Brownstones

Gaze at your fairytale garden from the glass atrium in this $6.1M Fort Greene brownstone

Photos courtesy of Serhant

October 4, 2022

Gaze at your fairytale garden from the glass atrium in this $6.1M Fort Greene brownstone

This 19th-century townhouse at 11A South Portland Avenue sits just steps from the entrance to Fort Greene Park. Asking $6,125,000, the 4,913-square-foot three-family property counts among its standout features seven fireplaces, a verdant garden, historic details, and modern upgrades like a dual cooling/heating HVAC system. Within, antique chandeliers, crown molding, and ceiling medallions are framed by high ceilings, herringbone hardwood floors with border inlays, tall mahogany windows, doorway arches, marble, and polished stone tiles.
Take the classic brownstone tour

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Asking $4.3M, this historic Harlem brownstone is move-in ready and dressed to impress

Listing photos by Carol McGuinness and Daniel Wang

October 1, 2021

Asking $4.3M, this historic Harlem brownstone is move-in ready and dressed to impress

By Dana Schulz

This gorgeous Neo-Grec home in Harlem's coveted Mount Morris Park Historic District is perfectly preserved on the exterior, and the interiors, though they've been somewhat updated, retain much of their old-world charm. Located at 102 West 123rd Street and on the market for $4,295,000, the home is composed of an owner's triplex plus ground-floor apartment. Throughout, you'll find loads of original paneling, moldings, and stained glass transoms along with stylish but period-appropriate upgrades.
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Asking $17.95M, this stately Carnegie Hill brownstone has a brick solarium and magical garden

Listing photos by Eitan Gamliely for Sotheby’s International Realty

September 30, 2021

Asking $17.95M, this stately Carnegie Hill brownstone has a brick solarium and magical garden

By Dana Schulz

The brownstones of Carnegie Hill are some of the most regal on the Upper East Side, and this seven-bedroom stunner at 25 East 92nd Street is definitely no exception. Listed for $17,950,000, the 100-year-old house has over 7,000 square feet of interior space and 944 square feet of beautiful planted gardens and terraces. A unique brick solarium, tons of wood built-ins, and a wine cellar are just some of the special features you'll find here.
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Stained glass transoms and lacy woodwork steal the show at this $4M Bed-Stuy brownstone

Listing photos by DDreps

September 2, 2021

Stained glass transoms and lacy woodwork steal the show at this $4M Bed-Stuy brownstone

By Dana Schulz

In Stuyvesant Heights, this beautiful brownstone was fully gut renovated and restored to perfection by Shakespeare Gordon Vlado Architects. But that doesn't mean there aren't plenty of historic details. From stained glass transom windows to tons of tracery to delicately carved moldings, the home is dripping in elegant 19th-century architecture. For the 21st century, there's a large skylit extension on two floors and more than 5,000 square feet of living space, including a garden-level rental unit. All of this and more is asking $3,950,000.
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$5.75M brownstone in historic Harlem has a secret garden

Listing photos courtesy of The Corcoran Group

September 2, 2020

$5.75M brownstone in historic Harlem has a secret garden

By Dana Schulz

The brownstones of Harlem's Mount Morris Park Historic District are some of the most beautiful in Manhattan, like this one at 105 West 122nd Street, which is breathtaking inside and out. This grand, Italianate home was built in 1920 and underwent a gut renovation in 2008 in which historic details like stained glass, woodwork, and moldings were all restored. It also included a new design for the rear garden, which is now a magical retreat. The five-bedroom home is now listed for $5,750,000.
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$6M Park Slope brownstone has an old-world wine cellar and four outdoor spaces

Photo credit: Shannon Dupre

September 1, 2020

$6M Park Slope brownstone has an old-world wine cellar and four outdoor spaces

By Dana Schulz

Take one look at the old-world wine cellar at this Park Slope brownstone, and it'll make perfect sense that the owners are selling because they're winemakers relocating to California. And the absolutely gorgeous home, listed for $6 million, also has plenty of places to enjoy a nice glass of vino, including four outdoor spaces. The townhouse was completely renovated, retaining its impeccable historic details, while adding modern conveniences and a wonderful, income-producing apartment on the garden floor.
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There’s a basement basketball court at this $35M Upper West Side brownstone

Listing photos courtesy of Brown Harris Stevens

August 10, 2020

There’s a basement basketball court at this $35M Upper West Side brownstone

By Dana Schulz

And that's just the beginning. In addition to a basketball court in the basement, this $35 million Upper West Side brownstone has 21 rooms, four outdoor spaces, a wine cellar, and a personal gym. The home at 32 West 76th Street just came out of a multi-year renovation that left it with and some serious contemporary flair and nearly 11,000 square feet of indoor living space.
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Photo credit: Gamut Photos

July 30, 2020

Second Empire brownstone in Fort Greene has been beautifully restored for $4M

By Dana Schulz

There's something very romantic about this brownstone at 374 Vanderbilt Avenue in Fort Greene. The interiors have been beautifully preserved and the home modernized, but not so much so that it's lost its old-world charm. The five-bedroom Second Empire townhouse was built in 1899 and is part of the Fort Greene Historic District. It's asking $3,995,000, and has a studio apartment in the basement level for added income.
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Cobble Hill townhouse with European flair can be your ‘temporary paradise’ for $21K/month

Photos courtesy of The Corcoran Group

March 26, 2020

Cobble Hill townhouse with European flair can be your ‘temporary paradise’ for $21K/month

By Dana Schulz

From the outside, this corner Cobble Hill townhouse is classic Brooklyn with its 1899 brick and brownstone facade, ornate doorframes, and stately bay windows. But inside, it's like stepping into a Parisian flat, with floor-to-ceiling arched windows, historic mantles and moldings, and a design aesthetic full of gold accents, lush fabrics, and an eclectic mix of classical furnishings. That said, the best part of this $21,000/month, five-bedroom rental is that it comes fully furnished.
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In Park Slope, this $500K compact co-op has a working fireplace and lots of brownstone charm

Image credit: RISE Media courtesy of The Corcoran Group.

January 21, 2020

In Park Slope, this $500K compact co-op has a working fireplace and lots of brownstone charm

By Michelle Cohen

This one-bedroom, pre-war co-op at 19 7th Avenue is just one flight up from a classic north Park Slope street. Asking $499,000, it has the proper postcard charm of a lovely landmarked brownstone–working fireplace included–and it's just a few blocks from Prospect Park.
Brooklyn brownstone charm, this way

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This classic Boerum Hill Italianate brownstone checks all of the boxes for $5M

By Michelle Cohen

At 20 feet wide, renovated in 2016 and complete with options for rental income and indoor-outdoor entertaining, the four-story townhouse at 355 Pacific Street is offering all the benefits of brownstone living in a pretty package. Built in 1869, this quintessential row house–it was featured on the 2016 Boerum Hill House and Garden Tour–on a postcard-perfect landmarked Boerum Hill block is asking $4,999 million. Inside are lots of original details and 21st-century amenities–including many wine fridges. There's also that covetable Brooklyn bonus of a backyard complete with mood lighting and a fire pit.
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Will restored details and a flawless renovation land $3.5M for this Bed-Stuy brownstone?

Images courtesy of Douglas Elliman.

November 18, 2019

Will restored details and a flawless renovation land $3.5M for this Bed-Stuy brownstone?

By Michelle Cohen

Brownstone-obsessed Brooklyn developers Dahill & Bunce have put their obsession to work in this 20-foot-wide Bed-Stuy townhouse, which, after a design-savvy renovation, they've served up for sale at a notable-for-the-neighborhood $3.495 million. The meticulous renovation puts all the right airy, livable modern finishes into place while preserving plenty of details that distinguish the 1882 Neo-Grec townhouse at 158 Halsey Street. The resulting three-bedroom triplex–plus garden apartment–totals about 4,000 square feet. The house has an extension which puts it at a rare 60 feet deep, and there are five private outdoor areas throughout.
More sexy brownstone interiors this way

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Photo credit: VHT, courtesy of The Corcoran Group

November 7, 2019

$6.2M Boerum Hill townhouse corners the market on luxury, from the roof deck to the wine cellar

By Michelle Cohen

This late 19th-century Italianate brownstone has the good fortune of occupying a corner lot at 471 State Street in Boerum Hill. That means the four-story, single-family home is filled with light all year 'round from northern, southern, and eastern exposures. Currently asking $6.195 million, the 20-foot-by-50-foot residence sits on a 100-foot-deep lot, with 14 rooms–including four bedrooms–within; those rooms are filled with as many pristine historic details, state-of-the-art contemporary finishes, and high-tech comforts as it's possible to put under one smart-looking ebony-corniced roof.
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May 20, 2019

This $6M Park Slope mansion is as stunning inside as it is outside, from finished basement to green roof

By Michelle Cohen

Just around the corner from Prospect Park at 60 Montgomery Place, this historic two-family head-turner of a townhouse is in good company, but four stories of preserved and perfectly renovated interiors and a few surprises set it apart from its elegant Park Slope neighbors. In addition to a finished basement, plaster walls, central air and a private garden, this distinctive home, asking $5.995 million, is crowned by a green roof with park views.
Tour the many floors of this gorgeous home

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The many rooms of this $4.6M Prospect Heights brownstone are as colorful as they are historic

Photos by Elizabeth Dooley, courtesy of Compass

May 9, 2019

The many rooms of this $4.6M Prospect Heights brownstone are as colorful as they are historic

By Michelle Cohen

Renovated brownstones may be lovely, but once you've seen a few, they tend to blend together in a blur of pale walls and chandeliers. This Prospect Heights gem at 130 St. Marks Avenue is a very intact two-family home complete with restored wood trim and paneling that resembles neither a museum nor the usual house-tour staple. Color sets each room apart, and, as the listing points out, updates were done with an artist's eye to highlight old details while adding modern design. As configured, the home, asking $4.575 million, has a five-bedroom owner's triplex and a one-bedroom rental apartment on the garden floor. There's plenty of charm left over for private outdoor spaces as well, including the little-known neighborhood bonus of an extra-long back yard.
Take a room-by-room tour

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April 17, 2019

Renovation Diary: A Clinton Hill townhouse makes room for layers of history and modernist design

By Michelle Cohen

Our Renovation Diary has been following 6sqft writer Michelle Cohen as she takes on the challenge of transforming a Brooklyn townhouse in the historic Clinton Hill neighborhood into a site-sensitive modern home. She previously shared plans for the 150-year-old building and the first big steps she and her husband, a public health lawyer and antique lighting dealer, have taken to make their dream home a reality, including two years of hunting, planning the renovation, and assembling the professionals needed to make it happen (and how the homeowners made the best of all the waiting time). With Landmarks' signoff and permits in hand, a year-long renovation began. Below, the results, with plenty of hindsight, advice, resources and construction photos on the way.
Hear from Michelle and see the transformation

February 12, 2019

Mariska Hargitay finds a buyer for her $9.75M Upper West Side brownstone

By Michelle Cohen

The "Law & Order: SVU" star and her husband, actor Peter Hermann, who bought the stunning Upper West Side brownstone for $10.7 million in 2012, had hoped to make it a $10.75 million brownstone when they put it on the market last fall. After a price cut to an unprofitable $9.75 million, the six-story, 6,000+ square-foot home at 45 West 84th Street is in contract, the New York Post reports. The couple reportedly decided to sell because their family needs have changed, though they've said they plan on staying in their beloved neighborhood.
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January 23, 2019

Sweet Hamilton Heights living at this historic $3.85M brownstone on Convent Avenue

By Alexandra Alexa

Homes along the coveted tree-lined Convent Avenue in Hamilton Heights rarely become available, but here's a chance to own a piece of NYC history. The five-bedroom brownstone at 325 Convent Avenue just hit the market with an asking price of $3,850,000. The last time this property sold was back in 2001 when it was snagged for a mere $585,000! This 4,500-square-foot brownstone is a fantastic investment filled with original details, a beautiful garden, and a manicured front lawn.
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October 17, 2018

‘Law & Order’ leading lady Mariska Hargitay lists stylish UWS brownstone for $10.75M

By Dana Schulz

It's hard to believe actress Mariska Hargitay has been starring as NYPD Lieutenant Olivia Benson on "Law & Order: SVU" for nearly two decades, but when it comes to her living situation, she likes to change things up a bit more. She and her husband, actor Peter Hermann, bought a stunning Upper West Side brownstone for $10.7 million in 2012, and they've now put it on the market for $10.75 million. Hermann told the Wall Street Journal that they've decided to sell because their "family needs have changed," but they'd remain in the neighborhood. The six-story, 6,000+ square-foot home is located at 45 West 84th Street, between Central Park West and Columbus, and is "loaded with color and vibrancy,” according to Hermann, thanks to a collaboration with designer Jeffrey Bilhuber.
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October 1, 2018

$3.5M brownstone in Carroll Gardens shows off its architectural bones with eccentric decor

By Devin Gannon

In the picture-perfect Brooklyn neighborhood of Carroll Gardens, a charming four-bedroom townhouse at 207 President Street has hit the market for $3.475 million. Built in 1890, the home boasts stunning architectural details like arched doorways, raw ceiling beams, exposed ductwork, rustic brick walls, and tin ceilings, as well as coveted outdoor space and a deck that overlooks the garden.
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July 3, 2018

Stars and stripes highlight new-old-fashioned style in this $10.5M Brooklyn Heights brownstone

By Michelle Cohen

This palatial five-story, 19th-century brownstone at 13 Monroe Place in Brooklyn Heights is a study in meticulously preserved historic detail integrated into a crisp, livable setting of all-American decor. After an 18-month renovation, the nearly 6,000-square-foot Yankee Doodle Dandy of a home appeared in Swedish Elle Decor, Paris Vogue, and MilK Magazine. Asking $10.5 million, the legal two-family dwelling is currently being used as a single-family home, complete with deck, backyard, gym, media room, and six bedrooms.
Tour this traditional tour-de-force

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June 27, 2018

Park Slope brownstone with fretwork, backyard pond and waterfall asks $4M

By Hannah Frishberg

Just two blocks from Prospect Park, this four-story brownstone is rich with original details as well as recent additions. The home is right at the edge of the Park Slope Historic District and, according to the designation report, is a neo-Italian Renaissance brownstone built circa 1895 by one Walter M. Coats. The home has had the same owners for decades and is currently configured as an owner's triplex over a garden rental with private entrance, and it's asking just under $4 million.
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May 17, 2018

Holly Hunter lists historic Fort Greene townhouse for $4.5M

By Michelle Sinclair Colman

Holly Hunter seems to be a perennial house hunter. In 2014, the Academy Award-winning actress sold her Greenwich Village apartment for $7.6 million. Now, she’s selling again, according to the Post. Hunter has just listed her 19th-century Brooklyn brownstone at 20 South Oxford Street, half a block away from Fort Greene Park, for $4.5 million. Built in 1864, the four-bedroom Italianate home is filled with original details.
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L/AND/A transforms a dark Bed-Stuy row house into a spacious, sun-drenched dream

Photo by Kevin Kunstadt

April 13, 2018

L/AND/A transforms a dark Bed-Stuy row house into a spacious, sun-drenched dream

By Michelle Sinclair Colman

LIGHT AND AIR, better known as L/AND/A, is a New York-based architecture and design studio led by architect and artist Shane Neufeld. Established in 2017, L/AND/A takes a “primal approach” to architecture by reducing design to its essential components to find clarity in a hectic world. Neufeld believes, "architecture is most powerful when elemental, and that spatial clarity and specificity have the potential to shape distinct experiences that ultimately enrich our lives- reconnecting people to their environments in meaningful and surprising ways.” This is just what Neufeld has done in his most recent project.
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Architecture And Design

March 20, 2018

Original Park Slope ‘brownstoner’ lists his Victorian wonderland for $4M

By Michelle Cohen

When Clem Labine bought the townhouse at 199 Berkeley Place in Park Slope for $25,000 back in 1966, Brooklyn was a very different place. Among the original wave of "brownstoners" who bought dilapidated townhomes to give themselves more living space and put years of sweat equity into restoring them, Labine, now 81, went on to found Old-House Journal (“Restoration and Maintenance Techniques for the Antique House”), and live in the painstakingly-preserved home for over 50 years (h/t Brownstoner). The Neo-Grec-style house was was built in 1883 along with 10 other homes. A much-subdivided rental SRO when Labine rescued it, it's now an impressive two-family home listed for $3.895 million.
Gaze at this well-preserved brownstone treasure

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