950 Hart Street, Brooklyn NY - Massey Knakal Realty Services

950 Hart Street, Brooklyn NY

As Exclusive Sales Agents 

We are Pleased to Present the Following: 

For Sale 

950 Hart Street 

Brooklyn, NY 11237 

$5,500,000 

For Further Information or to Arrange 

An Inspection Tour of the Property, 

Please Contact: 

Edward T. McLaughlin 

Director of Sales 

205 Montague Street, 3rd Fl 

Brooklyn, NY 11201 

(718) 307-6547

Best Inventory 

On average, Massey Knakal exclusively lists 

600+ properties at any given time – the largest 

inventory of properties in the New York City 

metropolitan area. More buyers and sellers choose 

to work with Massey Knakal than any other firm 

for any size or type of property transaction. 

The MK Advantage for Buyers 

65 Hope Street 

Best Territory Knowledge 

The Massey Knakal Territory System assigns 

only one sales agent to represent property in a 

given area, making these agents superior real estate 

experts for their territory. The benefit to you is that 

our agents can assist you with making a more 

profitable buying decision. You can be confident 

that a purchase made through Massey Knakal will 

be the right decision for your needs. 

Best Opportunity 

Massey Knakal treats all buyers fairly, which means that you will always have an equal opportunity to purchase a property. Since Massey 

Knakal only handles exclusive listings, you will be able to get accurate property information and up-to-the-minute status reports on the 

availability of all our properties. The benefit to you is that you will not waste valuable time tracking properties that have already been 

sold. Additionally, throughout the purchasing process, you will always be treated with respect and professionalism by our sales agents. 

Massey Knakal: We Know New York City. Know Us.

Table of Contents 

Introduction 

I. Maps and Photographs 

• Neighborhood and City Map 

• Transportation Map 

• Tax Map 

• Exterior and Interior Pictures 

• Surrounding Neighborhood 

II. Floor Plans and Zoning 

• Surrounding neighborhood 

III. Building Information 

• Income 

• Expenses 

• Violations 

IV. Comparable Developments and Sales 

• Condominium sales 

• Rental rates 

V. Local News 

56 West 126th Street 

1236 Ocean Parkway 

Edward T. McLaughlin, Director of Sales 

Tel: 718-307-6547 / Fax: 718-238-6091 

Email: emclaughlin@masseyknakal.com 

Table of Contents

• Maps 

Section 1


In Bushwick, Brooklyn 

Two west avenues off the Bushwick neighborhood – Broadway and Bushwick Avenue – 

reach Manhattan through the Williamsburg Bridge. At the rear end of Bushwick, a highway 

(Jackie Robinson) connects Bushwick to the Queens borough. 



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New York City Map

WILLIAMSBURG 

RIDGEWOOD 

(QUEENS) 



BEDFORD 

STUYVESANT 

The Bushwick neighborhood is situated east of Williamsburg, north of Bedford Stuyvescent, 

and south of Ridgewood (in Queens). 




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Bushwick Neighborhood



15 minutes on the “L” train will get you from the Dekalb Avenue station, located a block from 

950 Hart Street, to Union Square. The “L” subway train has gained in popularity as the most 

up to date system in NYC. 



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Subway “L” Train 

to New York City Map


The bus line from 950 Hart Steet can lead to connections that reach downtown Brooklyn and 

Queens. 


Edward 1236 T. McLaughlin, Ocean Parkway Director of Sales 

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Bus Lines

Tax Lot Map 

Land Map 




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Tax Maps




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Condominiums and Rental Lofts Around 950 Hart



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Exterior Photo



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Exterior Photos



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Roof Photo



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Boiler Photo



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Hallway Photos



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Interior Photos



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Interior Photos



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Neighborhood Photos

950 Hart St 

1610 Dekalb Ave 

(Condo-conversion) 

1615 Dekalb Ave 

(Rental Lofts) 

“L” Subway gate 

101 Wyckoff Ave 

(Condo-conversion) 

93-95 Wyckoff Ave 

(Condo-development 

not shown) 

70 Wyckoff Ave 

(Rental Lofts) 

View looking south 




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Highlights Around 950 Hart

Section 2




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Exterior Layout




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Floor Plans - Basement




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Floor Plans – First Floor




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Floor Plans – Second Floor




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Floor Plans – Third Floor




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Zoning




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Exterior Layout



Address 

Block / Lot 

Lot Area 

(approx.) 

Lot Dim. 

(approx.) 

Zoning 

FAR 

Buildable 

(approx.) 


3237 / 27 

75’ x 100.0’ 

7,500 sf 

M1-1 

1.0 

17,550 sf 



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Zoning

M1 

M1 districts range from the Garment District in 

Manhattan, with its multistory lofts, to parts of 

Red Hook or College Point with many one or 

two-story warehouses studded with loading 

bays. The M1 districts is often a buffer between 

M2 or M3 districts and adjacent residential or 

commercial districts. Light industries typically 

found in M1 areas include woodworking shops, 

auto storage and repair shops, and wholesale 

service and storage facilities. In theory, nearly 

all industrial uses can locate in M1 areas if they 

meet the more stringent M1 performance 

standards. Offices and most retail uses are also 

permitted. Certain community facilities, such as 

hospitals, and allowed in M1 districts only by 

special permit but houses of worship are 

allowed as-of-right. 

In M1-5A and M1-5B districts mapped in 

SoHo/NoHo, artists may occupy joint living-work 

quarters as an industrial use in loft buildings. 

Other than M1 districts paired with residence 

districts in Special Mixed Use Districts, MI-D, 

M1-5M and M1-6M districts and the only 

manufacturing districts in which residences are 

permitted. In M1-6 districts, mapped in Sunset 

Park and Maspeth, limited new residential uses 

with a maximum FAR of 1.65 are permitted only 

by City Planning Commission authorization. 

FAR (max) 

Parking 

M1-1 

1.0 

required 



M1-2 

2.0 

required 


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M1 Manufacturing Districts 

M1-3 

5.0 

required 

M1-4 

2.0 

not required 

M1-5 

5.0 

not required 

Zoning - Manufacturing 

M1-6 

10.0 

not required

Section 3

REVENUE 

Unit 

Basement Office 

Lease Expiration 

N/A 

Monthly Rental Income 

$1,200 / month 

Yearly Rental 

Income 

$14,400 / year 

101 

N/A 

$1,450 / month 

$17,400 / year 

102 

N/A 

$2,182 / month 

$26,184 / year 

103 

N/A 

$2,193 / month 

$26,316 / year 

104 

N/A 

$2,200 / month 

$26,400 / year 

105 

N/A 

$2,000 / month 

$24,000 / year 

106 

N/A 

$2,750 / month 

$33,000 / year 

107 

N/A 

$1,350 / month 

$16,200 / year 

201 

N/A 

$1,375 / month 

$16,500 / year 

202 

N/A 

$1,500 / month 

$18,000 / year 

203 

N/A 

$1,100 / month 

$13,200 / year 

204 

N/A 

$1,350 / month 

$16,200 / year 

205 

N/A 

$1,100 / month 

$13,200 / year 

206 

N/A 

$1,500 / month 

$18,000 / year 

207 

N/A 

$1,000 / month 

$12,000 / year 

301 

N/A 

$1,600 / month 

$19,200 / year 

302 

N/A 

$1,580 / month 

$18,960 / year 

303 

N/A 

$1,150 / month 

$13,800 / year 

304 

N/A 

$1,400 / month 

$16,800 / year 

305 

N/A 

$1,250 / month 

$15,000 / year 

306 

N/A 

$1,850 / month 

$22,200 / year 

307 

N/A 

$1,050 / month 

$12,600 / year 

Gross Annual Income 

$409,560 / year 



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Rental Income

REVENUE 

AIR-CONDITIONING 

HEATING 

Unit 

Number of 

units 

Monthly Cost of Air 

Conditioning 

Payment of 5 out 

of 12 months 

Monthly Cost of 

Heating 

Payment of 7 out of 

12 months 

101 

N/A 

$75 / month 

$900 / year 

102 

1 

$40 / month 

$200 / year 

$75 / month 

$900 / year 

103 

N/A 

$75 / month 

$900 / year 

104 

N/A 

$75 / month 

$900 / year 

105 

1 

$40 / month 

$200 / year 

$75 / month 

$900 / year 

106 

N/A 

$75 / month 

$900 / year 

107 

1 

$40 / month 

$200 / year 

$75 / month 

$900 / year 

201 

1 

$40 / month 

$200 / year 

$75 / month 

$900 / year 

202 

1 

$40 / month 

$200 / year 

$75 / month 

$900 / year 

203 

2 

$80 / month 

$400 / year 

$75 / month 

$900 / year 

204 

1 

$40 / month 

$200 / year 

$75 / month 

$900 / year 

205 

1 

$40 / month 

$200 / year 

$75 / month 

$900 / year 

206 

1 

$40 / month 

$200 / year 

$75 / month 

$900 / year 

207 

N/A 

$75 / month 

$900 / year 

301 

N/A 

$75 / month 

$900 / year 

302 

1 

$40 / month 

$200 / year 

$75 / month 

$900 / year 

303 

1 

$40 / month 

$200 / year 

$75 / month 

$900 / year 

304 

N/A 

$75 / month 

$900 / year 

305 

N/A 

$75 / month 

$900 / year 

306 

N/A 

$75 / month 

$900 / year 

307 

1 

$40 / month 

$200 / year 

$75 / month 

$900 / year 

Air-Condinditionar Income 

$2,600 / year 

Heating Income 

$18,900 / year 



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Rental Income – AC and 

Heating

REVENUE 

Type of Income 

Rental Income 

Air Conditioners 

Heating 

Gross Annual Income 

Annual Rent 

$409,560 

$2,600 

$18,900 

$431,060 

EXPENSES 

Real Estate Taxes 

$21,273 

Insurance 

$6,248 

Water & Sewer Charges 

$9,813 

Fuel 

$28,020 

Electricity (Common 

Areas) 

$3,531 

Repair & Maintenance 

$8,000 

Mgmt / Vacancy 

3.0% 

of Gross Annual Rent 

$12,482 

Total Operating Expenses 

$89,367 

Gross Annual Rent 

$431,060 

Less: Expenses 

$89,367 

Net Operating Income 

$341,693 



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Income and Expense 

Summary



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Violation Summary



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ECB Violations



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DOB Violations

Rental Income in Bushwick 

Several retail avenues point out different backgrounds. 

Knickerbocker Avenue remains the strongest commercial area in 

Bushwick, paying the highest rent in Bushwick. The Wyckoff 

Avenue gradually builds new condos, naturally brings more 

business. Broadway recovers past empty development sites. 

The apartments in Bushwick were mostly laid out as 2-bedroom railroad 

apartments from 1930’s. For more added values, buildings 

could include windows at middle of unit, moved bedrooms separate, 

and changing to 1- or 3-bedroom apartments with proper layouts. 

Opinion on Retail Rental Market 

Low 

High 

Retail Corridor - Knickerbocker Ave 

Myrtle Ave to Dekalb Ave $20 to $35 - $35 to $65 

Dekalb Ave to Starr St $12 to $18 - $18 to $25 

Retail Corridor - Broadway 

Flushing Ave to Myrtle Ave $18 to $25 - $25 to $55 

Myrtle Ave to Van Buren St $12 to $18 - $18 to $25 

Van Buren St Ave to Gates Ave $18 to $25 - $25 to $55 

Retail Corridor - Wyckoff Ave 

Hart St to Stanhope St $18 to $25 - $25 to $35 

Stanhope St to Myrtle Ave $12 to $18 - $18 to $25 

Opinion on Residential Rental Market 

Low High 

Studio Avg. Sq.Ft. 400 - 400 

Price Per Sq.Ft. $24 - $27 

Price Per Month $800 - $900 

Price Per Year $9,600 - $10,800 

1-Bedroom Avg. Sq.Ft. 550 - 550 


Price Per Month $1,050 - $1,200 

Price Per Year $12,600 - $14,400 




Price Per Year $15,600 - $17,400 




Price Per Year $18,000 - $21,600 

Loft Avg. Sq.Ft. 1000 - 1000 



Price Per Year $21,600 - $26,400 



Tel: 718-307-6547 / Fax: 718-238-6091 


Rental Rates

Address: 

Block / Lot: 

Zoning: 

Lot Dims: 

Building Sq.Ft: 

Stories: 

Units: 

358 Grove Street 

(between Wyckoff Ave & Myrtle Ave) 

3328 / 16 

C2-3 / R6 

200x100 

43,600 ft. (estimated) 

14 

59 

Unit # Bedrm / 

Bath 

Area per 

Unit 



Offering 

Price per 

Unit 

Price per 

Sq.Ft. 

Note 

2A 2 / 1 892 sf $432,620 $485 

2B 1 / 1 630 sf $305,550 $485 

2C 1 / 1 611 sf $296,335 $485 

2D 2 / 1 778 sf $377,330 $485 

2E 1 / 1 558 sf $270,630 $485 

3A 2 / 1 892 sf 

3B 1 / 1 630 sf $305,550 $485 (contract signed) 

3C 1 / 1 611 sf 

3D 2 / 1 778 sf $399,000 $513 (contract signed) 

3E 1 / 1 558 sf $270,630 $485 (contract signed) 

4A 2 / 1 892 sf 

4B 1 / 1 630 sf $305,550 $485 

4C 1 / 1 611 sf $323,730 $530 

4D 2 / 1 778 sf $405,945 $522 (contract signed) 

4E 1 / 1 558 sf $270,630 $485 

5A 2 / 1 892 sf 

5B 1 / 1 630 sf $315,000 $500 

5C 1 / 1 611 sf $324,654 $531 

5D 2 / 1 778 sf $520,174 $669 


6A 2 / 1 892 sf $446,000 $500 (contract signed) 

6B 1 / 1 630 sf 

6C 1 / 1 611 sf $333,540 $546 

6D 2 / 1 778 sf $418,500 $538 



7B 1 / 1 630 sf $327,600 $520 

7C 1 / 1 611 sf $327,000 $535 

7D 2 / 1 778 sf $418,500 $538 

7E 1 / 1 558 sf $279,000 $500 


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Unit # Bedrm / 

Bath 

Area per 

Unit 

Offering 

Price per 

Unit 

Condo Sales 2007-2008 

358 Grove Street 

Price per 

Sq.Ft. 

Note 


8B 1 / 1 630 sf $315,000 $500 

8C 1 / 1 611 sf $327,000 $535 

8D 2 / 1 778 sf $418,500 $538 


9A 2 / 1 892 sf 

9B 1 / 1 630 sf $340,200 $540 

9C 1 / 1 611 sf 

9D 2 / 1 778 sf $443,610 $570 

9E 1 / 1 558 sf 

10A 2 / 1 892 sf 

10B 1 / 1 630 sf 

10C 1 / 1 611 sf 

10D 2 / 1 778 sf $447,795 $576 

10E 1 / 1 558 sf 

11A 2 / 1 892 sf $490,600 $550 

11B 1 / 1 630 sf $351,540 $558 

11C 1 / 1 611 sf $359,700 $589 

11D 2 / 1 778 sf $451,980 $581 

11E 1 / 1 558 sf 

12A 2 / 1 892 sf 

12B 1 / 1 630 sf 

12C 1 / 1 611 sf $369,510 $605 

12D 2 / 1 778 sf 

12E 1 / 1 558 sf $306,900 $550 

PHA 3 / 2 1,148 sf $686,233 Terrace (137 sf) 

PHB 2 / 2 854 sf 

PHC 2 / 2 791 sf $472,472 $597 

PHD 3 / 2 1,132 sf Terrace (137 sf)

Address: 

Block / Lot: 

Zoning: 

Bldg Dims: 

Building Area: 

Stories: 

Units: 

93-95 Wyckoff Avenue 

(between Suydam St & Hart St) 

3222 / 3 

R6 

25’ x ’100 

14,913 Sq.Ft. 

4 

10 

Unit # 

Baths 

Bedrms 

Total Area 

Type 

Sale Price 

Sale Price 

per Sq. Ft. 

Sale Date 

1 

- 

- 

5,113 Sq.Ft. 

Medical Space 

n/a 

n/a 

n/a 

1A 

3 

3 

1,370 Sq.Ft. 

Apt. with balcony 

$550,000 

$401 

3/27/2007 

2B 

1 

1 

540 Sq.Ft. 

Apt. with terrace 

$281,000 

$520 

7/2/2007 

2C 

1 

1 

520 Sq.Ft. 

Apt. with terrace 

$289,000 

$556 

9/7/2007 

3A 

2 

2 

884 Sq.Ft. 


n/a 

n/a 

n/a 

3B 

1 

1 

540 Sq.Ft. 


$260,000 

$481 

3/27/2007 

3C 

1 

1 

520 Sq.Ft. 


$265,000 

$510 

3/27/2007 

4A 

2 

2 

884 Sq.Ft. 


$399,000 

$451 

3/19/2007 

4B 

2 

2.5 

1,057 Sq.Ft. 

Apt. with balcony & terrace 

$470,000 

$445 

6/29/2007 

4C 

1 

1 

520 Sq.Ft. 


$250,000 

$481 

5/7/2007 

Average 

759 Sq.Ft. 

$345,500 

$481 




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Condo Sales 2007 

93-95 Wyckoff Avenue

Address: 

Block / Lot: 

Zoning: 

Lot Dims: 


Stories: 

Units: 

101 Wyckoff Avenue 

(corner at Hart Street) 

3238 / 7501 

R6 

89.1’ x 102.11’ 

27,345 ft. (estimated) 

4 

32 

Unit # Baths Bedrms. Total Area Sales Price Sales Price 

per Sq.Ft. 

Sales Date 

Unit # Baths Bedrms. Total Area Sales Price Sales Price 

per Sq.Ft. 

Sales Date 

1A 1 1 499 Sq.Ft. $225,225 $451 3/7/2006 

1B 1 1 1,014 Sq.Ft. $404,564 $399 2/22/2006 

1C 2 1 1,127 Sq.Ft. $435,006 $386 3/2/2006 

1D 2 1 1,145 Sq.Ft. $428,704 $374 2/27/2006 

1E 2 Studio 932 Sq.Ft. $352,175 $378 4/25/2006 

1F 1 Studio 776 Sq.Ft. $342,495 $441 5/2/2006 

1G 1 1 771 Sq.Ft. $327,265 $424 3/9/2006 

1H 1 Artist Stu. 432 Sq.Ft. $125,000 $289 1/31/2007 

2A 1 1 548 Sq.Ft. $276,335 $504 3/14/2006 

2B 2 1 1,152 Sq.Ft. $501,824 $436 3/27/2006 

2C 2 1 1,127 Sq.Ft. $460,000 $408 3/9/2006 

2D 2 1 1,145 Sq.Ft. $472,307 $412 2/28/2006 

2E 2 Studio 932 Sq.Ft. $392,546 $421 3/24/2006 

2F 1 Studio 776 Sq.Ft. $348,650 $449 3/9/2006 

2G 1 1 771 Sq.Ft. $334,620 $434 5/24/2006 

4G 1 1 771 Sq.Ft. $407,274 $528 2/24/2006 

4H 1 Studio 432 Sq.Ft. $235,396 $545 2/22/2006 


3A 1 1 548 Sq.Ft. $299,673 $547 2/21/2006 

3B 2 1 1,152 Sq.Ft. $515,000 $447 3/1/2006 

3C 2 1 1,127 Sq.Ft. $497,495 $441 3/3/2006 

3D 2 1 1,145 Sq.Ft. $502,311 $439 3/30/2006 

3E 2 Studio 932 Sq.Ft. $411,838 $442 2/22/2006 

3F 1 1 776 Sq.Ft. $368,877 $475 2/21/2006 

3G 1 1 771 Sq.Ft. $324,750 $421 3/9/2006 


4A 1 1 548 Sq.Ft. $319,410 $583 2/21/2006 

4B 2 1 1,152 Sq.Ft. $560,038 $486 8/21/2006 

4C 2 1 1,127 Sq.Ft. $495,000 $439 2/10/2007 

4D 2 1 1,145 Sq.Ft. N/A N/A N/A 

4E 2 Studio 932 Sq.Ft. $425,880 $457 7/28/2006 

4F 1 1 776 Sq.Ft. $379,160 $489 2/24/2006 

Average 855 Sq.Ft. $370,839 $442 




Tel: 718-307-6547 / Fax: 718-238-6091 



101 Wyckoff Avenue

Address: 

Block / Lot: 

Zoning: 

Bldg Dims: 


Stories: 

Units: 

979 Willoughby Avenue 

(corner with Evergreen Avenue) 

3184 / 1 

R6 

25’ x 100’ 

12,128 Sq.Ft. 

4 

8 

Unit # 

Baths 

Bedrms 

Total Area 

Type 

Offering Price 

Offering Price / 

Sq.Ft. 

2A 

1 

1 

1,322 Sq.Ft. 

Apt. with pvt. balcony 

$499,000 

$377 

2B 

1 

1 

882 Sq.Ft. 


$399,000 

$452 

2C 

2 

1 

1,322 Sq.Ft. 


$499,000 

$377 

3A 

1 

1 

1,151 Sq.Ft. 


$465,000 

$404 

3B 

1 

1 

834 Sq.Ft. 


$399,000 

$478 

3C 

1 

2 

1,136 Sq.Ft. 


$465,000 

$409 

4A 

3 

2 

1,729 Sq.Ft. 

Apt. with 4 pvt. Terraces 

$668,000 

$386 

4B 

3 

2 

1,883 Sq.Ft. 

Apt. with 4 pvt. Terraces 

$668,000 

$355 

Average 

1,282 Sq.Ft. 

$507,750 

$405 




Tel: 718-307-6547 / Fax: 718-238-6091 


Condo Sales 2007 - Continue 

979 Willoughby

Address: 

Block / Lot: 

Zoning: 

Bldg Dims: 


Stories: 

Units: 

768 Hart Street 

(between Knickerbocker & Wilson) 

3235 / 15 

R6 

25’ x 60’ 

4,500 sq.ft. 

3 

6 

Unit # Baths Bedrms. Total Area 

Sales Price Sales Price Sales Date 

per Sq.Ft. 

1 2 3 1,180 Sq.Ft. plus outdoor space $425,000 $360 12/14/2006 

2L 1 1 615 Sq.Ft. $249,000 $405 2/1/2007 

2R 1 2 615 Sq.Ft. $249,000 $405 1/4/2007 

3L 1 2 615 Sq.Ft. $269,000 $437 12/28/2006 

3R 1 2 615 Sq.Ft. $269,000 $437 12/21/2006 

Average $292,200 $409 




Tel: 718-307-6547 / Fax: 718-238-6091 



768 Hart Street

Address: 

Block / Lot: 

Zoning: 

Bldg Dims: 


Stories: 

Units: 

1271 Decatur Street 

(between Knickerbocker & Wilson) 

3430 / 45 

R6 

25’ x 63’ 

4,725 sq.ft. 

3 

6 

Unit # Baths Bedrms Total Area Suggest Price Suggest Price per 

Sq.Ft. 

1R 1 1 714 Sq.Ft. 1st Fl (767 Sq.Ft. Celler) $375,000 $525 

1L 1 1 730 Sq.Ft. 1st Fl (497 Sq.Ft. Celler) $375,000 $514 

2R 1 1 725 Sq.Ft. $249,000 $343 

2L 1 1 717 Sq.Ft. $249,000 $347 

3R 1 1 725 Sq.Ft. $249,000 $343 

3L 1 1 717 Sq.Ft. $249,000 $347 




Tel: 718-307-6547 / Fax: 718-238-6091 


Condo Sales 2007 - Continue 

1271 Decatur Street

Thursday, April 19, 2007 

Bushwick Buzzing, but Not Quite Ready for Prime Time Neighborhoods 

By JULIA VITULLO-MARTIN 

April 19, 2007 -- "I love the J train," Loriann Girvan said, gesturing 

out her Brooklyn apartment's window at the train thundering by 

overhead. "I love going over the bridge every day into Manhattan. It 

soothes me." 

Like the J train itself, which is thrilling but far from lovely, Ms. 

Girvan's neighborhood, Bushwick, is something of an acquired taste. 

Despite being repeatedly proclaimed as the city's newest hip 

neighborhood, it still looks disorderly and a little dejected. 

Many of Bushwick's older buildings have not yet been restored, and 

a number of its new buildings are squat, homely concrete or brick 

structures set back from the street to accommodate car pads — thus 

breaking the street front that could give blocks some sense of unity. 

The neighborhood also has more than its share of subsidized 

housing, both large, traditional public housing projects and more 

sensible, smaller projects. 

Restaurants are few and boutiques almost nonexistent. And while 

Knickerbocker Avenue's commercial strip is lively and crowded, 

packed with hair salons, check-cashing services, 99-cent stores, 

hardware stores, and lower-end clothing and shoe stores, Broadway, 

the main commercial street beneath the elevated train, looks forlorn, 

with enough empty storefronts to deter walkers. 

In other words, Bushwick still bears some scars from the blackout 

riots of July 1997, when looters burned whole sections to the ground. 

(One reason Knickerbocker may be stronger today than Broadway is 

that it lost fewer stores to arson decades ago.) 

But the neighborhood has one important advantage: It's relatively 

inexpensive. Ms. Girvan's 47-unit building, a former Buy-Rite whose 

owner converted it to residential in 2001 with financing from the 

nonprofit Community Preservation Corporation, offers oneand twobedroom 

56 West market-rate 126th rental Street apartments for between $1,100 and 

$1,500 a month. "I looked at many different neighborhoods before I 


moved here twoand-a-half years ago," Ms. Girvan said. "I wanted 

value for my money and a comfortable commute." 

That commute is reasonably good. When its service isn't being disrupted by 

construction or police incidents, the J train takes about 25 minutes to reach 

Manhattan. Bushwick is also served by the M line and the L train. 

Still, while Ms. Girvan gets value, she doesn't receive all the services familiar 

to Manhattanites — no cable television, for example, although her building is 

one of the few in the neighborhood eligible for FreshDirect deliveries. But 

she's hopeful about the future. "People who don't know there's a J train or 

how to pronounce Kosciusko are moving in," she said with a sigh. "But that's 

okay, because they'll bring the amenities we need with them." 

The neighborhood is bounded by Williamsburg to the northwest, Ridgewood 

to the northeast, Bedford-Stuyvesant to the southwest, and various 

cemeteries to the southeast. But with the exception of the cemeteries, 

Bushwick's boundaries are unclear and in constant dispute. Some new loft 

dwellers in East Williamsburg, for example, like to claim they live in 

Bushwick, Ms. Girvan said, because Bushwick is now considered edgier. On 

the other hand, the developer of the Opera House lofts on Arion Place 

marketed his property as East Williamsburg. 

Corcoran broker Tom Le said he believes that Bushwick is a good alternative 

to Bed-Stuy or the more established neighborhoods to the west, where half a 

million dollars won't buy much. But a half-million will easily purchase a twobedroom 

condo in a renovated warehouse in Bushwick, he said, with about 

$100,000 in change left over. Sale prices hover between $400 and $500 a 

square foot, depending on amenities. 

Mr. Le noted that the neighborhood has two distinct markets: the East 

Williamsburg-Bushwick area, which is "desolate, treeless, and being 

converted to condo warehouses," and the "Knickerbocker side streets of 

tree-lined, beautiful row houses." (Bushwick's original name, Boswijck, 

means "a little town in the woods" in Dutch, and it was named for its trees.) 

More and more traditional homeowners are arriving in the latter area, 

attracted by reasonable prices for houses. "A typical twofamily, three-story 

townhouse, some with exquisite detail, will go from $600,000 up," Mr. Le 

said.


Bushwick Buzzing, but Not Quite Ready for Prime Time Neighborhoods (page 2) 

By JULIA VITULLO-MARTIN 

The "younger crowd" is moving into the other side of Bushwick, 

close to the Morgan Avenue L stop, where illegal residential lofts 

abound (which Mr. Le does not handle). Decayed-looking 

19thcentury warehouses and factories have banners advertising 

lofts for rent, though the phone numbers listed yield only answering 

machines. "You have to know somebody to get the real phone 

number," one young resident, who asked not to be identified, said. 

"We're supposed to be commercial artists, not residential tenants." 

The new residents have brought trendy restaurants and bars in 

their wake, most famously the Life Café and the NorthEast 

Kingdom. They're also patronizing some of the businesses on 

Broadway, such as the hip music venue goodbyeblue-monday, 

right around the corner from Ms. Girvan. 

The bar's owner, Steve Trimboli, who moved to Bushwick in 2000 

after losing his space in Hoboken, N.J., to "million-dollar designer 

condo lofts," said he is "beginning to get a small steady regular 

clientele" from the immediate neighborhood as well as the outer 

edges of Bushwick. But he added, a little sadly: "The only reason 

I'm still in business is that people are coming from other areas. 

Williamsburg is gentrified and it may as well be the East Village, 

which is now the West Village. As a kid I went to Alphabet City, 

where you maybe were taking your life in your hands. That's what 

Williamsburg was 15 years ago, and that's maybe what this place is 

now. People like to go to the Wyckoff stop on the L, where there's 

graffiti like they've never seen before." 

Violent crime in the 83rd Precinct, which includes Bushwick, has 

decreased 73% since 1993. But while robberies, felonious assaults, 

and burglaries are all down from last year, rapes are up, with 10 so 

far this year, in contrast to seven last year. Quality-oflife offenses 

are an obvious problem — plenty of graffiti, litter, dirt, and noise. At 



the same time, Mr. Trimboli's Wyckoff stop is seeing a new 

sprinkling of restaurants and retail. The owners of NorthEast have 

opened a coffee shop, Wykoff Star, perhaps signaling a trend. 

If so, it's a trend full of ambivalence for some Bushwickers. Curbed, which 

calls itself "the most-trafficked neighborhood and real-estate weblog on the 

web," is carrying an animated dispute about a 185-unit condo development 

at 358 Grove St., not far from the Myrtle Avenue L stop. Apartments range 

from between $270,000 for a studio and $682,233 for a three-bedroom "with 

breathtaking views of Manhattan." 

One correspondent, RidgeHooder, calls it a "hideously outsized" brown 

tower, and another adds, "This area will be gentrified the 5th of NEVER." But 

a more subdued contributor writes, "At these prices, these things will sell 

quickly I assure you." Indeed, another says, "Build the residences and the 

businesses will come." 

That's a perennial fact of New York real estate, and it still may work for 

Bushwick.


'WICK-ED COOL 

CHIC, AFFORDABLE BUILDINGS ARE ON THE RISE IN 

BUSHWICK, BROOKLYN 

By ADAM BONISLAWSKI 

April 19, 2007 -- A FEW years back, the idea of new condo 

construction in Brooklyn’s Bushwick neighborhood wasn’t exactly 

an easy sell. 

"I remember one broker," says Prudential Douglas Elliman’s Lisa 

Maysonet. "He sat at the table banging his fist, asking me who did I 

think I was, telling me that I was never going to get $350 a square 

foot in Bushwick that they weren’t even getting $350 a square foot 

in East Williamsburg." 

As it turns out, that fist-banging broker was right. Maysonet’s 

project at 101 Wyckoff Ave., just off the Dekalb L stop (seven stops 

past Williamsburg’s Bedford stop) didn’t get $350 a foot. It got 

$500. 

More than 800 people put their names on the waiting list for one of 

the loft building’s 32 apartments. Within six weeks of opening for 

sales in September of last year, the now-sold-out project had found 

buyers for 75 percent of its units. 

All the same, it’s understandable that Maysonet’s vision for 

Bushwick would be greeted with an initial dose of skepticism. After 

all, this Brooklyn area has never been exactly what you’d call a 

destination neighborhood. 



Yes, space-hungry artists and your more pioneering hipster types 

have been quietly carving out niches there for years, but new condo 

construction in the area was, until recently, all but unheard of. 

Today, though, new condos are rising throughout Bushwick. 

Vintage Builders just completed an eight-unit building at 979 

Willoughby St., with one-bedrooms starting at $465,000 and twobedroom 

triplexes starting at $688,000. All units include garages. 

Century 21 NYMetro has the listings. 

In addition to 101 Wyckoff and 768 Hart St. (a six-unit walk-up 

with three-bedrooms going for $449,000), Maysonet represents 

new buildings at 93-95 Wyckoff (with one-bedrooms starting at 

$289,000) and 1271 Decatur St. (where one-bedrooms are 

available for $299,000). Four other area condo projects she plans 

to represent are still in the approval stages. 

David Maundrell, president of Aptsandlofts.com, has also seen 

the condo wave make its way into Bushwick. 

"A lot of people are still getting their feet wet," he says. "There are 

a lot of landlords out there who own a lot of property who are 

doing rentals right now. But as the leases expire, they may turn 

them into condos after seeing how things go. You're going to start 

seeing numerous buildings on the market all at once." 

Maundrell first entered the Bushwick condo market by 

representing a six-unit building at 1265 Decatur. With units 

ranging from $239,000 (for a 660-square-foot one-bedroom with a 

den) to $349,000 (for an 1,100-square-foot one-bedroom duplex 

with a den, garden and cellar), the building sold out in about a 

month.

2 ND PAGE, NEW YORK POST, Thursday, April 19, 2007 

He's now working on several other condos in the neighborhood, 

among them another six-unit building at 241 Troutman St., with twobedroom 

units and 1,000-square-foot-lofts ranging from $305,000 to 

$459,000, and a building at 1060 Putnam Ave., with two-bedroom 

units starting at $249,000. 

"You have a mixture of people coming here," Maundrell says. "It's 

attracting people from Clinton Hill and Bed-Stuy. You have people 

moving from Ridgewood, Queens. It's attracting people who are 

looking in Williamsburg and Greenpoint but just can't find enough 

space for the dollar amount." 

For fashion designer Glenna Dilone, who moved last year to a loft 

apartment at 101 Wyckoff that she shares with her husband and infant 

son, Bushwick simply offered the best value in the borough. 

"We searched Brooklyn high and low," she says, "But for the money, 

this area had the most to offer." 

And, as stores and restaurants open to serve recent arrivals like 

Dilone, the neighborhood is becoming even more inviting. 

"Five years ago, it was like backpacking in New York City," says Abby 

Crain, a dancer who lives off the Morgan L stop with her husband and 

21/2-year-old daughter. "You had to pack all your groceries in 

because once you got here there was nothing. That's changed. 

There's a place to get groceries now, a good coffee shop, a great bar. 

" 

Dilone says she's noticed "restaurants popping up, streets getting 

facelifts, stores getting new awnings. It's becoming a friendlier 

neighborhood." 

Longtime Bushwick resident Andy Belez remembers when Maria 

Hernandez Park, just down the street from Dilone's new home, was 

essentially an open-air drug market. Now the park, which received a 

$1.9 million face-lift in 2003, is filled with ballplayers and families. Just 

south of Maria Hernandez, Knickerbocker Avenue has turned into a 

56 thriving West retail 126th strip. Street 


"The area has changed a lot," Belez says. "People are starting to fix 

up buildings. People from the city are moving to the area." 

And instead of attracting only artists, Bushwick is drawing in 

another sort of customer - what Maysonet calls "artsy yuppies." 

"They're artsy in look and feel," she says, "but not in occupation." 

Len Moroz, co-owner of Potion Café in the McKibben Lofts 

building near the border of Bushwick and East Williamsburg, 

agrees. 

"Prices have gone up in the area," he notes, "so you're seeing 

less artists and more people with jobs that pay for real." 

Nick Mastropierro, a broker with Fillmore Real Estate, is seeing 

more interest from investors looking to buy multi-family buildings 

in Bushwick. 

"The investor is always the savviest buyer because it's a 

business," he says. "And the investors have heard enough of the 

vibe of what's happening here and are starting to get on board. 

"They definitely want to be here, whereas three or four years 

ago, they wouldn't have even thought about it." 

None of this is to say, of course, that the neighborhood is about 

to turn into the West Village. As Maysonet admits, Bushwick still 

appeals mostly to those with an appreciation - some might say 

tolerance - for the gritty side of city life. 

"Some people, you could give them an apartment for free and 

they're still not going to live here," she says. "They still have to 

really like this kind of gentrifying neighborhood." 

For those who do, though, Bushwick represents a chance to get 

in early on an area that looks to be on the rise. Low prices, easy 

access to the city on the L train, new stores and apartments and 

eateries opening - what's an urban pioneer not to love? 

"It's what Williamsburg was in the '90s," Moroz says. "It's what 

SoHo was in the '80s." 

"There's a lot of potential," Dilone says. "It keeps getting better 

and better."

BUSHWICK TOWNSHIP 

Four Villages 

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia 

In 1638, the Dutch West India Company secured a deed from the local Lenape people for the Bushwick area, and Peter Stuyvesant, chartered the area 

in 1661, naming it "Boswijck," meaning "little town in the woods" or "Heavy Woods" in 17th Century Dutch[1]. [1] Its area included the modern day 

communities of Bushwick, Williamsburg, and Greenpoint. Bushwick was the last of the original six Dutch towns of Brooklyn to be established within New 

Netherland. 

The community was settled, though unchartered, on February 16, 1660 on a plot of land between the Bushwick and Newtown Creeks[1] by fourteen 

French and Huguenot settlers, a Dutch translator named Peter Jan De Witt[4], and Franciscus the Negro, one of the original eleven slaves brought to 

New Netherland who had worked his way to freedom.[5][6]. The group centered their settlement around a church located near today's Bushwick and 

Metropolitan Avenues. The major thoroughfare was Woodpoint road, which allowed farmers to bring their goods to the town dock. [2] This original 

settlement came to be known as Het Dorp by the Dutch, and, later, Bushwick Green by the British. 

At the turn of the 19th century, Bushwick consisted of four villages, Green Point, Bushwick Shore[7], later to be known as Williamsburg, Bushwick 

Green, and Bushwick Crossroads, at the spot today's Bushwick Avenue turns southeast at Flushing Avenue.[8]. The English would take over the six 

towns three years later and unite the towns under Kings County in 1683. 

Bushwick's first major expansion occurred after it annexed The New Lots of Bushwick, a hilly upland originally claimed by the Native Americans in the 

first treaties they signed with European colonists providing the settlers rights to the lowland on the water. After the second war between the natives and 

the settlers broke out, the natives fled, leaving the area to be divided among the six towns in Kings County. Bushwick had the prime location to absorb 

their new tract of land in a contiguous fashion. New Bushwick Lane (Evergreen Ave), a former native American trail, was a key thoroughfare to access 

this new tract suitable mostly for potato and cabbage agriculture. [3] This area is bound roughly by Flushing Avenue to the north, and Evergreen 

Cemetery to the south. 

In the 1850s, the New Lots of Bushwick area began to develop. References to the town of Bowronville, a new neighborhood contained within the area 

south of Lafayette Ave and Stanhope Street begin to appear dating to the 1850's. 

Modern flood map showing historical 

villages and modern thoroughfares 

Land annexation 

Modern flood map showing historical villages and modern thoroughfares 

Bushwick's first major expansion occurred after it annexed The New Lots of Bushwick, a hilly upland 

originally claimed by the Native Americans in the first treaties they signed with European colonists 

providing the settlers rights to the lowland on the water. After the second war between the natives and the 

settlers broke out, the natives fled, leaving the area to be divided among the six towns in Kings County. 

Bushwick had the prime location to absorb their new tract of land in a contiguous fashion. New Bushwick 

Lane (Evergreen Ave), a former native American trail, was a key thoroughfare to access this new tract 

suitable mostly for potato and cabbage agriculture. [3] This area is bound roughly by Flushing Avenue to 

the north, and Evergreen Cemetery to the south. 

In the 1850s, the New Lots of Bushwick area began to develop. References to the town of Bowronville, a 

new neighborhood contained within the area south of Lafayette Ave and Stanhope Street begin to appear 

dating to the 1850's.

Bushwick Shore and Williamsburgh 


The area known as Bushwick Shore was so called for about 140 years. Bushwick residents called Bushwick Shore "the Strand," another term for 

"beach" [6]. Bushwick Creek, in the north, and Cripplebush, a region of thick, boggy shrubland extending from Wallabout Creek to Newtown Creek, in 

the south and east, cut Bushwick Shore from the other villages in Bushwick. Farmers and gardeners from the other Bushwick villages sent their goods 

to Bushwick Shore to be ferried to New York City for sale via a market at present day Grand St. Bushwick Shore's favorable location close to New York 

City lead to the creation of several farming developments. Originally a 13acre development within Bushwick Shore, Williamsburgh rapidly expanded 

during the first half of the nineteenth century and eventually seceded from Bushwick to form its own independent city. [7] 

Early Industry 

When Bushwick was founded, it was primarily an area for farming food and tobacco. As Brooklyn and New York City grew, factories that manufactured 

sugar, oil, and chemicals were built. The inventor Peter Cooper built a glue manufacturing plant, his first factory, in Bushwick. Immigrants from western 

Europe joined the original Dutch settlers. The Bushwick Chemical Works, at Metropolitan and Grand Avenues on the English Kills channel, was 

another early industry among the lime, plaster, and brick works, coal yards, and other factories which developed along English Kills, which was 

dredged and made an important commercial waterway. [8]. In October, 1867, the American Institute awarded The Bushwick Chemical Works the first 

premium for commercial acids of greatest purity and strength [9]. The Bushwick Glass Company, later to be known as Brookfield glass company 

established itself in 1869, when a local brewer sold it to James Brookfield [10]. The Bushwick Glass Company made a variety both bottle and jars. 

Around the same time, in 1868, the Long Island Rail Road built the from its hub in Jamaica via Maspeth to Bushwick Terminal at the intersection of 

Montrose and Bushwick Avenues [11], allowing easy movement of passengers, raw materials, and finished goods. 

In the 1840s and 1850s, a majority of the immigrants were German, which became the dominant population. Bushwick established a considerable 

brewery industry, including "Brewer's Row": 14 breweries operating in a 14 block area by 1890. [9] Thus, Bushwick was dubbed the "beer capital of the 

Northeast." As late as 1883, Bushwick maintained open farming land east of Flushing Avenue. [10] . In fact, a synergy developed between the brewers 

and the farmers during this period, as the dairy farmers collected spent grain and hops for cow feed. The dairy farmers sold the milk, and other dairy 

products, to consumers in Brooklyn. Both industries supported blacksmiths, wheelwrights, and feed stores along Flushing Avenue. [11] 

Streetcar Suburb 

The first elevated railway in Brooklyn, known as the Lexington Avenue Elevated, opened in 1885. Its eastern terminus was at the edge of Bushwick, at 

Gates Avenue and Broadway.[12] This line was extended southeastward into East New York shortly thereafter. By the end of 1889, the Broadway 

Elevated and the Myrtle Avenue Elevated were completed, enabling easier access to Downtown Brooklyn and Manhattan and the rapid residential 

development of Bushwick from farmland. 

With the success of the brewery industry and the presence of the Els, another wave of European immigrants 

settled in the neighborhood. Also, parts of Bushwick became affluent. Brewery owners and doctors commissioned 

mansions along Bushwick and Irving Avenues at the turn of the 20th century. New York mayor John Francis 

Hylan kept a townhouse on Bushwick Avenue during this period. [12] . Bushwick homes were designed in the 

Italianate, Neo Greco, Romanesque Revival, and Queen Anne styles by well known architects. Bushwick was a 

center of culture with several Vaudeville era playhouses, including the Amphion Theatre, the nation's first theatre 

with electric lighting. [13] The wealth of the neighborhood peaked between World War I and World War II, even 



when events such as Prohibition and the Great Depression were taking place. After the WWI, the German 

enclave was steadily replaced by a significant proportion of Italian American. By 1950 Bushwick was one of 

Brooklyn's largest Italian American neighborhoods, although some GermanAmericans remained. [13] 

Bushwick Branch of LIRR 

still carries some freight


Side street south of Flushing Ave. 

1950s, 1960s, and 1970s: White Flight and Economic Depression 

Beginning in the mid1950s and particularly in the 1960s, poor working class African Americans and Puerto Rican migrants began to move into 

Bushwick. [14] Small apartment buildings were built to accommodate the incoming residents. The change in demographics coincided with changes in 

the local economy. At the same time, locally rising energy costs, advances in transportation, and the invention of the steel can encouraged beer 

companies to move out of New York City. As the breweries closed, the neighborhood deteriorated along with much of Brooklyn and New York City. 

Discussions of urban renewal took place in the 1960s, but never materialized. In 1960 Bushwick was 70% white; by 1977 it was over 70% Black and 

Puerto Rican (Goodman 180). The U.S. Census records that it went from almost 90% white in 1960 to less than 40% in 1970. [15] According to the New 

York Times, "In a fiveyear period in the late 1960's and early 70's, the Bushwick neighborhood of Brooklyn was transformed from a neatly maintained 

community of wood houses into what often approached a no man's land of abandoned buildings, empty lots, drugs and arson." [16] One out of every 8 

buildings was damaged or destroyed by fire every year from 1969 to 1977 (Goodman 122). 

Blackout: Riots and Looting 

On the night of July 13, 1977, a major blackout occurred in New York City. Arson, looting, and vandalism followed 

in low income neighborhoods across the city. Bushwick, however, saw some of the most devastating damages 

and losses. While local owners in the predominantly Puerto Rican Knickerbocker Avenue and Graham Avenue 

shopping districts were able to defend their stores with force, suburban owners with stores on the Broadway 

shopping district saw their shops looted and burned. Twentyseven stores, some of which were of , along 

Broadway had burned (Goodman 104). Looters (and residents who bought from looters) saw the blackout as an 

opportunity to get what they otherwise could not afford. Fires spread to many residential buildings as well. After 

the riots were over and the fires were put out, residents saw "some streets that looked like Brooklyn Heights, and 

others that looked like Dresden in 1945" (Goodman 181): unsafe dwellings and empty lots among surviving 

buildings. Broadway business space had a 43% Vacancy rate in the wake of the riots. [17] 

Side street south of Flushing Ave. 

1980s and 1990s: Blight and Poverty 

Bushwick was left with a lack of both retail stores and housing. After the blackout, residents who could afford to leave abandoned the area. But new 

immigrants were coming into the area during the late 1970s and early 1980s, many of whom were from the Dominican Republic. However, apartment 

renovation and new construction did not keep pace with the demolition of unsafe buildings, forcing overcrowded conditions at first. As buildings came 

down, the vacant lots made parts of the neighborhood look and feel desolate, and more residents left. The neighborhood was a hotbed of poverty and 

crime through the 1980s. During this period, the Knickerbocker Ave shopping district was nicknamed "The Well" for its seemingly unending supply of 

drugs.[14] In the 1990s it remained a poor and relatively dangerous area, with 77 murders, 80 rapes, and 2,242 robberies in 1990.[15]

2000s A Tale of Two Bushwicks 


Spanish Barrio: Rebuilt on the Ashes 

Many social problems associated with poverty from crime to drug addiction have plagued the area for some time. Despite crime declines versus their peaks 

during the crack and heroin epidemics violent crime continues to be a serious problem in the community. [15] Bushwick has significantly higher drop out 

rates and incidents of violence in it's schools.[16] Students must pass through metal detectors and swipe ID cards to enter the buildings. Reminiscent a 

prison environment which many feel encourages bad behavior. Other problems in local schools include low test scores and high truancy rates. Drug 

addiction is also a serious problem in the community. Due to the lucrative drug trade in the area many addicted reside in the community. Peer pressure 

among children who come from broken homes contributes to the high rate of usage. Many households in the area are headed by a single mother which 

contributes to the high poverty rate.[17] Many of whom had their children at a very young age and unfortunately could not provide for their children.[18] Many 

of the families living in Bushwick have been in poverty for generations. The incarceration rate in the area is also very high.[19] Many if not most males in the 

community have been arrested at some point in their lives. [20] This has a direct correlation to aggressive policing tactics including "sweeps" due to the 

area's high crime rate. Bushwick is home to a significant number of inmates currently held in New York state prison and jail facilities. In more recent years 

homelessness has become an ever worsening problem in Bushwick due to rising rents and a shortage of affordable housing. Many families have had to 

double or triple up to a single apartment. Others have relocated to either other low income neighborhoods in NYC or have left the city. Finally those not able 

to leave must stay in homeless shelters or out on the streets. Living cost, especially housing, has only risen in recent years. 

Cheap Space for Hipsters: Rebirth and Gentrification 

In the 2000s, in the wake of lower crime rates citywide and a shortage of cheap housing in "hip" neighborhoods such as Williamsburg, Greenpoint, and 

Gowanus, a new influx of hipsters and yuppies moved into convertedwarehouse lofts, brownstones, and other renovated buildings. And, while murders and 

car thefts are higher in the 83rd precinct now than they were to start the decade[15], property values are increasing from speculation, and gentrification is 

beginning to be noticed by the community. Bushwick's 83d Precinct has a similar crime rate to neighboring Williamsburg's 90th precinct. [21] Residents of 

the former artists colony in Gowanus are already making plans for moving to Bushwick.[22] Nightlife for hipsters remains a problem, and, outside a few 

places on Wyckoff Ave by Jefferson Street, they will need to commute to Williamsburg, Greenpoint, Manhattan for their own brand of excitement. [18] 

Ironically, hipsters and yuppies are moving to the area because of its gritty pregentrified ambiance. [19] 

Signs of Gentrification and Its Effects on the Community 

Property values in Bushwick have climbed reflecting the rest of the city and the metro area due to a housing shortage. In recent years some of those priced 

out of Manhattan or even Williamsburg and Greenpoint have begun to look at Bushwick as an up and coming area. This is primarily due to the 

neighborhoods proximity to Manhattan and mass transit provided by a subway and an elevated line. Many of these individuals, mostly White nonHispanic 

young professionals, have settled in what is known as East Williamsburg in formally vacant warehouses converted into worklive spaces or lofts. In more 

recent years there has been an increase in market rate housing including luxury condos and coops. At the same time with this growth in market rate 

construction there has been been a shortage of affordable housing. Despite numerous social problems and a deeply entrenched low income population, 

many involved in real estate have attempted to generate hype hoping for a significant wave of gentrification. This has created tension in the community and 

many residents have begun to wise up to the changes. While more market rate housing is being built in the area, the prices do not reflect the economic 

makeup of the community. Many believe those individuals involved in real estate in Bushwick hope to displace long time residents, most of which are of the 

low income strata. 

Community Organizing in Bushwick 

Bushwick also has a strong history of community organizing, most notably with the organization . Make the Road by Walking was founded in 1997 in a 


Bushwick church basement by local residents to address the potentially devastating effects of welfare reform on America's poor and immigrant communities. 

While initially 1236 focusing Ocean on organizing Parkway immigrant welfare recipients, they soon expanded their focus to organizing to combat systemic economic and political 

marginalization of Bushwick residents. They have been largely successful, with victories including helping workers organize several union shops on 

Knickerbocker Ave. and getting translation services into hospitals. However, Bushwick's current spate of gentrification is pushing this group aside.

950 Hart Street, Brooklyn NY - Massey Knakal Realty Services

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