Suburban Living In The Upper Slope
We’ve been a long-time (okay, maybe like two years) admirer of this positively suburban looking Georgian brick house at 234 Eighth Avenue. There are some quite similar ones on the other side of the park in PLG–in fact, we considered buying a decrepit one back when we were house-hunting in 2004. It looks like the…
We’ve been a long-time (okay, maybe like two years) admirer of this positively suburban looking Georgian brick house at 234 Eighth Avenue. There are some quite similar ones on the other side of the park in PLG–in fact, we considered buying a decrepit one back when we were house-hunting in 2004. It looks like the same person has owned this place for the past 12 years with no significant alterations done in that time. Thank God it’s in a landmarked district, as the house has the kind of unused FAR that gets developers drooling. The design doesn’t make the cut in the AIA Guide, but we feel pretty sure there’s some history behind this one. worth knowing. GMAP P*Shark
Yep, Neergaard.
http://books.google.com/books?id=G2tsE5v6XQYC&pg=RA3-PT251
A long time ago had a friend who live in one of the two families. It was very nicely designed.
This house is a few doors from mine.
The block lore is that the buildings downslope of this house were built by Mr. Neergaard of local pharmacy fame for his workers (some versions have it that they were for his children). They are 3 two-families and are different from the other houses on the block and in the Slope. The first one is visible in the left of the picture. They abut the Georgian tightly. I have not looked, but would not be surprised to find it was built by Neergaard as well.
I’ve lived in the Slope almost 70 years, so… This home used to be ownded by a Dr. Hall. Yes, it’s very unusual for the area. Unfortunately, it really doesn’t have much room inside, has no backyard, but it does have space on the North side (against the Church).
to clarify my earlier post:
i was not suggesting that people “flaunt their latest paint color choices”, i was merely suggesting that (imho) it is possible to discuss a beautiful house without ever mentioning the unused far. i was speaking figuratively, not literally.
Agree w/anon @ 11:05pm, I give very few details about my home, and will not be particiating in the “my brownstone” feature because I too cherish my privacy. In the same vain, I won’t put my house on the PS house tour, although I’ve been asked each year.
As house proud as I am, my home is simply too intimate a place to open up to the public. And after seeing all snipping and second-guessing that gets thrown around on this board and others, I figure, who needs a bunch of strangers gawking and picking on your taste.
That said, I’m happy to see what others are doing, just not willing to subject myself to the public scrutiny.
From what I recall, the back of the house is mostly concrete (too shady for a garden) and more of a small outdoor play space than a “yard.” It’s a corner lot and the house is wide, not tall and narrow like a brownstone, so the house eats up more lot space (they do have a private driveway though).
also, I believe this is the only house of its type in the Slope (if other Slopers know different please correct me). There are a few very striking, restored wood-frames with intact porches scattered around South Slope, but no other Georgian mini-mansions like this.
Does that house have any back yard, or is it just a front garden?
As far as why people don’t talk about “homes” on this site: I for one cherish my privacy, as well as the privacy of the historic building I bought. Home is about intimacy; it would be counterintuitive to try to make a web site about home.
In any case, you’re not gonna find the people in this little georgian flaunting their latest paint color choices or posting pictures of their favorite bedroom.
Mrs. Brownstoner, I was not implying that Mr. Brownstoner would celebrate kick out old ladies…you might recall a few months ago the well-publicized story in CG that a nephew was trying to evict his elderly aunts from their home so he could sell it to pay debts, gambling and/or otherwise, and the opinions on this blog were all over the place…including posters who were on the nephew’s side. It had nothing to do with Mr. Brownstoner himself.