97 St. Marks Avenue Update
It’s been about a month since we broke the news about the new owner at 97 St. Marks Avenue who was trying to create a curb cut in the recently landmarked part of Prospect Heights so we thought we’d check back in with DOB to see what the status was. Remember that last we checked…
It’s been about a month since we broke the news about the new owner at 97 St. Marks Avenue who was trying to create a curb cut in the recently landmarked part of Prospect Heights so we thought we’d check back in with DOB to see what the status was. Remember that last we checked the DOB had just issued a 15-Day Letter of Intent to Revoke the permits for the cut. Here’s the latest from the buildings department: “The Department has put the applicant on notice that approval needs to be obtained from the Landmarks Preservation Commissioner before work can begin for the curb cut. The Department also issued a Stop Work Order which will remain in place until the approval is granted.”
DOB Posts Letter of Intent to Revoke on St. Marks Ave [Brownstoner]
A Curb Cut on Landmarked St. Marks Avenue? [Brownstoner] GMAP
A civilized city is one that is NOT designed for cars. Alleys and curb cuts de-civilize the city.
friend in Forest Hills have them too.
So who decides what a civilized city is and what is the criteria?
Rutland Road between Bedford and Flatbush, in Lefferts Manor, has one of these alleys.
Most all of Chicago has alleys and because of that, everybody has a garage!!!!!
By the way,
When I was a kid in Gravesend, the name we used to give these service alleys was “Skulley’s alley number “x””, with the different lanes in the neighborhood being assigned a different number. I don’t know the origin of the name “Skulley’s alley” and I’m not sure it it was peculiar to Gravesend or was used throughout Brooklyn. Here is how we would use it: you would be riding your bike around the neighborhood and all of a sudden, someone would call out “I’ll race you down Skulley alley number “x””. Off we went to that lane for the big race.
There are also the same alleys in Crown Heights South behind President St, and also parts of Union and Crown, if I’m not mistaken. From what I can see in passing those streets, Benson is correct as to the advantages and disadvantages of such.
In Crown Heights North, there was once a service alley between Park Place and Prospect Place, between Kingston and Albany. It was filled in and annexed to the property lots, but all of the footage went to the Park Place owners, none to the Prospect Place owners, creating 150′ backyards on Park Place.
I know in PH the service alleys are now our back yards. Id like to remain uncivilized and keep it all. Mine mine all mine!
Did I ever tell youz that I can almost land a small plane in back yard?
Similary, there are alleys for carriages (and such) in Strivers Row in Harlem.
“But apart from a few blocks in Manhattan and a few in Broklyn Heights, real estate developers in NYC left out that amenity.”
Minard;
Not completely correct. In the 1920’s a number of rowhouse developers in Brooklyn built them. Here are a few examples in other sections of Brooklyn with which I’m familiar:
-Lake St. between Kings Highway and Quentin Road in Gravesend; Also in Gravesend: Quentin Road between West 3rd and West 4th Street.
-71st Street between 11th and 12th Ave in Dyker Heights (and the surrounding blocks – my cousin lives in one of these homes).
-Many of the streets around Ave. U and V between Bedford Ave and Nostrand Ave in Sheepshead Bay.
Also, these alleys are not nirvana. One of the big issues is their maintenance. At least in NYC (can’t speak for other places) these alleys are commonly not a common property of the homeowners who utilize them. Each homeowner is responsible for the alleyway that abuts their property. It becomes hard for folks to agree on a repaving. Also, during the winter, it only takes one homeowner who doesn’t fee like shoveling their portion to render them useless.