If Scarface Lived In Gowanus: 128 2nd Street

Okay, ordinarily we don't cover single-family residences, but this one was too cute to pass up. 128 2nd Street is a 20' wide stucco building that's been beautifully (read: gaudily?) renovated from head to toe. From the Brazilian cherry wood floors, to the central heat & A/C, to the "imported Italian Snaidero kitchen cabinets" - this place has it all! And just a hop, skip, and a jump from the lovable likes of Smith Street - or a few short steps from the EPA's Superfund Site, the Gowanus Canal.

As we've said before, it's always better to be the last janky house on a nice block than the first nice house on a janky block. This may take the cake, though. The contrast between the quality of the renovation and the tragic block that it's on is intense. We're not sure who the intended audience was here. Although there's new condos to your left, there looks to be an on-going/stalled project to your right.

It's no wonder this house, first listed in May 2009 for $1.6M, has hung out to dry for over a year, even with the price drop to $1.42M. (Note: PropertyShark still has the place listed as a 3-Family, hmmm...)

All that aside, take a moment to marvel at this blue kitchen with us...



Or this marble-looking tile & table...



We're going to go ahead with this listing and technically designate this "Carroll Gardens" for the purposes of our headings, but in full disclosure this is Gowanus in anybody's book.

Pro's: top-notch renovation, fireplace, backyard

Con's: neighborhood, price, Superfund, renovation vs. neighborhood contrast

Ideally: We'd go for one of those ultra-renovated on the inside vinyl-siding places in South Slope before we hop on over here. Too many concerns about the Canal. Gentrification is a powerful force, but it can't cure hazardous toxins or their lasting stigma.