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June 15, 2009

Quote of the Day

I'm sorry, but a house like this is not 100 shares of some under performing stock. It's an historic piece of Brooklyn, built for the daughter of one of Bklyn's big shots, and a fine example of eclectic turn of the century architecture. There are no other houses like this in CHN. The interior is full of first quality period detailing, and the entire property could be someone's dream home, a wonderful place to raise a family, or grow old sitting on the porch. I really hate it when a place like this is reduced to a calculation of percentages, and formulas for tossing it around like a bean bag. The amount of time, money, research and heartache the guys who lost it put in shows that a house is more than just the price, or the comps. It's also an emotional, physical reaction to a potential home. That is so often totally forgotten here.

— by Montrose Morris in 1094 Park Place Finally Sells

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The Master of the QOTD strikes again!

Posted by: Biff Champion at June 15, 2009 3:38 PM

On some level everything is a commodity--even you and me.

Posted by: slick at June 15, 2009 3:42 PM

MM -- you are so spot on with this one.

Posted by: Schultz at June 15, 2009 3:46 PM

OH G-D!!!! NOT AGAIN!!!!!! Jon! Jon! She's difficult enough now!
Other than that- she is exactly right.

Posted by: bxgrl at June 15, 2009 3:49 PM

I agree, MM - and can't imagine how awful it must have been to lose this place.

Posted by: brooklynfamily at June 15, 2009 3:52 PM

This is where I post the same inane comments I posted all afternoon.

Posted by: ghettoazzpnkbtch at June 15, 2009 3:55 PM

Very well put MM. We are trying to close on a place right now. And the emotional investment, the difference between home and house, is the huge unacknowledged element. And the thing that makes buying real estate unlike any other transaction.

Posted by: marlowe at June 15, 2009 3:56 PM

I hope they landmark that house. it is a sitting duck.

Posted by: Minard Lafever at June 15, 2009 4:00 PM

i cant believe MM threw in a beanbag reference :-/

*rob*

Posted by: PitbullNYC at June 15, 2009 4:01 PM

oh come on. the only reason we're talking about it's price is because it was FOR SALE.

Posted by: joe_the_bummer at June 15, 2009 4:13 PM

This is of course the primary aesthetic criticism of usury. It is no coincidence that aesthetic value of real estate rapidly declined after 1929. This house, and all the beautiful houses in Brooklyn, were built in the days when homes cost one man's annual income or perhaps twice, and mortgages were never more than 50% of the value. The buyer, with money from his own sweat and brow, had much greater say regarding what he spent his money on.

Posted by: Polemicist at June 15, 2009 4:18 PM

"This is of course the primary aesthetic criticism of usury. It is no coincidence that aesthetic value of real estate rapidly declined after 1929."

Polemicist this spot-on!!! The Hyper love started in the Mutant Asset Bubble and when it finally implodes things will go back to normal!

The What (Throws Polemicist a box of skittles)

Someday this war is gonna end...

Posted by: Return of The What at June 15, 2009 4:52 PM

Hey What,

Before you toss that box of skittles, please explain "This is of course the primary aesthetic criticism of usury" in fifty words or less.

Posted by: SnarkSlope at June 15, 2009 4:59 PM

Thanks, Snark. I don't know what that's supposed to mean, but was afraid to ask.

Posted by: East New York at June 15, 2009 5:01 PM

"It's an historic piece"

No, its A historic piece.

I have an hard time seeing why people make this mistake.

Posted by: greenwood slope at June 15, 2009 5:22 PM

"No, its A historic piece."

No, IT'S a historic piece.

In any event, I've seen both used, but 'an historic' rolls off the tongue a bit better.

Posted by: denton at June 15, 2009 5:31 PM

do some googling,

"An Historic" though disputed, is acceptable in many grammarian circles.

Posted by: Prodigal_Son at June 15, 2009 5:33 PM

If you pronounce historic with a silent h, which I have heard, it makes sense. Otherwise, it doesn't.

Posted by: dittoburg at June 15, 2009 5:33 PM

"This is of course the primary aesthetic criticism of usury"

I don't have to the upcoming economic crash will take of that.

This the problem with America is people think they are more intelligent than the other person but the whole collective is flushing us down the drain. That's why in 5 months the smirk will be wiped off your faces.

Snark maybe you can join the Bushwick Asshats in the backyard I mean they do have "College Education", right? I think all of you will be productive members of society.

The What (In the Ghetto)

Someday this war is gonna end...

Posted by: Return of The What at June 15, 2009 5:34 PM

I have a herb garden.

Posted by: sally at June 15, 2009 5:35 PM

""This is of course the primary aesthetic criticism of usury"

I don't have to the upcoming economic crash will take of that."

in other words- What doesn't know either, snark.

Posted by: bxgrl at June 15, 2009 5:36 PM

I will be insulated from all the carnage because I live in the ghetto and nothing is ever worth anything there to begin with. Additionally I grow my own vegetables in the yard.

Posted by: daveinbedstuy at June 15, 2009 5:36 PM

Well, if you Americans pronounced "herb" properly instead of making it sound like a frog burp.....

Posted by: dittoburg at June 15, 2009 5:37 PM

ditto- I pronounce it "hoib" :-)

Posted by: bxgrl at June 15, 2009 5:38 PM

I love that accent. How do you pronounce "coffee"?

Posted by: dittoburg at June 15, 2009 5:39 PM

I grudgingly accept "An historic" in spoken English.

It is an abomination in written English, and a blight upon the nations.

Posted by: sixyearsandcounting at June 15, 2009 5:41 PM

ah- kahffeee. Or sometimes, coiffee or coughfee depending on mood and time of day :-)

Posted by: bxgrl at June 15, 2009 5:43 PM

Yes "An historic"--
It's perfectly normal
You need to argue?

Posted by: BrooklynGreene at June 15, 2009 5:44 PM

"in other words- What doesn't know either, snark."

THAT was funny!

Posted by: East New York at June 15, 2009 5:44 PM

Oh and cawffee, when in the Bronx. I try not to be judgemental in my pronunciations :-)

Posted by: bxgrl at June 15, 2009 5:44 PM

I was going to axe how you pronounce "leisure"

Posted by: dittoburg at June 15, 2009 5:49 PM

Canarsie Cawfee
Bronx might pronounce it cahfee
Coffee's fine for me

Posted by: BrooklynGreene at June 15, 2009 5:49 PM

BrooklynGreene was more fun when he/she ranted about denton's Viking range than with these haiku.

Posted by: daveinbedstuy at June 15, 2009 5:50 PM

I'm experiencing a toxic haiku overload.....EHAYAHHHHH!!!

Posted by: East New York at June 15, 2009 5:52 PM

The test of the Brooklyn accent is how one pronounces radiator. I have a feeling that Benson might be the only one with expertise in this matter.

Posted by: sixyearsandcounting at June 15, 2009 5:54 PM

I beg your pardon, I never promised you an herb garden.

Posted by: Biff Champion at June 15, 2009 5:56 PM

RAY-dee-A-da (w/Brooklyn accent)

Posted by: East New York at June 15, 2009 5:58 PM

I can only think of one way to pronounce radiator.

Reminds me of a cheapo Japanese restaurant on the UES called Wasabi Lobby. The two words aren't even close to rhyming where I come from, but guess they do if you are from the NE US.

Posted by: etson at June 15, 2009 6:01 PM

Biff, do you water your gardne or wahda your yard

Posted by: dittoburg at June 15, 2009 6:03 PM

ENY, how about RAAA-dee-A=da (first syllable pronounced just like raaaadical, raaancid, etc.)?

Posted by: sixyearsandcounting at June 15, 2009 6:03 PM

"ENY, how about RAAA-dee-A=da"

That works too.

Posted by: East New York at June 15, 2009 6:05 PM

I like the way New Yorkers say Little Italy (liddl idaly) - its so singsong. They've already finished and ordered the pasta while I'm still forming the last T.

Posted by: dittoburg at June 15, 2009 6:05 PM

lezshure. (when I am trying to sound culch-aad)

Posted by: bxgrl at June 15, 2009 6:06 PM

How do you pronounce 'street'?

I seem to be one of few left who doesn't say 'shtreet'.

Posted by: denton at June 15, 2009 6:06 PM

I pronounce it road

Posted by: dittoburg at June 15, 2009 6:08 PM

I had a knew a woman that called the "toilet", the "terlet".

And "spoil it" was "spurlet".

Posted by: cobblehiller at June 15, 2009 6:09 PM

everyone I knew growing up said Longiland but I always said Long Island

radiator was raid-dee-ator

Posted by: bxgrl at June 15, 2009 6:10 PM

Other US pronunication I never got used to is substituting 'o' for 'a'.

Such as the car brand over here being pronounced 'Mozda' etc

Posted by: etson at June 15, 2009 6:11 PM

you mean lawn guyland?

Posted by: dittoburg at June 15, 2009 6:11 PM

We once did an informal survey of my Brooklyn-born colleagues and tried to figure out a pattern for "raid-dee-ator" vs. "RAAAd-ee-ayy-da". We failed. There was no geographic line, ethnic pattern, class delineation, or any other discernable reason why one person used the long vs. short "A".

Posted by: sixyearsandcounting at June 15, 2009 6:16 PM

I'm a RAID guy, RAID 5 to be exact.

Posted by: denton at June 15, 2009 6:34 PM

denton- insufferable geek! :-)

Posted by: bxgrl at June 15, 2009 6:45 PM

for heavens's sake what are you all talking about? Grammar rules are grammar rules. It is not only "normal" to write "an historic" it is correct. Only an uneducated person would write "a historic" one can't even pronounce that properly.
Or perhaps people were just joking? It is difficult to tell sometimes when people are joking and when they are being sincere cave dwellers on a blog.

Posted by: Minard Lafever at June 15, 2009 7:50 PM

^ r u 4 real? lol

*rob*

Posted by: PitbullNYC at June 15, 2009 8:06 PM

Yet another droning lecture from the poster who can express a point in less than 1000 words!

Posted by: Big Jugs at June 15, 2009 8:35 PM

Minard Lafever, the uneducated cave dwellers at Merriam Webster disagree with you. Check the usage in definition b on the link:
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/historic

Posted by: etson at June 15, 2009 8:39 PM

"Yet another droning lecture from the poster who can express a point in less than 1000 words!" - Big Jugs

And yet another useless post adding nothing of intelligence to the discussion from mammoth mammalaries. Next?

Posted by: Montrose Morris at June 16, 2009 12:01 AM

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June 15, 2009

Quote of the Day

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