CROWN HEIGHTS, Brooklyn — Jacob Goldstein, the longtime chairman of Community Board 9 and the unofficial mayor of Crown Heights, Brooklyn, was driving his little red Ford Contour through the neighborhood the other day, honking at acquaintances. Several times on every block, he braked and gestured at a newly risen, salmon-colored apartment building, or a plywood fence protecting a construction site.
Here Come the Babies There Go the Jackhammers
CROWN HEIGHTS, Brooklyn — Jacob Goldstein, the longtime chairman of Community Board 9 and the unofficial mayor of Crown Heights, Brooklyn, was driving his little red Ford Contour through the neighborhood the other day, honking at acquaintances. Several times on every block, he braked and gestured at a newly risen, salmon-colored apartment building, or a plywood fence protecting a construction site.
“This community’s exploding,” Mr. Goldstein, who is Hasidic, said with satisfaction. “The young people are having kids. My kids are having kids. They need places to live.”
The southern portion of Crown Heights is the nerve center of the Lubavitch sect of Hasidic Judaism, and it has long been as much dormitory as neighborhood. The area attracts Lubavitch adherents from around the world, who tend to raise large families; households of five or six children are common. Everything but the Baby, a children’s store on the neighborhood artery, Kingston Avenue, sells more than twice as many double strollers as singles.
Over the past two years, community expansion has fueled a building boom: a spate of new condominium buildings, almost all of them aimed at Orthodox buyers. The new apartments typically have at least three bedrooms along with two sinks, two stoves and two kitchen counters — one for meat and one for dairy, to comply with kosher dietary law. Some buildings have so-called Sabbath elevators that allow residents to reach their floors on Saturdays without pressing a button, an action that is traditionally forbidden.
Although there are no precise figures on the number of new buildings, a spokeswoman for the Department of Buildings said that last year the agency issued more than five times as many permits for new construction in Community District 9 as it had five years ago. (Citywide, the 2002 figure was 3 percent higher.)
J. J. Katz, the principal broker at Heights Properties, a local real estate brokerage, said he knew of about 50 new buildings aimed at Orthodox buyers. “Even two years ago,” he said, “there was only one building project going on at a time.”
The largest new project is a nearly complete 94-unit building at 580 Crown Street, to be followed by one almost twice that size next door. Seventy of the apartments in the new building have four or more bedrooms, and a synagogue accommodating 150 people will be located on the ground floor.
Back in the car, Mr. Goldstein made a left turn, saw a young boy on the sidewalk, and honked. “One of my grandchildren,” Mr. Goldstein said proudly. “I have 17.”
PhotoMonger
Mayor?! Ha!
idealist in gashmiusdike CH
i think it’s wonderful that the community has finally become aware of the need to build more housing. however, i am seriously questioning the pricing of these new endeavors. it seems that they are being offered at $600,000-$800,000 for relatively small spaces in which an average family of 10 would have difficulty fitting. the community is largely made up of middle class workers: teachers, store clerks, etc. with an average annual income of $40,000-$60,000. they earn too much to qualify for subsidized housing, and certainly cannot afford the new buildings’ price tags. after viewing many of the properties in person or online, i am surprised the emphasis has been on “luxury” items, such as italian marble, brazilian wood, etc., instead of practical matters like bedrooms large enough to put two bunkbeds in, or larger and separate living room and dining room. in addition, they all offer granite countertops but only a milchig sink—no place to put milchig cooking facilities like stove or oven. if the price tags were in the $400,000-$500,000 range, the builders would sell their buildings much faster. call me an idealist, but i think the community will soon lose its middle class. and the mosdos and stores here can’t survive on the income of just the very poor and the very few, very rich.
chrup!
unofficial WHAT!?!?! mayor?!?!
anonymous
My question is, what happens with those families who can’t afford the $600,000 to the $800.000 apartments? And to those who are only looking to rent and can’t afford to buy? There are people who rent out their appartments for astronomical prices and the house is delapidated or falling apart. What happens then?
Nice
Shmuli you have babies?!?!?
Mazal tov!!!!
Try getting married first
residnet
TO Comment number one.I agree with you .Perhaps there could be a gmach where teachers from yeshivos could get funding instead of being crammped because they are doing a service for the community .I think someone should take the initiative and start this project it would be a great chessed and is much needed
JW
That’s the problem. A few rich and mostly midddle class or poor. On the other hand, we can’t keep depending on the rich, we have to be able to look after ourselves ro a certain extewnt witghout always expecting a handout or a gmach