This is in Astoria on Doctor's Row. When this developer showed up, they raised a holy row with banners up and down the block. ‘The zoning book ruins our look’ and the like. Everyone noticed. Was this an opportunity for the local community to take a big step forward? Hell no! Remember, this is Queens. Queens is not Brooklyn or Manhattan.
1. Local politicians show up for meaningless expressions of concern - Mystery Man Mike Gianaris, Vallone Jr, and later Costa. The block was told: We support you! Trust us! We will help! Don’t blame the developer! He is a struggling immigrant who needs the money to send his kids to college!
It was pure bullshit but they bought it hook line and sinker.
2. Landmarking? Don’t go there! They rejected that out of hand. Why their elected officials whispered they would be fools to go that route. After all, what city agency knows anything about their homes? We all know about government (said their politicians with a straight face) for every Queens resident as that same hallowed right to exercise the same sage judgment displayed when they go into the voting booth. Instead, our friends in Astoria chose the blind alley of getting restrictive covenants (which, of course, failed to get the needed majority). By this time the building was about complete.
3. Now, after this treatment, you would think they would wise up and try to get the community to swing behind them. But now their political leadership made their move: We will give you special treatment. We will downzone your ONE BLOCK more than the others … IF you play along with us. Doctor’s Row was soooo happy! You can change city hall if you are nice and play along with your politicians and don’t fight them. In appreciation they stood on the City Hall steps with Vallone Jr with the stupid sign 'Astoria Saved.' Vallone was now awarded by the community as a fighter for preservation!
Well that stunt of divide and conquer ensured that the community would remain disunited. Of course Astoria was not saved. Just ask the people around the medical clinic. A few years later their adjoining block had a similar experience with a developer and when they tried to protest again, the developer physically threatened them. That killed that effort. Now their little block is increasingly hemmed in on all sides.
Should we feel sorry for a group of people that categorically made one bad choice after another?
It's on 36th street, off 30 ave. The original hoopla comes further down the block, closer to 30 ave. Well over 20? 25? years ago someone bumped ou the first story. neighbors sued, no zoning restrictions, they lost. And from it just got worse. Thanks Dem machine!
The fact of the matter is that Astoria specifically, and Queens in general, has been red-lined by Manhattan preservation advocates ever since the torch and pitchfork crowd in Upper Ditmars overturned the Steinway Village designation back in the 70s. It was a watershed moment with repercussions we are still stuck with a generation later - a generation where Queens has fallen further and futher behind the rest of the city.
There was once a real effort to get Astoria (and the rest of Queens for that matter) to understand the benefits of landmark designation - or at least to accept community preservation improves communities, keeps out exploitation and blockbusting from development, as well as enhances long term property values.
Of course that would have required them to think and if need be, stand up to their local politician - something quite foreign to village stock so superstitious and backward they only know how to listen to their padrone and focus on the lowest common denominator - pure greed.
As you can see, every effort at giving these people good advice was rejected, and every piece of garbage feed to them by their community 'leadership' was accepted without any degree of skepticism or thought.
The bottom line is a feeling of a peasant's helplessness and hopelessness which completes a vicious circle of greed and exploitation by their leaders.
And the slow unfolding disaster of the Steinway Mansion shows that absolutely nothing has changed in Astoria over the decades.
Anyone that can help simply does not want to get involved with that community.
11 comments:
I remember the hoopla regarding this property. It's located in Astoria on what used to be known as doctors row.
It's between 30th and 31st Ave on 34th or 35th St.
I even think I knew the owner, he built the Renaissance building on 21st Street one block south of Astoria Blvd.
The dwelling in question was built about 8 years ago.
I.M.Puke did not forget to install balconies
that looks like lefferts blvd.,probably richmond hill between hillside and metopolitan aves.
Needs more Frank Lloyd Crap
This is in Astoria on Doctor's Row. When this developer showed up, they raised a holy row with banners up and down the block. ‘The zoning book ruins our look’ and the like. Everyone noticed. Was this an opportunity for the local community to take a big step forward? Hell no! Remember, this is Queens. Queens is not Brooklyn or Manhattan.
1. Local politicians show up for meaningless expressions of concern - Mystery Man Mike Gianaris, Vallone Jr, and later Costa. The block was told: We support you! Trust us! We will help! Don’t blame the developer! He is a struggling immigrant who needs the money to send his kids to college!
It was pure bullshit but they bought it hook line and sinker.
2. Landmarking? Don’t go there! They rejected that out of hand. Why their elected officials whispered they would be fools to go that route. After all, what city agency knows anything about their homes? We all know about government (said their politicians with a straight face) for every Queens resident as that same hallowed right to exercise the same sage judgment displayed when they go into the voting booth. Instead, our friends in Astoria chose the blind alley of getting restrictive covenants (which, of course, failed to get the needed majority). By this time the building was about complete.
3. Now, after this treatment, you would think they would wise up and try to get the community to swing behind them. But now their political leadership made their move: We will give you special treatment. We will downzone your ONE BLOCK more than the others … IF you play along with us. Doctor’s Row was soooo happy! You can change city hall if you are nice and play along with your politicians and don’t fight them. In appreciation they stood on the City Hall steps with Vallone Jr with the stupid sign 'Astoria Saved.' Vallone was now awarded by the community as a fighter for preservation!
Well that stunt of divide and conquer ensured that the community would remain disunited. Of course Astoria was not saved. Just ask the people around the medical clinic. A few years later their adjoining block had a similar experience with a developer and when they tried to protest again, the developer physically threatened them. That killed that effort. Now their little block is increasingly hemmed in on all sides.
Should we feel sorry for a group of people that categorically made one bad choice after another?
I live here -- Go Queens!!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norwood_Gardens
Original property shown on upper right ...
"I wonder what caught the Courier photographer's eye here?"
The overhanging tree branch in the foreground illustrating the philosophical "crooked timber of humanity"?
It's on 36th street, off 30 ave. The original hoopla comes further down the block, closer to 30 ave. Well over 20? 25? years ago someone bumped ou the first story. neighbors sued, no zoning restrictions, they lost. And from it just got worse. Thanks Dem machine!
Wow looks like Queens the borough where crap us tolerated and encouraged. Ugly building, no class or style.
The fact of the matter is that Astoria specifically, and Queens in general, has been red-lined by Manhattan preservation advocates ever since the torch and pitchfork crowd in Upper Ditmars overturned the Steinway Village designation back in the 70s. It was a watershed moment with repercussions we are still stuck with a generation later - a generation where Queens has fallen further and futher behind the rest of the city.
There was once a real effort to get Astoria (and the rest of Queens for that matter) to understand the benefits of landmark designation - or at least to accept community preservation improves communities, keeps out exploitation and blockbusting from development, as well as enhances long term property values.
Of course that would have required them to think and if need be, stand up to their local politician - something quite foreign to village stock so superstitious and backward they only know how to listen to their padrone and focus on the lowest common denominator - pure greed.
As you can see, every effort at giving these people good advice was rejected, and every piece of garbage feed to them by their community 'leadership' was accepted without any degree of skepticism or thought.
The bottom line is a feeling of a peasant's helplessness and hopelessness which completes a vicious circle of greed and exploitation by their leaders.
And the slow unfolding disaster of the Steinway Mansion shows that absolutely nothing has changed in Astoria over the decades.
Anyone that can help simply does not want to get involved with that community.
the overhanging tree branch in the foreground illustrating the philosophical "crooked timber of humanity"
chiacrap
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