Images of 124 Dekalb Avenue via Brown Harris Stevens
From the New York Dock Building in Red Hook to Austin Nichols House in Williamsburg, Brooklyn is known for its historic and imaginative residential conversions. However, Fort Greene's 124 Dekalb Avenue truly takes the cake for continuing to add to an already celebrated history. In the early 1900s, it was built as a water tower and firehouse for Engine 257. In 1985, Brooklyn filmmaker Spike Lee rented space in the building for his production company, 40 Acres and a Mule, and occupied the whole building as his films achieved greater success. Do the Right Thing, Malcolm X, Jungle Fever, and Inside Man are among the movies produced from here.
Mr. Lee now lives in Manhattan, and his production company moved offices to another Fort Greene building in 2008. Since then, 124 Dekalb Avenue has been on and off the market. It is now listed for $4.75 million as a townhouse with a two-car garage and any number of possibilities for present-day use.
Mr. Lee now lives in Manhattan, and his production company moved offices to another Fort Greene building in 2008. Since then, 124 Dekalb Avenue has been on and off the market. It is now listed for $4.75 million as a townhouse with a two-car garage and any number of possibilities for present-day use.
Living room
Kitchen
Whether a buyer has multi-family use or a single-family conversion in mind, the structure at 124 Dekalb Avenue has over 5,100 square feet of interior space and excellent bones. A large cellar with 12’ ceilings as well as steel-core concrete walls and joists offers incredible storage space and enough room to add a gym, screening room, or wine room, to name but a few options. Upstairs, both levels have original Art Deco details and ceiling heights of over 14 feet. Abundant windows fill the space with light, and the second-floor editing room has been turned into a kitchen. On the roof, a 700-square-foot sun deck overlooks beautiful views of Fort Greene Park.
Sun deck
Floor plan
When 40 Acres and a Mule used 124 Dekalb Avenue as headquarters, the building benefitted from being near Fort Greene Park, the Brooklyn Academy of Music, and a choice of subway stops. That remains true, and a whole section of Brooklyn is being revitalized all around it. The Real Deal mentions a time when all the brass in the building (including the fire poles!) was stolen; now CityRealty listings show Fort Greene with median prices of $1.588 million for condos and $798K for co-ops. In one direction, the recently opened Barclays Center is a short walk away. In another, it is a few blocks from Trader Joe’s, Dekalb Market, and Alamo Drafthouse Cinemas among the offerings of City Point.
Content Specialist
Michelle Mazzarella
Michelle is a contributing writer and editor for real estate news in New York City
6sqft delivers the latest on real estate, architecture, and design, straight from New York City.
