15th Street

brooklynbound · May 2008

I just saw a cool place on 15th between 3rd and 4th aves. The neighborhood seemed desolate to say the least, even though the apartment was great. How is it? What neighborhood is that anyway? They are saying PS, but I think it's Gowanus. If anyone lives there, I'd love to hear your thoughts. Thanks!

filmlover44 · May 2008

That neighborhood is bordering on about to be very hot thanks to the building taking place on 4th Avenue and it's relatively close to the Prospect Avenue subway stop but you are right, it's Gowanus.

michaelkeys · May 2008

I dunno about desolate...there's an empty lot on the corner of 15th and 4th, and 2 medium-sized warehouses on the north side of 15th btwn 3rd & 4th. It's a safe block and situated 2 blocks from the R train and 5 short blocks from the F train.

filmlover44 · May 2008

It's an empty lot for now...

michaelkeys · May 2008

Yeah, a corner lot on 15th St and 4th Ave won't be empty for long.

I could be mistaken/naive but I don't see how this area is "about to be very hot" considering it's quite south of 9th St, north of which--and east of 4th Ave--being the highly desirable area. It seems a little too dingy and unremarkable for that sort of attention. (Then again, Williamsburg was/is mostly dumpy and we all know what happened there.)

It seems like the apts in that big building on 4th Ave btwn 12th and 13th St might be rentals and not for sale, even if the latter is what was originally intended. By all accounts, it's definitely not a seller's market right now. And from what I understand, foreign interest/investment in Brooklyn residential real estate (ie Europeans taking advantage of the Euro's strength over the dollar) has peaked and has been steadily declining. (Of course, this is NYC, where rent and real estate costs never seem to go down.)

One thing is certain: if they manage to occupy the majority of the building's apts, all those people are gonna put quite a strain on the area's services, for sure.

caaahyoko · May 2008

filmlover44 wrote: It's an empty lot for now...

Actually, it seems like its just going to be like the lot with a fence a few blocks down (4th and 12th I think).

I keep close tabs on that lot with good reason (a building would block my garden light). They don't currently have any building plans submitted. There was one plan submitted last year, but it was disapproved by the DOB. Also, they recently had a plan for a foundation also disapproved. If they were really trying to build something soon they wouldn't have taken down the construction fence and put up a chain-link fence. I bet they're taking a wait and see attitude.

gososlo · May 2008

moved to the nabe on 15th btwn 4th and 5th in March. I was excited....until I bought here. I actually hate this nabe. Services suck, constant construction and I do not feel very safe. Nothing has happend yet luckily. Up and coming.... maybe when the market was hot but not now.

michaelkeys · May 2008

I actually like it 'round here. I've been in the same apt for 11 years and seen it go from sketchy (apt break-ins, hookers servicing johns in parked cars on 15th St, etc) to reasonably safe.
Just out of curiosity, gososlo, is there something in particular that makes you feel unsafe in the area?

Oh, and if you think services suck now, wait till these new buildings get their fill of occupants...

caaahyoko · May 2008

gososlo wrote: moved to the nabe on 15th btwn 4th and 5th in March. I was excited....until I bought here. I actually hate this nabe. Services suck, constant construction and I do not feel very safe. Nothing has happend yet luckily. Up and coming.... maybe when the market was hot but not now.

I'm kinda puzzled about you hating the services too. There's 3 drug stores, a great C-Town, a health food store, a handful of bars, restaurants, etc. This is all on 5th Ave between 9th st and 16th st. Keep exploring! Remember, though, it ain't Manhattan.

rtraindweller · May 2008

sucky services and feeling unsafe? well i guess to each their own but i miss living around there big time. stores of various convenience all over within at most a 10 minute walk. and i never once felt unsafe walking around at any hour (im a night owl). if my landlord hadn't decided to raise the rent to something i couldn't afford i'd still be there.

filmlover44 · May 2008

MichaelKeys wrote:
I could be mistaken/naive but I don't see how this area is "about to be very hot" considering it's quite south of 9th St, north of which--and east of 4th Ave--being the highly desirable area. It seems a little too dingy and unremarkable for that sort of attention. (Then again, Williamsburg was/is mostly dumpy and we all know what happened there.)

I'll take that bet! I watched it happen to other borderline neighborhoods like gowanus and red hook, specifically South Slope, Chelsea and the upper/upper west side (the 90's).

Consider how much the neighborhood has changed in the 11 years that you have been there.

filmlover44 · May 2008

caaahyoko wrote: [quote=filmlover44]It's an empty lot for now...

Actually, it seems like its just going to be like the lot with a fence a few blocks down (4th and 12th I think).
.

You may be right. Construction is slowing down a bit. I am actually glad to see these buildings go rental because while it is not a sellers market, there are plenty of folks looking for affordable apartments.

filmlover44 · May 2008

gososlo wrote: moved to the nabe on 15th btwn 4th and 5th in March. I was excited....until I bought here. I actually hate this nabe. Services suck, constant construction and I do not feel very safe. Nothing has happend yet luckily. Up and coming.... maybe when the market was hot but not now.

I understand the construction. I don't know what you mean by "services". If it's the laundromat, then I agree completely. Besides that, what are you looking for? I can direct you to a health food store, a decent grocery store and a decent cafe...all on 5th Avenue within about 3 or 4 blocks from you.

michaelkeys · May 2008

filmlover44 wrote: [quote=MichaelKeys] I could be mistaken/naive but I don't see how this area is "about to be very hot" considering it's quite south of 9th St, north of which--and east of 4th Ave--being the highly desirable area. It seems a little too dingy and unremarkable for that sort of attention. (Then again, Williamsburg was/is mostly dumpy and we all know what happened there.)

I'll take that bet! I watched it happen to other borderline neighborhoods like gowanus and red hook, specifically South Slope, Chelsea and the upper/upper west side (the 90's).

Consider how much the neighborhood has changed in the 11 years that you have been there.
Point taken.

But still, I think this particular area has peaked in that regard. So has Red Hook, by the way. There will always be a substantial amount of people uneasy about living close to the projects--Ft. Greene comes to mind--AND the lack of reliable public transportation (ie subway lines).

However, just a few days ago a buddy of mine was talking about how some developer will probably get in there and entice potential new residents with "waterfront properties". (This isn't the first time I've heard this: not too long ago, my super--who's been around these parts for decades--told me about a rumor of an impending "Trump Marina" in Red Hook, so...)

filmlover44 · May 2008

MichaelKeys wrote:
But still, I think this particular area has peaked in that regard. So has Red Hook, by the way. There will always be a substantial amount of people uneasy about living close to the projects--Ft. Greene comes to mind--AND the lack of reliable public transportation (ie subway lines).

You may be right. I'm not discounting the possibility, but that's exactly what they said about the Lower East Side (where my Mother now lives)! If you do see luxury water front buildings going up in Red Hook, and I think that you will just like you saw in the West, West Village, you should also be thinking "light rail". I'm just saying...(Did you hear about the plans to put in bike trails and bike parking?)

dixiecupdrinking · May 2008

I lived on 3rd Ave between 15th and 16th for about 6 months. (Last building before the highway.) It is noisy (which wouldn't be such a problem for you, it was just being on the avenue that sucked) and somewhat desolate but I never once felt unsafe coming back at all hours of the night. And if I recall correctly, 15th between 3rd and 4th has some pretty nice houses, which, from glancing in the windows at night, appeared pretty decently-furnished and occupied by some pretty happy-looking people.

(Is that creepy?)

The big downside, really, is having to walk a big block and a half uphill to get to a decent grocery store, restaurant, bar, or really anything else unless you want to buy some tires or catch the train. If you can deal with that it's probably worth the generally cheaper rents.

15th Street

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