Chauncey + Lewis (Aguayo & Associates Inc.)
In brownstone Brooklyn, it has become commonplace to convert multifamily rental rowhouses into larger, more expensive condominiums or single-family homes. Ground-up construction of new townhouses is far rarer. An exception can be found at Chauncey + Lewis, a collection of newly built rowhouses at 39 Chauncey Street and 437–441 Lewis Avenue in the Stuyvesant Heights section of Bedford-Stuyvesant. The collection’s first public offering, at 437 Lewis Avenue, has just hit the market for $2.15 million, offering a glimpse into how its development team envisions contemporary Brooklyn living.
Chauncey + Lewis was developed by Brooklyn-based Unicorn Properties Group, whose portfolio includes the Bushwick condominium conversions at 1242 Hancock Street and 1174 Putnam Avenue. The design by NV Design Architecture presents a contemporary, almost Brutalist interpretation of the traditional Brooklyn townhouse. The project rose on a large lot cleared after a neo-Georgian-style apartment house and a vernacular residence on the site were demolished due to unsafe conditions according to Brownstoner.
In this article:
HIstoric photo of 39 Chauncey Street (NV Design Architecture for Landmarks Preservation Commission)
Earlier design not approved by the Landmarks Preservation Commission showing a yellow brick facade. (NV Design Architecture)
Axonometric site plan of the project
Rendering of the final approved design (NV Design Architecture)
Located within the Stuyvesant Heights Historic District, the project’s massing and exterior design required approval from the city’s Landmarks Preservation Commission. At a December 2020 hearing, commissioners and local preservationists raised concerns about an initial proposal featuring yellow brick façades. When the team returned in February 2021 with revised plans showing dark red brick buildings, the project ultimately secured approval.
All four Chauncey + Lewis townhouses offer three bedrooms, two and a half baths, private rear gardens, and private roof terraces. Interiors feature 10-foot ceilings on the main living level, Shaker-paneled doors, oversized Pella Lifestyle windows, and six-inch white oak flooring.
Typical living room at Chauncey + Lewis
Typical windowed kitchen
The primary bedroom has a walk-in closet and en-suite bath
Primary bath
Open kitchens are outfitted with custom cabinetry, honed Taj Mahal quartz countertops and backsplashes, and Bertazzoni and Bosch appliances. Bedrooms are positioned on the upper floors for privacy, while lower-level recreation rooms with powder rooms can function as home offices, gyms, media rooms, playrooms, or additional living space.
Chauncey + Lewis' location in Bedford-Stuyvesant
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Chauncey + Lewis sits in a very leafy patch of Bedstuy across from Fulton Park and near the Utica Avenue A and C subway station, providing a direct commute to Lower and Midtown Manhattan. Fulton Park, St. John’s Park, the Weeksville Heritage Center, the Brooklyn Children’s Museum, and numerous Bedford-Stuyvesant shops and restaurants are all within close proximity.
A few blocks away, the recently finished development 524 Halsey Street offers another approach to Brooklyn townhouse/condo living. The former carriage house and auto repair shop has been converted into a 33-unit boutique condominium that includes two townhouse residences. Townhouse #1 features a four-story layout, a private terrace, and access to the condominium’s amenities, including an attended lobby, fitness center, and shared roof deck. It is currently listed for $2.695 million.
Chauncey + Lewis in fall 2025 (CityRealty)
Still, projects like these raise broader questions about affordability and what will become of the social fabric of the neighborhood. U.S. Census data shows that New York City lost nearly 9% of its Black residents from 2000 to 2020, with notable declines in historically Black strongholds like Harlem and Bedford-Stuyvesant. In Curbed essay "I Miss My Black Brooklyn," acclaimed author Naomi Jackson reflects on how the changes to Bedford-Stuyvesant, Prospect Lefferts Gardens, and Crown Heights are "a source of both lament and ambivalence" and reflects on plans to leave Bedford-Stuyvesant in search of a more vibrant Black neighborhood.
Historic Bedford-Stuyvesant brownstones
Select listings in Bedstuy, Brooklyn
88 Marion Street, #4A (Corcoran Group)
1174 Putnam Avenue, #3 (Douglas Elliman Real Estate)
1242 Hancock Street, #3 (Douglas Elliman Real Estate)
259 Halsey Street, #1R
$1,595,000 (-8.9%)
Bedford-Stuyvesant | Condominium | 2 Bedrooms, 2.5 Baths | 1,680 ft2
259 Halsey Street, #1R (Corcoran Group)
Chauncey + Lewis, #437 Lewis Avenue
$2,150,000
Bedford-Stuyvesant | Condominium | 3 Bedrooms, Unknown Baths
Chauncey + Lewis, # (AGUAYO & ASSOCIATES INC)
524 Halsey Street, #TH1
$2,695,000
Bedford-Stuyvesant | Condominium | 3 Bedrooms, 3.5 Baths | 3,303 ft2
524 Halsey Street, #TH1 (Compass)
418 Macon Street, #TH (Brown Harris Stevens Residential Sales LLC)
Would you like to tour any of these properties?
Just complete the info below.
Or call us at (212) 755-5544
Would you like to tour any of these properties?
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