WTF in Bed Stuy
Who the hell’s going to buy this crap (this one happens to be in Bed Stuy) now that the market is no longer in a frenzy and lenders aren’t giving money away? Are all these new design disasters destined to wither on the vine to be repo’d by HPD in a few years? Notice that…
Who the hell’s going to buy this crap (this one happens to be in Bed Stuy) now that the market is no longer in a frenzy and lenders aren’t giving money away? Are all these new design disasters destined to wither on the vine to be repo’d by HPD in a few years? Notice that the ad says that the house is ON SALE, not just FOR SALE. Nice touch.
$699000 New 3 Family House ON SALE !!! [Craigslist]
to 5:03,
I disagree. Older construction was built to stand 100+ years whereas today’s construction is DESIGNED to last only 30 or so.
And with the re-newed interest in green design, the thickness and material of exterior walls is fantastically important. Not only are these older materials “recyclable” and return to the earth eventuially,but the heat gain and loss cycles they are capable of allows inhabitants to reduce dependence on HVAC units.
Lastly, Modernism is dead. DEAD! D-E-A-D!! so why would you want to live in a “Modern” building where the contractor or developer will take that as license to remove all the details? Architecture is about creating space. NYC space as its being re-imagined now sucks big-time.
These are 3 family homes and while far from architectural masterpieces they serve the function intended. Large windows, cornices and other ‘touches’ are expensive additions to a home designed to be as inexpensive as possible. These are “starter” homes and all of the commentary about “I would never live in that” etc… simply reveals your snobbery and ignores the economic reality of someone struggling to own their own home.
And 4:33 your 100 year prediction is just silly, you couldnt possibly get cheaper more mass produced housing then Levittown, yet despite that, those homes are now approaching 60 years old, are standing strong and cost well over 300K. Demographics, the economy and probably the enviroment will determine what will be here 100 years but taken care of properly, virtually anything built today will last 100’s of years.
I appreciate the good wishes. One additional thought…besides the new construction/ Fedders homes, what other “new” constuction, multi-families are out there that are even close to a brownstone or anything else besides what is commonly seen in the Williamsburg, Bed Stuy and Crown Heights nabes?
Not referring to these houses specifically or any particular brownstone – this notion that new construction is so crappy and Brownstone (i.e. pre-war) construction is so wonderful is ridiculous.
Just b/c a Brownstone ‘feels’ solid doesnt mean that is so. The reality is that the cost of maintaining a Brownstone in top shape can be astronomical. Brownstones leak, have drafts, warped floors, sagging doors etc… at a rate = or greater then the average new construction (with much higher repair/replacement costs). Further, all that detailing we love so much adds tons of costs in terms of facade, window and parapet repairs.
Thats not to say that “brownstones” are bad but “quality” in this context is a subjective term and judging “quality” simply by how hard you can punch a wall, or the thickness of the exterior brick is really only one small component in determining the cost, hassle and time it takes to maintain any home as a dry, safe, warm/cold living environment.
This wasn’t built to compete with brownstones. If you look at listings in the archives of The Brooklyn Daily Eagle on the Brooklyn Public Library website you will see that at the turn of the century there were brownstones being sold for $30-50,000. There are homes like these shown in Queens by the airport and I know several people with very modest earnings who moved from crappy Crown Heights rentals (granted, the buildings are solid old construction) into “their own home”. Honestly, it was better for their kids. Before they moved the kids couldn’t really hang out on the street. One friend had a very overweight kid who was able to lose a great deal of weight because he could get out and play basketball with his friends and it changed his life. The long story short is that owning is empowering and while the building is ugly it may allow a person to become part of a community that can have a powerful impact on them and their family.
I’m mystified. Why is this house so bad?
Seconding “guest”, both in wishing bmfesq good luck, and in asserting the longterm structural integrity of prewar construction.
I’m gutting my house right now. And so yeah. Anything on the inside is rotten and papery, joists are popping out of their sockets and being replaced with new ones.
But the construction of the exterior walls is as sound as can be. I need facade work done.
My new-construction neighbors (and I do sincerly hope you do not share their luck) have serious problems with their foundation, and have found that their garage collects no less than three feet of water whenever it rains… less than 10 years in. They spend as much as I do, really.
(and their place is fugly)
There is no reason why cheaper housing has to be so ugly. Contrary to popular belief, it costs the same to build ugly as it does to build decent looking houses.
bmfesq, good luck with your home. I mean that sincerely. I hope you got one of the better built and finished ones. Old houses are not for everyone. But…….
I’m sorry, in terms of longevity, 100 years from now, most brownstones will be celebrating 200 plus years, most new homes will have been replaced with the next new homes.