It all started with a standpipe. When the Fire Department passed by for a routine inspection of the sidewalk in front of 475 Kent Avenue last week, they discovered a rusted, non-working pipe. This led them to follow the pipe down to its source in the basement, where they were greeted with a sea of grain boxes piled high to the ceiling. According to one building resident, this was done to gain economies of scale in the kosher certification process: The larger the stockpiles of grain, the less often a rabbi would have to shlep over to bless it. The result: A barely navigable maze of boxes, a fire hazard only compounded by the lack of proper electricity and water sources.
Big Showing From Pols at 475 Kent Vigil [Brownstoner]
Closing Bell: Moving Out at 475 Kent Avenue [Brownstoner]
‘Commune of Creative Types’ in the Burg is Emptied Out [Brownstoner]
475 Kent Message Board [475kent.com] GMAP
Photo by Drew Catlin