From Curbed:
Location: Queens, N.Y.
Price: $2,995,000
The Skinny: When this elaborate stone estate home was built in 1855, it sat atop 440 bucolic acres of summertime bliss. Today, it sits on a single acre next to a power station and a waste treatment plant. While time has had its effects on this section of Queens, the Steinway Mansion seems like an oasis of historic preservation in an otherwise overtly industrial section of the neighborhood.
15 comments:
I gotta admit that the inside of the house looks ok but that grey stone facade - yecccch!
George sounds like one of those community leaders in that forward thinking part of our city.
Why is Vallone putting money into a swimming pool at Astoria Park and not the mansion?
Sad...there are homes within in the Douglas Manor historic district that fetch just under 3 million also!
And this lonely landmark sits unwanted.
Location, location, location...the trinity of real estate desirability...especially for a residence!
Because more voters swim in the Astoria Park pool than visit the granite Steinway "tomb".
Politics and chicanery..the business of La Famiglia Di Vallone since the days of grandpappy Charlie "the judge".
A Vallone "operation" is soon headed for northeast Queens headed by figlio Don Paulo.
Listed at 4.5 million. On sale for 3 million. Poof! 1.5 million goes by like that. Just actually what do realtors know? A lot of necromancers.
What are the "comps" for this property?
The Mansion is privately own and the pool is public. Do you want city money to go to private homes,if so send it my way.
What an incredibly stupid comment. The plan was to take something that is currently private and purchase it so that it becomes public and is open to all.
It depends on the community.
They all went ape shit every time Halberian played with them by periodically announcing it was for sell - then when interest was announced the price would magically creep up.
The fact of the matter is the community simply doesn't care. Exhibit A of ignorance.
Sooner or later it will be dismantled and moved to a place where it will be respected by the community.
And the yo's of Tony Bennett Blvd will cry and moan and tear down another 150 year old mansion in Astoria Village as they extol the virtue of a stucco clad ill proportioned McMansions.
Uh, bub...the Steinway Mansion is an EXTERIOR landmark.
It DOES NOT have to open up its doors to the public...unless, of course, the city buys it.
That's not very likely.
And PLEASE DO name a purpose the city can use it for?
It's located in the middle of nowhere.
It'll sit vacant until the price drops down to at least a million.
Yeccch indeed...a white elephant sheathed in morbid gray stone.
Maybe the Queens Historical Society can buy it...LOL!
After all, aren't they the "big" umbrella group for the borough?
Too bad that the Greater Astoria Historical Society isn't headquartered there.
Yo...calling Peter Vallone!
H-m-m-m...his line appears to be busy.
Yea, he is talking to Bayside Historical, Queens Historical, Newtown Historical, anyone ...anywhere....
Big community supporter that boy!
Peter Vallone has not spoken with Newtown Historical Society about the Steinway Mansion, but I believe Queens Historical, Greater Astoria, HDC were at the brainstorming session he held a couple years back.
Many believe the house isn't selling because of the location. It is the condition of the place that scares away buyers. Being a landmark building means that it will cost alot to preserve it to original condition and with specific original materials and techniques. I would imagine that it would take at least 8 million to make the structue useable added on to the asking price and taxes. Don't forget that all the peeling paint in the interior contains lead. Whoever buys it needs to seek very specific help to Preserve it properly--and that costs big bucks.This could be done nicely--and it would last another 150 years. Yes, I am a landmark conservator and wish I could win a lottery to fix it up. Anything less than 15 million would not be enough.
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