The neighborhood of Wallabout doesn’t have the same name recognition as nearby Brooklyn ‘hoods like Fort Greene, DUMBO or Park Slope, but it has plenty of history — thanks to its location near the 200-year-old Brooklyn Navy Yard — and now, a fledgling real estate boom of its own. That’s according to the New York Times, which highlighted the developing neighborhood and its charms over the weekend. One property featured by the Times is 141 Clermont Avenue (above), on the Fort Greene/Wallabout border, which is a pre-Civil War house that unbelievably still has its original wide plank wood floors in place. It’s listed by CORE’s Doug Bowen, who lives in the neighborhood. Have a peek inside below.

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A sampling of last week’s press coverage of CORE and CORE properties.

“Where History Meets Industry”
New York Times
The Times‘ “Living In” column took a trip to Brooklyn over the weekend, to the historic neighborhood of Wallabout. CORE’s Doug Bowen, who lives in the neighborhood, gave the paper a primer on what real estate sells for in the area. We’ll have more on this story on the CORE Blog later today.

Listing of the Week
MSNBC
The press can’t get enough of Parul Brahmbhatt’s Steampunk-inspired loft listing at 120 West 29th Street (right), and neither can we. The latest outlet to cover the quirky pad is MSNBC’s The Bottom Line blog, which calls it a “dramatically-inspired space straight out of a Jules Verne novel.”

“Three Developments Change the Stigma of Upper Fifth”
New York Condo Blog
CORE founder and CEO Shaun Osher was interviewed about the changes along Upper Fifth Avenue, where there’s been a boom in construction, including the new CORE project at 1280 Fifth Avenue. Here’s our take on the piece and the neighborhood’s transformation.

“Halal and hipsters on West 29th Street”
The Real Deal (11/1)
West 29th Street is in the midst of transforming from gritty to glam in the wake of the success of the Ace Hotel, and The Real Deal spoke to CORE Senior Vice President Lawrence Rich (right) about the changes in the neighborhood, and what’s to come.

“3 residential brokerages shift into drive”
Crain’s (11/8)
Crain’s on CORE’s growth, including the recent relocation of CORE’s main corporate office to a 5,000-square-foot space in the Flatiron District at 104 Fifth Avenue. Said CORE CEO Shaun Osher: “There was an opportunity to move to this new space, that truly reflects our brand, in the most exciting office market in New York City.” Check out photos from CORE’s housewarming party on Facebook.

“Osher’s Core acquires residential firm R.P. Miller & Associates”
The Real Deal (11/8)
Residential real estate firm R.P. Miller & Associates, helmed by industry veteran Reba Miller, was acquired by CORE last week. The Real Deal got comments from Miller (who has sold over $1 billion in property during her long career) and CORE CEO Shaun Osher about the deal. Miller will take over the role of managing director of sales at CORE.

“Less Than $1M For a Pre-Civil War House in Fort Greene”
Curbed (11/9)
Doug Bowen’s and Win Brown’s listing for a historic townhouse at 141 Clermont Avenue in Fort Greene, Brooklyn, caught the eye of real estate blog Curbed, which remarked: “It’s currently configured as two one-bedroom apartments (squeezed into 1,324 square feet!) but would be easy enough to renovate into a single-family residence. Side bonus: the lot is 25′x100′ and it’s got a driveway.” This is the same Fort Greene charmer that was featured in CORE’s Three of a Kind last week.

I’m pleased to share my next CORE Talks Interviews subject, top New York City developer and builder, Jeffery E. Levine of Levine Builders. Watch as I sit with Levine in his new Brooklyn project, The Edge, to discuss the rapid sales of this successful development. In the episode, we also converse about Levine’s beginnings in construction and real estate, pivotal points of his career path, the focus on green and environmental sustainability in real estate and Levine’s prediction on the next big New York City neighborhood.

H.G. Wells Novel?

We might emulate the Netherlands first by our windmills, and not our bicycle lanes. Yesterday, our Mayor, Mike Bloomberg unveiled a first of its kind building with mounted wind turbines to be built in the Brooklyn Navy Yards. It will supposedly create 2,500 jobs and be the nations first multistory “green” industrial facility. (It wasn’t too long ago, one would have thought that term was contradictory). The design looks like something we read about in an H.G. Wells novel. Let’s hope the cost of construction will be far less than the energy it will create and the money it will save. If so, I applaud our Mayor for the creativity and finally identifying the highest and best use for the site.

Safe to say that Brooklyn is Hot! The Boom Borough, as it is affectionately called, has experienced many noteworthy advances over the last decade. Brooklyn’s green spaces are part of its allure. This series will focus on the development and design, continued maintenance, and history of green space, both existing and proposed, in the borough of Brooklyn, with a focus on the western shore from Greenpoint to Redhook.

Green space, especially in the form of parks and nature preserves, are integral parts of every American city. By offering opportunities for recreation, reflection, and relaxation, parks improve community health and increase property values. They provide habitat for numerous species of animals and plants, and cool city air through transpiration and evaporation.  Brooklyn’s green spaces includes famous parks such as Olmstead and Vaux’s jewel, Prospect Park,  which while perhaps not quite as famous as it’s big brother Central Park,  is arguably a finer park. (more…)