Real Estate Monday!

This week, a listing at an all too familiar location: 500 Fourth Avenue, where a studio's for sale at a modest $440,000 (broker Douglas Elliman).  Unit 2G, on a lower floor, looks out across Fourth (no skyline views here), and unlike many apartments at this address, has no balcony.  Perhaps that's just as well at a building where violations include:

FAILURE TO MAINTAIN EXTERIOR BLDG WALL AND APPURTENANCES. NOTED: THECONCRETE BALCONIES ARE CRACKED, BULGING, UNKEYED AND DEFECTIVE AT VARIOUS LOCATIONS OF ALL ELEVATIONS.REMEDY:PROVIDE LOCAL LAW 10/80 & LL.11

Scaffolding is still in place to protect pedestrians from possible falling debris, and as of yesterday, the DOB site still featured a familiar yellow PARTIAL VACATE for this address. 

As one would expect, this information is not mentioned in any listing, and the streetview link is conveniently out of date (phew!). We do learn that 500 Fourth is:

"The perfect place to call home or utilize as an investment property and rent immediately. The building is beautifully maintained and has a professional staff. It offers a 24 hour doorman, attended garage parking for a fee, fitness center, residents' lounge with pool table, and 2,500 s.f. landscaped terrace, in a prime location. Close to Prospect Park, the Brooklyn Museum and Brooklyn Botanical Gardens, as well as wonderful shopping, delicious restaurants, bars and lounges in this fantastic neighborhood ... " 

Bonus Monday photos!
Let's get away from the Brooklyn world of Lagos Gold honed limestone walls ( "with accents of Mosaic Toffee"!), and the cut and thrust of higher end brokers, to a realtor on Astoria Boulevard.  A plucky name and a good sign, with the old phone number boldly displayed, and only one cracked pane in the little house up top.