A Brooklyn brownstone that was featured as the family home for Spike Lee‘s semi-autobiographical 1994 film, “Crooklyn,” is back on the market for $4.5 million.
The bittersweet movie marked the first script written by Lee’s sister, Joie Lee.
It’s a coming-of-age story about a young girl — Troy, played by Zelda Harris — growing up in the early 1970s, showcasing the story of a black family and the Brooklyn neighborhood where they live, based on Joie Lee’s own memories.
While the Bedford-Stuyvesant brownstone’s exterior remains the same, the interiors were completely restored, renovated and updated — resulting in a stunning modern Victorian look, which features playful urban toile wallpaper.
“Crooklyn is my story,” Joie said in a 2019 interview, celebrating the film’s 25th anniversary. “It’s a family effort, but the idea was not a collective thing. It’s a script that I gave birth to, which is why it’s Troy’s story.”
The home then operated as Arlington Place Bed-Stuy & Breakfast where three rooms could be booked for $195 and up a night.
The property stands at 7 Arlington Place, and it’s one of four historic homes designed by architect George P. Chappell on the street.
The seller is Liz Mandarano, a fourth-generation Brooklynite, who bought it for $1.7 million — $400,000 over its ask — in 2013, via an anonymous shell company, Alright, Already LLC! It was reportedly on the market a mere two days.
The 20-foot-wide, 4,500-square-foot brownstone boasts original details such as stained glass; mahogany, walnut and oak millwork; coffered ceilings; hand painted tiles and decorative hardware.
It features four bedrooms, four full bathrooms and a powder room, a home office and a large garden with a 139-year-old pear tree. Up top, there’s a roof garden.
Inside, the 29-foot-long living room, which features a bay window, connects to a formal dining room with garden views.
There’s also a “speakeasy-style” bar on the cellar level with original exposed brick arches, stone walls, a beamed ceiling and radiant-heat floors.
The bedrooms take up the third and fourth floors. The garden floor comes with a sitting area-slash-media room.
The eat-in kitchen, meanwhile, boasts chic terracotta brick radiant-heat floors, wooden beams across the ceiling and a wall door that leads to the garden. The smart-wired home additionally includes a security system.
The listing broker is Josh Doyle of Compass.
