Author: Brett

When last my house-hunting anecdotes graced the screen, we had been off to take a gander at homes in Marine Park. In the past, we had not been too interested in the neighborhood because it is a bit further from public transportation (think: bus to subway) but now that we have been living in Madison with Andrew’s parents for over a year, we were rethinking the area.

Row houses in Marine Park are priced in the 500s and a semi-detached might be in the mid-600k or even lower, but many need refreshing. One semi we saw was in decent shape. It was big and bright and didn’t even seem like “half a house” from the inside, but it only had one bathroom, which was a deal-breaker for Andrew who has his heart set on a detached single family. There was also a shared drive, which we were wary about. I mean, the whole point of buying a house is to have one’s own space, so why share a driveway when you don’t have to?

Still, I thought that it was worth buying this semi-detached, but then we took a look at the schools. The public schools are not rated so well. The elementary school in the heart of Marine Park is praiseworthy, but all but one of the middle schools is downright scary. When the neighborhood nannies and grannies tell you that they are afraid to bring their toddlers to the playground in the afternoon when the kids at I.S. 278 get out for the day, then you listen.

Prices in this neighborhood as well as in neighboring Madison are starting to drop, but they are still too steep for us both to buy AND to renovate. One detached single-family we looked at on East 28th St. between Avenues R and Quentin Road was asking $825K even though it had probably not been updated in 30 years. Another semi-detached with an apartment in the basement on East 23rd between Avenues R and S is currently asking 750K by owner. This home has a new kitchen, but that was probably the only update.

As for new constructions, there are many so-called luxury condos being slapped together all over Ocean Avenue and the streets surrounding the B & Q trains at the Kings Highway subway stop. None look particularly noteworthy or attractive, but I researched them anyway. One building on 17th Street between Quentin Road and Avenue R is asking $760k for a 3 bedroom; another on Ocean Avenue and Avenues R and S is $780k. Again, both are well above our budget.
Even if we could find an affordable, livable home in Marine Park or Madison in a pocket of the area that is zoned for a well-rated school, we have to admit that there is still the question of both neighborhoods having gone from communities with a varied mix of families to more insular ethnic and religious enclaves. It is obvious that this demand to stay within one’s close-knit community is what drives up the price of homes in these areas.

While we were wasting more precious time on our futile hunt in Brooklyn, a new listing came up in Port Washington, NY. It was priced higher than our budget allowed, but we made plans with our realtor extraordinaire to see it anyway….