Yes, normal brick would have been too hard

If only we had thought of it first: build something on a strip full of brick and limestone buildings and paint it pink.  That would be so awesome.

For the love of God please repaint this poor, innocent building.  Poor Fenimore St. residents who have to look at it every time they head towards Flatbush Ave.  As if the healthcare industry didn't already have enough problems, now some poor clinician is going to have to deal with the shame of occupying what's got to be the ugliest building on Flatbush - and Flatbush already has some ugly buildings.

Gross.

Comments

[tom]

This place was for sale a while back (parking lot included). The owner got a pile of low interest developement loans to add this second story and the retail storefront to the right of the driveway. Wonder what the rent for that little store will be....At least this building has many exterior lights, Flatbush is turning into a darkened cavern. I have been complaining since October and it seems instead of the street lights getting fixed another goes out. There are currently 8 lights out from Hawthorne to Lincoln. I see the repair trucks come, a guy sits there for about a half hour then drives away. I contacted the DOT and call 311 ...who else should we bug?

[Bob M]

The UGLIEST building on Flatbush! That's quite a condemnation--there's SO much competition, not the least of which are some of the monstrosities planned for downtown. If we're just talking about the ugliest building on Flatbush IN PLG, this POS might take the prize.

[Ed]

Here's a fill-in-the-blank for all: Just as Lefferts Manor contains pristine examples of early 20th Century architecture, Flatbush displays _______________.

Meanwhile, I feel bad for those who live past Rutland Road. It gets pretty skanky down that way. But it doesn't quite turn into all-out chaos until you reach Church Avenue, so I suppose it's all relative.

[Joe]

I guess it gets a little too black for you down there, huh Ed.

Burned any crosses lately?

[Ed]

You've gotta quit it with the KKK comments, because they are (a) baseless, and (b) useless. The problem with the "it must be because I'm black" response is that it eventually becomes a knee-jerk response that is overused. I'm not going to deny that racism doesn't exist, but let's not use it as a smokescreen to distract from real problems. Church Avenue and Flatbush is (a) dirty, (b) noisy, (c) crowded, and (d) crime-ridden. But why would you ever equate those unsavory characteristics with having black skin? I see it as dirty, noise, crowded and crime-ridden. That's all.

[Dan]

"Flatbush avenue, at Church, is one of the liveliest spots in the city. Clean, up-to-date, hustling, any city would be proud to point it out as one of its attractive corners."

http://www.bklyn-genealogy-info.com/Newspaper/BSU/Anniversary/1928.Flatbush.html

[Ed]

That was in 1928. So there is hope for a better future! Brooklyn is such a wonderful borough that it will be exciting when it returns to its former glory.

[Ben]

"I'm not going to deny that racism doesn't exist..."

Errr...okay. So, does this mean you're going to AFFIRM that racism doesn't exist? If so, I'm afraid your position flies in the face of all evidence.

[PeaceLoveNap]

Not related to this discussion , but for those that remember the drum guy scandal when he was living in front of the Prospect Park subway station...

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/17/nyregion/17cnd-suit.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

I guess the police don't care if you take up permanent shop on the sidewalk.

[Ed]

Sorry - I misspoke - I meant to say "I'm not going to deny that racism exists, because it does." Damn double negatives!

Anyway, yes, of course racism exists. And it's important not to ignore that. But there are some pretty crazy arguments posited on this site. For example, anyone who believes Nostrand Avenue is the neighborhood's ideal shopping strip is a bit misguided given, for starters, the mere geography of the neighborhood. Some go so far as to accuse those who don't frequent what most perceive as a run-down, dingy, out-of-the-way commercial strip of being afraid of black people, when in fact, they may simply not be willing to go so far out of their way to dine at a an eating establishment which serves high fat foods and violates health codes (e.g. recently, I could not find a SINGLE bathroom in a restaurant on Nostrand, and that's a health code violation). Let's be honest - Nostrand Avenue is not a pleasant shopping experience in terms of cleanliness, diversity of products, etc. Rather, it's a curious business district (like most ethnic ghettos, e.g. Chinatown) which fulfill the needs of specific groups during their early transitional years in America. That's great - certainly interesting - but it doesn't meet everyone's needs on a regular basis, and our neighborhood consists of much more than new caribbean immigrants.

Frankly, I don't even think shopping districts like Nostrand appeal to all caribbean immigrants. In fact, I know a number of 1st and 2nd generation caribbean immigrants who loathe this part of Brooklyn, and see it only as a necessary, brief passage toward their pursuit of the American Dream. Isn't that the progression anyway? Typically - people immigrate into the U.S., live in a "ghetto", work hard, do well, and eventually move to the suburbs or Florida, or wherever.

I think if ever residents of the neighborhood were to sit down and discuss Nostrand Avenue, it would become clear that it could be changed for the better of everyone, and in a manner which has nothing to do with the color of anyone's skin.

[Ed]

If I lived in Chinatown and shopped in Soho, would anyone question my motives for doing so? Would anyone conclude that I was afraid of Chinese people? No, of course not!

[Ed]

Yes - I remember the drum dude. He harrassed women as they walked by. It was awful. But it was quite fascinating to see how people ignored the reasonable concerns of feminists in favor of maintaining an african presence outside the subway. It showed just how far feminism still needs to come, and how the rights of women are particularly under siege in less western culture. I have the same thought when I see "Buju Banton" posters hanging in our neighborhood.

[Ed]

For clarification purposes - Buju Banton is a beastly homophobe who advocated killing gay people in his music. LOVELY!

[senga6]

Ed, Brooklyn is a big, big borough. Nostrand Avenue is just one street. If you don't like it, don't go over there. I happen to like the flavor of Nostrand Avenue just the way it is. It doesn't need to "meet everyone's needs on a regular basis", whatever that means. Nostrand is the perfect example of what's great about Brooklyn, and what's great about cities with personality, instead of boring, boring, boring corporate chain stores and restaurants that are nice and clean but so ubiquitous and insipid that you don't even know what city or town you are in when you patronize them. Blah.

I like Buju Banton too.

[Ed]

No, Senga. Buju Banton is a raging homophobe. He's a vile and disgusting excuse for an artist. That people so willingly tolerate him is a great offense to cosmopolitan citizens across the globe. But then, this part of Brooklyn is not exactly cosmopolitan. In fact, it's downright provincial. Cultural differences are wonderful, but provincialism sucks, and that's PLG's biggest problem. WHEN ARE PEOPLE GOING TO SEE THE LIGHT?

Provincial attitudes are partly responsible for tolerance of homophobia and sexism. Ultimately, discrimination against women and gays and lesbians undermines any concerns for racial inequality. You cannot argue sensibly for racial equality without also maintaining arguments in favor of equal rights for women and gays and lesbians. After all, minorities are all in the same boat with respect to the WASP heterosexist patriarchy that founded this country.

Meanwhile, I think you are missing my point about Nostrand Avenue. Yes - it's colorful. So is Chinatown and Washington Heights. But it is limited. My main argument is that it is an inadequate shopping district for PLG, both in terms of location and diversity of products.

[Ed]

I'd tell you but ATP advises us to ignore that topic in a recent post. I'll let you figure it out, or you can e-mail me, and I'll explain in detail. And for the record, I don't care at all for Buju Banton because his lyrics involving gay people are pure evil. Yet posters advertising his visits adorn our lovely neighborhood without protest. Sickening.

[AJ]

Huh? ATP advises "us" to ignore the lack of consistency across your 11:48 and 2:28 posts? I guess I can live with that, but why on EARTH would ATP make such a request?

[Ed]

Read the thread entitled "Dear Troll". Someone is authoring content using my name and e-mail address. ATP has told me to "ignore" the troll, so I am. I would NEVER have sent those porn links, which are absolutely degrading and offensive to women, or authored some of the senseless comments that have appeared over the last few days. Now, I'm not going to discuss this further due to ATP's request. But prepare yourself for an idiotic response by "me" to this comment.

[anon]

LOL...that's the only kind of response we ever expect from you, Ed. You are too funny.

[Ed]

Yawn...ignore...

[sarah martin]

what is the area around caton and flatbush avenues like? is there a lot of crime? is it safe?

[babs]

I don't get down there that often, but I was over there today on E 21st St between Woodruff and Caton (one half-block from Flatbush) and found the neighborhood really nice, and saw some HUGE and cheap apartments ($1100 for a gigantic, renovated one bedroom in an elevator building with a live-in super and laundry in the basement!). I love where I live, and my apartment is larger and my rent not too much more than that (for the moment), but I was seriously thinking about it for a moment there...maybe if my landlord wants to go up on the rent.