Brownstones

January 23, 2015

Politician Peter Kostmayer Buys $2M Clinton Hill Brownstone

Democratic politician Peter H. Kostmayer, best known for his seven terms in the U.S. House of Representatives and for his infamous 1992 divorce during which his ex wife publicly endorsed his Republican opponent, bought a lovely Clinton Hill townhouse for $2,144,000, according to city records. Located at 14 Saint James Place, the four-story Italianate brownstone recently underwent a gut renovation that combines historic details like crown moldings and mantles in every room with modern conveniences like a perfect-for-entertaining backyard and high-end appliances.
Check out the rest of Kostmayer's new home here

December 30, 2014

Jessica Helgerson-Designed Brooklyn Brownstone Features Colorful Modern Design

By Aisha Carter

When a young couple commissioned Jessica Helgerson Interior Design to furnish their recently-remodeled Fort Greene townhouse, the team jumped at the opportunity. The clients–pop art enthusiasts with a fondness for modern designs and bold hues–requested vibrant colors and a playful vibe. And that’s exactly what JHID, headed up by project manager Chelsie Lee, gave them.
See inside the bold and beautiful home here

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December 23, 2014

WE Design’s Brownstone Renovation Melds the Old with Mid-Century Modern Touches

By Diane Pham

We've featured the work of WE Design before, but here's another one of their Brooklyn beauties that's captured our attention. In a gut renovation of a historic brownstone, the architects brought a 19th century home right into the 21st by juxtaposing the old and the new and making way for spaces that are all about modern living.
Have a look inside this stunning home

December 17, 2014

$2.5M Romanesque Revival Rowhouse in Prospect Heights Is Full of Original Details

By Dana Schulz

"I want something with character." This is definitely a line brokers hear all the time. And if their current character-seeking client is looking to move to brownstone Brooklyn, this $2.5 million Romanesque Revival rowhouse in Prospect Heights is the perfect place to satisfy their check list. Located at 268 Prospect Place, the three-bedroom, 2,430-square-foot home was built by William L. Beers in 1899. It's oozing with historic details, including six fireplaces, stained glass transom windows, moldings galore, a carved wood staircase, sand wood floors, original wainscoting, cornices, and shutters.
Tour the historic home here

December 4, 2014

NYC Sees a 24 Percent Increase in Construction Loans, Especially in Brownstone Brooklyn

By Dana Schulz

It's that time again when everyone starts looking back on the year as it comes to a close, but it's also the time to look ahead to the new year. We already know 2015 will bring a slew of new developments to the New York City skyline, and right on trend with that forecast, Bloomberg has reported that construction loans are up 24 percent in the city. On-the-rise neighborhoods like Bed-Stuy and Harlem are being aided by the construction loan boom, especially for the renovation of multi-family buildings. The loans, often well over $1 million, are appealing for gentrifying areas because they usually require borrowers to only begin making interest payments once the renovation is complete. For example, a Clinton Hill resident secured a $800,000 construction loan to renovate a century-old multi-family brownstone and estimates that the value of the home will more than double to at least $2.2 million after the renovation.
More information here

December 3, 2014

Roman and Williams-Designed Brooklyn Brownstone is an Eclectic Mix of Curiosities

By Dana Schulz

Interior design buffs are undoubtedly familiar with J. Crew Creative Director Jenna Lyons's former home; it was featured in countless magazines and blogs, hailed for its mix of traditional pieces with mid-century modern and pops of color. But in 2012, after a bidding war that included prospective buyers being asked to write personal essays, she sold the 19th century Park Slope pad for $4 million to Vince Clarke, founder of Depeche Mode, and his wife Tracy Martin, CEO of the Morbid Anatomy Museum. And needless to say, they gave the 4,000-square-foot home quite the overhaul, infusing it with a mix of historic styles and curious touches that could serve double duty in Martin's taxidermy-filled museum. The masterminds behind the transformation were Robin Standefer and Stephen Alesch, the founders of design firm Roman and Williams, who created a home that looks like it was furnished in the last century. Their goal was to embrace the home’s historic details while achieving an idiosyncratic and moody approach.
Tour the curiosity-filled home here

November 18, 2014

Picturesque Upper West Side Brownstone with Skylit Art Studio Asks $8.75 Million

By Rebecca Paul

Nothing says the Upper West Side quite like images of quaint townhouses above sidewalks of tree-lined streets, and this beautiful brownstone up for sale fits right in. Located at 139 West 87th Street, the grand, recently restored property is in perfect move-in condition. The home includes approximately 4,000 square feet, 4-6 bedrooms and an abundance of luxurious and historic details. The current asking price for this classic piece of New York architecture is $8.75 million.
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Distinctive Homes

October 19, 2014

Inside the Historic $6M Bed-Stuy Mansion with a Presidential Connection

By Diane Pham

Bed-Stuy's most expensive single-family home has a set of new photos that gives us a closer look into the work that's been put into bringing this storied home back to life. Designed by Montrose Morris and modeled after a Gilded Age Vanderbilt mansion along Fifth Avenue, this spectacular house known as 'The Kelley Mansion' was built for water meter magnate John Kelley in 1900. The mansion was a favorite hangout of Kelley's pal President Grover Cleveland and has for the better part of its existence been affectionately referred to as the 'Grand Dame' of Hancock Street. The home fell into disrepair over the decades, but savior Claudia Moran, a retired ad exec, dedicated a great deal of her time and money restoring the mansion after buying it up for just $7,500 in the 1980s. It's now selling for $6 million.
Take a look inside the incredible mansion

Photo by brandon king cc

October 15, 2014

Bed-Stuy: From Harlem and Hip-Hop to Hipsters, Hassids and High Rents

By Annie Doge

Brooklyn is changing fast and at the forefront of this is Bedford-Stuyvesant—or as it's more commonly known, Bed-Stuy. Like most New York neighborhoods, Bed-Stuy has had its ups and downs, its most notable down being the 80s and 90s when crime and drugs were at a record high. But as hard as the times may have gotten, the neighborhood has maintained itself as one of the city's most culturally significant. Bed-Stuy has long been home to one of the largest concentrations of African-Americans in New York, it boasts beautiful well-preserved architecture spanning countless styles and centuries, and of course, there is the neighborhood's central role in the hip-hop movement.
More on the history and future of Bed-Stuy

<b>Renovation Diary Part II: Choosing the Right Architect for the Job</b>

Image © Sarah Ross via flickr cc.

October 14, 2014

Renovation Diary Part II: Choosing the Right Architect for the Job

By Michelle Cohen

Our Renovation Diary series follows 6sqft writer Michelle Cohen as she takes on the challenge of transforming her historic Clinton Hill townhouse into a site-sensitive modern home. In Part I she shared her experience of defining a plan of action and getting started and this week she takes on the all important task of choosing an architect. One of the first steps in our renovation project was to hire an architect. The house is in a historic district, so we have to submit all alteration plans to the Landmarks Preservation Commission; we wanted to find someone who was very familiar with that process. We also wanted to find someone who was familiar with working on renovating old brownstones, and someone whose style we liked. Someone who comes with lots of good recommendations. And, not least of all, someone we could even close to afford. In our case he or she would be our main point person on the project, and, ostensibly, our advocate in any dispute that would occur later on.
Find out how to choose the right architect for your project and your budget.

$3M Park Slope Brownstone is Perfect for Multigenerational Living

By Stephanie Hoina

Not only is this rare 1882 brownstone situated in the heart of one of New York City’s quintessential family-friendly neighborhoods, the home itself is perfectly suited for familial bonding of another kind – multigenerational living. With an owner’s triplex over a floor-through garden apartment, this lovely residence at 107 St. John’s Place in Park Slope speaks to the time-honored tradition of sharing space with extended family. But if you’re not quite ready for the whole “Everybody Loves Raymond” scenario, having a sought-after income-producing rental is still a wonderful perk, and only one of the home’s many charms.
See more of this classic 1882 brownstone

<b>Renovation Diary: Defining a Dream, Assembling a Team</b>

The one that didn’t get away.

October 8, 2014

Renovation Diary: Defining a Dream, Assembling a Team

By Michelle Cohen

Our Renovation Diary series follows 6sqft writer Michelle Cohen as she takes on the challenge of transforming her historic Clinton Hill townhouse into a site-sensitive modern home. This week she shares her plans for the storied structure and the first big step she's taken to make her dream home a reality: assembling the professionals needed to make it happen. After two years of tireless searching, we finally took the big, scary step of buying an old townhouse on a leafy block in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Clinton Hill. We loved the house at first sight; but to understate matters a bit, it needs some work. It’s a fixer-upper, though far from a wreck. This renovation diary is an attempt to share what we learn over the next many months as this terrifying adventure unfolds, and let others learn from our mistakes!
Find out more about the huge renovation adventure we have ahead of us and what the first important decisions are.

NYC Guides

September 22, 2014

Bright and Sunny Carroll Gardens Townhouse Sells for $2M

By Annie Doge

Bright, beautiful, and boasting plenty of space, one lucky buyer just scooped up this stunning townhouse at 297 Hoyt Street in Carroll Gardens for $2,175,500, according to city records released today. The brownstone home is currently configured in a two-family setup, but can easily be converted to one, adding an additional 1,300 square feet to the already spacious footprint. And with a private garden, full basement, and lots of original details, it will likely be hard for this home's new owner not to keep the entire townhouse to themselves.
Take a look inside

September 17, 2014

Beautiful Brownstone Mansion on Prospect Park Asks $7 Million

By Aisha Carter

What if you had the opportunity to live in a 7,000-square-foot brownstone mansion on a picturesque block just a stone’s throw away from Prospect Park? That’s just a taste of what 312 Garfield Place has to offer, for $6.995 million. It is believed that the brilliant home was built by developer William Flannigan for New York businessman J. J Galligan sometime during the turn of the 20th century. The resulting five-story building has a distinct Victorian charm with a light Renaissance touch.
Take a look inside, here

September 10, 2014

Anatomy of a Killer Flip: The Townhouse Everybody Wanted Heads Back to the Market

By Michelle Cohen

In January of 2013, in the dead of winter, an 1899 detail-laden Italianate townhouse fixer-upper at 102 Gates Avenue hit an inventory-starved rising market. The listing price of $1.295 million, was a double-take for many, even though it was less than what properties like it were selling for in the area. Fast forward to September 2014, where renovations, which commenced almost immediately after the sale, are nearing completion (and according to reports, they’ve been done right). Word is that the house is about to head back to the market—at more than twice its winter selling price.
Find out why 375 people waited in the cold for the first open house

August 28, 2014

More and More Brownstone Owners Are Turning Their Homes into Condos

By Diane Pham

For all of you who've stared down a four-story brownstone and wondered "What family needs all that space?", the answer appears to be not many. According to the folks over at Douglas Elliman, more and more owners of Brooklyn brownstones are carving their homes into multiple condos for resale. The piecemeal move they say not only manages to bring in more bucks than an individual sale, but also welcomes more housing without compromising the integrity of a neighborhood—i.e. they help keep tall, glass towers at bay.
More on the trend here

Real Estate Trends

August 13, 2014

Fort Greene Co-op Puts You Squarely in the Middle of Brownstone Paradise

By Stephanie Hoina

There’s a reason Forgotten New York toyed with the label “Brownstone Paradise” for Fort Greene’s South Portland Avenue and Time Out New York named it one of the “50 Best Blocks in NYC”: living here is like owning a little slice of heaven. When you think of a classic brownstone, 21 South Portland Avenue is exactly what comes to mind – along with all of its similar-looking neighbors on both sides of the street. On closer inspection, the varying ornamentation becomes apparent, and each building exudes its own distinct personality, contributing to the street’s reputation as one of Brooklyn’s most coveted and gorgeous.
Check out what's inside this beautiful brownstone

Distinctive Homes

August 8, 2014

Humberto Leon is Second Opening Ceremony Cofounder in a Week to Buy a Brooklyn Townhouse

By Dana Schulz

Last week we learned that Opening Ceremony cofounder Carol Lim picked up a $3.43 million Prospect Heights townhouse, and it looks like her partner Humberto Leon got a bit of apartment envy, because he too just purchased a brownstone in nearby Park Slope. The two fashion magnates met 19 years ago at the University of California, Berkeley and have been joined at the hip ever since, turning their brand into an international destination for streetwise style. So it's no wonder that their homes share a few similarities; both are four stories, have picturesque backyard spaces, and retain a good amount of historic details. According to city records, Leon nabbed his new digs at 758 Union Street for the asking price of $2.85 million.
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July 26, 2014

Sunny Park Slope Townhouse Gets an Artsy Makeover from The Brooklyn Home Company

By Dana Schulz

From making the list of most popular baby names, to having whole stores devoted to its wares, Brooklyn has become quite the brand these days. But for a classic feel of living in the borough that bucks trends, we can always look to The Brooklyn Home Company for their tasteful, functional, and timeless spaces — like this stunning 5th Street Park Slope townhouse. The firm undertook the entire interior/exterior renovation, as well as the nine-foot extension that was added to the garden and parlor floors, those which the building owners occupy. They transformed the space with a mix of historic and modern details, custom built-ins, and impressive millwork. During the demolition, the original beams were discovered behind the drop ceiling, a feature that was left exposed and now anchors the entire living space.
Take a tour through the rest of this expertly crafted home

June 19, 2014

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

By Dana Schulz

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

May 13, 2014

Decorative Brooklyn Heights Brownstone Closes for $7 Million

By Dana Schulz

A beautiful, Italianate brownstone at 37 Remsen Street in the Brooklyn Heights Historic District sold for $7 million through a listing held by Brown Harris Stevens. It was originally listed for $6.2 million when it went on the market in January. The buyer is Jeremiah T. Healey, former Jersey City Mayor from 2004-2013, and his wife Megan McKee Healey, a tax law professor at NYU. Built in 1899, the 25-foot-wide, 7,000-square-foot home retains a wealth of historic details including fanlight windows, cast iron vent covers, etched pocket doors, and wood-paneled chair rails. The decorative elements such as ceiling medallions, painted borders, and fancy ceiling moldings were likely to the taste of the previous owner, but they certainly add a bit of whimsy to the classical home.
More photos of the five-story regal brownstone this way

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