117 North 5th Street, 2-L

Bathe in a 1920’s Claw Foot Tub in the middle of Williamsburg!

—Bright, well-preserved Williamsburg tenement apartment, with brick fireplace and original pine floors, nestled into a central block of North 5th St.—

People have lived in this apartment for a century, walking barefoot or in smart leather shoes on the scrubbed pine floors, keeping clean china in the antique built-in display cabinet, taking the L line (two blocks away) back and forth to Manhattan, or walking along the East River for recreation. Without knowing their names or professions, I can still say with certainty that they kept books and mementos on the bookshelves, hung pictures within the plaster molding in the front room, and looked out onto North 5th street as leaves budded, spread and fell from the tree outside. Their furniture shifted with the decades, but was always set amongst these constants: claw-foot tub, cast iron sink, tin ceiling, blown glass doorknobs, moldings, fireplace, cabinetry.

In 2019, it is what would be called a new renovation: that is to say, floors were sanded and waxed, new appliances were brought into the kitchen, competent tradesmen inspected the plumbing and radiators and judged them good. However, much more original detail has been preserved than is typical: even down to the doors and hardware.

The apartment is bright, with windows in the walls of each room and transom windows transmitting light above the doors. Two blocks away is the Bedford Avenue station, and shopping, dining, and nightlife are all around. As is typical for a prewar building, there is no laundry or dishwasher, but a laundromat is available around the corner, and the cast iron double sink is ideal for hand-washing dishes.

Altogether it is a unique apartment, at a low price for Williamsburg, in an excellent location, and with restored period details that set it apart from anything else under $4000 in Brooklyn. To schedule a viewing, please call or text the number provided.