cheapass-light.jpg
The New York Shitty blog has coined this term, defined as thus: “A proliferation of galleries projecting from the front of luxury condominium buildings in gentrifying neighborhoods. While often little more than concealed fire escapes, balconized buildings usually are out of context with surrounding buildings and are festooned with such various and sundry items as laundry, bicycles, and satellite dishes. v. (balconized, balconizing, balconifies) See: Fedderize, crapification, Belvedere Realty, 156 Pulaski Street.”

Perhaps you readers would care to send in your photos of balconized buildings, so we can add to Miss Heather’s photo gallery? And how about other terms to add to this ever-revising lexicon?
Word Of The Day: Balconization [New York Shitty]


What's Your Take? Leave a Comment

  1. read this posting but don’t understand what its about

    also why are they blowing up the picture to show the outside light? is that part of whatever this is about?

  2. Ok, that balcony is truly just a disguise for a fire escape, but I don’t get the complaining about what will be on the balcony? Isn’t drying laundry something that the “original” residents of a gentrifying neighborhood would hang out their windows/on their balconies and therefor not be such a jarring difference between the condos and the surrounding buildings? Is she saying that there should be laundry on the balcony or is she searching for laffs about supposedly soul-less condo dwellers drying their laundry like how many city dwellers dry their laundry?

  3. How about those ultra narrow ‘terraces’ where you couldn’t even set a chair down? We call those ‘smoking terraces.’

  4. well, its a pretty clever play on words really, considering the fractures that these buildings bring to the neighborhoods.

  5. KHuebbe: You bring up a very salient point. What’s more, I like your style!

    Pictures of balconies (or overall ugly-ass buildings, especially those which sport Fedders boxes) are always welcome with open arms by yours truly. By all means free to submit them to my photo pool:

    http://www.flickr.com/groups/807073@N23/

    In closing I’d like to give special thanks to Lisa of Brownstoner for helping to spread the good news about “balconization”. It is very much appreciated. 😉