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April 7, 2009

Heinous Bricks Confirmed at 324 Grand Avenue

As we feared, it's looking like 324 Grand Avenue is going to be as tough on the eyes as its older sister across the street. Quel bummer!
Development Watch: 324-328 Grand Avenue [Brownstoner]
324 Grand Avenue Status Check [Brownstoner] GMAP
SWO for 324 Grand Avenue [Brownstoner] P*Shark DOB
Development Watch: 328 Grand Avenue [Brownstoner]
328 Grand: Here Today, Gone Tomorrow [Brownstoner]
Razing 328 Grand: What a Waste [Brownstoner]

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Ah, those cheap bricks made by the Joseph P. Heinous company, hence the term "Heinous brick".

Seriously, I would be curious to find out what those bricks are made of, as opposed to the classic clay brick, which can last for hundreds of years. It would also be interesting to find out if cinderblock faced with brick is as sturdy a construction medium as 4 or so layers of brick, as in late 19th century construction. We need to get a contractor/builder to comment on Brownstoner.

Posted by: Montrose Morris at April 7, 2009 10:39 AM

MM, how much cheaper (%-wise) do you them them to be vs. classic clay brick? Cause these are UGLY - real ugly.

Posted by: more4less at April 7, 2009 10:45 AM

WHY???

Why can't they just use red brick? Even red brickface? I'm sure these atrocious "party colored" bricks cost more money than just plain old red.

So ugly, just so g*damned ugly.

Posted by: TownhouseLady at April 7, 2009 10:47 AM

I think yellow brick is even worse.

Posted by: eh at April 7, 2009 11:03 AM

quote:

Why can't they just use red brick? Even red brickface? I'm sure these atrocious "party colored" bricks cost more money than just plain old red.

gasp! i thought we're supposed to cherish diversity!

i have no opinion about the bricks. they're just bricks :-/

*rob*

Posted by: PitbullNYC at April 7, 2009 11:04 AM

This brick is commonly used in the south for historical reproduction type sub divisions. Residential construction, two story private homes... My favorite brick type is the one with the distressed antique pock marks. They are actually molded and you can spot the mechanically reproduced squiggle mark every ten bricks or so. Think Cracker Barrel Restaurant.

Posted by: IMBY at April 7, 2009 11:22 AM

there is an araprtment building a block or so from where I live with the most beautiful parti-colored brick. It goes from a purple through several earthtones and reds.

This faux brick stuff must be dirt cheap otherwise why would it be used in so much new construction? It's the quickest way to make a new building look cheap and shoddy.

Posted by: bxgrl at April 7, 2009 11:44 AM

For curiosity sake I took a look at a brickface co.

This red brickface doesn't look nearly as bad as the one above or the yellow we saw on Horror Show Friday's:

http://www.tristate-brickface.com/gallery-detail.asp?id=240

That's what I don't understand. I'm sure the argument is cost when it comes to brickface over cinderblock vs. classic old school construction clay bricks. What I don't get is with this sort of coloration option available in brickface if building in a historical neighborhood why not go with something that's more classic looking?

Posted by: TownhouseLady at April 7, 2009 11:58 AM

I'm assuming the brick face is made out of some kind of cheaper composite material rather than clay ... but I have no idea why developers continue to pick brown and yellow instead of red.

Personally though, while I prefer real brick by a landslide, I think all brick looks better once it's been weathered for a few decades (at least). That would probably apply to this stuff, too. Part of the reason I think it stands out so much is that it looks too new.

Posted by: cwbuecheler at April 7, 2009 12:23 PM

I wonder how this brick will age in the first place. Or will it simply deteriorate?

Posted by: bxgrl at April 7, 2009 12:38 PM

it's too glossy too - almost like "hey, look here at my ugliness". Looking at these new construction and the pre-war ones, putting in some sort of pattern with the bricks does wonders too. But like everything else, these new constuction bldgs seem to be designed without any thought

Posted by: more4less at April 7, 2009 1:23 PM

Oh get a life people. The owners built a beautiful building to replace the overgrown dilapidated lot that was there before. They added class to the neighborhood if you ask me. So what if some people don't like the color or the quality of the brick- I don't hear anyone volunteering to pay for the ones you want...

And 328- it needed to come down. That place was a fire hazard and a disaster. It was falling apart for 30 years before the owners decided to invest and build it up now. I'm surprised the fire marshals didn't take a wrecking ball to it decades ago. Give the people at 328 credit for adding to the neighborhood and for providing (maybe Heinous, but at least) safe facing to a building you pass every day.

Posted by: dassaB at April 7, 2009 1:38 PM

not debating impovemt vs. what was there. The headline is asking for comments on the brick. The brick is ugly.

Posted by: more4less at April 7, 2009 1:51 PM

This is a blog about Jon posted the thread and asked for reactions. We responded.It's still a free country.

New cheap ugly brick is new cheap ugly brick. And if the detail photo is any indication, I wonder how well it's contructed overall.

Posted by: bxgrl at April 7, 2009 1:55 PM

the buildings bring tenants = artists = money = brings up our area.
personally i'm glad someone took the initiative to build up our 'hood.
you have nothing better to do with your lives? stop ripping into people you don't know squat about. they never did anything to you except maybe raise the value of the land u'r living on.

Posted by: Pechas at April 7, 2009 1:56 PM

admitted, the brick is ugly. but what's uglier is the way you guys rip into anyone doing anything to improve the hood you live in.

how well its' constructed? def, better than most of the other places on the street.

Posted by: Pechas at April 7, 2009 1:59 PM

I don't livethere- we're simply commenting on the brick. If you want to make that into a social statement that's your problem, not ours.

Posted by: bxgrl at April 7, 2009 2:13 PM

And furthermore- I have no problem with anyone doing anyhting to improve a neighborhood. Its needed. And I'm glad to hear it's better constructed than most on the block- doesn't mean the people who buy or rent there should be paying for shoddy construction.

There was a very beautiful, large apartment building that went up in the Bronx near where i used to live. "luxury" they said. Construction was concrete, and cinderblock. Within a year they had major water damage problems and rain would just literally ooze through the walls. That was only one of the major problems. It's now low/mid income rental. Which itself is a sad commentary on us as well. That poor and working poor people should get to live in crap housing.

Posted by: bxgrl at April 7, 2009 2:20 PM

Fine bxgrl.

I DO live there. I don't say I love it. Just can't stand the haters out to bash everything cos they're morons with nothing better to do.

Posted by: Pechas at April 7, 2009 2:21 PM

First of all, this is not better than what was there; there was an attractive old warehouse structure there that a creative developer could have built on top of. Second of all, how Pechas can say this is better constructed than other stuff on the street is silly. There are plenty of 19th century brownstones a stone's throw from this building that are still holding their own. Wonder if we'll be able to say the same thing for this place in, oh, say, the year 2150.

Posted by: brownstoner at April 7, 2009 2:37 PM

uh brownstoner? Have you ever been in the old 328? I have. It was a dump. Trust me, it wasn't worth saving even if it could be saved.

And just because the other places on the street look like they're holding their own doesn't mean they are. You're welcome inside mine anytime and I'll show you exactly what brownstoners are really made of.

Which is NOT to say I don't love my neighborhood and my home and everything else I grew up with. Just saying that not necessarily is everything new, bad.

And in 2150 we'll all be dead. Who gives a damn?

Posted by: Pechas at April 7, 2009 2:43 PM

Pechas = developer?

Posted by: Putnamdenizen at April 7, 2009 2:51 PM

Not buying it. This is another example of a developer who completely lacks any taste or concern for aesthetics (although at least his windows line up). No way around it. And no excuse for it.

Posted by: brownstoner at April 7, 2009 3:17 PM

pechas- none of us is a hater or out to bash anything. that's your line, not ours. I find it pretty funny that you're calling people haters and bashers because we stated a brick preference. That's more than a little ridiculous

Posted by: bxgrl at April 7, 2009 4:10 PM

seriously?? lol wtf do yall really care about what brick they use? hilarious!! get a life people. that block used to look a lot worse. were any of you living here when across the street from that site was just an ugly, empty lot? thought so. most people who are actually FROM the neighborhood welcome the change.

Posted by: BKALLDAY at May 28, 2009 8:00 PM

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April 7, 2009

Heinous Bricks Confirmed at 324 Grand Avenue

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