McKibbin Court: This hidden East Williamsburg side street is a far cry from the fratty lofts down the block
Virginia K. Smith
It's no secret that in spite of an endless influx of new construction, New York still retains a surprising number of quaint little residential courtyards, side streets, and mews (Sniffen Court and Pomander Walk being among the most famous). But we were still surprised when we recently stumbled across a slightly more modern version in East Williamsburg, a quiet section of McKibbin Street simply marked as "McKibbin Court." (No relation, it would seem, to the notorious McKibbin Lofts rentals located just down the street.)
And while it may not have the same old-world charm as the aforementioned, it still piqued our interest given its seeming exclusivity, or at least remove from the rest of the neighborhood. The small strip of houses is surrounded by a graffiti-covered concrete wall, and at the entrance, a gate to let cars pass in and out:
The architecture looks considerably more recent than most classic courtyards, and a current Trulia listing for a five-bedroom townhouse at 6 McKibbin Court notes that the home was only built in 1989. (Asking price? $1.5 million.) In fact, there doesn't seem to be much available history or information out there about the street, other than real estate listings.
A three-bedroom rental was recently listed through Corcoran for $2,650/month—a considerably more appealing price than the $3,350/month asking price for a current three-bedroom at McKibbin Lofts (which, unlike McKibbin Court, has a paper trail of history, for those interested in digging; start with this 2008 New York Times profile).
If you've ever rented in a building in this courtyard, or stumbled across a similar hidden side street in your own neighborhood, let us know (and share photos!) in the comments.
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