An Ode to Vinyl Siding
Park Slope has its brownstones, Williamsburg its vinyl siding. To me, it’s more of a, like, bourgeois town over there, a Williamsburg renter says of brownstone Brooklyn, in this NY Times article about how vinyl siding characterizes Williamsburg homes. While it isn’t always beloved, some think vinyl siding is a testament to Williamsburg’s working class…
Park Slope has its brownstones, Williamsburg its vinyl siding. To me, it’s more of a, like, bourgeois town over there, a Williamsburg renter says of brownstone Brooklyn, in this NY Times article about how vinyl siding characterizes Williamsburg homes. While it isn’t always beloved, some think vinyl siding is a testament to Williamsburg’s working class tradition, an authentic piece of history in the neighborhood. It’s not the most beautiful thing, but it’s real, said real estate broker and investor Lewis Canfield. It’s authentic. It’s tied to the history of the neighborhood. The siding is also practical and because it receives very little upkeep it remains untouched for decades. A commenter in Greenwood Heights weighs in in this City Room discussion: “To all the haters out there, embrace the love that is vinyl! Certainly more historically authentic to many parts of Brooklyn (and beyond) that re-brownstoning or rebricking a home or adding wood lap back in the picture. Metal? Iinteresting, perhaps standing seam…but while my 1880’s frame, wood lap covered by shingles and vinyl, may never be hip, it is real for my Greenwood Heights neighborhood and my household’s budget.”
Vinyl Siding Holds its Appeal to Some in Brooklyn [NY Times]
Photo by The Lizness
Ha! Interior Desecrator, first good laugh of the day.
This reminds me, for some reason, of the Charlie Brown Christmas Tree special where they are searching for a tree in that lit-up tree sales area, with tons of fake, metal, dolled up, sprayed on trees looking all regal and ridiculous in a silver, fake-snow kind of way (think mid 70’s), and Charlie ends up going for the one he did. Which I loved and still love.
By the way, McKenzie is right. Been one of my pet peeves for ages. And it’s only getting worse because it was appropriated by Bravo/Housewives types for a new word, which I think is ‘Bourghetto’, or something similar. Crossed Ghetto with Bourgeois, get it? wink wink vomit.
Is Benson writing for the NYT now?
Amricans have no clue about social classes although ironically this is a very class-conscious and class-segregated society. People just do not talk about it and pretend they have no idea. The NY Times is particularly notorious about confusing its readers. Its editors are upper class people who try to camouflage themselves and their peers as Middle Class. The despise the true Middle Class, Republican suburbanites for instance.
I should be studying.. to be a real estate broker so I can schlep around Billyburg calling vinyl siding ‘historic’ and get Ohioans to think a 2-story former clapboard clad in vinyl is more authentic than the suburban rancher they grew up in.
Perhaps 30 years from now, (if we all don’t die in 2012) the LPC will create a Historic Vinyl District.
Wouldn’t that be great?
McKenzie, there ate many theories of class. I prefer the one that sees class in terms of power. I live in a vinyl sided house and I am middle class. Many of the vinyl sided houses in Bushwick and Bed Stuy had beautiful Painted Lady details, and the vinyl siding ruined them. It’s a scam like replacement windows. I concur with Randolph.
williamsburg’s working class-ha! it’s full of yuppies and trust-fund hipsters paying 3k for their 1 bedroom. you would be hard pressed to find a native up there. north brooklyn isin’t even real brooklyn to me. brownstone brooklyn is true brooklyn not that ugly industrial garbage up north.
“the bourgeoisie own these buildings and collect rents from the proletariat who live in them.”
actually – in Williamsburg – it’s reversed.
I’m sure they’re all Democrats in these houses.
I found the entire article a paradox.
An investor, flipping real estate discussing vinyl siding and working class Williamsburg while citing a 1.4 Million dollar vinyl sided house.
My ‘working class’ ass can’t afford half that vinyl.