A rating for the building relative to other buildings of the same type throughout the country.Learn more
120Units
7Stories
1902Year Built
$320K - $367KValue Range
Available Units
For Sale
No Units Available
For Rent
No Units Available
Highlights
Doorman
Fitness Center
Elevator
Controlled Access
Package Room
2 min walk to Maritcha R. Lyons Park
An accessibly-priced, no-frills Vinegar Hill co-op with low common charges
The southernmost pocket of Vinegar Hill is blanketed by the Farragut Houses, a public housing project consisting of ten 13-story buildings. That is why the location of China Mansion — a handsome prewar co-op built in 1902 — is notable for being the only co-op between the BQE and York and Nassau Streets. The prewar cooperative comprises 120 units in one 6-story elevator building. Delton Cheng, a broker at Century 21, has sold multiple units in the building and specializes in Brooklyn co-ops. He notes how the property rarely has available units, not just because of the proximity to Downtown Brooklyn but because there isn’t one co-op in Vinegar Hill or DUMBO with common fees this low. “China Mansion sits between the BQE and housing projects, offering a lower price point than newer builds in Vinegar Hill and Dumbo.”
Open kitchens with formal dining areas, but all units only have one bathroom
The co-op includes 120 units, the vast majority of which are one- and two-bedrooms, although there are a handful of studios. The apartments are basic, designed with space-optimized, rectangular floorplans with just one bathroom (even in three- and four-bedrooms). Similarly, the interiors are stripped to bare essentials, often featuring dated hardwood flooring, small kitchens with vintage appliances and a general lack of natural light due to a shortage of windows within each unit. In the last quarter of 2024, Cheng represented a well-maintained one-bedroom, one-bathroom property with high ceilings, cherrywood flooring and floor molding, plus a Federal-style crystal chandelier in the foyer. He adds that the kitchen features an open layout with a formal dining area, an all-white bathroom clad in porcelain tiles, multiple small closets, and an additional attic nook. The residence sold for $420,000 in November 2024. Similarly, a studio sold for just under $400,000 in August 2024. Meanwhile, two-bedrooms generally sell for twice as much; the last transaction closed at $458,000 in October 2023.
Located in the former Brooklyn Navy Yard YMCA
China Mansion is housed within the erstwhile Brooklyn branch of the Naval Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA). The Sands Street Y was established in 1899 as a library with ornately furnished reading rooms for soldiers and sailors in the 1898 Spanish-American War. Accordingly, the red-brick- and limestone-clad facade was constructed in the Beaux-Arts style with nautical-themed trim, including anchors, boat bows, buoys and oars. As the story goes, the building was a gift from Helen Miller Gould, the daughter of multimillionaire railroad magnate Jay Gould. (She inherited her fortune when her dad died in 1892 and began her philanthropy in the 1890s with multiple YMCA and university buildings, including New York University.) The facilities house amenities often associated with the YMCA, including a basement pool, a gym, and lodging accommodations. For decades, the property remained a Y until it was bought by a Chinese businessperson in the 1980s. The developer converted the structure into condominiums and sold it almost entirely to the Chinese community (hence the name, “China Mansion,” and the Chinese lettering along the rooftop). Cheng says the building's history is mostly undocumented but is “believed to have been converted to coops in the 1960s.” However, “public records have most sales transfers in 2004 and 2005.”
Essential amenities with service
China Mansion is a full-service building with a round-the-clock door attendant, a live-in superintendent and part-time maintenance staff. While the prewar co-op offers white-glove service, it doesn’t have the kind of stacked amenities one might see in a new-construction condominium in Dumbo (e.g., Front and York’s rooftop private residents’ club with two amenity wings linked by a wrap-around terrace with an outdoor pool). The primary and only common amenity is spacious laundry facilities on the lower level, outfitted with multiple folding tables and chairs. Plus, a small, gated parking lot on the west side of the building is waitlisted. Meanwhile, it’s not a nicety of the building per se, but three accessibly priced parking garages are nearby.
A quiet, residential neighborhood with stone streets and wood-frame houses
Sandwiched between the Brooklyn Navy Yard and Dumbo along the East River waterfront, Vinegar Hill is a small locale with an equally small population of just over 4,700 people. The vernacular architecture mainly includes 19th-century homes in the Greek Revival and Federal Styles, which is why it is sometimes likened to a small European town. The main streets — Hudson Avenue and Plymouth, Water and Front Streets — are famously clad in Belgian blocks, commonly mistaken for cobblestones (the former being big rectangular blocks of stone and the latter being irregular, cobble-sized stones). Being such a petite neighborhood, there are technically only two restaurants: French fare at Café Gitane and rustic-style brunch at Vinegar Hill House. For groceries, residents can shop at Wegman's in the Brooklyn Navy Ward or Wholesome Farms Market in Dumbo. Those looking for nightlife and everything else can venture out to Downtown Brooklyn and Dumbo, just an arm's length away.
A powerplant, currently under construction, occupies a huge chunk of the neighborhood
Potential residents should note that the neighborhood is home to a rather large powerplant (located within the bounds of the East River on the North, Hudson Avenue to the east, Marshall Street to the south and the old Con Edison Farragut Station to the west). Construction began in September 2024, and the facilities have been undergoing a major transformation, abandoning the former gas combustion turbines for new environmentally sustainable energy sources. By 2029, the new electric station, Brooklyn Clean Energy Hub, will be fueled by multiple “clean” sources — offshore and onshore wind power, solar power, hydro power, battery storage and clean hydrogen — capable of powering around 750,000 homes with up to 1,500 megawatts of electricity.
A short walk to the ferry and the subway
China Mansion residents are close to multiple public transit options. York Street station is a four-minute walk to the F train. Likewise, High Street station, less than half a mile away, provides access to the A and C trains. Similarly, the NYC Ferry has two routes (East River and South Brooklyn) that stop at DUMBO Fulton Ferry landing, connecting riders to Midtown Manhattan, Lower Manhattan, Long Island City, Williamsburg, Red Hook and greater Brooklyn. For car owners, getting around is equally accessible with proximity to major thoroughfares, including the Manhattan and Brooklyn Bridges and the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway.
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Quantarium
Current List Price
Sold Price
Area Factors
Biker's Paradise
Bike Score®
93/ 100
Walker's Paradise
Walk Score®
91/ 100
Rider's Paradise
Transit Score®
100/ 100
Sources: WhatIsMyCrimeRisk.com, Walk Score
Sources: WhatIsMyCrimeRisk.com, Walk Score
WhatIsMyCrimeRisk.com, Powered by CAP Index provides objective, accurate, and consistent data to help measure, compare, and mitigate crime risks. Walk Score® measures the walkability of any address. Transit Score® measures access to public transit. Bike Score® measures the bikeability of any address.
Sound Score® measures the noise level of any address. Environmental risk data is provided by First Street Foundation® and is designed to approximate risk and not intended to include all possible scenarios.
Parks in this Area
Maritcha R. Lyons Park
2 min walk
Trails
Playground
Susan Smith McKinney Steward Park
3 min walk
Playground
Trinity Park
4 min walk
Picnic Area
Trails
McLaughlin Park
8 min walk
Baseball/Softball
Basketball
Playground
Commodore Barry Park
8 min walk
Baseball/Softball
Basketball
Football
Cadman Plaza Park
9 min walk
Picnic Area
Trails
Events
Walt Whitman Park
11 min walk
Picnic Area
Trails
Hillside Dog Park
11 min walk
Dog Park
Picnic Area
Korean War Veterans Plaza
12 min walk
Picnic Area
Trails
Schools
Source:
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