From the Daily News:The contents of the Steinway Mansion in Astoria are going to be auctioned off later this month through a series of sales as the Halberian family prepares to sell the property, the Daily News has learned.
The first round of auctions, which will contain a majority of the assets, will be at the Capo Auction House in Long Island City on March 26.
"We're trying to honor his legacy. We're not trying to liquidate it," said Michelle Kazarian, whose father, Michael Halberian, lived in the mansion his whole life until he died at age 83 in December.
A majority of the items from the mansion are Halberian's. However, there are a few Steinway family heirlooms for sale, including a marble bust of Johanna Steinway from the 19th century.
The Steinway Mansion was originally a summer home for the Steinway family of piano manufacturers, but has been owned by the Halberian family since 1924.
Officials with the piano maker said Halberian made the mansion accessible to the public and surprised visitors with his "vast collection of museum-quality" items.
"Mr. Halberian had a unique appreciation for history and items of historical value," said Anthony Gilroy, a spokesman for Steinway & Sons, still based in Astoria.
Kazarian said she selected the Capo Auction House because of owner Michael Capo's ability to keep the hundreds of items together and his knowledge of antiques.
They also found an ancient voodoo mask in the attic.
If you were able to have toured the Steinway Mansion, consider yourself lucky because most, if not all, of the pieces within will likely never seen by the public again. And that's just sad.
36 comments:
Halberian was an interesting guy. But, face it, what does his "stuff" have to do with the historicity of the Steinway legacy in the overall scheme of things? I'm more interested in the preservation of the structure of the house. Where does the current Steinway & Sons Company stand in the acquisition of this historical property?
Halberian's family seems to be cashing out.
How are they preserving his legacy...by selling the mansion for the highest offer?
Bah....humbug.
Looks like a bunch of Armenian rug traders have gone to off to the bazaar to trade.
An ancient voodoo mask was found in the attic?
Quick...let's do a survey and find out that the mansion was a site on the underground railroad.
Applying a little bit of that "old Black magic" might save the house yet.
Where does the current Steinway & Sons Company stand in the acquisition of this historical property?
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Charity starts at home: were is the elected officials on this - Federal, State, Local, Borough. Don't give us "there is no money." Plenty out there for tiresome tweeder programs the help a handful and community destroying development.
Bad enough they foisted Bloomberg on us, do they really expect that p*k to give a dime when they don't?
I mean, come on, a developer just announced a $200 million project (mostly funded with our tax breaks and tax moneys while our services crumble around us). Do you see a single one of the pricks coming forward to give 2 cents back to the community?
Look at Dutch Kills with those hotels - a shameful story any civic leader would tell their children to keep them quiet.
Old Astoria - instead of a treasure, a byline in certain better circles at eye-rolling and snickers followed by "what is wrong with Queens and those people?"
Western Queens exists to be bulldozed and displaced - everything is being destroyed.
And the leadership can be thanked for it. Anywhere else they would come forward to help the community.
Here they do mountaintop removal and show up only to rip out the pipes.
"We're trying to honor his legacy. We're not trying to liquidate it," said Michelle Kazarian, whose father, Michael Halberian, lived in the mansion his whole life until he died at age 83 in December.
hahahahahaha
ya, sure
"We're trying to honor his legacy. We're not trying to liquidate it," said Michelle Kazarian, whose father, Michael Halberian, lived in the mansion his whole life until he died at age 83 in December.
Wanna buy a bridge in Brooklyn?
Actually the "telescope" that Capo is holding in the post's photo is really Senator Stavisky's vaginal speculum.
Actually the "telescope" that Capo is holding in the post's photo is really Senator Stavisky's vaginal speculum.
Or Evan's colonoscopy tube! Double the pleasure. Double the fun!
Sophmoric hyjinks aside, the questions posed here tells alot about our priorities - of how taxes are wasted on senseless development (do you know anyone sitting in the backyard of their house saying that a 15 story building next door is just the ticket - and the best use of their taxes?
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http://www.qgazette.com/news/2011-03-09/Front_Page/George_
Douris_Tower_Opens.html
http://www.qgazette.com/news/2011-03-02/Features/Enjoying_The_View
_From_Four_Points_By_Sheraton.html
“Now that the hotels are here and we realize the improvements they bring to the community, we welcome the opportunity to work together toward an even better Dutch Kills,”
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Well, yes, I know, you can find them - its Queens after all, but get serious for a moment.
There is no reason that this building should not be supported by the community.
I can just see it - social club, fire, flop house, another fire, then something saying that its a shame ..... that its landmarked.
The community speaks!
The thread on "Lost Kitty" is ready to surpass "Steinway Mansion Artifacts for Sale" in posts and views!
There is a nabe that has its priorities in order!
I wish I had known about the house when he was alive. I would have loved to tour it.
A house like that is tremendously expensive to upkeep, and not exactly the best location to live in. To expect the Halberian family to take on such a financial burden simply to preserve history is unreasonable. The likely hood that his estate is being divided up makes this scenario even more impractical and improbable.
Agreed. They are doing ther right thing and its ripping their heart out.
Remember, they grew up there. To you and me its a fantasy. To them its a family legacy.
Now its time for the community to come to bat.
The first step is for Vallone to go to Steinway factory and offer to work with them.
That building and property will be leveled within a year.
As usual the kids are cashing out fast, real fast
-what a shame
Mi call "dibs" on de voodoo mask mon!
Mike Halberian loved his house and New York City. He could spend his money for other things. Instead he spend life savings for preserving the house, purchasing neighbor's land when they return to Scandinavia and collecting NYC books. In Capitalism, it does not make any sense to keep unprofitable house. However, as a New Yorker like him, we can do something to preserve this house and his NYC books. New York City shoud have the historical house for the future generation, not only new high rise buldings. Mayor should know the importance of this house in Queens.
Never happen. The Mayor doesn't give a dam about Queens. Bloomberg its all about making money to spend in Manhattan.
Some developer will buy that house and land promising the world to close the deal then claim "rotten timbers" and plow everything. Just like the Great Gatsby house in Sands Point
A house like that is tremendously expensive to upkeep
No it isn't I take care of 3 property's equaling 6 acres all by myself.
Plumbing, electrical, roofs, gardening landscaping.
I have my own tractor & gardening trailer.
also 1 cat, 2 goats, a turkey and chickens.
People have become lazy and don't want to do it themselves. They don't even wish to learn or try. Instant gratification and laziness has become a huge problem 1 reason why all these gems are being paved over and replaced with eurofucco shit boxes
Mayor should know the importance of this house in Queens.
What about the freakin local elected officials. Rumor had one of them wanted a cemetery to buy it.
Get real and stop playing around assholes.
They certainly are front and center with our tax money for developers. They have the resources to save this place.
Why don't they? The public wants to know.
It can't be razed it's been designated an exterior municipal landmark.
The interior, however, can be gutted to suit whatever needs or pleasures (massage parlor?) a new owner might have in mind.
That Neo-Roman sunken pool (hot tub?) that Halberian had installed in the basement is a great start for a Chinese Spa emporium.
Maybe Tommy Huang (or his son Henry) will buy it.
Why hasn't Vallone reached out to Steinway, the beep, Albany, or Washington instead of the mayor.
Passing the buck.
Voodoo:
I like how old man Halberian buys this and the family tries to hint it was left by the Steinways.
Prove it.
Wow, not only don't they donate a paperclip back to the community, now its slash and burn to maximize their profit even if it means giving the community's heritage a black eye.
I like the NY 1 story that talks about the Steinway collection when its really the Halberians.
As of March 26th the contents from the Steinway Mansion will be auctioned off at an auction house at 36-01 Queens Blvd in Long Island City. The second auction will take place on April 23rd. This is the first step in losing an important part of our cultural heritage. Michael Halberian's collection of New York history was worthy of a Queens museum. Queens Buzz.com
It can't be razed municipal landmark ?
Sure it can....the buyer can do some roof damage then use the "rotten timbers" loophole" to get it off the books.
This is what the scumbags did with the Gatsby House, Fred Astairs house, and a couple others from Bayside to Oyster Bay.
Buying a house that passed an engineering report a year earlier then suddenly crying "Rotten Timbers" has become become a new epidemic on the N shore Queens to Oyster Bay.
The new owners simply poke holes in the roof, do damage then sit and shit all over on the house wile planning out the payola, strategy and execution.
Michael Halberian's collection of New York history was worthy of a Queens museum.
Ask the local politicians about that. Outside of whining about the mayor, they are doing nothing. They have plenty of money and give big $ to big places that have many outside sources of funds.
Do we have to name names?
MYTH
The Mayor doesn't give a dam about Queens. Bloomberg its all about making money to spend in Manhattan.
REALITY
The local politicians don't give a dam about Queens except for development. They are about giving money to tweeded and developers.
I'm sure any donations to the community could be structured to be tax-deductible, if some incentive were needed to be philanthropic. But I find it interesting how shortly after the NY Times article came out last month quoting city officials saying that the city was not going to buy the Mansion or anything in it, the Halberian family then moved very quickly to liquidate Michael's estate. There's even a sense of panic surrounding the process, as if they're suddenly under a lot of pressure to sell everything, and fast.
There's even a sense of panic surrounding the process, as if they're suddenly under a lot of pressure to sell everything, and fast.
Naw, not really. They waited months and months and months all Vallone came up with is to sell it to a cemetery (voodoo dolls now make sense) and wait 5 years for the process to run.
The rest of of pols are keeping their heads down displaying real community leadership.
Well folks, this ain't Con Ed.
I think this is their way of telling Vallone, Gianaris, Maloney, Semotas and Marshall to get off their asses and start acting sensible.
There is still plenty of time if this happens.
Vallone, Gianaris, Stavisky and Maloney are the reps.
Vallone wanted the Halberians to sell it a cemetery?? Are you serious? He wanted the Steinway Mansion turned into a mausoleum filled with dead bodies, and the grounds turned into a graveyard? Where did you hear about this? This is outrageous!
Right hand (the Thing) said, "It is good for it to be an Addams Family House." That is the only way to Save the Steinway Mansion.
Rumor: is someone trying to move the mansion out of NYC?
He wanted the Steinway Mansion turned into a mausoleum filled with dead bodies, and the grounds turned into a graveyard?
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Did someone say this?
Where do you think the money would come from to buy it and donate it to the city for a park?
The plan was to use the Steinway grounds as replacement parkland for what St. Michael's is trying to acquire. St. Michael's would buy the mansion and donate it to the Parks Dept in return for the strip of land alongside the cemetery. There was no plan for a mausoleum or graveyard.
Still sounds zany. Lost a lot of time and it fell through. Surprise
So what is Vallone's plan B?
Will we charge him and his cohorts for its eventual and inevitable loss?
I happen to know the family very well and these are great people. All the commentors above, who probably live with a roommate in a two bedroom apt need to check their jealosy's at the door. If your father passed away with 27 rooms filled with stuff, what would you do with it.You would probably keep what reminded you of your father, who left a legacy, and sold the rest as well.
Go make your own legacy.
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