An Ode to Vinyl Siding
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…
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
MM I know we’ve had this discussion before but can you name a single type of (permanent) home construction in all of human history that didnt last in bulk 75-100 years?
You do realize even Levittown (cheap wood frame construction on a concrete slab) is now over 60yrs old.
Vinyl has its own aesthetic charm regardless of its socio-economic connotations.
Functionally as I understand, it’s pretty durable and low-maintenance product, can contribute to the R-value of a building which can be appealing to a homeowner.
Well, I predict that in 75-100 years, (unless we manage to blow ourselves up, or global warming kills us) people will still be enjoying living in homes built in the 1800’s, in our brownstone communities. Because they are well built homes, for the most part. Yeah, they will have to upgrade our plumbing and electricals to whatever is state of the art then, and put in kitchens and baths, new lighting, etc, etc, but the houses will remain. I bet some of these vinyl houses will still be there too, because many of them are solidly built houses, no matter what’s on the outside. The rehabbed factory condos will probably still be here, and the better new buildings. But a lot of the new crap will be gone. It’s just not going to hold up, and will look aged and tired, and there will be a hue and cry to replace it in the New New Whatever Neighborhoods. My decendants, with my sepia photograph on the mantel, will probably be enjoying living in a nice, old house somewhere.
Many of these houses once looked like gingerbread Victorians in SF. They only appear to be “ugly boxes” now because they have been covered in vinyl siding.
MM “New doesn’t mean superior any more than old does.”
Actually in many areas it probably does – since New means it is forced to comply with newer rules surrounding fire proofing, wind loads and seismic movement to name a few.
I am sorry but going on about the authenticity and uniqueness of these ugly boxes is stupid – they are neither and replacing the unimproved (vast majority) examples with almost anything up to modern standards would be for the better in almost every way.
The one thing this article and the posts do however, is reinforce my earlier predictions that in 75-100 years, people will be arguing for the preservation of various versions of our hated “fedder” housing. (BTW – I hope my grandchildren are smart enough to call out the silliness of (likely) MM and Blayzes grandchildren’s preservation position)
Agreed, although I don’t know if a surface parking lot has the same charm as a stockade fence perennially brimming with flyers. I guess we agree on something.
As for the vinyl, I guess it serves it’s purpose and perhaps one day when archeologists sift through the sea of discarded Pabst Blue Ribbon cans and skinny jeans, they might just learn that a vibrant shipping community and a subsequent immigrant enclave once existed there.
> I thought this stuff causes cancer. Is that a myth?
Only if you lick it.
I thought this stuff causes cancer. Is that a myth?
“I’d never get hired, unless I was building knockoff Victorians in Celebration, Florida. That’s why I must bitch with pride and passion to save what’s left in NYC.”
haha – fair enough
“Although I agree with your sentiments on the developers razing homes and leaving empty lots. Hot Karl Beach in the Burg gets worst eyesore of the century.”
haha – yeah, i forgot about that lot. it isn’t THAT much worse than the parking lot that was there before. i was more upset about losing the zipcars.