With Mamdani at Gracie, the Ridgewicks have an additional option in Queens
Haunted Homequest
Two boroughs remain in our Haunted Homequest. We’re saving the Ridgewicks from impending doom in Castle Rock — at least, that’s our plan — and relocating them to New York City.
Norris and Myra are in their 50s and have lived in Maine since Stephen King created them. But, through a stroke of luck — or a Substack genius — they have been plucked from a novel and dropped into an urban home search.
Their character development suggests that they don’t know a thing about New York, so we’re giving them a familiarization tour. We’re seeing five homes per day until we feel ready to make a decision, based on a budget of $950,000 to $1,000,000.
Jump back to our preview edition here to see further criteria on the method and mortgage terms. Read on to see what their search yielded in Queens, former home to New York City’s new and real mayor, Zohran Mamdani (who just moved to Gracie Mansion on the Upper East Side).
Details: Detached frame house with three bedrooms and two bathrooms. Located two blocks from the beach in Belle Harbor. (Late night stroll, anyone?)
List Price: $999,000
Bedrooms/Bathrooms: 3 BR/2 BA
Approx. Size: Unknown
Monthly Carrying Charges: $0
Monthly Taxes: $0
Monthly Mortgage Payment: $4,884
Total Monthly Overhead: $4,884+
Notes: As a single family home, this property has no (expressed) monthly carrying charges. That the monthly tax information is not provided means we can’t provide a budgetary benchmark; however, we can be sure that the mortgage will run close to $4,900/month before taxes and utilities.
Also, limited photos are available with none for the interior, so the location and exterior are going to have to be sufficiently compelling to warrant a site visit.
Details: Triplex townhouse featuring three bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms, oversized windows, and washer/dryer hookups. The kitchen is equipped with a Forno Italian appliance package, matched with a private patio, yard, and on-site parking.
List Price: $999,000
Bedrooms/Bathrooms: 3 BR/2.5 BA
Approx. Size: 2,200 SF
Monthly Carrying Charges: $0
Monthly Taxes: $446
Monthly Mortgage Payment: $4,884
Total Monthly Overhead: $5,330
Details: Residence features wide plank hardwood floors, triple-pane windows, radiant heated bathroom floors, and a stacked washer/dryer. Bosch appliances and white marble countertops in the kitchen, in a building that boasts a gym, parking garage, co-working center, game room, terrace with pickleball court, and rooftop terrace with grilling stations.
List Price: $999,000
Bedrooms/Bathrooms: 2 BR/2 BA
Approx. Size: 919 SF
Monthly Carrying Charges: $605
Monthly Taxes: $1,139
Monthly Mortgage Payment: $4,889
Total Monthly Overhead: $6,633
Details: Home includes five bedrooms and three full bathrooms, plus a finished basement with two additional bedrooms and a separate entrance.
List Price: $999,999
Bedrooms/Bathrooms: 4 BR/3.5 BA
Approx. Size: 2,024
Monthly Carrying Charges: $0
Monthly Taxes: $664
Monthly Mortgage Payment: $4,889
Total Monthly Overhead: $5,553
Notes: Here, we have some interesting discrepancies between what’s listed, what’s legal, and what’s actually there. For instance, the listing accounts for four bedrooms but the description references five.
This could be a typo, or it could reference “usable” space that may be utilized as additional bedrooms — while not being “legal,” i.e., meeting building-code requirements for minimum size and ceiling height, having a permanent heat source, and having a code-compliant window or door that provides direct egress to the outside for fire safety.
Details: Duplex penthouse features herringbone flooring, split HVAC systems, in-unit washer/dryer, and a kitchen with quartz island. The upper level opens to a private roof deck, while tenants also have access to a storage unit (for old ghosts and material artefacts).
List Price: $995,000
Bedrooms/Bathrooms: 3 BR/3 BA
Approx. Size: 1,565 SF
Monthly Carrying Charges: $463
Monthly Taxes: $1,463
Monthly Mortgage Payment: $4,864
Total Monthly Overhead: $6,791
Staten Island is next! (That’s right, we’re taking the ferry.)
