House of the Day

Marine Park Semi-Detached Tudor With Retro Kitchen, Deco Bathroom, Parking Asks $825K

For the buyer who sees the potential, this Marine Park single-family has period details, including a rumpus room, along with parking and a location near the neighborhood’s eponymous park for under the million dollar mark.

by Susan De Vries

07/13/2022 0

The brick semi-detached Tudor Revival-style house at 2044 East 38th Street with a peaked front, a prominent entrance bay, stucco accents and a tile roof was constructed circa 1931. At the time builders were betting that the proximity to the proposed future amenities of Marine Park would lure buyers to the area. The builder for the 16-foot-wide house filled the neighboring lots with similarly styled dwellings.

A virtual tour provides a closer look at the interior, which has living, dining and kitchen on the first floor and three bedrooms and the only full bath above. There is a toilet room sans sink in the basement. A buyer might want to expand that while undertaking any plumbing, electrical and mechanical upgrades the estate-condition property might need.

As is, it has a practical layout and some intact Deco-era details that the right design decisions could make sing. The original round-headed entry door with an inset stained glass window opens into a small foyer with a closet and multi-hued mosaic tile floor that appears intact.

The living room beyond has two exposures, wood floors and an ogee arch doorway leading to the dining room. The arch shape is repeated in the opening to the stair, which has a landing that is also accessible via the kitchen at the rear of the house.

That kitchen has original yellow wall tiles with black and white trim tile, wood cabinets, laminate counter with metal trim, and a period stove complete with attached salt and pepper shakers. Set off by another arch is a dining area or breakfast nook. A back door leads to a screened-in porch with paneled walls offers more space for dining, an office or storage. A closer look would be needed to see if the vintage flooring is made of asbestos tiles.

Along with the stairs and the upstairs hallway, one of the three bedrooms is carpeted. The large street-facing bedroom has a shimmering floral wallpaper and floors in need of some attention. They all share the Deco bath, which still has its pink and black floor tile and jade green wall tiles with the same border tile as found in the kitchen. The jade green tub is still in place while the vanity and toilet have been replaced with white fixtures. The built-in shower remains, although the wall tiles have been updated. A bold pink and green floral wallpaper of a more 1960s vintage adorns the walls above the tile.

The rumpus room in the basement still has built-in benches, a mirrored bar back (but no bar), paneled walls, plywood floors and a decorative mantel. Advice on using basement spaces as rumpus rooms appeared in local papers at least as early as 1932 with one Brooklyn Daily Eagle article suggesting such spaces allowed for “noisy fun.” The rest of the basement has laundry and room for storage.

A shared driveway leads to the rear yard, which no longer has a garage but is paved.

The property last changed hands in 1980 and is now on the market for $825,000 and listed with Julianne M. Shea of Exit Realty Top Properties. What do you think?

[Listing: 2044 East 38th Street | Broker: Exit Realty Top Properties] GMAP