In less than half an hour Andrew Rothkin, Kim Jones and Duncan Pflaster lost the place they have called home for more than five years after a fire ripped through their Astoria apartment early Wednesday afternoon.
Pflaster, an administrative assistant and also a playwright and photographer, said he received a call from Jones at around 1 p.m. Wednesday telling him he needed to come home because as she was out running errands their 35th Street apartment had been engulfed in flames.
Their roommate, Rothkin, had been home alone and his space heater caught on fire, Pflaster said. Rothkin was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital with severe second- and third-degree burns and smoke inhalation, but was released Friday and will recuperate with his family in Baltimore.
According to Pflaster, the apartment is destroyed, and every window had to be broken by the FDNY. There are holes in the ceilings and walls, and Rothkin’s room was “gutted,” causing him to lose everything — even his cat, Pepper.
To donate to the gofundme campaigns, visit www.gofundme.com/andrewrothkin, www.gofundme.com/jvt5oc or www.gofundme.com/jwpczs. A Facebook page has also been created for the friends.
17 comments:
They had renter's insurance - right?
a good attorney will help them with a negligence of a property owner suit. they had to resort to a space heater because landlord did not provide heat as required by law. probably electric wiring was defective U no work was done by licensed electrician.
Am I supposed to know any of these people? It's sad, but that's life. What about renter's insurance? I think I will be saving my money for DeBlasio's re-election campaign.
Am I supposed to feel bad for these gentrifying scum who have begun to move towards inner Queens?
Do people hate transplants so much on this site that they would enjoy seeing other people suffer like this? Crazy.
Do people hate transplants so much on this site that they would enjoy seeing other people suffer like this? Crazy
It's no so much that anyone enjoys seeing them suffer as much as how entitled these people act even when they're down and out, begging for help.
Look at this from the link for one of their gofundme's:
"Kim and her roommates need a new home, soon. Today's temperature is 18F/-8C, this winter is proving to be a tough one, and while they have places to stay with friends for now, they will need permanent housing ASAP. The fees for finding an apartment in NYC are notoriously high. The typical broker's fee is 15% of the annual rent, plus a two month deposit for security. The average rent for a 3BR/1BA apartment in their current neighborhood of Astoria, Queens, is $2,500 - $3,000/month. That means that if they find a place for $2,750/month, they need $10,350 JUST TO SIGN A LEASE."
Seriously? These people expect charity in excess of 10K as a down payment on resuming their elective overpriced NYC apartment fantasies? How hard is it to get on Craigslist and look for "no broker fee" apartments in neighborhoods that'll add some time to their commute so that they can live within their means? It's that attitude people hate, and I for one am not funding any of that down payment.
"Kim and her roommates need a new home, soon. Today's temperature is 18F/-8C, this winter is proving to be a tough one, and while they have places to stay with friends for now, they will need permanent housing ASAP. The fees for finding an apartment in NYC are notoriously high. The typical broker's fee is 15% of the annual rent, plus a two month deposit for security. The average rent for a 3BR/1BA apartment in their current neighborhood of Astoria, Queens, is $2,500 - $3,000/month. That means that if they find a place for $2,750/month, they need $10,350 JUST TO SIGN A LEASE."
Well, yeah, NYC is expensive, so that should have been though out before coming here, but to make matters worse you are looking in Astoria, very expensive.
Come to Jamaica and if you are white and not a third world immigrant, better, we could use some diversity here, plus it's cheaper than overpriced, crowded Astoria and you get more bang for you buck, not pun intended.
Also, next time, try renter's insurance, it is very cheap.
Everyone regarding renter's insurance -- it does not cover everything and with furniture it depreciates in value and if you have jewelry you need separate riders for each individual piece -- not cheap at al
http://newyork.craigslist.org/que/abo/4841492660.html
$1600 3BR/1BA NO FEE apartment near Woodhaven and Atlantic ave. Took me all of 3 minutes to find. Six blocks from an A train stop.
Betcha' none of these 3 would want to live there for a year even if they got it for half that.
The people living next to Strand Steakhouse live in a nightmare with all the noise - while the trustafarians that patronize that place no not understand the problem and nonchalantly expect the local native Astorians to move - something echoed by the local politician - (surprise).
Any riffraff is fine to feed the rent rolls in the frenzied real estate shark take that is destroying that once fine community.
This fire is tragic (though I suspect carelessness rather than a defective heater is the blame) but note that the other tenants - and landlord - are once again invisible in these kids lives.
To these transients, native Astorians rank right up there with waitstaff, nannies, porters and the shadows that surround their self-absorbed empty drift through life.
Someone who works as an administrative assistant isn't making enough money to be considered a gentrifier. It's not uncommon for people to ask for help from friends when something terrible like this happens. One of them was in the hospital with severe burns and everything they own was destroyed. Did they somehow deserve it by not being fifth generation residents of Queens?
Everyone seems to be too worried about "hipsters' and not worried enough about the wealthy "young professionals" who are "discovering" Queens.Then you'll really see who has no respect for the neighborhood.
Someone who works as an administrative assistant isn't making enough money to be considered a gentrifier.
BUT WHO IS NONCHALANT IN ASKING PEOPLE TO HELP THEM NEEDLESSLY THROW AWAY A FEW THOU ON KEY FEES? NOT THE ADMIN ASSISTANTS I KNEW WHO CAME FROM S I OR BKLYN OR CENTRAL QUEENS. SAVVY PEOPLE ALL.
It's not uncommon for people to ask for help from friends when something terrible like this happens.
BUT IT USED TO BE COMMON FOR ATTENTION FOCUSED ON EVERYONE HURT IN THE COMMUNITY, NOT JUST THOSE THAT CONSIDER THEMSELVES LIVING WITHIN THE RAREFIED AIR OF THE 'AU COURRANT.'
One of them was in the hospital with severe burns and everything they own was destroyed. Did they somehow deserve it by not being fifth generation residents of Queens?
HOW ABOUT THE 5TH GENERATION PEOPLE THAT WERE BURNED OUT OF THE BUILDING? WE ONCE STOPPED HIPSTER KIDS FROM DUMPING COALS FROM A BARBECUE ON A TAR ROOF. STUPID STUPID STUPID. FRANKLY WITH THIS CROWD RUNNING AROUND NYC HAS NEVER BEEN SO DANGEROUS - CERTAINLY MORE SO THAN THE 70s OR 80s.
Everyone seems to be too worried about "hipsters' and not worried enough about the wealthy "young professionals" who are "discovering" Queens.Then you'll really see who has no respect for the neighborhood.
WEALTHY PEOPLE ARE NOT MOVING TO QUEENS MY FRIEND, NOT WITH ITS REPUTATION. ASTORIA RENT OF $3K A MONTH MEANS YOU HAVE 4 OR 5 THIRTY YEAR OLD EX-STUDENTS LIVING TOGETHER.
All caps still hurts my eyes.
Theres a difference between hipsters and young professionals?
Go figure, they are all W.A.S.Py suburbanites, they are all supported by their parents, they all complain, they all contribute to gentrification and they all have a carefree attitude while the rest of us struggle to keep our livelihood in this theme park hipsters call NYC.
Difference my ass.
Crowdfunding for those without a trust fund to subsidize living in the "better" areas rather than an area you really can afford. Well, if someone is willing to fund, what the hay! Of course, the worst thing is when someone is exerting social pressure on you to join in a crowdfunding, and you think it's rediculous but the boobs around you are piling in!
I love how they have to add that Pflaster is playwright and photographer. Who cares?!
Why did Rothkin need a space heater? Is there no heat or was the apartment chopped up in such a way that his room had no heat?
They have lived as roommates for 5 YEARS?
Very sad indeed, but let him stay in Baltimore where he can buy a house from the government for 5K - which is less than half of what he claims he needs for an apartment downpayment!
Anony 8 - Regarding renters insurance - a replacement cost policy (which IS cheap) will get you new stuff, not depreciated value. It will also put you up in a hotel and help you find a new apartment of similar value and location AND cover the broker fees.
That said - yes, this is sad - BUT they weren't smart. Where are the smoke alarms? All space heaters tell you NOT to sleep with them on.
OMG - I just looked at the gofundme links - these people are in their 30s, maybe even 40s!
The guy who got burned has raised over 16k! He apparently did not have medical insurance (what happened to Obamacare - I thought everyone had to sign up?)
The other guy (also a playwright by the way)has raised almost 18k!
The chick is a personal trainer who needs 5k to replace her training equipment and 5k to replace other stuff- she has raised over 3k!
16100 + 17745 + 3170 = 37015
Almost 40k - I guess they won't need a space heater in their LIC penthouse...
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