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Park Slope has its brownstones, Williamsburg its vinyl siding. To me, it’s more of a, like, bourgeois town over there, a Williamsburg renter says of brownstone Brooklyn, in this NY Times article about how vinyl siding characterizes Williamsburg homes. While it isn’t always beloved, some think vinyl siding is a testament to Williamsburg’s working class tradition, an authentic piece of history in the neighborhood. It’s not the most beautiful thing, but it’s real, said real estate broker and investor Lewis Canfield. It’s authentic. It’s tied to the history of the neighborhood. The siding is also practical and because it receives very little upkeep it remains untouched for decades. A commenter in Greenwood Heights weighs in in this City Room discussion: “To all the haters out there, embrace the love that is vinyl! Certainly more historically authentic to many parts of Brooklyn (and beyond) that re-brownstoning or rebricking a home or adding wood lap back in the picture. Metal? Iinteresting, perhaps standing seam…but while my 1880’s frame, wood lap covered by shingles and vinyl, may never be hip, it is real for my Greenwood Heights neighborhood and my household’s budget.”
Vinyl Siding Holds its Appeal to Some in Brooklyn [NY Times]
Photo by The Lizness


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  1. Working class? That’s the dumbest excuse for tolerating bad architecture. Historic? Well as a future building preservationist, that just makes me cringe.

    Siding is a product of midcentury suburbia. It is not a part of Brooklyn’s built heritage at all, unless you really enjoy preserving the poverty and distress of Brooklyn in it’s so called bad years when most of these otherwise charming homes lost their facades to the demon that is vinyl.

    If I could, I’d happily go about ripping off the things free of charge. There’s bound to be some great facades hidden under the vinyl scourage, probably in decent condition as well.

    I should just work for the Times if this is the trash they’re publishing now in the region section.

  2. also ive noticed that people moving to williamsburg these days have way more money than people moving to park slope, fer sure. at least renters anyway. this is just anecdotal of course. or maybe it’s all just smoke and mirrors and vinyl siding, who knows.

    *rob*

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