Oh, THL! Poor thing! That's said, she'll probably do it again. Their brains are the size of walnuts.

Oh no! I'm being smothered by creatures with walnut sized brains, Get off....84 ;hadfh the .....keyboard, dammit!

Posted by: Montrose Morris at November 20, 2009 1:33 PM in response to Open Thread

All's forgiven, Kens!

bxgrl, you were right.

Posted by: Montrose Morris at November 20, 2009 1:30 PM in response to Open Thread

Very funny, broke! I've exfoliated, had a sex change, and some melanin shots. Other than that, I do look good for a white guy of 150. I also want my buildings back.

Posted by: Montrose Morris at November 20, 2009 1:26 PM in response to Open Thread

Kens, are you calling me old?

Posted by: Montrose Morris at November 20, 2009 1:21 PM in response to Open Thread

11217, I couldn't have said it better. Bravo.

Posted by: Montrose Morris at November 20, 2009 1:12 PM in response to Open Thread

And in response to Benson's challenge to come up with superior techniques or products myself, I'm pretty sure I could. If any of you rich people out there want to fund a business, I have lots of great ideas.

Posted by: Montrose Morris at November 20, 2009 1:10 PM in response to Open Thread

Yesterday's Waverly Place thread was a report on a building that had been restored to its original look by a new owner. I don't know about anyone else who wrote in on that thread, but I was celebrating a successful restoration, which to me was light years above the muddling of the past. I was not making some kind of class, race or ethnic based judgement on the person who muddled up the building. To extrapolate some kind of rant about elitism out of that is, in my opinion, taking the discussion somewhere it had not been. If you care about historic, yes, historic neighborhoods, then seeing this building looking the way it did originally makes me happy. I stand by that, and defend anyone's right to feel the same way. It is not a class thing, or an elitist money thing. It's an old building thing, nothing more.

People care about old buildings and historic neighborhoods all over the country, in small towns and big cities, in big ways and small. If you don't like old building, fine, that doesn't interest you. But to build a huge building sized chip on your shoulder every time someone restores a building, and accuse people of elitism for wanting to preserve these buildings is absurd. Historic preservation is embraced by people in all income brackets, and by people of every grouping possible, all across the nation. If it was just about mocking the unchic, it would have died years ago.

Posted by: Montrose Morris at November 20, 2009 1:02 PM in response to Open Thread

Benson, your definition of history is pretty narrow. It is impossible to talk about people or events in the past without looking at the places, conditions, or surroundings in which they lived. No one contributes to history in a vacuum. The conditions in which people live prompt them to do what becomes history. That includes buildings, whether for work, shelter, worship, whatever. A building can be as historic as any battlefield.

Posted by: Montrose Morris at November 20, 2009 12:46 PM in response to Open Thread

Benson, this is a blog started by a guy who loves old buildings and historic neighborhoods. The blog is read by many people who enjoy the same, and work to keep it that way. A post celebrating the restoration of an attractive old building, in yesterday's Waverly thread, is hardly reason to get your blood pressure up. The Garden State Brickface muddle that preceeded it could not be construed as attractive or desireable by too many people here. I don't know why you continue to read Brownstoner, if you are going to get your back up every time Mr. B. posts about preservation, restoration, or the use of period style materials, and a number of people agree. It's like getting upset with Sports Illustrated because they keep talking about sports. Sheesh.

I said this on the cafe thread today, and I repeat it here.

Posted by: Montrose Morris at November 20, 2009 12:39 PM in response to Open Thread

Benson, this is a blog started by a guy who loves old buildings and historic neighborhoods. The blog is read by many people who enjoy the same, and work to keep it that way. A post celebrating the restoration of an attractive old building, in yesterday's Waverly thread, is hardly reason to get your blood pressure up. The Garden State Brickface muddle that preceeded it could not be construed as attractive or desireable by too many people here. I don't know why you continue to read Brownstoner, if you are going to get your back up every time Mr. B. posts about preservation, restoration, or the use of period style materials, and a number of people agree. It's like getting upset with Sports Illustrated because they keep talking about sports. Sheesh.

Posted by: Montrose Morris at November 20, 2009 12:07 PM in response to New Cafe for The Heights

NOP, thanks for the comments. I am going to do a St. Mark's Ave piece showing many of the old houses from this period. I may do it sooner rather than later, since people have gotten a hint from the Seaman's mansion.

There was no documentation that MM did any of the other houses. I consulted with Professor Andrew Dolkart at Columbia, who knows more about MM than anyone else, and he did not have any other of these St. Mark's mansions on his list. When I do that piece, please tell me if any of the houses are the ones you are referring to. From your description, I don't think I do. The libraries have some great pictures, but not enough! Someday, maybe I can get access to the entire tax photo collection for the late '30's. They would definitely be there.

Sadly, when a neighborhood declines in income, the apartment buildings are the first to go down, and the last to go back up. I know a couple of people in the Excelsior. They are both seniors, and have lived there since you were a boy, and they haven't touched their apartments in all these years, so they are like a time capsule. They both have classic 8's, with plenty of room, nice floors, French doors, etc. And as you saw, the lobbies were once spectacular. Still, I wish the Seamans' house had survived.

Posted by: Montrose Morris at November 19, 2009 3:53 PM in response to Walkabout: Montrose Morris - Full Circle

Looks wonderful. Gets my first (very) unofficial "Monty" award for a real restoration.

I have no problem with old style canvas awnings. They were ahead of their time in green cooling. But like Dave said, "Fiberama, not so much".

Posted by: Montrose Morris at November 19, 2009 3:39 PM in response to Development Watch: Turnaround at 424 Waverly Avenue

Sadly, Nora Jones will have more windows from which to watch her envious and litigating prone neighbors.

Posted by: Montrose Morris at November 19, 2009 10:23 AM in response to LPC Will Not Reconsider Norah Jones Decision

7 words Montrose would never utter: I want to buy a new condo.

CarGar, glad the CDog doesn't have anything worse. Is there an animal Advil? I go to that vet too, you are right about the tech. He's a sweetheart with the animals, too.

Posted by: Montrose Morris at November 19, 2009 10:13 AM in response to Open Thread

I fourth all of the positive responses to finding treasure, sharing with us, and allowing us to vicariously renovate that wonderful house. More, please!

Posted by: Montrose Morris at November 18, 2009 5:15 PM in response to Beneath the Surface

Back to say, I love this place. The woodwork looks great painted, and I love the mixture of colors, with some walls neutral, some bright, same with the wood, some white, some colors. I also like the kitchen, it's very inviting and homey. Ok, some of the furnishing aren't my taste, but so what, I think they probably go in the moving van with the seller, and one can make it their own, including changing all of the painted surfaces.

This reminds me of a lot of homes shown in British home magazines. They always have that layered, lived here for ever, comfortable look that American decorators try to do, but most fail.

Posted by: Montrose Morris at November 18, 2009 5:10 PM in response to House of the Day: 22 Sidney Place

CarGar, I do the same thing. I love walking the Hts at night looking at interiors. Rich people don't have curtains, for some reason.

Of course, I'm cool about it, because rich people also don't like strange black women peering in and pointing out their mouldings and woodwork, either. Go figure.

Posted by: Montrose Morris at November 18, 2009 5:02 PM in response to House of the Day: 22 Sidney Place

Brikenny, there certainly are similarities, especially in the use of rough cut limestone, the towers and turrets, and half columns at the entryway. The only thing that throws it off is the severity of the peaked entryway. I don't think Morris would have done that, he liked Romanesque archways too much, even when styles changed. I do know other period architects used many of the same materials and basic shapes, so maybe it was in the air. It would certainly be an interesting mystery to solve. Who knows?

Merci, M. Pierre. Glad you enjoyed it, Brooklynista, and you are welcome, BG.

Posted by: Montrose Morris at November 18, 2009 1:11 AM in response to Walkabout: Part 3, MM - Park Slope and Big Business

Wow, that's pretty awful. Seems like there would have been a waterline mark on the walls, or mold. Good luck to the owners.

Posted by: Montrose Morris at November 17, 2009 1:25 PM in response to Footage from 357 4th Street Condo Lawsuit

You gotta be kidding. Maybe if they put in some side windows.....

Posted by: Montrose Morris at November 17, 2009 1:22 PM in response to House of the Day: 121 Rapelye Street

Good to know, pigeon. I had pictured you standing on the edge of the keyboard pecking out the letters with your beak! :)

Posted by: Montrose Morris at November 17, 2009 1:18 PM in response to Walkabout: Part 3, MM - Park Slope and Big Business

HA!

Pigeon, MMIII is the name of that particular folder in Flickr, to correspond to this article.

As I am an African-American woman, I'm sure Monty is already spinning in his grave for me taking his name as my screen name, although he was probably media astute enough to appreciate the publicity.

I chose the name because I knew he had designed a number of buildings in Bed Stuy and Crown Heights, communities I love and have lived in. It was a way to tie them together on a real estate blog that often had historic information. After doing so, I started to research his life and architecture, and voila!

Posted by: Montrose Morris at November 17, 2009 1:03 PM in response to Walkabout: Part 3, MM - Park Slope and Big Business

LOLcat, the info I found said that the Woodward School was subletting from the Ethical Culture Society, which actually owned the building until they sold it to Poly Prep. Since you attended the school, thanks for the clarification. The story was long enough as it is, so I didn't go into great detail about some things. You'd be amazed at how long I could make this if I went into detail. I think I'll save it for the book.

Posted by: Montrose Morris at November 17, 2009 11:44 AM in response to Walkabout: Part 3, MM - Park Slope and Big Business

I'm glad the Bedford High School is doing well, too. At last, some good news about a local school.

That said, the Post writer needs to go back to school. What is a "high poverty" school? The school has poverty? You have to reach a certain level of poverty to attend? Bad phrasing, plus the usual reminders that Bed Stuy is supposedly dirt poor, gritty, etc, etc. *Sigh*

Posted by: Montrose Morris at November 17, 2009 10:49 AM in response to Tuesday Links

Great little house, with nice detail. There is a kitchen photo, such as it is, but you are right, it is very dated, as are the bathrooms. This is between Rogers and Nostrand, ok block. Price wayyyyy too high. Should be in the 700's, in my opinion. Asking price for this is higher than the majestic 5 story, chock full of museum worthy mansion on St Marks. That makes no sense.

St Marks house has multiple offers, I heard. I hope whoever gets it preserves all of the details, and doesn't chop it up into rental units. It's a gorgeous, one of a kind property.

Posted by: Montrose Morris at November 16, 2009 1:22 PM in response to House of the Day: 685 St. Johns Place

ExTex, your duvet cover should not be 12" shorter than the actual comforter. What size is the comforter supposed to be? A Full/Queen should be 86x86. A king should be 100x90.

Posted by: Montrose Morris at November 16, 2009 1:12 PM in response to Open Thread

Great old building with wonderful terra cotta trim. The kind of interesting building with a history that many people like to live in, interior configurations and design notwithstanding. I hardly think Goldstein, or anyone else would have bought knowing what Ratner was going to do, so it's hardly fair to characterize his stand as simply a way to make a fast buck.

One does not have to be likeable, nice, or humble to be right. In opposing AY, Dan Goldstein tore down the curtain covering up business as usual in this city, where big real estate has always been able to get its way with little or no real resistance.

You go Babs, I heartily agree. If we can't count on the constitution, what have we got?

Posted by: Montrose Morris at November 16, 2009 11:00 AM in response to Goldstein Offered Less Than What He Paid for Condo

Oh please, this is ridiculous. If she had been a "nobody", and wanted to do the same thing, there would have been no one screaming, they are just looking to make some money off of a rich celeb. As ditto says, she can afford to have it done right, and no one would even know it was new. Corner houses of this period have windows on the side. Since there is nothing next door, her period appropriate windows would resemble a corner house. No biggie.

If other building owners want to do the same, and are in the HD, they will have to go through the LPC, who are not going to approve tiny Home Depot windows, or other inappropriate fenestration. The character of the neighborhood is not being wrecked. That's hyperbole at its best.

Posted by: Montrose Morris at November 16, 2009 10:48 AM in response to Cobble Hill Neighbors Irked by Norah Jones' Windows

Susan, I know I've probably asked you before, but where did you end up buying?

Posted by: Montrose Morris at November 13, 2009 3:40 PM in response to Vintage 3-Sided Tub For Sale

Bxgrl's pigeon film is extremely funny, and very well done.

Posted by: Montrose Morris at November 13, 2009 12:10 PM in response to Open Thread

Yes, CarGar. I started the CHN tour at the subway, so you saw the Alhambra, the Renaissance in the far distance, the Imperial, and the Bedfordshire. You also saw 855-57 St Marks, next door to "my" house on the CHN housetour. Those who went to Amzi's and my tour of Bed Stuy saw all of the Hancock St. houses, too, plus the Alhambra and Renaissance close up. We will be reviving those tours in the spring.

Posted by: Montrose Morris at November 12, 2009 1:08 PM in response to Walkabout: MW Morris- the Commissions Cometh

Thanks for the complements, all. They make all the work worth it.

Dave, I know exactly what you mean. The first day I came to Bed Stuy to look at the house we ended up living in for 17 years, the Alhambra was the first building I saw coming up out of the subway. I knew this was the community for me. This was pre-renovation, and also pre-fire. It was horribly run down, and I could see people walking up and down the fire escapes and balconies in the loggias, like ants in an ant farm. I always wondered what the apts looked like, unfortunately, never found out first hand.

Posted by: Montrose Morris at November 12, 2009 12:23 PM in response to Walkabout: MW Morris- the Commissions Cometh

Thanks, Minard. Did the apt sell yet, and are there any pictures on line? I agree, it's a great building. It also has lots of terra cotta cherubs, which he also really liked. They cavort all over the Arlington, as well as his brick and terra cotta group on Hancock St.

Posted by: Montrose Morris at November 12, 2009 12:18 PM in response to Walkabout: MW Morris- the Commissions Cometh

Arcady, you were, and will always remain, a lovely lady. That's such an iconic photo.

Posted by: Montrose Morris at November 12, 2009 11:21 AM in response to Open Thread

DeLepp, next time you are over there, please take some hallway pix. I'm trying to collect interior shots, but my connections aren't that good. I've only been in a couple, some long ago, before I had ever heard of MM, and most people seem to have a problem with strangers gushing over their houses and wanting to take photos. Imagine. :)

Posted by: Montrose Morris at November 12, 2009 11:03 AM in response to Walkabout: MW Morris- the Commissions Cometh

Tiptoe, the Alhambra, Renaissance and Imperial have all been gutted and reconfigured as affordable rental housing. I don't know the status of the Montauk and Lenox, or Arlington, although since they are in Park Slope and Bklyn Hts, I would imagine they are market rate rentals, or higher, or even coops and condos, especially the Arlington, which is less than a block from the Promenade. The MM part of the St. George is now dorm apartments for Pace?, NYU?, I can't remember.

Posted by: Montrose Morris at November 12, 2009 10:58 AM in response to Walkabout: MW Morris- the Commissions Cometh

OMG! I finally looked at the Walmart site. All I have to say is that I'm never leaving NYC. We have our sartorial specimens here, but not like out there. My eyes!

I only looked at about 10 pages, and I have to say, although there were some gross contenders for the prize of the most horrible, the winner in my book was the woman with the (painted) fingernails that reached the floor. Aaauuughhhhhh!

Posted by: Montrose Morris at November 12, 2009 10:41 AM in response to Open Thread

ENY - doin' the dozens!

Some of those were really funny!

Posted by: Montrose Morris at November 12, 2009 10:23 AM in response to Open Thread

It originally had a cornice right below the mansard roof, where the lighter band of stone is.

See link to photo. My mistake, it was 1940, not 1942.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/31129802@N03/sets/72157622785205458/detail/

Posted by: Montrose Morris at November 11, 2009 6:42 PM in response to House of the Day: 75 New York Avenue

Elkins house is still vacant, ExTex, though not actively on the market. We, at the Crown Heights North Association, have been in contact with LPC about the growing deterioration of the property, and solutions are being looked into.

Posted by: Montrose Morris at November 11, 2009 3:46 PM in response to House of the Day: 75 New York Avenue

PS, I hate that they are pushing this as a development site, while extolling its charms as an historic home. Broker doesn't know High Victorian detail from Art Deco, either.

Posted by: Montrose Morris at November 11, 2009 3:23 PM in response to House of the Day: 75 New York Avenue

The house is not vacant, the current owners, who have been there for about 20 years are on the ground floor and part of the second. There is a spiral staircase in one of the parlor rooms up to the 2nd floor. The space is further divided into 2 more apartments. I don't think they will take 1.1MM for it, they have been in fantasyland for a long time.

While I think the current(and past)prices are ridiculous, this is a great house, with some fine details. Polemicist makes it sound like the gates of hell are located across the street, that is absurd. Directly across the street from the front door are 2 8 unit flats buildings. They are both quiet, working class, and decently well kept. In fact, one is having its fire escapes painted right now, and recently had all of the windows replaced. On the other side of Pacific, there is a 10 story senior citizen’s residence called Stuy Park, built in the 1970’s, which takes up the whole side of the block. These people are likely to go upside your head with a walker for daring to suggest that their building is something that should be considered a detriment to the community. It is safe and very quiet. Traffic is the noise offender here, if anything.

This isn’t a scenic block, and the bus stop is right outside the front door. There is a newly renovated 3 family next door, followed by a parking garage and an auto repair garage on the corner of Atlantic. This house should have been landmarked, as well as some of the rest of this block, but LPC skipped it, most likely because the center of the block has houses that have been vastly altered and mucked up. That said, with its proximity to the subway, the LIRR, banking, food shopping, etc, at the right price, and a lot of work, this would be a showstopper.

I can see this house from my steps, so I know what I’m talking about. Also, I have a photo of this house from 1942, and there was a porch across the entire front, with a balcony. It’s hard to tell from the picture, but the porch may have been enclosed with French Doors, or there are shutters on the lower windows. Either way, it looked much more complete then.

Posted by: Montrose Morris at November 11, 2009 3:19 PM in response to House of the Day: 75 New York Avenue

CarGar, give a big hug to the CDog. I hope she is better soon. Anyone who lugs a huge bag of expensive Whole Food dog food around just to keep her happy certainly is a man who takes care of his dog.

I swore off bacon, egg and cheese sandwiches, when I had my office job. Toooo goood, soooo baaaddd for you. Every once in a long, long while, I'll treat myself. Heaven!

Posted by: Montrose Morris at November 11, 2009 10:49 AM in response to Open Thread

Don't know anything about the man, or his restaurants, but bring it on in Crown Heights, and let us judge. Preferably on Nostrand somewhere. Franklin Ave is shaping up nicely but is a long walk if you live far east of there.

Posted by: Montrose Morris at November 11, 2009 10:38 AM in response to Mamary: Crown Heights, Greenpoint Ripe for the Picking

eh, I'd be broke too, if, as he said in the article I read regarding the sneakers, that he would wear them only a couple of times, and then throw them out because they no longer looked brand new. What an idiot, and a great role model for our kids. What's really important? Not an education, a good job, nice home, nooooo. Brand new white sneakers, 365 days a year. Wonder how that's working for him now.

Posted by: Montrose Morris at November 10, 2009 5:07 PM in response to New Sneaker Boutique on Tompkins

Brenda, that was awesome.

Posted by: Montrose Morris at November 10, 2009 2:02 PM in response to Martha Show Airs Today

Michael, you can email me at montrosemorrisATyahooDOTcom.

Posted by: Montrose Morris at November 10, 2009 1:54 PM in response to Walkabout: The Architects - Montrose Morris, Part 1

Ok, my ego is wounded. I tried to look up where MM is buried, and they had the location of Morris the Cat, but not Montrose Morris. Not famous enough. Humph.

Posted by: Montrose Morris at November 10, 2009 11:59 AM in response to Walkabout: The Architects - Montrose Morris, Part 1

Brenda, the BEST of both worlds!

Posted by: Montrose Morris at November 10, 2009 11:46 AM in response to New Sneaker Boutique on Tompkins

Gucci Mane???? Oh, don't let me get started!!!

Posted by: Montrose Morris at November 10, 2009 11:44 AM in response to New Sneaker Boutique on Tompkins