92116: advice on buying a house north vs. south of adams (Kensington: apartments, landscaping)

[xtatic]

My husband and I have been searching for the past year for a home in 92116. We're in our 30s and love the feel of the neighborhoods around Normal/University Heights.

We limited our search to the area north of Adams for a while, but a house south of Adams caught our eye recently. It's in a small pocket directly south of Ward Canyon Park. The previous owners did an amazing remodeling job on the house in the past year + the house is ready for move in and requires very minimal work.

We're having second thoughts, though, because the house is surrounded by a lot of older apartment buildings + doesn't feel as safe as the areas we looked at before that were north of Adams... especially if you go one or two blocks out from the street that the home is on. The actual street itself seems quiet.

We were wondering if anyone in the forum might be able to give us some advice about this area. Is safety in this particular area south of Adams something to think twice about? Have you seen the area south of Adams change much over the years + how? Do you think we should hold out and keep searching for something north of Adams?

The choice we're facing is this -- a *really* nice home south of Adams or a home north of Adams that may require some additional investment to renovate/remodel.

[NYSD1995]

North, no question. The real issue is the apartment buildings. They will never go away. South of Adams, just too many of them, and the neighborhood just deteriorates every block further you go south. There are decent homes, and even decent blocks south of Adams avenue, but you don't have the geographical seclusion the mesa rim provides, you don't have the unbroken blocks of single-family homes, and ultimately, those things will never change.

[PollyGlott]

I bought a house in Kensington one block "north of Adams" a decade ago, and I'm very glad I did. Yes, there are many lovely homes "south of Adams" in 92116, but the atmosphere is different, you will feel safer, and your home will have significantly higher value at resale.

[NYSD1995]

Originally Posted by PollyGlott

I bought a house in Kensington one block "north of Adams" a decade ago, and I'm very glad I did. Yes, there are many lovely homes "south of Adams" in 92116, but the atmosphere is different, you will feel safer, and your home will have significantly higher value at resale.

I would argue on the Kensington side South of Adams is OK, but on the Normal Heights side, it's a pass.

[xtatic]

Thanks for the quick replies. We share your sentiments. It's still a really tough decision for us though. We talked about it a little more tonight and realize that we both really love the house. We tried to get a feel for the area by taking some daytime + night time walks this past weekend. The immediate area felt relatively safe. We talked the neighbors, a couple in their 30s, who just moved in a year ago and seemed pretty happy. We just kind of wish we had the same feeling of ease we had walking through the neighborhoods we were looking at before.

Difficult choices. :-)

[kettlepot]

As everyone else has said, north of Adams is where you buy if you can at all afford it. As Sassberto said, the apartments will never go away.

That being said, if your budget only allows for a south of Adams house, there are certain parts of Normal Heights, in the southwest and in the area where you are looking that are somewhat better. Still, if you can do it, move north of Adams.

*FYI, when rehabilitating a house, preserve as much of the original features, cabinetry, stucco, and tile as possible. ORIGINAL CHARACTER IS MONEY IN THE BANK. Renovations of older homes usually decrease a home's value. The loss in value from stripping away original features could be as much as $100k. That's a lot of money to lose just for modern kitchen cabinets and a granite countertop.

[shmoov_groovzsd]

Originally Posted by kettlepot

As everyone else has said, north of Adams is where you buy if you can at all afford it. As Sassberto said, the apartments will never go away.

That being said, if your budget only allows for a south of Adams house, there are certain parts of Normal Heights, in the southwest and in the area where you are looking that are somewhat better. Still, if you can do it, move north of Adams.

*FYI, when rehabilitating a house, preserve as much of the original features, cabinetry, stucco, and tile as possible. ORIGINAL CHARACTER IS MONEY IN THE BANK. Renovations of older homes usually decrease a home's value. The loss in value from stripping away original features could be as much as $100k. That's a lot of money to lose just for modern kitchen cabinets and a granite countertop.

I couldnt agree more kettlepot. I really like all the advice given so far, its spot on and the areas you are looking are just great. Go with North of Adams for the long run. I dont think you would regret it at all.

Rehabbing a house is tricky business for older homes as kettlepot said. The best analogy I can think of is restoring a classic car. A good classical car restorer can mix some of the new while keeping the integrity of its classic feel.
When I was house shopping, I saw LOTS of flipped and rehabbed homes out there at all price ranges and a good majority were NOT done well at all.
Here is what I mean:
Granite for me is so over the top in some of the homes I saw and unfitting to the era, it just wasnt a smart upgrade on the whole and made some of the houses feel lopsided in design. In other words, granite counters, Home Depot stock cupboards in the kitchen and the rest of the house with mismatched toilets, sinks, tile work and such.
It was purely for the sake of a nice first wide angle MLS photo or hitting the wall budgetwise on a flip.

The nicer rehabbed homes on the other hand I saw were immaculate in detail. I wouldnt even put them in the same league as "flip" because there was some thought put into the work. These houses, while gorgeous were priced accordingly and in areas that a potential buyer would probably be okay with paying a premium on.
For me personally, I wound up buying a post WWII bungalow from the orignal owner who over the years did tasteful upgrades like Low E windows, dual pane, plantation shutters, crown molding and kept and restored the original flooring. Kept all the built in cabinetry and restored them. The only real changes were the kitchen and bath which were remodeled with traditional, but high quality fixtures and cabinetry...it all fits the era and although new, still retains the charm and doesnt look completely dated. Plumbing and electric also were modernized (this is key). The landscaping was also equally matched in the backyard.

It would be wise to speak to a designer/architect that specializes in the era and could give you some ideas to give a nice balance and not destroy the true integrity of the house, but liven it up so its fresh and to your taste.
It amazes me still how little time it takes to freshen up a house here and there to make it look great and few people that do it.