LPC Gives Thumbs-Up to Berkeley Carroll Expansion
Despite the protestations of some of its Park Slope neighbors, Berkeley Carroll gained support from the Landmarks Preservation Commission for the redesign of an existing one-story school structure at 181 Lincoln Place. The biggest objection of neighbors has been over the potential noise problems associated with the planned rooftop playground. The LPC isn’t concerned with…
Despite the protestations of some of its Park Slope neighbors, Berkeley Carroll gained support from the Landmarks Preservation Commission for the redesign of an existing one-story school structure at 181 Lincoln Place. The biggest objection of neighbors has been over the potential noise problems associated with the planned rooftop playground. The LPC isn’t concerned with such issues, though, focusing instead on the impact of the design on the aesthetic landscape. [The design] does not involve the removal of historic fabric, and the addition is not visible from a public thoroughfare, an LPC spokesperson told The Courier. John Muir, the most vocal opponent of the project, professed to be undettered: The community is not, and will not be satisfiedby the Landmark Commission decision and will not stand by and allow the Berkeley Carroll School to build a project so antagonistic to the neighbors. In addition to the rooftop recreation space, the new structure would be about four feet taller and almost 10,000 square feet larger than the existing 3,000-square-foot building. Construction could begin as soon as this summer. (Click on the elevation above, which was designed by Butler Rogers Baskett, to expand.)
City OKs Berkeley Carroll Plan [Courier]
CB6 Land Use Approves Berkeley Carroll Expansion Plans [Brownstoner]
Berkeley Carroll Expansion Stirs Up The Neighborhood [Brownstoner]
btw, the smartest and most “successful” person I know went to CUNY.
I was curious about the acceptance rate at the ivies so I looked on their website:
http://www.berkeleycarroll.org/bcsprogram/college-counseling/college-matriculations/index.aspx
most ivies are listed…..
Can’t speak for a year or two ago, but when I graduated 11 years ago we had 8 (including me) out of approximately 50 people go to ivies. I think nearly every one of us was admitted due in some part to legacy, minority, or athletics. Getting into ivies has a lot to do with factors other than what school you went to. Plus, who’s to say that the ivies are the be all end all of education.
The way that extracurriculars factor into admissions is ridiculous in my opinion. I heard that it was introduced in the admissions process about 100 years ago in order to limit the admission of jews to ivies (not sure about the exact details but there was a book written about it).
Well whatever you think of clubs as just padding for applications, I wonder if the lack of extracurriculars is why Berkeley Carroll doesn’t have a good track record for getting kids into the ivies. A year or two ago there was a chart done of all the Brooklyn private schools and which had the most seniors accepted to ivy league colleges and Berkeley Carroll had none that year. Schools with more athletics and extracurriculars fared better.
Man! Delisauce is smart! S/he skipped five grades in a single bound.
Like PHfamily and epkwy, I have little sympathy about the noise issue. And before anyone writes, ‘you’d feel different is you lived there,’ I will add that I grew up next door to a junior/senior high school and a major park.
So, John Muir “will not stand by and allow the Berkeley Carroll School to build a project so antagonistic to the neighbors.” I am afraid that if the building conforms to zoning and the LPC is okay with the design, there is probably little recourse.
I went there 1-3 and 8-12 (graduated in ’99). Pretty good experience all around but in hindsight I think I would have been better off going to Stuy (for personal reasons though). For the most part, the teachers were really good and highly motivated.
Not sure what extracurriculars includes but they were definitely short on “clubs” while I was there. I was shocked when I went to college and everyone had been in a gazillion clubs. Math club, key club (what the hell is that?), french society and god knows how many others. But my impression was that these were mostly bullshit and just used to pad college applications.
Otherwise, the small size of the school allowed pretty much anyone to join any athletic team, theater group, or whatever else was offered.
So, is Berkeley Carroll a good school? (I know, it’s for fancy kids and all… but how’s the education?) My boss’ kid went there, start to finish, and he seems like he turned out pretty damn well. Though he still had some “issues” with college applications because of his lack of extracurriculars. I guess they only encourage them there, not force.
Anyone graduate from there? Have your little precious ones there?
I’m just curious. Don’t have any kids (nor the income to send any illegitimate ones there). Though, maybe I could work there one day.
Anyone work there?
The school is converting an interior courtyard used as a playground into a 1 story structure with a playground on the roof. This is such a non-issue non-story. Just shows people will complain about anything.
Me neither! The school has been there a lot longer than the complaining neighbors.