Park Slope House Tour
We haven’t heard much feedback on the Park Slope House Tour that took place last weekend. One reader was nice enough to send in photos of some of the houses on the tour though. Clockwise from top left: 416 Seventh Street, 546 Eleventh Street, 597 Eleventh Street, 683 Tenth Street. With the upcoming holiday weekend,…
We haven’t heard much feedback on the Park Slope House Tour that took place last weekend. One reader was nice enough to send in photos of some of the houses on the tour though. Clockwise from top left: 416 Seventh Street, 546 Eleventh Street, 597 Eleventh Street, 683 Tenth Street. With the upcoming holiday weekend, brownstone gawkers get a chance to recharge their batteries in anticipation of the garden walk and the PLG house tour on June 4.
Park Slope House Tour This Weekend [Brownstoner]
I had been previously asked to put my bedstuy brownstone on tour, but declined for most of the reasons outlined above. I agreed to do so last year and am happy that I did. For the most part, people were respectful and excited. I witnessed only one instance of cattiness and did not care. I guess it was a boost to my inner interior designer – especially when people asked for the the name of my designer and I had to say it was me. Some pressed and asked if I would help them. I respectfully declined.
Would I do it again – probably not. It was a lot of work getting my home to the point where I did not mind letting stangers take a peak – but I have no regrets.
i actually think the audience of the tour itself wasn’t catty and jaded (i know because i went and heard people’s comments), it’s the responses from people here that are overly negative and self-righteous.
The Bed Stuy tour is not usually populated by a jaded, catty audience. Most people seemed to be genuinely interested in what other people have done with their houses, and were eager to question the homeowners on points of interest. It does seem that it is getting harder and harder to find new people to show their homes, probably for the same reasons listed above.
i find it a shame that instead of having some actual discussion of brownstone design and architecture most people here just want to criticize every decision made or question homeowners’ motivations. it’s all the negative of living in nyc and little of the positive.
The trend in recent years is for two groups to put their house on a tour. 1. People who are about to put their place on the market, and 2. Achitect/Owners looking to drum up business.
Believe it or not, there seem to be enough people in these groups to supply the tours pretty well.
I was invited to put my house on the tour and I believe in supporting the cause, but I declined because:
1) Privacy. I just have no reason to want people to gawk at my personal possessions. And why further inspire the jealousy I see evidenced everyday right here on bstoner?
2) Safety. It is the perfect way for burglars to scope out a home, or kleptos to go on a shopping spree. Also, I just do not have confidence that people will treat my home respectfully – even if 99% do, that 1% bad apple would really hurt.
3) Cattiness. Yes, as bstoner.com has aptly demonstrated, you people are some of the cattiest, most judgemental people to grace the web. I would have to be insane to subject myself to your scrutiny.
4) A house is never done. Even after spending hundreds of thousands of dollars, and many painstaking hours renovating, how could I possibly live up to your impossibly high standards.
No thank you.
my favorite house on the tour was the double-wide one, which i thought was very well done but not overly done. really light and open and airy, but still kept many original details. seemed like an ideal family home– very pretty and interesting and practical, but not at all precious.
I missed the PS house tour this year, but have attended most for the past five years or so. Unlike a decorators show tour, they seem to choose the houses based on the integrity of the original architecture, not the renovation or design. I am a lover of brownstone architecture, but I also find it a bit of a letdown that most of the homes are not more “done.” Does anyone know if this is true of the house tours in other Brooklyn nabes?
what was the shameless advertising? i missed that.