Tuesday, January 2, 2007

House on Steroids


Let's kick off the new year with something that both literally and figuratively is way over the top. Western Queens doesn't have too many McMansions to complain about, but Middle Village does have its very own castle. This giant medieval-style add-on at 66-31 71st Street somehow complies with the required floor area ratio, as per the Dept. of Buildings. As it is attached to the tiny brown house, it is considered to be an "alteration" rather than a new building.


I guess this guy feels that showing off to his neighbors is more important than having a nice big open space, or a tree which he unceremoniously removed to finish off his Queens Crap Castle. The makeshift streetlamp at the corner, made out of the remains of an FDNY call box, finishes off the insanity.

4 comments:

verdi said...

Zounds! Let's move this "castle" up near Tuxedo New York where they hold the "Rennaisance Fair"! I here-by cast down my "gauntlet" to the ground and challange all "takers" to come joust with me! Why don't we raise funds and give the place to Helen Marshal to live in as the borough president's official residence! Must be some local "Don" that would also also be interested.......I,m Italian-American and I do (humorously....with no racism intended) dub this one a "Ginny-Whopper"! ........VERDI

Anonymous said...

There are small Mc-Mansions (Whopper-Jrs?) along Ditmars and in Forest Hills along the Grand Central.

You should do a photo study of those communities.

Funny how they take a fine example of something from the 1920 or 1950s and convert it into an expression of bad taste.

That's what happens when those areas don't have a real civic.

Anonymous said...

All that's missing here is a moat around the castle and a dragon to swim in it.. and a drawbridge, naturally. I'm sure that's all in the plans.

Anonymous said...

.. and a newspaper to start a 'bad taste' column.