Crown Heights is the Loire Valley of Brooklyn

According to curbed:

http://ny.curbed.com/archives/2013/05/14/castle_in_the_loire_valley_of_brooklyn_seeks_13_million.php

I saw this this afternoon... and am still shaking my head.

Yes, lots of people are "discovering" the lovely mansions (and former mansions) of Crown Heights North.....

I think they will easily get $1.3M for this 4300 sq ft town house, despite it being between Brooklyn and Kingston, as a result of the radical change that area is presently seeing.

They might even invest another $500k and convert it back to being a single family, or a two family.

corcoran wrote: Legal five family but will be delivered vacant. In Crown Heights North Historic district. All mechanicals recently upgraded. First Open House and first showing on Sunday May 19th.

http://www.corcoran.com/nyc/Listings/Display/2586568

^ Could you conceivably build a moat for $500 k?

The need for a moat has decreased over the passed few years, and will further decrease as the neighborhood changes.

If one walks the residential blocks in the rectangle formed that is formed by Kingston, Atlantic, Brooklyn and EP, one can see the signs of change:

-dumpsters on the streets with renovation debris

-much less litter

-people caring for the areas in front of their house

-the sounds of circular saws.

But, you are correct, in that the area is not yet one in which enhanced precautions are not required.