In late June of this year, I waded in and finally took the plunge into the deep waters of home ownership. As a first-time homebuyer, I had a lot of things going for me — the tax credit, lower-than-ever interest rates, and an endless parade of real estate listings. After many (MANY!) months of pounding the pavement to see new condos, my eye began to stray. Could I afford an old townhouse in Brooklyn? Maybe a fixer-upper? One with vintage plaster mouldings and a lovely history? Hmmm…

Two weeks, three listings, and one serious blog obsession later, I had an accepted offer on an 1890′s single-family limestone on a beautiful block in south Crown Heights. I was totally smitten.

And so the renovation begins…

hi, honey - i'm home!

the trappings of home

view from the stoop

Though the Sakura Matsuri cherry blossom festival is still a week and a half away, the blossoms aren’t waiting for anyone. In an article I read today, visitors to the Brooklyn Botanical Garden have been treated to the peak displays of gorgeous pinks and whites for a couple of weeks now, and festival organizers doubt that the window will continue through until the fest.

If you haven’t gotten to the BBG for the display, it sounds like this weekend’s weather promises to be gorgeous. For a guide on where to see the fullest blooms, check out the BBG’s map here, or meet up at 3pm at the Visitors Center for a free guided tour!

Check out some of the inspired shots from our Flickr pool below, and for more coverage, check out Brooklyn Botanic Gardens’Flickror this lovely post over at 66 Square Feet by Marie Viljoen!

“Cherry Allee, BBG,” by Marie Viljoen:
Cherry allee, BBG

Untitled, by Lucy Aboytes:

“Brooklyn Botanical Garden,” by Natalie Behring:
Brooklyn Botanical Garden

Untitled, by rsb816:
99/365

“Cherry Blossom,” by steffiekeith:
CherryBlossom_9.jpg

reflections of crown heights

March 18th, 2010 | Posted by Jill in crown heights - (0 Comments)

Though the weather the last couple of days has been unbelievably gorgeous (we hope you’re out at he park and not reading this blog!), this past weekend was another story altogether. However, I did manage to catch a break in the rain on Sunday afternoon to do some exploration in the south part of Crown Heights, and the overcast sky made such beautiful ambient reflections. Stay tuned for more shots from the area, but for now, enjoy these vestiges of life along Nostrand Avenue!

limestone and velvet

open for lunch

in disguise

nostrand at president

gentle cycle