Unhappy Ending for Sidewalk
It looks like the sidewalk on Washington Avenue was, unfortunately, not repaired with bluestone. We’re kinda curious whether this was a financial decision or whether the mere size of the roots made it impossible to lay newly cut slabs down. Certainly ain’t much to look at, is it? Anyone know? Beware the Wrath of the…
It looks like the sidewalk on Washington Avenue was, unfortunately, not repaired with bluestone. We’re kinda curious whether this was a financial decision or whether the mere size of the roots made it impossible to lay newly cut slabs down. Certainly ain’t much to look at, is it? Anyone know?
Beware the Wrath of the Tree Roots [Brownstoner]
My sidewalk in Bed Stuy still has a combination of blue stone and concrete patches. Does anyone know the price range to replace the existing concrete with blue stone? How much does it cost to instaall new blue stone Thanks
Our homeowner’s insurance company forced us to remove the bluestone around our tree pit, which was always coming up due to roots about which the city would do nothing (but tell us that we couldn’t address the problem ourselves). Once the city shifted liability to the homeowners for incidents that happened on city sidewalks they doomed a lot of the remaining bluestone sidewalks. Our homeowner’s insurance immediately threatened to cancel unless we “fixed” the problem sidewalks. That house now has nice level concrete sidewalks around an enlarged (at the city’s insitence) tree pit. A nice aesthetic piece of Brooklyn history is gone, but the government and isurance gods are assuaged.
You are wrong. This is Greenwich, CT.
Foolish? Not really, not for me. In the 7 years since I had the work done, I’ve enjoyed it several times a day, each and every day. I get much more satisfaction from beautifying and restoring my immediate neighborhood (tree pits too) than I would have from a vacation that would probably have cost the same as the sidewalk repairs. Plus, I’ve gotten to know all the neighbors, and even spurred some of them to spruce up too. And, hey, when you walk down my block, even you get to enjoy my work and investments too (if you don’t consider enjoying antique sidewalks and planted tree pits to be beneath you, so to speak).
I figure rather than around whining about everything going to hell, I can try to preserve and improve a minuscule sliver of the Brooklyn I love.
to repair and restore historic bluestone that belongs to the city (not to me) is supposed to be “snobbish.”
not snobbish – foolish.
Someday I will understand how paying my own money, out of my not-vast salary, to repair and restore historic bluestone that belongs to the city (not to me) is supposed to be “snobbish.” (I also paid to have my neighbor’s bluestone done, as they are on a fixed income). Am I not being a good little Marxist because I fixed something myself (with the government’s permission) instead of waiting for the government to do it? Or are you all just so consumed with freelance class envy and hate that you assume that anyone with initiative is some sort of “go-getter,” and is thus highly suspect?
Please, I must know. Have I done wrong? Should I go out, sledgehammer in hand, breaking sidewalks all over Park Slope to atone for my haughty repairs?
“Fortunately, a few people do, and are willing to work their asses off (and spend a ton of their own money) trying to do it. Since you think these issues are so trivial, perhaps you’d be happier in some Applebees town like Scottsdale? Go for it.”
ok…so everyone who doesn’t have a “ton of money” to spend on something like this should move to Scottsdale? you must be a delight to hang out with.
Nice opinions people! Maybe this should be called Snobstoner!!
We had *serious* tree root upheaval. The Parks Dept looked at the site and wanted to greatly enlarge the tree pit. The city was then going to replace the bluestone with concrete.
We paid Buscarello $3000 to remove the bluestone, wait till Parks had done their thing, and replace it, level. Took all kinds of coordination, and cost us money we really didn’t have at the time. It was that, or let the city put down concrete, and I couldn’t let that happen. Some neighbors were appreciative, others were angry because “we” “decided” to enlarge the tree pit, thus narrowing the sidewalk (it was entirely Parks Dept’s decision).
In other news, who thought sycamores/London plane trees would be a good choice for city streets? They’re a freakin’ nightmare. They shed leaves all year long, too. It looks like fall by May.