Historical landmarks are hard to come by, but if you have $12 million and a taste for playful architecture, one is available in Bay Ridge.

The Howard E. and Jesse Jones House at 8220 Narrows Ave., otherwise known as “The Gingerbread House” because of its distinctive cottage-like design, went on the market Monday, immediately adding this perennial tourist stop to any list of high profile real estate opportunities in New York.

A wrought iron gate stands between pedestrians and Bay Ridge's Gingerbread House. Photo: Chris Geier

“There is nothing like it – anywhere,” said Bill Radtke, the Brown Harris Stevens real estate agent who is selling the home. Even in today’s housing market, which has been slowed by the recession, Radtke is certain the property will not stay on the market long. “Someone will snap it up. When there is something that is this unique, it doesn’t last long.”

The home, built between 1916 and 1917 in the “Arts and Crafts” architectural style by James Sarsfield Kennedy, has six bedrooms spread across its 5,743 square feet. It evokes childhood fairy tales with its squat silhouette topped with angled chimneys, the uncut, uneven stones that, piled haphazardly on top of one another, make up the home’s exterior walls, and its wildly sloping roof, made to resemble thatch. Its front walkway is guarded by an intricate gate and a wrought iron fence surrounds the entire property, which Radtke estimates is nearly 11 times bigger than an average Brooklyn lot, and includes an expansive two-tiered lawn.

The home is a popular destination for visitors to Bay Ridge, though the current owners, Jerry and Diane Fishman, have maintained an aura of mystery about the interior of the home by not allowing the many tourists – and inquiring journalists – to step inside.

On a recent afternoon, two Bay Ridge locals brought a friend from out of town to see the home. “Any time someone visits, we bring them here,” said Carl Klompus, a retired university administrator who lives in the neighborhood with his wife, Patty Neal. “It looks like something out of Hansel and Gretel,” he said.

The Gingerbread House, which was made an official landmark in 1989 by the New York City Landmarks Commission, joins two penthouse apartments at the 1 Main Street building in DUMBO as one of the highest profile real estate offerings in Brooklyn. The DUMBO condo apartments, both with commanding views of the Manhattan and Brooklyn bridges, also carry hefty price tags. The smaller of the two is on the market for $8.5 million, while the deed to the larger unit would set a buyer back by $25 million. Though it has yet to be seen if these mega-expensive properties will find buyers, they have generated plenty of attention.

Catherine Zito, a broker colleague of Radtke’s from Brown Harris Stevens, recently stopped by Bay Ridge just to examine the eccentric, newly available home. “It is an amazing building, architecturally,” she said. “It’s the talk of the office.”

The Fishmans, who have owned the house since 1985, could not be reached for comment, but according to Radtke, they are selling the home because of an upcoming move to Florida. The home’s landmark status precludes any development on the property.

If the Gingerbread House seems like the home for you, be sure to make an appointment to view the property. Radtke will not be holding any open houses, to avoid the droves of “lookey-loos” that would be certain to descend on the home, just to catch a glimpse.

Once faced with imminent closure, the Alpine Theater in Bay Ridge is expanding, adding a new screen and completing renovations that began years ago.

The marquee at the Alpine Theater, which will soon open a new 3-D screen. Photo: Chris Geier

In 2005, the Alpine, then part of the Loews chain of theaters, was scheduled to close its doors permanently after more than 80 years in operation. A public outcry caught the attention of Nicholas Nicolaou, owner of two other theaters in the New York, who eventually bought the Alpine, the only movie theater in the neighborhood.

“It was another victim of theater closings in the city,” said Nicolaou. “The people in Bay Ridge made such a big fuss, I was touched. These people deserve to go see a movie in their own neighborhood.”

Since then, Nicolaou has wrangled with complicated renovations, frustrating city bureaucracy, rising property taxes and an economic recession as he reshapes the Alpine in the image of his ideal independent theater. He hopes to make good on the reported $6 million he spent to buy the theater, which does not include the funds he has poured into renovations.

The box office was not up to his standard, so he rebuilt it, but was fined by the city for working without approval.

“How could I wait,” Nicolaou said. “It was basically falling down.”

He noticed the lines that fed the soda fountains were in a state of disrepair, so he persuaded Coca-Cola to replace the entire system. Still unhappy with the soda, he installed two water-filtration systems to ensure only the cleanest of water is used to make the soft drinks.

The heating and air conditioning units in the theater were 50 years old. The entire system was rebuilt, with 10 new units installed on the roof.

Despite the major alterations, the Alpine’s seven current screens have remained open throughout the rebuilding process.

“We do the work now. It is expensive, but the neighborhood people will see the difference,” Nicolaou said.

His most ambitious renovation is converting the original 1921 stage area, which has functioned as storage space for decades, into a state-of-the-art 3-D digital auditorium, giving the Alpine a total of eight screens with a seating capacity of more than 1,500.

“This will be the most comfortable theater in New York City. Money back guarantee,” Nicolaou said, as he took a break from helping the renovators and sat, covered in paint and dust, admiring the 88-year-old dome-roofed space that will be his theater’s crown jewel. “We could fit 275 seats in here, but we’re only installing 160. It’s like flying business class.”

The former storage space is still a symphony of sawing, spackling, and hammering as decades of neglect are reshaped into a new auditorium, but the new 3-D screen will open around Christmas, Nicolaou said, and should attract new customers who are looking for the latest technology.

“Many movies now come in 3-D,” said Mahubub Bari, 48, the Alpine’s manager. “That’s what people want to see. When we get 3-D, more people will come here.”

Moutasim Ayesh, 19, who works at the concession stand, agrees. “A lot of people complain that we don’t have 3-D. It’s the new thing.”

Despite the costly improvements, and real estate taxes that he said rose more than 30 percent over the last year, Nicolaou takes pride in the low prices at all of his theaters, and he enthusiastically pointed out that many of his concessions are a fraction of the price of similar items at chain theaters. For example, he noted that at the Regal Cinema in Union Square, a small popcorn costs $6. At the Alpine, it is $2.75.

Popcorn prices are not the only difference between the Alpine and the bigger chain theaters, says Steven Lovejoy, the theater’s projectionist, who used to work for one of the large theater companies. “At my old theater, it was all about the bottom line. Here, the management is more focused on the movies,” Lovejoy said.

As the Alpine evolves, it continues to please customers like David Lopez, 30, a longtime Alpine patron, who along with his daughter and aunt, recently saw “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs.” “The theater has changed a lot,” Lopez said. “It’s better.”

It may not be Broadway, but the smiles are beaming, the dance steps are swift, and the singing voices boom.

The Narrows Community Theater ensemble rehearses for the Nov. 6 performance of "Damn Yankees" Photo: Chris Geier

Competition was stiff as the Narrows Community Theater began auditions last week for its fall production, the classic musical “Damn Yankees,” but a sense of camaraderie amongst theater enthusiasts pervaded the evening.

“We do this out of love,” said Ann Gubiotti, a member of the theater’s board and an aspiring “Damn Yankees” cast member, gesturing to a room of nervous, toe-tapping, potential cast members. “None of these actors will be paid.”

The absence of a potential paycheck did not deter hopeful actors. On the first night, nearly 30 would-be stars found their way from homes across the city to a small Lutheran church in Bay Ridge where the theater group rents space. One by one, they were ushered into the church’s gym and positioned in front of a three-person panel: the play’s director, its choreographer, and the organization’s president, Susan Huizinga.

“The first thing I’m looking for is singing,” said Dawn Barry-Hansen, the director, who listened to each candidate deliver 16 bars of a prepared song, accompanied by the play’s musical director, Zach Redler, on the piano. Though the quality of the performances was uneven, Barry-Hansen was happy. “There are some that we’ll definitely call back. There’s good talent out there.”

One of those talents was Mickey Sullivan, 81, who has been a member of the theater since its founding 38 years ago. Sullivan, a retired sales manager, discovered in high school that theater was a good way to meet “the prettiest girls around.” He decided to join the newly formed theater company in 1971 because of his wife’s interest in performing – and a discount.

“A membership for one person cost $25, but for couples it was $35. For $10, I figured I would join.”

Since then, the community theater has consistently presented two shows a year, and Sullivan has had a hand in many of them, as a set designer, an actor, or both. Last night, Sullivan auditioned along with a variety of actors – including one who was 75 years younger than he – and gave lie to his quiet modesty by delivering a strong 16 bars of “Gotta Have Heart,” a song from “Damn Yankees.”

After individually performing their songs, the candidates returned to the church gym in groups of eight, and were given a few moments with the play’s choreographer to learn a dance routine. Their ability to replicate the moves they learned, coupled with their earlier singing performance, determined whether they were called back for further auditions on Friday.

The theater members take their artistic work very seriously. “We work hours like a real job, for no pay,” said Huizinga. But with that work comes a sense of accomplishment and service that is at the core of the group’s mission. “We’re a community theater,” said Gubiotti. “Our role is providing entertainment to our community.”

Auditions for “Damn Yankees” continued through the week, and the actors selected will meet in the same church gym for rehearsals until the beginning of November. The curtain goes up on the show, which tells the story of a man who makes a deal with the devil to play for his favorite baseball team and help beat the Yankees, on Nov. 6 at St. Patrick’s Church in Bay Ridge.

This article has been revised to reflect the following correction:

Correction: Oct. 29, 2009

An article published Oct. 26, 2009, about the Narrows Community Theater’s auditions for “Damn Yankees” misspelled the last name of the play’s director. Her name is Dawn Barry-Hansen.