« Exteriors: Green Roof in Bloom Front Page Forum: Modern in Carroll Gardens »
October 16, 2008
The Charming Paint Peeler Reincarnated
Last spring, we lamented the loss of a sweet, albeit somewhat dilapidated, wood-framed Windsor Terrace House (apparently the previous owner had been there for over two decades without undertaking a lick of maintenance); it was bought and torn down in March. Well, here's what went up at 1518 10th Avenue instead.
Charming Paint Peeler, RIP [Brownstoner] GMAP P*Shark
Paint-Peeling Charm in Windsor Terrace [Brownstoner]
Trackback Pings
TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://www.brownstoner.com/mte/mt-tb.cgi/6617
Comments
Wow, it looks like those setback requirements were a brilliant idea!
Is it any wonder the NYC Department of City Planning is such a joke?
My god.
Posted by: Polemicist at October 16, 2008 11:13 AM
Who is the Friggin architect? What the hell is this shit??? The facade actually had some potential before that assinine staircase got added and the Home Depot door was slapped on. The roof, brickwork and windows look great, almost Georgian.
They couldn't have put some landscaping in the front????
However, without a better look at the street it might actually be the nicest house on the street.
Posted by: daveinbedstuy at October 16, 2008 11:14 AM
I guess it could be worse. But they should get rid of that fug door and the ugly A/C unit on the bottom unit. Oh and actually put some grass in the front instead of the concrete playground they have now.
Posted by: 7andfive at October 16, 2008 11:15 AM
Not enough parking spots.
Posted by: EnglishKills at October 16, 2008 11:15 AM
What a terrible decision!
The developer will make much less than he would have if he had kept the original facade or at least attempted to replicate it if the original was beyond repair.
Some folks have no sense or appreciation for history.
Posted by: IronBalls at October 16, 2008 11:16 AM
I absolutely agree with all of the above but...
If you look at the streeview of this one block. This is actually pretty nice in comparison. There are no exceptional houses flanking it.
Posted by: TownhouseLady at October 16, 2008 11:18 AM
It's pretty restrained given what they could have done.
It looks like it's setback about as far as the previous house.
If you put in some plantings and fixed up the door and added a garage door, it would not be bad.
Posted by: Park Place at October 16, 2008 11:21 AM
Whats the big deal - the old house was setback, ugly and had horrible stairs - and now the new house is attractive, setback and has even uglier stairs - seems to me it is ultimately a 'dime or 10 pennies'
Posted by: fsrg at October 16, 2008 11:23 AM
I keep waiting for someone behind the house to push it forward into place. If it was set back any further it would be in the next block. How stupid.
The facade isn't that bad, from the second floor up. The front door is atrocious, and I would have doglegged the stairway, that stairway to heaven is awful. But the materials and roofline are nice, and the block looks eclectic enough for this to fit in, except for the horror of the setback, that drive through to the parking lot in the back (so much for a yard or any greenery on this property whatsoever, apparently.)
Not the worst, but could have been much better. Of course, it goes without saying that I would not have torn down the original. It could have been renovated and been quite charming.
Posted by: Montrose Morris at October 16, 2008 11:26 AM
Park Place...you think they's add a nice looking architectural garage door? Me thinks not!! I like the carport look. it's look better if it had some stone casings and lintels like the window. This had so much potential and lost it all with that porch & staircase. Anybody know what foolishly unrealistic price they are asking???
Posted by: daveinbedstuy at October 16, 2008 11:26 AM
the new B'stoner diet plan: Post pics of FUG right before lunchtime, then lose appetite. it's working for me!
Posted by: bowl of dicks at October 16, 2008 11:39 AM
You all are nuts. I'd buy it in a heart beat (well, okay, maybe I'd like to know what they want for it)
There is nothing wrong with this place that I couldn't fix myself. I already have a sledgehammer (yeah, I do. In my apartment. Okay?) with which to rip out the paving and put in a lovely shade garden.
Ugly front door? Replace it.
Don't like the banisters? Okay, so I couldn't do that overnight, but even there we're not looking at vinyl siding or frightening chrome. I think a person could make that work.
So yeah: what are they asking?
Posted by: serpentor at October 16, 2008 11:43 AM
I agree it has a Georgian look and had potential until the stairs, railing, and awful leaded glass door was added. You see them on a lot of Fedders buildings. I think developers actually believe those doors look "period" or historical and not like the suburban mcmansion style doors they actually are.
My problem with the facade is that rainbow brite multi-colored brick. I hate that kind of brick. There are way better options out there but I feel I seldom see brick on newly built buildings I like in Brooklyn. The builders just don't have the taste to choose the best materials. There is such thing as bricks that look aged, to match historic brick. You can also buy antique bricks from businesses that only sell salvaged brick and stone.
Posted by: traditionalmod at October 16, 2008 11:46 AM
serpentor is right.
Posted by: daveinbedstuy at October 16, 2008 11:47 AM
Added note: If there were green in front this would be loads and loads better. I know it takes up a parking space to do it but I'd fence off the space to the left of the stairs and put a front garden there. Makes a much nicer view for that lower window too, than looking out over a car hood.
Posted by: traditionalmod at October 16, 2008 11:48 AM
Don't you worry Montrose, I'm going to dogleg that stairway as I relieve myself on my way to work tomorrow.
Posted by: Left Hook at October 16, 2008 11:50 AM
traditionalalmond...the brick is somehwt reminding me ogf the brick used in the more expensive 18th century Philadelphia homes where traditional bricks are mixed with a black glazed brick. This isn't bad from that standpoint.
it just needs an architect from Charleston to come up and redesign the porch and stairs and add something to the carport. And, of course, some landscaping. A nice Southern magnolia!!!!
Posted by: daveinbedstuy at October 16, 2008 11:50 AM
YIKES...THL, You can stop trolling the Mill Basin Listings, this one is a winner.
Posted by: bayridgegirl at October 16, 2008 11:51 AM
Dave: Architect? What architect?
Posted by: Park Sloper at October 16, 2008 11:52 AM
I think that by keeping the setback and building within the previous building's footprint, he was showing an appreciation of history. And the buildings on either side aren't uniform, so what's wrong with a little more variety?
I could do with a little less parking and a little more landscaping, but that's an easy fix. Or maybe I'd rent out a spot to a neighbor. I think the going rate for offstreet parking over there is around $200/month.
Posted by: Flatbushwhacker at October 16, 2008 11:52 AM
Somebody please drive by and get the listing info.
Posted by: daveinbedstuy at October 16, 2008 11:55 AM
Not enough Feeders!
Posted by: bayridgegirl at October 16, 2008 12:00 PM
Watched this one go up. Montrose's sensible comment of dog-legging the stair doesn't work here since obviously the idea is to park a car (possibly for a tenant on the ground floor) to the left of the stair. My guess is that the whole building setback is about parking, and no, it is not required by city planning to be this way (quite the opposite, actually).
This infill is atrocious. The clumsy detailing is especially obvious in person, but even in this photo one can see the hopelessly awkward window proportions ("one size fits all!"), the crappy pretend muntins, the bizarre keystone detail in each window surround. The PVC vent in the front nicely complements the white leaders from the gutter -- I just don't get it. Doing a frame house with siding would have looked better than all this mishmash. Or: fixing the old one. It had charm, and more importantly, good proportions.
But I guess if you have three cars and can't deal with moving 'em once a week, here's your nirvana.
Posted by: an architect in Brooklyn at October 16, 2008 12:00 PM
I think the developer seems to have made an effort to make the house fit in with its surroundings. At least they didn't just plunk down some modern-looking building.
The stairs and porch certainly need work and it definitely wants some greenery ... and obviously it being set back is unfortunate, but I think that was a legal thing?
Anyway, I agree with DIBS and serpentor -- it wouldn't take much to make this pretty good looking.
Posted by: cwbuecheler at October 16, 2008 12:01 PM
Nothing says cheap to me like one of those front doors. When I see those mcmansions in jersey with those front doors it is like an affirmation that I will never ever leave brooklyn.
Posted by: boroughbred at October 16, 2008 12:09 PM
Not much to say about the current place, except to agree that a garden would do wonders for it. And I think the roof is really cute.
But I'd just like to add that I did some door-to-door political work in this area a few years back, and I was supposed to go to this house but I did not because it FRIGHTENED me. It was just very crazy, and it really seemed like there were dead bodies hidden somewhere on that porch.
Anything is an improvement.
Posted by: lookin fer stuff at October 16, 2008 12:12 PM
sad thing is, the developer/builder KNOWS he's built a classy, bee-oo-tee-ful house.
Posted by: pfa at October 16, 2008 12:24 PM
Also saw this one from start to finish... Brownstoner the old photo you provide above, is that the tax photo from 20+ years ago because what was left of the actual frame house couldn't have been anything more than sawdust, lead paintchips, and the DNA (read body fluids) of the family that lived there. If the inside looked anything like the outside, which I can't even imagine, they did the right thing.
An Arch. in Brooklyn, question. What's the style called in that part of Windsor Terrace where they incorporate rocks into the brick face? There seems to be a lot of these styled homes in the area.
Posted by: IMBY at October 16, 2008 12:28 PM
Come on guys - I think you're being a little unreasonable here. Sure, the stairs and door are ugly, but the windows and roof look pretty nice. The builder could have just slapped up another generic fedders buildling, but it looks like some thought actually went into this one.
Tough Crowd!!
Posted by: A Guest at October 16, 2008 12:45 PM
^Not unreasonable at all. Masonry construction is expensive, so it makes sense to plan ahead rather than get this result. Many problems with this facade could have been addressed if someone had simply drawn it first.
There's a reason why the carpenters say "measure twice, cut one" -- the first time you envision the facade should not be when the masons are done making their openings!
What you have here instead is a facade generated by the plan: a plan for cars on the ground level, and minimum light and air requirements above. The plan says window here. What size? What's in the catalog? What's the minimum for air? OK, we're done here.
***
The Flintstones style, IMBY. A bastardization of random rubble facades from fifties ranch homes or garden walls in suburbia. "My uncle knows this mason / you'll never have to paint that" etc.
Now OTOH random ashlar can look good.
Posted by: an architect in Brooklyn at October 16, 2008 1:08 PM
I hope all the buildings like this that have been built over the last two years are the last to sell, so that when the next building boom comes along the motto will beautiful buildings sell first ugly building sell last. Of curse this would pre-suppose some decimation on the part of the buyers.
It looks like a bad stage set in a Tudor play.
Architectural illiterates made manifest.
Shelter from the weather.
Posted by: mark swiss at October 16, 2008 1:37 PM
As mentioned above, it looks to me like maintaining the setback was entirely for parking purposes. No homage to what was there. That said, I have an unexpected fondness for new construction that awkwardly tries to evoke fancy dancy historic styles.
Posted by: Carol Gardens at October 16, 2008 2:57 PM
OH MY GOD! This place is packed with retards.... this place looks a million times better than the ramshackle of a place it replaces.
And would you rather the USUAL yellow brick, bensonhurst/bay ridge beauty?
Whoever did this actually took some effort to create something that looks nice... not just the cheapest things available.
AAARGH!!!!
Posted by: tybur6 at October 16, 2008 3:17 PM
I'm ashamed to say that I kind of like it. It's not pretty but has a kind of brutal practicality to it.
Also if you plastered the left wall and painted it white, you'd have a phenomenal screen for a projector - instant drive-in movie theatre!
Posted by: the chicken at October 16, 2008 3:44 PM
The cool thing would have been to build an updated version of the original design (the one pictured in the inset), or to renovate the home to its original look. That said, it's not bad of this kind.
Posted by: East New York at October 16, 2008 4:06 PM
I don't find the design all that bad considering what's been going on in other part's of the neighborhood.
The only problem I have is with the Lack of planting's or an actual front yard. This will probably mean the owner intend's to park a car on that left side of the house.
I've seen it in 2 or 3 other house in the neighborhood in the past year. A homeowner on East 3rd street turned his property into a 3 family rental.He paved over the front yard(illegaly) and actually advertised the parking space as coming with the apartment. He's been fined a few times and actually had a neighbor's(lagally parked) car towed from in front of the house. Some Homeowner up the block from me on east 5th cut the curb a few years back put in a double gate and put up a no parking sign. if thats not crazy enough for ya, The man does'nt have a car, and his front yard is so small I'd be suprised if a smart car would fit in there.
Posted by: richierich at October 22, 2008 12:47 AM
Latest Restaurant Additions
-
Canaille
added January 9, 2009 12:00 PM in Park Slope -
Le Toukouleur
added January 8, 2009 12:00 PM in Bedford Stuyvesant -
Hibino
added January 7, 2009 12:00 PM in Cobble Hill -
James
added January 6, 2009 12:00 PM in Prospect Heights -
Abistro
added January 5, 2009 12:00 PM in Fort Greene -
Wing Wagon
added December 30, 2008 12:00 PM in Prospect Heights -
Babouche
added December 29, 2008 12:00 PM in Park Slope -
La Maison du Couscous
added December 23, 2008 12:00 PM in Bay Ridge -
Sotto Voce
added December 22, 2008 12:00 PM in Park Slope -
Pedro's
added December 19, 2008 12:00 PM in Dumbo
Post a comment
Please be patient while your comment is published. It may take a moment.