Sale at 360 Court Street #23

My first church conversion! This duplex w/ mezz compared well to an equivalent unit in another open house from last year, a triplex at 44 Cheever Pl/501 Hicks St #505 (https://streeteasy.com/sale/1225501 ), in the now-34-unit Sacred Heart Catholic School condo along the BQE, six blocks northwest. This apt claims a little less square footage than 44 Cheever's (1,350 vs 1,439). But its preserved... [more]

My first church conversion! This duplex w/ mezz compared well to an equivalent unit in another open house from last year, a triplex at 44 Cheever Pl/501 Hicks St #505 (https://streeteasy.com/sale/1225501 ), in the now-34-unit Sacred Heart Catholic School condo along the BQE, six blocks northwest. This apt claims a little less square footage than 44 Cheever's (1,350 vs 1,439). But its preserved pillars and very high living- and bedroom-ceiling arches are gorgeous. No views, but the living room's tall stained glass adds light and also opens for fresh air. And the upper-floor bedroom has a big sliding glass door for light from a tiny deck. 44 Cheever #505 had high living/bedroom ceilings too. But its overheads were plain and boxy, and though there were views, those were of a big parking lot. Worse, 44 Cheever's triplex's stairs were worse than awkward: a creaky staircase w/ two 90-degree turns to get to the second-floor bedroom, and then, to reach the third-floor bedroom, a wobbly metal thin-stepped ladder through a narrow hatchway. That final, top-floor room had the best light, and a slightly larger deck with views. But getting up there didn't feel worth the routine risk. 360 Court #23 has normal stairs to the mezz (which I'm sure benefits from the central AC). And though its staircase from the mezz to the second-floor bedroom is spiral, it at least has wooden steps and feels sturdy and comfortable. If I were to choose this year between this unit for $1.7M, and the slightly bigger Hicks St. apt, which ended up closing at $1.85M, there'd be no contest: beautiful interior vs bruised knees. This unit's $1,006 CC + $724 tax + assessment is more than 44 Cheever #505's $745 CC + $690 tax was. But this building has an elevator and claims a live-in super; 44 Cheever had neither. 360 Court's hallways are dim, dull, and dated. But oh how I loved it when they opened into 23's bright, desacralized space. [less]