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July 30, 2007

No More Cheap Rooms at 153 Lincoln Place

153LincolnPlace.jpg
A big upgrade is underway at 153 Lincoln Place. The beautiful, 9,000-square-foot Queen Anne mansion sold for $5,500,000 in June. The new owner is now in the process of converting it from a Class B Housing (aka a rooming house) into Class A housing (aka condos or market-rate rentals). Has anyone heard anything more about the project? We'd love to know what kind of shape the interiors are in. It must have (or had) some incredible wood work. GMAP P*Shark DOB




Posted by Brownstoner at 10:40 AM | Comments (17)
Categories: Development, Park Slope

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Comments

Didn't that use to be a brothel?

Posted by: Anonymous at July 30, 2007 11:03 AM

They've been working on this property in fits and starts for at least two years. Beautiful building, great location -- odd construction situation.

And, yes, it used to be a hotel of certain repute.

Posted by: Anonymous at July 30, 2007 11:06 AM

What's going to happen to the enormous side yard?

Posted by: Anonymous at July 30, 2007 11:20 AM

You know what?
Woodwork comes, woodwork goes, all it takes is money. The crucial thing here is ownership.
If the new owner was able somehow to get the rental tenants out so as to convert the house into a first-world residential building, then the outcome is positive for the building and the neighborhood. Kudos to them. I wonder how much it cost to get the tenants out. I bet it could have paid for a lot of woodwork.

Posted by: Sam at July 30, 2007 11:23 AM

Yes, this was the brothel -- no tenants to get rid of. I doubt there's much original detail of any kind in there. Aside from the, er, hard life it's had, I think the interior has been entirely gutted. I walk past it every day (I live further down the block), and it looks like it's basically just empty space inside. Glad the construction finally restarted, though -- for about two years, nothing happened. I'm curious to see what it will become.

Posted by: Stacy at July 30, 2007 11:41 AM

Hrm, this thing doesn't seem to like links. There's a NYT story on the history of the place at http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9A00E4DA123BF93BA25757C0A9629C8B63

Posted by: Stacy at July 30, 2007 11:43 AM

There were no tenants. It was previously a hotel.

Posted by: StonerBrown at July 30, 2007 11:46 AM

There is gorgeous woodwork, at least at the parlor level. When I first moved into Park Slope and was planning for a visit from friends, I naively went inside to inquire about room rates. I thought it was a B&B. The clerk - behind bulletproof plexi - told me the hourly rate, something like $20.

Posted by: bookistan at July 30, 2007 12:16 PM

There is gorgeous woodwork, at least at the parlor level. When I first moved into Park Slope and was planning for a visit from friends, I naively went inside to inquire about room rates. I thought it was a B&B. The clerk - behind bulletproof plexi - told me the hourly rate, something like $20.

Posted by: bookistan at July 30, 2007 12:17 PM

Thanks for the link, Stacy. Very interesting article.

Posted by: Park Sloper at July 30, 2007 12:18 PM

Thanks Stacy for posting the article--what a terrific story, loved the quotes and the gritty writing style. So great!

Posted by: anon at July 30, 2007 12:38 PM

Park Slope could use a nice new brothel.
It would take the kids off the street and it would give husbands -sorry, male partners- an opportunity to visit a stroller-free environment without having to go all the way to Manhattan, or the suburbs.
It would therefore save a lot of fuel use and help slow global warming.

Posted by: Anonymous at July 30, 2007 12:56 PM

Yo negative dude. We actually figured out who you are by your IP address. I now annoint you the, "negative hetero-troll."

Posted by: Anonymous at July 30, 2007 4:08 PM

4:06
Thanks for stopping the thread cold asshole.
you are probably great at parties
-right?

Posted by: Anonymous at July 30, 2007 9:36 PM

There is absolutely not detail left in the building. It had been bought some years ago for about 2.5 million and had reportedly been in terrible shape. The previous owner said that it was a lot had to be invested to stabilize infrastructure of the building. If you pass by and look in, you will see framing doing on with absolutely no detail present. In the present incarnation, the basement has been dug out and the back has been extended. It will be a shame if they build another structure on the side yard.

Posted by: Anonymous at July 30, 2007 11:25 PM

I live next door to the building... and have for 15 years. There was never much detail of note, even on the parlour floor. The action for this building is not the front but the side... the frescos are actually of white stone but the former owners, for some reason painted them brown... I have been told that they will not build on the lot between the conservatory and the hotel. If they try to, I will mount as much resistance as possible. It would be a terrible tragedy to lose the beautiful open space that has been there forever and is part of a plan. If you look at the side of the building, you will see. If this is not what Landmarks was about, I don't know what is. I remember the day the hotel closed... Thanksgiving I think 2002. Construction started about 3 plus years ago. The owner / builder was an amateur and pretty sloppy, this combined with greed turned out badly. The building was totally gutted... the basement dug out, the attic extended...all about increasing square footage. Where for years I looked at a beautiful slate roof, now I see a cinder block wall... The old beams, beautiful old wood, now sits in the back area... rotting away. I tried to get a furniture maker in Maine to buy it but the the then owner had big plans for this wonderful old wood. The construction stopped and the building sat close to 3 years empty with the roof leaking and suffering from total neglect -- a tragic disrespect for this fine historic building and a total disregard for the community in which it sits. Sad, but quiet... in a strange way. For years we watched the 24 hour comings and goings of the hotel's interesting clientele. I knew when the building sold, I would miss this... and I do. The new builder appears professional and I have a much better feeling about the future propects. This is a wonderful building and it needs respect. I think it has good times ahead... I sure hope so as I ain't going anywhere.

Posted by: Rip at July 31, 2007 11:47 PM

I worked on this house, it has a really big balcony in the back with a great view. When I was inside there was just beams and c studs with plywood on top.

Posted by: guest at September 27, 2007 6:53 PM

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