More on Cobble Hill's Windowgate
The Brooklyn Paper reports new developments in the Norah Jones’ great window scandal of 2009. First, it turns out that the famous singer’s designer originally applied to punch three new windows in the brick side wall but that it was Jones herself who pushed to modify the Landmarks application to add a total of ten…
The Brooklyn Paper reports new developments in the Norah Jones’ great window scandal of 2009. First, it turns out that the famous singer’s designer originally applied to punch three new windows in the brick side wall but that it was Jones herself who pushed to modify the Landmarks application to add a total of ten windows. Second, the Cobble Hill Association, which has been up in arms over the LPC’s approval of the request since it was made public, has counted up the number of similar houses with windowless side walls that it says are all vulnerable if the Jones precedent is allowed to stand. The tally? 70.
Windows 7 was Norah Jones’s Idea [Brooklyn Paper]
LPC Will Not Reconsider Norah Jones Decision [Brownstoner]
Cobble Hill Neighbors Irked by Norah Jones’ Windows [Brownstoner]
Photo by Stephen Brown for The Brooklyn Paper
“Eveyone I know who lives in Cobble Hill has issues of one sort or another.”
This, from the man with an obsession with ensuite bathrooms!
1842 — I doubt that the ability to see in the back lot of the corner house is what irks the neighbors; rather, it’s that the appearance of the block as you walk eastward toward Court that will be significantly changed by adding all the windows.
(I also think that it’s likely that what is getting Cobble Hillers in a tizzy is the fact/perception that the change was “amended” into an original application that did not have such a dramatic change.)
Personally, I’m reserving judgment on the impact of the windows until I can see (i) a relatively beleivable rendering of the sidewall post-windows and (ii) some good examples of existing sidewalls with windows in place. THe Lafayette house is interesting, but without the actual windoes in their it’s kind of hard to imagine the appearance. Also, the corner house is so deep, the wall is more hidden and thus less non-contextual from even a relatively distance.
“Walk through the area and notice that on almost every block, the last house facing the sidestreet, nearest an avenue, has an exposed sidewall, usually windowless.”
And, lo, a mighty voice came forth from a slimy thing writhing in the sludge of the Gowanus and spake thusly to the faithful:
“Thou shalt honor thy father and thy mother and the architect who designed whatever flophouse they conceivesthed thee within. And in sooth ye shall declare such construction perfection and honor it throughout the generations of your line.”
“And thus shall the sins of thy father’s landlord’s architect be visited upon your descendants, descendants, descendants, descendants and all who wish to dwell in the place until such time as a big enough real estate bubble develops to warrant a re-zoning and the building of cheap condos throughout all the lands.”
“Then ye shall suffer a blight of thin walls and poor hot water and racketball courts and lament the loss of windowless walls that kept ye warm throughout the generations before ye strayed from the past and blasphemed against the Word.”
Sorry, north side of Lafayette (212 Lafayette Avenue on Streetview), not south side.
http://www.google.com/maps
I too live in Cobble Hill & I have to say: Big deal! The more windows the merrier. There’s nothing uglier than a slab of painted over bricks on the side of a building. I just don’t want to hear subsequent complaints if her present/future neighbor decides to rebuild out to the side walk.
Houses on these lots are not always windowless. Check out the house on Lafayette Between Vanderbilt and Clinton Avenues in Clinton Hill, south side of the street. The windows have since been bricked shut, but they were originally there. This is such a non-issue. The Cobble Hill Association is really concerned about privacy of their back gardends on lots of this configuration, plain and simple. Landmarks clearly is fine with this. The privacy arguement does not hold water anyway as everyone in the “doughnut” of you block can see in everyone’s back yard already. Now Ms. Jones will be able to do the same with respect to the building next to her, and it irks her neighbors.
While I agree that Cobble Hillers tend to be issue-prone, I also know that the area has an interesting feature with regards to corner houses. Walk through the area and notice that on almost every block, the last house facing the sidestreet, nearest an avenue, has an exposed sidewall, usually windowless.
These sidewalls were always exposed and face little lots that may have originally been stables or sideyards. In any case, there truly are a large number of these esposed sidewalls in the distrcit. Perhaps someone with some knowlege of the developemnt of the area can explain why these end lots in Cobble Hill were laid out the way they were.
Dave, I live in Cobble Hill, and you know I have NO issues. Someone else we know in Cobble Hill would probably say the same thing – about me, that is, not about herself. 😉
Eveyone I know who lives in Cobble Hill has issues of one sort or another.