Photos show New York City's million-dollar homes that were once horse stables
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Joey HaddenJul 31, 2021, 17:59 IST
There are mews all over New York City if you look for them.Joey Hadden/Insider
Some of New York City's modern-day residences used to house horses.
These homes that were once horse stables are known as mews; now, some are worth millions.
I walked down four streets lined with million-dollar mews and found an escape from the hustle of the city.
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I visited four streets around New York City lined with horse stables that have been transformed into million-dollar homes.
Me standing in front of a horse stable home.
Joey Hadden/Insider
In Manhattan, a cobblestone alley between Fifth Avenue and Macdougal Street is home to a line of mews that used to be an artist hub, The New York Times reported in 1994.
In the early 20th century, sculptor Frederick Triebel stumbled upon a worn-down horse stable in MacDougal Alley and transformed it into a studio, according to The New York Times.
Residences on MacDougal Alley seen over a fence.
Joey Hadden/Insider
"In the summertime, the doors of the studios are thrown open, and the artists' wives take their chairs on the clean, cemented court, while the children play in perfect safety around them," the Craftsman magazine said of MacDougal Alley in 1906, according to the New York Sun.
Photos of MacDougal Alley taken in the mid-1900s.
New York Public Library Digital Collections
Notable artists like Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney who later established the Whitney Museum lived in the former stables in the early 1900s, where small homes like this one are now worth millions, according to Zillow.
Mews up close on MacDougal Alley.
Joey Hadden/Insider
Just a few blocks away, I found another street in Greenwich Village that used to house horses.
Me and the mews.
Joey Hadden/Insider
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Around the corner off of Fifth Avenue, you'll find Washington Mews, a cobblestone street that looks like a "retreat" from the city, as The New York Times described it in 1988.
Washington Mews in the mid-1900s and today.
New York Public Library Digital Collections/Joey Hadden/Insider
The north side of the street is lined with two story buildings that used to be horse stables, according to the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation.
By 1916, cars were becoming more popular and replacing horses and carriages, so Sailors' Snug Harbor, which owned the stables, transformed them into artist studios, according to The New York Times.
Head to Brooklyn for more mews in Cobble Hill. To get there, take the F or G train to Bergen Street Station.
Bergen Street Station.
Joey Hadden/Insider
A few blocks away, you'll find Verandah Place. The street sign is slightly hidden under a tree.
A sign for Verandah Place.
Joey Hadden/Insider
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Across the street from the sign, you'll find the mews on Verandah Place next to Cobble Hill Park.
The mews at Verandah Place.
Joey Hadden/Insider
Some of the mostly three-story buildings you'll find there were originally built as horse stables in the 20th century, while others were built as cottages, according to Untapped Cities. Now, they're all residences.
A mother who said she lived on the street in 1944 told The Brooklyn Daily Eagle that year that the neighborhood's residents were very close, and families helped one another.
The dead-end of the street is seen from beneath a tree.
Joey Hadden/Insider
"The policemen's horses are stabled over here and the children have a marvelous time watching them at the changing of the guard," the resident told The Brooklyn Daily Eagle in 1944.
A view of 14 Hunts Lane in 1935 and 2021.
MCNY/Gottscho-Schleisner / Contributor/Joey Hadden/Insider
When I wandered down the dead-end street, it was quiet and seemingly empty.
Hunts Lane.
Joey Hadden/Insider
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If not for lights turning on and off in the windows showing signs of life, I would have thought the street had been abandoned.
A brick home on Hunts Lane.
Joey Hadden/Insider
I usually feel rushed walking on most Brooklyn streets, but Hunts Lane was so calm and peaceful. I felt like I was at a private museum viewing works of art.
A view of Hunts Lane from the dead end.
Joey Hadden/Insider
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I got a close look at some of the expensive homes, like a condo at 8 Hunts Lane, which is estimated to be worth more than $4 million, according to Zillow.
This stunning red-brick carriage house at the beginning of the block is 4 Hunts Lane. It's a modern $6.5-million home with a garage and basement, according to 6sqft.
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