Cutting Corners on Landmark Windows?
We’ve been watching the renovation of this 5-story brownstone in Clinton Hill with interest as the property was a bit of a run-down eyesore for quite some time before the owner finally geared up at the end of last year to convert the thing to condos. Last week we were struck by what’s happening with…
We’ve been watching the renovation of this 5-story brownstone in Clinton Hill with interest as the property was a bit of a run-down eyesore for quite some time before the owner finally geared up at the end of last year to convert the thing to condos. Last week we were struck by what’s happening with the windows. This is in a landmark district so presumably the owner got the windows approved by LPC. But if you look carefully at the windows on the side of the house, there is a gap of probably three or four inches between the top of the window and the frame, suggesting that someone screwed up the measurements or perhaps took a financial shortcut and didn’t buy custom-sized windows. Given what’s happened on the side, we wonder whether the framing that was just put into the front windows suggests that the windows here will be similarly undersized? Any thoughts?
my question is why are the windows in the front one over one and the back two over two? is this permissable? why aren’t they all the same?!
The building in the photograph is not between Greene and Gates, but on Grand at the southeast corner of Gates. Maybe the Corcoran ad is for the resale of a unit in the building on the east side of Grand just south of Greene which was gutted and enlarged a few years ago. It was mentioned in Brownstoner a few months (?) ago in a comparison with the newly constructed building next to it.
The building in the photograph is not between Greene and Gates, but on Grand at the southeast corner of Gates. Maybe the Corcoran ad is for the resale of a unit in the building on the east side of Grand just south of Greene which was gutted and enlarged a few years ago. It was mentioned in Brownstoner a few months (?) ago in a comparison with the newly constructed building next to it.
I don’t think this building is the Corcoran listing because this is at the corner of Gates and Grand and doesn’t have southern exposure other than the side of the small yard. And I wonder how much detail survived in this house because it was missing a roof and many window panes for a long time. The front door used to be chained but would flap in the breeze.
I know that you shamelessly admit to have “an unhealthy obsession with historic Brooklyn brownstones”, but this one took me by surprise.
you people are losers.
Ok, just to fuel the speculation, the link to the listing, and a blurb which states that it is a “corner townhouse conversion”. It actually says Grand Avenue between Gates and Greene, which could be a number of buildings (not Grand at Greene as I stated above), but this sounds like it might be the one. Come to think of it, it could also be that god-awful thing at the corner of Gates and Grand…
http://www.corcoran.com/property/listing.aspx?Region=NYC&ListingID=876453
Terrific corner townhouse conversion in very exciting community. Excellent for small families. Three real bedrooms. Sun drenched East and Southern Exposure. Some nice detail throughout.
I noticed an ad on the Corcoran website for multiple three bedroom condos with the address listed as “at the corner of Grand and Greene”. I’m not Sherlock Holmes, but what are the odds that those condos are going to be coming from this building? It is a deep building, and I’ll bet with the right layout you could squeeze three bedooms in.
Here’s an alternative.. Notice how the entire building has already been scrapped off and the ‘base coat’ of cement has been added.. Notice how the upper window on the far right is in the process of having brownstone stucco applied to the cement base. This is were everything goes from ‘rough’ dimensions to final detail.
Notice also the bottom windows. It looks like the entire window box has been ‘reframed’ plumb and square. The wood framing sticks out farther than the cement base, but is flush with the final stucco finish. I think i can almost make out some would framing in the gap that you highlighted. Which would lead me to believe that these window box frames where squared and plumbed before the window was put in.
Is it possible that the gap above the side window will be filled in? Maybe they could be adding detail to the window to make it look more like the front windows with their moulding and trim. That would pretty much cover any gap you see now.