The Q at Parkside

(for those for whom the Parkside Q is their hometrain)

News and Nonsense from the Brooklyn neighborhood of Lefferts and environs, or more specifically a neighborhood once known as Melrose Park. Sometimes called Lefferts Gardens. Or Prospect-Lefferts Gardens. Or PLG. Or North Flatbush. Or Caledonia (west of Ocean). Or West Pigtown. Across From Park Slope. Under Crown Heights. Near Drummer's Grove. The Side of the Park With the McDonalds. Jackie Robinson Town. Home of Lefferts Manor. West Wingate. Near Kings County Hospital. Or if you're coming from the airport in taxi, maybe just Flatbush is best.

Monday, September 2, 2013

Baby Steps On Bedford

shot just the other day, as a matter of fact
The Q has passed 1860 Bedford at Midwood, oh, probably 300 times in the last 10 years. It's always been such a sad sight to see...a beautiful old house on a highly visible corner, reminding us all of the blights of yesteryear. I'm sure those who live in "the Manor" have tried through the years to get the owner to do something about its sorry exterior. But in the past few months, incremental progress has led from point A to point B. Peek inside and some serious infrastructure work is taking place, along with new windows and work on the roof and solarium. The house used to be covered with graffiti, all windows blown out, trash strewn about - the whole nine. Is it being repaired to the letter of law of landmarks? Probably not. But the fact of the matter is, it really does make the street seem nicer.

Now if someone wants to take a shot at 1910 Bedford, we might be in business...

Speaking of Bedford, a reader sent in pictures of Bedford at Winthrop, a corner whose wildlife has gotten a just a wee bit out of hand. Looks like we'll have another project for Pig-Pile-911.








9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Oh cool is that a picture of garbage!

babs said...

No work has happened here for several months as far as I know - maybe they ran out of money. One of the absolute worst things they did was to surround the entire house with a concrete walkway, presumably in an effort to stop the basement from leaking. This is a really unsound short-term solution. Eventual buyers beware!

Anonymous said...

I have not seen any activity here for months and months. we had our hopes up last autumn when they were doing brickwork etc.

Clarkson FlatBed said...

Hey guys...not so!! New windows on the second floor and the working on the solarium. Seen people working there too, even last week. That's why I said "Baby Steps."

Anonymous said...

Yes I confirm what the Q says. Have seen them busy at work the last couple weeks doing windows and 2nd floor sunroom/solarium. They put roofing shingles not bricks on the roof dormer window in front which is a cheaper shortcut that doesn't look good. Its sister corner house has bricks there.

Anonymous said...

Baby steps at the long boarded-up brownstone at 26 Hawthorne as well. After sitting empty for the better part of a decade, they finally put in windows. Huge improvement, though the place has a very long way to go. I wish its owner would just sell it to someone who wanted to actually make it livable on a reasonable timeframe.

Q, what's the status of the three doomed frame houses on your block?

babs said...

More LPC violations...

Anonymous said...

I'm VERY worried about some beautiful large houses on the Maple I block between Flatbush and Bedford. There are at least 3 completely uninhabited. One, at 50 Maple St, has continual garbage and liquor bottles all over the front. Just imagine what the backyard looks like when people are clearly hanging out in that yard drinking. A couple years ago I saw a drunk guy sitting in the bushes drinking. Is there an active block association on Maple I? What's the story with these houses especially 50 Maple St? Is there any action being taken? Because otherwise this lovely but seemingly half abandoned block is going to have a few houses that become rotted out shells. At one point in the not so distant past the house on Rogers looked like the houses on Maple St; it didn't always have missing floors and walls. Let's please be proactive not reactive on the issue of neglected properties in PLG. We need to hear from the Lefferts Manor Association in particular and have them report to all of us what their plan is, because they are the ones in the best position to get results.

Anonymous said...

Sorry, correction, I meant the house on Bedford once looked like the abandoned houses on Maple I. Not Rogers.