A SPECIAL ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO THE NEW YORK OBSERVER

Brooklyn Living Spring 2011

BROOKLYN
REAL ESTATE
BOOM

CELEBRITIES
INHABITING THE
BOROUGH

HBO
ACROSS
THE
BRIDGE
THE NETWORK
(AND JASON
SCHWARTZMAN)
TRAVEL OUT OF
THE CITY INTO
OUR FAVORITE
BOROUGH
 BrooklYN HeIGHTs
Angela Ferrante
Bill Sheppard
ClassIC ToWNHoUse, CoUNTrY CHarM
Bklyn Hts. Excl. Sophisticated 25’ wide home.
Orig details thru-out, hi ceils, marble mantles,
wide plank floors, 1830s hardware & 3 wbfps.
Jill Braver Elegant parlor & FDR, 2 full flrs of BRs & large
lndscpd grdn & patio. $3.95M. WEB# 1214225.
Rhea Cohen 718-858-5908
Phyllis Norton-Towers
Aileen Truesdale
BesT oF all WorlDs
Bklyn Hts. Excl. 5-story, 4 family. Unique
Catherine Zito
opportunity to acquire a high income-
producing property & live lavishly, too. Lrg rms,
beautiful proportions. $2.75M. WEB# 1197530.
Jill Seligson Braver 718-858-5905
Brian Lehner 718-858-5423
Micha Hendel
Bill Duke
BroWNsToNe IN HIsTorIC DIsTrICT
Natalie Rabaa
Prospect Lefferts. Excl. 20’ wide with original
details and lovely light. Upgrades are needed,
but great bones. New furnace, 3-4BR, English
basement, south garden. Beautiful block near
Prospect Park. $875K. WEB# 1202156.
Bill Sheppard 718-858-4632
Debbie Zolan
We are pledged to the letter and spirit of U.S. policy for the achievement of equal housing opportunity throughout the Nation. We encourage and support an affirmative advertising
and marketing program in which there are no barriers to obtaining housing because of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status or national origin.
MaNHaTTaN aND HarBor VIeWs
Bklyn Hts. Excl. 1846 Greek revival. All
original details. Fireplaces, ceiling and
crown moldings. Lovely garden. Beautifully
preserved and very special. Secluded North
Heights. $3.8M. WEB# 1206356.
Brian Lehner 718-858-5423
preWar ClassIC seVeN
Bklyn Hts. Excl. Sprawling 4BR, 3 bath Co-op
in elev bldg on quiet tree-lined Central Heights
street. LR with wbfp. Common rfdk, basement
laundry and storage. $1.495M. WEB# 1167586.
Nancy Giddins 718-858-3914
Lisa Beck 718-858-2703
DYker HeIGHTs DelIGHT
Bay Ridge. Excl. Charming 2-story single fam,
semi-detached home on coveted residential blk.
Sun porch, lrg garden, 3BR, full bsmnt. Plenty
of on-street parking. $640K. WEB# 1207316.
Jill Seligson Braver 718-858-5905
Patricia Cannon 718-858-3641
GarDeN plaCe TUDor
Bklyn Hts. Excl. Single family TH on Garden
Place. Renovated thoroughly and carefully with
highest quality materials and craftsmanship.
Classic details throughout. Functional and easy
to maintain. $3.6M WEB# 726299.
Brian Lehner 718-858-5423
rarelY aVaIlaBle
Bklyn Hts. Excl. Classic prewar 3BR, 2 bath
Co-op. Top flr, elev bldg, coveted block. 3
sun-filled exposures, skyline views. Live-in
super, lndry, storage. $1.4M. WEB# 1190334.
Jill Seligson Braver 718-858-5905
skYVIeW TUrN-keY aparTMeNT
Bklyn Hts. Excl. Heights F/S prewar Co-op,
mint, sun-filled 1 bedroom with dining room
(convertible). New designer kitchen and bath,
pets ok, roof deck, 5 closets, granite counters,
stainless steel appliances. $635K. WEB# 1138535
Phyllis Norton-Towers 718-858-5739
park slope

Ken Brady

Janice Cimberg

ClassIC preWar Co-op WelCoMe HoMe NoTHING CoMpares

PPW. Excl. Sprawling Co-op hi above Prospect Bklyn. Excl. This Rosario Candela bldg is tops Bklyn. Excl. Gorgeous and grand. Renovated
Park. Elegance and space w/mod aesthetics. 4 in service and the C line sprawls over 4BR, 3.5 landmark, limestone TH. 6 lrg BRs, 3 bath. 3
lrg BRs and 3.5 baths, all w/direct Park views. baths, FDR, and large EIK. Prewar details stories + 2 story extension, fnshd bsmnt, wrap
LR/DR is 47’ long and huge EIK is beautifully incl hardwood floors, moldings and a gracious grdn, 2-3 car prkng. Near Prospect Pk, express David Cobell

renov. Maint: $3,900. $3.495M. WEB# 1213474. layout. Maint: $2,900. $2.2M. WEB# 1213495. trains, Botanical Grdn. $1.78M. WEB# 1194505.
Libby Ryan 718-399-4103 Libby Ryan 718-399-4103 Lee Solomon 718-399-4105

Esther Hickman

Peter Noonan

loVelY, sUNNY ToWNHoUse
Park Slope. Excl. Gorg orig detail & bountiful
sun complement soaring ceils & wonderful flow
of gracious 2-family TH currently used as 1.
Renov w/CAC on top 2 flrs. Great loc close to
shopping and transp. $1.749M. WEB# 1209188.
Sue Plotz 718-399-4122
CeNTer slope BeaUTY
Park Slope. Excl. Handsome brick townhouse
with detailed parlor floor, 2 wbfp, formal
dining, sunny kitchen, 3 bedrooms, 1.5 baths
and finished basement. $1.7M. WEB# 1207533.
Jeffery Welch 718-399-4132
Libby Ryan 718-399-4103
BeaUTIFUl DITMas park HoMe
Ditmas Park. Excl. Lovingly maintained, 3
stories, fnshd English bsmnt (poss legal comm Julie Rhinehart
rental), currently recording studio. 5BR, 2.5
baths, EIK, FDR, huge LR, abundant clsts, &
driveway w/sep garg. $1.299M. WEB# 1182141.
Jeffery Welch 718-399-4132

Charlie Ruoff

Maria Ryan

DeTaIleD DelIGHT oN MoNTGoMerY pl perFeCT loCaTIoN aND serVICes park slope CoNDo
Park Slope. Excl. Rarely avail parlor flr Co-op. 3 Central Park Slope. Excl. High flr corner 2BR, Park Slope. Excl. 2BR, 2 bath, outdoor space, Wendy Stephenson

dec fplcs, MBR w/skylight & balc, pocket doors
w/leaded glass, beamed ceil, parquet flr. Storg,
laundry in basement. $1.195M. WEB# 1205786.
Jane Dawson 718-399-4143
Trish Martin 212-317-3639
1 bath in Art Deco FSB. 4 expos. Lrg LR/DR.
Wndwd dbl-galley kit w/storage. XL MBR. Mt
incl H/HW & electric. $759K. WEB# 1212118.
Eileen Richter 718-399-4109
Janice Cimberg 718-399-4110
large wndws sun the entire space, CAC,
chef’s kitchen, master suite, marble bath with
Jacuzzi, W/D in unit.. $729K. WEB# 1198062.
Eileen Richter 718-399-4109
Aldo Valmon-Clarke 718-399-4156
Bette Cunningham

We are pledged to the letter and spirit of U.S. policy for the achievement of equal housing opportunity throughout the Nation. We encourage and support an affirmative advertising
and marketing program in which there are no barriers to obtaining housing because of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status or national origin.
 BROOKLYN
BY ANDREW GUARINI
Bored to Death cast.
HBO ACROSS THE BRIDGE
T H E N E T WO R K T R AV E L S O U T O F T H E C I T Y I N TO O U R FAVO R I T E B O R O U G H
A
lthough only separated
by a borough and a
bridge, the new world of
HBO in Brooklyn is an
entirely separate entity
from Carrie Bradshaw and her Sex and
the City Manhattanites. Shows like Bored
to Death and Boardwalk Empire are a
part of the current boom in on-location
filming in Brooklyn.
Bored to Death is the brainchild of
Brooklyn writer Jonathan Ames, who
has named the shows protagonist,
played by Jason Schwartzman, after
himself. In the show, Ames is a struggling
4
Brooklyn writer who is in the process of
perpetually spinning his wheels on his
second novel. Inspired by a Raymond
Chandler detective story, Ames poses
as a private detective on Craigslist and
eventually finds himself in all kinds of
misadventures across the boroughs.
The show plays like a classic film noir
but with pot instead of cigarettes and
reserved Woody Allen neuroses instead
of full-on sleuthing.
The show’s Ames lives in Fort Greene,
but that’s not to say that the show
doesn’t readily jump around Brooklyn.
From problems with Russian gangsters
at Tatiana Café in Brighton Beach to
struggling writers at Ozzie’s Coffee & Tea
in Park Slope, the show works as a visual
tour of Brooklyn. On Bored to Death’s
Web site is a “Bored in Brooklyn” feature
where one can view, episode by episode,
what landmarks and establishments of
Brooklyn are featured, complete with a
quote from the real Ames describing why
they chose to feature it.
One of the show’s great strengths is
the interplay between Manhattan and
Brooklyn. Whereas shows like Sex and the
GETTY IMAGES
City or Friends truly treat Manhattan as
an island, Bored to Death is driven by the
 reOrder

LaPlacaCohen 212-675-4106
An Architectural Environment by Situ Studio

Publication: NY Observer Magazine

Situ Studio. Rendering of reOrder, an installation to open
in the Great Hall of the Brooklyn Museum in 2011

Insertion date: April 27, 2011

A space-altering, site-specif ic Presenting Sponsor

architectural installation that

Sunbrella® fabric
reimagines the newly renovated has been generously
donated by Glen Raven
HI-MACS® acrylic solid
surfacing is generously
donated by LG Hausys

Great Hall as the place for all to be Custom Fabrics

7.875 x 9.75
ON VIEW NOW Sunbrella ® is a registered
trademark of Glen Raven, Inc.

4C Mag

718-638-5000 www.brooklynmuseum.org
Expanded hours – open until 10pm Thursday & Friday
Wednesday, Saturday & Sunday 11am – 6pm; Thursday & Friday 11am – 10pm • 200 Eastern Parkway
Subway: 2 3 to Eastern Parkway/Brooklyn Museum • On-Site Parking

BMM-0007-NYObserverMag_Apr27_7.875x9.75_v1.indd 1 4/19/11 4:22 PM

vast cultural differences that can arise
even between places that are in close
geographical proximity. “Nothing will
ever have the energy of Manhattan
and I think that’s why people come,
they come for the energy, and some
leave because of the energy,” said
Schwartzman to The Wall Street
Journal about preparing for the show.
“But with Brooklyn, I was able to
go into Manhattan and then come
home, and I felt like I had a little bit
of room to stretch out, calm down a
bit and bring my pulse rate down.”
The character of Ames is
comfortable within Brooklyn, where
he spends time with his best friend,
Ray, played by Zach Galifianakis,
who bikes to the set from his place
in Williamsburg. In Brooklyn, Ames
wears corduroy casual suits and can
mope in isolation with his weed and
white wine. In Manhattan, Ames
switches to Brooks Brothers and
cocktails while he deals with varying
degrees of New York stereotypes.
These include, but certainly aren’t
limited to, horny and entitled NYU
undergrads, zany film directors (Jim
Jarmusch guest-stars as himself)
and Ames’ aging editor George
Jason Schwartzman of
Bored to Death.
6
Christopher, played with an ideal
mix of snark and insecurity by Ted
Danson.
When Danson decides to join
Ames on his detective adventures
midway through season one, you
see his desire to engage in the youth
and vitality that is the emerging
Brooklyn. If you’re living in the city
and watching this show, it’s hard to
not want to get involved, too. Season
three will be start this year.
Whereas Bored to Death uses
Brooklyn for humor, juxtaposition
and irony, HBO’s Boardwalk Empire,
which recently finished its first
season, uses Brooklyn as a foundation
for a sprawling, violent tale of crime
and corruption in the Prohibition
era. Set in the Roaring Twenties of
“ I had a lIttle bIt
of room to stretch
out, calm down a
bIt and brIng my
pulse rate down.”
Atlantic City, the show deals with
one Nucky Thompson, played by
Brooklyn native Steve Buscemi; it’s
a slightly true, slightly dramatized
rendering of real-life figure Nucky
Johnson. Though a strait-laced
politician on the outside, Thompson
rises to influence and riches through
strong armed mob dealings and the
smuggling of alcohol. Tommy guns,
speakeasies and vicious gore abound.
But the show’s initial and
continuing stunner is the re-creation
of the Atlantic City boardwalk in
Brooklyn’s Greenpoint; it spans 300
feet. Costing an estimated $5 million
to build, the boardwalk was part of
the pilot’s $18 million gamble that
paid off when the show was renewed
for a second season. The boardwalk
is the centerpiece in the meticulous
period reconstruction that gives
Boardwalk Empire the feeling of an
extensive cinematic endeavor.
The show’s creator and one of
its writers, Terence Winter of The
Sopranos, is from Marine Park,
Brooklyn, and cites the Greenpoint
setting as a financial and logistical
measure. The depressed real estate
market led to a 15 percent larger
tax break for the underdeveloped
Greenpoint lot and in prior
locations, Winter was frustrated by
inconsistencies.
“Our first stop was Atlantic City,
which makes sense, but, realistically,
there were maybe five or six camera
angles that would work for the
1920s,” Winter told the New York Post.
“Anywhere you turn now there are
dozens of things—casinos, hotels,
etc., that can’t be there.” Another
advantage of the Greenpoint set was
the size, which allows for cast and
crew to be dressed, made up and fed
without spilling onto the streets.
Apart from the boardwalk the
crew makes use of the surrounding
areas of Brooklyn as well. The streets
around the boardwalk are used for
exterior shots and the Greenpoint
concert venue Warsaw is sometimes
turned into a faux nightclub for
the show, complete with a stage
and 1920s décor. For special effects
on the boardwalk, metal shipping
containers were stacked 20 feet
high and covered in a blue screen,
allowing Brooklyn-based effects
team Brainstorm Digital to re-create
appropriate Atlantic City backdrops.
Even the costumes are influenced by
what costume designer John A. Dunn
saw in the Brooklyn Museum. A
premiere date for the show’s second
season has not yet been announced.
Although Manhattan will always
be a desired and popular filming
locale, the reality remains that on-
location shooting there requires
finances and resources. Brooklyn
has become a unique alternative for
both film and television productions
to maintain some of that Manhattan
flavor while creating the feel of
something different entirely at a
lower price.
So if you can’t walk the stairs of a
million-dollar brownstone or patrol
the 1920s Atlantic City boardwalk by
way of Brooklyn, at least there’s the
GETTY IMAGES
vicarious worlds of HBO on Sunday
nights.
 Love the view. Love Living at oro.
Gracious Lobby • 24-Hour concierGe • resident LounGe witH wet bar
and screeninG room • 2-story fitness center witH basketbaLL court
indoor Lap pooL • panoramic manHattan and brookLyn Views
pre-approVed for fHa financinG • oVer 60% soLd

StudioS from $374,000 • 1 Br’S from $513,000 • 2 Br’S from $550,000

OroCondos.com | (866) 476-3742

SALES offiCE oPEN 7 dAYS
mon-fri 10 am - 6 pm | Sat-Sun 11 am - 6 pm
Appointments preferred, walk-ins welcome
306 GOLD STREET immEdiAtE oCCuPANCY | 15-year 421a tax Abatement
BROOKLYN, NY 11201

EXCLUSIVE MARKETING & SALES AGENT:

The complete offering terms are in an offering plan available from the Sponsor. File # CD06-0316.
 Brooklyn
Flea moves to
Williamsburg
A thrifter’s paradise sets up shop

F
By Coco Mellors
or vintage and
antique lovers, few
places on earth hold
as much promise
and potential thrill
as a flea market. Since April 2008,
Brooklyn Flea has been New York’s
premier market, featuring more than
150 vendors of furniture, antiques
and vintage goods, as well art and
jewelry from local artisans and a
mouth-watering selection of fresh
food. Founded by Brownstoner.com
creator Jonathan Butler and Eric
Demby, former communications
director for Brooklyn Borough
President Marty Markowitz, the
Flea has attracted thousands of
visitors to its Fort Greene location
over the past three years and will
likely tempt many
more to its new
Sunday setting
in Williamsburg,
which opened on
April 3.
The Brooklyn
Flea grew out
of what seemed
to Butler to be
an obvious gap
“I’m a lifelong New Yorker and was
a weekly visitor to the Chelsea Flea
Market,” said Butler. “It just seemed
silly to me that Brooklyn was such
a dynamic, creative place and didn’t
have a flea market of any critical
mass.”
Three years after beginning his
successful Web site Brownstoner,
a blog dedicated to exploring
Brooklyn’s real estate, renovations
and restaurants, Butler decided to
use the site as an online platform
to organize a Brooklyn flea market.
Demby soon got involved and his
exhaustive knowledge of Brooklyn
combined with Butler’s powerful
online following made the market an
instant success. Close to 100 vendors
signed up within the first 48 hours
of its announcement
and more than
20,000 visitors
attended its opening
weekend, proving
that Butler’s intuition
was spot on— if
there’s one thing
Brooklynites love, it’s
a flea.
Dough’s fresh Brooklyn Flea’s
East River with the Manhattan
skyline as its backdrop, continues to
attract growing numbers of vendors,
with more than 10,000 applicants
eager to show their wares to the
burgeoning summer crowds.
“We like to think of ourselves as
a small-business incubator,” Butler
said. “Whether you’re someone
who makes sweaters or sandwiches
the market can be a first step in
trying out your product and getting
feedback.” While currently around
80 percent of the vendors at each
location overlap, Butler and Demby
plan to let the Williamsburg location
develop its own personality by
bringing in more merchants from the
neighborhood.
New vendors are not the
only change noticeable at the
Williamsburg venue.
“The crowd here is a little younger
and with more tourists,” said David
The great
Middle West
Stall at the
Brooklyn Flea.
T-shirt and jewelry company
Loyalty and Blood. “Fort Greene
has more of a neighborhood feel.”
Situated just five minutes from the
Bedford L stop, the market is fast
becoming a mecca for Manhattanites
and tourists looking to hunt for
authentic Brooklyn bargains that
don’t necessitate a trip into the
heart of Brooklyn. In this way the
Williamsburg location represents
a perfect marriage between city
convenience and Brooklyn leisure.
The market is also a local hangout
for the Ray-Ban-clad hipster set that
comprises most of Williamsburg’s
current demographic. NYU students,
young professionals and fashionistas
waft between the stalls looking for
the perfect fedora, $10 boots or
vintage telephone for their studio
apartments. By contrast, the Fort
Greene location’s typical shoppers
are families.
coco mellors

in Brooklyn’s Hibiscus donuts. new location, Denosowicz, one-half of the husband Vintage home furnishings vendor
commerce culture. alongside the breezy and wife team behind hand-printed Caitlin Cowger—who describes her
8
Ah...spring!

Spring Gala Native New Yorkers

An evening of pure magic Know Your Neighbors in Nature
June 7 June 11–November 13
900 Washington Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11225 | 718-623-7200
to Eastern Parkway, to Prospect Park, or to Franklin Avenue

bbg.org Photo: Uli lorimer

 View of the
skyline and
Brooklyn Flea.
stall the Great Middle West as “if grandma’s attic
had a baby with grandpa’s garage”—likes the
diversity between the two locales.
“It’s great having all the young people here,”
Cowger said. “In Fort Greene they buy more
furniture, whereas here they love to buy all the
small, kitschy houseware stuff. It’s cool to have
both.” Brooklyn Flea is not only renowned for its
array of vintage and antique goods but its vast
offering of delectable, local cuisine. The Flea was
the first to popularize food
as a central part of the flea
market experience and has
since drastically changed “like if grandma’s
the game of flea market attic had a baby
food vending.
“Whether or not to
with grandpa’s
include food was an garage.”
important decision that
changed what an outdoor market is,” Butler
said. “We’ve really become the new model that
markets emulate.”
Butler and Demby chose an opportune
time to expand into gastronomy; the Brooklyn
food movement began rapidly picking up
steam during the same period as the market’s
arrival and continues to boom. From Pizza
Moto’s fresh wood-fired pies to Porchetta’s
hearty pork sandwiches and crispy potatoes
to Asiadog’s oriental spin on the classic
American hot dog, the market showcases
some of Brooklyn’s finest and most original
10
ScratchBread at the
foods at a flea market’s reasonable prices. The flea market.
market also caters to those with a sweet tooth,
offering Blue Marble Ice Cream or oven-
warm donuts from Dough in exotic flavors
like Hibiscus and Dulce de Leche. Finally,
shoppers can wash it all down with handmade,
artisanal sodas in unconventional flavors like
cucumber, lime and sea salt from Brooklyn’s
Soda Works.
The market offers a cheaper alternative to
nascent businesses hoping
to develop a following.
“For $100 a day you can
go out there and see if the
world likes what you’re
doing rather than signing a
lease for a year,” explained
Butler. The vendors also
appreciate the intimacy
of the setting. “It’s great to actually chat, hang
out and break bread with the people who are
supporting your brand,” said Mathew Tilden,
creator of SCRATCHBread, whose rustic plates
of fresh mozzarella, roasted garlic, seasonal
greens and crusty sourdough are a favorite
among shoppers.
coco mellors; brooklyn flea
With a new convenient location in
Williamsburg and ever-increasing numbers
of shoppers and vendors eager to get in, the
Brooklyn Flea is one of Brooklyn’s fastest-
growing businesses and the place to shop, eat
and be seen this summer.
 HANDCRAFTED
DUMBO WATERFRONT RENTAL HOMES

NOW LEASING

1 BEDROOM FROM $2,400

1 BEDROOM + HOME OFFICE FROM $2,900
2 BEDROOMS FROM $4,000

25 WASHINGTON ST. DUMBO, NY 11201

718.222.5555 - WWW.GAIR2.COM
a four-bedroom co-op at 9 Prospect
Park West in Park Slope, Brooklyn, listed
at $3,495,000 by Brown harris Stevens
senior vice president libby Ryan.
T
he Brooklyn real estate market
is smoldering, brokers say.
The market is “very hot,”
said Cornelia H. Van Amburg
of Stribling & Associates.
“Well-priced apartments sell after the first
open house or week.”
Corcoran senior associate Eve Levine
agrees.
“The Brooklyn market
Brooklyn
is on fire,” she said.
“Properties are moving
left and right, and
buzz
Brooklyn is becoming
a first choice for many
buyers.”
Fire seems to be the
theme. When asked how she would describe
the Brooklyn market, Jamella Swift, Senior
This borough emerges Associate Broker at Citi Habitats put it simply.
as the place to be “FIRE! The people on the island [Manhattan]
have found out our secret and are moving here
in droves for rentals and for sales,” she said.
By Rachel MoRgan Jerry Minsky, senior vice president at
Prudential Douglas Elliman, sees it as more of
a comeback.
“In conjunction with the New York City
12
market, the Brooklyn market is experiencing
a paced and steady comeback,” Minsky said.
“Specific to our region, [the Brownstone and
downtown markets] are growing as a result
of the population boom that we have been
continuing to experience since the early 2000s.”
Libby Ryan, a senior vice president at
Brown Harris Stevens, also views the market
in Brooklyn as coming back.
“The historic areas of Brooklyn are seeing
a resurgence of interest by buyers recovering
from the effects of the financial crisis,” Ryan said.
“Even in the higher price ranges, we have had
bidding wars and seen houses go over the asking
price. Also, the difference between Brooklyn
prices and Manhattan prices has narrowed.”
Jessica Buchman, a senior vice president
at Corcoran, attributes the area’s popularity
on amenities and quality of buildings and
developments.
“Brooklyn is and remains one of the hottest
markets,” she said. “Everyone seems to want
to be here. Buyers talk about the wholesome
vibe, the low-key pace and the sophisticated
amenities. The neighborhoods are as
distinct as they are in Manhattan and all
have winning attributes. We have gorgeous
 Clockwise from top left: A
full-service buildings with water market. townhouse listed by Corcoran
views in Williamsburg, Park block “The market is strong due senior vice president Jessica
mansions in Park Slope and Fort to the lack of inventory, continued Buchman at 409 Eighth St. in Park
Greene, prewar cozy co-ops in influx of young professionals and Slope for $3,195,000; a penthouse
Prospect Heights and Clinton Hill. international clientele,” she said. listing at 355A Halsey St. in Bedford
Stuyvesant by Citi Habitats senior
The housing stock is remarkable.” Sarah Burke, executive vice associate broker Jamella Swift for
Phyllis Norton-Towers of Brown president/director of sales at $415,000; a co-op at 404 6th Ave.
Harris Stevens Brooklyn names Prudential Douglas Elliman, said the in Park Slope, listed by Corcoran
three main attributes for a strong variety of neighborhood within the senior vice president Jessica
borough is another major draw. Buchman for $849,000.
“Each neighborhood seems to
Brokers pick have its own special something,” Brooklyn Academy of Music,
the most iconic she said. “The ever-changing the Brooklyn Museum and the
growth of Williamsburg, the Brooklyn Botanic Garden.
Brooklynites tree-lined brownstone streets of center stage in this popular Historic converts seem to be
Barry Manilow Brooklyn Heights, the culture in borough. The new high-rise an emerging trend in the area;
Chris Rock and around Prospect Park.” Arias, in the heart of Park Kirkman Lofts was converted from
Woody Allen Brooklyn is now serious Slope, offers a degree of luxury a historic soap factory, Kirkman
Spike Lee competition for Manhattan, some to the borough. This boutique & Son, at 37 Bridge St. The
Jay Z
brokers say. 12-story building features a development features unique floor
Al Capone
Jackie Gleason “Brooklyn has come into its professionally decorated leasing plans, the original steel silos and
Jean Michel Basquiat own and is now a preferred center and model unit by Cathy even three townhouse units.
Barbara Streisand destination,” said Halstead Hobbs, founder of apherea inc. Dumbo’s new rental building,
Thomas Wolfe Property’s executive director and former host and executive 25 Washington, is another new
Marty Markowitz of sales for Brooklyn, Roberta producer of Metro Residential TV. hot spot, firmly establishing the
Tupper Thomas
Benzilio. “It will soon rival Arias is joined by the Residences neighborhood as an area that is
Neil Simon
Manhattan in status, style and at the Williamsburg, 175 Kent, attracting potential buyers and
Bugsy Siegel
Lou Reed maybe even sensibility. There are Factory Lofts and Olive Park. renters en masse.
Beverly Sills many different neighborhoods to Then you have One Hanson Downtown Brooklyn is another
Joan Rivers choose from to fit literally every Place, also known as the hopping area, with developments
Rita Hayworth budget, size and lifestyle.” Williamsburg Savings Bank, a like the condo towers Oro and
Aaron Copland In addition to traditionally historic landmark. One Hanson is Toren, and rental buildings like
Howard Schultz
popular areas, newer luxury surrounded by some of Brooklyn’s the Brooklyner, 80 DeKalb and
Howard Cosell
buildings are starting to take finest cultural institutions— the BKLYN Gold.
Jerry Seinfeld
14Larry David
Notorious B.I.G.
PURE LOFT
Dumbo • $3,100,000 • A rare, luminous space in Dumbo, 3,200 sf on the top floor
of an 1896 former iron works factory building. 2.5 baths, washer/dryer, 19 windows
North, South, East, West. Spectacular kitchen. Condo. Web# 1346356.
Steve Halprin & K. Landers 212.206.2803 I Jan Hashey, EVP 212.206.2804
PARK SLOPE’S PREMIER ADDRESS
Park Slope • $3,499,999 • Emery Roth designed 11-room duplex towering over
Prospect Park in the areas premier white glove residence. Offering grand rooms,
wood burning fireplaces, endless views, and endless possibilities. Web# 1335917.
Marc Wisotsky 718.840.2011 I Jackie Lew 718.840.2012

VERy CHARMING
Brooklyn Heights • $829,000 • European first floor with
townhouse-like feel this spacious 2 bedroom + small
home office/den is in a prewar co-op. The apartment
has been lovingly restored to its early elegance.
Web# 1344878. Ellen Rick, SVP 212.206.2814
SPACIOUS AND MINT 3 BEDROOM
Park Slope • $1,400,000 • This spacious and mint 3
bedroom plus windowed office, 2 bath prewar apart-
ment in prime North Slope has it all including generous
proportions and proper dining room. Web# 1340486.
Terry Naini 718.780.8110 I 917.841.1826
WISHES CAN COME TRUE
Carroll Gardens • $2,999,000 • Put this on your “must
see” list. Located on one of the most coveted blocks in
Carroll Gardens this brownstone offers endless pos-
sibilities for the creative eye. Call today. Web# 1338096.
Immacolata Giocoli 718.935.6137 | 917.569.9881

SOARING CATHEDRAL CEILINGS FANTASTIC VALUE SPRAWLING GARDEN DUPLEX

East Williamsburg • $499,000 • Converted school,
2 bedrooms with mezzanines, parking spot, balcony,
walk-in closet, oversized windows, bike room and
storage space makes this apartment a delight. Steps to
‘M’ train. Web# 1338963. Borko Zubac 718.486.4404
440 Kent Avenue, #6E • $650,000 • 1,246 sf 2 bedroom,
2 bath home in top Williamsburg condo. Brilliant light,
excellent condition, great closets, wood floors, granite
kitchen & modern appliances. 24-hour doorman. Pets
ok. Web# 1014231. Diego F. Plaza, VP 212.350.8521
Greenpoint/Williamsburg • $729,000 • Approximately
1,900 sf, 2 bedrooms, easily 3, with 3 full baths and
private garden, 30x20 ft, short walk to either Bedford or
the Graham Ave ‘L’ train stop or Nassau Ave ‘G’ train.
Web# 1294759. Borko Zubac 718.486.4404

LONG ISLAND MANHATTAN BROOKLYN QUEENS THE HAMPTONS THE NORTH FORK RIVERDALE/BRONX WESTCHESTER/PUTNAM

©2011. An independently owned and operated member of the Prudential Real Estate Affiliates, Inc. is a service mark of Prudential Insurance Company of America. Equal Housing Opportunity. All material presented herein is intended for information
purposes only. While, this information is believed to be correct, it is represented subject to errors, omissions, changes or withdrawal without notice. All property outlines and square footage in property listings are approximate.
 Brooklyn Babies
This borough is a haven
for new parents Abound By Natalie Howard

M
anhattan can’t be beat
if you’re looking for
bright lights, swerving
taxis and 4 a.m. last
calls, but where to go if
you’re a parent wanting to raise your kids in the
city? The mom survey says Brooklyn.
“The culture is all about stoop-sitting in
Brooklyn,” said Karen Connell, founder and
editor of the Web site A Child Grows. “You end
up hanging out and talking to people. People
amble by and they stop to talk. When I sit on my
stoop, I know 80 percent of the people on my
block.”
Connell found an even closer community in
the moms group she joined.
“There were moms coming in and out,
sharing information on everything from the
best pediatricians to great mommy-and-me
classes,” said Connell. “Some moms were
leaving or had never been able to come at all,
so they would never get this information. I
panicked that this information was
being lost, almost like an oral history
disappearing.”
So in 2006 she started A Child
Grows, which is dedicated to news,
advice and business and service
reviews for parents. While the site
began as a resource for the 15 moms in
Connell’s moms group,
by the end of the first
month, A Child Grows
had more than
100 readers and
subscribers.
“It’s
continued
to grow
Connell. “We have a pediatrician writing for
the Web site now, as well as parent coaches,
consultants, doulas and professional organizers.
We provide advice on being a parent on [both]
the national and micro level.”
Connell, who has two youngsters herself,
Birch and Willow, can’t praise the mom groups
that helped her get started enough.
“Moms groups are a huge part of the
parenting culture in Brooklyn,” Connell said. “A
lot of them are based on the month that babies
are born, so if your baby was born in June 2010,
you already have 20 friends in your group.”
But moms aren’t the only ones staying home
with the baby.
“There are three or four dads groups that are
becoming more popular and more attended,”
said Connell. “There are lots of stay-at-home dads
who are creatives or freelancers and now they’re
able to find play dates and other friends in same
situation.”
While Child Grows is mostly an online
resource, last March, Connell brought
her online community to life at their
First-Ever Baby Expo, a daylong
event where parents and kids could
learn about local resources, interact
with other Brooklyn families, see
product and skill demonstrations
and attend seminars.
“I had expected 250 people,”
Connell said.
“More than
720 people
came. It
shows that
there are a
lot of parents
excited
Brooklyn’s local resources and realizing the
incredible quality here.”
Another resource for Brooklyn parents is
BabyBites, an online and in-person forum for
moms. Its Brooklyn chapter hosts luncheons,
seminars, support groups and sample classes.
“We have resources online via our Web
site,” said Chana Balk, founder of BabyBites
Brooklyn. “We also have events where we
bring in experts relevant to new motherhood.
We’re not exclusively for new or expectant
moms. We’re just trying to help make early
mommyhood more reasonable.”
Balk was a lawyer for 10 years before having
kids and turning her attentions to BabyBites
Brooklyn. Balk also has a new venture, Move It
Momma, a fitness program for moms that offers
classes in Prospect Park. A former Upper West
Sider, Balk was hesitant to make the move to
Brooklyn.
“We moved to Brooklyn when our firstborn
was a toddler,” said Balk. “There was less
cohesiveness among moms on the Upper West
Side, but in Brooklyn, everyone knew everyone
at the playground.”
Balk also touts Brooklyn’s local amenities as
essential to the parenting experience. These
resources can come in the form of the seven
kids’ retail consignment stores and the several
indoor play spaces Brooklyn boasts—but the
best amenities the borough has to offer are its
natural ones.
“Part of the reason we moved to Brooklyn
was because my husband wanted to see trees,”
Connell said. “We wanted to be near a park
because they’re a great way to have the green
space we couldn’t have otherwise.”
It’s not only the parks that are calling kid’s
names.
BaByBites Brooklyn.

organically about “In the summer and warmer months, we’ll

over the past using spend hours at the Brooklyn Botanical Garden
four years,” said since it’s only four blocks away,” Balk said.
Chana Balk, the founder of
16 BabyBites Brooklyn.
 New York
Connecticut
New Jersey
halstead.com

F e at u r e d B r o o k ly n e x c l u s i v e s

STUNNING PENTHOUSE. DUMBO Excl. Elegant sun-flooded home w/ HUGE CLOCKTOWER LOFT. DUMBO Excl. Spectacular high floor corner SIZZLING LOFT AND CABANA. DUMBO Excl. Enjoy the view from your
terrace, breathtaking views, grand open LR & DA, 3BR, 2 baths, W/D, loft in DUMBO’s iconic Clocktower. 2 bedroom, 2.5 bath. Postcard views couch or cabana. 1,217SF luxury loft w/home office, 11’ ceilings, 1.5 baths.
luxurious finishes and custom details throughout. $2.8M. Web#1924418 of skyline, Brooklyn Bridge and river. $2.149M. Web#1944489 Relax and entertain in your private rooftop cabana. $1.25M. Web#1504084
Terrance Le Ray 718.613.2057 Charles Homet, SVP 212.381.6571 Mary Micali 718.613.2010

SUPREME QUIET. Chelsea Excl. Enter this oversized 1BR in one of INVITING 1BR LOFT. DUMBO Excl. Open-style living. State-of-art chef’s CONCORD VILLAGE. Bklyn Hts Excl. Spacious, high floor 2BR, 2 bath with
Chelsea’s finest cooperatives. There is a renovated windowed kitchen, kitchen, Bosch laundry rm, marble spa bath w/Jacuzzi & sep glass shower, city and bridge views. Renov windowed cook’s kitchen and 2 fab baths.
parquet floors and closets galore. Full-service DM. $749K. Web#37633 11’ ceilings, oversized windows. DM, health club. $695K. Web#1879788 Large LR w/sep DA. 5 clsts, parquet flrs. Reduced. $529K. Web#1931372
Ruth Sobie, SVP 212.381.6528 Keith Cayenne 718.613.2007 Allen Rothman, SVP 212.381.6539

LUXURY CONDO HOME. Cobble Hill Excl. Large 1BR with oversized THAT FARMHOUSE FEELING. Park Slope Excl. Open and airy, high ONE BEDROOM CONDO PLUS TERRACE. Booklyn Heights Excl.
windows plus wood burning fplc, skylight and CAC in full service doorman ceiling, brick wall co-op, magical roof terrace, 1 block to the park. Feels Private terrace overlooking a beautiful award-winning garden. Exposed
building with gym and shuttle service included. $525K. Web#1943571 like a weekend hideaway, upstate. Priceless. $525K. Web#1933829 brick, washer/dryer, live-in super. $569K. Web#1842963
Meryl Blackman 718.613.2071 Dianne Young 718.613.2003 Michael J. Connolly 646.932.0307

HISTORIC TOWNHOUSE GEM.

Clinton Hill Excl. Landmark
home chockfull of details,
fireplaces, stained glass
windows, 4 floors, 4 bedroom,
den, 6 baths, garden, park
and transportation nearby.
$1.995M. Web#1880316
Sandra Y. Friedman, SVP
212.381.3206
V i r t u a l ly s ta g e d

RENOVATED 2BR WITH PARKING. Kensington Excl. The finest convertible A DEAL TOO GOOD TO PASS. Bklyn Hts Excl. Huge corner 1BR on high
3BR. Top floor, brilliant sun, new kitchen and bath. 3 exposures, 7 closets, floor featuring a galley kitchen and dining L in a full-service, pet-friendly
super-sized living/dining room. Motivated seller. $339K. Web#1832783 building with roof deck and gym. 1 stop to NYC. $315K. Web#1888726
Gerard Splendore 718.613.2052 Amy Krolak 718.613.2079

We are pledged to the letter and spirit of U.S. policy for the achievement of equal housing opportunity throughout the Nation. We encourage and support an affirmative advertising
and marketing program in which there are no barriers to obtaining housing because of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status or national origin.
 “Coney Island and the New York
“ It’s nIce havIng
Aquarium are also big draws.
It’s nice having Prospect Park as
ProsPect Park your backyard.”
as your The abundance of green
space and the slower pace of
backyard.” Brooklyn lend themselves well
to families, allowing for the time
and the space to raise children.
“There’s a lot more value in leisure time and hanging out,” said
Connell. “You don’t have to go to an activity or a birthday party every
weekend. The idea that you can pop your kids in the car and it’s no
big deal to go somewhere like a park is great.”
Even the feel of Brooklyn parks is unique to the borough. Almost
every neighborhood has its own that puts on Halloween parades
and Easter egg hunts, but even without extra events, parks are a
draw for families.
“You go to a park or a playground and the kids interact and the
parents strike up conversation,” Connell said. “People are very open
here to meeting people and getting to know them. It’s a smaller
community and there are not as many people per capita, so there
are more chances of seeing someone again. We often don’t even
make play dates. We just go to our neighborhood playground and
we usually know at least one child, if not more.”
Kids getting to know each other inevitably means that their
moms get to know each other, as well. Fortunately, Balk finds that
Brooklyn parents are some of the best.
“In Brooklyn, the parents are much more involved with figuring
out how to balance being a parent and working,” Balk said. “The
parents are often entrepreneurial and creative. There’s a much
more heterogeneous mix of people.”
And Brooklyn allows the opportunity to get to know and become
friends with these people.
“The feeling of knowing your neighbors is comforting,” said
Connell. “One time, Fresh Direct came to drop something while I
was getting my kids ready for bed. I couldn’t hear my doorbell and
they were about to leave. but my 70-year-old neighbor told them to
wait. She told them she knew my schedule; she knew I was putting
the kids to bed.”
But even with its friendly neighbors and abundant parks, the
most majestic of parenting communities has a downside. For
Connell and Balk, it’s the school system.
“The biggest problem is that our public schools are not as
good as public schools on Manhattan,” said Connell. “Schools are
overcrowded or are emerging as potentially good schools but they
need lots of parents to get involved and be pioneers to revamp them.”
Balk agrees.
“The school systems in the city are such a challenge compared
to the suburbs,” said Balk. “They’re a challenge in Brooklyn; they’re
a challenge in Manhattan. That’s probably the biggest draw of the
suburbs.”
But that’s not enough to dim the luster of Brooklyn.
“In Brooklyn, there’s a sense of helping each other, which is crucial,
especially with kids,” said Connell. “It really does take a village.”
18
Pizza Pie
Get a taste of Brooklyn’s
best pizza at these old
and new favorites.
By nAtAlie HowArD
AlligAtor lounge
Looking for a late-night pizza fix? Alligator Lounge is open every night until 4 a.m.,
but even more enticing is its buy a drink, get a free pizza offer. That’s right, bargain
shoppers, whenever you order any drink, you receive a coupon for a free personal
pizza. Their pizzas are made to order in the bar’s brick oven, and you can take a turn
on the resident pool table while you wait (600 Metropolitan Ave., 718-809-4440).
Antonio’s PizzA
Don’t let the lack of decoration fool you; Antonio’s has been serving up classic
Italian fare in Park Slope since 1950. Try their grandma slice, a rectangular thin-crust
slice with the cheese layered underneath the sauce instead of on top. Known best
for its pizza, Antonio’s also offers cheese steaks, calzones and ravioli, oh my! (318
Flatbush Ave., 917-791-3019).
Di FArA PizzA
Opened by Domenico DeMarco, Di Fara’s has been serving up classic New York-
and Sicilian-style pizzas for over 40 years. The pizza palace maintains its consistent
quality by never skimping on one main ingredient: DeMarco. All day, every day,
DeMarco is the only one to touch the pies, kneading, topping and baking them to
perfection. The dining room only seats 12, so try to avoid the dinner rush (1424 Ave.
J, 718-258-1367).
grimAlDi’s PizzeriA
Hit one of Brooklyn’s most famous pizza joints the next time you cross the river.
Located just under the Brooklyn Bridge, Grimaldi’s evokes the feeling of classic
pizzerias with its red-and-white-checkered tablecloths and coal-fire brick oven. They
only serve whole pies, so bring some friends and plenty of time—Grimaldi’s doesn’t
take reservations, and the line to be seated has been known to stretch around the
block (19 Old Fulton St., 718-858-4300).
l&B sPumoni gArDens
Summer’s just around the corner, so soak up some sun as you polish off your pie
on L&B’s outdoor patio. Try a slice of their famous Sicilian pizza, as seen on the Travel
Channel’s Man v. Food, now served up by the fourth generation of the founding Barbati
family. It’s no easy feat, but try to save room for dessert. Treat your taste buds to L&B’s
namesake spumoni or classic Italian ices (2725 86th St., 718-372-8400).
PAtriciA’s PizzA AnD PAstA
With locations in the Bronx and Riverdale, owners Lou and John Maschi stuck
with what they knew when they opened Patricia’s in Williamsburg. Chef Giacomo
Alaio relies on the old-world recipes and techniques his father taught him to provide
customers with authentic Italian fare. Patricia’s treats every visitor like family, offering
hearty, familiar flavors made vibrant and new with fresh, organic ingredients (35
Broadway, 718-218-9272).
PAulie gee’s
Not to be confused with the Jersey Shore DJ, this Paulie serves up vegan slices.
Paul Gianonne began his pizza-making days somewhere familiar—in his backyard.
He’s since upgraded to a rustic, homey restaurant in Greenpoint. The shop only
opened in March 2010, but Paulie Gee’s has been winning over Brooklynites with its
vegan options, brunch menu and unconventional everyday pizzas. Go big and try
their Baconmarmalade Picante, with fresh mozzarella, red onion and, that’s right,
bacon marmalade (60 Greenpoint Ave., 347-987-3747).
roBertA’s
This elegant hot spot is all about two things—pizza and sustainability. The
restaurant, opened in 2008, finds many of its fresh ingredients in its rooftop garden,
supports and serves local brewers and hosts its own radio station. Roberta’s balances
out its traditional pies like the classic Margherita, with more original offerings, such
as its Cheesus Christ, featuring three cheeses and black pepper (261 Moore St., 718-
417-1118).
 r e s T a u r a n T

The souTh african experience

Through our electric cuisine, authentic music, arts & crafts, and
highly successful catering business, we are celebrating and
preserving the culture and vitality of a unique continent
and extending it well beyond the shores of africa.

195 Dekalb avenue, brooklyn, new york 11205

P. 718 855 9190 • www.madibarestaurant.com
This borough is a haven for new parents
Park SloPe SchoolS
lengthy Waiting liStS
F
By Christine Liu
irst, public-school class sizes
increased dramatically. Teachers
were laid off. Finally, funding to
arts programs dwindled. Now,
kindergartners in the Park Slope
area of Brooklyn can barely make it past the
waiting list. In a new report released by the city,
more than 3,000 kindergarteners have been wait-
listed for entry to elementary school.
Out of the 700 public elementary schools that
offer kindergarten, 157 of those have a waiting list.
Children on these waiting lists have increased
from 0 to 100 from last year.
“Park Slope is a family neighborhood,” said Pat
Mannino, P.S. 107 parent coordinator. “People like
it here; it’s warm and it’s friendly.”
According to a recent article by The New York
Times, P.S. 107 has the 14th-longest kindergarten
waiting list in the city. The coveted Park Slope
school had147 kids on their waiting list at
the start of the admissions process this year,
compared to no waiting list last year.
What’s more, Mannino has been making
unannounced house calls to comb out families that
have used someone else’s address to apply to the
school.
“We simply go to everyone’s homes on the list
and see if they families truly live there,” Mannino
said.
In nearby Sunset Park, P.S. 94 has 62
kindergartens on their waiting list compared to 21
in 2010. Another Sunset Park school, P.S. 169, has
99 children on their waiting list. Schools in other
areas of Brooklyn, including P.S. 39, have even
turned away kindergartners because they have
reached capacity.
That leaves parents desperately scrambling
to get their kindergarteners into school this fall.
20
Among these parents
is Deputy Chancellor
for Portfolio Planning
for the New York City
Department of Education
Marc Sternberg, whose
child was wait-listed at
P.S. 107.
The social hierarchy
in getting a seat at a
Park Slope schools go
something like this. Kids
who have siblings already
enrolled in the school
district have first priority.
Children who live in the
zone but who don’t have
older siblings in schools elementary school, P.S. 133, which was originally
are next. Then, children who have siblings in the slated to opening in 2012, will now be delayed
school district but now live outside the school to 2013. The construction of the $66 million
zone comes next. Finally, kids who live outside the project at Fourth Avenue and Butler Street stalled
school district are last. because of budget cuts. The facility is supposed to
Fearing the city is not doing enough to get accommodate upward of 900 students; 300 from
these 3,000 kindergarteners into schools, parents District 13 and 600 from District 15.
are taking matters into their own hands. They are “By the time [the Department of Education]
in discussion to form a home-schooling program builds the new school, the kids on the waiting lists
for the wait-listed kids. will be old enough to get married,” Mannino said.
City officials are urging parents to be patient, The waiting list for the stalled P.S.133 has already
as it is still early in the admissions process. As reached 190 expectant kindergartners. They will
children get accepted into gifted-and-talented now have to gain admissions elsewhere.
programs, charters schools and private schools, According to city officials, kindergartners will
the number of kindergarteners on waiting lists be placed in schools, but may not be placed in
will diminish. their school districts. If kindergartners cannot
“There will always be someone who hasn’t get a seat in their school of choice in their home
gotten a response and becomes anxious,” Mannino district then they will be sent to an alternative
said. “People need to have answers and want to school outside their district until space opens up.
know where they’re kid are going to go to school.” “It is not a Park Slope issue,” Mannino said. “It’s
To make matters worse, the opening of a new a city-wide issue.”
 chance
asian bistro & bar

chance is the most popular and exciting restaurant on smith street,

where you can find creative pan-asian cuisines
served with stylish presentation.

223 smith street, brooklyn, ny 11201

tel. 718.242.1515 fax. 718.243.2900 www.chancecuisine.com
 Clockwise from top left: A-list Brooklynites Alexa Chung, Jennifer
Connelly and Paul Bettany, Peter Sarsgaard and Maggie Gyllenhaal.

The borough becomes an enclave for area notables

F
By Coco Mellors
or celebrities looking for a home
away from the commotion and
paparazzi pitfalls of the city that
won’t necessitate giving up the
title of New Yorker, Brooklyn
has become an ideal location. From the famous
families joining the stroller masses in Park
Slope to the bright young things flocking to
Williamsburg, Brooklyn’s new residents are
quickly raising the borough’s real estate worth—
and its glamour index.
Park Slope, with its family-friendly townhouses,
abundance of stylish cafes and propinquity
to Prospect Park, has long been the favored
22
neighborhood of young, hip families hoping to
raise their children away from the city’s bustle.
This goes for young, hip celebrity families, too,
like indie actress Maggie Gyllenhaal, who, with
her husband, actor Peter Sarsgaard, moved in
2006 to a vintage 3,600-square-foot brownstone
in north Park Slope.
“We’re crazy about Park Slope,” Gyllenhaal told
The Brooklyn Paper in 2007. The couple clearly
remains so; they still live in their renovated
brownstone with their 4-year-old daughter,
Ramona, and can regularly be spotted around the
neighborhood visiting their favorite coffee shop,
Gorilla Coffee.
In 2008, Park Slope took a blow to its celebrity
home status when Brooklyn’s golden couple Paul
Bettany and Jennifer Connelly moved out of their
18-room, 5,243-square-foot mansion on Prospect
Park West in favor of a $6.995 million penthouse
in Tribeca. The mansion, which the couple bought
for $3.7 million in 2003 and reportedly sold for
$8.45 million in 2008, was described by New
York magazine as “one of the most beautiful in
all of Park Slope.” The Internet was briefly abuzz
with the rumor that the ultimate Manhattan girl,
Sarah Jessica Parker, was buying the home with
her husband, Matthew Broderick, which would
have arguably catapulted the neighborhood to
 Modern European Design
SleekNew +
Modern
Classic York Stylish
Service
Dreams Really Do Come True
An updated kitchen for culinary life as it should more smoothly than you could have imagined, trust
be. A bath designed for the luxury of enjoyment. For in Elgot.
Sincerooms
the most important 1945,in Elgot has provided
any home–rooms to be the The
inspiration
only stop youand need
expertise
to maketoforbring
your kitchen
proud of–come dream kitchens to life. From start or
to Elgot. to bath
finish,
designouris Elgot.
seasoned professionals
Offering the finest in Ameri-
Elgot has been the choice
will handle the ofentire
New project
Yorkers with
for tender
can andloving
European cabinetry
care. andthe
Offering major appliances
finest
kitchen and bath design and remodeling since 1945. Elgot’s seasoned professionals will listen to you,
ininAmerican
For inspiration helping youand European
choose the bestcabinetry,
appli- helpall you
major
withappliances,
your choices, and
anddesign andof every-
take care
remodeling
ances and fixtures, services,
for unsurpassed Elgot isto the
know-how get first
thingand only
every stepstep
of theyou’ll needyour
way. Make to have
first and only
your dreams come true. You can trust in Elgot.
the job done quickly and correctly, for the expertise stop a visit to Elgot.
that brings together the dream and the finished result Come and be inspired.

Manhattan’s Premier Kitchen and Bath Designers

937 Lexington Avenue • Between 68th and 69th Streets
New York, NY 10065
212-879-1200 www.elgotkitchens.com

K&B_Supp_2010_REV2.indd
Elgot_K&BSUP_1010_JN2.indd11 1 9/15/10
9/2/10 12:58
10:50 PM
AM
Brooklyn ReAl estAte snApshot
MARKET STATISTICS
PROvIDED BY

The table below presents recorded sales data of condos,
co-ops and townhouses in Brooklyn and within the Wil-
liamsburg/Greenpoint, DUMBO, Brooklyn Heights, BoCo-
Ca (Boerum Hill, Cobble Hill, Carroll Gardens), Park Slope,
Downtown Brooklyn, Windsor Terrace, Kensington, Fort
Greene and Propsect Heights markets. Data is from the
first quarter of 2009, 2010, and 2011. Overall, the volume
of transactions this past first quarter is 12.5% lower than
last year but 23.3% higher than 2009 when the market
was at its weakest. Median median and average prices
had price gains in areas like Park Slope, BoCoCa, Windsor
Terrace, Kensington, and Propsect Heights.

August RecoRded sAles

Recorded sales of condos, co-ops or houses in Brooklyn (as of 08/11/2011)
ALL BROOKLYN Closed On Closing Count Median Price Average Price
2009Q1 1,900 458,500 525,413
2010Q1 2,678 462,602 524,854
2011Q1 2,342 460,000 540,824
2011Q1 v. 2010Q1 -12.5% -0.6% 3.0%
2011Q1 v. 2009Q1 23.3% 0.3% 2.9%
WILLIAMSBURG/ Closed On Closing Count Median Price Average Price
GREENPOINT 2009Q1 121 565,128 572,966
2010Q1 184 542,381 579,546
2011Q1 309 560,000 602,494
2011Q1 v. 2010Q1 67.9% 3.2% 4.0%
2011Q1 v. 2009Q1 155.4% -0.9% 5.2%
DUMBO Closed On Closing Count Median Price Average Price
2009Q1 6 834,146 1,140,570
2010Q1 18 1,147,000 1,279,831
2011Q1 12 975,000 955,327
2011Q1 v. 2010Q1 -33.3% -15.0% -25.4%
2011Q1 v. 2009Q1 100.0% 16.9% -16.2%
BROOKLYN HEIGHTS Closed On Closing Count Median Price Average Price
2009Q1 28 717,500 1,311,393
2010Q1 86 722,500 921,468
2011Q1 61 675,000 911,155
2011Q1 v. 2010Q1 -29.1% -6.6% -1.1%
2011Q1 v. 2009Q1 117.9% -5.9% -30.5%
BOCOCA Closed On Closing Count Median Price Average Price
(BOERUM HILL, 2009Q1 45 750,000 946,982
COBBLE HILL, 2010Q1 72 682,500 897,470
CARROLL GARDENS) 2011Q1 67 763,687 881,055
2011Q1 v. 2010Q1 -6.9% 11.9% -1.8%
2011Q1 v. 2009Q1 48.9% 1.8% -7.0%
PARK SLOPE Closed On Closing Count Median Price Average Price
2009Q1 80 668,022 852,336
2010Q1 155 611,000 740,411
2011Q1 122 727,500 830,159
2011Q1 v. 2010Q1 -21.3% 19.1% 12.1%
2011Q1 v. 2009Q1 52.5% 8.9% -2.6%
DOWNTOWN Closed On Closing Count Median Price Average Price
BROOKLYN 2009Q1 20 505,054 592,805
2010Q1 94 478,710 493,471
2011Q1 123 435,000 490,561
2011Q1 v. 2010Q1 30.9% -9.1% -0.6%
2011Q1 v. 2009Q1 515.0% -13.9% -17.2%
BROOKLYN HEIGHTS Closed On Closing Count Median Price Average Price
2009Q1 28 717,500 1,311,393
2010Q1 86 722,500 921,468
2011Q1 61 675,000 911,155
2011Q1 v. 2010Q1 -29.1% -6.6% -1.1%
2011Q1 v. 2009Q1 117.9% -5.9% -30.5%
WINDSOR TERRACE Closed On Closing Count Median Price Average Price
2009Q1 15 409,000 437,852
2010Q1 30 460,000 546,401
2011Q1 22 531,000 603,252
2011Q1 v. 2010Q1 -26.7% 15.4% 10.4%
2011Q1 v. 2009Q1 46.7% 29.8% 37.8%
KENSINGTON Closed On Closing Count Median Price Average Price
2009Q1 49 430,950 453,201
2010Q1 51 335,000 372,112
2011Q1 50 381,330 403,216
2011Q1 v. 2010Q1 -2.0% 13.8% 8.4%
2011Q1 v. 2009Q1 2.0% -11.5% -11.0%
24
august Recorded sales (cont.)
Recorded sales of condos, co-ops or houses in Brooklyn (as of 08/11/2011)
FORT gREENE closed On closing count median Price Average Price
2009Q1 12 726,478 785,251
2010Q1 85 555,000 634,715
2011Q1 37 499,000 663,474
2011Q1 v. 2010Q1 -56.5% -10.1% 4.5%
2011Q1 v. 2009Q1 208.3% -31.3% -15.5%
PROSPEcT HEigHTS closed On closing count median Price Average Price
2009Q1 36 940,000 1,075,749
2010Q1 38 455,580 637,338
2011Q1 45 717,500 896,153
2011Q1 v. 2010Q1 18.4% 57.5% 40.6%
2011Q1 v. 2009Q1 25.0% -23.7% -16.7%w

Brooklyn MaRKet snapshot

Below is a market snapshot as of april 11, 2011 of what is currently available for sale and rent.
ALL BROOKLYN SNAPSHOT DOWNTOWN BROOKLYN
TYPE SALES RENTALS TYPE SALES RENTALS
PRicE PRicE PRicE PRicE
Studio $327,000 $1,900 Studio $377,000 $1,822
1 BR $373,000 $1,900 1 BR $495,000 $2,453
2 BR $545,000 $2,250 2 BR $785,000 $3,000
3 BR $632,000 $2,400 3 BR $1,150,000 $3,200
4+ BR $698,500 $3,850 4+ BR $1,075,000 n/a

WiLLiAmSBuRg/gREENPOiNT WiNDSOR TERRAcE

TYPE SALES RENTALS TYPE SALES RENTALS
PRicE PRicE PRicE PRicE
Studio $372,500 $2,000 Studio $290,000 $1,450
1 BR $445,000 $2,100 1 BR $347,000 $1,850
2 BR $659,000 $2,600 2 BR $550,000 $2,275
3 BR $960,000 $2,950 3 BR $612,000 $2,200
4+ BR $1,282,000 $3,997 4+ BR $999,000 n/a

DumBO KENSiNgTON
TYPE SALES RENTALS TYPE SALES RENTALS
PRicE PRicE PRicE PRicE
Studio $664,500 n/a Studio $169,000 $1,295
1 BR $795,000 $2,950 1 BR $232,000 $1,700
2 BR $1,252,000 $6,500 2 BR $399,000 $1,850
3 BR $2,150,000 $16,400 3 BR $405,000 $2,200
4+ BR n/a n/a 4+ BR $748,500 $2,600

BROOKLYN HEigHTS FORT gREENE

TYPE SALES RENTALS TYPE SALES RENTALS
PRicE PRicE PRicE PRicE
Studio $299,000 $1,900 Studio $369,000 $1,650
1 BR $449,000 $2,707 1 BR $435,000 $2,350
2 BR $925,000 $4,200 2 BR $675,000 $2,800
3 BR $1,797,500 $6,800 3 BR $689,000 $2,800
4+ BR $2,920,000 $12,000 4+ BR $1,550,000 $6,150

BOcOcA (BOERum HiLL, cOBBLE HiLL, cARROLL gARDENS) PROSPEcT HEigHTS

TYPE SALES RENTALS TYPE SALES RENTALS
PRicE PRicE PRicE PRicE
Studio $316,740 $2,300 Studio $292,500 $1,300
1 BR $489,000 $2,200 1 BR $449,000 $2,199
2 BR $824,637 $3,450 2 BR $717,000 $2,400
3 BR $1,295,000 $4,600 3 BR $1,047,500 $2,950
4+ BR $1,792,500 $6,300 4+ BR $1,599,000 $7,500

PARK SLOPE
TYPE SALES RENTALS Price indicates median values.
PRicE PRicE
Studio $332,000 $2,200
1 BR $499,000 $2,000
2 BR $699,000 $2,500
3 BR $975,000 $3,500
4+ BR $1,750,000 $8,750
25
 unparalleled levels of
celebrity-endorsed
chic. The New York
Times quickly
squashed that
rumor, however,
when they revealed
that an unnamed
Google employee and
his family had in fact
bought the home.
Despite this
loss to Brooklyn’s
celebrity
community, a
number of other
notable couples
and their families
have taken the leap
across the bridge in
recent years. In 2005,
Michelle Williams
and Heath Ledger
moved to Boerum Hill
with their daughter,
Matilda, and became
the quintessential
Brooklyn cool couple,
often being snapped
strolling through the
neighborhood looking
artfully disheveled
and low-key with their
Michelle Williams
coffee and stroller.
Since their split in 2007, Williams has
continued living in the area with her daughter
and told the press in 2009, “Now I really wouldn’t
go back to Manhattan. The neighborhood that
we live in is just amazing.” Since passing away in
January 2008, Heath Ledger has also left a lasting
legacy in Brooklyn. His Greenpoint restaurant,
Five Leaves, was opened posthumously with
money from his estate in September 2008 and
continues to thrive as one of Brooklyn’s most
popular eateries.
In 2009, Brooklyn Heights gained two colorful
celebrity residents when avant-garde Icelandic
singer Björk and her artist husband, Matthew
Barney, moved to the neighborhood. The couple
sold their $1.7 million West Houston Street
apartment and moved to a four-bedroom co-op
26
I lIke Brooklyn, It remInds
me the most of
east london.
on Henry Street with an asking price of $4.25
million. Björk has since reportedly been spotted
strolling the area in a number of eye-catching
outfits.
Low-key actress Keri Russell also lives in
a Brooklyn brownstone with her carpenter
husband, Shane Deary, and son, River. “We go to
the park, we go to the farmers’ market,” she told
the New York Daily News of life in Fort Greene.
“I love having [the Brooklyn Academy of
Music] right here.”
Brooklyn may be a growing favorite
among some of Hollywood’s most
recognizable faces but it is also home to
several behind the scenes celebrities. Famed
filmmaker Michel Gondry moved to Orient
Avenue in East Williamsburg in 2008,
a street originally made famous for
being the home of Kate Winslet’s
character in the Gondry-directed hit
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.
“I don’t like so much all the
new condominiums that they are
constructing,” Gondry told New York
of the building developments in
Williamsburg. “I sort of laugh inside
when I realize that they are all
screwed and they can’t find people
to live in their buildings.”
Perhaps an unexpected Brooklyn
resident is J. Crew creative director
Jenna Lyons, whose stylish new
direction for the brand established it
as a favorite of Michelle Obama’s, as well
as the preppy Upper East Side set. Lyons
lives with her artist husband, Vincent
Mazeau, and son, Beckett, in a Brooklyn
brownstone that they spent two years
converting into the house of their dreams.
The town house was then featured on
the September cover of UK magazine
Livingetc in 2009.
Brooklyn is not only a popular
borough among the celebrity stroller
crowd but is increasingly becoming populated by
young, independent celebrities. HBO star Adrian
Grenier lives in Clinton Hill in a home renovated
using entirely green materials, including recycled
denim and a row of photovoltaic panels on
the roof. In 2009, Grammy Award–winning
singer-songwriter Norah Jones bought an 1843
landmarked townhouse in Cobble Hill for $4.99
million. Life in the picturesque neighborhood
has not been entirely smooth sailing for Jones,
however. Her plans to install windows in the brick
side wall of her home caused uproar among her
neighbors, with Jones narrowly avoiding a lawsuit
by filing new building plans for fewer windows.
In the same year Gawker reported that real-life
Gossip Girl and queen of the Upper East
Side Olivia Palermo, best known for
her role in the reality show The City,
had moved to Dumbo in the second
season of the show.
This was also the year of the British
Invasion in Brooklyn, with both super-
model Daisy Lowe and TV
personality and style icon
Alexa Chung eschewing
Manhattan life to set up
home in hipster haven
Williamsburg.
“I found that I could
breath a bit more out
here,” Lowe told W
magazine. “I immediately
found a circle of friends
in Brooklyn that were all
on the same path.” Chung
had a more wry view of
the Williamsburg crowd.
“It’s awash with cool kids
in lumberjack shirts and
superfluous, geeky glasses,”
she wrote in the UK paper
The Independent. “But I like
Brooklyn, it reminds me the
most of East London,” she
adds. Both girls have since
moved back to their London
hometown, but can still
regularly be spotted around
the neighborhood during
their trips to New York.
Adrian Grenier
Advertisers DIRECTORY
Brooklyn’s waterfront community
of DUMBO is getting a spectacular
new residence, gaiR2, a luxury
rental building at 25 Washington
Street. The impressive red brick
homes were re-developed by
Brown Harris Stevens, established in 1873, is the premier provider
DUMBO pioneers Two Trees
of residential real estate services in New York City. The company
Managementand named
has offices throughout New York City, The Hamptons, North
after GAIR2’s 19th-century
Fork and Palm Beach. Brown Harris Stevens offers more luxury
builder, Robert Gair. The 106 apartments feature a high-end
residential exclusives than any other Manhattan firm, serves as the
contemporary design aesthetic with exposed wood beams and
exclusive affiliate of Christie’s International Real Estate, Inc.,
stone countertops. An amazing rooftop deck offers residents
a subsidiary of Christie’s International PLC, the world’s
breathtaking views of the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges and
oldest fine arts auctioneer.
the NYC skyline. For more information, please visit www.gair2.com
or call 718-222-5555.

Dharma Yoga Brooklyn is a donation- Brooklyn is the new

based center for Classical Yoga in Park favored destination when
Slope, Brooklyn . We offer classes for looking for a home and
beginner to advanced students rooted Halstead Property is
in the ancient tradition of being happy! positioned best to serve
Weekly classes include Postures, you with three strategic,
Relaxation, Meditation, Breathing, storefront offices and an
Chanting, Workshops and more. Yoga and the teachings of liberation innovative and personal
are priceless. In this spirit, all of the classes at Dharma Yoga Brooklyn approach. With the
are offered solely by donation. It is left to each student to decide industry’s top trained
what to give in exchange for class. This not only keeps classes brokers that live and
affordable, but also makes the practice available to anyone. breathe Brooklyn, our neighborhood experts will ensure you a
Dharma Yoga Brooklyn | 82 Sixth Ave at St. Marks Ave , 2nd Floor | rewarding experience with all your real estate needs. Please stop
Park Slope, Brooklyn 11217 | Phone: 718.395.7632 | in or visit the newly redesigned, award-winning halstead.com to
www.dharmayogabrooklyn.com search listings, view videos or learn more.

Oro is now over 65% Sold.

Downtown Brooklyn’s Oro
condominium, the 303-unit luxury
residence at 306 Gold Street, is For nearly a century, Prudential Douglas elliman has been
fast becoming the centerpiece of recognized as a leader in the residential real estate industry. With
the neighborhood’s burgeoning more than 3,500 agents and over 60 offices from Manhattan to
residential district as sales Montauk, the companyís reach is unsurpassed. Prudential Douglas
continue to soar and more than Elliman offers its customers a comprehensive array of services
half the building is occupied. including residential sales and rental brokerage, retail and commercial
The 40-story condominium includes a mix of studio, one-, sales & leasing, relocation, new development marketing, property
two- and three-bedroom homes which feature high ceilings with management, mortgage brokerage and title insurance. So whether
floor-to-ceiling windows, amenities such as 24-hour doorman, youíre in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Westchester or Long Island,
state-of-the-art fitness center with a basketball/racquetball court, including the Hamptons and North Fork, there is a Prudential Douglas
a resident lounge with screening room and wet bar, and indoor lap Elliman office and agent ready to assist you in any of your real estate
pool. For more information, visit www.orocondos.com. needs. Please contact 1.800.ELLIMAN or visit elliman.com

2011 MagazineS
May 4th: Downtown
Reservations: April 18th
Materials: April 26th
June 22nd: Hamptons
Reservations: June 6th
Materials: June 14th
September 21st: Downtown
Reservations: September 5th
Materials: September 13th
October 12th: Upper East Side
Reservations: September 26th
Materials: October 4th
October 19th: Brooklyn
Reservations: October 3rd
Materials: October 11th
October 26th: Townhouse
Reservations: October 10th
Materials: October 18th
November 16th: Upper West Side
Reservations: October 31st
Materials: November 8th
October 18th: Rentals
Reservations: May 12th
Materials: May 9
For more information on these
upcoming magazines,
please contact:
Robyn Weiss, Associate Publisher,
Observer Neighborhood Guides,
Phone: 212-407-9382
Email: rweiss@observer.com
T I M I N G F O R
The racers watch. The new Chronorally
is the ultimate timepiece chosen by
rally drivers, navigators and motoring
enthusiasts alike. Whether competing
or spectating, the Edox Chronorally is
a sports timing instrument which can
simultaneously measure elapsed time,
accumulate stage times, recount/replay,
C H A M P I O N S
whilst maintaining accurate standard time
keeping functions. Essential as any
onboard controls, the Chronorally sets the
standards for those with a passion for motor
sports. Edox - the official timing partner
of the FIA World Rally Championships and
Class-1 World Powerboat Championships.
Edox – Timing for Champions since 1884.

www.edox.ch
1-800-425-9882