“We have used Brownstone Detectives twice, each time with excellent results! First, Brian and company were able to find the only photo of my husband’s great grandfather’s Brooklyn restaurant that anyone in the family had ever seen. That, along with newspaper references, made for a wonderful present for my father-in-law. Most recently, my daughter moved into a historic Harlem brownstone, and Brian discovered some unique and super interesting history of the building and its residents. We just love it! If you live in NYC and are interested in the history of your building and the neighborhood, definitely contact Brian and Brownstone Detectives. I cannot recommend them enough!” – 139 West 123rd Street, Harlem
“Thank you so much for all your work on this! It’s amazing! I can’t believe you were able to find so much information. I am so excited to dive in and read every word. I just showed it to my husband – it was a surprise – and he is over the moon. Thank you again, we will treasure this for a long time!” – No. 303 East 18th Street, Gramercy
“All hail Brian!! We are finally going through the pages. I am shocked at how beautiful it is – inside and out. So well laid out. Amazing historical content and fascinating characters. Brian found out everything about our house, neighbors and the changing neighborhood. We are pretty picky people – as Brian found out – but his dedication and obsessive level of detail blew us away. I am humbled to own this gorgeous piece of historical non-fiction.” – 231 Cumberland Street, Fort Greene
“The clever and resourceful Brownstone Detective, Brian Hartig, has provided us with a delightful and amazingly detailed history of our new home on Hancock Street in Brooklyn. The book is a handsome memoir, filled with newspaper clippings, photographs and maps that take us through the ownership of the land and then the various owners of the home – and bring to life the richness of its history. I remember Brian once saying to me that after learning so much of the past, you begin to see your family as part of the story of the home – rather than the home as simply part of your family’s story. Nothing could seem more true, as we turn through the pages and read of new beginnings and endings, good fortune and tragedies alike, and witness the passage of time – all within the very walls we have recently decorated. I cannot think of a more meaningful purchase to commemorate our new home, and the book is truly a treasure that we will enjoy sharing with friends and family for many years to come.” – 101 Hancock Street, Bedford-Stuyvesant
“Brian is the real deal. After we bought our place, we had many questions and theories about the house but neither the time nor know-how to answer them. We reached out to Brian to see if he could find some answers. Within weeks, he sent us a very detailed account of the history of the house. He not only answered our questions, but also gave us additional insights and valuable stories that made our house even more meaningful. As we renovate our place, the information that Brian found is helping us make decisions about design and remodel. Brian clearly loves what he does. He was awesome to work with and passionate about digging up everything he could for us! We’ll absolutely work with him again.” – 59 Patchen Avenue, Bedford-Stuyvesant
“I read about Brian’s work in the newspaper, and called him after purchasing our 3-family townhome in Windsor Terrace. As a member of the NYC real estate community, I am constantly seeing the rich architectural history of NYC homes through my own work – so I was very interested in and very discerning about Brian’s research, which I commissioned as a holiday gift for my husband. Brian did not only exceed our expectations in terms of the depth and clarity of his research, but in the sheer love and enthusiasm for history and place that shines through on each page of the book about our family’s new home. From the former land (forest) lots all the way through our ownership, in true detective style, he left absolutely no stone unturned in piecing together the history of our Brooklyn home. Some of the highlights were newspaper advertisements that he was able to pull for the original offering of the property (1910 style) and amazing details about the various owners throughout the last more than 100-years. Brian was also a pleasure to work with generally – he explained his research with true passion and purpose. It is rare to meet someone with such an obvious adoration of their work, and this special quality was obvious from our first interaction to the book itself. I highly recommend Brownstone Detectives; you will not be disappointed!” – 24 Prospect Park Southwest, Windsor Terrace
“After buying our house in Bedford Stuyvesant, I soon found myself going down various Google rabbit holes trying to find out as much as I could about the history of our home and the people who had lived here prior to us. Unfortunately, I had limited success in digging up any substantive information on my own, making it clear that I needed the help of a professional. It was at that point that I turned to the Brownstone Detective, Brian Hartig. Brian ultimately delivered a beautiful book about our house that far exceeded my expectations. He somehow managed to unearth all sorts of interesting facts about our property and the cast of characters associated with our home over the past 130+ years. Some of the stories even further cemented our initial feeling that we were “meant” to live here. Needless to say, I would highly recommend The Brownstone Detectives’ services to anyone interested in deepening their connection with their home and neighborhood. You won’t be disappointed!” – 124 Malcolm X Boulevard, Bedford-Stuyvesant
