The priciest blocks in the boroughs

A look at the top home sales over the past year

In a city where one gasp-inducing sale follows another, it’s tough pinpointing the “best” homes and the “best” blocks.

The Real Deal attempted to nail down both by examining top sales in the 12 months from February 2006 to February 2007.

Using data from the city and PropertyShark.com, we compiled the year’s 10 priciest sales in each borough, and the top 25 in Manhattan.

In the Bronx, the best homes and blocks are clustered in the exclusive, suburban Riverdale area, particularly in the tony Fieldston enclave. The costliest homes there fetched prices from $1.8 to $3.2 million in the past year.

Bronx townhouses are starting to appeal to a wider range of buyers, but there’s still a chasm between Riverdale and the rest of the Bronx.

While Brooklyn’s priciest properties are more wide-ranging, Brooklyn Heights has the borough’s priciest blocks. Top townhouses traded for $4.5 to $10.75 million in the past year.

The short stretch of Columbia Heights overlooking the Brooklyn Heights Promenade fetches the highest prices. But eyebrow-raising prices were also paid for houses in Park Slope, Bay Ridge, Victorian Flatbush and Gravesend.

The most expensive Queens homes sold in the past year ranged from a $1.75 million Bayside residence to a $2.75 million home in Flushing. Still, half the borough’s largest sales were rung up in tony Douglaston.

Staten Island prices fetch similar amounts as top Queens properties. The heftiest sales in the southernmost borough ranged from $1.76 to $3.5 million. Many brokers say the most stately and expensive homes line the streets of Todt Hill, particularly along Buttonwood Road. And prices in other neighborhoods, such as Tottenville, rival those in Todt Hill.

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As always, you can’t get any spendier than Manhattan. Top properties are fetching prices as high as $53 million for an Upper East Side mansion — a price 15 to 20 times higher than the most expensive home sales in Queens, Brooklyn and Staten Island last year.

East 78th Street between Fifth and Madison avenues stands out for its three top sales since 2005, including a $45 million purchase by Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

The balance of power is shifting a bit from the Upper East Side to the Upper West Side, with mega-sales occurring at new projects like 15 Central Park West and the Time Warner Center, which had three of the top 25 sales in the past year. No Downtown sale turned up on the top 25 list.

Following is a breakdown by borough of the city’s best blocks and most expensive sales.

Bronx mansions still a ‘hidden secret’

Turnover rare on Columbia Heights, Brooklyn’s most expensive street

Loftiest deals found on Manhattan’s East 78th Street

Douglaston dominates list for Queens

Todt Hill sitting pretty on Staten Island

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