Friday Links

that shack on tha canal is awesome

Posted by: guest at February 15, 2008 8:19 AM

That shack in Gowanus is the saddest listing in the history of Real Estate.

That broker should be ashamed.

Posted by: guest at February 15, 2008 8:22 AM

"Some Cities Are Spared the Slide in Housing" Riiiight!!! I think you should read this.

Bank Risk Soars on Concern Bond Insurer Breakup May Fuel Losses

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=acA8ys0KSTbw&refer=home

And

Muni Regulators Seek Disclosure on Auction-Rate Bonds

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=abzW0RRyRgas&refer=home

Lookie here! The bond market is going to take Real Estate to the wood shed. The idiots Washington are trying to give money away but, the Bond Market no likey that!

The What

Someday this war is gonna end...

Posted by: guest at February 15, 2008 8:32 AM

That story about the Mitchell Lama apt. is disgusting. Why should this wannabe artist from a comfortable suburb be given a 14K apt. in an exclusive area when so many other deserving types go without? How about a person struggling with a minimum wage job or an elderly person on a fixed income? Very sad that a young, able-bodied man is rewarded just because he fancies himself an artist.

Posted by: guest at February 15, 2008 8:53 AM

cool pic. wow, that gowanus house is literally 8 feet across. the broker and owner must be on crack.

Posted by: guest at February 15, 2008 9:43 AM

He may be an aspiring writer, but he's making a living as a teacher, which in my opinion makes him more than deserving of a program like Mitchell Lama. Isn't that what the program is for? To enable working people who could not otherwise afford to live in Manhattan a chance to find affordable housing. Why is he any less deserving than any other working person? Just because he's from Bronxville? Please. Grow up.

Posted by: guest at February 15, 2008 9:44 AM

I agree with 8:53. Pretty disgusting.

Posted by: guest at February 15, 2008 9:51 AM

And yet another "affordable housing" article ignores Bay Ridge.

Awesome.

Posted by: guest at February 15, 2008 9:51 AM

I don't find the Mitchell Lama story at all offensive. The guy is an English teacher and has low income. He's writing a a novel. He applied for a Mitchell Lama lottery and won.

Sounds like a decent middle class person able to stay in the City. There should be many more housing opportunities for people like that.

Posted by: guest at February 15, 2008 9:52 AM

I wouldn't blow 500k on any of those "houses"

This market is ridiculous.

Posted by: guest at February 15, 2008 10:07 AM

according to the listing, 9:43, the lot on the Gowanus house is 20 x90 and the house itself is 20 x 43. My guess is a developer buys it and tears it the down.

Posted by: guest at February 15, 2008 10:24 AM

9:51, we didn't ignore Bay Ridge, we avoided it. If we wanted to live with a bunch of Republicans, we'd move to Oklahoma.

Posted by: guest at February 15, 2008 10:29 AM

its just your run-of-the-mill anti-white racism. he's white and from bronxville so he must be rich... zzzzzzzzzzzz

The 'tards on this blog.

Posted by: guest at February 15, 2008 10:37 AM

The What's ESL classes are progressing.

Posted by: guest at February 15, 2008 10:47 AM

10:29am: why did Bay Ridge elect democrats to the city council and state assembly then?

btw: Brooklyn Democrats for Change is based in Bay Ridge.

Posted by: guest at February 15, 2008 10:54 AM

Yes great pic. God I love B&W photography. It's like a blast of fresh air to see B&W again. The world is a brutal cacophany of color these days. In print, on the web, on the street, in fashion. Yuck.

The shack would be a fun project for a young architect to buy and redo. Do an all new funky facade. Make a cute mod cottage.

Posted by: guest at February 15, 2008 11:36 AM

I'm sure the writer, should he strike it rich (doubtful, quite frankly, with publishing as it is right now) will give back, or sell to another artist at a low price.

People who are the beneficiaries of generosity are often generous in return. That's what people don't get...

Posted by: guest at February 15, 2008 11:40 AM

if that shack is 20 feet wide, I'm Hillary Rodham Clinton.

Posted by: guest at February 15, 2008 12:59 PM

Have a heart 8:53 and 9:51. Do either of you make $49,625 or less a year? If so, apply for an apartment! If not, give thanks for your good health (that allowed you to work hard) and good fortune (surely someone gave you a hand on your way up the ladder?) and don't worry about the fact that a private school teacher and aspiring writer managed to snag a tiny apartment that had no stove. His good fortune takes nothing away from you, and he is exactly the kind of person affordable housing was meant for. This hard-working middle-income girl raises a styrofoam cup of wine to him.

Posted by: guest at February 15, 2008 1:58 PM

The whole anti-artist is so retarded. Who do you think championed the poor and exposed their plight for centuries, a lot of times when they were the only ones doing so?

Artists. Artists have done way more for the poor than any of you ever have. Now all artists get from the poor is jealousy. What, if it's not hip hop it's not authentic? Are novels and paintings not keepin' it real?

And then there's the job market and economy. Just watch what NYC becomes if there are no artists living here anymore, because all affordable housing goes to everybody else but artists because it's not politically correct to support the arts. It's the arts and culture of NYC that brings tourism, the tourism that provides oh, about ALL the hospitality and service industry jobs here. Affordable housing is not only about handouts for those who are officially recognized as "poor" in some political, mass-marketed way.

Jeez. Get an education. It's free, you know. So are libraries. You just have to show up and actually care about becoming intelligent and well-rounded. The only cultures throughout history who have hated artists and writers were fascist dictatorships. Like the Nazis.

Posted by: guest at February 15, 2008 2:16 PM

Im not anti-artists, I don't know why anyone would be, but your "Who do you think championed the poor and exposed their plight for centuries, a lot of times when they were the only ones doing so?" is just tripe.
I suggest you get the education.

Posted by: guest at February 15, 2008 3:01 PM

rh, I really like your blog. Though Brookyn is my home, I think it's healthy to like other places outside of the city. I may visit your blog more often!

The article you linked to and wrote totally resonates with me. I too hated Bay Ridge growing up there. It is a little hard to get Tony Manero out of my head, but it's definitely changing.

The Tony Maneros and the Archie Bunker types have left. I guess they don't want to live with the new influx of immigrants. Those who have stayed are the "cool ones" (as labeled by my friends)

In addition, on the Bay Ridge parent boards, there a few familes each week introducing themselves saying they've sold their apt in Park Slope/Cobble Hill/Fort Green/other brownstone neighborhoods/etc and have bought a house in Bay Ridge. They all say they love it here. And there is definitely a vibe amongst the online parents of wanting to start food co-ops or use a CSA, practice attachment parenting, encourage recycling and clean up of the neighborhood, and all that other stuff you wouldn't normally think of Bay Ridge as being into.

Actually there was one parent who posted something so completley racist about arabs and Muslims and she was just so flamed. I never thought I would ever see the day that would happen from Bay Ridge residents. It was heartening actually.

I know, it's only an online parenting group, but it's quite active and sizeable and perhaps a slight indication of how things are going there.

Posted by: guest at February 16, 2008 10:58 AM

Well I suggest you read more than this blog, 3:01. If you knew anything about the topic you'd know subsidized housing for artists is supported by almost nobody in city government anymore. Because it's politically incorrect and it doesn't get support among low income voters. And that's what I was ranting about.

Posted by: guest at February 18, 2008 9:37 AM