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On Friday, Brooklyn blog Brownstoner was alarmed about a Clinton Hill resident on Grand Avenue who was painting a brownstone's archway white. Though the second comment wondered "are you sure it's not primer?", the comments thread turned into a heated debate about the rights of owners of buildings in landmarked neighborhoods, calling the painting a "disgrace" and a "mortal sin," and whether publicly outing the owner was appropriate.
Well, the Daily News' Michael Daly headed to the brownstone yesterday morning to do a little reporting, finding the owner, a "82-year-old man who has lived there through the changes of three decades" who answered the door "in gray pajamas and slippers." The man exclaimed the white paint was in fact primer, "They just put the primer on yesterday. I thought you were the contractor ringing the bell." And then the contractors came to add a coat of brown paint.
The owner didn't realize that his home had been a source of heated discussion as he doesn't deal with computers, but weighed in about the real estate market ("Everybody got to be making a million dollars to live here. Everything is going up. There's the question: Where the hell does it go before it bursts?" ) and also seemed weary of today's insanity: "I'm glad my days will soon be over. I'm getting out of it, and they can do what they want with the city. It's the attitude of a grumpy old man. That's all it is."
And speaking of another buzzy brownstone bit, last week, the Brooklyn Paper reported about a woman dressed in a wedding gown - carrying a wedding ring in a Tiffany box - sleeping on a ledge above a Park Slope brownstone's doorway on 4th Street. While some people wondered if it was an art school prank, this week the Brooklyn Paper revealed the woman had been dumped by a fiance because she "was bi-polar and wouldn’t take her medicine." Her father, who also lives on 4th Street, picked her up from the hospital.
Some residents of Sunnyside Gardens, Queens had opposed landmarks designation because making improvements to homes would need to be regulated by the Landmarks Preservation Commission. And a Staten Island homeowner worried that landmarking would attract preservation perverts.
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"Her father, who lives on the street,"
Jen, that phrasing implies that he's homeless - which he article says he ain't. Please switch to "who lives on the same street,"
Who would be stupid enough to think it was anything but primer?
Yeah that's nice but, how did she get up into the window above the door.?
I'll marry her, I like'em krazee. I can probably out krazy her. maybe I should be born a woman.
i've just moved to brooklyn and the romantic brownstones are just havens for dickheads all up in your business. Jeez you can't sit on your porch without someone saying something about cleaning or fixing something.
Just another aspect of the getting your dander up about nothing....
Reminds me of the tempest over the gender discussion regarding a found infant's hat in Park Slope blog.....
GET A LIFE!
nouveau riche nyers are all uppity about anything and everything. how annoying.
can't white people ever mind their own business?
poor elderly crust old man, i like his attitude.
That Brownstoner thread was truly ridiculous, a prime example of the worst aspect of Web 2.0. Everybody and anybody chiming in with their own peanut gallery-two cents, confirming that old adage that opinions are, indeed, like @ssholes.
Brownstoner - ass****
Time to mind yer own business.
Pay the old man's health benefits for a month for all the hassle you gave him.
Well, that's what happens when people use blogs as a source for news.
Poor lady. Being bi-polar is a very difficult thing, but you have to take your meds. I had a roomie who was bi-polar, great guy, but he took his meds, and they barely helped with the problem. But still, he took them.
this dude has lived in that brownstone for over 30 years and people who moved in LITERALLY 3 years ago (i used to read brownstoner's reno blog)? if i were him i'd paint the whole fucking thing white and tell the newcomers to suck it.
dont people have more important things to worry about?
I'm totally with Nick S. It's not like we don't have crazily painted buildings all over town as it is. Isn't someone putting up a pink hotel on the LES as we speak?
The worst part is all this fooferall is over something that the LPC has no authority to regulate in the first place. NYC.gov and the Landmarks FAQ tells us that for repainting the exterior of your historic home NO PERMIT IS REQUIRED. Although the vitriol spewed by many of the posters at BS is not surprising, the lack off fact checking is. It took me all of 15 seconds to find out that no permit or permission from the LPC is needed. The eagerness of some to turn their neighbors in to the Gestapo is scary, this isn't like telling the cops about a suspicious parcel, this is something (repainting one's own private proerty) that has NO AFFECT WHATSOEVER on them, is not a possible danger to anyone, and frankly, is none of their damn beeswax. The Brownstoner's reasoning is "...something really destructive could have been about to happen." What the fuck!!! Something really destructive could have been about to happen at any time and in any place. Setting aside the part where repainting your doorway is in no way whatsoever destructive, there needs to be some kind of evidentiary threshold, even the po-po need a reasonable, articulable suspision before they can investigate. This is NYC, leave your neighbors alone, let them live their lives in peace.
----l0b0t
The story about that woman is sad. I hope she gets things back on track.
"I'm glad my days will soon be over. I'm getting out of it, and they can do what they want with the city."
Words of an elderly man about Ghouliani/Bloomie NYC - very sad.
That old man rocks! He should paint the whole thing Barney purple. See how they like that!
It's his property as far a living there, Maintaining it, Renting it out, Etc . Unfortunately no one owns there property in this country . The Local Government does, Yes It's true and they justify that with all of those "Provisions" they impose on Homeowners ! In this particular instance it's the Landmarks division of enforcement that can take Ur home from you by claiming that Ur depreciating the value of the property by defacing it ! Most people don't know that if say a Homeowner decides they want to make improvements to the property say installing new windows . If those windows don't meet a certain level the City can Fine the Homeowner ! They can also fine Homeowners for injuries resulted by trips, falls on the property (Sidewalks). All and all, If this Old man wants to paint the house hot pink that's his business . I surmise the neighborhood will get the City's Landmarks Commission involved in this and things may change a little . Posted by; "Still Not Amused"
#[8]-> No they can't ! It's an inherited disease for them to be nosy ! Much like when they move into a new neighborhood and spy on their neighbor's and report what they believe to be "Suspicious activity" . They can't just move onto a neighborhood and blend into it seamlessly . They have to make their presence known ! Posted by; "Still Not Amused"
At least this thing was about something people can see. I asked a question about getting removing tar from brick on the inside of my apartment. And I got flamed for removing molding that was in terrible shape from the walls. Ough yeah, and did I mention that I only posted a pic of the wall with tar, They snooped around my site for more renovation pics. and then complained about what I've done on the inside of my apartment.
Get a life people.
"That old man rocks! He should paint the whole thing Barney purple. See how they like that!"
thats funny because there is in fact a tickle me pink brownstone in park slope.