4th Ave. Buildings Have a Date With the Wrecking Ball
A row of Fourth Avenue buildings is about to bite the dust, clearing the way for a fairly massive development site. The properties, between Butler and Douglass, have been boarded up for awhile now, but the DOB just issued demolition permits for all of ’em. We got word of their coming demise via a tipster…
A row of Fourth Avenue buildings is about to bite the dust, clearing the way for a fairly massive development site. The properties, between Butler and Douglass, have been boarded up for awhile now, but the DOB just issued demolition permits for all of ’em. We got word of their coming demise via a tipster who noticed they were sporting tell-tale big boxed X’s and who opined I wonder what crappy 20 story eyesore will go up in its place. All that nice brick…all gone… Last we heard, a developer was planning to put a 12-story condo in their place. We’ll reserve judgment about the shape of things to come until we see some renderings, but like our tipster we’ve always had a soft spot for the old school tenement look of these buildings, and it’s gonna be sad to see them go. GMAP DOB
Yes, these are the buildings in Berenice Abbotts “Changing New York”.Funny how they are once again boarded up, now torn down.
I liked them. I like the look of tenements.
I believe they were built for the immigrant workers for the Brooklyn Bridge. I wonder why all but 1 of the tenements was torn down?, maybe a different owner.
I feel bad, I did like them, they looked like regular buildings families lived in and not some high rise that looks like an office tower.
I am sure something ugly will replace it.
I live down the block from these buildings and pass them everyday on my bike as I come home from work. It’s nice to see the neighborhood change for the better, but I will not be able see all of it. I can no longer afford my the tiny closet I live in and am going to have to move…and I would move to Dallas if I knew I could get a job, be near my family….
“In the near future, it’s my prediction that old brick buildings all over NYC will being collapsing at an increasing rate.”
Could be, but I’d wager that many of them outlast much of the latest round of craptacular condo stock.
That said, that row on 4th Ave is past saving. Bring on 12 floors of new but habitable mediocrity.
It’s completely nuts to try and “save” every old brick building in NYC.
The old bricks most 100 year old tenement buildings are made of were NOT intended to last forever and they’re already starting to return to their original form — DIRT.
In the near future, it’s my prediction that old brick buildings all over NYC will being collapsing at an increasing rate.
I fully agree that old tenement buildings are much more attractive than most of the new housing shlock, but unfortunately, knocking them down to build safer building is another “necessary evil” of life.
Prima cosa -“There is a huge housing shortage” this is NYC there has always been a housing shortage, fluctuations in supply and demand being what they are, I left CG thirty years ago because I couldn’t afford it, moved to Sheepshead Bay for 25 years, first as a tenant then as an owner, sold and bought something down here. Believe it, there is a lot of demand in downtown Brooklyn.
Seconda Cosa – “Just as some areas are downzoned, other are upzoned”. No shit. And this is the perfect block to discuss that with the NIMBYs. This is one of those blocks where the Park Slope/4th Ave. FAR swap went down. Goes to show, the NIMBYs really do oppose all development. They got what they wanted protecting a lot of dumpy frame houses in the South Slope and in exchange got higher density on 4th Ave. And still the complaining goes on.
Terza Cosa – “Please move to France”. I’m half French, take it easy please. There are lots of very friendly people in France. Americans hate the French now because they wouldn’t send their people off to die in Bush’s War. And, there is some pent up anger that they did not sufficiently kiss the US ass after WWII. To the French they think the US owes them for the help during the Revolutionary War. If it wasn’t for the French Americans would have to speak English.
Cuarta Cosa – “develop a report” A report? Most English words have French roots, some are actually French words. Maybe this guy hated the French so much he refused to use the more overt French word.
amen about the never getting a verification e-mail problem. good idea, to just sign your name, so people can keep me separate from all the other anti-feddersites on the site…
-sylvia
I’m inclined to agree with the pro-development folks under most circumstances anyway, but in this case it’s just obvious. Dilapidated buildings should not be allowed to sit unused like that…if someone really wanted to develop these into anything, it woulda have happened a long time ago. Instead of just complaining about what kind of “ugly” or “plain” building might wind up here, just think about the unusable alternative.
CG
Nix that. It works, albeit somewhat clugy to navigate through.
Just for you.
Carol Gardens, I Just tried. BS did not send me my confirmation e-mail as advertised to complete the process. I will check again. Whomever previously said this did not work may be right. Will check again later.