NEW YORK CITY — For tiny apartment-dwelling New Yorkers who visit family and friends out of town over the holidays, "space envy" is sometimes unavoidable. Here are three houses, ranging from $599,000 to just under $2 million, that offer ample room, unique touches and are still short walks to subways — even though the rides might be long.
195 Beach 62nd St., #568, Arverne
Two-Family House
Four Bedrooms/3.5 Baths
Approximately 2,626 square feet
$599,000
Common Charges: $168 a month
Monthly Taxes: $142 with 20-year abatement
Open House: Saturday Nov. 15 and Sunday, Nov. 16, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Lowdown: The Rockaway Beach community known as Arverne by the Sea welcomed its first residents 10 years ago and is now finishing construction on its final phase of two-family homes. This unit is part of that phase, and roughly 10 percent of these 270 newly-built homes remain on the market, said Maya Danaher, of the Benjamin Companies.
"It has a really beautiful open floor plan for the kitchen, living and dining area," Danaher said of No. 568, which is among the development's lowest-priced options since it's further from the beach.
It still has views of the water from the second-floor bedroom and balcony and from the roof terrace, Danaher noted.
While parts of the Rockaways were hurt by Hurricane Sandy, Arverne by the Sea had minimal damage since it was built with storm protection features, Danaher explained. First floors sit eight feet above ground level, there are hurricane-grade windows and mechanical systems on upper floors. The neighborhood has a sophisticated storm drainage system and sand dunes act as a buffer between the beach and homes.
"Arverne by the Sea stood up to Sandy better than any other community in the area. No one had to move out," Danaher said.
Location: The beach at Arverne is a hub for surfers since the part between Beach 67th and 69th streets is one of only two surfing beaches in the city. There's a shopping plaza nearby and a YMCA, which gives Arvene residents free membership for a year.
It's a short walk to the A train at the Arverne by the Sea station, but a long commute to Manhattan — taking about an hour.
Why put it on your open house calendar? "There's a private garage, a really nice terrace, two balconies, two porches, a yard — so there's a lot of outdoor space," Danaher said. "And it's a two-family home, so there's rental income."
1819 Nostrand Ave., #7, Flatbush
Two-family Townhouse
6 Bedrooms/3.5 Baths
Approximately 2,650 square feet
$699,000
Annual Taxes: $3,427
Open House: Sunday, Nov. 16, 3-4:30 p.m.
Lowdown: The best word to describe this newly-renovated house, with two duplex units, is "funky," said Alan Wieder, of aptsandlofts.com.
"It's fully renovated, but it's not a vanilla box," Wieder said. "There's old-world charm with high ceilings, skylights, exposed brick walls and a fireplace."
There are also updated conveniences like central air and stainless steel appliances.
The upper duplex has four bedrooms, including a top-floor bedroom with cathedral ceilings and access to a private outdoor deck. This unit, and the two-bedroom lower level unit, both have access to the home's private garden.
"The challenge is for people who don't know the neighborhood and think it's too far out," Wieder said. "So it's not for everyone. Some people are going to want more [amenities] in the neighborhood. But if people have $700,000 to spend and are looking elsewhere, they'll find few options."
Location: Flatbush is "up-and-coming," said Wieder, noting that Uma Thurman's brother moved to the area after being priced out of Bedford-Stuyvesant. It's about a mile to the shops and restaurants on Cortelyou Road and a short subway ride to the mall near Brooklyn College. It's about a minute walk to the Newkirk station for the 2 and 5 trains and roughly 35 minutes to Manhattan, he said.
Why put it on your open house calendar? "It's a good value," Wieder said, noting that now is the time to get in. "Prices in Flatbush are rising as people are looking for more affordable housing."
176 12th St., Gowanus
Single-Family Townhouse
4-Bedrooms/3.5 Baths
Approximately 1,920 square feet
$1.995 million
Annual Taxes: $1,689
Open House: Sunday, Nov. 16 noon to 1 p.m.
Lowdown: The current owners, who converted this two-family home into a single family home, did a carefully "curated" renovation two years ago, said Corcoran's Brooke Safford.
It blended "rustic" touches, like exposed brick walls and wide-plank flooring with a modern feel, creating an open living and dining area lined by a wall of glass leading to the deck and looking over the sprawling back yard. The chef's kitchen has white lacquer cabinets, Carrera marble counter tops and high-end appliances.
"It's not just a mainstream renovation. There was so much love and time that was put into it," Safford said. "There's really an element of surprise in the house." The second bathroom's bright blue mosaic tile, for instance, is one of those suprises, she said.
The 20-foot-wide semi-detached home sits on a 25-foot wide lot. It has three exposures, a side yard and back yard with fig trees and a nice garden, giving it a private feel, Safford added.
The home has eight closets and a lot of built-in storage. There is separately zoned central heating/air, plus new electrical, plumbing and roof.
Location: The home sits on a quiet tree-lined residential street between the two commercial strips of Third and Fourth Avenues. Art galleries, artisanal eateries like Four and Twenty Blackbirds and Fletchers BBQ abound and Whole Foods is nearby.
It's a short walk to the F, G and R trains at Fourth Avenue and Ninth Street.
Why put it on your open house calendar? Besides being in an area of "high demand," the space is "so special," Safford said. "It takes so much time and work to do something like this. You can go in there, and it's pretty much done."
