NYC real estate in brief

From left: Food critic Mark Bittman and his co-op at 17 West 71st Street

Times foodie buys UWS co-op
New York Times food writer, cookbook author and television personality Mark Bittman and his wife Kelly Doe paid $999,999 for a two-bedroom Upper West Side co-op unit at 17 West 71st Street. The couple closed on the purchase of the 1,230-square-foot apartment in the nine-floor building July 7, according to property records published yesterday.

FHA-approved building opening in Williamsburg
Aptsandlofts.com has announced the opening of 229 North 8th Street, perhaps the first condominium in the northern part of Williamsburg to be FHA-approved. The seven-story building has 54 units that range from 670-square-foot one-bedrooms starting at $425,000 to 1,150-square-foot two-bedrooms, priced at $659,000. The building has also received a final certificate of occupancy, meaning buyers are able to close and move in within four months. Apartments at 229 North 8th Street are available for purchase with a 3.5 percent down payment, which amounts to as little as $14,875 upfront.

Ribbon cut at green Bed-Stuy building
The Pratt Area Community Council recently held a ribbon cutting ceremony for a green, 34-unit affordable Brooklyn co-op in the Bedford-Stuyvesant area. The five-story co-op, called Gates Cooperative, is located at 566 Gates Avenue between Tompkins and Throop avenues. The green building has four two-bedroom units and 10 one-bedroom apartments available for low- and moderate-income households, with prices ranging from $87,000 to $167,000. The project was funded by various government agencies. TRD