My Life In Brooklyn

 

If you walk on East 28th Street between Tilden and Albemarle you will see the following buildings in various phases of construction. It is interesting because pretty much the entire block has been redeveloped. Links are to images on Flickr.

A. Standard Fedders slots, high front steps. Multifamily. No visible green space out front (other than a few trees), but at least makeshift parking has yet to happen.

B. You can see what the rear view of A, above, looks like, on the far left in this image. Again multifamily units with high stoops, A/C slots.  Unfortunately these folks are parking cars off-street in what could have been a front yard.

C. Vacant Lot.  fairly large size, this view shows the structure being constructed between B, above and this lot.  Something will be constructed here without a doubt.

D. Taller builidng between C (Vacant Lot) and B.  Nothing much to say about this.

E. Ugly building. Has many of the same features as F, below.  I didn’t notice if there are parking spaces in the back of this one.  Otherwise boringly similar to F.

F. Looks as though garages will be at the ground level.  Doesn’t say much for pedestrian traffic on this block.  Another ugly and boring design, requisite A/C slots.

G. Small windows, Fedders slots.  Though when you look at this junk after a while some of the efforts to look nice are noticeable, such as the brickwork.  Though really it only looks good because the others are so terribly, terribly ugly.

I have this section within a blue box on the map shown in the prior entry because, to me, it seems like such a sadly wasted opportunity.  One assumes this group of buildings was developed by more than one company, given the mishmash of design.  But just think for a moment about the huge amount of space used on this block and what it could have been if architects, developers, contractors, etc. had been able to work together to create a enclave of attractive homes that would have also offered a people-friendly (rather than car-friendly) neighborhood with green space. Especially in this kind of neighborhood that has the potential to become an interesting place to live.  It could have been a really creative and successful effort.

The results of that type of collaborative project would have had the potential to be a real investment for buyers, not to mention an opportunity for architects, builders, and developers to receive positive attention.  While I have no idea what these places in their current state actually sell for, I just do not see any of them as homes that will appreciate in value.

This area is very interesting to me for the following reasons.  I have added another map, below, with some additional points of interest on it.  Note this shows highlights, there is far more going on in that area in terms of building.

There are three functioning schools, one being the gorgeous Erasmus Hall.  I am not certain if the others are middle or elementary schools.  Just north of Erasmus Hall is the “Unused Building” noted on the corner of Bedford and Church Aves, one that I mentioned a couple of weeks ago, here.

On the Northeast corner of Albemarle and Bedford is a huge parking lot.  I haven’t seen any cars parked in the lot in a long time, which may or may not mean anything.  Certainly it could become a development site.  There are actually quite a few parking lots/vacant lots of varying sizes scattered about this area.  Another point is the huge space available via the Sears parking lot, not to mention the potential for change in Sears itself.

On the southeast corner of Albemarle and Lott St. is an old residential building in questionable condition.  I would like to see this one restored but hold little hope for that.

The Southeast corner of Tilden and Lott is the interesting and very detailed ConEd building I wrote about earlier, and appears to be unused.

Plus — King’s Loews Theatre is looking hopeful. This particular section of Flatbush has a decent commericial offerings, and lets not forget the subway stops at Church Ave.  There are quite a few reasons why this would not be a bad area to invest in.

Each of the red letters in the map is indicative of a new build, which I will get into shortly.

Early last week while in Florence I managed to have a look at a lone copy of the International Herald-Tribune, and was intrigued by the mention of Alain de Botton’s book “The Architecture of Happiness.”  I will probably buy it at some point, though as one reviewer states, it still involves personal aesthetics — a consensus on the definition of “happiness” will remain elusive.

In my continuing walks around what is really the “greater” neighborhood in which I live, my observations have included some general documentation of the tear-down and rebuilding trend.  It appears to be quite strong in Flatbush, East Flatbush and of course other areas — but sites noted here are those I generally encounter fairly frequently.

Recently I have noted one area where the tear-downs and new buildings have been remarkable in terms of the actually quantity involved, teardowns (buildings lost) and of course the replacement buildings.  Here is a map with some — but not all — of the sites noted:

It is only appearing here now, because it has taken me some time to think about the presentation of this information.

Last week my husband had a business trip to Florence planned, so I tagged along.  Now I realize there are vast differences in population between Florence/Tuscany and NYC Metro.  However, I couldn’t help but note the following differences:

• During the 10 days there, not once did I observe anyone spitting.  The absence of spitting was actually notable.  I loathe this disgusting habit and wouldn’t object to people being reminded of the reasons why the Board of Health imposed fines.  This historically isn’t just about cultural tolerance.
• Car horns.  Florence has very narrow streets (and sidewalks as well) — most streets are one-way and vehicles having access and ability to park in most central areas are very limited.  Still, electric buses, motorcycles, bicycles, scooters and taxis do have some access in these areas.  What amazed me is the fact use of horns is just not a standard convention.  I did hear them used occasionally — but certainly not as they are in NYC (or perhaps I should say my neighborhood) — where a one second delay by the lead car when a red light turns green will cause a cacophony able to raise the dead.  Or at least anyone attempting to sleep.

At one point, I was walking along a narrow and busy street in Florence where traffic is permitted.  A line of cars, motorcycles and scooters had backed up behind a small truck collecting recyclables.  Because the truck was negotiating passage around a parked car, the sidewalks were blocked and pedestrians, too, were stalled.  This went on for maybe five minutes.  People were clearly annoyed, but there were no horns, no yelling, no visible anger directed at the situation.  Because, after all, what difference would it make?

Quality of life — small considerations can make a huge difference.