Neighborhood Close-Up: babs in PLG
Someone many of you know as babs took the time this week to send us some photos of a walking tour of Prospect Lefferts Gardens she recently took. Here are some highlights” “The block of Parkside Avenue between Bedford and Flatbush has some of the most amazing townhouses I’ve ever seen,” writes babs. “I don’t…
Someone many of you know as babs took the time this week to send us some photos of a walking tour of Prospect Lefferts Gardens she recently took. Here are some highlights”
“The block of Parkside Avenue between Bedford and Flatbush has some of the most amazing townhouses I’ve ever seen,” writes babs. “I don’t know anything about their history but would love to learn.” So would we!
At Bedford and Clarkson, a vacant lot bound for Fedders glory.
On Hawthorne between Rogers and Bedford is a depressing juxtaposition. At 191 Hawthorne, the original woodframe construction remains intact, albeit somewhat weathered, while 195 Hawthorne is the victim of an extreme brick makeover.
On Clarkson off Bedford, babs came across this house only partially butchered by brick facade ad aluminum windows. Maybe they could sell the big-screen television to raise funds to restore that porch to its former glory.
That behemouth house on Clarkson is my favorite house in the neighborhood. It is a cross between Boo Radley and The Adams Family. I think it is the most unique home architecture in Brooklyn
I have been in one of the Parkside houses that sold last year. It was set up as a 3 family but was originally a double duplex.
Linus,
Configuration probably varies because there is no single family covenant restriction on the Parkside Avenue houses, as there is with the LM houses. I do know a couple of residents of that block who use their house as a one family. Also, when we bought in PLG ages ago, our house was comped with one of the Parkside Avenue houses — one family to one family.
those big townhouses on Parkside appear to have two doors. Anyone know how they are divided up? Upper and lower duplexes, or what?
Thanks, Babs, for showing some of the lesser known areas of PLG! Because most non-residents tend to think of PLG in either/or terms, i.e Lefferts Manor or Flatbush Avenue, my guess is that there are more unknown areas of PLG than ones that are known. I love the Parkside Avenue houses! And, I shake my head every time I see the “ghost house” at Bedford and Clarkson. One can only imagine how grand it must have been back in the day.
I only showed the periphery because it’s less well-known (to me, anyway), and deserves to be more recognized. Lefferts Manor is already protected; these houses are not, and the Fedders invasion is coming.
Interesting view of PLG (or Lefferts) as many residents would prefer. But by leaving out any pictures of Lefferts Manor in the heart of the nabe, it is certainly an odd view. Why only show the periphery?
Although I’m a Lefferts Manor stalwart, the block of Parkside west of Bedford does have the most beautiful row houses in the neighborhood IMO. We’ve had houses on that block on the PLG house tour many times, including the 1974 tour that was my introduction to the neighborhood. That block of Parkside(along with Winthrop, Hawthorne, and Chester Court, IIRC, were part of the original proposed historic district, but ultimately were left out by LPC (with a promise to eventually re-visit he issue–that was in 1979, so i wouldn’t hold my breath.
The house on Clarkson near Bedford looks slightly better-kept now than it did 20 or 30 years ago, but it’s still a sad sight IMO–so much potential wasted!
I’m pretty sure 191 Hawthorne was the building my grandmother was born in. I had always dreamed of buying it and fixing it up and moving her back in there for her final years. I think it’s been vacant for a long time.