432 Clermont Avenue: Totally Inappropriate
After letting the house at 432 Clermont Avenue fall into complete disrepair over the past decade, the family that owns the four-story brick now wants the Landmarks Preservation Commission to approve its plans for a rear facade and two-story addition that are not only aesthetically incompatible with the historic row of buildings but also fully…
After letting the house at 432 Clermont Avenue fall into complete disrepair over the past decade, the family that owns the four-story brick now wants the Landmarks Preservation Commission to approve its plans for a rear facade and two-story addition that are not only aesthetically incompatible with the historic row of buildings but also fully visible from the street—a big no-no in landmarked districts. (What architect in his right mind would propose those railings?) Presenting to the Community Board 2 Land Use Committee shortly before Christmas, the owner’s architect claimed that LPC has expressed a positive opinion of the project—something that we found hard to believe. A quick check with LPC revealed that the plans have not been presented to the commission yet. Hopefully, this’ll get bounced back for a serious makeover.
Another Head-Scratcher: 432 Clermont Avenue [Brownstoner] GMAP P*Shark
Maybe… but the buyer for a $20 million dollar Village townhouse is gettting it as a trophy property–it’s a status symbol. For THESE particular buyers, a Brooklyn brownstone is not the same.
I think it was just posted to show the all-glass rear facade. Not because anyone was saying people should buy it!
But even if overpriced, it does really show why Manhattan people look at even the highest priced Brooklyn brownstones as bargains. Now that they are starting to become willing to have a Brooklyn address.
^^ it’s an ugly, spare art gallery space, and it will never sell anywhere near that price, no matter what fancy computer systems it has.
West Village carriage house – TWENTY MILLION DOLLARS?????!!!!!
West Village carriage house on landmarked block. Note the all-glass back facade:
http://realestate.nytimes.com/sales/detail/342-10041a
9:11 said:
“And to the person who mentioned that everyone in Manhattan is doing it…and that the West Village is so pretty in the backyard views because of people changing rear facades…GET A MAJOR GRIP. What planet are you living on? Look, sure…all sorts of rear facade changes can be found in NYC…but MUCH less likely in landmarked neighborhoods, esp. the Village. THE END.”
Excuse me?? So you can read my mind? Screw you, you pompous jerk. Don’t simply assume I am lying. Now we know what kinds of horrid personalities the preservationists have in Brooklyn.
My friend owns a house on the best block, yes a landmarked block, in the West Village and I have been in their backyard and see her back facade (totally changed to all glass) and her neighbors back-facades and they are all modernized and altered. At the very least the windows have been enlarged even if the whole back-facade wasn’t altered. And it looks fantastic. I’ve also been in $10 million houses on the Upper East Side and they all re-do the back-facades to the houses. It’s normal. The backyards even in prime Park Slope look like total crap. I’d use a harsher word, actually.
It’s terrible to pay $3 million for a house there and end up with such an awful view from your backyard. Trust me, the more people come from Manhattan, and the more the prices rise in Brooklyn, the more demand to change the backs of the houses there will be. The preservationist control-freaks best get used to it.
wow, you people have way too much time on your hands.
I really don’t see the horror in it, no it’s not really my taste, I do agree with the fact that IT’S THE BACK OF THE BUILDING! So they should be able to do what they want with it, I can’t tell you how many preserved backyards there are, and what horrible condition they are in. Yeah the railing is pretty ugly. But this would be an improvement over their neighbors and what was there before.
But as one of those jerky young people (or sort of young) I don’t blab! People should be allowed to enjoy their homes. It never stopped those idiots sitting on stoops blasting their music or parking their cars blabbing on cell phones before, and people don’t have party’s every week. What if there is a BBQ going on? Do you call the cops?
Get a life!
As far as blocking others light, well from what I’ve seen, most of the people actually cut down their beautiful trees and leave their backyards in complete disarray. Yeah a monster extension is totally uncalled for, however most of the extensions I’ve seen are disgusting. And the ones in the West Village are amazing, and it’s landmarked! This extension is really conservative! And does not stand out that much, remember this is the back of the building! I am a modernist myself but appreciate historic detail, it should be preserved to an extent, however if you really want to be historically accurate, give yourself a good bleeding and go sit by your coal fireplace. Oh and you should also hang all of your laundry on lines out the back of your building (because that’s accurate). Welcome to 2008!
^—- STFU you old hag. No-one is impressed with your six paragraphs worth of dribble.
Yes, thank you Shahn Andersen for putting some reality into this. I tried to make it clear but the supposed architect (11:15 etc.) who I believe you also commented back to is very ignorant. If anyone has gone through the process, they would NOT be so flip.
And to the person who mentioned that everyone in Manhattan is doing it…and that the West Village is so pretty in the backyard views because of people changing rear facades…GET A MAJOR GRIP. What planet are you living on? Look, sure…all sorts of rear facade changes can be found in NYC…but MUCH less likely in landmarked neighborhoods, esp. the Village. THE END.
And frankly, to the person living in the house that looks out on the back of this one…Do you realize how annoying and invasive it’ll be when, with all those balconies, it’s going to be with people hanging out, drinking, talking on cell phones…on quiet, sunny afternoons, on nights when they’re having parties… We know from experience…neighbors put in a deck that is, frankly, invasive (and may not have been permitted: no metal pan, just wood slats exposed from below). Noise level went right up…jerky young people blab into their cell phones standing outside on party nights (and into the wee hours) or just sit around chewing the fat and blustering away in loud voices unaware they are not ensconced on some huge lawn in the burbs…and this happens well into the night.
To the owner: you’re doing a condo conversion, no? Maybe the person who posted addressing himself to Brownstoner was not really the owner…but in that little blurb he suggested that we should not have an opinion if LPC approves something…well, in this case has LPC even approved it? And…uh yeah…people can have input and an opinion—it might just be your neighbor who is heavily impacted by the decisions you make. The proposed changes have to go through the community board process–so, VOILA, there is a direct process set up for community input. And, in my opinion, that is an ugly rear façade, a three story extension (very few if any in FG) extremely visible from Fulton.
You’re going to have one heck of time getting the LPC to approve it. Can’t you please make it more attractive…it looks, in the drawings, appropriate for a NON-landmarked nabe. Plus the extension will impinge the neighbors and any sense of privacy they now have as well block other people’s light. Why do you (even) need an extension?…sounds really like a condo conversion…don’t cry over this if you’re looking to cash in. You may not have your entire way but you have to make some tradeoffs, hello.
Oh, and by the way, these yards are not that deep…what is the FAR for a house like this? We’re talking a 3 story extension farther out than the other neighboring extensions.