[Jularc]

The priciest blocks in the boroughs
A look at the top home sales over the past year


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By Lauren Elkies

In a city where one gasp-inducing sale follows another, it's tough pinpointing the "best" homes and the "best" blocks.

The Real Deal attempted to nail down both by examining top sales in the 12 months from February 2006 to February 2007.

Using data from the city and PropertyShark.com, we compiled the year's 10 priciest sales in each borough, and the top 25 in Manhattan.

In the Bronx, the best homes and blocks are clustered in the exclusive, suburban Riverdale area, particularly in the tony Fieldston enclave. The costliest homes there fetched prices from $1.8 to $3.2 million in the past year.

Bronx townhouses are starting to appeal to a wider range of buyers, but there's still a chasm between Riverdale and the rest of the Bronx.

While Brooklyn's priciest properties are more wide-ranging, Brooklyn Heights has the borough's priciest blocks. Top townhouses traded for $4.5 to $10.75 million in the past year.

The short stretch of Columbia Heights overlooking the Brooklyn Heights Promenade fetches the highest prices. But eyebrow-raising prices were also paid for houses in Park Slope, Bay Ridge, Victorian Flatbush and Gravesend.

The most expensive Queens homes sold in the past year ranged from a $1.75 million Bayside residence to a $2.75 million home in Flushing. Still, half the borough's largest sales were rung up in tony Douglaston.

Staten Island prices fetch similar amounts as top Queens properties. The heftiest sales in the southernmost borough ranged from $1.76 to $3.5 million. Many brokers say the most stately and expensive homes line the streets of Todt Hill, particularly along Buttonwood Road. And prices in other neighborhoods, such as Tottenville, rival those in Todt Hill.

As always, you can't get any spendier than Manhattan. Top properties are fetching prices as high as $53 million for an Upper East Side mansion -- a price 15 to 20 times higher than the most expensive home sales in Queens, Brooklyn and Staten Island last year.

East 78th Street between Fifth and Madison avenues stands out for its three top sales since 2005, including a $45 million purchase by Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

The balance of power is shifting a bit from the Upper East Side to the Upper West Side, with mega-sales occurring at new projects like 15 Central Park West and the Time Warner Center, which had three of the top 25 sales in the past year. No Downtown sale turned up on the top 25 list.

Following is a breakdown by borough of the city's best blocks and most expensive sales.


Copyright © 2003-2007 The Real Deal

[Jularc]

Bronx mansions still a 'hidden secret'


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407 West 246th Street


By The Real Deal staff

Imagine a land of twisting, idyllic streets nestled in greenery, where the maples and oak trees are fiercely protected and even grow through the roofs of houses. The streets are lined with Greek Revival manors, Dutch colonials, Tudor mansions and Mediterranean bungalows, some with stunning river views.

Though you might doubt it, this is the Bronx, more specifically its Riverdale section, a three--square-mile area with the borough's toniest houses.

To determine the location of the borough's priciest blocks, The Real Deal researched the top home sales last year and found prices from $1.8 million for a house at 4720 Delafield Avenue to $3.2 million for a mansion at 407 West 246th Street. Both sit within the exclusive Fieldston neighborhood of Riverdale.

Since parts of Riverdale, perched on a bluff next to the Hudson River, were originally sited in Westchester County, it's perhaps appropriate it's known as "the Scarsdale of the Bronx." So said Joseph Greene, the broker-owner of Weichert Realtors House & Home, who also happens to live in Riverdale.

"Riverdale has pieces of property, a third or half of an acre, with huge, beautiful mansions, some of which were built in the late 19th century and early 20th century," he said.

These homes are found almost exclusively in two areas, said Bradford Trebach, an associate broker and general counsel with Trebach Realty, in business in Riverdale for 33 years. The Fieldston enclave, with about 257 homes, has a uniformity of architectural detail that landed it a historic designation by the city last year. And the estate area west of the Henry Hudson Parkway, which also has a tiny historic district, has quiet, rambling streets overlooking the Hudson River.

Both areas sit within the Riverdale Greenbelt, where trees, natural rock outcroppings and sloped land are protected, Trebach said.

"The most impressive residential real estate in the Bronx is within this natural district," he said. "And, on top of that, a historic district means that all the houses together, collectively, create a special character deemed worthy of protection."

Perhaps the highest-priced blocks in Fieldston are Delafield, Grosvenor and Waldo avenues, Greene said. Each avenue had a home among the top 10 sales in the Bronx last year. For instance, a 2,891-square-foot home at 4641 Grosvenor Avenue, built around 1920, sold for $2.1 million, and a 4,919-square-foot home built around 1945 at 4530 Waldo Avenue snagged $1.98 million.

"These homes sit on spectacular landscaped lots, have three- or four-car garages, with some of the best swimming pools," said Vasco Da Silva, director of sales for Halstead Riverdale. "I've seen prices of up to $10 million."

Those prices may pale against future ones.

"It's still a hidden secret, but it's a sleeper real estate town, and I think these prices are going to explode," Da Silva said. "Already, from about 2000 to now, they've doubled, and in some cases, tripled."

For example, on Fieldston Road -- which Da Silva picked as his choice for "best block" in the enclave, along with Delafield Avenue -- a Mediterranean-style house built around 1920 at No. 4595 sold for $2.6 million in 2006, placing it among the top 10 home sales in the borough. The 3,299-square-foot home, which sits on a 90-by-146-foot lot, had sold for $2.15 million in 2004.

While Fieldston has its own cachet, Greene said, another section of Riverdale with similar elite homes has a woodsier feel, along with breathtaking river vistas.

"Many times you get the river views, which are hugely appealing," he said. "Many of the houses are built next to one of the city parks, so you don't have a lot of high-rise buildings next door. You're in almost a suburban setting."

The Riverdale historic district in this area is tiny, but is bounded to the west by the 97-acre Riverdale Park, with the river just beyond, and to the south by Wave Hill, a Greek Revival estate built in 1843 whose 28 acres have been turned into lush gardens, wooded paths and an environmental center.

Regal homes along Palisade Avenue in this part of Riverdale, as well as Sycamore Avenue in the historic district, regularly achieve sales prices, when they sell, of $6 to $10 million, Da Silva said. But they don't sell often. Trebach agreed: "Let's say the most valuable real estate sells once in a generation."

Sales prices on Riverdale's best blocks are also bolstered by its excellent public schools, as well as several prestigious private schools, such as the Horace Mann School on West 246th Street, the Riverdale Country School and the Fieldston School on Fieldston Road, Greene said.

Convenient access to the city as well as Westchester County is a plus. And a small concentration of nursing homes in the area provides additional convenience for the younger generation that is discovering Riverdale but may have elderly parents in tow. "Those are things that people look for, and that have a lot of value," Greene said.

Greene said that other parts of the Bronx, New York City's "forgotten borough," are starting to be recognized for their beautiful prewar townhouses -- of which Riverdale has relatively few. "There are some very nice buildings in Riverdale, but not the same type," he said. "There are some prewar buildings, but you're not getting that same ornate architecture that you get in other parts of the Bronx."

Still, he said, it will be a long while before areas such as the South Bronx, Port Morris, Grand Concourse and Willis Avenue catch up to Riverdale. "As those blocks come up in other parts of the borough, Riverdale's going to increase in price as well," he said.


Go to chart: The Bronx's top sales (http://www.therealdeal.net/pdf/Bronx_TopSales.pdf)


Copyright © 2003-2007 The Real Deal

[Jularc]

Turnover rare on Columbia Heights, Brooklyn's most expensive street


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140 Columbia Heights


By The Real Deal staff

Brooklyn is known for its baseball players and its blinis, but it's also known for its great blocks, according to real estate brokers who work in the borough.

While the priciest city blocks in Brooklyn are found along the picturesque, tree-lined streets in Brooklyn Heights, a couple of particular blocks along the even-numbered side of Columbia Heights are the most striking -- and expensive -- blocks in the borough, brokers said.

Blocks in Park Slope, Bay Ridge and Gravesend are also contenders when it comes to the priciest properties in the borough.

"You can go into every neighborhood and find wonderful blocks," said Frank Percesepe, regional vice president of Corcoran Brooklyn. "That's what I love about Brooklyn."

To narrow it down a bit, The Real Deal gathered data on the top 10 costliest home sales in Brooklyn over the past year and found prices from $4.495 million for a 3,740-square-foot townhouse at 22 Willow Street to $10.75 million for a townhouse with a stunning panoramic view of Manhattan at 140 Columbia Heights. Both are in Brooklyn Heights.

Despite the fact that only one of the 10 sales was on Columbia Heights, brokers said that, unequivocally, the couple of blocks running from Nos. 138 to 222, with about two dozen single-family townhouses overlooking the Brooklyn Heights Promenade, are Brooklyn's most expensive.

"You'll see, on average, one trade a year, and that means you can have some years when none trade," said William S. Ross, executive director of sales for Halstead Brooklyn. "There are about 40 mansions there, and some of those 40 buildings are multi-family that are rent-controlled or rent-stabilized, so you're down to maybe two dozen properties that could trade. Not many."

The five-story townhouse at 140 Columbia Heights built in 1840 that sold for $10.75 million had been completely restored, and included an English-style garden, several fireplaces, an elevator, a gym and a library. The previous owner made a huge investment to upgrade and renovate the home before selling.

"These are high-end homes attracting high-end people who spend money on them," Ross said. "But that's true of other blocks in Brooklyn Heights. The secret here is the views. Those views are never going away."

Percesepe agreed, saying, "these homes sell for double what you're going to get for a townhouse in the rest of Brooklyn Heights."

Still, most cost less than half of what comparable homes in Manhattan are going for, brokers said, though Brooklyn Heights is only five minutes from the pricier borough.

There are other blocks in Brooklyn Heights that may be nearly as expensive, such as Remsen Street, which saw a 25-foot-wide townhouse built in 1901 at No. 125 sell for $5.5 million in 2006.

"The majority of the townhouses in Brooklyn Heights are 25-feet wide, which is a wonderful thing in a townhouse, because it creates better proportion in the rooms," Percesepe said. "So that tends to push up the pricing on them."

Pierrepont Street is another block with sumptuous architecture, while Garden Place's quaint townhouses also garner steep prices. "It's a very quiet little block, because there's no through traffic, and I think that's extraordinarily appealing to people," Percesepe said.

But other parts of Brooklyn, not just its Heights, have single-family homes selling for more than $10 million. Among the top 10 sales compiled by The Real Deal, the Gravesend section in the southern portion of the borough, near Sheepshead Bay, saw four homes sell for around $5 million or more. And in 2003, the same area, which is full of Mediterranean-style homes with orange or green terra-cotta roofs, saw a home at 450 Avenue S sell for $11 million.

"Brooklyn Heights is what you think when you look for the most expensive homes, but that's a bit deceptive," said Michael Guerra, executive vice president and director of sales for Prudential Douglas Elliman. "It's entirely possible that at the other end of Brooklyn you'll find the highest price in the borough, because they're tearing down bungalows and putting up really elaborate, incredible houses."

Gravesend, a tight-knit and rapidly growing community of Syrian Jews, has elite homes on Avenues S, T and U and Ocean Parkway, where many smaller homes are being purchased at exorbitant prices and torn down.

"You've got $4.9 million paid in '07, also on Avenue S out there, and it comes out to $1,800 a square foot, because they're ripping the tiny house down," Guerra said. "So if you're looking for high prices paid for square footage, you may get them out there, because small things are selling at huge premiums to mansion builders."

Another home that closed in 2007, this one at 464 Avenue S, is only about 2,600 square feet but sold for a whopping $4.9 million, or about $1,884 a square foot, Guerra said. "Some of the prices are amazing," he added.

Another area that can see eye-popping prices, though perhaps not as often, is Park Slope, where the distinguished homes along Prospect Park West attract wealthy buyers.

"There's also being close to a park," Percesepe said. "Certainly, if you're on Prospect Park West, those homes go for extraordinary prices. They're not the top, but people love a park view."

Among the top sales last year was a 7,660 square-foot townhouse built in 1901 at 45 Montgomery Place, only a few doors from the park, which sold for $6.05 million.

Another area with a lot of protected pristine early-20th-century town houses is Bay Ridge in southwestern Brooklyn, where an older home at 318 94th Street -- well off Bay Ridge's Shore Drive -- sold for $6.9 million.

"Bay Ridge is interesting, because it's really far from the city," Ross said. "But you can get some real mansions there."

Then there's a sprawling section of homes in Victorian Flatbush, which stretches from Prospect Park to Avenue H, and includes Caton Park, Ditmas Park, and parts of Midwood. Prices there are regularly among the highest in the borough. "Ditmas Park has marvelous homes," Percesepe said. "It's the neighborhood where they used one of the old houses in the movie [version of] Sophie's Choice."


Go to chart: Brooklyn's top sales (http://www.therealdeal.net/pdf/Brooklyn_TopSales.pdf)


Copyright © 2003-2007 The Real Deal

[Jularc]

Loftiest deals found on Manhattan's East 78th Street


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4 East 75th Street


By Lauren Elkies

t was an eye-popping year for real estate on both the East and West sides in 2006, but one block stood out, even in the stratospheric realm of elite properties.

East 78th Street between Fifth and Madison avenues, a beautiful townhouse block, was the site of $100 million worth of home sales in three of Manhattan's biggest deals since 2005.

In September, Mayor Michael Bloomberg purchased 25 East 78th Street for $45 million. The six-story, 18,000-square-foot Stanford White-designed house will serve as the headquarters for his philanthropic foundation. It was the second-priciest sale of the last two years, following the record-breaking $53 million sale of the Harkness Mansion on East 74th Street.

In the same month, 6 East 78th Street sold for $21 million, which was not expensive enough to make the top 25 list.

Across the street, at 28 East 78th Street, is another six-story Stanford White-designed mansion, which sold in 2005 for $34 million.

Meredyth Hull Smith, a senior vice president at Sotheby's International Realty, who handled the 25 East 78th Street sale, said the street is magnificent because it is all low-rise buildings except for the mansion that houses New York University's Institute of Fine Arts.

Another block that saw a flurry of activity last year is East 70th Street between Park and Lexington avenues. Buildings there also fetched impressive prices, including 118 East 70th Street, which Woody Allen purchased for $22.625 million, and 125 East 70th Street, once the home of art collector and philanthropist Paul Mellon, which traded for $22.5 million.

Not everyone thinks there is a "best" street.

"I don't think there is one," said Ruth McCoy, executive vice president and director of residential sales at the East Side office of Brown Harris Stevens. "By price, there's a new highest price all the time."

Manhattan's upper-end real estate market has extended its reach beyond the confines of posh Park and Fifth avenues, so "there could be a new block tomorrow that didn't exist before," she said.

Manhattan's trophy homes have historically been clustered around the east side of Central Park on some of the city's "best blocks." But with high-priced luxury residential buildings cropping up on the west side of the park, some of the borough's priciest sales are closing on blocks near Columbus Circle.

While the $45 million sale of a unit at 15 Central Park West set a record for a condo sale in the city and the contract was signed in 2006, it probably won't close until next year because new development deals don't close until the building is occupied, and therefore it is not on the list.

"We're Central Park-centric as a city, unlike other metro areas, where they are water-centric," said Jonathan Miller, president and CEO of appraisal firm Miller Samuel.

So residents on the park -- East Side or West Side -- have a shot at a record.

Of the top 25 deals from January 2006 through the end of February, as determined by public records and PropertyShark.com, one thing is apparent: New condominium projects are fetching staggering prices and constituting a greater percentage of the list.

Additionally, "there's surprisingly little representation Downtown," Miller said. In fact, there are no Downtown properties on the list, mostly likely because pricey new condo units haven't yet closed.

Downtown prices are not close to approaching the staggering figures on the Upper East and Upper West sides, either. The most expensive downtown sale since January 2006 was a $19.47 million purchase at 165 Charles Street, followed by a sale at 13 Bank Street for $14.95 million. In 2005, the top sale in Downtown was a co-op loft at 141 Prince Street, which traded to fashion designer Elie Tahari from media mogul Rupert Murdoch, for $24.68 million.

Seven of the 25 top sales by price were made on the West Side overlooking the park.

There were three major deals that closed in the Time Warner towers -- two at 80 Columbus Circle (north tower of the Time Warner Center) for $28.7 million and $27 million, and one at 25 Columbus Circle (south tower of the Time Warner Center) for $27.606 million.

The record deals do not warrant a "best" block designation for Columbus Circle, which has little to offer beyond the vertical mall at the Time Warner Center, some brokers say.

The West Side will have even more whopping sales prices next year when condominium unit sales close at 15 Central Park West, on the southwest corner of the park.

"Top buildings on Central Park West are going toe-to-toe with Fifth Avenue," Sotheby's Smith said.

The East Side had 18 of the top 25 sales, with many of the homes purchased on tree-lined townhouse blocks close to the park, and in rich apartment buildings on Park and Fifth avenues.

The most expensive Manhattan sale since January 2006 is the 22,000-square-foot Harkness Mansion at 4 East 75th Street, which sold in October for $53 million.

It was "the largest residential sale in New York and the largest price ever paid for a townhouse," said Paula Del Nunzio, a senior vice president at Brown Harris Stevens who co-brokered the sale of the 50-foot-wide mansion, in a previous interview. Del Nunzio also co-brokered the sale of the $40 million Duke Semans mansion at 1009 Fifth Avenue, at 82nd Street. It ranked third in the top 25 list. At the time of the March 2006 sale, it was a record-breaker for the price of a New York townhouse.

The outlook for 2007 is promising. "This year will be a continuation of '06, because right now we're seeing a tremendous amount of high-end properties," Miller said.

More big deals are rumored to be under way: a full-floor co-op at 2 East 67th Street, which is asking $32 million; a full-floor at 4 East 66th Street, which is asking $29 million; and the penthouse co-op at 810 Fifth Avenue that Hollywood mogul David Geffen bought in February 2006 for $31.5 million is apparently back on the market. And of course there are incredible prices sought for the condos in the converted Plaza Hotel. Ask Eloise.


Go to chart: Manhattan's top sales (http://www.therealdeal.net/pdf/Manhattan_TopSales.pdf)


Copyright © 2003-2007 The Real Deal

[Jularc]

Douglaston dominates top sales in Queens


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37-05 233rd Place


By Maya Dollarhide

Waterfront properties with boating rights, 1940s Hollywood-style mansions and expansive manicured lawns usually aren't the first things that spring to mind when Queens is mentioned. But a few of the 2.2 million New Yorkers who live in the borough know better.

Last month, The Real Deal tallied up last year's 10 most expensive homes in Queens, which ranged from $1.3 million for a house in Douglaston to the top price of $2.75 million for a house in Flushing.

Queens is a different market than other boroughs, lacking high-rise luxury, but also full of shorefront lots with single-family houses that wouldn't be out of place in pricier suburbs.

Still, the upper end of the Queens market is way below the entry point of the luxury market in Manhattan. According to appraiser Jonathan Miller, high-end Manhattan properties -- the top 10 percent of the market -- start at $4 million.

Prices also range higher in Brooklyn, where a two-family Brooklyn Heights townhouse at 212 Columbia Heights sold for a record $8.5 million in 2005.

In Queens, the tony enclave of Douglaston was home to five of the 10 largest sales in the borough. Sitting north and east of the end of the subway lines, the neighborhood rests on the peninsula on Little Neck Bay. It's a picturesque location, and there's little surprise that area brokers said waterfront areas fetched consistently high prices.

Residents who work in Manhattan also favor Douglaston, which is only a 27-minute commuter train ride to Penn Station by the Long Island Railroad.

Two sales in Douglaston for $2.6 million tied for second on the top 10 list, and other Douglaston sales for $2.18 million, $1.85 million and $1.3 million ranked sixth, seventh and 10th on the list.

Douglaston is comprised of six distinct neighborhoods, including Doug Bay, Douglas Manor and Douglaston Hill, all located north of Northern Boulevard on the peninsula that sits out on Little Neck Bay. The most exclusive area within Douglaston is the historic district of Douglas Manor.

"The most beautiful block is Shore Road [in Douglas Manor], where all the homes face Little Neck Bay," said real estate broker Lynne Jaffe, of Doug North Realty. "The architecture varies in the area -- from brand-new, square Colonial to a 100-year-old Victorian -- and there are homes that were designed by [the influential furniture maker] Gustav Stickley."

There are currently 19 houses for sale in Douglaston, including a restored Victorian home on a 100-by-250-foot lot for sale just outside of Douglas Manor with an asking price of nearly $2.7 million.

"There was a Greek revival home that sold recently for $2.3 million on Centre Drive [off Shore Road]. Last week we sold another home for $2.6 million," said Jaffe. "This was a custom-built, modern home with high ceilings and water views. It was actually right outside Douglas Manor, but directly on the water with riparian rights."

Brokers also cited Malba, an elite area just north of the Long Island Expressway in Whitestone. No property sales cracked the 2006 top 10 list, but a deal early this year on Malba Drive hit $4.2 million, well past the top deal last year.

"Malba is a quiet, secluded and exclusive community surrounded by water with remarkable views of the Whitestone Bridge," said Anthony Testani, a real estate broker with RE/MAX Millennium. "And Malba Drive is one of the 'best blocks' in Queens. It's beautiful, and the homes are some of the most expensive in the borough."

There are currently no homes for sale on Malba Drive, which has dozens of large, single-family houses, many with swimming pools, lush gardens, elegant terraces and backyards that slope straight down to the water.

"We closed on the $4.2 million home at 117 Malba Drive this February," said Testani.

"It's a gorgeous Tudor with a wine cellar, four-car underground garage, seven bedrooms and access to the water in the back of the house -- and, of course, boating rights for the homeowners, and it's on a 120-by-200-foot plot of land."

Another neighborhood, Bayside Gables, a gated community on the water, is so exclusive it is rumored that some of its residents consider it an offshoot of Bayside instead of part of it. And Bayside itself stacks up pretty well.

"The average price for a home in Queens is $550,000, in Bayside, prices can vary from $700,000 to $1.5 million in a two-block radius," said Donna Reardon, a broker with Prudential Douglas Elliman. "And then there are luxury homes with water views on the market for $2.5 million."

[B]Other talked-about Queens locales are Long Island City and Forest Hills. However, the long-awaited vision of Long Island City as New York City's fourth-biggest commercial district hasn't yet panned out. But a 2001 rezoning opened the mostly industrial area to residential development like the Gantry on Fifth Street, which came on the market in late 2005 with condo prices starting in the mid-$400,000s.

Smaller properties in the area are appreciating. Annie Siegel, a hypnotherapist who bought a home on Fifth Street a decade ago for $125,000, said a recent appraisal valued the property at about $1 million.

In historic Forest Hills, condominiums appeal to buyers. Dinko Grancaric, the co-owner of Century 21 Benjamin Realty in Forest Hills, told The Real Deal earlier this year that the Windsor condo building is "very successful."

"There are a few new projects in the planning stages, and there is room for three or four other high-rises because the Windsor project did very well," he said. Two-bedroom units have sold there for more than $1 million.


Go to chart: Queens' top sales (http://www.therealdeal.net/pdf/Queens_TopSales.pdf)


Copyright © 2003-2007 The Real Deal

[Jularc]

Todt Hill sitting pretty on Staten Island


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15 Tricia Way


By The Real Deal staff

When it comes to the priciest blocks of homes, a good rule of thumb is either in the hills or on the water -- and Staten Island has plenty of both.

Last month, The Real Deal compiled a list of the top 10 heftiest 2006 home sales on Staten Island, and found prices ranging from $1.8 million for a stately home in the Grymes Hill neighborhood to $3.5 million for both an oceanfront estate in Tottenville and a mansion in Todt Hill.

Waterfront neighborhoods such as Tottenville and South East Annadale, and Grymes Hill and Emerson Hill, both on ridges, all have stunning homes. But a handful of Staten Island brokers agreed the Todt Hill neighborhood has the most stately homes and the priciest blocks.

"The top blocks, I can tell you right here, are Benedict Road and Circle Road in Todt Hill," said Connie Profaci, an independent broker in business on Staten Island for 28 years who also happens to live in the neighborhood. "They're appealing because they're mansions, and some of them are on oversized properties."

Profaci said most of the homes on these two blocks sell for upward of $3 million. The Todt Hill neighborhood, which sits on a mountain ridge of more than 400 feet, is one of the highest points on the Eastern Seaboard. Many homes have views of the Narrows and Lower New York Bay.

While some of the homes are newly built on 100-by-100-foot lots where older homes have been torn down, Profaci said, there are enough mansions on landscaped parcels to retain the neighborhood's bucolic suburban flavor.

The neighborhood is a web of small roads winding by the Richmond County Country Club, the Staten Island Academy, a private school, and Staten Island's Greenbelt public parkland. Older, well-built homes cover large swaths of property in a myriad of architectural styles, including Arts and Crafts, Cape Cods and Georgians.

One such home is at 74 Buttonwood Road, a 12,000-square-foot brick Colonial mansion on a 37,000-square-foot lot that sold for $3.5 million in 2006, according to public records. The mansion has 14 rooms and six fireplaces, and sits on terraced, park-like grounds. Buttonwood Road, which is a little bend near Benedict and Circle roads, could also be a contender for one of the priciest blocks, Profaci said.

"There are some little private streets that come off of the major streets that are just beautiful," she said. "Also, there's Copperflagg Estates, which is like an English village. It's a beautiful area on Todt Hill that many people aren't aware of."

Profaci said her company just sold one of the stone cottages, called the Ernest Flagg Palm House, at 63 Flagg Court. The home, a 4,095-square-foot Norman French Tudor, is snuggled onto 10,000 square feet of leafy acreage and sold for about $1.825 million, according to public records.

Generally, Todt Hill homes start at around $1.6 to $1.7 million, said Dennis Semenza, an associate broker at RE/MAX Regal Realty, who's worked in Staten Island real estate since the 1980s. Yet some are extraordinary, with asking prices as high as $8.3 million, such as one gated estate currently listed for sale, situated on 1.89 acres overlooking the Richmond County Country Club golf course. The 17,000-square-foot brick Colonial mansion has six bedrooms, four full baths, four half baths and three three-quarter baths.

Average prices for Staten Island homes are in the mid-$500,000s for a detached home, mid-$400,000s for a semi-detached home, and $260,000 to $400,000 for a two-bedroom townhouse, according to Maged Girgis, associate broker at RE/MAX Regal Realty.

"The thing about Todt Hill is that it's a market that may be price-proof, because if the people in that price range want to buy a home, they're going to buy a home," Semenza said.

While Todt Hill may have the priciest blocks on Staten Island, there are other neighborhoods contending for the honor. Tottenville, on the southernmost tip of Staten Island, saw a contemporary 7,460-square-foot oceanfront home at 15 Tricia Way sell for $3.5 million in the last year. A neighboring home at 5 Tricia Way, though somewhat smaller at 4,892 square feet, went for $2.2 million.

Unlike other South Shore locales, the neighborhood has its share of historic homes. Many opulent 19th-century estates line roads such as Bentley Street and Amboy Road, brokers said, though some homes have been torn down to make way for townhomes in recent years.

South East Annadale, which had one of the top 10 home sales last year, has its share of attractive homes on the South Shore.

"South East Annadale is probably considered among the top-five pricey neighborhoods on Staten Island, because parts of it sit on the water," Semenza said. "Hills and water generally attract higher prices."

Another element of South East Annadale's appeal is that it is zoned consistently, allowing only single-family homes on lots that are a minimum of 60 by 100 feet, said Mike Diaz, president of Coldwell Banker Village Realty.

"In a lot of Staten Island you'll find two blocks of custom homes, and then semi-attached homes and then townhouses, so there's no consistency in a lot of the areas," he said, which tends to drive down property values. "South East Annadale is an area zoned properly for the South Shore."

A neighborhood on the North Shore, Grymes Hill -- along with Emerson Hill bordering it -- also has a slew of choice homes. It is the second-highest point on Staten Island, and has high prices to prove it, with some homes in the $2 million range and some best-block contenders.

"The views are absolutely magnificent," said Diaz, who suggested that parts of Howard Avenue and Signal Hill Road were the most expensive blocks. "You get New York City, the Verrazano Bridge, Brooklyn -- just panoramic views."


Go to chart: Staten Island's top sales (http://www.therealdeal.net/pdf/SI_TopSales.pdf)


Copyright © 2003-2007 The Real Deal

[JEH-NYC]

Bon Jovi's buying a place for $25MM on Mercer!

[Jularc]

:smiley3: Well this one just top it off... from 7.35 Million in 2000 to 33.14 Million in 2007!


RECORD DIGS


http://www.therealdeal.net//breaking_news/2007/04/03/images/9505.jpg


April 3, 2007 -- A NEW record price paid for a residence below 14th Street has just popped up on city public records. The Post's Braden Keil reports that a 55-foot-wide townhouse on West 10th Street has sold for $33.14 million. Frederick Wilson, a venture capitalist, sold the renovated five-story house to a Wall Street banker after first listing it for $37.5 million. According to previous reports, Wilson bought the place, which once served as a rooming house for women, in 2000 for $7.35 million.


Copyright 2007NYP Holdings, Inc. (http://www.nypost.com/seven/04032007/gossip/pagesix/record_digs_pagesix_.htm)

[Jularc]

Bon Jovi's buying a place for $25MM on Mercer!

I also hear that Madonna was looking to buy a home in NYC. She was checking out a townhouse in the Upper East Side. Yeah one of those expensive ones. Apparently she wants to move back to NYC, again. :cool: :rolleyes:

[JEH-NYC]

Keepin' it real on Park Avenue.

[bobdreamz]

I don't know how anybody can afford NYC anymore with those prices. Anyways one of my dad's friends bought a tri-level house in the Richmond Hill section of Queens in the early 70s for $28,000 and sold it in 1987 for $150,000 or so when he moved to Florida. I wonder what those houses are going for now?

[Antares41]

I don't know how anybody can afford NYC anymore with those prices. Anyways one of my dad's friends bought a tri-level house in the Richmond Hill section of Queens in the early 70s for $28,000 and sold it in 1987 for $150,000 or so when he moved to Florida. I wonder what those houses are going for now?


If he sold it for $150K in 1987 its probably easily worth >$300K today!

[brickell]

What are the cheapest blocks?

[Crawford]

If he sold it for $150K in 1987 its probably easily worth >$300K today!

LOL. You can't get a three-family in Richmond Hill for twice that. Maybe 700K and up.

[Crawford]

What are the cheapest blocks?

My educated guesses:

Keep in mind these are generally not the "worst" neighborhoods in each borough, but rather the cheapest, often due to inconvenient location.

Manhattan: Inwood
Brooklyn: Definitely Brownsville.
Bronx: Probably the Southeast Bronx (Hunts Point area).
Queens: South Jamaica
Staten Island: North Shore, particularly closer to New Jersey (Mariner's Harbor)

[ctman987]

As a student in the Riverdale section of the Bronx I can tell you it is an area unlike any other. The Fieldston area of homes is located right off the 9A-The Henry Hudson Parkway also near Broadway (the same Broadway that runs in Manhattan) and I-87 (the Major Deegan). These homes are truly charming mansions where pride in home ownership is prevalent.

The streets are clean, the landscaping is kept up, the homes are great shape, etc.

The article failed to mention though that in addition to the three private schools in Riverdale there are two private colleges located right in Riverdale. Manhattan College which is located at Broadway & Manhattan College Parkway (around 242nd Street) right in back of Fieldson and then there is the College of Mount Saint Vincent which is around Riverdale Ave and 251st Street.

Riverdale is even seeing development. Solaria Riverdale is a luxury condo tower under construction on West 237th street on the other side of 9A from Fieldston & Manhattan College. In addition Manhattan College is constructing a new 11 story dormitory on their campus that will be a twin of one of the 11 story dormitories already on campus. They will also be constructing a mixed use parking & retail garage on Broadway & 242nd Street where the ground level will be home to a Pathmark Supermarket.

Also in Riverdale/Fieldston is Van Cortland Park one of the city's largest parks complete with trails, ponds, soccer games on sunday afternoons, rugby games, a club house, restaurant, etc.

[Antares41]

LOL. You can't get a three-family in Richmond Hill for twice that. Maybe 700K and up.


Ok! maybe >$300K 5year ago :haha: :haha: The rate that NYC real estate rises just really boggles the mind.

[Jularc]

Here are some of the few prices for Richmond Hill (everything is above 300,000)...

http://www.trulia.com/NY/Queens,5218,Richmond_Hill/


This is a nice looking one...

http://richmondhillinfo.com/images/full/5319236a.jpg

financials:
listing price: $839,000.00
taxes: $3,033.00

details:
bedrooms: 8
bathrooms: 5.0
property type: Victorian
square feet: 4200
rooms: 12
outdoor space: Yes
lot size: 40x105

http://www.trulia.com/property/1039217739-Multi-Family-Home-NY-11418


This one was one of the cheapest house in that website....

http://links.mlslirealtor.com/mlsphotos/full/1/022/1926022.jpg


General Information:

Price: $ 475,000
Bedrooms: 3
Baths: 1.5
Kitchens: 1
1st Floor: Liv Rm, Form. Din Rm, Kitchen, Porch In Back And Front Lot Square Footage: 2,000 sqft
2nd Floor: 3 Bedroom, Full Bath
Lot Size: 20X100
Lot Square Footage: 2,000 sqft

http://www.trulia.com/property/1036263464-91-21-109th-St-Queens-NY-11418


This one sounds ridiculous pricy...

http://www.coldwellbanker.com/imgs/listings/482/11266934_1172810557000_1921820.jpg

Price: $899,000

EXCELLENT 3 FAMILY HOUSE*CLOSE TO TRANSPORTATION SCHOOL, SUPERMARKETS,HOSPITAL,COMMERCIAL AREA*POTENTIAL INCOME*

http://www.trulia.com/property/1034379366-88-04-129th-St-Queens-NY-11418

[Jularc]

My educated guesses:

Keep in mind these are generally not the "worst" neighborhoods in each borough, but rather the cheapest, often due to inconvenient location.

Manhattan: Inwood
Brooklyn: Definitely Brownsville.
Bronx: Probably the Southeast Bronx (Hunts Point area).
Queens: South Jamaica
Staten Island: North Shore, particularly closer to New Jersey (Mariner's Harbor)


Ok about prices in Brownsville (one of the so called 'ghettos' in New York City) Here is what you will find...


New construction....

http://www.agentdashboard.com/img/photo/prosp_608233_1.jpg


Price: $799,000
Size: 9 Bedrooms+
Baths: 3
Half Baths: 3
RE Tax: $300 (Low Tax)

Comments
Crown Heights- New Construction. Legal 3 family with 6 over 6 over 6 plus full basement. Parking! Tax abated! Please call broker for keys. Do not call the owner under any circumstances. Will not last!

http://www.fillmore.com/View_Listing.asp?CompId=361&Lid=361-608233

- They say it is in Crown Heights! :rolleyes:


More new construction...


http://brooklynhomeinfo.com/images/full/5318996a.jpg


description:
Brand new construction 3 family brick detached. 6 1/2, 6/12, 5 1/2.
10 year tax abated. Hurry wont last long.


details:
bedrooms: 6
bathrooms: 3.0
property type: Hi Ranch
lot size: 20x100

financials:
listing price: $709,000.00

http://brooklynhomeinfo.com/search.htm?in_listing=5318996&ref=Trulia


Ok this one has a store...

http://brooklynhomeinfo.com/images/full/4497463a.jpg

description:
3Fam. Brick House Plus A Store, Semi-Detached, 20Tot.Rooms, 6Bedrms, 3Baths, 3Kitch. Fully Equipment Restaurant.


details:
bedrooms: 6
bathrooms: 3.0
property type: Colonial
rooms: 20
lot size: 20.58x1

financials:
listing price: $799,999.00
taxes: $4,000.00

http://brooklynhomeinfo.com/search.htm?in_listing=4497463&ref=Trulia


Another typical house...


http://www.agentdashboard.com/img/photo/prosp_708047_1.jpg


Price: $550,000
Size: 5 Bedrooms
Baths: 3
Half Baths: --
RE Tax: $1,900

Comments
2 Family brick attached. Close to all transportation. Bus stop in front of house and train a few miles away. Shopping Center is not far.

http://www.fillmore.com/View_Listing.asp?CompId=361&Lid=361-708047


Ok here is something a little cheaper...


http://www.agentdashboard.com/img/photo/prosp_719009_1.jpg


Price: $350,000
Size: 2 Bedrooms
Baths: 1
Half Baths: 1
RE Tax: $628

Comments
Spacious 1 family, brick, 2 bedroom duplex. 1.5 Baths and parking for 2 cars.

http://www.fillmore.com/View_Listing.asp?CompId=361&Lid=361-719009

[passdoubt]

Cheapest median sale prices in Brooklyn (Oct-Dec '06) according to Trulia (http://www.trulia.com/home_prices/New_York/Brooklyn-heat_map/):

Gerritsen Beach: $370,000
Brownsville: $379,786
East Flatbush: $475,000
Flatlands: $485,000
Williamsburg: $499,500 < surprising
Marine Park: $518,750
Coney Island: $527,500
East New York: $529,500

[Crawford]

Cheapest median sale prices in Brooklyn (Oct-Dec '06) according to Trulia (http://www.trulia.com/home_prices/New_York/Brooklyn-heat_map/):

Gerritsen Beach: $370,000
Brownsville: $379,786
East Flatbush: $475,000
Flatlands: $485,000
Williamsburg: $499,500 < surprising
Marine Park: $518,750
Coney Island: $527,500
East New York: $529,500

Trulia data generally isn't too accurate because they don't include only arm's-length data.

Regarding Billyburg, They are including the internal sales of the Hasidic community, which are not "market" sales. The listed median would get you a one-bedroom in a condo.

Gerritson Beach consists of a few blocks of tiny homes. On a per square foot basis, it's probably more expensive than anything on that list, except for Williamsburg.

[gripja]

I gotta say I love living in Riverdale -- Its nice to be able to stroll thru Fieldston for a nice walk. But damn its expensive -- i'll never be able to buy anything up here, maybe a tiny studio for $250 grand but who would want to do that? The downside to Riverdale is the 1 train is really the only subway and that ends @ 242nd while the neighborhood goes all the way to 262nd, if the train went all the way to Yonkers I personally wouldn't mind. Having said that tho, if you drive, the city is pretty damn close. 10 minutes on the Henry Hudson and you're already south of the GWB & I'll take the West Side Hwy over any other route into Manhattan traffic wise (with of course the exeption of Friday night rush hours but no streets move then).

Yo ctman -- I heard they weren't goin to build that Pathmark, yea thats another thing Riverdale is lacking is supermarkets -- they got the few on Broadway in the 230's and the Food Emporium up on R'dale Ave. but that it. Oh yea the Associated or whatever the name of the day is, on Mosholu Ave -- how could I forget that 4 aisle store :/