Brooklyn Real Estate Q&A and Info

US News and World Report has published its latest list of the top 100 Public High Schools in the nation. They compiled the list by examining the data from 21,069 schools from the 2006-2007 school year. They used a three step process to determine a schools eligibility for the list, and the schools ranking. For a detailed explanation of the criteria they used, go to usnews.com.

Eight High Schools in New York City made the list, one right here in Brooklyn. Brooklyn Technical High School in Fort Greene Brooklyn ranked #67. The other New York City Public High Schools that made the top 100 are as follows:

#23 – Stuyvesant High School – New York, NY 10282
#29 – High School of American Studies at Lehman College – Bronx, NY 10468
#31 – Dual Language and Asian Studies High School – New York, NY 10002
#32 – Staten Island Technical High School – Staten Island, NY 10306
#33 – Bronx High School of Science – Bronx, NY 10468
#48 – Queens High School of Science of York College – Jamaica, NY 11451
#67 – Brooklyn Technical High School – Brooklyn, NY 11217
#71 – Townsend Harris High School – Flushing, NY 11367

The inclusion of so many New York City Schools on this list, 8 out 27,000 schools nation wide, is a big accomplishment and shows that the city’s public school system, though not perfect, does have some bright spots.

Fort Greene Brooklyn has a number of spectacular places to live, but none outshines University Towers Cooperative Apartments.  The co-ops complex consists of three sixteen-story apartment buildings located at 122 Ashland Place, 191 Willoughby Street, and 175 Willoughby Street. 

One of the things that I’ve found most impressive about the complex is the 5 1/2 acres of beautifully manicured lawns and stately trees that are accented by a charming gazebo.

The apartments are quite spacious with wood flooring and large windows that let in a lot light.  Take a look at the many amenities that the co-op provides, and you’ll see why University Towers is a great choice for fine living in Fort Greene.

1. 549 Apartments
2. Huge cash reserves of 6 million dollars (in 10/08)
3. 75% Owner Occupied
4. Hardwood Floors
5. Laundry facilities in the building
6. 24 Hour Security
7. Fitness Room
8. Onsite Parking Available
9. Playground
10. Barbeque Pits for residents use
11. Two blocks from the Dekalb Avenue Station
12. 5 minutes to Metrotech, Polytechnic and Long Island University

With prices that are still are very reasonable for Fort Greene (a 1 Bedroom/ 1 Bath apartment was selling for $473,000 in 10/08), University Towers is a great place to get a good bang for your buck and still enjoy high-end amenities.

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If you would like to find out more about the apartments for sale in University Towers, please give me a call at 917-544-2662 or 718-338-3380 or click here to email me.

When you’re a parent, one of the first things you look for when you’re planning to move your family to a new neighborhood is the location of the schools.

This brief little article which will help take the guess work out of finding the local schools in the Clinton Hill /Fort Greene area.

Elementary Schools

P.S. 20 Clinton Hill School
225 Adelphi Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11205
Phone: (718) 834-6744
Public School
Pre-K to 5th Grade
P.S. 20 Website

P.S. 11 Purvis J Behan School
419 Waverly Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11238
718-638-2661
Public School
Pre-K to 6th Grade
M.S. 113 Website

P.S. 46 Edward C. Blum
100 Clermont Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11205
718-834-7694
Public School
Pre-K to 5th Grade
PS 46 Website

Queen of All Saints Elementary School
300 Vanderbilt Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11205
718-857-3114
Private School
Kindergarden to 8th Grade

Junior High Schools

M.S. 113 Ronald Edmonds Learning Center
300 Adelphi Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11205
718-834-6734
Public School
6th – 8th Grade
M.S. 113 Website

High Schools

Benjamin Banneker Academy
71-77 Clinton Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11238
718-797-3702
Public School
9th – 12th Grade
Benjamin Banneker Website

Brooklyn Technical High School
29 Fort Greene Place
Brooklyn, NY 11217
718-804-6400
9th – 12th Grade
Brooklyn Tech Website

Bishop Loughlin Memorial High School
357 Clermont Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11238
718-857-2700
Private School
9th – 12th Grade
Bishop Loughlin Website

Since I answered the question about Clinton Hill’s Borders in my last post, I decided it would be a great idea to outline the borders of another one of my favorite Brooklyn neigborhoods, Bedford Stuyvesant.

So to get that information, I asked a fiend of mine who is a lifelong Bedford Stuyvesant native what streets make up the bounderies of Bed Stuy. Without hesitation, he said Flushing Avenue to the North, Atlantic Avenue to the South, Classon Avenue to the West, and Broadway and Malcom X Boulevards to the East make up the borders of Beford Stuyvesant.

p.s. – If you are interested in selling your home for the highest possible price in the least amount of time, please contact me at 917-544-2662 or Click here to send me an e-mail for more information.

A perspective buyer asked me this question the same day it was reported on New York 1 News that three young women robbed a cab driver in “Clinton Hill”.  The women robbed the cabbie on the corner of  Franklin and Lafayette Avenues.  

Well, I’ve lived in Clinton Hill for seven years now, and when I ask the old timers, people who have lived in Clinton Hill for 25 years or more, they all tell me that the borders of Clinton Hill are Park Avenue to the North, Atlantic Avenue to the south, Vanderbilt Avenue to the west and Classon Avenue to the East. 

Of course if you ask some of my fellow realtors, they will probably tell you a different story.  They will often move boundries around so that they can advertise that a property they are selling is in a “hot neighborhood” even if its not.  Let the buyer beware.

Regarding the news story I talked about earlier, the corner of Franklin and Lafayette Avenues is in Bedford Stuyvesant, not Clinton Hill.

If you’re looking for a place to live while you attend school at Pratt Institute’s Brooklyn Campus, or you simply love the Clinton Hill area, then Willoughby Walk Co-op Apartments is a great place for you to consider purchasing an apartment. 

Tall and majestic, this co-op has terraces that let you enjoy the great out of doors without leaving your apartment (technically), and breathtaking Manhattan views that rival any postcard.  Here is a list of the other great features that makes Willoughby Walk an ideal place to call home:

1. 100% owner occupied.
2. Only 10% down required by the co-op!
3. Large windows bring a lot of light into the apartments.
4. This is a gated community with 24-Hour Security.
5. The Co-op is Pet Friendly.  Dogs and Cats are welcome.
6. Some apartments have terraces.
7. Some apartments have picture postcard Manhattan views.
8. The Co-op has great Financials and cash reserves.
9. Brand new laundry facilities on campus.
10. Storage is available.
11. Steps away from The Pratt Institute’s Brooklyn Campus and St Josephs College.
12. Fort Greene Park, Myrtle and Dekalb Avenues are also steps away.  Both streets are lined with marvelous shops and restaurants. 

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Apartments in this co-op do not become available often, so when one does, its an event not to be missed. If you’re interested in finding out about apartments for sale at Willoughby Walk Co-ops, give me a call at 917-544-2662 or Click Here.

Clinton Hill Co-op Apartments – A Jewel In Brooklyn

If you are looking to purchase an apartment in the $300,000 – $475,000 range in Brooklyn, I highly recommend you take a look at the apartments available in the Clinton Hill Co-ops, which has two campuses on Clinton Avenue between Myrtle Avenue and Greene Avenue. There are so many reasons that purchasing at the Clinton Hill Apartments is a wise investment, but here is a list of just a few:

1. The apartments are large, with good sized closets. One bedroom apartments are approximately 850 Square Feet!
2. All of the apartments have large windows that let in a lot of light, and many of them have fantastic Manhattan views.
3. The co-op has strong financials and a large cash reserve.
4. Apartment values have tripled in the last 7 years.
5. There is 24 hour security and maintenance, as well as onsite laundry facilities.
6. Storage and Parking available.
7. The co-op has a dedicated board that meets all requirements for shareholder meetings and handles it fiduciary responsibility of making sure all of the co-ops bills are paid.



8. The co-op is located in a section of Brooklyn that is just minutes from Manhattan. (I’ve been able to reach 34th street in Manhattan is less then 30 minutes).
9. The Clinton Hill/Fort Greene area has many restaurants and shops, with more and more opening every month.
10. Clinton Hill Co-ops is located on one of most beautiful streets in downtown Brooklyn, namely Clinton Avenue, which has been called “Mansions Row” because of all the historic mansions that line the tree line street.
11. The neighborhood is diverse and has a little bit of a small town feel in the heart of the big city.
12. For you pet lovers, Clinton Hill Co-op is pet friendly. Dogs and cats are welcome.

Have I convinced you that Clinton Hill Co-ops is a fantastic place for you to look for a new home? If you would like to see what apartments are available at the co-op for sale, click here.

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