Building of the Day: 404 Nostrand Avenue
The BOTD is a no-frills look at interesting structures of all types and from all neighborhoods. There will be old, new, important, forgotten, public, private, good and bad. Whatever strikes our fancy. We hope you enjoy. Address: 404 Nostrand Avenue at Monroe Street Name: Flats Building Neighborhood: Bedford Stuyvesant Year Built: 1890’s Architectural Style: Renaissance…
The BOTD is a no-frills look at interesting structures of all types and from all neighborhoods. There will be old, new, important, forgotten, public, private, good and bad. Whatever strikes our fancy. We hope you enjoy.
Address: 404 Nostrand Avenue at Monroe Street
Name: Flats Building
Neighborhood: Bedford Stuyvesant
Year Built: 1890’s
Architectural Style: Renaissance Revival
Architects: Unknown
Landmarked: No
Why chosen: I bet this is a color the architect or original owner didn’t think of. I have to admit that while I would never let this particular shade of green into my life in any way, this building makes me smile. It’s a great 8 family flats building with some beautiful detailing in expertly patterned cream colored brick, with Classical-motif terra-cotta ornamental friezes, pressed metal bays, cornices and a fine corner torch turret thingy. Before this paint job, which took place sometime before March, when I took the photos, the painted details were a dull brownish burgundy color. That is certainly more traditional, but have to admit the green brings out the richness of the detailing in the pressed metal, as well as the other highlighted ornaments. Personally, I would not have painted the stone brackets, entryway or bands in any color, but this paint job only replicated the paint placement of the earlier brown. I’m just grateful no one decided to paint most of the terra-cotta. That would have been awful. Nostrand Avenue can be a little grim in this area, in spite of the magnificent former Jenkins Trust/IBM building at Nostrand and Gates, which appears in the background, and this tropical-looking spot of green is a mood lifter. The traditionalist MM likes this particular painted grand dame, but would never try this at home.
(Photo: Property Shark)
I live in this building. Its nice. I think they gut renovated it in the early part of 2008 (not exactly sure). All rental units, 2 to 3 bedrooms each.
I love the color. I would never have thought to use it, but it totally works.
“I would never let this particular shade of green into my life.”
🙂
The original color palette for this building was probably very light.
The pale brick was probably set off by a light limestone-y color paint for the trim and a slightly darker buff for the windows. It must have been gorgeous.
The old color scheme (pre-golfpants-green) was really bad.
I have to agree with you about the color, but as a trade-off someone got rid of the awful white-vinyl windows and cleaned off the graffiti (hopefully in a sensitive way.) It’s all give and take, and paint (for the most part) is reversible.
That green looks photoshopped on–not quite natural. But it looks very nice in the closeups.
very preppy.
the building is ready to summer in Nantucket.
love the green
Well, even though it would not have been the color of our choice, it is always nice to see a building being taken care of, so for that reason I am OK with it.
It is a very handsome building though!