Great Moments In Abjectecture: 333 Leonard Street
Filed under: 11211, Abjectecture, Bloomblight, King's Crap, Williamsburg, Williamsburg Brooklyn
Since the real estate market more or less tanked in north Brooklyn yours truly figured she would not be seeing anything new in the way of aesthetically bankrupt construction any time soon. Needless to say when I saw the above specimen (333 Leonard Street) today I figured it wasn’t anything special. Just another piece of Bloomblight. It was when I looked around the corner I discovered the error of my ways: this edifice is truly something to behold. Without further ado here are some highlights. Enjoy!
I’ll be perfectly frank: I was absolutely dumbstruck that this was a gut renovation so upon arriving back home I did a little poking around the Department of Building’s web site.
Sure enough, it is. The wonders never cease!
Miss Heather
New York Shitty Day Starter: Ask & Ye Shall Receive!
Filed under: 11215, 11222, Abjectecture, Gowanus, Greenpoint, Greenpoint Brooklyn, Greenpoint Magic, King's Crap, Park Slope
It has come to my attention that Brownstoner saw fit to feature an apartment for sale hailing from none other that Belvedere XX. Ostensibly because someone took umbrage with me calling this edifice a piece of crap*— which I assure you it is. Belvedere XX is also known as 185 India Street and the neighbor of Lofts “Greenpoint Rental Shitshow Part 1” 305.
Crap likes company. Especially on McGuinness Boulevard.
But this post isn’t about Belvedere XX, Brownstoner or McGuinness Boulevard. It’s about Belvedere XXXVI and “Park Slope”. On January 25, 2010 I wrote in this post:
…The Belvederization of Park Slope?!? Needless to say I had to get to the bottom of this (inasmuch as one can without G train service). We headed to the closest Belvedere without delay.
Sure enough, it is true! Replete with all the accoutrements we have grown to expect from Belvedere: commodious roof decks and balconies. Needless to say I must see this. However, I am more or less precluded from going to 175 12 Street personally. I am not only too busy with matters north Brooklyn but quite frankly doling out $2.25 in subway fare strikes me as being far too much money to outlay on such an endeavor.
This is where you come in: could some kind soul get a photograph of this property and send it to me via email at missheather (at) thatgreenpointblog (dot) com? I’m dying to see Belvedere XXXVI. Especially in light of the fact this edifice is conveniently located near Lowes, the Brooklyn Queens Expressway and the aromatic Gowanus Canal. Who wouldn’t want an eyeful (or noseful) of that!
Well, I asked for it and I got it. Rowan 5 writes:
Here ya go. The Belvedere is closer to 3rd ave. It’s surrounded by frame houses mostly, with a giant high rise luxury building at the corner of 4th and 12th.
It’s not a bad-looking block but Park Slope proper it is not.
Most definitely not.
I love the prominent poster on the front door advertising Greenpoint and Williamsburg condos…
So there have you: Park Slope Gowanus is the new Greenpoint!
Miss Heather
*I have been told by an anonymous source that someone who bought a unit at Belvedere III, which is admittedly the Pete Best of the Belvederes, ended up re-selling at a loss. Apparently he bought one of the quasi-legal “studio” apartments they are known for (READ: a minuscule first floor apartment with a fully appointed basement including— I shit you not— a sauna). It had problems with flooding.
Williamsburg Photo Du Jour: Whitewash
A few thoughts:
- Whitewashing over a Vacate Order— next to perhaps drawing a red circle around said Vacate Order— only serves to draw more attention to said Vacate Order.
- How the hell can a building which is under construction get a Vacate Order? Then again, you can always trust Williamsburg to be on the cutting edge when it comes to such matters.
I guess the Department of Buildings is at long last taking a more pro-active stance when it comes to enforcement.
Miss Heather
Williamsburg Construction Watch: The Blair Witch Project?
Filed under: 11211, Abjectecture, Area 51, Bloomblight, Culture War, King's Crap, Williamsburg, Williamsburg Brooklyn
Some of you might have noticed that I have a category on this site called “Area 51”. For those of you who are not in the know this is a reference to the mysterious military installation in Nevada. Many theories abound about this establishment but no one really knows what goes on there. But back to the point of this post.
When I awoke this morning my head felt like Keith Moon’s hotel room after a bender. I don’t know why. I’m guessing the weather, not alien abduction, was to blame. I decided to shake the cobwebs out of my mind by taking a little walk around Williamsburg. What I got in return was a colossal mind fuck which could fall under a number of categories. Among them:
- Bloomblight
- Construction/Destruction Porn
- Gentrification
- Culture War
- Halloween
This is the reason I created the category “Area 51”: it is a repository for things that defy easy description. On that note, here they are.
#1 5 Roebling Street
These monolithic slabs of King’s Crap sit atop the space formerly occupied by the now deceased “Giant Fart Cloud Building”. It was at this site that I found two items of interest.
I cannot for the life of me figure what this missive means— much less to whom it is directed. Perhaps the following artifact (which is located approximately 20 feet away) has something to do with it?
Truth be told this gave me the creeps. Big time. Thankfully I got some good mojo shortly thereafter on North 10 Street. Which brings to…
#2 178 North 10 Street
What could I possibly find uplifting on this block, you ask? The first and only use of Feng Shui at a construction site I have ever beheld, that’s what!
A bagua presides over 178 North 10 Street. Having some knowledge about such stuff, baguas are usually employed to redirect/deflect bad “chi”. In the case of this block one has to wonder what is the source of said bad vibrations.
This?
Or this?
Miss Heather
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