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May 21, 2008
New Bed-Stuy Historic District in the Offing
Last week the Landmarks Preservation Commission calendered a proposal to designate two half-block cul-de-sacs in Bedford Stuyvesant a historic district. The Alice and Agate Courts Historic District would consist of 36 Queen Anne rowhouses built in the late 19th century. The houses were designed by Walter M. Coots, whose work still stands in Cobble Hill, Bushwick, East New York, Crown Heights North and Park Slope. All the residences were built at the behest of industrialist Florian Grosjean. The LPC has this to say about the proposed district: "To a large extent, the rows retain their original appearance and much of their original material. Situated just north of the busy thoroughfare of Atlantic Avenue, these Queen Anne style houses form a quiet enclave on two cul-de-sacs and represent small-scale residential development of late-nineteenth century Bedford-Stuyvesant." Click through for a map. GMAP
All images provided by the LPC.
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Comments
i love those little blocks! too bad atlantic ave is screaming by them for all eternity.
Posted by: Jimmy Legs at May 21, 2008 9:41 AM
Mr. B...didn't you have a property posted a few weeks back that was for sale on one of these two streets?
Posted by: daveinbedstuy at May 21, 2008 9:48 AM
Not a single tree visible in front of the 10 or so houses in the first picture...maybe someone could prioritze planting 5 of the 1,000,000 there.
Posted by: guest at May 21, 2008 10:34 AM
This is great for them. I, too, have always loved those two little blocks.
I do have to say, however, that I don't see why LPC picked these, and not also the more endangered row of houses on Prospect Park and Ocean Avenue. Both locations are architecturally worthy.
That said, I hope this is a jumpstart for the long overdue Bedford Corners historic district, as well as the long promised rest of Crown Heights North historic district. Central Brooklyn has some of the finest residential, sacred and commercial architecture in the city.
Montrose Morris
Posted by: guest at May 21, 2008 10:38 AM
MM, landmarking these neighborhoods will doom these houses rather than save them. These are the poorest of the poor who will simply not bother to do repairs if restrictions and added fees are placed on how they do them. I've talked to people in these areas and prospect heights about this. They will let the properties rot before they pay extra. Just look at yesterday's article on what people will let happen to their property.
Posted by: guest at May 21, 2008 10:48 AM
M.M. and her malodorous poonanner couldn't care less about the poor.
Posted by: guest at May 21, 2008 11:01 AM
M.M., don't fall for 11:01's bait. Totally worthless and old.
Posted by: faithful at May 21, 2008 11:15 AM
Good for you, faithful.
Posted by: Biff Champion at May 21, 2008 11:25 AM
faithful = 11:01
Posted by: guest at May 21, 2008 11:30 AM
is this a pic of southeast dc?
Posted by: guest at May 21, 2008 11:36 AM
ha
I went to dc for the first time in a few years and was amazed they tore up most of southeast DC. Kinda crazy they just leveled a large portion of the city to build a stadium and condos.
Posted by: guest at May 21, 2008 12:11 PM
Montrose Morris I have to agree with you.. Bedford Corners should have been landmarked 30 years ago when Stuyvesant Heights was up for LM and got it... I live in Stuyvesant Heights and I think that more blocks should be landmarked in that area... Also I want to try to get Bedford Corners landmarked but I don't know how to lead the charge... Jefferson, Hancock, Halsey, Macon, Arlington and parts of Marcy should be in th Bedford Corners landmark district.. I keep hearing that something is in the works but people have been saying that for 20 years
Posted by: guest at May 21, 2008 12:32 PM
I live in a landmarked district, and with the exception of period appropriate window replacement, most everyday repairs to most decently kept up buildings are not challenged by landmarks. Whatever exists at the time of landmarking is grandfathered in, so 10:48's remarks are not accurate.
Besides which, I find it disengenous and condescending to assume that income level dictates homeowner care to the extent that a poorer income person will let the house fall down around them rather than deal with the LPC. Futhermore, the LPC, the Landmarks Conservancy and HUD all have low interest loan programs and even a few grants available to anyone in a calendered and landmarked area.
All these organizations meet with designated areas through various community organization sponsored meetings, the internet, or through direct inquiry. Anyone who really wants to get the real story on what you can or cannot do can easily get the facts at one of these meetings, on the internet, or directly from the agencies. To simply assume that "the poorest of the poor" own these houses (huh?) and don't have pride of place, or the will to do better is simply not true.
Faithful and Biff - thanks!
Montrose Morris
Posted by: guest at May 21, 2008 12:39 PM
M.M., next time you're at the drug store, see if you can find a product called "Summer's Eve". We would gladly chip in to purchase you a lifetime supply of this product if only you will use it.
Posted by: guest at May 21, 2008 1:05 PM
M.M. = faithful = biff
Posted by: guest at May 21, 2008 1:06 PM
Montrose Morris I live in the Stuyvesant Heights landmark district but I think the 7 or so blocks it covers is really small.. how can I get landmarks to extend the SH landmark historic district up to Putnam or even better Monroe between Stuyvesant and Throop were the blocks are beautiful?
Posted by: guest at May 21, 2008 1:06 PM
What's your problem with MM 1:05?? She's practically the only one who has added anything useful to this thread. You on the other hand...
Posted by: daveinbedstuy at May 21, 2008 1:09 PM
What makes the resients of these two little streets more poor than in most of Bed STuy, or for that matter, the older residents in Clinton Hill or Fort Greene? Landmarking probably has instantly lifted the resale value of these homes. In a few years, these streets will be filled with flower boxes, designer strollers, fancy ironwork, and rich newcomers.
Posted by: guest at May 21, 2008 1:09 PM
1:06...some of those blocks are already calendared for landmark status...check with the DOB site by putting in some addresses. That said it may be a long time before the become LM status
Posted by: daveinbedstuy at May 21, 2008 1:11 PM
"What's your problem with MM 1:05?? She's practically the only one who has added anything useful to this thread."
How surprising that you would say this, given that you are M.M. and have a well-known penchant for posting under multiple names. Troll.
Posted by: guest at May 21, 2008 1:15 PM
And don't even get me started on Crown Heights. There's an article in today's paper about how the city is sending more police to Crown Heights in order to contain all of the knuckle-dragging, Jew-hating baboons who live there.
Posted by: guest at May 21, 2008 1:17 PM
11:01/1:05 has some serious disorder.
Posted by: guest at May 21, 2008 1:29 PM
Hey 1:15...where I have I posted under a different name?? I guess you know all. Talk about a troll!!!
Lunch break is long over
Posted by: daveinbedstuy at May 21, 2008 1:35 PM
1:17, CH has always been a sort of 'proving ground' for anti-semitism. So, this is not news. Why ask us to dwell on it?
Posted by: guest at May 21, 2008 1:36 PM
thanks a lot daveinbedstuy... Now i have to figure out away to put some fire under the landmark board... I am all about perserving Bedford Stuyvesant
Posted by: guest at May 21, 2008 1:41 PM
1:41...I haven't looked into any of that process myself. My block is calendared. One of the ladies on my block whose husband is on CB3 told me that it occurs block by block but if there are "offensive" facades still remaining then they won't do it. Offensive usually means covered over with some bad stone/fake brick veneer.
Posted by: daveinbedstuy at May 21, 2008 1:54 PM
oh no dave that stuff is all over the place.. also the cars in the front area... Why do people do this?
Posted by: guest at May 21, 2008 2:44 PM
2:44...same reason I wore bell bottoms in the 60s...it was fashionable to put that stuff on or on your house back then!!!!
Posted by: daveinbedstuy at May 21, 2008 4:22 PM
1:09 "In a few years, these streets will be filled with flower boxes, designer strollers, fancy ironwork, and rich newcomers."
These are pretty little blocks, but that ain't
going to happen. A block from Albany? Get real.
Posted by: guest at May 21, 2008 5:28 PM
5:28, isn't that what your clone said 10 years ago about fort greene, etc?
Posted by: Jimmy Legs at May 21, 2008 6:31 PM
Two beautiful blocks worthy of landmark status. Attention by the City can now be given to these two blocks (the Landmarks Commission should spearhead this assistance)to get trees planted, tree pit guard rails installed compliments of BP Marty Markowitz's Neigborhood Beautification Program, get the NYC Dept. of Tranportation to look at how to mitigate the particular transportation issues these blocks experience b/c they're next to busy Atlantic Ave. & the LIRR.
Next focus for the Landmarks Commission must be Bedford Corners - Macon, Halsey, Hancock, Jefferson, Putnam - bounded by Marcy & Bedford Avenues - We need the City's attention & resources to support the efforts already underway by owners & renters who are preserving, improving & beautifying these wonderful blocks full of history & architectual character - the Gems of this City - Bed Stuy is alive & well.
Posted by: guest at May 21, 2008 7:11 PM
Landmarking a large area takes years. Years! The LPC is literally swamped with neighborhoods all over the city that want to be landmarked, and landmarked soon. They are woefully understaffed and overworked. Landmarking takes an awful lot of research by trained people with architectural backgrounds, as well as field researchers to go out and document each and every building in a proposed district. And that's before calendering. If I had known about this 25 years ago, I would have applied to work there, it sounds like a fascinating career to be young and underpaid in.
Anyone wanting their area landmarked needs to lauch a campaign with an organization, (start one, if need be), local politicians must be brought on board, and it helps to do a lot of the preliminary legwork, like photos, yourself. It is also very important to make sure the community wants it, so meetings and grass roots community work is crucial. Then you get it all to the LPC, get your electeds to follow up, and stand in line, there's a whole city in front of you.
Good luck to Bedford Corners, and anywhere else.
Posted by: guest at May 21, 2008 11:55 PM
Forgot to mention anyone interested in what an LPC report has it in should go to their website and pull up one of the recent designations. They are very thorough, meticulous and full of architectural jargon, and historic information.
http://www.nyc.gov/html/lpc/html/home/home.shtml
Montrose Morris
Posted by: guest at May 22, 2008 12:03 AM
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