I Want This Brooklyn Condo on Prospect Park, $1.59M

Once upon a time, there was an old-fashioned soda fountain on this site, the corner of 9th Street and Prospect Park West in Park Slope, Brooklyn. It was surprisingly unloved, despite its sweet, stained glass and egg creams on the menu, so developers tore it down and built the biggest building they could: four stories overlooking the winding paths of the park.

There was no neighborhood hoopla over the construction, as far as I know, and I for one have always thought the building was perfectly acceptable: not really in conversation with the Italianate brownstones and limestones around it, but quietly proud, with its brick facade and window trim painted French blue. And with the open floor plans, great views and wall of windows, it seemed like a pretty darned nice place to live.