Man on the Street: Carroll Gardens Development
As outcry over a proposed 70-foot building reaches a fever pitch in Carroll Gardens, we pounded the pavement to ask people what they though about the push to enact a moratorium on new construction over 50 feet. Our highly unscientific survey found that most people had heard about the moratorium proposal, and most were in…
As outcry over a proposed 70-foot building reaches a fever pitch in Carroll Gardens, we pounded the pavement to ask people what they though about the push to enact a moratorium on new construction over 50 feet. Our highly unscientific survey found that most people had heard about the moratorium proposal, and most were in favor of it.
Yes, I’ve heard about the petition. I’m very concerned about development, but I think that if they’re going to build a big building, [360 Smith Street] isn’t a bad place to do it. There’s also the question of architectural integrity, but, at the same time, I’m not one of those people who thinks that there should be no new development.
Dimitri; has lived in Carroll Gardens for 18 years.
I’m totally in favor of [the moratorium]. I think super-tall buildings would be out of context with the neighborhood.
Jill; has lived in Carroll Gardens for 3 1/2 years.
I haven’t heard about it. I think developers are the worst people in the world, but since I’m an architect, I have to try to work with them all the time. I understand that people want to preserve the neighborhood, but that’s why there should be a historic district—so developers can’t abuse their power.
Agnes; lives in Bed-Stuy but frequently hangs out in CG.
I signed the petition online. The thing that separates Carroll Gardens is that it seems homey and like a good place to raise a family. It’s not filled with high buildings, but if they start building them, it’ll turn into another Manhattan. If we had wanted to live in Manhattan, we would have moved there.
Carolyn; moved to Carroll Gardens in March.
I haven’t heard about it, but I’m against allowing people to build high. They should keep the aesthetic the way it is.
Marvin; has lived on the Carroll Gardens-Cobble Hill border for 4 years.
Going back to the issue of architects vs. developers. You can have architects without developers. They’re not always synonymous. Alot of indigenous architecture was created without developers; private dwellings are created by architects without the inclusion of developers, etc.
My quote was cut and pasted. Developers can be one of the more evil people in the world when they rip up neighborhoods, displace people, and try to maximize their profit at the cost of quality of living. If this is new concept to anyone, I would accuse that person of a rare and brash ignorance. And yes, there are worse things in the world. But taking it to another level…waging wars, for example, aren’t they often times simply a grand scale of developing and territorialism? Historic preservation is there to protect those neighborhoods which need to be protected. Buildings cannot speak for themselves, and developers are often times too active in seeking to destroy these neighborhoods for personal gain.
However, in the adverse, which I also stated but which was not included, I do believe that developers are helpful in raising the quality of life too. Whole neighborhoods are restored and made active again. Small economies are made viable due to the resurgence of certain neighborhoods. Crime goes down, commodification goes up, and a neighborhood’s general well-being is cultivated.
I was not familiar with this site, like I had already stated. However, now that I am a little more familiar with it, I would have to say that I’m still pretty ambivalent about the development. As you can see from the statement from the people who are actually local to CG, they’re not too happy about it. Ultimately, it’s a fine balance between impacting too much on the present condition of the site versus impacting too little for the future gain of the neighborhood. I’m still not sure in this particular situation but that’s really what the developers should be figuring out in detailed discussion, along with how much they’re going to get in the bank. Agnes.
I think anyone who responded to the quotes on a personal level is an idiot. Those were benign generalizations. If you have nothing better to do than to lambast comments and make other people waste their time by responding to them too, you are obviously a very unhappy person and a loser in life too.
Hi bob, how’s that golden parachute these days? How do you sleep at night? Enjoying those audits? A business model built on destroying neighborhoods is not sustainable.
-you’re ex-employee and a friend of the “air headed escort service chic”
to the people who are offended by the statement about developers – get a life!! Developers get their reputation for a reason and ignorant comments against “the oriental” are unwarranted and pathetic. GET A LIFE, FOLKS.
can’t we all just get along? if developers and architects cared for a neighborhood listened to what the neighborhood needs, and built in response, everyone wins in the long run.
To all the overworked people full of piss and vinegar that just like to hate on others:
If you have ever worked with developers they are usually cheap sexist Jews who don’t respect women to begin with so I do see what Agnes is saying….also they don’t care about the preservation of a neighborhoods or historical value they just look at an empty lot or abandoned building as an opportunity to make a buck.
Carroll Gardeners get what they deserve. That’s it.
OK, the comment about me on the 14th was obviously written by a bitter dimwit, from the sound of it somewhere in the 19-22 age range. But come on! The “guest” on the 15th is a clearly so bigoted and disatisfied with life in our great city that he feels the need to insult Agnes by calling her an “oriental” and her neighborhood by calling it a “ghetto!” BedStuy is a fun neighborhood with some great housing options and lots of great food, and it’s really a hop, skip and a jump from Carroll Gardens and surrounding neighborhoods. One of the beautiful aspects of our lives here is that it’s so easy to, and so fun, to have breakfast in Washington Heights, lunch in Astoria and dinner in Park Slope all in one day. Want to check out the “world gone mad?” Try living in Boston or Philadelphia. But I suggest that you get on your bike and take a 15 minute ride to BedStuy and see what it’s really like. Enjoy! Dimitry
I loved the oriental architect who lives in Bed-Stuy and hates her clients. What a joke.
She can’t afford to live in a neighborhood like Carroll Gardens because all the rich fucks restrict the supply of new housing. So instead, she moves to the ghetto and commutes and/or drives miles to her “favorite” neighborhood.
How, pray tell, would ANYONE find this normal?
Seriously, at times, New York City makes me feel like I am in a world gone mad.