Monday, June 11, 2012

SRO Sandwich: 270 Dean Street


270 Dean Street is a 20' x 45' brownstone on the eastern edge of Boerum Hill between 3rd Avenue and Nevins Street.  Lodged between SRO's at 272 Dean Street and 268 Dean Street, this legal 2-Family listed at $1.695M might be the first in this row of 3 for sale to actually sell.  "Third time's a charm?"

No interior pictures on the listing and not much description typifies the mail-it-in approach of many brokers.  We are told, however, "bring your contractor" and "delivered vacant" - which is nice to know.  But even 414 Dean Street decided to take some interior pics so folks could see the floors and mantles they're picking up for over $1.5M.  Brown Harris Stevens was kind enough to take pics of 200 Wyckoff, another vacant $1.5M+ fixer-upper over here.  Really, is it too much to ask at this pricepoint for some pics?  Since they don't have the kind of exposure that the big brokers have, you'd figure these brokers on 270 Dean would throw at least a few hundred at a photographer for quality photos as a smart way to try and keep up with the Joneses.  But, nah... just another bootleg day in Brooklyn real estate.

A picture of the 50' yard would've been nice too.  Location-wise there's the school across the street to consider, and potential renovation projects on either side of you looming when those SRO's do manage to finally sell.  This area doesn't seem quite as no man's land as it used to with everything filling in between the heart of BoCoCa and Park Slope.  Also, for better or worse, the stadium IS here.


And any way to avoid the impending cluster-F that will be 18,000 fans pouring out 40+ nights a year into what was already one of the busiest intersections in all of Brooklyn, where its 3 largest street all converge... avoiding that by being just west of it starts to sound more appealing than having to cross it to get to or from Manhattan.

This blog explores the issues with the stadium way better than we ever could, but we've gotta point out here that these jokers need a pedestrian overpass for this stadium.  All the current renderings of it show a completed project with only 20 people around it.  Where do they think the other 17,980 people will go?



And when's the last time you saw only 6 cars and 4 buses at this intersection?  You don't need a crystal ball to see that these guys haven't thought the whole thing through yet.  Sensible places all over the world like China have highly-functional pedestrian overpasses at major intersections...



In Bogotá they have pedestrian overpasses at all their bus stops along the major roads.  It wouldn't be hard to make a snazzy, modern overpass that blended with the style of the stadium.


Either way, we can see how 270 Dean on the eastern edge of Boerum Hill, tucked away from some of the traffic, might sound more appealing than north Slope to some.

Pro's:  vacant brownstone canvas, technically in Boerum Hill, not on everyone's radar, tucked away from the stadium a bit

Con's:  no interior pics, no sense of any original details or how extensive the renovation might be, SRO's on either side, not that nice of a block, sorta still no man's land, not like it's cheap or anything

Ideally:  with an owner sitting on all equity and a broker that doesn't get the word out to everyone, there could be some price flexibility to make this a more attractive pick-up

1 comment: