Comparing the Past and the Present

Cool! I'm with BRG.

In Crown Heights North, on St. Marks Ave, there used to be blocks of large mansions on spacious lots, perhaps 4 or 5 huge homes on a long city block. Existing photos show magnificent, way cool mansions of the very well off of their day. They are all gone, but one. By the first decade of the 20th cent, they were replaced by apartment buildings, which could house thousands of people in spaces that once housed less than 100, including staff. I wish I could have seen those houses, but I understand they had to go. The difference between then and now, is that the apartment buildings that went up on these blocks are also architectural gems, with large, spacious apartments, impressive lobbies, and beautiful exterior facades and design elements.

Point being, progress, and the needs of many over the few, is usually inevitable. That does not mean that it has to be cheap, ugly, or dumbed down to the most common of denominators. Today's developers and their architects need to take more cues from what has made this city great architecturally, and design and build for longevity, and the betterment of the city, as well as for profit and need.

Posted by: Montrose Morris at November 7, 2008 12:50 PM

Polemicist, what in the hell are you talking about?

The great buildings of our city, the Empire State Building, the Chrysler Building, Flatiron Building, Woolworth Building, St. Patrick's Cathedral, St. John The Divine, Williamsburg Bank Building, Montauk Club, Dime Savings Bank, and a bazillion other buildings, both private homes and commercial buildings, were built as much for the betterment of the city, as for practical use. It used to be an architect and/or builder wanted his building to add to the greatness that is this city, not just to make money. He may have equally wanted to add to his own glorification, reputation or ego boosting, but so what? It used to be a corporation, or even a rich tycoon held a competition for architects to see who could best articulate a vision. Part and parcel of this vision was adding something memorable to the skyline or to a neighborhood, not just being functional, affordable or even expensive. This isn't a utopian vision, it's a manifestation of man's quest for beauty and artistic expression through building. And part of that manifestation is the desire and ability to create something that will last for ages, if possible. What architect, or tycoon, business, house of worship, or homeowner wants to build just for the moment?

Sure, the free market provides those who can have these buildings built, and gives those who have the wherewithal choice. But that's a by product, not the cause.

Posted by: Montrose Morris at November 7, 2008 2:20 PM