Sale at 317 West 77th Street

too big! who can wrap their head around 8000 sq/ft and a 13m price tag? or 9m? who buys these?

People with very large blended families.

'People with very large blended families'

Mr & Mrs Smoothie and their mix'ins kids.

I thought it was a great buy at 3.8, RE tax issues related to the C of O. If families are falling all over themselves getting C7s at the 3m mark on WEA, why not get together and buy a TH for 3.8, and get 2 4-bedroom triplexes (with outdoor space) out of it. And no, it would not cost 2m to renovate.

was a fine buy at $3.8. but you really think $2 million isn't the cost of that renovation? if it's really 8,000 square feet that would only be $250 a foot, which for a high-end townhouse gut does not seem at all out of line. i'd think it was more than $2 million.

For me the deal breaker (forgetting the price of course) is the kitchen on the floor below the living room. I know that many brownstones have the kitchen/great room on one level and the living room on the parlor floor above, but I would hate that. but then again, I am not a big fan of vertical living, even with the elevator.

Happyrenter: there are some economies of scale, and I don't know how how "high-end" the reno was.

Ph41: It's all about price & compromises.

The renovation certainly sounded "high end", and I go along with happyrenter's assumptions about cost/sf of renovation. So, at that price, (including all the headaches of a renovation of that size), people might hesitate to do this as one half of a buying entity (good way to wind up with a beautiful place but not speaking to your neighbors, as in all the possibly apocryphal tales of married couples entering into lengthy renovations).

I have friends in Chicago with a brownstone equivalent. They bought it renovated and the previous owners had set up the parlor floor as a large living/dining room at the front, galley kitchen in the middle, semi open to the family room, and large family room at the rear overlooking the garden. The family room dining counter is very pleasant as it has a large curve and can seat 4 comfortably. Works well for party buffets.

I have little experience with NY brownstones, but my general impression is that in NY the original parlor floor in a single family home somehow remains sacrosanct (i.e. kitchen should NOT be on that level), sometimes to the detriment of an easier, servantless, living style.

Sounds lovely. Would love to see pics.

I've seen quite a few parlor-level kitchens in SFR brownstones in NY, especially when there's a partial rear extension that a kitchen can be popped into ... large, elegant DR in center, LR in front.

But alan - for the way people with kids, the kind going for the brownstone space, it would probably make more sense to make the "dining room" into a family room, and compress the "elegant DR" into the LR.

ph, the whole garden level can be dedicated to "family room" type space. who wants to own an entire townhouse and compress the living and dining room into one cramped room?

i haven't seen many SFR brownstones, but i would do the kitchen level as one large family/great room w/ and another floor for more formal living (which we would never use :)

Well, that's sort of the point. The "formal areas" WON'T be used as much BECAUSE the kitchen is down a flight of stairs.

Time for more dumbwaiter jokes

library/study, formal DR & LR on separate floor - i could actually see it used after children go to bed, for children's quiet study/reading time (or just use a bedroom) or when you have company. i would gladly retreat to a no-kid/toy zone each evening. although, truth be told, i'm usually in the kitchen (day and night).

but 8000 sq/ft is just too big!