Saturday, August 30, 2008

How the landmarked half lives

Hey, how many pieces of crap do you think could fit in this lot. (That is, if it wasn't landmarked and those wasteful trees were removed.)

The architects worked with care to evoke the proportions and the detailing of an authentic Tudor dwelling with limestone quoins around a heavy paneled entrance door, checkerboard stone patterning on red brick walls, leaded casement windows, slate roofing and, of course, half-timber on stucco.

The interior is replete with period details as well, from beamed ceilings to marble fireplace surrounds, but even by today’s standards the house has plenty of modern amenities including four full baths and two half baths, a maid’s room and bath complete with sauna and a separate pantry off the kitchen.


I bet landmarking has devalued this home considerably, though.

According to exclusive broker Brad Trebach of Trebach Realty, taxes are $10,700 per year and the asking price is $2,300,000.

See, I told you so.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

The current owners — lovers of lively patterns and colors — have finished the kitchen and master bathroom with bright tilework and wallpaper that is anything but old-fashioned.

more like garish and tasteless.

Anonymous said...

A maid's room?
A sauna?
A kitchen pantry?

Oh. My. God.

I want this house!

Anonymous said...

Where is Bricklayer Onorato and the rest of the Queens delegation spreading malicious rumors?

Where is the Queens president sitting on a fence?

Where is the Queens newspapers that not only refuse to write about buildings like this, but instead waste ink on building up the opinions of the anti-landmark nuts?

Why are the anti-landmark nuts afraid to go into a landmarked community and spread their gospel?

Where is the preservation community telling you with a smirk, that you need to fight the mafia that runs your neighborhood by yourself?

Where are the years and thousands of dollars doing the legwork for an under-funded agency to get the work done, and have it go nowhere?

(and then you read that the preservation community thinks only a few hundred thousand dollars is needed for LPC to be effective)

The whole process is a crock.

Anonymous said...

I take it you are a battle scarred vet of Sunnyside Gardens.

Anonymous said...

here's a wacky idea: just put a restrictive covenant on your own deed; don't wait for the government to bail your asses out. oh wait, most of you whiners are rent controlled socialist crybabies and not property owners, so that won't work...

Anonymous said...

No most of the people here do not benefit from rent control and do own our own homes.

Anonymous said...

so then let's see those restrictive covenants!

Anonymous said...

Yes restrictive covenants and hundreds of thousands of dollars to defend them in court, since the city will do nothing to enforce them. Tony Avella has a bill pending that would allow homeowners to register them with the city for enforcement by city planning and DOB so thatm neighbors won't have to shoulder the burden.