The article mentions they based their conclusions on food and drink, accessibility, culture, infrastructure, and affordability based on their writers personal experiences.  Maybe not the most scientific method, but I won’t argue with their findings, though I would have ranked Clinton Hill Fort Greene as number one.

248 Sumpter Street, 3A

Large Two Bedroom Condo
Listed at $239,000
Plenty of Room, Plenty of Light, Convenient to All

Spacious is the word that describes this well maintained 2 Bedroom Apartment.

With pristine hardwood floors throughout. There formal dining area is deal for parties and family get togethers.   The kitchen area has a dining nook great for breakfast with the kids.

The bathroom has a bowl sink and designer tile. There’s a washing machine in the apartment and a full laundry in the basement.

Two blocks from the C Train, 10 minutes walk to the J Train and 10 minutes to the L train. There’s plenty of bus transportation as well. This is a must see. Call Elaine at 917-544-2662 to see it today!

If you are thinking about moving into a specific neighborhood in Brooklyn (or in any of the 5 boroughs) and would like to find out more about it, the My Neighborhood Statistics page gives you a ton of statistical information you might find useful in making a decision.

You can search for information by inputting a specific address or an intersection, and you’ll get information about crime in the area, school overcrowding, sidewalk cleanliness, noise complaints and so much more.

It’s a great tool for current city residents to find out more about their hometown or for anyone thinking of moving into any of the many different nabes in New York City.

“Really?”, you may be saying to yourself, and of course the next logical question (if you don’t already know the answer) is “What is BID?”

What is a BID?

In New York City the acronym “BID” stands for a Business Improvement District.  A Business Improvement District is an organization created by the The New York City Department of Small Business Services (SBS) that is made up of local property owners and commercial tenants who are dedicated to promoting business development and improving the quality of life in the area the BID serves.

The BID provides additional street cleaning, security and various beautification projects such as new signature for local business funded by an assessment paid by the property owners and business in Bid area.

What Can You Learn From A BID

Since one of the main goals of a BID is to help local business improve their sales, BID websites are chocked full of information about the businesses in the area they serve as well as any special events that will be taking place there.

So, if you thinking about moving to my favorite Brooklyn neighborhoods of Clinton Hill, Fort Greene, or Bedford Stuyvesant, check out these BIDS:

The Myrtle Avenue Brooklyn Partnership (MARP) – Which covers the section of Myrtle Avenue that runs through Fort Greene and Clinton Hill.

The Fulton Area Business Alliance (FAB) – Which covers Fulton Street as it runs through Fort Greene and Clinton Hill.

Bed-Stuy Gateway – Covers a broad section of the neighborhood of Bedford Stuyvesant.

For information about other BIDs in Brooklyn or in any of the five boroughs of New York City, go to The NYC Department of Small Business Services website.

This Tall and majestic, co-op has terraces that allow you enjoy the great out of doors without leaving your apartment (technically), and breathtaking Manhattan views that rival any postcard.   You can purchase a studio apartment for as little as $165,000, a 1 bedroom from $275,000 to $329,000 (depending on renovation and so forth)  and a 2 bedroom for just under $400,000.

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. Parking is available (there’s a waiting list)

There’s nothing better than Willoughby Walk’s location.  Its steps away from The Pratt Institute’s Brooklyn Campus and St Josephs College.

All of the amenities that the Clinton Hill/Fort Greene area has to offer are in walking distance, Fort Greene Park, Myrtle and Dekalb Avenues, which are both lined with marvelous shops, restaurants and so much more.

There’s a quick commute into Manhattan from Willoughby Walk.  The  G train is a 10 min walk away and the C train is not much farther than that.  Several buses take you to downtown Brooklyn in no time.

You’ve seen all the pros listed above, and like most things in life, there are cons.  If you are looking for a large kitchen and want to seat a large number of people for dinner, then this coop may not be for you.  The kitchens tend to be on the smaller side and most apartments have no designated dining area to speak of.  However, if you rarely cook and don’t usually have a lot of sit down banquet style dinner parties, these cons are not deal breakers or you can simply renovate the apartment expanding the kitchen and creating a dining space.

If you are looking for a smart investment for your money then take a look at Willoughby walk.  If you are interested in viewing some apartments there, feel free to give me a call at the number below or email me by clicking here.  I look forward to working with you…

To make things a little easier for anyone looking to purchase a condo in Clinton Hill Brooklyn, here is a list of condos that currently exist in the area.  Since new developments are coming on line all the time, I’ll update this list periodically.

If you are interested in buying a condo in Clinton Hill Brooklyn, give me a call for the latest information on what’s for sale and at what price at the number below, or email me by clicking here.

If you’re looking to sell a condo, I can generate a FREE Home Value Report for your property so you can get an idea of what the market says you can sell it for.

I look forward to working with you,

You can purchase a large one bedroom apartment with plenty of light in the $285,000 to $350,000 range and an even larger two bedroom apartment for between $375,000 to $450,000.  Due to the recent recession and housing marking bubble burst, this is a decrease in pricing for the coop, which is great for anyone looking to buy now.

The Clinton Hill Co-ops consists of 12 buildings split up into two campuses, the North Campus on Clinton Avenue between Myrtle and Willoughby Avenues and The South Campus Between Lafayette and Greene Avenues. 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 of the positives:

1. The co-op is financially sound.  Having just refinanced its mortgage the coop has $10,000,000 in its reserve fund.
2. For 2011 the coop Board was able to hold the maintenance fee at the 2010 level.  That’s right, a co-op with no maintenance increase!
3. The apartments are large, with good sized closets. One bedroom apartments are approximately 800 Sq ft and two bedrooms are over 1000 Sq ft!
4. All of the apartments have large windows that let in a massive amount of light.  Many of the apartments have fantastic Manhattan views.
5. There is 24 hour security and maintenance staff on call 24/7.
6. Newly renovated laundry facilities are on site. Storage and Parking are 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.  You can go from the coop to 34th street Manhattan in 30 minutes.
9. The Clinton Hill/Fort Greene area is booming with upscale restaurants and shops, with more and more opening every month.
10. Clinton Hill Co-ops is located on one of most beautiful streets in Brooklyn, namely Clinton Avenue, which has been called “Mansions Row” because of all the historic mansions that line the tree line street. Want more trees? Fort Greene Park is just three blocks away!
11. The Clinton Hill Co-op is pet friendly. Dogs and cats are welcome.

For the sake of balanced reporting, there are few things that you might find negative about the coop, but they are in the process of being corrected.  The elevators are badly in need of a cosmetic overhaul, and the board is planning to take care of that.  The lobby of all twelve buildings are being updated and a plan to up date the individual public hallways on each floor, which are sorely in need of updating as well, is being devised.  The exterior of the buildings are somewhat drab, but the interior space, cleanliness and first rate upkeep of the interiors and landscaping more than make up for it.

Have I convinced you that Clinton Hill Co-ops is a still a fantastic place to purchase an apartment?  Here’s a sample of one of the apartments currently for sale – 209 Clinton Avenue, Apt 14E.

If you would like to see even more apartment, give me a call at the number below or email me by clicking here.

Its a very interesting article, and for you sellers, it gives a little insight into the mindset of today’s buyer. Click here to read the article.

Enjoy!

I got this questions today from A nice young man interested in making his first real estate purchase. I was showing him a condo in Crown Heights, and he was curious about the borders. I figured other buyers might find that information useful, so here it is:

Crown Heights shares its western most border, which is Washington Avenue, with Prospect Heights. Its northern border is Atlantic Avenue, which it shares with Clinton Hill and Bedford Stuyvesant. The eastern border of Crown Heights is East New York Avenue and the southern border is Empire Blvd.

Crown Heights is a thriving neighborhood of Limestone Houses and apartment buildings galore. Its an affordable neighborhood that has several train lines running through it that gives you quick access to Manhattan. Several affordable condo developments have been built in Crown Heights over the last few years, so its a great place for the first time home buyer to shop for a home.

If you’re interested in purchasing a house or condo in Crown Heights, please give me a call at the number below or click here to send me an email.

Of course you know I don’t agree.  Clinton Hill/Fort Greene is number one (could my bias be showing?), but he put together an interesting model that he used to rank 50 of the cities neighborhoods.

First he gathered statistics via an online survey on what most people thought were important factors when choosing a neighborhood and came up twelve categories, such as housing costs, safety, schools and transportation.  Each category received a percentage rating and the stats were complied from there using various sources.

Park Slope took the number one spot with the Lower East Side of Manhattan, Sunnyside Queens, Cobble Hill and Greenpoint rounding out the top five.

Where was Clinton Hill/Fort Greene lacking according to Mr Silver’s statistics? One of the areas was lack of green space. Fort Greene Park and the many tree lined streets throughout the neighborhood surely count towards the area being green.  And I’m pretty sure that a section of Fort Greene won the Greenest Block in Brooklyn contest held by the Brooklyn Botanical Garden every year.

Well, I think the Fort Greene/Clinton Hill section of Brooklyn is a spectacular place to live with restaurants galore, magnificant housing, an abundance of greenery (an over abundance during allergy season) and a 15 minute commute to Manhattan and all it has to offer.  Who could ask for anything more?