Most Popular Stories of 2021: Development in Downtown Brooklyn, an Ikea Hack

We have made it through another year. While stories of coronavirus dominated the list of popular stories last year, in 2021 readers were drawn to detail-filled houses on the market and home renovation with an Ikea hack from the Brownstone Boys.

Click through the list below to find our top 11 stories of the past year.

11. Spread Out in This Massive Mansard Manse in Elmira, Yours for Under $100K

It’s hard to miss this historic property on the landscape of Elmira, with its massive scale, intricate stone facade and soaring mansard roof topped with a grand cupola.

10. Affordable Housing Lottery Opens for 94 Units in Bed Stuy, Starting at $667 a Month

An affordable housing lottery has opened for 94 units in a 11-story building at 1620 Fulton Street (with an alternate address of 1612 Fulton) in Bed Stuy. The building bears the name The Garnet.

9. Ornate Stuy Heights Limestone With Wood-Filled Interior, Working Dumbwaiter Asks $2.75 Million

Practically bursting at the seams with details, this 1890s Stuyvesant Heights beauty is sure to appeal to lovers of Gilded Age interiors. Elaborate woodwork, pier mirrors, a columned divider with stained glass, mantels, pocket doors, built-ins and a working dumbwaiter are just a few of the details to be found inside.

8. Brownstone Boys: Updating Furniture With Our IKEA Dresser Hack

We all have that one Ikea piece of furniture that’s been with us a little too long. For us, it’s the Hemnes three-drawer that’s hiding in our guest bedroom.

7. Brooklyn Heights No-Fee Two-Bedroom in Hunts Lane Carriage House Asks $2,800 a Month

One long-ago resident of this tiny carriage house-filled Brooklyn street claimed the location “inspires goodness in children.” While it’s not clear if that 1940s wisdom about Hunts Lane holds true, the picturesque spot does still have plenty of charm, and a rare rental on the market that isn’t sky high in price.

6. Sale of Brownstone Mansion on Brooklyn Heights Promenade Sets Borough Record at $25.5 Million

On Christmas Eve, a pricey brownstone in Brooklyn Heights set a new sales record for the borough.

5. A Prominent Block in Downtown Brooklyn Is Quickly Being Demolished During the Pandemic

A triangular block of buildings in Downtown Brooklyn is facing the wrecking ball.

4. Brooklyn Heights Standalone With Designer Showcase Touches, Parking Asks $7.6 Million

After a bit of a style tweak on the interior, this Brooklyn Heights wood frame is back on the market. The gray-shingled standalone at 13 Pineapple hosted the Brooklyn Heights Designer Showhouse in 2019 and some of the bold finishes were left in place, adding another layer to the long history of the single family home.

3. Grand But Crumbling Ditmas Park Mansion Hits the Market Again at $1.5 Million

Its columned facade was once a graceful sibling to the manse next door, but for decades the Colonial Revival on Ocean Avenue has been losing its luster.

2. Affordable Housing Lottery Opens for 89 Units in Bed Stuy, Starting at $524 a Month

An affordable housing lottery has opened for 89 units in a six-story building at 645 Gates Avenue, between Throop Avenue and Marcus Garvey Boulevard in Bed Stuy. The building is called The Astra.

1. Brooklyn Heights ‘Moonstruck’ House With Lush Interior, Parking Asks $12.85 Million

With hundreds of years of history behind its walls, this early 19th century Brooklyn Heights house is perhaps best known as the ‘Moonstruck’ house. The 1987 film used the exterior of 19 Cranberry Street as the home of the multi-generational Castorini family, and the surrounding area figured prominently in the movie along with stars Cher, Nicholas Cage and Olypmia Dukakis.

Related Stories

• Most Popular Stories of 2020: Coronavirus in Brooklyn and a Renovation Diary
• Most Popular Stories of 2019: New Life for Leverich Towers, Development in Downtown Brooklyn
• Most Popular Brownstoner Stories of 2018: Edwardian in Flatbush, Affordable Housing

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