condos in 2010, and what was formerly envisioned as worker's tenements is now hot Brooklyn real estate. This particular one-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment has been thoroughly renovated, with some custom touches from the dining table to the closet doors. The apartment sold three years ago for $416,120, and has just hit the market asking $675,000.
Check out the interior

Distinctive Homes

FREE RENT IN BROOKLYN: This week’s roundup of rental news

Images (L to R): 1326 OCEAN AVE, 153 REMSEN STREET, 27 ALBANY AVE and 1004 GATES AVE

August 26, 2017

FREE RENT IN BROOKLYN: This week’s roundup of rental news

By Ondel Hylton

Images (L to R): 1326 OCEAN AVE, 153 REMSEN STREET, 27 ALBANY AVE and 1004 GATES AVE Building Opens on Ocean Ave in Flatbush near Brooklyn College; Rentals from $1,800/Month [link] Brand New Rentals Debut in Brooklyn Heights (A Rare Occurrence); Peek Inside 153 Remsen Street [link] Carter Reviews Domino Sugar Rental 325 Kent, No […]

Real Estate Trends

August 25, 2017

18-foot, concrete beveled ceilings top this Williamsburg apartment renting for $6,995/month

By Emily Nonko

This Williamsburg apartment takes full advantage of its soaring, 18-foot ceilings lined with concrete beams. The lofty living room features floor-to-ceiling, built-in bookshelves that require a ladder to fully access, four massive casement windows, and a loft with a glass wall that overlooks the soaring space. Located at the Esquire Lofts at 330 Wythe Avenue—a former shoe polish factory—this apartment spans 1,450 square feet and includes two bedrooms and two bathrooms. The unit hit the market last month asking $7,500 a month, but its owners just gave it a small price cut, bringing the monthly rent to $6,995.
Go take a look

August 24, 2017

This $699K custom-designed Brooklyn Heights studio elevates small-space living

By Michelle Cohen

This 589-square-foot Brooklyn Heights studio loft at One Brooklyn Bridge Park at 360 Furman Street gives you plenty to work with from the start, with 13-foot ceilings and huge east-facing windows. The kitchen, living, dining and sleeping areas each pull their own weight in the space, and the resulting whole feels like a home. The apartment is asking $699,000.
Get a closer look

Distinctive Homes

BFDO Architects renovated this Brooklyn rowhouse to capture light from every corner

Photo courtesy of BFDO Architects

August 23, 2017

BFDO Architects renovated this Brooklyn rowhouse to capture light from every corner

By Emily Nonko

Photo courtesy of BFDO Architects Brooklyn townhouses aren't exactly known for their light-filled, modern interiors. But BFDO Architects (aka Barker Freeman Architects) had the opportunity to completely re-imagine this 20-foot wood-frame home, which came with a four-foot-wide side yard as well as front and rear extensions. The goal: bring in light wherever possible and bring textures to the exterior and interior in the forms of natural wood, gray tones, and graphic tile patterns. The firm "selectively carved and expanded" each room, adding skylights and window walls to create a super bright, super open house that welcomes you inside.
Time to go in

Construction Update: SHoP’s first Domino Sugar Factory building approaches completion

Image by CityRealty

August 23, 2017

Construction Update: SHoP’s first Domino Sugar Factory building approaches completion

By Diane Pham

Just over one year ago, 6sqft reported on the initial climb of 325 Kent Avenue, the first tower of the SHoP-designed Domino Sugar Refinery master plan slated for the Williamsburg waterfront. Now, CityRealty shares that the building is nearly finished with its distinct, upside-down U-formation standing tall. When complete, the 189-foot, 400,000-square-foot building will be the second largest residential structure in the neighborhood (just after 2 North 6th Street), fronted by a spectacular 11-acre park designed by James Corner Field Operations that will open next summer.
see more photos

August 22, 2017

$5,250/month Clinton Hill carriage house got a modern transformation with a lush backyard

By Emily Nonko

This 19th century carriage house was utterly transformed a few years back into a modern apartment at 433 Waverly Avenue in Clinton Hill. Spanning 1,000 square feet on the first floor, the unit includes one-and-a-half bedrooms, an office, private garden, and parking space. The reno brought tons of chic, luxurious details, from salvaged doors to limestone shelving. And now it's asking $5,250 a month.
Tour the modern finishes

Distinctive Homes

Photo of Trump Village West via Trump 4 West

August 21, 2017

Loss of affordability at Coney Island’s Trump Village highlights issues with the city’s Mitchell-Lama program

By Devin Gannon

Built by Donald Trump’s father, Fred, in 1964, Trump Village in Coney Island features seven 23-story towers with 3,700 co-op and rental apartments. To pay for the $70 million project, which would total $564 million today, Fred Trump used Mitchell-Lama, a government program that granted financial incentives in exchange for setting aside affordable housing. The typical rental contract lasts 20 years, and after that, landlords can opt-out of the program. As Crain’s reported, Trump Village became one of the first co-ops to exit the Mitchell-Lama program in 2007, letting residents sell their apartments for whatever the market allowed. Owners of 38,000 Mitchell-Lama apartments, representing 28% of the program's housing, have left in the past 20 years. But as the value of these apartments, which were once affordable, keeps rising, New Yorkers looking for affordable housing there, and other former Mitchell-Lama apartments, may be out of luck.
Find out more

August 20, 2017

$4,500/month Williamsburg loft is lined with a 13-foot, raw plank ceiling

By Emily Nonko

You have every reason to look up at this Williamsburg apartment, renting for $4,500 a month in the condo building known as the Smith Gray. The blue cast iron facade of the building is striking, and this loft manages to also embody some of that industrial charm. The 13-foot ceiling is lined with raw plank wood, offset by iron beams and a chic ceiling fan. Exposed brick lines many of the walls, with wood flooring that mirrors the ceiling. Such a material-rich apartment deserves good interior design, which the owners provided with a nice selection of modern furniture.
Time for an interior tour

Distinctive Homes

Images (L to R): Chelsea29, One Hudson Yards, City Tower and 555Ten

August 19, 2017

FREE RENT: This week’s roundup of NYC rental news

By Ondel Hylton

Thor’s Newly-Restored 98 Morningside Offering One Month of Free Rent [link] Field Condition Captures the Completed Amenities at 555Ten [link] Om Sweet Om: Downtown Brooklyn Rental, City Tower, Introduces Meditation Classes as Newest Amenity [link] Canal-Side 363 Bond Street Unveils Model Apartments; Offers 1 Month Free Rent [link] Chelsea29 Launches Leasing; Offers Two Months Free […]

Real Estate Trends

De Blasio and Cuomo announce plans to eradicate ‘symbols of hate’ in New York

Image via Alisdare Hickson/flickr

August 17, 2017

De Blasio and Cuomo announce plans to eradicate ‘symbols of hate’ in New York

By Devin Gannon

After a violent weekend led by white supremacist groups in Charlottesville, Virginia, New York officials have announced plans to review and remove controversial public structures. Mayor de Blasio said on Wednesday the city will conduct a 90-day review of “all symbols of hate on city property,” by putting together a panel of experts and community leaders who will make recommendations for items to take down (h/t NY Post). On Wednesday, Governor Cuomo called upon the United States Army to reconsider its decision to keep the street names that honor Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson, two Confederate leaders, at Fort Hamilton. Cuomo also announced the removal of the busts of Lee and Jackson from CUNY’s Hall of Fame for Great Americans in the Bronx.
Find out more

108 affordable apartments up for grabs in Downtown Brooklyn’s 33 Bond Street, from $613/month

Rendering via TF Cornerstone

August 17, 2017

108 affordable apartments up for grabs in Downtown Brooklyn’s 33 Bond Street, from $613/month

By Devin Gannon

Applications are currently being accepted for the second phase of affordable apartments at 33 Bond Street, a building nestled among the bustling neighborhoods of Downtown Brooklyn, Boerum Hill and Cobble Hill. The 25-story building sits just one or two blocks from all major subway lines and is within walking distance to Fort Greene Park and the Barclays Center. New Yorkers earning 40 and 120 percent of the area median income can apply for units ranging from a $613 per month studio to a $2,519 per month two-bedroom.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

Two plaques honoring Robert E. Lee in Brooklyn will be removed

General Lee Avenue and Robert E. Lee’s former home on Fort Hamilton, via Jeremy Bender/Business Insider

August 16, 2017

Two plaques honoring Robert E. Lee in Brooklyn will be removed

By Devin Gannon

Following the tragic events in Charlottesville, Va. last weekend, officials announced Tuesday that two plaques honoring Gen. Robert E. Lee outside of a Brooklyn church would be taken down. The plaques, tacked to a maple tree, belonged to St. John’s Episcopal Church in Fort Hamilton, although the church has been closed since 2014. As Newsday reported, the Episcopal Diocese of Long Island owns the church and will sell it.
Find out more

History

August 15, 2017

NYC lawyers once gifted Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin a tenement in Brooklyn

By Devin Gannon

>Google Street View of 541 Clinton Street. Map data © 2019 Google In the 1940s, two attorneys from Manhattan let the mortgage payments lapse on a building they owned in Carroll Gardens. Julius Freilicher and Martin Auslander had a $3,300 mortgage with Dime Savings Bank on their tenement at 541 Clinton Street. Believing it was a better idea to not pay the mortgage, the two lawyers decided the best thing was to file a deed of gift, as the Brownstone Detectives reported. The receivers of this gift? Adolph Hitler and Joseph Stalin.
Find out more

History

August 14, 2017

Historic brick rowhouse asks $2.5M on a cobblestone street in Red Hook

By Dana Schulz

What Red Hook lacks in accessibility it certainly makes up for in charm, and this lovely two-family rowhouse at 168 Coffey Street is definitely worth some extra travel time. Built in 1867 as one of seven similar houses on the cobblestone block, it boasts a brick facade, quaint front garden, and a large backyard. Plus, if you don't mind commuting on the open seas, the $2.5 million home is just five blocks from the NYC Ferry stop.
Get a look

August 10, 2017

Refreshingly genuine Williamsburg artists’ loft asks $6,800 a month

By Michelle Cohen

We're guessing the words "genuine" and "Williamsburg" are spending less and less time together these days, but if you look diligently, you can find the odd authenticity–a big, pretty space that's actually live/work friendly and isn't a shiny, overpriced condo calling itself a loft. This one-bedroom-plus-office apartment at 119 North 11th Street looks to be just that. Occupying the third floor of a former paint factory taken over by artists over 30 years ago, it's approved for mixed use, allowing live/work opportunities. Seeking a rental tenant for $6,800 per month, the space has many of the comforts of those shiny new buildings–central air, a washer/dryer, a roof deck with great views–without the shiny new.
Take a look around

Distinctive Homes

Artist’s triplex inside an 1888 ink and brush factory asks $3.95M in Gowanus

Image via BHS

August 9, 2017

Artist’s triplex inside an 1888 ink and brush factory asks $3.95M in Gowanus

By Annie Doge

This renovation of a former ink and brush factory in the heart of Gowanus hits all the right notes, hearkening back the neighborhood's industrial roots and channeling the current artsy vibe that permeates the blocks. Located at 459 Carroll Street, the residence occupies three floors of a massive brick structure built back in 1888, stretching more than 4,600 square feet of live/work space across three stories built atop a 25-foot by 100-foot lot. The super-sized property also comes with three generously proportioned artists studios and a beautiful 900-square-foot planted terrace engulfed by views of neighboring gardens and the cityscape. If you're on the market for unpretentious luxury and lots of space to sprawl out in or wield a paintbrush, all of this can be yours for $3.95M.
see more inside

Distinctive Homes

My 900sqft: Artist Ehren Shorday adorns his Bushwick loft with ‘trash’ and treasures

6sqft’s ongoing series “My sqft” checks out the homes of New Yorkers across all the boroughs. Want to see your home featured here? Get in touch!

August 8, 2017

My 900sqft: Artist Ehren Shorday adorns his Bushwick loft with ‘trash’ and treasures

By Dana Schulz

When Ehren Shorday moved into this giant Bushwick loft a little more than six years ago, his main focus was making the industrial space feel like a home. Originally from antique-haven New Hope, he chose to go with a "southeastern Pennsylvania river town vibe," but as an artist who didn't have a ton of money, he achieved this aesthetic by furnishing the 900-square-foot space with "trash," or perhaps more eloquently put, "found treasures." Aside from the rug and his parents' two club chairs, which he brought with him when he moved to New York 13 years ago, everything in the apartment was found, from the church pew and diner banquet table to the porcelain bathtub that's been repurposed as a chaise lounge. Ahead, Ehren gives us the grand tour and fills us in on the story behind his prized possessions.
Take a video and photo tour and hear more from Ehren

U.S. Army won’t remove Confederate street names in Brooklyn

General Lee Avenue and Robert E. Lee’s former home on Fort Hamilton, via Jeremy Bender/Business Insider

August 8, 2017

U.S. Army won’t remove Confederate street names in Brooklyn

By Devin Gannon

Despite a push from advocates and politicians, the United States Army decided to keep the names of two streets in Brooklyn that honor Confederate generals. The streets, General Lee Avenue and Stonewall Jackson Drive, can be found in Fort Hamilton, the city’s last remaining active military base. Brooklyn Congresswoman Yvette Clarke, along with U.S. Reps Jerrold Nadler, Nydia Velazquez and Hakeem Jeffries, had written to the Army in June asking them to consider changing the street names. As the Daily News reported, the Army said the names will stay because they remain an “inextricable part of our military history.”
Find out more

August 7, 2017

Elegant brownstone co-op in Park Slope asks $1.4M

By Michelle Cohen

This 1,100-square-foot co-op apartment within a completely charming historic Park Slope brownstone at 357 6th Avenue has two bedrooms and an office, plenty of light, and a laundry room to keep things sparkling. It's a three-flight ascent, but once you're inside you won't find too much to complain about. It's asking $1.395 million.
Take a room by room tour

Distinctive Homes

Eight affordable units up for grabs in trendy South Williamsburg, two-bedrooms from $1,440

Image via Google Street View

August 4, 2017

Eight affordable units up for grabs in trendy South Williamsburg, two-bedrooms from $1,440

By Diane Pham

Starting August 7, qualifying applicants can begin applying for eight newly renovated units at 383 Hewes Street, a six-story, 23-unit brick residence constructed in 1927. The building is located in South Williamsburg along a quiet residential block, which like the rest of the neighborhood, is seeing an increasing number of new developments appear. 383 was recently redeveloped via Los Sures, a community-based, non-profit focused on rehabilitating the south side of Williamsburg for low-income families and individuals. Of the available affordable units, two- and three-bedrooms will be priced between $1,440-$2,198 and $1,664-$2,538 respectively, adjusted for household income.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

August 4, 2017

There are historic details in the bathroom of this $2.3M Park Slope brownstone duplex

By Emily Nonko

Converted from a single-family brownstone mansion, this Park Slope duplex still has much of its historic detailing on display--even in the bathroom. The home is located at 120 Prospect Park West, a stretch that faces Prospect Park and is known for impressive architecture built for wealthy Brooklynites. The modern-day asking price is $2.3 million for two levels of the building, one of which is the parlor floor, about 2,000 square feet awash in wood carvings and stained glass.
You'll want to see the bathroom

Apply for 64 affordable units in new Brownsville supportive housing building, from $670/month

Rendering of Stone House via Urban Architecture Initiatives

August 3, 2017

Apply for 64 affordable units in new Brownsville supportive housing building, from $670/month

By Dana Schulz

Construction began in 2015 for the Stone House at 91 Junius Street, a six-story, 161-unit building on the border of Brownsville and East New York. The supportive housing initiative comes via nonprofit Win, the largest provider of shelter for homeless families in New York City, who run two shelters just to the north of this site, according to CityRealty. The Stone House will reserve 96 units for homeless families and 64 for low-income households earning 50 or 60 percent of the area media income. The latter group has now become available through the city's affordable housing lottery, with apartments ranging from $670/month studios to $1,224 three-bedrooms, all of which have access to the building's offerings such as ground-floor retail, on-site laundry, a community room, outdoor playground, and on-site social services.
See the qualifications

Affordable Housing

Celebrate Coney Island’s history with free events at Deno’s Wonder Wheel Park this Saturday

Deno’s Wonder Wheel courtesy of kzoop’s Flickr

August 3, 2017

Celebrate Coney Island’s history with free events at Deno’s Wonder Wheel Park this Saturday

By Devin Gannon

While New Yorkers have been celebrating the historic seaside resort all summer long, this weekend the Coney Island History Project is hosting its seventh annual history day. On Saturday, August 5, from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m., attendees can learn about all of the classic rides and attractions of Deno’s Wonder Wheel Park, take a self-guided tour, and listen to free folksy music. Since it was built in 1920, more than 40 million people have experienced the park’s iconic Wonder Wheel.
Details ahead

Events & Things To Do

August 2, 2017

A jungle-like loft near the Williamsburg waterfront asks $4,500 a month

By Emily Nonko

This apartment may not have an outdoor space, but it's boasting the next best thing. That would be tons and tons of greenery tucked into every corner of the apartment--a loft with more jungle-like vibes than industrial ones. It's located in a former warehouse at 63 North 3rd Street, just off the North Williamsburg waterfront. It's got the regular loft aesthetic: high ceilings, big windows, exposed pipes, and one wide open space, but it's all the interior landscaping that really makes the space unique.
You'll find plants everywhere

Distinctive Homes

In 1894, the first bike lane in America was built on Brooklyn’s Ocean Parkway

Photo by Kai Brinker on Flickr

August 1, 2017

In 1894, the first bike lane in America was built on Brooklyn’s Ocean Parkway

By Devin Gannon

While many New Yorkers can be seen trekking through Brooklyn on their bikes today, the borough’s infatuation with cycling actually dates back to the 19th century. On June 15, 1894, Ocean Parkway became the first street in the U.S. to have a designated bike lane. The nearly five-mile stretch of road was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, the urban planning masterminds behind Central Park and Prospect Park. Originally, their design for Ocean Parkway was to be one of four spokes originating at Prospect Park and spanning across the borough. Today, the road doesn’t actually start at the park but runs parallel to Coney Island Avenue to reach the beach.
The full history this way

History

520 Fifth Avenue

Midtown West

Live at the center of NYC

1 beds starting at $2,445,000
2 beds starting at $3,435,000
3 beds starting at $6,775,000

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