House of the Day: 1094 Park Place

Is it me, please re-read my answer to you. I clearly said that I disagree with the CONCLUSIONS drawn by the owners’ absence, not that you didn’t actually see them. How can I dispute you never saw them? You live across the street, I don’t. The conclusion that could be drawn, especially by the haters, is that the owner was afraid to come out, not the more obvious reasons, that your schedules may have been different, or that she worked from home, or any number of innocuous reasons. I’ve got neighbors I haven’t seen all summer, but it’s only changes in schedules that make us miss each other.

I’m not going to argue with your quality of life issues, either. As I said, you live right there, I don’t. I know several people on your block and around the corner on Hampton, and I know that they are constantly lobbying for better policing of the park, especially after dark. I am not such a cheerleader that I can’t see the need for change and betterment. That has always been my mantra. Obviously, the house and/or the neighborhood aren’t for everyone, and I never said it was. That doesn’t make it hell house.

My ardent defense of this house, and the area, is because of the knee jerk reaction to it by people who make judgment calls based on fear, jealousy and stereotypes. Have they ever visited any part of Crown Heights? No. Their familiarity of the area is based on rumor, ignorance, the media, and their assumptions that any predominantly black neighborhood is inherently dangerous. They make judgments based on their own comfort levels – if they wouldn’t live there, and then no one else would, either. Specifically, they haven’t seen the care and money that went into this renovation or the inherent beauty of this house. I don’t know the owners, but it is an insult to them and to the house, to deride their efforts simply because they had the temerity to do a Brooklyn Heights renovation in a Crown Heights house.

I understand and share many of your feelings about some of the quality of life issues here. I spend a lot of time working with community groups who are doing our small parts to address those issues, and get our local gov’t to do its part in making things better. That, of course, still leaves many people and their activities which are not cool, not defensible, and bring down the neighborhood for everyone. Change takes time. But even with that, I will never stop defending a neighborhood that overall, is beautiful, worthy of consideration, and a great place to live.

Montrose,

How could you disagree with me never seeing the owners? . They have a back yard and could’ve very well rested there. However, I have been here for more than a decade. Ive seen the home when it was a with the previous owner, and and watched all the work the current owners placed into it. They were a nice family, very busy though. One woman always on the go, work work work, (her occupation required it) The other woman, (yes woman) gardening ALL DAY, with that pit bull dog romping about. (a sweet dog though) Hell, I’ve seen the dog more than the kids. I think I’ve seen the kids come outside to play/ even look as if they were go to school about 10 times total. ALL AND ALL they are not even living there anymore. They were smart enough to leave and their reasoning… THE KIDS! The home is occupied by some folk, now, but GUESS WHAT.. I HAVEN’T SEEN THEM EITHER!

Listen, the yuppy comment was honest more so to do with the expectations of the home vs neighborhood. Even though Albany houses is WAAAAAAY at the other end of the block, somehow the little critter kids, decide to use beautiful tree shorted Park Place (god, do we need more trees!) as their pathway to everything i.e the b ball courts, stores, park. CANT STAND THAT. Or please tell them how after 9 AM int he summertime, the park becomes a giant BBQ festival which the prime location in the grass is usually roped off the night before and being heavily watched by someone off int he distance. The next morning, you will have your joggers back, but try not to slip on the chicken bones and other GARBAGE strewn about since the receptacles that are provided are usually overfilled and tipped over in attempt of the night stalkers who collect cans a bottles. Enjoy that walk. Other than that, the block/park has moments out of Pleasantville. I’ve been here long enough to know “who is who and what is what” and honestly, what is what is enough for me. I PERSONALLY have property that has gone through TOO MUCH. in the twinkle of the night is when ALL happens. I have countless family and friends living on the the same block, and they as well have been affected. So my comment about the yuppy family is honest. Unless ALL you want is a nice home which is thankfully fenced in so your children can play freely without some cursing, spitting teenager in their pathway, and a sometime usable park, waiting for things to change, be my guest and purchase this place. It is the time of waiting that fears me the most. What happens in the interim is only left to be said.

I look at this beautiful home EVERYDAY… I see it out my window first thing in the morning, and last thing at night.
Sadly, it is in CH. Even though Crown Heights is trying to change, however, Im trying myself to leave.
This home is beautiful, but the family who lived there, you never saw them outside, except for the one woman who painstakingly took care of the gardening. The kids barely played in front. There is a gate so large around it, to keep outsiders FAR FAR AWAY. to the right of it is a huge church, that only is in use on Sundays, so get ready for the glutton of double parkers. to the left of it, is a row of brownstones that have recently been renovated. It is a nice block. Brower park is across the street, and is PACKED with jogges and dogs off leash in the morning. At night, sadly it turns into bum fest. You have a huge possible three car driveway to use. I do not see a yuppy family with kids, wanting to live here, it is too dangerous. Move to Park Slope. Or Ditmas Park

So, Gary Cooper, would you like us all to genuflect and tug our hats in respect to your higher station? Sometime, when you want to come down from your mountaintop, I’ll let you in on the reality of communities down below in the valley.

I am not unfamiliar with the affluent, I deal with them every day in business, I went to college with them, many of my friends are “them”, and some of “them” live in this community. Contrary to what you espouse, not everyone is hung up on appearances or impressing everyone with what community they live in. Many like living in communities where they share connections of race and culture, or for such impossible reasons as they liked a particular house. Everyone black with money does not head for the Upper East Side or Westchester. And everyone white with money is not comfortable with living in gilded ghettos of privelege. Let’s just leave it with different strokes, shall we?

Spare me your condescension, ok? “I really do, I think it’s quaint.” Whatever respect I give any poster went out the window with that remark. Since your affluence has spared you the indignity of hanging with us po’ folk, unless you are patting us on the head, kindly refrain from making remarks on a house, or a part of town that you wouldn’t lower yourself to be in, you obviously don’t know what you are talking about.

As to the social opinions of Montrose Morris, architect, so what? I chose his moniker because he was one of the greatest architects Brooklyn ever knew. He built many of his best and most important buildings in Crown Heights and Bed Stuy, and I get to walk by some of them every day. He helped make these communities the architectural wonders that they are, and his legacy is helping to insure the renaissance of both communities. If an interest in his name and career should happen from this blog, research will lead to Bed Stuy and Crown Heights, and fair and open minded people may discover that we have much to offer.

What have you got, besides blistering condescension and uniformed opinions? Reality? I don’t think so.