From The New York Shitty Inbox: Canceled

Since I wrote this post there has been a great deal of commentary and speculation about Zip112, better known as Zip Hostel. E.g.; is it legal? Well, I have word from someone whose sister was going to stay there this upcoming weekend that it has been shut down. In fact, it would appear almost the entire building has been vacated. T writes:

…I actually got hold of the owner of Zip112 on Monday evening and he assured me everything was OK with them (that they were legal etc.).  Now my sister has had an email saying the whole building is getting shut down and canceling all reservations.

So whether they are legal or not, they are closed!

Thanks for the advice – my sister has had to forsake Brooklyn and get a bed in a hostel in the East Village instead.  Oh well!

On a lark, Monday afternoon I searched for “vacation rentals” in Greenpoint on Craigslist. What I found was sobering.

Presenting the Dobbin Street Lofts.

As you can see, they’re doing brisk business. Who knew April Fool’s Day was a U.S. holiday? I thought that stopped after George W. Bush left office. But I digress.

Here is a photo of said “loft”. And here is what I found on the Department of Buildings web site.

No Certificate of Occupancy

“COMMERCIAL OFFICES”

Same song, different verse. This is not to suggest there isn’t humor to be found here. There is.

239 Banker Street (AKA: The Sweater Factory Lofts), a “hotel” illegally pressed into service as living space, is clearly visible in the background of their photo showcasing the roof deck of their illegal hostel. Nice.

Miss Heather

P.S.: For more reading/commentary about the debacle at 112 North 6 Street I strongly recommend you read Brooklyn 11211’s follow-up post.