Admiral's Row: Up Close and Personal
Over the weekend, Gothamist’s Jake Dobkin photographed the interior of the Admiral’s Row houses inside the Brooklyn Navy Yard. The shots are incredible so we encourage you to click on each one above to see the full-size version. We also thought the commentary he provided on his personal site, Bluejake, was worth repeating here: I…
Over the weekend, Gothamist’s Jake Dobkin photographed the interior of the Admiral’s Row houses inside the Brooklyn Navy Yard. The shots are incredible so we encourage you to click on each one above to see the full-size version. We also thought the commentary he provided on his personal site, Bluejake, was worth repeating here:
I was surprised how messed up these buildings were on the inside. The rear ends of many of the houses had collapsed, leaving a tangled mess of wood. Interior staircases were hanging a few feet off vertical, and large holes dotted many of the floors. Almost all of the windows were open or blown out, and the wind and rain had taken off most of the paint on the inside walls. Still– some romantic details were still extant– dozens of fireplaces and cedar-lined closets, handsome plaster work and ornamental detailing, and one enormous, empty ballroom. It’d be a shame if we let these buildings get demolished. I know the neighborhood needs a supermarket and more jobs, but there’s got to be a way to bring that stuff without destroying the past.
There’s also a related post on Gothamist from Monday. Incredible. Wish we could take photos like these.
Admiral’s Row Photos [Bluejake]
Inside Admiral’s Row [Gothamist]
Admiral’s Row Archives [Brownstoner]
everything is more expensive in NYC- that is not the fault of preservationists. How about unions? How about the cost of supplies. How about taxes and fees up the wazoo? And on everything? someone sits on a milk crate in the Bronx and gets a ticket- do they do that in North Dakota?
Montrose;
I have zero knowledge about educating kids,so I cannot comment on your suggestion. All I can offer is that Baltimore has a “Museum of Industry” that is akin to what you suggest, and I’m not sure how effective it is.
It seems to me that there are too many contradictory goals stressed on Brownstoner, and I DO see it as the inherent problems of modern-day liberalism (Note that I said modern-day liberalism. There was a time when liberalism in NYC actually got a lot accomplished).
On another thread today there is discussion about why folks can’t make it on a middle-class salary in NYC. Do you think it might have something to do with the amount of restrictions there are on development in NYC???? One of those restictions is this incessant drive to preserve everything in sight, which only goes to restrict the amount of developable land,and hence, its price.
well, make that centrist-left
I guess the crux of the matter is who decides and how they decide. for me, I would rather see funding for preservation than funding for the Nets arena. Of course, I don’t get a say. But in the long run, historical preservation will prove its worth many time over, and in ways we can’t really measure monetarily. Perhaps that’s the main difference between conservatives and liberals. But as a centrist I’d want some sort of compromise- how unrealistic of me 🙂
MM – not to take any side on this (I’ve already stated my positions in the myriad other postings on this issue), but I do want to clarify about the lead and asbestos. I don’t think anyone was trying to imply that the lead and or asbestos problem couldn’t be fixed. The only thing to keep in mind is that it would be extremely expensive to do so – possibly even prohibitively expensive. And “sensible precautions” is a nice idea – but in the real world there are actually very specific guidelines that people will have to follow – this an extremely regulated area for obvious and correct reasons.
Bottom line – almost anything is doable, it’s just a matter of how much it will cost and whether or not the end result is worth the cost. While I don’t argue about the historic importance of these buildings, I also have no doubt that renovating these houses will be EXTREMELY expensive. I’ll leave it up to wiser people than me to figure out if it’s worth it, or if there is some other preservation project out there that will provide a better bang for the buck.
Jawbreaker;
NY issues tax-free bonds for all sort of construction projects that promise to have a significant economic impact. Take a look at the IDA’s website, and you will see that all sorts of enterprises receive such funding guarantees: private schools, factories, etc.
The state does guarantee these bonds, so that they can obtain a lower interest rate. However, the state does not provide funding.
Benson, maybe you don’t need to stroll down historical sites, but I would wager the majority of kids, especially in this city, would benefit from some hands on, location strolling. Have you ever been a teacher? Do you remember the boring time you spent in history classes? I remember, and I actually had a couple of great history teachers, and I was a teacher for a very short time myself, and bringing your subject to life is damn hard. I would love to take a group of kids, some of whom may live in the projects across the street, to a restored Navy Yard, and show them all of the historic sites there, from the Civil War to WW2 and later. NOTHING beats seeing it yourself, touching the walls and old equipment, and being in the spaces and places that history happened in.
Today’s kids know nothing beyond their hand held electronics and whatever happens to be in a popular movie. Instead of telling them about their great-grandmother’s jobs as Rosie the Rivetor, take them to where it took place. Show them the site of the flag factory, let them see where 19th century medicine was practiced in the Surgery, let them see how and where the officers lived. If being a true, patriotic American is a conservative goal, and there is certainly enough flag waving on the conservative side of the spectrum to show that, then let’s put our American money where our mouths are, and preserve our history.
Those photos are amazing, the depth.
I felt like I was in the space. I wanted to walk over and peel the crackling paint off that door that’s on it’s side leaning against the other door.
Lead paint is the great boogyman used as an excuse for not doing something. Unless you sweep it onto your plate and eat it, it’s not going to kill you. The water damage has peeled most of it off, using sensible precautions in protecting workers and the environment, it can be cleaned up and properly disposed of. What remains on the walls will probably have to be removed with the walls, anything else can easily be removed or sealed in situ. Asbestos can also be safely removed.
Benson, this is not a liberal/conservative issue. Conservatives also care about preserving this nation’s history. Reasonable plans need to be drafted, and then the search for funds from both the private and public sector needs to begin. Doing nothing, as you complained about in your first post, is the worst thing we can do.