Greenpoint
Lorven Pharmacy
Culture on the Cheap
From The New York Shitty Inbox, Part II: Kidnapped
Filed under: 11211, Criminal Activity, Williamsburg, Williamsburg Brooklyn, Wow, WTF
A lady we’ll call “E” writes:
Not sure if you heard about this… but Max Starck was apparently kidnapped in the street! Not sure if this is for real, but both of these blogs are pretty legit in the Satmar circles…
Spotted At 239 Banker Street: Signs Of Life
Despite its rather drab appearance Banker Street is proving to be rather lively of late. Yesterday I observed that 259 is in the process of being reverted (back) to an “eating and drinking establishment”. This is a development which undoubtedly bring its neighbors (especially those familiar with Studio B) much joy. Well folks, the fun doesn’t stop there! If the above footage (which was shot July 10th) is any indication, it would appear that someone has taken residence next door at 239 which, as some of you might recall, was vacated by the Department of Buildings almost two years ago for conditions imminently perilous to human life.
This is in and of itself quite interesting. It gets even more so when one considers:
1. A group of residents who were evacuated from this buildings have filed a class action suit to get their security deposits back.
2. The owner of this property (fairly) recently tried— and failed— to get it re-classified as residential.
To be continued…?
Miss Heather
Spotted At 239 Banker Street: Pure Love
Taken May 1, 2011.
Miss Heather
P.S.: On a related note I recently received an email which would suggest someone is living here. Anonymous writes:
I was past 239 Banker this morning when I saw one of the secondary doors (one of the ones between the main door and Meserole) open, and a gentleman walk out, carrying a plastic bag and wheeling a bicycle. When I walked by the door, I saw someone had taken that blue painter’s masking tape, and cut pieces to mark the door with a “239”…
If it was someone living there to make sure the place wasn’t vandalized, I could almost be sympathetic, but the number on the door makes me feel like something else is up.I called it in to 311 (who just hands it over to the 94th, and I will call the non-emergency number later myself), and asked them to transfer me to DOB to file that complaint as well. According to BIS, Full Vacate still exists on that property.
Some of you might recall this Vacate Order was served back in 2009. If not, this might refresh your memory. As far as I know none of the former tenants of this building have received their security deposits back.
New York Shitty Street Seating Du Jour: Question of the Day
Filed under: 11211, Bloomblight, Street Furniture, Williamsburg, Williamsburg Brooklyn
What do you do when you find a teal colored chaise lounge dumped at your construction site?
Answer: If you are 262 North 9th Street you deposit it across the street!
Miss Heather
Where The Sidewalk Ends
Filed under: 11211, 11222, Bloomblight, Greenpoint, Greenpoint Brooklyn, Greenpoint Magic, Williamsburg, Williamsburg Brooklyn
This is the impediment which faced the Mister and I as we endeavored to go to Kenny’s Trattoria last night (we crossed the street because the sidewalk along McCarren Park along Bedford Avenue was a mess). It is located where the Automobile High School ends and Parks Department property astensibly our open space begins. A cordon sanitaire or simple incompetence? I’ll leave you, dear readers, to make the call. All, I’m saying is I saw Parks employees spreading copious amounts of salt at the corner of Bedford Avenue and North 12 Street yesterday morning. Yup.
Miss Heather
P.S. and while I am on the subject:
Where’s the sidewalk? I ask because walking on Union Avenue is friggin’ scary.
There should be a sidewalk here.
You have no idea how grimly amusing I find our mayor facilitating over-development by fly-by-night developers such as the shit heap you see at left (there were buildings there once— I swear) and then is seemingly surprised when very people he has enabled to move into north Brooklyn (who will undoubtedly inhabit the edifice to the right) have the temerity to complain.
From The New York Shitty Inbox, Part II: Signs of Life at The Sweater Factory Lofts?
The tipster who took the above photograph writes:
Open? Vacate notices removed and door propped open. There’s even someone shoveling sidewalk out front.
New York Shitty “glass half full” analysis:
At least they are cleaning the sidewalk.
New York Shitty “glass half empty” analysis:
There is still a Vacate Order on this property.
Miss Heather
From The New York Shitty Inbox, Part I: A Question About 467 Troutman
J writes:
Miss Heather:
I’m apologize in advance if I am wasting your time, but you seem like you might be able to shed some light on a certain amount of confusion I have around 467 Troutman.
I’m looking to move into a 3 BR loft in the area and have been shown several decent options. We were recently shown a space in 467 Troutman – I went in with very low expectations resulting from some internet research and a landlord/manager that I (think) I respect telling me the following:
Eeks! 467 troutman st has no certificate of occupancy, same landlord as 260 Moore street + 315 siegel .I don’t recommend living in that particular landlords buildings-besides the dept of building violations the buildings has bedbug issues and shanty build out of the building…Anyway, the space I saw was the nicest I’ve seen so far – kitchen/bathroom seemed relatively new and clean, the hallways clean, the buildout seemed better than most I’ve seen, etc…. the overall vibe seemed good – and the the tenant who currently occupies the space told us she’d been there 4 years and had nothing negative to say about the landlord.
Do you know of any good reason to not live there? My feeling is that the building had issues in the past but things are better now… Am I missing something? It seems like Max Starck and 467 Troutman come up often enough on your website in a negative light… so I thought I’d ask you for your opinion.
Thanks so much for any info you might be able to provide, and thanks for doing what you do. It’s an invaluable resource.
Aside from having walked by 467 Troutman (and knowing that Max Starck) is its owner I know very little about this building. For this reason I am putting your inquiry to my readers, J. This having been written I am familiar with a number of Mr. Starck’s other buildings. For the purposes of this post I am going to narrow my focus to two: the Sweater Factory Lofts and the Greenpoint Hotel. Both are located in Greenpoint.
As you have probably learned by perusing my site, the Sweater Factory Lofts were vacated by the Department of Buildings last year for harboring conditions dangerous to human life. Among the violations cited were uncapped electrical wires and sprinklers being sealed over with sheet rock. A rather appalling fire safety hazard if you ask me. It should also be noted that the space in question (239 Banker Street) was zoned to be a hotel but Mr. Starck and his partner were marketing it as residential property. This may seem trivial but the fact of the matter is there are different safety requirements for transient and residential properties. See where I am going with this?
Now let’s consider the Greenpoint Hotel for a moment. Until fairly recently it was owned by Mr. Starck. The new owner (whom I have met and it should be noted acquired this property at a public auction— it was seized) is spending a lot of money to get this facility back to code. Among the violations being corrected are a sagging wall, an inoperative bathroom and, drum roll please, repairing a number of inoperative sprinkler heads.
These are but two examples be they are enough to establish a pattern of neglect and general disregard for tenant safety. I have little doubt if you were to search his other properties (like 315 Seigel Street, for example) you will find similar such stuff. While I applaud your due diligence for talking to a tenant of 467 Troutman Street I have to go with the landlord/manager on this one: keep away from anything this chap owns.
This having been written does anyone— preferably tenants of Mr. Starck’s properties— have any advice for J? If so please leave them in the comments or email them to me at: missheather (at) thatgreenpointblog (dot) com. All tips/anecdotes will be kept anonymous if you so desire.
Thanks!
Miss Heather
New York Shitty Day Ender: Turn Out The Lights
Filed under: 11222, Bloomblight, Culture War, Greenpoint, Greenpoint Brooklyn, Greenpoint Magic
(Or, 239 Banker Street Revisited)
Today on a lark I decided to swing by 239 Banker Street (formerly known as the Sweater Factory Lofts) to see what’s shaking. I was not disappointed.
After I shot the above photograph a gaggle of hipsters took notice and stopped. One of them (who I would presume to be their leader) initiated contact:
I’m guessing you broke that glass because the landlord ripped you off?
I turned around, pointed to the plywood gracing the entrance and replied:
Like I would live in a place like this? I don’t think so.
There was a pregnant pause and then my new friend told me about how the former tenants of this building were ordered out of the building, screwed out of their security deposits and so on and so forth. Although I know of all of this already I listened attentively as he gave me the whole run-down. After he concluded his speech out rolled the corker: he was one of the tenants vacated from this building! There is undoubtedly a life lesson to be had here, dear readers. I will leave it to you to ascertain what it is. But I digress.
When this gent finished his tale of woe I brought it to his attention that he and his neighbors were not the only people Max and his funky bunch owe money to:
(Insert punchline here.)
Miss Heather
P.S.: In (somewhat) related news it would appear that someone has egged the entrance to the Pencil Factory Lofts.
New York Shitty Day Ender: All Apologies
Filed under: 11222, 11237, Asshole, Bloomblight, Bushwick, Dog Shit, Dung of the Day, Greenpoint, Greenpoint Brooklyn, Greenpoint Magic, Other Shit
From 239 Banker Street.*
Miss Heather
P.S.: Those of you who are wondering about 718-STANDUP’s provenance you can see it here. I suppose Max was a supporter of Isaac Abraham for the 33rd City Council District.
*Formerly known as the Sweater Factory Lofts.
New York Shitty Day Ender: What A Difference A Stop Work Order Makes!
foodiej81 writes (in regards to this post):
This weekend as we were walking by 239 Banker my partner and I noticed that the door was unlocked so we decided to take a stroll through our new neighborhood “hotel”. Well there are definitely people living there, there is mail being delivered and I saw a man taking his dog out for a walk. The “apartments” are still under construction though. We have an acquaintance that put money down on an apartment but is now waiting for a refund because they were told the place will not be ready for another month. Word is they are renovating one dwelling at a time because they have run out of money and won’t be able to finish the project till 70% are rented.
I also saw two men waiting outside the building at around 730 on Monday night; two traditionally dressed Jewish men pulled up in a minivan and met them to show an apartment. I don’t know if anyone has been there recently but the message on the door is asking for “max” to get them a real front door…Regardless I called 311 yesterday and sent in 3 anonymous complaints regarding the building at 239 Banker. It’s a ridiculous project and I wish the DOB would be more proactive in following up on the stop work order.
He (or she) is not the only who feels this way. Follows are a few photographs I received just this evening (in an email entitled “Stop Work Order In Action!) from an anonymous tipster which show just how seriously Max and his funky bunch are taking their recent visit by the Department of Buildings (and the $5,000 fine they were issued as a result).
Note the numerous residential garbage cans at left. I wonder what they’re doing?
Installing and patching drywall— silly me.
Workers taking a breather at the freight elevator. It’s a tough job working after hours and violating a Stop Work Order!
Miss Heather
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