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It's old news that Brooklyn is getting gentrified, and fast — from hipsters to wealthy families to real estate tycoons, it seems like a new high rise is under construction around every corner. It's not just Williamsburg, either. The historic brownstones and apartment buildings in areas like Fort Greene, Crown Heights, and Bed Stuy began as homes for the very wealthy, then were converted into rental apartments as the area's demographics dramatically changed, and now they're turning back into luxury residences. Case in point? Biggie's St. James pad, now for sale for a cool $725,000.
He called it a "one-room shack" with no heat, where he sold drugs out front before making it big in rap. Now, it's a three-bedroom, one-bath unit in a "lovely limestone" building in "the heart of historic Clinton Hill" (a neighborhood title that's become common usage today, but was originally concocted by real estate agents to differentiate from lower-income Bed Stuy). Oh, and if you're looking for entertainment, it's just a short walk away from the Barclay's Center — made possible in part by fellow Brooklyn original Jay-Z! Oh, the times. They have changed. (Gothamist)
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