OuterB on Queens Real Estate

Poor Joe Berger - he and his wife had their bikes stolen in Manhattan last weekend. It’s always a terrible feeling to have your bike, or any property, stolen from you. However, he did recount his great day in Queens prior to that - they explored Douglaston, had lunch in Richmond Hill. It sounded like a really nice time. And no one screwed with their bikes. It wasn’t until they hit Chelsea that their bikes disappeared. My sympathies, Mr. and Mrs. Berger.

• Urban Lesson: A Tale of 2 Bicycles [City Room]

And since I’ve been gone, more links for you!

Here are some nice maps of new developments in Long Island City, Astoria, Whitestone, Fresh Meadows, and College Point. [StreetEasy]

Photo evidence that Bjork and/or Matthew Barney are in town. Whenever I think of those two, I am reminded of this McSweeney’s gem. [Curbed]

Sleaze Alert: Dennis Gallagher, a Queens Republican, has been charged with rape. Um, eeuw. [City Room]

There are over 22,000 public bridges in NY State. 2,000 of them are “structurally deficient”, which was the designation of the 35W bridge in Minneapolis that collapsed this week. Three bridges in the city are rated as “poor” by the city, including the bridge at Willow Lake at 76th Road in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park in Queens. [NY Times]

Mayor Bloomberg signed into law a new anti-graffiti law. [City Room]

Hats off to Chef Darren Lawless of the wonderful Il Bambino, to be the only Astoria restaurant to be included in NY Mag’s 2007 Cheap Eats issue. I can vouch for the deliciousness served here.  Other Queens eats include Burmese Cafe and Frisby in Jackson Heights and Little Pepper in Flushing. [NY Mag]

The trees might be gone at St. Saviour’s, but activists won’t give up on the site. [Times Ledger]

Douglaston House stays in its historic district. [Queens Chronicle]

Forest Hills preservationists are looking for buyers to save two of the century-old townhouses on the East side of 72nd. [NY Daily News]

Queens loves surfers!  Brings me back to my California roots. [nyc.24.us]

ConEd loves Queens… leasing 120,00 square feet of space in Jamaica! [Globe St.]

Apricots are available this weekend at the Sunnyside Farmer’s Market. [City Room]

Zipcars are starting to become an amenity at many new developments. They’re already available at CityLights in LIC. [NY Post]

“Port Authority of New York and New Jersey voted this afternoon to authorize a $10 million installation of protective bollards in front of the Marine Air Terminal at La Guardia Airport.” [City Room]

Hot preservation news in Douglaston, Maspeth, and Forest Hills. [Historic Districts Council Newsstand]

The bungalows on 129th Ave. [the progressive southside]

ForestHills72 explains that it might be cheaper to buy than rent in Forest Hills. At least currently. [ForestHills72]

Grody stuff is dripping from the El in Richmond Hill [NY Times]

Bjork’s big black boat spotted in LIC this week. [Curbed]

Check out the “challenge course” at Alley Pond Park in Queens. Activities include a climbing wall and a 60-foot-high pulley called a “flying squirrel”. [NY Magazine's Daily Intelligencer]

Photo credit, Flushing Meadows Park: Meg Cotner

“It looks more like an A-bomb shelter from the 1950s.”

That’s the description Thomas Lucas gives John Hsu’s “dream home” in Flushing, according to an article in amNY. Flushing is one of the areas of Queens that has given rise to the McMansion, a kind of house that almost overshadows the lot it’s on. Many consider them ugly and overbearing and certainly not in the character of the surrounding neighborhood. Other parts of Queens, often referred to as “suburban” are also home to these leviathan buildings, including Bayside, Douglaston and Richmond Hill.

In places like Jamaica Estates, home of many old tudor homes and plenty of old trees, both are falling to the desires of “younger tastes”. These tastes lean toward the need for more space, which usually means tearing down an existing structure and rebuilding on almost the entire lot. Long time neighbors find this frustrating and say it’s disrespectful to the character of the neighborhood and the quality of life they are used to. There’s an awful lot of cement in these new buildings, too. They become mini heat islands, especially with the trees gone.  Frankly, I find the exurban aesthetic rather grotesque and find the exurbanization of the suburban areas of Queens - with regard to the concept of space in both home and vehicle - repulsive.

Related:
‘McMansions’ pit neighbors vs. dream homes [amNY]
Tudor Charm Loses Ground to McMansion Space [NY Times]
We’re Losing Our Capes! Part 2 [progressive southside]

Bellerose
House: 3 bedroom
$529,000
250-19 88th Road
Sunday July 15, 1-3pm
NY Times Listing [laffey.com]

Forest Hills
Co-op: 1 bedroom/1 bath
$309,000
Holland House, 73-37 Austin St., #3J
Sunday July 15, 2-4pm
NY Times Listing [FSBO]

Little Neck/Douglaston
House: 4 bedroom/4 bath
$950,000
243 Street
Sunday July 15, 1-3pm
NY Times Listing [NY Times Web Listing]

Long Island City
Condo: 2 bedroom/2 bath
$650,000
Queens Plaza, 41-26 27th Street, #5H
Sunday July 15, 1-3pm
NY Times Listing [The Developers Group]

Richmond Hill/Woodhaven
House: 4 bedroom/1 bath
$599,000
84-08 104 Street
Saturday July 14, 1-4pm and Sunday 1-4pm
NY Times Listing [NY Times Web Listing]

On Monday June 25, the City Council Subcommittee on Landmarks, Public Siting and Maritime Uses will be voting on landmark designation of a house in the Douglaston Hill Historic District in Queens, 41-45 240th Street. Two other structures will be voted on, located in Manhattan. There are many in the community who want this house landmarked, but the owners of the building do not. I can understand both sides of this situation - it’s great to have the beautiful old buildings to look at, but it would suck as an owner, not being able to do what you want to your own property. No matter what your POV is, you can contact Landmarks Subcommittee Chair Jessica Lappin and voice your opinion/concern. Her address is in one of the linked articles below.

Related:
Contact City Council and Ask Them to Uphold Our Landmarks! [Historic Districts Council Newsstand]
Vote coming on possible landmarks [The Real Deal]
City: House Can’t Opt Out Of Douglaston Hill District [Queens Chronicle]

DOUGLASTON

$1,706,000

233-38 Bay Street, Douglaston, NY

82-year-old wood Victorian. Wrap around porch, 2 kitchens, 2 fireplaces, finished basement, 2 car garage. 75×229 ft. lot. Taxes: $7,000. Asking price $1.9 million. Listed on the market for 12 weeks.

Broker: Bryce Rea

Source: New York Times - 5/25

FLUSHING

$172,500

140-21 31st Road, Flushing, NY

One-bedroom, one-bath co-op, 850 square feet, with formal dining room, separate kitchen, hardwood floors and two through-the-wall AC units; Embassy building features washer/dryer and parking. Maintenance $505 (including utilities). Asking price $185,000, on market four weeks.

Broker: Anthony Carollo, Carollo Real Estate

Source: New York Post - 5/24

Douglaston

$1,706,000

233-38 Bay Street, Douglaston, NY

Prewar three-bedroom, two-bath Douglaston Victorian on a 75-foot-by-229-foot lot, with entry hall, combination living/dining room, attic, two kitchens, full finished basement and two fireplaces; features private driveway, two-car detached garage and wraparound porch. Taxes $7,000. Asking price $1,900,000, on market 81 days.

Broker: Bryce Rea Associates

Source : New York Post 5/10

Forest Hills

$1,400,000

51 Summer Street, Forest Hills, NY

Prewar four-bedroom, four-bath brick and stucco Forest Hills townhouse, 2,244 square feet on a 1,692-square-foot lot, with vintage architectural details, new heating, plumbing and electric, new windows, radiant-floor heating, sunroom, living room with fireplace, formal dining room, new kitchen with state-of-the-art appliances, attic space and finished basement; features patio, garden and common driveway. Taxes $4,672. Asking price $1,467,000, on market two weeks.

Broker: Terrace Realty

Source: NY Post - 5/10

Whitestone

$780,000

16-34 157th Street, Whitestone, NY

38-year-old brick and wood 2-family Whitestone House. Primary unit: 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, dining area, eat-in kitchen. Secondary unit: 1 bedroom, 1 bath, 1-car garage. 30-by-111 foot lot. Taxes $4,654. Listed at $799,000.

Brokers: Carollo; Power.

Source: NY Times - 5/4

HOLLIS

$458,000

190-25 103rd Street, Hollis, NY

Three-bedroom, 1 1/2-bath house, 1,590 square feet, with formal dining room, study, kitchen with breakfast nook, finished basement with wet bar, laundry room and two-car garage. Asking price $469,000, on market 18 weeks.

Broker: Rhan Ferdinand, Halstead Property

Source: NY Post - 5/10

Apparently it is when it comes to having top sales in the borough! Last year, Douglaston Douglas Manor was home to five of the 10 largest home sales in Queens, including sales of 2@ $2.6 million , $2.18 million, $1.85 million and $1.3 million. Quite a heavy hitter for Queens. Most of these are houses, too, not condos. And these prices are still cheaper than Manhattan (and Brooklyn), the top 10% there starting at about $4 million.

It sounds like a lovely community with beautiful homes and an active waterfront. 27 minutes to Penn via LIRR sounds good, too.

Related:
Douglaston Profile [Wikipedia]
Douglaston dominates top sales in Queens [The Real Deal via Miller Samuel]
Douglas Manor Profile [Long Island Exchange]

Douglaston House

$1,094,500

243-16 Thornhill Ave, Douglaston, NY (GMap)

Four bedroom, three bath, brick and cedar house. Built circa 1965. Vaulted ceilings, fireplace, two kitchens, office and rec room in basement, 2 car garage, 51×110 irregular lot, taxes $5,400, listed at $1.25 million, on market 24 weeks, Broker: Bryce Rea

NY Times - Residential Sales - 2/2/07

Just a note - this isn’t Douglas Manor.