NY Times on Dumbo: From Afterthought to Sought-After
October 22nd, 2006
Today’s Living In article in the real estate section of NY Times features Dumbo. You can read the article yourself, but here are a few descriptions of Dumbo from the article:
- “one of the most expensive and sought-after loft districts in New York“
- on Dumbo life: “there is life on nearly every corner, with strollers and bicycles bumping along the Belgian-block streets, and aromas of eggs Florentine and shiitake mushroom ravioli spilling onto the sidewalks”
- on New Developments: “Each tower [J Condo and Beacon Tower] is almost complete, and sales have already begun, with most unit prices beginning a hair under $1 million and edging upward.”
- Commercial: “Though consumer-friendly commercial activity was difficult to find a few years ago, small businesses have emerged all over the neighborhood.”
- Real Estate: “prices per square foot depend on the views. “I’ve sold way above $1,200 a square foot,†Ms. Heyman said, adding, “It’s about the view.—
- Rentals: “Rentals in Dumbo are hard to find. One-bedrooms can rent for as much as $5,000 per month; there is very little available under $2,000.”
- Eats: “Restaurants, like Superfine on Front Street and Bubby’s at the base of the Clocktower building, keep appearing, as do stores like P. S. Bookshop on Front Street”
- Schools: “Dumbo itself has no schools; many parents send their children to the private and public schools of nearby Brooklyn Heights. At Public School 8 on Hicks Street in 2004-2005, 54.8 percent of students met standards in state and city English language arts tests, versus 60.9 percent citywide; 68.5 percent did so in mathematics, versus 65.1 percent citywide.”
- History: “The names of Dumbo’s streets (Main, Front, Water) reflect its beginnings as a commercial downtown for Brooklyn, starting in the 1600’s.”
- Likes: “A walk through Dumbo is like none other in New York City; without looking at the baby clothing and natural food stores, the near-perfect preservation of its houses of manufacturing and unrivaled waterfront views are highly compelling.”
And residential properties mentioned in the article:
- 1 Main Street (Clocktower)
- 30 Main Street (Sweeney Building)
- 70 Washington Street
- 85 Adams Street (Beacon Tower)
- 100 Jay Street (J Condo)
- 84 Front Street (The Nexus)
Finally the article mentions at the end that a few small markets may not be enough for staples; “a full-scale grocery store is needed. A supermarket, anyone?” As the informative Peter Hyman reported earlier, a Whole Foods supermarket isn’t coming to Dumbo.
{Living In | Dumbo, Brooklyn: From Afterthought to Sought-After, NY Times, October 22, 2006}
5 Responses to “NY Times on Dumbo: From Afterthought to Sought-After”
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October 23rd, 2006 at 9:10 am
I thought the piece was a good primer on DUMBO, if you didn’t know much about it….But it really didn’t break new ground.
And I’ve never once in nearly a year of living here smelled “eggs Florentine” or “shitake mushrooms”…..I have no idea where this reporter hung out, unless it was the kitchen of Bubby’s.
What I think the piece missed was the unique aspects of DUMBO….yes, it is fair (and easy) to compare it to SoHo (though Tribeca may be more apt), it’s entirely different in a lot of ways.
October 23rd, 2006 at 10:02 am
I agree entirely with Peter that the article offers a nice intro to DUMBO for the uninitiated but includes little to nothing for residents (although I do like the photo looking up river from the Brooklyn Bridge). As for eggs Florentine or shitake mushrooms, I imagine, although I’ve not yet gone, that Superfine’s brunches must offer up some interesting smells. As a resident in 1 Main, the smells from Bubby’s are never quite that interesting (although they can at times, I admit, be inviting – but for the fact that in Bubby’s case, the smells are usually better than the tastes).
October 29th, 2006 at 11:52 am
Nice intro, and the Times deserves a tip of the hat for correctly referring to the streets of DUMBO as Belgian block, not the so frequently and incorrectly used term, cobblestone. Okay, call me persnickety, but there is a difference.
June 10th, 2007 at 4:22 pm
[...] Times featured Dumbo in their Living In section last October. In today’s travel section, 36 Hours in New York, NY [...]
September 23rd, 2009 at 11:52 pm
Nice intro, and the Times deserves a tip of the hat for correctly referring to the streets of DUMBO as Belgian block, not the so frequently and incorrectly used term, cobblestone. Okay, call me persnickety, but there is a difference.