Kitchens in progress @ the Washington Condos

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Fort Greene apartment rentals

We know of two apartments for rent, with a low broker's fee of 10%. Email us at ltjbukem@gmail.com if you are interesteed.

South Portland @ Fulton

1BR / 1.5 bath Garden Duplex 1950/mo 800 sq ft
Studio 1st fl garden apt 1525/mo 500 sq ft

THE FIX IS IN. Brought to you by the indomitable folks at Develop Don't Destroy Brooklyn. See: http://dddb.net/BUILD/IRS/index.php and http://dddb.net/BUILD/index.php. Quite damning evidence, if you ask me.

31 St. Felix Condos - firesale

The luxury condos we reported on earlier here and here have been given an unceremonious price drop by the developer. Originally asking $1.2, $1.3 and $1.5MM, they are now at $895K, $975K and $1.1MM.

Perhaps this will be the magic touch needed, much like when they reduced the price on the 242 Adelphi Condos. Soon after, 2 units went into contract.

Park Place Condos on Flatbush

More interesting condos coming to market soon at Park Place and Flatbush. These aren't the cookie-cutter layouts you've come to expect these days. There are some huge units here, including a strange 1 bedroom, 2 baths that is more than 1500 square feet large. You don't see too much of these peculiarly-sized apartments these days. Check out this huge unit with great outdoor space.

Lots of the units have outdoor space also.

It will be interesting to see the pricing on these. The corcoran site says studios start at $409K, but these are most likely the 640 sq ft units on the first floor.

J Condo - DUMBO alert - run now

After signing up on the J Condo site a few weeks ago, we get a call today letting us know that you can make appointments for their sales center starting NOW.

Nothing is on the Corcoran site in the way of listings, prices, etc. Indeed, clicking on their new development link sends you directly to the site above.

The caller let us know that they are already on their first amendment. Apparently sales started yesterday and there's already one amendment. But, does anyone smell a replay of 70 Washington here?

Calling for appointments, the multiple amendments, etc?

Floorplans are on the site. GE Profile appliances. No Subzero, Viking or Dornbracht here, folks.

How to stop eminent domain abuse

Develop Don't Destroy Brooklyn is organizing a how-to stop eminent domain night on October 5 from 6:30 to 9PM at Bric Studio at 57 Rockwell Place in Fort Greene.

New construction on Brownstoner

Brownstoner features the Washington Condos as a discussion point on whether there is any quality new construction out there.

Real Estate and Food meld in the MePa

This one isn't Brooklyn-centric, but it was too interesting to pass up. This week's Magazine has an article on a restaurant investor who's been involved with 5 Ninth and several other restaurant ventures. His latest one is called Fatty Crab, on Hudson St.

Rick Camac apparently has the golden touch - he doesn't have any trouble finding investors for his next 'it' restaurant, including a Corcoran real estate broker - Wendy Maitland. To quote her,

Wendy Maitland, a Manhattan real-estate broker and an early investor in both 5 Ninth and Fatty Crab, seems to agree with Camac's view. "I could've flipped three condos that would've brought a faster, easier, clearer return than 5 Ninth," she said. "But this is more creative." A longtime West Village resident, Maitland dines at 5 Ninth, often with clients, an average of once a week. "If we had a chef who was making food I didn't love, it wouldn't be any fun, but this makes me much happier than my stock portfolio."

Tastes & Sounds of Fulton fundraiser

October 13 from 6:30 to 9PM is the date for the Fulton St. fundraiser, to be held at the Lafayette Ave Presbyterian Church. Tickets, $35, can be purchased on the link.

More condos set for downtown Brooklyn

The Metrotech area will soon be home to 244 more condos. Set between Brooklyn Heights and Vinegar Hill, this new project will convert the former Verizon building into 244 market-rate condos.

This Art-Deco building was recently rezoned. Meridian Capital is providing the financing.

Public hearing on Atlantic Yards project

A public hearing has been scheduled on October 18 from 5-8PM in Brooklyn to solicit comments on the environmental impact analysis of the Atlantic Yards project on the surrounding community.

An email we received states:

The public scoping hearing is set for Tuesday, October 18, 2005 from 5:00 P.M. to 8:00 P.M. at New York City College of Technology, 285 Jay Street, Klitgord Auditorium, Brooklyn. Please plan to attend, as all concerned community members should be there, even if you don't plan to testify.

Review of Olea

A chowhounder gives their take on Olea, the new pan-Mediterranean tavern on Lafayette and Adelphi.

Cindy Sheehan in Fort Greene

Cindy Sheehan spoke at the Lafayette Avenue Presbyterian Church on Sunday night.

The meters are up on Fulton St.

Let the records state that September 17 is the date that parking in Fort Greene will become a cutthroat every-man-for-himself activity.

Meters have now gone up on Fulton, at least on the north side of Fulton between South Elliott and South Portland.

In other news, I won $2 from the newstand at the corner of Fulton and South Elliott playing Mega Millions...

Yahoo discussion group for the Washington Condos

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Progress? The scaffolding on Dean St. is now gone.

Cashing in on the condo boom

We received a flyer today touting the financial benefits of converting brownstones into condos. Sponsored by First Merchants Inc and Raphael & Marks LLC, they are holding two information sessions this coming week at the Montauk Club in Park Slope on September 21 and 22 from 6:30PM to 8:30PM.

Resale at Shinnecock Condos in Park Slope

Back when the Shinnecock Condos were being marketed by Brooklyn Properties, we found them to be fairly priced. Located less than a block from the Greenmarket at Grand Army Plaza, these apartments were priced from $555K for 1200 sq ft 2 bedroms and 2 baths to $1.8MM for full floor 2500 sq ft 3 bed, 3 baths.

Now, for the first time, we have seen a resale from Aguayo & Huebener. The unit for sale is $899K for a 2 bed, 2 bath unit. We're not sure what floor it's on, so we don't know how much the lucky owner will be making on their investment.

But if you're so inclined, there's an open house tomorrow from 1 to 3PM.

The NY Times visits Brooklyn

One author from the Times spends 36 hours in Brooklyn. Here's what he had to say about Fort Greene:

Saturday 11 a.m.
4) Fort Greene Français

Ease into the day in tree-shaded Fort Greene at Chez Oskar (211 DeKalb Avenue, 718-852-6250), where the brunch crowd is large but - like the neighborhood - easygoing. Grab a sidewalk table and start with a fresh strawberry mimosa ($6). Then go for the ham-and-cheese crepes ($8.50) as you watch the neighborhood pass by.

More petty crime in Ft. Greene / Clinton Hill

A reader reports an attempted wheel-jacking from his high-performance sports car:

I parked my car on Vanderbilt between DeKalb and Lafayette last night
around the corner from our house. This morning I noticed that I had a flat
tire, then I noticed some bolts on the ground near the wheel...THEN I
noticed that all of the lug nuts had been removed from ALL 4 of my wheels.
The car fell in such a way that the wheels wedged into the wheel wells of
the car. Basically, the idiot who tried to steal the wheels off of my car
failed because they didn't have a jack.

Besides being a major pain in the ass, I realized that had one of the tires
not popped under the weight of the car being dropped on it, I may have not
noticed and driven the car...which would have caused major damage/ injury.

Anyway, I purchased locking lug nuts today. $35 for a set of 4. If you
don't have them, I suggest you get them. On my to work this morning I
noticed another car literally sitting on the ground with no wheels.
Just thought you should be aware...

The police seemed disinterested when I called since nothing was
actually stolen...

Before we even knew them, Coach Peaches has been forced to shut its' Fort Greene operations by the boys in blue, presumably.

Quality of life issues in Fort Greene

As we stepped out of our apartment at 7AM this morning headed to work, there was a transient-type using a stalled bus as cover as he unzipped his pants and unloaded his bladder full of beer onto the sidewalk. He did flinch once as he thought the bus was about to move on, which would've blown his um, cover. Otherwise, he finished his business.

Then on the Ft. Greene kids board, someone reports their attempted mugging.

I was walking on Greene Avenue towards Waverly yesterday at around1:30PM
when I was grabbed from behind by a kid in a bicycle whoattempted to steal my
headphones-IPod or my purse (which is a smallbackpack). I almost fell on the
floor but I recovered and called thepolice immediately. They were there in one
minute and I took a drivewith them as their radios were informing that the kids
were picked upfrom the Lafayette-Gates corner. I had given an identification to
the911 operator and everything happened quickly. I identified the kid
butunfortunately, the one who they could charge was 13 years old while thebig
ones were staying in the corner but I could not point them directly.However,
cops were happy since the same group had assaulted many peoplein the
neighborhood and they are piling up evidence. The 13 year old isgoing to Family
Court and getting a slap in his hand (that is why thebig kids sent him, as cops
explained, since they can be charged asadults).It was a scary experience but I
felt cops responded very quickly to theincident.

Clinton Hill Mansion Tour

The Brooklyn Center for the Urban Environment hosts a 'Mansions of Clinton Hill' walking tour on Sunday, October 30th from 10:30am to 12:30pm.

Mansions of Clinton Hill with Joe Svehlak In addition to its streets of fine rowhouses, Clinton Hill contains a remarkable number of 19th century free-standing dwellings, including some of New York¡¦s oldest wooden-frame houses, built in a variety of Victorian styles. View these marvelous survivors and the great mansions of the Pratt family and other famous Brooklynites. Meet at the corner of Clinton and Gates Avenues. Take the C train to Clinton-Washington Avenue.

G train entrance at South Portland now open

The Fort Greene Association notifies us:

Fort Greeners,

To get home faster, now you can take the A-train to Hoyt-Schermerhorn, and transfer to the C or G, whichever comes first!

The South Portland Exit at Fulton Street of the G-train is now open!

You'll never have to walk thru that dank tunnel ever again!

Try the new exit on your way home from work today. When at Hoyt, wait near the middle of the platform.

If the C-train comes, catch it!

If the G-train comes, catch it!

Fort Greene - after Blimpies

It's been a few weeks since the Blimpies retail outlet opened up on the corner of South Elliott and Lafayette. Have the naysayers noticed any unusual degradation in their quality-of-life?

This location has garnered several mentions in the blogosphere, including brownstoner.com, this blog and the NY Times article from Jake Mooney.

In a cross-cultural twist-of-fate, we noticed a few weeks ago that this Blimpies also sells Indian kulfi, a kind of ice cream.

Aguayo should pay me?

Soon after we announced the opening of the Washington Condo website, curbed.com picked up on it. Owing to the broader audience that they reach, I'd say that this post itself will be good for at least two new sales in the next two weeks.

Washington Condo yahoo discussion group

A yahoo groups has been set up for the Washington Condos. Please feel free to join and let others know about the condominiums. To subsribe, email: thewashingtoncondo-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

The Washington Condos website

The website for the Washington Condos is now up. There are plenty of artist renderings that fade in and out. Calling the building a 'remarkable architectural statement,' the site contains the usual real estate-inspired prose, such as

The interior public garden inspired by zen tradition connects the striking glass
and metal designer lobby in each of the apartment towers. Relax in the
gazebo, rest in the garden after a stimulating workout in your state-of-the-art
gym, return to your apartment knowing that you live in a really special home.

There are plenty of renderings of the kitchen and baths and pictures of appliances and furnishing. Under 'THE RESIDENCES' there is a listing of 11 available units, ranging from $675K for a 2 bed, 2 bath to $829K for a duplex 2 bed, 3 bath. Floorplans are available also.

The Washington Condos update

A reader sends in a report on the Washington:

I was determined to go visit the site today after all my attempts were rebuffed by A&H. I walked in, and as had been reported, it was quite easy to just walk in. There were Latino and Eastern European work crews going about their business and they were both helpful in leading me toward my unit. There is still a lot to be done- none of the appliances were in place, though the cabinetry was in. None of the bathroom furnishings were in, although the tub was in place. The floors are still unfinished and the windows were filthy.

Enjoy the pictures.

The large kitchen/dining/living area in one of the units. 

This is the courtyard of the Washington Condos, where the Japanese serenity garden is supposed to be. 

The *definitive* list of Brooklyn condos in the Real Deal

The Real Deal, in recent months, has become a must-read for us in the first week of every month when they post up their new articles. September is no different. One of their feature articles has a .pdf attachment that painstakingly lists, by neighborhood, all the condos that have been developed since 2002.

And the skinny on Fort Greene? 29 units approved through July and over 290 units in the pipeline for the rest of the year.

Prospect Heights has 20 approved through July and 58 units in the pipeline.

Fort Greene shopping

The Daily News profiles 8 unique places to shop in the neighborhood. Sodafine, Cloth and Addy&Ferro make the cut in this list.

Atlantic Yards propaganda sheet - the Brooklyn Standard

Patti Hagan and Dan Goldstein star in this NYT article on the Ratner propaganda paper - the Brooklyn Standard.

Crime blotter in Fort Greene

The yahoo groups has a message from a poster a few days ago saying that they were burglarized while they were sleeping. They live on Lafayette between Carlton and Adelphi.