Plywood Signals Things to Come at 240 Bedford
On the same block as what we earlier reported to be a massive new townhouse development in the works, the Mura building has put on its ceremonial demolition attire. We haven’t heard what the specific plans are for this siteAccording to The Post on Sunday, the developers, who include former Bronx beep Herman Badillo, are…
On the same block as what we earlier reported to be a massive new townhouse development in the works, the Mura building has put on its ceremonial demolition attire. We haven’t heard what the specific plans are for this siteAccording to The Post on Sunday, the developers, who include former Bronx beep Herman Badillo, are pushing to build as many as 40 stories on the site. Not surprisingly, many locals aren’t too thrilled with the idea. So long, phallic graffiti.
Badillo’s Brooklyn High-Rise [NY Post] GMAP
regarding anon 11:35. Don’t know how old you are, but in the 80s and 90s people were saying the exact same thing about the East Village.
That plywood fence has been up for months – went up at the same time the site to the south was fenced in.
The proposed redevelopment includes one scheme with TWO forty story towers, and lots of community ammenities (non of which get us to work any faster). This site was recently rezoned – any changes would require a variance or another rezoning (probably the latter).
Anon 11:35 and 11:54 are right. As more people move to the east and more gets built in the northside, living here gets less and less convenient. Anything I can do to avoid the L at rush hour, I do. The projects on the northside waterfront (184 Kent and 2 sites to the north) will bring in over 2,000 new housing units – do the multiplication for number of people!
Williamsburg also has a bazillion restaurants and bars and cafes to hang out in. For better or worse, it is a ‘hipster paradise’. The construction is just going to make it more of a residential neighborhood, more (rich) family friendly etc. It’s not going to be the neighborhood I moved to, but all this housing is a good thing, these annoying pampered prada wearing people have to live somewhere! As for the L being overcrowded, the millionaires can take car services, or work from home, and eventually Robot Trains will increase service 20% and there will be a ferry at Broadway & the waterfront like there was in 1906.
I totally agree with anon 11:35 and have been in WB since 94. I don’t get it. Convenience, yes but it took me 45 minutes to get to work today when it normally takes 20 – 30. I stay because I have a deal and that, to me, is what WB is about — a deal. If I have to leave my apt. I don’t think I’ll live in Williamsburg.
The Williamsburg phenomenon really puzzles me. It seems to me that whatever appeal exists is based on two factors. 1/ Convenience (ie one or two stops to Manhattan) and whatever is left of some kind of ever-elusive hipster aproval. Minus that you have a mostly bland, semi-toxic neighborhood with the recent addition of a lot of cheaply constructed businesses trying to suck some cash out of the buzz. As another poster mentioned–right now there’s plenty of anxiety as the L pulls into the station and the crowds shift and position themselves in hope that (like a slot machine) the door to the train will come to a halt in front of them. At what point in time (two full trains go by–three? four?) do people just say “screw it”. When the last hipster turns out the light will whoever followed their “trail blazing” and bought an overpriced loft go “how did I get here?” For me, it defies understanding. Seriously, I’m curious what people think. Almost all of the neighborhoods that have become hot going back 20 years or so at least had some kind of “bones”. Maybe when all the parks and green spaces etc are built it will provide a reason for being there, but in the meantime…
Forty stories. Plus twenty stories. Is this for real? Does anyone have any idea how these people plan to get into Manhattan for their jobs? I hear it’s hard to get on the L train out at Graham at this point.
I am bummed, however, that this place finally gave up and sold. They really dug their heels in and stayed for a long time. I hope Apple Restoration up around N. 10 isn’t next!
Sad to lose the best place for graf art in Williamsburg.
Wait til you have two. We’ll see how much time you have to kick back with the Sunday papers! That’s why we need as much help as we can get from our readers to get by.
Lol
I still love your site though, and big big thanks for all the hard work you put in each day.
And btw, I have one child…