Marty Comes Up with the Dough for Flatbush
We just got an email from a reader alerting us to the fact that Marty Markowitz has just come through for the residents of Victorian Flatbush. Susan Siegel of the Flatbush Development Corp. just announced that the big man on Brooklyn’s campus secured $83,000 for the facelift of Cortelyou Road. In addition to replacing the…
We just got an email from a reader alerting us to the fact that Marty Markowitz has just come through for the residents of Victorian Flatbush. Susan Siegel of the Flatbush Development Corp. just announced that the big man on Brooklyn’s campus secured $83,000 for the facelift of Cortelyou Road. In addition to replacing the “Cobra head” streetlights with the “Flatbush pole”, the so-called streetscape project aims to install cobblestone sidewalk borders, planters, banners, bike ranks and granite benches up and down the thoroughfare. One resident summed it up: “I’ve seen the plans and it looks like the bloody Champs Elysees.” We’re all for investing in public spaces but we just hope this doesn’t end up looking like the Disney version of historic Brooklyn.
My husband and I were walking through victorian flatbush on the way home, 10/26/05..it is truly lovely, for a moment you forget you are in busy BKNY. Those homes are truly outstanding Rugby road, argyle road, on one block they were filming. Then we started noticing some of the pre war buildings architecture..hey brooklyn is BEAUTIFUL…MY BROOKLYN LOVE YOU!!
Anything that enriches Victorian Flatbush and encourages people buy homes here and restore them is welcome – including the sort of businesses they like to frequent, which is what the new Streetscape is hoping to attract. It is several hundred thousands of dollers by the way. The 83k is just a top up. Architecturally, Victorian Flatbush is not just Brooklyn’s treasure – it is a NATIONAL treasure. It is the largest surviving neighborhood of Victorian homes in the entire country PERIOD. Of course, Cortelyou Rd. is also the most diverse street in the ENTIRE country (US News and World Report). I hope the two can co-exist with the all the new interest in the neighborhood. My guess is it will, to some extent, but some people will not be able to afford the area anymore. Like the Fort Green situation… I actually heard a woman outside John’s Bakery telling someone that she couldn’t afford her apartment anymore… It’s a difficult situation to resolve.
Cortelyou Rd is the main street of Victorian Flatbush. The sidewalks are 30 feet wide, and just beg for amenities. If sidewalk cafes are allowed these few blocks will become a fine addition to the community.
The 83K is for more “extras” thown into the design…
Actually, the plan drawing reminds me of Old Greenwich than Disney World.
The 83K is for more “extras” thown into the design…
Actually, the plan drawing reminds me of Old Greenwhich than Disney World.
The 83K is on top of already secured funds for the redevelopment of the street, which I believe is several hundred thousand.
Fifth Avenue and Smith Street had the ‘olde’ style streetlamps installed as part of the rejuvenation of those commercial strips and looked great for awhile.
Now they are freely used for bulletin boards for stoop sales, lost pets, moving co.s, and the like and are eyesore.
Then add all those free friggin newspaper boxes and I don’t think Flatbush need worry about looking Disneyesque
There’s a big difference between restoring something historic and trying to imitate it with faux-historic touches. We happen to prefer the former, though obviously both are preferable to run down and/or dangerous streets. This kind of thing takes some finesse, is all we’re saying, and we hope they can pull it off.
…too much like Disney? 10:47 is right, $83K will require some agressive management.
…were it to be Disney-like, I guess that would be too clean and crime free for brownoser’s taste.