960 Sterling Place, Apt. 4G, Crown Heights, Brooklyn
2 Bedrooms/1 Bath
Co-op
1,300 square feet
$425,000
Maintenance: $905/month
Open Houses: Friday, July 12, 11 to 11:15 a.m.; Sunday, July 14, noon to 1 p.m.
Lowdown: For buyers on a budget, this pre-war two-bedroom co-op — with original hardwood floors, oak kitchen cabinets, and north, south and west exposures — in the historic section of Crown Heights is worth a look.
Although the bedrooms are on the small side, that’s not a deal breaker given the ample closets, layout with a large foyer and two dining spaces, and windows in the bathroom and kitchen dining area.
Location: The apartment is located north of Eastern Parkway between New York and Brooklyn avenues. The Brooklyn Children’s Museum and the Jewish Children’s Museum are each less than a 10-minute walk away. The Brooklyn Museum and Brooklyn Botanic Gardens are about a mile west, and Franklin Avenue, with its increasing number of new restaurants and shops, is four blocks away.
Why put it on your open house calendar? For a spacious property in a neighborhood that has been on the gentrification map for a couple years already, it’s a bargain at roughly $327 a square foot.
343 Fourth Ave., Apt. 8C, Park Slope, Brooklyn
3 Bedrooms/2 Baths
Condo
1,150 square feet
$980,000
CC + Taxes: $785/month
Open House: Sunday, July 14, 2:30 to 4 p.m.
Lowdown: Highly desirable apartments often end up as “best and final” offerings in a tight real estate market like Brooklyn’s. But that’s not the case for this three-bedroom condo in family-friendly Park Slope.
“It has created a sense of relief among buyers to not feel pressured to make a blind offer," said Bond New York broker Kianna Choi.
With a "best and final" process, agents typically show apartments for one week, then announce they are receiving “best and final” bids by a certain day. Buyers are given only one shot to place the winning bid. There is no negotiation, guidance from the listing agent or perspective on what’s market value or not, Choi explained.
“They are expected to throw as much money on the table in one shot, ‘blindly,’” Choi said. “To some, ‘best and final’ seems like gambling.”
Though no apartment is a sure bet, there are several selling points to this renovated corner unit: south and east exposures, a private balcony, in-unit laundry, eat-in kitchen, wide-plank maple wood flooring and custom-built closets.
Location: The apartment is in a large residential building between Third and Fifth streets next to Washington Park. It is between the Union Street and Ninth Street R train stations and one block from the popular William Alexander Middle School 51, which has a strong arts program and is launching a French dual-language program in the fall.
Why put it on your open house calendar? No need to “gamble” on this amenity-packed condo or feel pressured to make an uninformed bid.
Interested buyers need to RSVP to Choi via email kianna@bondnewyork.com to be put on the open house guest list.
252 W. 17th St., Apt. 9A, Chelsea
2 Bedrooms/2 Baths
Condo
1,200 square feet
$1.9 million
CC + Taxes: $1,816
Open House: Sunday, July 14, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Lowdown: Owning a penthouse loft is the ultimate in city living, especially when it has a big roof deck and soaring 16-foot ceilings.
The home has a wood-burning fireplace in the living room and a 300-square-foot private roof terrace that opens onto an additional 300 square feet of common roof, Corcoran broker Adam Hignite said.
“The living room has open views of the Freedom Tower to the south, and the roof has views of the heart of Chelsea to the north and west.”
In addition to two bedrooms on the main floor, there’s an upstairs loft that can be converted to a third bedroom or used as an office or study. There’s a washer and dryer in the unit, the kitchen was recently renovated with maple cabinets and the building (constructed in 1985) is pet-friendly.
Location: Though Chelsea is increasingly busy — with the popular High Line, several new restaurants and shops, and the west side art gallery and club scenes — the apartment is on a quiet street. It's also close to express subway stations on 14th Street.
Why put it on your open house calendar? If it’s within your budget, it appears to be an apartment with the sum of its features greater than its parts.
