We recently were down in Bedstuy to see Biggie’s old neighborhood and to see the new street sign that says “Christopher Wallace Way”. We went around the corner to supermarket where Wallace worked as an early teenager bagging groceries after school. We went up the block and took some shots at the new “Christopher Wallace Basketball Courts”, (which by the way is up the stairs from the children’s playground if you have difficulty finding it like we did) and snapped a picture at the new Biggie mural across the street.
We wondered, what does it cost to live on Christopher Wallace Way in 2019? What does a “one room shack” in this part of Brooklyn go for? We tried to see if Biggie’s old house was for sale, which it wasn’t. It sold a few years ago for around $800,000. Which, by the way, considering how quick real estate appreciates in all of the boroughs, is a steal. We tried to see if we could Air BnB Biggie’s old place and you also can’t. So went online to see what sorts of houses were available in the neighborhood. The good news is, that if you want to buy a spot nearby where Biggie grew up, there are some available. The bad news is, if you don’t play for the Nets or aren’t a young tech wiz, you will probably be priced out of the area.
Here is the first house that is for sale: just up the road on St. James Place. This house is located on 201 St. James Place and has a similar floorplan as the old Smalls crib. Price tag for this “one room shack”: $1,050,000.
Purchase link: https://streeteasy.com/building/201-st-james-place-brooklyn/3a
The second listing is probably the nicest of the listings here. This one, located right up the street in Clinton Hill is located at 130 St. James Place. 12 foot ceilings and even has its own tiny garden in the back.
Take a closer look: https://www.halstead.com/sale/ny/brooklyn/clinton-hill/130-saint-james-place/townhouse/19603407
The third and last one is the closest house for sale to Biggie’s old house. Even better, this is not just a house, but all the units in the building. And its only 6 numbers away from 226 St. James Place. Price tag: $5,499,999
If you are interested in being a landlord click here: https://www.trulia.com/p/ny/brooklyn/220-saint-james-pl-brooklyn-ny-11238–198285
So, now we know that we will never be available to live in this neighborhood. If only Biggie could have seen what his old house and neighborhood costs today, he wouldn’t have believed it.
Picasso Baby 