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October 2, 2007

House Tourers, (Re)Start Your Engines: Crown Heights Next

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The late spring/early summer house tour schedule can get pretty intense. But by now you've had plenty of time to rest up for what's coming down the pipe the next two weekends. On Saturday, October 6, the Crown Heights North Association is hosting its First Annual Crown Heights North House & Garden Tour. Celebrating the area's recent designation as a Historic District, the tour will feature ten houses, two churches and one community garden. There's a kick-off event (at which public officials are expected) from 10:30 to 12:00 at St. Gregory's at 991 St. Johns Place; this is also where you pick up tix and start your tour. We've seen some of the descriptions of the houses on the tour and it sounds sweet. Here's a taste: "the intact fretwork screens over the stained glass transom windows, the intricate detail in all of the door frames, fireplaces and columns, and the stairwell bench flanked by columns, framed with more intricate fretwork carving, all on perfect parquet floors.” There's also a house that was renovated using almost exclusively salvaged materials. Tickets are $25; the tour ends at 5 p.m. Also, we'll have more on it next week, but, for planning purposes, the Prospect Heights House Tour takes place on Sunday, October 14.
House Tour Info & Tickets [CHN]




Posted by Brownstoner at 12:01 PM | Comments (38)
Categories: Crown Heights, House Tours, Prospect Heights

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We welcome everyone to come on out Saturday and actually see the neighborhood. Walk through our streets, go in some great homes, churches and gardens, meet some of the fine and interesting people who make up our community. We think you'll be suprised, impressed and happy you spent the day with us.

The tour goes on - rain or shine.

Crown Heights North Association
House Tour Committee

Posted by: guest at October 2, 2007 12:46 PM

Really looking forward to the Prospect Heights tour. Crown Heights, not so much.

Posted by: guest at October 2, 2007 12:55 PM

I wonder if they will include the mansion on New York ave..At Prospect I think. It is simply awesome!

Posted by: guest at October 2, 2007 1:01 PM

Prospect Heights Tour should be great this year. Can't wait!

Posted by: guest at October 2, 2007 1:03 PM

What's considered the border between Prospect Heights and Crown Heights these days?

Posted by: guest at October 2, 2007 1:07 PM

Washington Avenue. THink we debated this one a while ago.

Posted by: brownstoner at October 2, 2007 1:13 PM

All of the Brooklyn house tours are great. There are some fantastic homes in every part of Brooklyn. Just because you may favour one neighbourhood over another, it in no way means that the other does not have nice homes as well. I for one am always up for a bit of RE porn wherever it may be. See you at the tour.

Posted by: guest at October 2, 2007 1:14 PM

Thanks Mr B. The listings keep pushing it further into C Heights. The usual MO.

Posted by: guest at October 2, 2007 1:18 PM

You forgot Bed-Stuy on Oct. 20.

Posted by: Brenda from Flatbush at October 2, 2007 1:41 PM

I love fall house tours.

Nice weather, mums on the stoops, fall colors.

3 great tours! House tour heaven!

Posted by: guest at October 2, 2007 1:45 PM

12:55pm, why even share that thought? What's the point? Not every brain fart you have is worth sharing with others. Especially when it hurts the feelings of an entire community of people who put a lot of effort into this tour. Not to mention the people who willingly opened the doors of their homes for the ungrateful public to trample through. Good luck to everyone involved, hope this is successful.

- signed, not a Crown Heights resident but someone who hates the nastiness here.

Posted by: guest at October 2, 2007 1:49 PM

Crown Heights Housing Tour - I can't wait!

Posted by: Wont UB My Nabor at October 2, 2007 2:21 PM

I can't wait for the CHN tour either!!! I hope to have my house on the tour next year.

Posted by: faithful at October 2, 2007 2:36 PM

12:55 = 1:03 = asshat

Posted by: guest at October 2, 2007 2:49 PM

Actually I'm 1:03 and NOT 12:55.

I'm not allowed to be excited about the Prospect Heights Tour??!

Not only will I be away for the Crown Heights Tour, but I don't have to be excited about everything because you love it.

Jesus.

Posted by: guest at October 2, 2007 2:56 PM

Crown Heights Tour

Anyone know which housing projects on the tour this year?

Posted by: guest at October 2, 2007 3:48 PM

Crown Heights

Does the ticket price include any kind of security chaperone or anything?

Posted by: guest at October 2, 2007 3:51 PM

Fine, don't go on the Crown Heights house tour. I think it funny ( and oh so sublime) that suddenly Prospect Heights is perceived as the "better" neighborhood. How did you fools feel about Fort Greene ten years ago?

Posted by: Putnamdenizen at October 2, 2007 4:46 PM

Why is that funny, 4:46?

Prospect Heights started gentrifying years before Crown Heights. Not to mention it's safer, closer to good transportation, has a burgeoning strip on Vanderbilt and is closer to Prospect Park.

Crown Heights still is not on the radar for many families moving from Manhattan and Prospect Heights is.

When Richard Meier builds something in Crown Heights, get back to me.

I think it's funny how delusional some people are about their own neighborhoods so that they can make a buck.

I'm fairly certain most people in a poll would tell you that Prospect Heights is perceived of as the better neighborhood in 2007.

Posted by: guest at October 2, 2007 4:51 PM

I'm one of the Prospect Heights House Tour organizers -- and I can't wait for the Crown Heights tour! Hey, it's the first one so there will be doubtless be a terrific atmosphere. And kudos to CH for their recent landmarking success -- which we in Prospect Heights hope to emulate.

Btw, it's not too late to sign up as a volunteer house sitter for the PH Tour. You'll receive a free ticket to the tour + an invitation to the after party. Please call Peggy Elwert at 718-622-2897 or email Bob Biegen at biegen@aol.com. Thanks.

Posted by: guest at October 2, 2007 5:04 PM

Why is it funny? Because 8 years ago Prospect was perceived as being extremely dangerous itself. Funny because in fact 30 years ago Prospect Heights WAS Crown Heights. Funny because I can't for the life of me understand why someone so obviously willfully ignorant of the possibilities in other neighborhood is calling me on MY comment. Funny because I had no idea I was supposed to consider the worth of a house tour in light of how interesting it would be to Manhattan person. Funny because house tours were originally created to generate interest in lesser known neighborhoods, not to huddle close to a multi-million dollar development (don't get me wrong, I like Un Prospect Park). Funny because I wasn't saying Prospect Heights isn't a nice neighborhood. Funny because I can't understand why someone would be so nasty.

Okay maybe none of it is funny at all. Just a bit sad.

Posted by: Putnamdenizen at October 2, 2007 6:07 PM

FG IS NEAR PROJECTS. CH IS NEAR PROJECTS.CG AND BH ARE AS WELL.SEE WHERE I'M GOING WITH THIS? NO MATTER WHERE YOU ARE IN BROOKLYN IT'S NOT TOO FAR FROM THE PROJECTS. GET OVER YOURSELF.

Posted by: guest at October 2, 2007 6:35 PM

Viva Brooklyn!

Posted by: guest at October 2, 2007 7:57 PM

you still didn't answer you thought it was funny that prospect heights is perceived as a better neighborhood.

nor was i the one who called anyone a fool.

Posted by: guest at October 2, 2007 8:25 PM

The CH tour organizers are wonderfully supportive of other neighborhoods' preservation efforts. I have seen them on almost all the Brooklyn tours I've participated in. I can't wait to celebrate with them on Saturday. Also, tickets for the Bed-Stuy tour are poised to sell out again so I suggest you get to Brownstone Books to pick up soon.

Posted by: guest at October 2, 2007 9:33 PM

Kudos to the brave souls on all of the Brooklyn house tours who bare all and open their homes for all to see. I volunteer on the Victorian Flatbush Tour every spring and I know that a lot of hard work goes into making it successful. I look forward to the fall tours and will put this one on my fall tour schedule as well.

Posted by: guest at October 2, 2007 9:54 PM

Sigh. Everyone have a great time at whatever house tours they attend. 8:25, let me tell you about a really edgy and good value neighborhood - I don't want you to miss a happening thing. It is called Brooklyn Heights (1970), Park Slope (1976), Fort Greene (1988), Clinton Hill (1996), Prospect Heights (2003), Crown Heights (?). Now do you understand?

Posted by: Putnamdenizen at October 2, 2007 10:11 PM

Putnamdenizen,

Please don't let 4:51/8:25 get to you. Those of us who have worked on HTs and shown our homes know how much work is involved. People like him would never put their hovels on tour (and, of course, no one would care to see them).

FWIW, I'm looking forward to all the Fall tours

Posted by: Bob Marvin at October 2, 2007 10:52 PM

Will there be any info on getting your block to be part of a historic district? I live just outside the historic district in Stuyvesant Heights and would love any info anyone has on expanding it. I don't remember seeing anyting of this sort at past Bed-Stuy house tours. Perhaps Crown Heights can help me.

Posted by: guest at October 2, 2007 11:56 PM

Guest at 11:56 - see this archive discussion of the landmarking process. You have to scroll down towards the end, but there is a detailed description of what we did for landmarking in CH.

http://www.brownstoner.com/brownstoner/archives/2007/06/change_of_contr.php#comments

If the link doesn't work, it's from June 29th, 2007 in a thread about historic Wallabout buildings.

Posted by: guest at October 3, 2007 12:47 AM

Putnamdenizen, thanks for your support! You too, Bob, and others. Hope to see you all there.

Prospect Hts, we'll be supporting you next week, and Bed Stuy the week after. Your advice and support is helping to make this tour possible.

We still need volunteers too. If anyone would like to be a house sitter, or help out in any way, please contact us via CrownHgtsNorth at aol dot com.

CHNA HT committee4

Posted by: guest at October 3, 2007 12:55 AM

Putnamdenizen,

Not sure what planet you're from, but Prospect Heights was not considered dangerous eight years ago (1999?). Maybe 15-20 years ago, but definitely not eight.

Having said that, I do agree that Crown Heights is on the rise and will continue to attract buyers, amenities, etc.

Posted by: guest at October 3, 2007 9:53 AM

Where is Crown Heights?

Thanks in advance for the info.

Posted by: guest at October 3, 2007 10:53 AM

It is five minutes east of Park Slope on Eastern Pkwy, two minutes if you catch the lights.

Posted by: guest at October 3, 2007 11:18 AM

Prospect Heights Tour should be great this year. Can't wait!


It will be great as always, but Crown Heights is having their very first, so show some support.

Posted by: guest at October 3, 2007 11:22 AM

Just got back from buying my advance tickets for the Prospect Heights HT at Tom's Restaurant. I also bought advance tickets online for the Crown Heights North tour.

A bit of gratuitous advice for the organizers of the CHN tour--people sort of expect discounts for buying advance tickets (something not offered on your tour0. The usual $5 off may not be THAT much but on our (PLG) tour and, I suspect others, a lot of advance tickets--sometimes more than half of the total--get sold. I hope I'm wrong, but I wouldn't be surprised if your advance ticket sales are lagging. I'm sure you'll do just fine on tour day,but it's something to consider for future tours.

[And, in answer to the anticipated question--YES, I am cheap :-)]

Posted by: Bob Marvin at October 3, 2007 2:14 PM

Bob, we thought of that, and didn't do it for a couple of reasons, but we regret it now. Now that people have started to buy online, it's too late to change it now, but next year we will definitely have a lower pre-tour price.

Hey, first time, you learn all kinds of stuff. As we go along, we'll be better!

Thanks for buying, and see you there.
(We've met whilst under a different nom de plume.)

Posted by: Montrose Morris at October 3, 2007 4:06 PM

The Crown Heights tour was really just ok...a reflection of the people who run it one suspects.

THe best part are the homeowners that who open their homes to strangers and were so warm and welcoming.

But really other than Dean street and Hampton place, and possibly Prospect place it's a pass...not as interesting as the other Bklyn tours.

Posted by: guest at November 1, 2007 12:30 AM

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