Clinton Hill House Tour Wrap
The Society for Clinton Hill had what we’re sure was a record turn-out yesterday for the 30th Anniversary House Tour. (The tour got so much buzz that a thief even robbed the ticket table in Fort Greene Park on Saturday; did anyone encounter any scalpers?) We got a kick out of seeing the two Pratt…
The Society for Clinton Hill had what we’re sure was a record turn-out yesterday for the 30th Anniversary House Tour. (The tour got so much buzz that a thief even robbed the ticket table in Fort Greene Park on Saturday; did anyone encounter any scalpers?) We got a kick out of seeing the two Pratt mansions on Clinton Avenue and found artist Kris Krohn’s loft building at 281 Greene Avenue interesting; there was a neat display of Broken Angel renderings and concept drawings in Higgins Hall as well. By all accounts, 258 Hall Street, with its budget-conscious but very cool reno by the owner-architects, was the highlight of the private homes on the tour. While several of the other houses were charming and clearly reflected the personal styles of their owners, we couldn’t help but wish there had been a few brownstones or mansions with the kind of “wow” factor you’d expect given the housing stock in the nabe; the mix was definitely less impressive than the Fort Greene tour last year, we thought. At least the weather provided a perfect back-drop to show off the area’s architecture and charm. It also made for a great backdrop for the Brownstoner gathering at Ici, where we got a chance to chat with many readers. Thanks to everyone who made the effort to stop by. Lots of pics on the jump.
May 6: A Busy Day for House Tours! [Brownstoner]
245 Clinton Avenue, George DuPont Pratt Mansion
245 Clinton Avenue, George DuPont Pratt Mansion
The line outside 238 Washington Avenue
258 Hall Street, the highlight according to many
The top-floor loft at 281 Greene Avenue
Broken Angel drawings at Higgins Hall
Brownstoner party in the garden at Ici
Brownstoner party in the garden at Ici
Brownstoner party in the garden at Ici
Brownstoner party in the garden at Ici
I think ANON hit on a big part of the problem. The Clinton Hill Society or the Society for Clinton Hill has been run by the same small group of old-timers for years, and that’s the way they want it. They simply don’t know a lot of folks in the neighborhood, and their meetings don’t attract many people–so they don’t have much to draw on when it comes to houses for a tour. I think they’re pretty disorganized as well.
The tour was okay…more museum like for my taste…Not the “homey” feel of the Bed-Stuy tour. But, you couldn’t ask for a better day weatherwise. Question: The house @ 302 Clinton with the “Gay Pride” flag was pretty interesting…Did McGreevey live there?! The pics of naked men and penises… in various artwork. 🙂 Lovely garden w/the pond…though..
Someone on our block with a beautiful house offered their house for the tour but the people in charge didn’t even get back to her.
I thought 258 Hall was a good example of how to do a renovation on a reasonable budget. They used an IKEA kitchen, the original steam heating system, basic electrical upgrades and an open layout on the parlor floor. They made different decisions than I might have made, but their choices were smart and reasonable. Most importantly, the homeowner was kind enough to open their entire house to the tour, something most weren’t.
I’m sorry I missed the after party at Ici. My crew was too tired by the end to go anywhere but home. Damn.
I was asked to considering opening my apartment to the CH house tour this year, but having read endless snarky commentary on Brownstoner about the FG tour last year, I was too scared to…
Which is to say, I wonder if Brownstoner itself is somewhat to blame for this year’s less-than-stunning lineup?
People willing to open their homes to hundreds of (judgmental) strangers deserve our sincere appreciation, even if we didn’t love everything we saw.
I’m really sorry I couldn’t go to the tour or the Brownstoner party–we had guests visiting from out of state.
I thought 258 Hall was a waste of time, especially with the line to get in. Nice kitchen but what a warren of rooms upstairs and a tiny garden. I thought it was illegal to have all that exposed wood in the living room ceiling (maybe floor joists for above?) unless it’s fire-rated, but maybe I’m wrong or maybe it is fire-rated. The houses in general slanted too much to the modern and not enough to the restored but that’s just my taste, of course. I expected jaw-dropping detail like at the Pratt mansions. You can see some better houses just going to real estate open houses. Is the house tour just a showcase for architects to try to get more work by showing their houses? Kris Krohn did more stunning, original work on his house than all the architects, I thought.
Also, at 14A St. James Place, it was curious that the owner added a solarium with side windows looking out on her neighbors on either side and seems to have such a sense of entitlement about invading their privacy that she was outraged about the trouble they are giving her. I seem to remember reading here that side windows on an extension are illegal. Are they? How did her plan get passed and permitted?
I haven’t been for a couple years but last time I went the Clinton Hill house tour did seem better.
The house tour was a disappointment compared to the Victorian Flatbush tour. Very few people in Clinton Hill opened their homes completely, and there weren’t many buildings to see overall.