It’s hard to imagine a place as crowded and cosmopolitan as New York City once being filled with the clip-clop of equine hooves, but at the turn of the century it is estimated there were 130,000 horses working in Manhattan—more than 10 times the number of taxicabs on the streets here today! In most cases, the stables that housed our four-legged friends have long since been razed to make way for buildings more suitable to modern commercial enterprise or human occupancy.
Fortunately, the Feuchtwanger Stable located at 159 Carlton Avenue in Fort Greene didn’t meet a similar fate. Nearly a century after its construction in 1888, this gorgeous Romanesque Revival building was designated by the National Register of Historic Places and subsequently underwent a stunning condo conversion now home to a lovely one-bedroom apartment.
Outside, the property’s first floor features three wide, round arches once used as entrances for the horses, and now serve to highlight the building’s classic appeal. Inside, the apartment’s high ceilings, wide plank floors and original post-and-beam features accentuate every inch of the 1,360 square-foot space and beautifully complement the dramatic open plan and thoughtful finishes.
In addition to an enormous living room, dining area, office (check out the terrific rolling wood door), and completely renovated kitchen with breakfast bar, the apartment features an authentic loft space perfect for a den or small guest bedroom.
Location-wise, you couldn’t ask for more, with direct access to Fort Greene Park, the BAM Cultural District, the thriving Myrtle Avenue and Fulton Avenue corridors, and DeKalb Avenue’s restaurant row—all simply a short stroll away.
While it’s true we owe the horses of New York City’s past a debt of gratitude for their critical role in its history, we are also thankful their overwhelming presence on the streets of Manhattan in the 19th century meant that one-of-a-kind homes like this are here for us to enjoy today.