Illegal Paint Job on Landmarked Block of Clinton Hill
We just got a tip that someone just started painting one of the brownstones on Grand Avenue between Gates and Putnam white this morning. (Yes, a certain blogger does live on this block.) Something tells us the Landmarks Preservation Commission didn’t sign off on this. If any readers are nearby, we’d appreciate a photo asap….
We just got a tip that someone just started painting one of the brownstones on Grand Avenue between Gates and Putnam white this morning. (Yes, a certain blogger does live on this block.) Something tells us the Landmarks Preservation Commission didn’t sign off on this. If any readers are nearby, we’d appreciate a photo asap. If anyone from LPC is reading, please get on the stick! Update 7/27: Here’s the photo from about 11:20 this morning. The address is 373 Grand Avenue. LPC confirms that there are no permits out on this.
Update 7/29: As the Daily News article reports, it turns out that—luckily—the owner was only repainting the area around the door. While we understand that some people feel it was an overreaction on our part to post about this before all the facts were known, here’s why we think it was warranted: First of all, had the painters been intending to paint the entire facade, every second counted when we got the tip (we were in fact in Dumbo, and not just across the street, when the tip came in, so popping over for a friendly chat was not an option); secondly, we were on the phone with LPC within five minutes of getting the tip, and LPC told us that (1) the owner had no permit for the painting and (2) that he had racked up, and failed to cure, several other landmark violations over the years. All these factors led us to conclude that, on balance, it was not worth taking the risk that something really destructive might happen. You know, better safe than sorry. With 20/20 hindsight, this was clearly the wrong call. Apologies to the owner—our obsession with historic brownstones may have gotten the better of us on this one.
Bottom photo by Rosier for the Daily News
i walked this block this afternoon and didn’t see this place. was i just somehow looking in the wrong place or was the situation “corrected”?
While we are on the topic of the “small things”-well, sort of anyway, it would be nice if everyone cleaned up in front of their homes. Some are such a mess, garbage, etc. Come on folks, have some neighborhood pride. And it doesn’t even cost anything other than the price of a broom. Thanks in advance for all your cooperation.
come to think of it, that sounds rather fun.
no one tell me where the new traders joe’s is gonna open. i’ve got a day right there killed with wandering around in a stuper looking for the place.
thanks rose!
in that case rose, we might as well shut the site down. every open house pick, new development, conversion and retail goings on have addresses attached to them.
perhaps we should also discuss the new restaurants and shops that open in brooklyn and keep their locations top secret.
I think it’s indecent that you would put this person’s address on the Web for all to see. If you have a problem with it, why not simply ask the owner of his intentions? If you still aren’t satisfied, then call LPC yourself.
Why point random strangers to a person’s house? Like another reader commented, perhaps this person is unaware of the rules.
Consider yourself a poor neighbor who abuses the voice you have via this blog.
wow … this is great. brownstoner, for all the flack you’re getting, you’ve certainly opened a pandora’s box of opinion.
keep up the good work !!
They should landmark clothing. Wouldn’t it be cool if everyone in a given neighborhood had the exact same outfit on? Then we wouldn’t have to deal with these quirky eccentrics with their “individuality”.
wow … this is great. brownstoner, for all the flack you’re getting, you’ve certainly opened a pandora’s box of opinion.
keep up the good work !!
As I’m thinking over your response Anonymous 6:37PM, if I’m understanding what offended you the most, it wasn’t
whether or not to preserve the integrity of the old brownstone facades really, it was what you had perceived as a snobby, monied “dictate” in Brownstoner’s posting.
And you’re correct…no one’s neighbors deserve to be “screwed” or “turned in” because they can’t keep up appearances with the new arrivals
and their renovated and restored homes.