How would you feel if your new neighbor....
Whenever a black/Latino or other longstanding family on the block sells their home I always think, “there goes the neighborhood”. Because? It usually means, esp as of late, Manhattanites move in and start doing the most, in my opinion, un-neighborly/brooklyn renovations. Case in point. A family of our has just purchased a four story brownstone…
Whenever a black/Latino or other longstanding family on the block sells their home I always think, “there goes the neighborhood”. Because? It usually means, esp as of late, Manhattanites move in and start doing the most, in my opinion, un-neighborly/brooklyn renovations. Case in point. A family of our has just purchased a four story brownstone w/ 20-22/50′ “footprint”. They are planning to build a 16 to 20 foot 3 story extension that spans the entire width of their lot, thereby changing the block’s backyard “skyline” if you will. This extension will cast quite a large shadow, block light, and if there are side windows, encroach on the privacy of their neighbors. In full disclosure, the lots on our block are on average 150′ foot deep.
Everyone on our block thinks this is overkill and would like to see their expansion stopped. We like the idea of waving to our each other from our decks and feel that this will set a precedence that will change the neighborhood into another Manhattan (which is what I thought they wanted to get away from). Apparently the wife wants her children’s bedrooms on the same floor as her bedroom (so WTF is the top floor going to be…an S&M den, hydroponic pot farm, smoke house?).
It just does not seem in the spirit of the Brooklyn brownstoner. Why move into a home having pissed off all of your neighbors before even meeting them or better yet, does not meet your needs? If they want a McMansion shouldn’t they…oh god whatever.
I also feel that people should be able to do whatever they want with their homes if they want but at the same time I would rather have them crap on my lawn rather than take my sky out…at least I would be able to clean up the crap.
What do other Brownstoners think?
Try living in a neighborhood where no renovation/investment/improvement is happening. That would be preferable?
I have lived in brooklyn for many years. I don’t miss the old brooklyn. I like to feel safer in my community. I like having neighbors that care for their property and keep it clean. If that means new people move in to make it happen, let it be so, my kids and myself will be thankful.
This seems like two issues. Many upper-middle class newcomers to previously working class neighborhoods feel intimidated by the other residents and shy away from being overtly friendly. And many of the existing residents anticipate the newcomers to be snobs or they resent the sudden influx of white people so they aren’t that friendly either. And each side thinks the other was unfriendly first. If someone gets the balls to break the ice, we could actually find out who the nice neighbors are.
But building an extension unlike any other on the block, that will obscure sunlight from other backyards does seem thoughtless. Even if it is legal, that doesn’t make it right. And the desire to have a neighborhood in which people consider the lives of those around them is not a totalitarian idea. I would be pissed too.
And the end of the story goes, ” AND WHAT WERE YOUR NEW NEIGHBORS NAMES…..THE ARISTOCRATS!”
My next door neighbors built a two-story extension at the back of their house. Now, I have to turn on my lights in the garden floor at 3:00 pm because the sun is gone…a southern exposure no less.
I am a Latino (raised in P.R.) who moved to Brooklyn in 81. I moved from one end of the slope to the other and bought my first home from an Irish family. I find this topic ironic and makes me smile. I built an addition to my house and received threats and complaints. The neighbors broke into the house at night to see what we were doing and called the DOB eight times in six months. When we finished we received nothing but compliments. I reminded them that I probably doubled their property value. I was wrong. This month one of them sold their house for over four times what I paid and the new owners have asked me to design an addition for them.
To me, not only as the owner but a local architect I think this behavior is caused by fear of the new.
You can see my addition by going to http://homepage.mac.com/proffittny/PhotoAlbum1.html.
Isn’t it a also little snobby to assume that all those moving in are non-Black/Latino Manhattanites out to ruin Brooklyn? I never go to Starbucks, but do you really think old local Brooklynites boycott it too?
Is wherever you are landmarked? If so, are there restrictions to what you can do in the back of your house? I don’t know, just asking. That’s something to consider.
I don’t think you can have side windows. Check with the DOB Building Information Site and find out what your FAR is.