In "An Architectural Guide to Brooklyn", author Francis Morrone writes, 'The two blocks of 3rd Street between Seventh Avenue and Prospect Park West comprise one of Park Slope's' most beloved streetsIt is partly its stately width, partly its shady trees, and partly its houses.'
One of these beloved houses is 529 3rd Street, a 20-foot wide, 2-family used as a 1-family Queen Anne brownstone built in the late 1800s. Full of historic detail yet configured for a modern homeowner's needs, 529 3rd St provides the quintessential Park Slope townhouse experience.
A gracious front garden, professionally landscaped, features an oversized L-shaped stoop that leads you to the parlor entrance, guarded by griffins. You enter into a gracious foyer with a period mirror and built-in bench with coat hooks. The large front parlor, with a soaring ceiling, oversized windows, a period fireplace, and mahogany woodwork and pocket doors, is refreshingly open, flowing easily for an entertainer's delight. This leads to a dining room with ample space for a Thanksgiving dinner party, another decorative fireplace, a spectacular period built-in display case, and charming etched glass pocket door. Two French doors lead from the dining room to a charming deck for an al fresco coffee. A rear extension houses a kitchen, replete with a 6-burner Wolf range, Bosch dishwasher, and two windows overlooking the deck and garden. Solid oak custom cabinets and beautiful granite countertops were chosen to enhance the period feeling of the home.
Above the parlor floor is an oversized south-facing primary bedroom, pass-through built-in closets and cabinets with marble sinks, a massive den/office, and a full, renovated bath. Both the bedroom and den feature period fireplaces and decorative detail. The floor above features four more bedrooms, two that are oversized with original mantels, and two that would make wonderful offices, nurseries, or guest bedrooms. A full bathroom and laundry room is on this floor. A stained glass skylight provides light to the stairway.
Even more living space continues downstairs, with a large den/office with oak built-ins in the front of the garden level. A hallway, with built-in bookcases, leads to an oversized bedroom with an ensuite full bath that overlooks the serene garden. A garden/potting room with half bath takes you to a bluestone-paved garden with a raised bed and wall providing extra seating on one side. Mature and gorgeous plants include a flowering crabapple tree, a producing fig tree, a euronymous, and numerous perennials and hydrangeas. This garden can be accessed from the parlor floor deck or the garden level and has room for table and chairs as well as a fire pit and barbecue.
There is also a finished basement with a half bath, which the current owners used for ping pong, exercise equipment, and additional storage.
The current owners did a complete renovation in 2003:
All new plumbing and electric.
Thermal-paned Marvin windows throughout.
Central air conditioning and heating (2 zones - garden level and upper triplex).
Restored and refinished original parquet floors with inlaid trim throughout.
In 2020, a new roof (with 10-year guarantee transferable to the new owner) and skylights were installed on the house and extension. There is also a new water heater.
In 2021, the historic bluestone sidewalk was relaid and carries a 5-year transferable guarantee.
529 3rd St offers generous space, historic detail, and a prime location in the heart of Park Slope, a mere block from the 3rd St entrance of Prospect Park near Litchfield Villa. In fact, the portrait of Edwin Clark Litchfield's daughter still hangs at 529 3rd St, as she was purportedly the original owner of the home. Near vibrant 7th Ave, 529 3rd St is also a stone's throw from Blue Bottle Coffee, Sushi Katsuei, Community Bookstore, and PS321.
