Sale at 188 Butler Street

It is on the wrong side of Butler (as opposed to the Carroll Gardens side) but in this market, it's not an outrageous price. I'm sure some would rather be in Gowanus and have a fixer upper that they can renovate completely, as opposed to the same price for a stately old brownstone in a less gentrified area (Bed Stuy or Bushwick).

Yeah I hear you. I am one of those people who bought a place in Gowanus and renovated it, but this place just scares me.

Depending on the upward limits imposed by zoning, is it a reasonable price if you're going to raze the structure and put up something significantly larger?

did they clean out the sandy sewage yet?

@yikes likely no

1. that building will be easy to demolish
2. all it will take is a match

Also, just saw the one and only amenity, "Pets Allowed". Hilarious.

Why would anyone "gut" a frame building anyway? It's not like a solid masonry building with "great bones", nor is it even remotely attractive. Just tear the whole damn thing down and start over.

Many frame buildings have 'great bones' and a gut renovation may be cheaper than erecting a whole new structure. In this example it doesn't look like there's anything historic or attractive worth saving, but it shouldn't be dismissed just because it's a frame building. Most brownstones in nearby Park Slope, once you get past their brick exterior walls, have a significant amount of wood framing members and joists, and they are considered desirable to gut renovate. What's the reason for your bias against full renovation of frame buildings? It's done all the time with old homes.

Because wood frame buildings are flimsy.

And this one is butt-ugly to begin with.

Just did a whole Google street view of the block. Sad. Depressing. All the buildings are crappy. Why someone would spend $1.375 million -- plus another million to fix it up -- to live on THAT block is beyond me.

Alan, shut up.