I just had to post this.
NOW (!!!) I find out about it being torn down. I used to live 2 blocks away from this house and passed it by everyday coming home from school as a kid. I never even heard of Dulcken or knew of the house's possible historical import. I bet you never heard of him before either? Kind of sums up what's wrong with historical preservation in Queens: The public finds out quite often about the historical significance of these things AT THE VERY LAST MINUTE.
It's disgusting and heart-breaking.
At the front,
GtheA
PS Too bad the old black and white photo doesn't have a date. The elevated subway is conspicuously missing on the left side of the photo which means it's quite ancient, no?
37 comments:
Too bad it's already so mutilated!
This is the most coherent thing I've seen written about this impending demolition. You only hear outrage when the property is sold to a developer and is ready to be demolished. There are hundreds of houses in Astoria that are architecturally significant, and some may be historically significant, but why aren't the historical societies working with current owners trying to preserve these homes? Only when it's to late do you hear a peep from anyone.
Also, Who is supposed to pay for a historic renovation to this home anyway? I don't see anyone offering the millions needed to return the home to its former glory. The structure barely resembles the original photo, its been severely neglected for decades, I'm not sure what is really even left to save.
And sadly, given what happened to the Steinway Mansion, I wouldn't expect any intervention at all from our elected leaders on "saving" this house.
Sad state of affairs. More Queens Crap on the way.
This building could be saved but is it really going to depend on the myriad of public forums in the community that seem to focus their attention on the frivolous (health violations in food trucks! new line of cheese and beer! new building with climbing wall!) thereby lining the pockets of landlords with drooling comments on apartments and restaurants (We Heart Astoria, Why Leave Astoria, www.astorians.com) etc.
As there is a connection to the arts community here, it should be an interesting test if the Long Island City Council on the Arts climbs on board, Noguchi, Socrates, APAC, Kaufman, Queens Council on the Arts etc. or if they remain mute - fearful that a peep will respond in a cut in public funds from elected officials (who seem to forget that are in office to serve the needs of their constituents not campaign donors). What does it say about Astoria if this house gets destroyed by the indifference from a much touched cultural scene that is shown to merely be a handmaiden of politicians?
Now there is the issue of the Community Board comprised of people who were appointed by the politicians who are funded by developers. After the Steinway Mansion fiasco, something that painted the community as drooling knuckling dragging Neanderthals to the outside world, we must ask ourselves on what will their stance be? Will the presence of people (like Gerry Caliando who was involved with Steinway, and as rumor has it, involved here) continue to erode the word 'community' out of that august body?
The Elks example hangs over this. Can a community be split by the political wanna-bes, hangers on, and those whose support can be bought for a price? Of course! There are always many people ready to hide, or worse, try to trip up the those fighting for their community in exchange for a pat on the head, a smile, and some ice cream money to cast a beam of light on their otherwise sad dark souls.
And finally there are the elected officials, coddled by a friendly press, an unfocused electorate unpracticed in the art of civil discourse, who will talk about the affordable housing going up or the great new ukulele shop going in a space that could not fit a news stand. We will hear what great guys the developers are, local boys making good, heroes that all young Astorians should aspire too in a community where everything has a price and the only thing of value is not the people, or the community, but the dirt under their feet.
No, this is Astoria, not Manhattan, nor Brooklyn, or even Staten Island or the Bronx. In reality, the place is toast. The only question is how much of this rotten structure in the community will be pulled down around it in the inevitable dogfight that this place will engender.
Now lets prove everything written here is wrong. Sit backk folks. This should be fun.
http://digital-editions.qns.com/LIC082014/#/32/
From what was written on the Dulcken House, it seems like Europeans think this man was important and want to visit his museum in Astoria.
Silly fools.
A student of Mendelson - an Impresario of Art, a Teacher of the Arts. Someone who helped make NYC the Capital of the Arts and who every person involved with the arts in this city owes a debt. Huh?
Tony Bennett? Now you are talking! Lets turn HIS house into a shrine and museum!
spy
This is the most coherent thing I've seen written about this impending demolition. You only hear outrage when the property is sold to a developer and is ready to be demolished.
SPY
MIGHT BE A SHOCK TO YOU, BUT SOME PEOPLE THINK THIS IS A BLOT TO THE COMMUNITY.
spy
There are hundreds of houses in Astoria that are architecturally significant, and some may be historically significant, but why aren't the historical societies working with current owners trying to preserve these homes? Only when it's to late do you hear a peep from anyone.
SPY
BECAUSE THEY ARE STARVED FOR FUNDS - THEY OPEN THEIR MOUTH AND GET NO MONEY AS PUBLIC FUNDS ARE SPENT ON THE SILLY AND FRIVOLOUS TO OUR SELF SERVING POLS. BESIDES THERE ARE BOGUS CIVIC GROUPS DO THE POLITICIANS BIDDING BY TELLING THE PUBLIC GARBAGE ABOUT LANDMARKING - YET DON'T HAVE THE BALLS TO GO INTO LANDMARKED DISTRICTS TO TELL THEM THE SAME BULLSHIT GARBAGE THEY TELL THEIR OWN COMMUNITY.
spy
Also, Who is supposed to pay for a historic renovation to this home anyway? I don't see anyone offering the millions needed to return the home to its former glory.
SPY
HELL IF WE GOT DOG RUNS FOR A HALF MILLION, AND MAINTAINED OUR PARKS INSTEAD OF TEARING THEM DOWN AND REBUILDING THEM EVERY DECADE WE COULD FUND THE RESTORATION OF PLACES LIKE THIS. ITS DONE ELSE WHERE, WHY NOT HERE?
spy
The structure barely resembles the original photo, its been severely neglected for decades, I'm not sure what is really even left to save.
SPY
IM NOT SURE YOU REALLY KNOW WHAT YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT. THIS IS IN GREAT SHAPE COMPARED TO SOME RESTORATION PROJECTS. YOU SHOULD REALLY GET OUT OF ASTORIA SOMETIME, READ A LITTLE, EXPAND YOUR HORIZONS, A BIG WORLD OUT THERE.
spy
And sadly, given what happened to the Steinway Mansion, I wouldn't expect any intervention at all from our elected leaders on "saving" this house.
SPY
SADLY? AND YOU SIT ON YOUR HANDS? WHERE WERE YOU WHEN THEY POLITICIANS WERE MAKING ASTORIA A LAUGHING STOCK FOR WHAT HAPPENED TO THE MANSION. HANGING OUT AT JOHNNY JAYS WITH THE BOYS?
spy
Sad state of affairs. More Queens Crap on the way.
SPY
CRAP FROM YOUR BULLSHIT IS ALL THAT IS SEEN HERE.
George is correct on the lack of information about Queens history, and that is the result of official policy, like listing this building as being built in 1931.
Like everything else in Queens, its all for the benefit the the needs of the Democratic Party. For example, when you talk to the Borough Historian, all he cares about is the immigrant experience of the past 50 years. There is absolutely no interest in anything else besides that except hoovering everything into the library with the Queens Memory Project.
Any people that have no past, have no future. Queens has no future. Official policy.
Christ, look at what they have done to over the years, total Queens crap fuck up. Notice no green, all gone. The outside they totally fucked up, just like Queens.
The Astoria line opened in 1917, so you can imagine how old this photo is.
At least the Steinway Mansion wasn't torn down. How do you "tear-down a building made out of granite blocks? But a wooden edifice? Quite easily done.
At least the Steinway Mansion wasn't torn down. How do you "tear-down a building made out of granite blocks? But a wooden edifice? Quite easily done.
Destroy a building of granite blocks? Easy, check out the old Nurses' Residence on R I.
Punch out the windows, have a fire opening up the roof, and whoopa, a ruin:
http://www.tug44.org/hudson.river/roosevelt-island/
picture is circa 1905.
HAAAAAAAAAA. Good Luck
The steinway mansion is, last I checked, still owned by the slimey 'developers' who built those crap buildings all around it. They own the deck of cards, and they'll play that card at some point in the future. It's not hard to imagine an "accidental" fire here, and need to demo after.
As for this house - and several other old ones in astoria - there's no funding for anyone to research them, or reach out to their owners and try to get a heads-up on any coming sales. Even if historians knew a historically valuable home was about to be sold for crap-ification, no one has the millions of dollars it would take to buy and save them.
The NYC government, however, does have that money. Crapper you should take a look at participatory budget proposals this year. At the newcomers high school in LIC (the old LICHS), they want to spend $700k on a curb extension. $700k could go a long way towards saving a historic building.
Good property. We can move half of communist Chine here.
This house should have been saved many years ago from the abomination it's become. I also grew up just 3 blocks from it. Do you remember the "inch worm" ride-on toy that was tied in the tree that used to be out front on the left side of the house? It was never in the best shape, but until the late 80s or early 90s it still had all it's gingerbread detail.
This house should have been saved many years ago from the abomination it's become.
Pretty strong words. Do yourself a favor. Go down to Queens Plaza with a friend that knows construction and look at the new buildings.
They will tell you about abomination.
This building can be restored - its a piece of cake.
Participatory budgeting? That's a joke.
A friend was involved in jimmy's district when it first came out. Nothing that gets the final approval was stuff people proposed. Its a sham. The stuff they do is pretty much stuff they intend on doing all along.
The capital budget in the city is a wasteful patronage mill - maintenance is starved on physical plant so everything has to be redone every few years. Even the simplest job takes years and six or seven figures. We have a library branch near us that is putting in a garden - for the past two years. Look at Bowne House - the law suit was what 20 years ago? And they are still doing studies. Look at Old Astoria and the 'civic' that runs it. Look what a mess that Queens Plaza is. Think of all the initiatives we see - bikes, waterfront -stuff that is meaningless to the lives of the vast majority of us, but gets all the money and attention to pay off developers who make donations that hijack our government.
Look at the 3rd world dump of Flushing, the 3rd world pigsty of Jamaica, an official culture that celebrates a mish-mosh of diversity greeted by the public in the same spirit as North Koreans celebrating the Great Leaders Birthday.
Yes this place is important as is the Steinway Mansion, the Elks Building, St Saviors, St James in Elmhurst, Niers Tavern, (add your place here).
Enough already with the stupidity and ignorance. Queens has made itself a laughing stock to the outside world. Its image that we see in the weeklies is an image that is crammed down our unwilling throats - it has no connection to our lives. The borough's residents no longer cares about what is officially being said or done.
Our leadership has failed us. We no longer believe in them. For the culture of our borough to find places like this contemptible and the object of derision and ridicule is a culture of pathology that is consuming itself as it destoys our borough.
Time for a reset, people. Big time. The old mantra is dead.
Folks, check out my photo updates of today, Saturday, March 18 HERE. (Note particularly the crappy window renovation in Photo #7 - the term abominable would be an understatement. Also the exclusive aerials in photos 4 & 5).
The steinway mansion is, last I checked, still owned by the slimey 'developers' who built those crap buildings all around it. They own the deck of cards, and they'll play that card at some point in the future.
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Steinway Mansion? The community was indifferent and the politicians were weasels. This mess is squarely the fault of the Astoria Community. It is a mirror to that community's values.
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As for this house - and several other old ones in astoria - there's no funding for anyone to research them, or reach out to their owners and try to get a heads-up on any coming sales.
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Not true at all. Vincent Seyfried researched all these houses 30 years ago, and I was at the Astoria Historical Society a few months back and they have exhibits on the Triboro Theater and Old Astoria. Their facebook shows they wrote up this house in LIC Magazine a few years ago. What happened?
Ask them they will tell you. The politicians spread crap to the community and not the truth - just like the Elks Building and Jimmy with his team. They cut off funding to them when they tried to fight and tried to educate. And the rest of us stood around and did nothing.
We are to blame. The question is, what shall we do?
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Even if historians knew a historically valuable home was about to be sold for crap-ification, no one has the millions of dollars it would take to buy and save them.
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Please, the money is there - legislation can be enacted - Sympathetic media can swing public support. But its not happening. That is where the problem is. Time and again, be it Broadway Flushing, Norwood Gardens, Richmond Hill, Keiths Theater, people are again and again defeated.
Its not their fault.
It is the fault of the borough's elite and us letting them do this to our communities, and by extension, to us. I agree. Enough.
At almost 62.,I was born an spent my first 5 years in soho,moved to pigtown,then to gravesend ,to ridgewood andfinally Middle Village. I can't wait to leave. This city is just a not what It was.
yeah save a historic home....make sure taxpayer money goes to preserving a once beautiful home that is now a complete wreck and piece of shit. Restoration and acquisition would take millions of dollars. That's not an exaggeration. Don't talk about the fact that there is a supply shortage of affordable apartments because Astoria is one of the most rent regulated areas in all of NYC which keeps supply of new apartments and homes frozen. Don't talk about the hard and practical issues...talk out loud about saving a house that someone else owns and has sold legally and rant about how good it used to look in an old picture. How about figuring out how to get rid the fucking mob of homeless that is camped out in our city (hint: change the law about guaranteeing shelter if you don't have a home like other states to prevent people from working the system). OOPs I forgot. We live in NYC Deblasio country. This is not the place or time to think rationally.
yeah save a historic home....make sure taxpayer money goes to preserving a once beautiful home that is now a complete wreck and piece of shit. Restoration and acquisition would take millions of dollars. That's not an exaggeration. Don't talk about the fact that there is a supply shortage of affordable apartments because Astoria is one of the most rent regulated areas in all of NYC which keeps supply of new apartments and homes frozen. Don't talk about the hard and practical issues...talk out loud about saving a house that someone else owns and has sold legally and rant about how good it used to look in an old picture. How about figuring out how to get rid the fucking mob of homeless that is camped out in our city (hint: change the law about guaranteeing shelter if you don't have a home like other states to prevent people from working the system). OOPs I forgot. We live in NYC Deblasio country. This is not the place or time to think rationally.
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This is the first time I have posted on this thread and just have to respond to this person's bullshit.
Exhibit A on why people laugh at Astoria is because of its current "leadership," a small clique that is only interested in exploiting the community for personal gain. No one is happy with the direction of the community and how you and your ilk are ruining it.
Scorch and burn and more on - that's your motto.
We have seen what your kind has done to Flushing, to Jamaica, to Elmhurst. Well you are not doing this to Astoria - you have gone far enough and we are all sick of you and your kind. Astoria has been, and always will be, a tight community that watches each other's back.
Go, whatever your type does. Buy a politician, form an LLC for a "restaurant" or a bottle bar or whatever - something that will last for a few months until it serves your purpose and leave an empty space on Ditmars in a place that used to have a mom and pop store that actually cared about the community and sold goods and services that the community actually wanted and needed.
Stop bothering us - we got your number - the jig is up. Just go and leave the rest of us alone - and see how far your bullshit gets you.
You are not Astoria.
At almost 62.,I was born an spent my first 5 years in soho,moved to pigtown,then to gravesend ,to ridgewood andfinally Middle Village. I can't wait to leave. This city is just a not what It was.
Hate to break the news to you - nor is the country. Running gets you nowhere.
There are hundreds of houses in Astoria that are architecturally significant, and some may be historically significant, but why aren't the historical societies working with current owners trying to preserve these homes? Only when it's to late do you hear a peep from anyone.
Also, Who is supposed to pay for a historic renovation to this home anyway?
you are ignorant or stupid. there are entire neighborhoods in nyc that are a lot worse than this place a few short years ago and people like you could never move into them today.
half of brooklyn, soho, east village, harlem. how did they restore those communities and those buildings. i mean we are looking at 1000s of building here.
all we can think about in queens are building crap boxes that will be homeless shelters in 20 years because they were built like garbage and get filled by ghetto people.
wise up people!
NOW (!!!) I find out about it being torn down. I used to live 2 blocks away from this house and passed it by everyday coming home from school as a kid. I never even heard of Dulcken or knew of the house's possible historical import. I bet you never heard of him before either? Kind of sums up what's wrong with historical preservation in Queens: The public finds out quite often about the historical significance of these things AT THE VERY LAST MINUTE.
GtheA
Sorry, George, but this has been on line since 2014 not only describing its significance, but foretelling is fate and begging Queens to DO SOMETHING:
http://digital-editions.qns.com/LIC082014/#/32/
Despite being read over 3 years by 100s if not 1000s of people, we must ask what is it about Queens (despite being across the river from the world's capital, Manhattan) that makes it so misinformed and out of the loop?
I bet people in Alabama are more plugged in.
We live in NYC Deblasio country. This is not the place or time to think rationally.
DeBlaz is part of the parasitic Democratic Party whom you have elected for the past century - and his alternate is Trump. So what is your point?
What does the borough president, Melinda Katz, have to say about this? Probably isn't even aware of this historic structure. Just more evidence that the job of borough president should be eliminated.
G-the-A:
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Not true at all. Vincent Seyfried researched all these houses 30 years ago, and I was at the Astoria Historical Society a few months back and they have exhibits on the Triboro Theater and Old Astoria. Their facebook shows they wrote up this house in LIC Magazine a few years ago. What happened?
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Didn't know that. But that site is a mess. A writeup is worthless if it's buried. They should have a running list on the home page of what historical buildings are left, and updates on their condition, ownership, etc.
But this is chicken and egg... anyone paying attention knows the Queens historian is a goof-off political shill and GAHS is under-funded (or so they always say, no way to verify).
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Ask them they will tell you. The politicians spread crap to the community and not the truth - just like the Elks Building and Jimmy with his team. They cut off funding to them when they tried to fight and tried to educate. And the rest of us stood around and did nothing.
We are to blame. The question is, what shall we do?
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What funding did they cut off? I have heard over and over that gahs gets little or nothing from city government funding so if they were not getting funding before, what was left to cut off?
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Please, the money is there - legislation can be enacted - Sympathetic media can swing public support. But its not happening. That is where the problem is. Time and again, be it Broadway Flushing, Norwood Gardens, Richmond Hill, Keiths Theater, people are again and again defeated.
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This is of course true, but this would require us to elect people to the city council and mayors office who are not owned by REBNY and funded by developers. For all the bullshit talk about NY being a progressive city, we all know it is not. We need to toss every machine hack out of office, starting with costas, JVB and going all the way up to Machine Joe Crowley. Enough IS enough.
As for this house, I see a demolition permit and plans for a new building have already been filed with the DoB. The death certificate on it has already been signed. Landmarks won't save it. At one point it was a boarding house, beat up and abused by former owners. Restoring it would take a lot of money that the government would need to pony up - which I would be all for, though I don't see it happening. They rather spent a million dollars on a new curb outside the high school apparently.
Wow, that house used to be so pretty, it's like every renovation makes it uglier.
Demo permits issued.
With the Steinway Mansion, Astoria could have been shrugged off. With this, its a trend. The rest of the city is moving forward, Astoria is in retrograde. How low can you go?
All the problems of decay in the 70s - with all the development mistakes of the teens.
Astoria wins, and we all lose.
http://a810-bisweb.nyc.gov/bisweb/COApplicationSummaryServlet?requestid=3&passjobnumber=421455623&passdocnumber=01&allisn=0002750868&allbin=4008516
The real info on the building.
GEORGEHLAW@GMAIL.COM
George Marco Hrisikopoulos Law Offices of George Hrisikopoulos, Pllc
7611 Northern Blvd., Jackson Heights, NY 11372-1226, United States
Not so fast on the demo old sport.
but wait, what do we see???
Filing Representative JOANNA/AHGYUNG LISKIEWICZ/BAHN
Business Name: GERALD J. CALIENDO R.A. P.C.
Business Phone: 718-268-9098
Business Address: 138-72 QUEENS BLVD BRIARWOOD NY 11435
Business Fax: 718-268-9097
E-Mail: RACHEL@CALIENDOARCHITECTS.COM
http://a810-bisweb.nyc.gov/bisweb/DocumentOverviewServlet?requestid=3&passjobnumber=421455623&allbin=4008516
Page: 0 of 1
Premises: 31-07 31 AVENUE QUEENS Job No: 421455623
BIN: 4008516 Block: 615 Lot: 77 Num. of Documents: 1 Job Type: NB - NEW BUILDING
DOC NO WORK TYPE(S) / STATUS / JOB DESCRIPTION: NEW SIX (6) STORY TEN (10) DWELLING APARTMENT BUILDING WITH EATING & DRINKING ESTABLISHMENT @ FIRST FLOOR.
Status: J - PLAN EXAM - DISAPPROVED Status Date: 03/16/2017
Applicant Name: CALIENDO GERALD Pre-Filing Date: 03/06/2017
EQ - CONSTRUCTION EQUIT 03/16/2017 J: PLAN EXAM - DISAPPROVED
NB - NEW BUILDING 03/16/2017 J: PLAN EXAM - DISAPPROVED
OT - GEN. CONSTR. 03/16/2017 J: PLAN EXAM - DISAPPROVED
http://a810-bisweb.nyc.gov/bisweb/JB2CommentsServlet?requestid=3&passjobnumber=421455623&allbin=4008516
NYC Department of Buildings
Job All Comments
Premises: 31-07 31 AVENUE QUEENS Job No: 421455623
BIN: 4008516 Block: 615 Lot: 77 Job Type: NB - NEW BUILDING
Comments for Document 01
I HAVE SELF-CERTIFIED COMPLIANCE OF OBJECTIONS. I AM AWARE THAT THE COMMISSIONER WILL RELY UPON THE TRUTH AND ACCURACY OF THE ABOVE STATEMENT AS TO COMPLIANCE WITH THE PROVISIONSOF ALL APPLICABLE BUILDING LAWS AND REGULATIONS. IF NON-COMPLIANCE WITH SUCH LAWS IS DISCLOSED AT ANY LATER EXAMINATION OR REVIEW, I WILL TAKE THE NECESSARY REMEDIAL MEASURES TO OBTAIN OBJECTION COMPLIANCE EXPEDITIOUSLY. I FURTHER REALIZE THAT ANY FALSIFICATIONS OF FACTS WILL RENDER ME LIABLE FOR ANY LEGAL AND DISCIPLINARY ACTION BY THE DEPARTMENT OF BUILDINGS AND OTHER APPROPRIATE AUTHORITIES
C of O Comments for Document 01
NOTE 1. ALL RELATED FACILITIES AND AMENTITIES REQUIRED/PROVIDED PURSUANT TO QUALITY HOUSING PROGRAM SHALL NOT BE REMOVED 2. ROOF RECREATION SPACE TO BE OCCUPIED BY NO MORE THAN SEVENTEEN (17)PEOPLE AT ONE TIME. 3. TOTAL TEN (10) CLASS A DWELLING UNITS AND ONE (1) EATING & DRINKING ESTABLISHMENT ON FIRST FLOOR
Get over it. It is going. Altered beyond what the LPC would consider for designation.
If you all are so concerned about this place then why didn't you buy it?
If you all are so concerned about this place then why didn't you buy it?
**
If you are so smart, why don't you find out how other communities would handle this? As she said above, this is not 1980. People don't destroy stuff like this anymore. Astoria has to change with the times and get up to speed with the rest of the city. Neighborhoods and buildings like this are getting restored all around NYC.
Astoria is changing and a new demographic is moving in - people that are here because of the arts.
Its about time that the Old Guard lead, follow, or get out of the way. This is a line in the sand guys.
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