Townhouse types searching for the Holy Grail — anything with period details intact for less than a million — long ago crossed Harlem off their list. In many parts of Brooklyn, like Park Slope and Brooklyn Heights, they’re virtually extinct. Fortunately, there’s still Bed-Stuy, where row upon row of brownstone beauties still exist, many still decently priced (i.e., not requiring trust funds). Decades ago, this neighborhood, the former stomping grounds of Chris Rock, Jay-Z, and Richie Havens, was blighted by violent crime, poverty, and drugs. Like everywhere else in the borough, gentrification swept through, driving some old-timers away. But many locals remained, working to keep interloping developers and their condo fever at bay and pledging to retain Bed-Stuy’s architectural magnificence and cultural diversity. (Landmarking saved swaths of homes from the wrecking ball.) See for yourself at this weekend’s open houses, listed after the jump. —S. Jhoanna Robledo
Townhouse
385 Lewis Ave., nr. Macdonough St.
Saturday, 2 p.m.–3:30 p.m.
$675,000
263 Bainbridge St., nr. Patchen Ave.
Saturday, noon–1:30 p.m.
$730,000
293 Tompkins Ave., nr. Lexington Ave.
Sunday, 2:30 p.m.–4 p.m.
$799,000
583 Bainbridge St., nr. Hopkinson Ave.
Sunday, 2 p.m.–3:30 p.m.
$1,100,000
