Bay Ridge McMansion
Returning from our refinancing closing a couple of weeks ago, we drove down Ridge Boulevard in Bay Ridge for a few blocks. There were some very charming houses we saw. This one at the corner of 86th Street was not one of them.
Returning from our refinancing closing a couple of weeks ago, we drove down Ridge Boulevard in Bay Ridge for a few blocks. There were some very charming houses we saw. This one at the corner of 86th Street was not one of them.
I have nothing agaisnt grand houses, but this one is badly proportioned and badly massed. It’s a mess.
Someone should pick up a book on architectural proportional systems and desing. My namesake, Minard Lafever, published several. So did Andrea Palladio. The knowledge in these books is not outdated.
Well – looking a the house on Bing maps and Google streetview, I will say the front-entrance is a little overdone. But they have an indoor AND outdoor pool. Sign me up!
benson- you have a grudge against Mr. B. your problem, not his. His comment was relatively innocuous. Gosh golly gee- how shocking he should have an opinion on ONE house in the neighborhood and the hyperventilating wingnuts freak.
As for condemning the neighborhood, did you not read the part where he said ” we drove down Ridge Boulevard in Bay Ridge for a few blocks. THERE WERE SOME VERY CHARMING HOUSES we saw.”
It is a far cry from what jscheff did in the Crown Heights thread, which did disparage an entire neighborhood.
Use google maps to look at front 8566 Ridge Blvd, it is the double staircase full block monster.
The owner of this home is Greek not Italian. So no need to worry about “sleeping with the fishes.”
My friends mother in law actually told the owner of this home that it was tacky. I don’t think its all that bad. Its not my taste but i’ve seen much worse.
I do think that if the home was sitting some where along the mediterranean it wouldn’t look so out of place.
i’m seriously late to this thread and maybe someone already commented, but the photo of this house in Bay Ridge is indeed taken from the side. The front of the house indeed does have a staircase. There are some OTT urns with topiaries and some waterfall features too. It’s pretty awesome in a gaudy way. At night, there are some great lighting effects too. They spared nothing!
“The windows probably have bulletproof panes.”
And a vault where Al Capone is buried.
If there is a front door on the short facade it is not very apparent or street friendly. What I see is a brick wall along the sidewalk and then another, taller brick wall above blocking the view of what is perhaps the ceremonial entrance that seems unreachable. And then there is the tacky topiary. Sorry. Major tack-city. But fine, to each their own. But to me, this house seems very fortified and paranoid. Probably for good reason. The windows probably have bulletproof panes.
By the way, imagine if this house were built on the site of the former Green Church!!!
That would be Brownstoner Armageddon!!!