It’s slim pickings this week on the real estate front! Most of the properties looked OK, but I thrive on finding properties that make me laugh and/or cry because they are such disasters and on properties that are gorgeous beyond words. This week everything was just dandy, but not so interesting. Here’s hoping that next week’s real estate search will be more satisfying.
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RENTALS
Pick of the Week (#2 below)
#1 — $1550 — 1-2 br: It looks really adorable with the exposed brick and the French door leading to the kitchen area. There are three apartments available in this brownstone, but hopefully your $1550 will get you the one with the garden access. There’s an open house this Sunday from 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. so check it out.
Hancock and Stuyvesant Utica A/C
PICK OF THE WEEK! #2 — $1500 — 1 br: This is a lovely apartment with access to a huge backyard. This is why you’d rent in Bed-Stuy. Most people would pay $1500 just to have that walk-in closet with the cool lighting. Plus it has 1.5 baths! I will admit that I really don’t like the half bathroom, because it has one of those odd layouts that you only find in New York City–the toilet and the sink are on opposite walls almost facing each other. But who cares? Let your guests deal with it. It’s a guest bath anyway, right?
Nostrand and Who Knows? Bedford-Nostrand G and Nostrand A/C
#3 — $1500 — 2.5 br: If you’re going to call your apartment sun-drenched, then please take a picture when it’s sunny outside so we can see the apartment drenched in sun. That’s Staging 101, people! (Actually, I think they would teach this in the remedial staging course, the one that the dull people would be required to take before they entered Staging 101.) Anyway, I know that these dark pictures don’t do the apartment any justice, and that’s why I like this rental. What makes it a keeper? The price is right and they have DISHWASHERS IN ALL OF THE UNITS. Sold!
Quincy and Tompkins Bedford-Nostrand G
SALES
Halsey and Stuyvesant (#3 below)
#1 — $699,000 — 3 family: I think this is a nice looking townhouse, although it lacks the details that many people look for in these homes. There are already two tenants in the rentals and the vacant apartment is a 3 bedroom. I want to like this place a lot more, but in my opinion, the price seems a little high, especially for Vernon Avenue. Vernon is one of those avenues that has some blocks with potential, if only some of the owners would either fix up their properties or sell them. I’m not quite sure about the block this property is on, but if the vacant house next door is getting renovated then maybe things are looking up for this block.
Vernon Avenue Myrtle-Willoughby G
#2 — $815,000 — 1 family: I love the details and I think the bathroom floor is kewl. It’s so spacious and the backyard is a dream! What’s not to like? The price! But it’s so well kept and it looks like the houses on either side are well maintained as well (that’s always considered a bonus when you’re looking at properties in Bed-Stuy). It’s definitely worth an open house visit.
Stuyvesant and Malcolm X Utica A/C
#3 — $695,000 — 1 family: This is a beautiful 4 story brownstone. I like the building’s facade–Alexa11221 told me what the terminology for this type of building is, but I immediately forgot what she said as soon as she said it because I can’t remember architectural terms. Let’s just call them “uneven fronts.” That step-like effect is visually interesting, especially when there are a lot of brownstones on the block with this feature. There is an open house scheduled for this Sunday at 2:00 p.m. so you can see it in person.
Halsey and Stuyvesant Utica A/C
#4 — $835,000 — 2 family: Good thing this is a convent, because you’re going to need the Lord to help you figure out how to pay for this and to figure out how fix it up. That protrusion at the top of the roof looks interesting, but the lack of interior shots says a lot. Even if it is a big job, I think it would be fun to fix this up and find old photos of the convent when it was still operating to hang on your walls. Sometimes it’s nice to live in a property that has a story to tell.
Somewhere between Patchen and Ralph Halsey J
Rental #1′s pricing is odd. Why not charge more for the backyard and the laundry?! I assume the others don’t have access. That block is nice.
Rental #3 can’t be sun drenched if there is a wall in the middle of the floor blocking hte light coming in.
Sales #3 recently had the facade redone. It needs work and it is right next to Solomon’s porch. I hope you like jazz music! btw: there are some tenants over Solomon’s porch that are very, very, nasty.
Sales #3: I guess that explains the suspiciously low pricing. Maybe you can take a couple of thousand and throw it into soundproofing, or better yet, just spend your evenings at Solomon’s Porch.
What’s up with the people above Solomon’s Porch? I always thought that corner was nice with the little shops and that little organic market on Halsey across from the bus stop.
The corner has great potential, but some of the tenants are pure trash. The cops are constantly coming by to stop fights and keep an eye on the “billard parlor” on the Halsey side. Tenants used to harass people who walked by as they hung out on the stoop on the Halsey side. With the cops, they keep inside more. The janitor of that building likes to walk around preaching salvation to any parked car that is willing to listen.
AND SOLOMON’S PORCH HAS A HUGE RAT INFESTATION.
The rats are huge and are all over the garbage that they keep just outside of the place, but not in the proper metal bins with lids. I can’t imagine this sale avoids the rats.
I wish Solomon’s Porch would clean up its garbage. I love the club aspect, but they need to get a hold of that trash.
Rumor is that the current owners of the building might sell and Solomon’s Porch mgmt want to buy the place and turn it to co-ops/condos. I am not holding my breath.
OK, some good news on that corner – The organic market is expanding their produce selection and Barbara’s shop on the south side of Halsey is doing really well. (Shout out to Barbara!)
Rentals:
1. Ground floor has a laundry room, and I agree why not more money for the backyard. Awesome location in Stuy Heights.
2. Nice kitchen, love the wainscotting pretty and different design. Crown molding is nice too against the pale yellow walls. Are bars on the front windwos really safe this way, since that are only on the top half. Someone can still climib in? Any one have an explanation?
3. Looks like some sun in those pictures to me. Where is the dishwasher in the kitchen, next to fridge? All wall cabinets are windowed, is this a good thing to see all the labels of your food?
Sales:
1. Veryplain house, and the price is high, with ugly houses on either side.
2. Green trim is ugly, and it’s a plain house, and only 1 family, high cost.
3. What is the term for this shape house? It’s a very odd shape to work with. The brownstone detail is nice, but still odd. Alexa do you know the term? What’s with the pic of the curtain over the stained glass – what affect is this? Some of the rooms looks dark and odd.
4. Looks like it’s on the highway in the middle of no where.
Always thought Solomon’s Porch was THE place that really made Bedstuy, having never gone there. I’m shocked to hear of the rat problems, bad tenants upstairs, etc. etc. It looked like a cool jazz club to me, with many diverse people going there. What newbie says scares me about one of the best corners I thought existed in Bedstuy. I never saw garbage there, only graffiti on their building, but it looked like the only real hip club in the area.
Sale #2, the only detail to speak of is the molding and they screwed that up by putting in new doors that are too short. Ugh, am I starting to sound like one of those nasty people on brownstoner?
you are too funny.
i love the POTW… the kitchen rules. sales #4 is creepville central. darn right they need the lord… for an exorcism!
@ Sally: (Rental #2) I think that may just be the lighting that makes the wrought iron bars look like they are only on the top half of the window. (R #3) Yeah, I think they have one of those narrow dishwashers to the left of the fridge. As for windowed cabinets, I’d love to have them, but I think they would trigger an obsessive-compulsive streak in me. I would go crazy trying to make sure that all of the cans and boxes were neat with their labels facing outward. It would probably make me insane. Better for me to have the regular you-can’t-see-what’s-in-’em-until-you-open-’em cabinets.
@rh: (Sale #2) Yeah, rh, that was a tad Brownstonerish!
My untrained eyes didn’t pick up on it, but I clicked through and took a second look. Yup, you called them out! Good job! I suppose they should have had one of those regal wood doors with the stained glass at the top for this antechamber or whatever it’s called. But look at the two properties on either side–neat, clean and the stoops look well-maintained. Isn’t that worth something?
Aw, come on, mine wasn’t as bad as Sally’s!
I guess I noticed it because we did something like that in a bedroom and I hate it. But we have molding like that in our hallways and we found antique doors to match. They could’ve found these doors at Eddie’s Salvage for no money.
Are the stoops on either side worth $815k? Maybe, for that location.
what’s the term for the facade of sales #3?
OK, Thechangeling is kind of leading you astray because there isn’t really a specific term. Technically it’s a bay-front, and that’s probably what I told her, but I’m not sure that it’s in general usage.
BTW, a “bay” is angular and a “bow” is rounded. So my house is bow-front and that house is bay-front. In fact, it is an asymmetrical bay-front (or possible bayfront).
There are a lot of these in Bed-Stuy, particular on the ends of blocks–they step back from the corner to frame the block. It’s a really pretty effect, although the blocks are so long it’s relatively subtle. Check it out the next time you go for a walk.
OK, I apologize for my typo above that makes me sound dumb. It should read “possibly bayfront” because I suppose you could just use the term without the hyphen and that might be correct as well. But maybe only architecture history and grammar geeks like me would care.
Also, for it to be a symmetrical bay front it needs to be a tripartite bay (with a 3rd side to the bay that angles back).
You see why I can’t remember these terms she’s talking about?
Alexa, I’m glad you chimed in, because “bayfront” sounds better than “uneven fronts” which to me sounds like a slang term for crooked teeth.
Uneven front, yeah get rid of that term. I love how they put then on the ends of blocks, although I’ve seen them in the middle I think. I’ll have to check the next time I go out walking.
Alexa I can’t believe you have a bowfront! Those are gorgeous and only on the nicest of blocks on the better streets of Bedstuy, particular in the heights section. You must be near the Utica A stop, where Macon, Bainbridge, and Stuyvesant Streets are. Oh how lucky.
#3 sales looks great but how do you know it’s a one family? I don’t see where it says this in the ad. It has 4 bathrooms and kitchens so it’s set up like a 4 family. Is it priced this way because it’s only a legal 1 family. Seems cheap for stuy heights area especially next to a happening place like Solomons Porch which always looks so cool.
I think I know Newbie2.
Anyway, that corner and the houses on that strip of Stuyvesant Ave. ARE cool. The houses are gorgeous. However, WHO would want to live right next to a club/jazz bar? The noise!
Solomon’s DOES have a horrible rat problem. Its disgusting as are the neighbors above and next door to Solomon’s. A bit scary in my opinion. However, despite all of this, I spend many a weekend on and around that corner between Solomon’s, Barbara’s store, Chonda’s store and other friends who live there.
I thought this corner of the hood was the coolest, and the most valuable area, especially because of Solomon’s. I’m surprised to hear the stories I do on this blog. Everytime I pass it I think is the most desirable corner in BedStuy. I see all these classy people of all racest in Solomon’s that I don’t see anywhere else. I can’t imagine a rat problem in a classy place like this, with the upscale atomsphere in there, and never have seen problems above the building or neighbors around it. Really puzzling.
Anonymous: Feel free to hang out on that corner when the boys are around and the “billiards parlor” is open and you will get a sense of what I and BedStuyNative are talking about.
The people who go to Solomon’s Porch are cool and the music and art are a great addition to the nabe, but the garbage, rats and tenants of the building are less than ideal
So you think you know who I am, BedStuyNative? Only The Changeling knows for sure and I ask her not to give away my identity for fear of losing my superpowers in the process.
@anonymous — there are bow-fronts scattered throughout the neighborhood (I don’t live in StuyHeights). But they are really pretty inside and out. I love the bowed front wall in my living room–it just feels so elegant. I was thrilled when we saw this house and realized we could afford it.
Not entirely sure Newbie2 but, the knowledge of the nasty rats, “billard’s parlor” and calling Barbara’s store “Barbara’s store” instead of that store with all of the stuff in the window makes me think we may know one another, if only in passing.
But, in the interest of you retaining your superpowers, I’ll pry no further.
Thank you, BedStuyNative! If you happen to see me, please feel free to say “Hi Newbie.” I will know you are BedStuyNative. This will protect your id and your superpowers as well!
I passed by Solomon’s Porch tonight around 10:30 p.m. and found it as quiet and peaceful as ever. Nothing happening above the restaurant, or in the house next door. Stuyvesant Avenue looks clean, and quiet as always. I’m surprised this stuff may happen there.
Solomon’s Porch is closed on Monday and there was a patrol car parked nearby. The building was quiet because the cops were in there earlier as there were drug deals going on.