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
there have been waves upon waves of gentrifiers in Brooklyn going back to the 50’s …. really, the most recent arrivals aren’t “THE GENTRIFIERS”…
so silly.
whatever. i suppose those posts that cited folks who have ties to the neighborhood before any landmarking or gentrification and have become property rich but remain cash poor as a result don’t make a legitimate point (so what if that particular property is or isn’t owned by a corp. prove it anyway). the bohemian bourgeoise love to talk the talk but as soon as someone can’t afford to live next door in a manner they dictate for whatever reason it’s time to call the authorities. nice, real nice. go help refugee babies with cash and screw your neighbor next door.
Um, Anonymous 3:57PM I have attached a link with an explanation of what an H.D.F.C. is:
http://cooperator.com/articles/928/1/Housing-Development-Fund-Corporations/Page1.html
Yes, I knw… an H.D.F.C. …. there’s a good chance that its an H.D.F.C. co-op.
Um anon 3:31 I think we have established early on that the house is owned by a corporation.
The brownstone on Garfield has been painted awful colors going back to the late sixties early seventies… used to have aqua steps, and the building itself was pink… the owner had a feud with one of his neighbors and
that’s what started the paint war of Garfield place.
Of course there are millions of things more important in this world… we all know this, but it seems sad to see the facades of the lovely old brownstones mistreated or bastardized… once they’re destroyed, that’s it… architectural history is lost or fragmented at best.
Maria brought up a good point… has anyone bothered to touch base with the folks who currently own the brownstone in question and inquire in a civil and neighborly way as to what their plans are for the facade of their brownstone?
maybe take the time to explain that the house is in a landmarked area to the owners, and to explain what that means?
I was drawn to Park Slope many years ago
because of the incredible architecture,
the brownstones… breathtaking and worthy of preservation, and it has warmed my heart to see so much energy being put into the restoration of these lovely old buildings over the past thirty years.
I can understand quite well Brownstoner’s visceral reaction to the
sight of what appears to be white paint
being painted over the facade of that lovely old brownstone.
There are communities all over the country right now, who are absolutely scrambling to try and protect what little historic character they have. Because earlier they failed to protect their historic houses and buildings. Just look at which towns outside NYC are attracting commuter residents. It’s the older historic towns, with hip young homeowners. Look at what’s not selling all over the country: the newly constructed suburbia strip-mall towns and subdivisions.
I didn’t read all through this thread as there are so so many posts, but if somebody else didn’t point this out already, people CHOOSE to buy in a landmarked district when they do so. They know what comes with it. If you don’t like landmarking, then vote with your pocketbook and don’t buy there. Thing is, that homeowner is going to benefit financially someday when they sell, precisely because their home is in a landmarked area and it’s so attractive. And yet….they rail against the landmarking. This just sounds spoiled and whiney, like someone who wants cake and to eat it too, then not take responsibility for any of it. That’s way more offensive to me personally, than a bit of pretentiousness. I’d rather sit and talk to a pretentious person any day than a whiney irresponsible baby. Prententious people are so much more interesting and entertaining.
I agree with Patrice and it’s refreshing to see someone make a comment that is both coherent and logical. She is correct that people should care about issues both large and small these days, and being that brownstones are particular to Brooklyn, this is a local issue that residents should care about, however, the reactions elicited from all of the people who commented on this are outrageous and show less care for actual preservation of brownstones than they do an inexplicable sense of pretention… That’s what is so disagreeable about all of this.
i thought patrice was dead on.
then again, i don’t really know where i am right now. still though…it made a lot of sense.
some of you all should start a bookclub and read the tipping point.
maybe they’re just painting it white for the summer?? they’ll change it back after labor day, i’m sure.