One Tenant’s Search After 30 Years in the Same Apartment.
Apr 26, 2018 apartment search,brooklyn apartments,brooklyn real estate,brooklyn realty brooklyn rentals,real estate,realty collective,sunny najeong moon
Amy came to us with a unique issue. She had lived in the same apartment for 30 years and now needed to find a new place in a very different Brooklyn than when she had first moved into her space. RC agent, Sunny (Najeong) Moon, assisted her to find a good match for her. Read below to hear about Amy’s experience and view our current listings to find your own diamond in the rough!
You lived in the Carroll Gardens for more than 30 years. What has been your experience as the neighborhood changed around you over the decades?
Technically, I lived in the Columbia Waterfront District just on the other side of the BQE from Carroll Gardens. When I first moved there, it was full of empty lots and vacant buildings. There were not many stores or restaurants. Over the years, new housing, retail, bars, and restaurants began to populate the neighborhood. Some empty lots became community gardens and many existing brownstones were sold and renovated. I mostly enjoyed watching the changes, but was sad to see some businesses that had been in the neighborhood for generations disappear. I love the neighborhood, which is why I wanted to remain close when I moved.
Tell us about why you ended up having to find a new apartment and what your first thoughts were about the new endeavor of having to find another space?
The brownstone was sold after the owner, who is in her 90s, decided she couldn’t afford the repairs and maintenance the building required. The new owner will be gutting the building for renovations and structural improvements, so all tenants were given 30 days notice after the closing. Frankly, I was quite panicked to realize I needed to find a new apartment I could afford, but more panicked at the thought of sifting through and packing up everything I had accumulated over 30 years.
We know this search was daunting and hope we did everything we could to alleviate your stress levels. Can you share your apartment search experience with us?
I tried searching a bit on my own, but after I had made an offering on a Realty Collective listing, Sunny and the others at Realty Collective really helped reduce the pressure and stress by taking the lead on finding suitable situations and paving the way for me to view and apply when I liked the apartment. Since I had no recent experience in apartment searching and doing the paperwork for applications, the help from Realty Collective was invaluable in helping me obtain an apartment in the short amount of time I had. I, also, appreciate how understanding Sunny and the rest of those I dealt with at Realty Collective were of my unique situation and the encouragement and advice they gave me during the search.
What are you most excited about when it comes to living in a new space and neighborhood?
The exercise of going through all of my possessions and getting rid of many items I no longer wanted or needed has been cathartic. I am still finishing unpacking, but I am very pleased with my new apartment and look forward to exploring the other side of Carroll Gardens while still being familiar with a good deal of the neighborhood. I love being closer to the subway and being close enough to my old haunts to visit whenever the mood strikes. Though the experience was not always pleasant, I consider the move a positive step forward in my life. I feel energized and I look forward to seeing what comes next.