Catching Up on the Bedford Avenue Building Boom
In recent years, the Orthodox community that has traditionally lived in South Williamsburg has expanded south into parts of Bed Stuy and Clinton Hill. Nowhere is this building boom more obvious than on Bedford Avenue between Willoughby and Flushing, where eight buildings (by our count) are currently under construction or reaching completion. And, by and…
In recent years, the Orthodox community that has traditionally lived in South Williamsburg has expanded south into parts of Bed Stuy and Clinton Hill. Nowhere is this building boom more obvious than on Bedford Avenue between Willoughby and Flushing, where eight buildings (by our count) are currently under construction or reaching completion. And, by and large, they’re pretty fugly. GMAP
#11:44 – i think they need to be able to go outside for some of the religious stuff.
and, yes, they eschew aesthetic considerations as they consider them to be frivolous.
on the whole, to me, i’d rather see a vibrant community with people conducting their lives than vacant, ghetto like spaces.
If this type of building means everyone else will stay away and leave them alone then its a positive.
Only thing that really bugs me is allowing balconies without a setback from the street. Sidewalks are a limited commodity in the city and should be protected.
aren’t the orthodox kind of like the shakers? they don’t believe in excessive adornment. does that have an effect on the types of buildings they put up?
I ride down this street every day on my way to work. The third building is actually pretty nice – trim and details are rare in new buildings in this neighborhood. I think it will look okay in the end.
As far as the porches, I think it’s part of the religion. There’s a festival every year where everyone has to set up an outdoor hut. For a weekend, all the porches are built up with temporary shelters. Therefore, every apartment needs a little outdoor space, even if it’s only a 2×4′ porch.
As someone who really likes looking at graceful architecture, I cringe and get sad every time I bike through this neighborhood. It’s pretty depressing. It’s just not a culture that puts much value into aesthetics.
Can they stop it with those balconys already geeze. It’s like they’re all reading one “how to” book and I see now the “fedders cut outs” chapter has been removed.
Oh please – every building except #6 is nicer then the existing buildings shown in the photos. (although #8 you cant tell yet)
Meant number 3…is that a new building, or an addition/rehab of an old building?
Numbers 2,3 and 5 look they might have some promise. Is 5 actually a brand new building? It looks like the base belongs to an older and attractive structure.
Not to pick at a scab, but do the people who opposed the AIA-proposed text amendment really think that the third building (the only one that is a corner lot) is better because it does not fill the full lot?