373GrandAvePaint.jpg
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.

dailynews373grand.jpgUpdate 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


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  1. if you came on this board to discuss the war, aids or the environment, sadly google pointed you in the wrong direction.

    to suggest that people liken this to such significant problems shows how truly ignorant you are. this is brownstoner.com. we talk about brownstones and brooklyn. not the war.

    and to the person who was offended by by velveeta comment, a. it was meant to be funnier than you thought it was and b. i think your arguement is a bunch of hooey.

    i have a feeling most people who live in a landmarked district (wealthy or not…it makes no difference) have an idea that painting their house white is a no-no.

    come on.

    you probably think the coke really WASN’T lindsay lohan’s….

  2. I’ve had a tough time with LPC for minor changes to the back of my building. So I should be in favor of letting people do as they please. However, I think that painting this building is a crime and should be handled as such.

    A building across the street from mine has been painted white, it is an eyesore. LPC knows about it for years and so far nothing has changed. I would love it if LPC forced the removal of the paint.

  3. I agree that this is a tragedy of gargantuan proportions. It ranks up there with AIDS, slavery, human trafficking, genital mutilation, ethnic cleansing, serial killing, famine, genocide, and child labor. I have just sent e-mails to my political representatives, demanding that they send in the national guard to correct this horrible violation of human rights. Thank you, people, for raising the public awareness so that the proper steps can be taken. Thank you.

  4. Stoner, relax with your assumption that those of us that disagree with this posting are lacking education or taste or whatever it is that you are trying to imply with your “velvetta and graffiti” comments. You’re just exhibiting what an elitist ass you are. Save it.

    Landmarks does indeed serve a purpose, I’m not denying that. What I object to here is the knee-jerk reaction and this posting. I’ve lived in CH for 40 years now, and I’ve seen what Landmarks can put people through, and it’s a little rough, frankly. Not everyone that owns a brownstone in a Landmarked area is wealthy. I suspect this very thought secretly offends you, but it’s…gasp…true!

    Do you know for a fact that the owner did this knowingly against the rules of Landmarks? Why the public flogging? I don’t know this person, do you? – or is this some kind of personal vendetta? And at the end of the day – is it really that bad?

    Going after developers is one thing, but going after an individual, a stranger, and siccing Landmarks on private homes and posting this is really taking it too far.

  5. Stoner, relax with your assumption that those of us that disagree with this posting are lacking education or taste or whatever it is that you are trying to imply with your “velvetta and graffiti” comments. You’re just exhibiting what an elitist ass you are. Save it.

    Landmarks does indeed serve a purpose, I’m not denying that. What I object to here is the knee-jerk reaction and this posting. I’ve lived in CH for 40 years now, and I’ve seen what Landmarks can put people through, and it’s a little rough, frankly. Not everyone that owns a brownstone in a Landmarked area is wealthy. I suspect this very thought secretly offends you, but it’s…gasp…true!

    Do you know for a fact that the owner did this knowingly against the rules of Landmarks? Why the public flogging? I don’t know this person, do you? – or is this some kind of personal vendetta? And at the end of the day – is it really that bad?

    Going after developers is one thing, but going after an individual, a stranger, and siccing Landmarks on private homes and posting this is really taking it too far.

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