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Brooklyn Heights townhouse next to “secret” MTA air shaft hits market for $6M

Double backyard a big selling point of 1846 Greek Revival home

The home on the left is on the market for $6 million. The one on the right isn't a home at all. (Google)
The home on the left is on the market for $6 million. The one on the right isn't a home at all. (Google)

A Joralemon Street townhouse in historic Brooklyn Heights has hit the market for $6 million, according to the New York Post, but the building next to it could be its biggest selling point.

That’s because the house next door isn’t a house at all. Instead, it is possibly the MTA’s most valuable air shaft in the subway system, hidden behind what looks like a multi-million dollar Greek-revival home.

The fact of the airshaft’s existence is as much a well-known secret of Brooklyn Heights residents (and reporters who have worked there for years) as its many gas-powered lamps — but what wasn’t known to most is the actual home next door has access to two backyards, creating a park-like greenspace with plenty of room to stretch out.

That’s one of the many features of 60 Joralemon St., the four-floor single-family home retired tax attorney David Miller and his wife, Judith, who fundraises for nonprofits, purchased back in 1991 for $695,000, according to the newspaper.

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“There are so many things to love about this house. From the top floors, you feel like you’re living in a treehouse,” David told the publication. “The backyard extends to the end of the block, so it feels really open and airy, you don’t feel like you’re in a backyard. And we love the neighborhood — living here has been like living in a little village right in the middle of New York City.

The “house” next door, technically 58 Joralemon St., has been the property of the subway system since the construction of the deep Joralemon Street tunnel got underway near the turn of the 20th century. Along with providing ventilation to the tunnel below, it also provides an emergency exit for subway riders and workers.

Meanwhile, the six-bedroom, five-bath 1845 townhouse next door is loaded with contemporary upgrades including a kitchen with high-end appliances, a soaking tub, and a Sonos speaker system. It also has four working fireplaces, and the main bedroom takes up the entire third floor and includes a private dressing room, couples’ closets, a study and a bathroom with marble tiles, double sinks, a walk-in shower and the aforementioned tub.

[New York Post] — Vince DiMiceli

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Brooklyn HeightsMTA