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
Has anyone walked over there and ASKED what’s happeninf instead of calling 911 and the preservation dept? That would be very neighbour-ly
painting gorgeous brownstown stone white is just plain wrong. this is what happens when filthy rich people with no aesthetic sense move in. if you must play with paintbrushes, please sign up for habitat for humanity – i think there are neighboring communities that could really use a coat or two of that fine, ralph lauren paint.
Landmarked is landmarked. Why don’t we just paint the Chrysler building green? or the Statue of Liberty yellow? There is a reason they are called BROWNstones. The only excuse would be that this is some type of primer to prepare the surface for one of those fancy new breathable paint products that may be used in place of a true stucco. But even then, a landmarked property should remain true to it’s historical form.
You heard me correctly 3:28..key word is “their” moron. I should get upset because my neighbor paid for his house and would like to decorate it to his taste? You jerk. Is he doing harm to my home? oh ok, then I would be upset. Last I looked this was supposed to be America,land of the free. Guess that freedom is going out the window like everything else. Next someone will want to tell us when and where to shit shower and shave.
SWEET, A CATFIGHT!
3:15, are you calling me a yuppie? Them’s fighting words!
Ok, so a brownstone getting painted white is not the end of the world. I think we can all agree that there are much more serious problems in the world.
But from a local perspective, this is an issue worthy of discussion. The lucky owners of NYC brownstones have bought properties with significant historical baggage and historical protection. That doesn’t mean that every single change should be policed, but this is a pretty big move that will affect the character of the whole block.
There are rules in all sorts of communities about altering the physical characteristics of a property in relation to its neighbors – paint colors, satellite dishes, fences, etc. It would be nice if each brownstone neighborhood could work together to foster such community, not to be policemen, but to work together to preserve the character and integrity of their blocks.
i’m stoned.
rent control and rent stabilization- now we’re talking about things that really destroy beautiful buildings.