Welcome to It Happened One Weekend, our weekly roundup of The New York Times real estate section...
1) History Lessons: wherein we explore our city's past, from Bronx to Battery.
As the Frick Collection prepares to undergo a controversial expansion, the future of the Upper East Side museum's iconic garden is up in the air. Fittingly, Christopher Gray details the complex history of the museum, as well as the origins of the charming green space, going back to its former role as a series of private townhouses that were demolished by the Frick trustees in 1973, when it was intended to be a temporary placeholder. Now, the question of whether the garden will be replaced by the new wing has sparked a preservation battle, with many arguing that the garden's origins in the 1970s do not grant it the historical importance to warrant landmark designation. But will the proposed addition disrupt the "townhouse character" of the block? Or, as Gray asks, is it just an attempt at "charm preservation?" [The Garden at the Frick, and How It Grew; photo © Navid Baraty, 2014, courtesy The Cultural Landscape Foundation]
2) Every "The Hunt" column begins with the Hunters describing the apartment they want, and ends with them rationalizing whatever they came away with. This is The Hunt: Dreams vs. Reality
The Hunters: a couple looking to buy
Price
Dream: $1 million
Reality: $664,000
Neighborhood
Dream: North Brooklyn
Reality: Prospect Heights
Amenities
Dream: Brownstone
Reality: 2BR, high ceilings, grassy courtyard
Summary
This week's Hunters are a couple looking to buy a new home together. At first, they decided to look for a brownstone for under $1 million somehwere in Brooklyn, but when they were disappointed by the offerings, they decided to "scale it back and just be normal people who look for a two-bedroom." They looked at listings in Brooklyn Heights and Park Slope, and, eventually, decided to bid on a two-bedroom in a small co-op in Prospect Heights, closing last summer for $664,000. The man's commute is pretty long, but his partner isn't losing any sleep over it, saying, "it bums me out, but that's how life works . . . I am not the one who is personally making the sacrifice, but the overall sacrifice for the team was worth it for this place." Wonder if he feels the same way? [The Hunt/Nothing a Little Brushwork Can't Fix]