On Tuesday, the city's Landmark Preservation Commission approved the creation of a new historic district in Brooklyn's predominantly West Indian-American and Hasidic Jewish neighborhood of Crown Heights: the Crown Heights North II Historic District.
New Historic District Approved in Crown Heights
On Tuesday, the city’s Landmark Preservation Commission approved the creation of a new historic district in Brooklyn’s predominantly West Indian-American and Hasidic Jewish neighborhood of Crown Heights: the Crown Heights North II Historic District.
The new district includes 610 row houses, apartment buildings and large Queen Anne-style homes, most of which were built between 1870 and 1920. The area is bound by Bergen St. to the north, Brooklyn Ave. to the east, Eastern Parkway to the south and Nostrand Ave. to the west; and it borders a pre-existing, 472-building historic area that the Landmark Preservation Commission designated as a historic district in 2007.
“The neighborhood is really an exquisite mosaic of remarkably well preserved examples of architectural styles and building types,” said the commission’s chairman Robert Tierney.
Area resident Deborah Young created the Crown Heights North Association to help generate interest in landmarking in the community and to educate her neighbors on the benefits of a historic district, which she says include increased property values and protection from the kind of over-development happening elsewhere in Brooklyn.
“Look at what’s going on in Downtown Brooklyn with the building of these huge structures,” said Young. “Not that they’re not nice in their own right, but they’re keeping with the brownstones that you have in many of our neighborhoods. So, for us in Crown Heights, we want to maintain what we have.”
According to the Crown Heights North Association, Crown Heights was one of the wealthiest neighborhoods in Brooklyn in the late 19th century. Eastern Parkway was lined with opulent mansions that were eventually torn down and replaced with townhouses. African American and Caribbean families began to buy homes in the area in the 1920s, even as the neighborhood became home to the Orthodox Jewish Chabad-Lubavitch movement and several Yeshiva schools.
Opponents of landmarking argue that protected status makes renovation and development unnecessarily difficult for landlords. Others claim that the resulting increase in property values leads to higher rents, which accelerates gentrification.
Before the Crown Heights North II Historic District becomes official, it must be approved by the City Council. A third historic district in the area is also being considered by the commission.
Chona Nosson Gewirtz
The third proposed district includes Lincoln Place between Kingston and Albany Avenues. I’ve already received notices about it.
binyomin
worst thing for big jewish families
Elchanan Geisinsky
We are once again witness to a blatant distortion of history .It is not true that African – Americans purchased homes enmasse on Eastern Parkway in the 1920’s.
Until the 1960’s E.P. was the home for a large group of Jewish professionals ,many of whom were members of Union Temple and Brooklyn Jewish Center,both located on Eastern Parkway
The Jewish Center building was completed at a cost of $1,100,00,and the dedication ceremony was held on Dec.31,1922.
It was the father of the Jewish Center movement and was the model for similar centers built throughout America.Its membership ran into the thousands all of who lived nearby.
The nearby Jewish Hospital was the most important of the numerous Jewish charitable societies in Brooklyn and served tens of thousands every year.The top staff of the hospital had stately homes on President St.,known as “Doctors Row”.
It was the model for similar centers.
The African Americans began to purchase homes in the 50’s on Union St. and were followed by others in the 60’s who purchased homes on the adjoinig blocks.
The previous Lubavitcher Rebbe moved into his headquarters on 770 Eastern Parkway in 1940.
It would behoove our Community Council to contact the author and correct the error
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Milhouse
It’s a good thing Oholei Menachem got its building done before this mishugas. Now any property owner on that block who wants to do a renovation or repair is going to have tzores, and that must drive down prices.
TAXMAN
Expect higher property taxes
CH Historian
In the ’50s and ’60s the Rebbe’s neighbors going toward NY Avenue on President St were: Stanley Steingut who for many years was the most powerful person in the NYS Assembly, and Emanuel Celler who was US Congressman for 48 years (almost a record)until defeated by Elizabeth Holtzman. Celler was chairman of powerful House Committees based on his seniority. President St. was full of expensive Cadillacs.
Oholei Torah
To Millhouse: It shouldn’t be an issue for Oholei Menachem unless Rabbi Rosenfeld tries to make good on his claim that he wants to buy the entire block for the Yeshiva. The map I saw of the new historic district excludes Oholei Torah and the apartment buildings on that block of Eastern Parkway.