10 Nevins St Unit 5M

The Brooklyn Grove

Distinguished by its dark and slightly setback exterior, Brooklyn Grove is a boutique condo building situated within a stretch of striking new developments lining Flatbush Avenue and transfiguring Downtown Brooklyn’s skyline. Though dwarfed by these soaring behemoths, this 27-story residence packs a punch when it comes to unique architectural features, clever spatial programming, it’s holistic suite of amenities and the high-level of finish in its tightly curated offering of just 184 units; many with unique view-oriented layouts. Designed by SBJ Group for developer Adam America Real Estate and completed in 2019, this small but mighty mixed-use building was holistically outfitted by leading architecture and interiors practice ODA. “A feeling of airiness in the double-height lobby, and the amenity spaces are created with a strong axis of through-block opening and indirect light, breaking junctions of surrounding concrete walls and deconstructing the room into gaps between concrete masses,” the firms website describes. This same sense of spatial serenity, restful seclusion and urban retreat — carries through the entire property. Residents benefit from being at the intersection of well transit-linked Downtown Brooklyn, idyllic Fort Greene and historically picturesque Boerum Hill. The building, what journalist Craig Hubert described as “irregularly stacked boxes” in an April 2019 Brownstoner article, comprises 197,000 square-feet of residential floor area with an additional 3,000 square-feet of ground-level commercial space. It’s unique massing allows for several, especially deep, private and shared terraces positioned at different heights. Cleverly bypassing a corner plot that still contains a low-rise retail structure, Brooklyn Grove forms as a L-shape structure with entrance on both Nevins and Livingston streets. “The exterior of this signature building consists of dark stacked brickwork, a volumetrically clearly defined concrete core and sheer wall, and a three-dimensional wrapping metal band around large windows,” SBJ Group’s website describes. Its intricately configured facade evokes that of the historic, especially ornate, Art Deco-style BellTel Lofts Building a few blocks north. According to a February 2019 Curbed review by Michael Young, the irregularly textured and carbon-colored brick exterior interchanges from a horizontal to vertical pattern as it frames these especially large apertures. These slightly iridescent masonry walls pixelate as they shimmer in natural light. The previously mentioned lobby rises an impressive 21 feet and incorporates a proscenium stage-like arrangement of large open structure wood slatted partition walls that delineate and conceal everything from the mail room to the elevator bay. The nuanced color material palette defines much of the building. “Each amenity’s functions are anchored with distinct features, such as sculpted green wall in the lobby, oversized burnished metal panel in the game lounge, double story stone slab faced fireplace within the lounge and the skylight that sits above the 40-foot-long indoor pool,” ODA’s website describes. “The interior space of this building incorporates the gritty appeal of Brooklyn with understated eastern aesthetics.” The residence lounge is imbued with a gas fireplace clad in a floor-to-ceiling Arabescato Orobico marble panel. Danish Modern classics — pared back yet organic furnishings — are sparingly arranged throughout these cohesively conceived areas. Brooklyn Grove’s extensive raft of amenities also includes a pet spa, children’s room, state of the art fitness center, separate yoga room, private dining room replete with kitchenette and the previously mentioned roof-top terrace fully equipped with grills, dedicated lounging areas and pergolas. Surprising, given the sheer scale of nearby towers, these perches frame largely unobstructed views of the Manhattan skyline to the northwest. If that weren’t enough for a condo with a mere 184 residences, there’s also an integrated parking garage. “Light-filled homes feature an organic alchemy of reclaimed woods, distinctive stones and burnished metals,” ODA’s website describes. Owing to its especially considered architecture and unique massing, Brooklyn Grove features uncommon layouts that are actually more conducive to contemporary living. In most units, emphasis is placed on creating a seamless connection with the outdoors. Case in point: Penthouse C. The home’s 1,164 square feet of space runs in an enfilade-style along an extensive swath of the exterior. The split two-bedroom residence — priced at just under $1.8 Million in Summer 2024 — might be compact but it frames unparallelled southeastern-facing views in bedrooms, bathrooms and entertainment spaces while relegating closets and the in-unit washer/dryer toward the building’s internal core. Because the building has a particularly slender profile, some units benefit from double exposures. While a 467 square foot studio can sell for $675,000, slightly larger one bedrooms go for just over $1 Million. Top level three bedrooms with private terraces and through building layouts can fetch $2.3 Million. Sold for $2.5 Million in August 2020, unit 17I incorporates a massive 1,498 square foot south-facing private terrace with 270-degree views that essentially doubles the unit’s overall size. Though Downtown Brooklyn is centrally located and served by a whopping 11 subway lines — including the 2, 3, 4 and 5 that stop at the Nevins Street station right outside the building — the area is going through a seismic transition. Also owing to its centrality and solid transit links, the neighborhood is an end point for individuals struggling with homelessness and drug addiction. Certain corners in this otherwise retail-focused district can be seedy and even dangerous at times. Major grocery store chains like premium Whole Foods Market and more cost-conscious Trader Joe’s have franchises within a short distance. Gage & Tollner is a classic late 19th Century haunt that recently re-opened and that has marked Downtown Brooklyn’s the slow but steady renewal. Just across Flatbush Avenue from Brooklyn Grove is the ever popular and increasingly exclusive Fort Greene neighborhood. This historic pocket is home to a well-maintained park, distinct owner-operated eateries, eclectic stores and leafy lanes lined with prewar brownstones, which also dominate the Boerum Hill neighborhood to the south. Being in the center of it all has its ups and downs. For commuters going back and forth into Manhattan for work a few days a week, this positioning offers optimal connectivity and short travel times.