new GE stainless steel gas range and refrigerator. The cast iron white enamel sink allows room for a dishwasher, and the food prep area leads to a bright breakfast room, with two exposures. With board approval, this area can function as a second bedroom. Many shareholders opt to use this space as an additional home office.
Serene and private, located in the rear of the apartment, is the bedroom, also with two sunny exposures and a closet. A small hallway leads to the windowed bathroom with charming original tile, a deep soaking tub and separate stall shower. Just outside the bathroom is a linen closet.
The Normandy welcomes pets and allows subletting after two years of residence, in addition to permitting parents to buy with employed adult offspring. The magnificent lobby and renovated hallways are pristine, and a new elevator will be installed this summer, for which there is an assessment. New exterior sidewalks and landscaping welcome visitors and an updated intercom system and mailroom, including secure package area, add even more modern function to the Normandy's timeless charm. While there is ample street parking, wait listed garage spaces are available, as well as storage units and a bike room. The basement laundry room has been renovated and is monitored by CCTV. The Building's rear entrance is handicap accessible via a gently sloping ramp.
Both The Normandy and Brittany have recently completed LL 11 facade work and new roofs. A long-time live-in super is assisted by two porters. Exterior and interior security cameras are always monitored, the X27 Express Bus to Manhattan stops one-half block from the entry to the building, and the R Subway line is a short three blocks away. Shopping, restaurants, farmers' market, banks and other services are nearby.
Quick Profile
Fort Hamilton has the unique distinction of being both a military base and a neighborhood in Brooklyn. Well, technically it’s a sub-neighborhood of Bay Ridge.
Named after founding father Alexander Hamilton, the neighborhood sits in the southwestern corner of Brooklyn and it’s about a square mile in size (give or take). Its boundaries are 86th Street to the north, Belt Parkway and Fort Hamilton military installation to the south, 7th Avenue to the east, and Shore Road to the west.
The area was originally inhabited by the Canarsie Indians and later settled by the Dutch in 1620. A few decades later, thanks to land grants from Governor Peter Stuyvesant, Cornelius Van Werckhoven from the Netherlands purchased what is now Bay Ridge and Fort Hamilton for a very small amount of money.
The area remained an isolated stretch of rural land until the electric trolley line was introduced to Brooklyn in 1892. The trolley connected various points of Brooklyn and Fort Hamilton soon flourished. .
Fort Hamilton and Bay Ridge experienced waves of immigration and just like other areas of New York City it became a true melting pot. Irish and Italians immigrants made their way to the neighborhood in the early part of the 20th century followed by Syrian and Lebanese immigrants in the 1950s. More recently, Asian and Arab-Americans call Fort Hamilton home.
Modern-day Fort Hamilton may not have the cool factor that other Brooklyn neighborhoods flaunt but there are many trade-offs. It offers tree-lined streets and friendly neighbors. Most residents will tell you it has a small-town feel with the added perk of affordable housing. Fort Hamilton’s proximity to the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge and access to Manhattan-bound trains make it a very commutable neighborhood.