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August 18, 2008

Checking In On Olive Park

Olive-Park-0808.jpg
It's been a couple of years since we checked in on the Olive Park Condos. (Curbed took a look a year ago.) Back then it didn't have a name. It also didn't have the strange structural appendages that is has now. (What's the deal with those?) Regardless of being a few stops out on the L train, Olive Park has fared pretty well in the marketplace: 70 of the development's 87 units are currently in contract. The remaining 17 are a mix of studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments ranging in price from $370,000 to $915,000. One buyer was excited enough about his purchase to start a blog dedicated to his new home.
Development Watch: 100 Maspeth Avenue [Brownstoner] GMAP P*Shark




Posted by Brownstoner at 11:01 AM | Comments (16)
Categories: Condos, Williamsburg

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Comments

Those appendages are flying buttresses on account of the whole building being hollow and having 75ft ceilings.

Posted by: dittoburg at August 18, 2008 10:57 AM

I heard that it was originally built too close to the street, and this was the shortcut way to preserve the building's structural integrity while also keeping with code.

Posted by: deen at August 18, 2008 11:27 AM

Yeah, I think they put those in to stabilize the building. That location used to be great, but I am not sure it is still with the scary ghetto-condo row all built down Maspeth. I'm torn about this one - I think it's more interesting than a lot of Williamsburg projects, but I also think that the condo boom around here has kind of gutted the sleepy, quiet charm of this neighborhood.

Posted by: Heather at August 18, 2008 12:28 PM

This is on a dirty charmless stretch of road surrounded by a dirty charmless neighborhood.

I heard the struts were glued on as an after thought when it was determined the building wouldn't stand up without them.

Finally, just west of here there are at least 12-15 condo developments that are dying on the market and going rental. Not much of an investment if you could get a loan at all.

No thanks.

Posted by: kuroko at August 18, 2008 12:31 PM

Kuroko, that whole block was small 2 families, with a warehouse where Olive Park is now. Across the street were a few old single families that looked like farmhouses. There's a shrine at the intersection of Maspeth and Humboldt. It had plenty of charm, actually -- and around the corner Orient Avenue used to be the nicest block in Williamsburg.

And then real estate values exploded and everyone sold or died and now it looks like this.

Posted by: Heather at August 18, 2008 12:38 PM

"It had plenty of charm" - past tense.

"Orient Avenue used to be the nicest block in Williamsburg." - past tense.

"...and now it looks like this."

Heather, can't tell if you arguing for or against my assertion that this is a dirty charmless area.

Also, is this really Williamsburg or given it has a 11222 zip code isn't it more like Industrial Greenpoint?

As for real estate values in this area exploding, I think we are witnessing an opposite and equal response called implosion.

Posted by: kuroko at August 18, 2008 1:15 PM

This building is REALLY ugly.

Posted by: 11217 at August 18, 2008 1:22 PM

"This is on a dirty charmless stretch of road surrounded by a dirty charmless neighborhood."

Simply put, unless you are well connected to that community, it's on the "wrong" side of the BQE.

Posted by: DOW8000SP800 at August 18, 2008 1:40 PM

"Well" connected moved out of that nabe years ago...dems only associates my friend. Fugeddaboutit.

Posted by: kuroko at August 18, 2008 2:38 PM

Didn't mean that kind of "connected", kuroko. "Sonny Black [USED to belong] in Brooklyn."

Posted by: DOW8000SP800 at August 18, 2008 4:03 PM

I am arguing against your assertion that it was ALWAYS a dirty, charmless area. I think it used to be a dirty yet charming area. Now it seems a little creepy.

Posted by: Heather at August 18, 2008 4:08 PM

Heather...I wrote "is" not "was".

Posted by: kuroko at August 18, 2008 4:24 PM

I've got to say, those flying buttresses are disgusting, and if it is true they are required to maintain the structural integrity of the building - that is very bad news.

I have never heard of any building constructed this century that required such a design feature.

Posted by: Polemicist at August 18, 2008 5:02 PM

Once again, this is NOT structural. It's zoning.

There's apparently a huge loophole in the zoning laws that allows them to build bigger if they qualify for the Quality Housing program, which requires a continuous streetwall (i.e. not setbacks). The building was originally built with setbacks, and they had to add these columns to extend out to the property line.

What's hard for me to believe is that these columns qualify as a continuous streetwall for zoning purposes, but apparently they do.

Posted by: zinka at August 18, 2008 7:29 PM

50years from now someone will be arguing that the building should be landmarked due to its interesting design.

Posted by: fsrg at August 19, 2008 10:12 AM

I think this building is actually pretty good looking - compared to the sand stone/brown poo brick color that dominates this neighborhood. Also, it's RIGHT on a park, and has a pool (what??). I would much rather live here where it's quiet and has some nice interesting architecture than the clusterf**ck McCarren park neighborhood. Also I live in the "ghetto row buildings" and they're actually quite nice and as far as being in the ghetto - in four years I've never had any problems with crime or loud frat boys coming home from bars. Also, haven't you HEARD??..Michel Gondry lives next door...on Orient Avenue.

Posted by: Auro at August 19, 2008 11:14 AM

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