There’s an entire block of these beautiful townhouses, and they’re all starting to get boarded up. Rumor has it they’re owned by Pratt, who’s just waiting to get everyone out so they can raze them. This one has already lost its front door.
There’s an entire block of these beautiful townhouses, and they’re all starting to get boarded up. Rumor has it they’re owned by Pratt, who’s just waiting to get everyone out so they can raze them. This one has already lost its front door.




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These are in fact owned by Pratt, they actually wrap around the block onto campus. They are currently used for faculty housing, some are nicer than others. That movie with Matt Damon and Angelina was just filmed in one of the ones on campus. And another interesting rumor is that Walt Whitman was one of the construction workers who worked on the project. Some interesting tid bits!
I would imagine they are quite pretty, and if Pratt would renovate them (they’ve been faculty housing in disrepair for at least 13 years) they would be a nice addition to the campus and area.
Joe- great info, thanks!
I live across the street and my girlfriend and I always talk about how beautiful these houses would be if they were fixed up. It is crazy to me that Pratt has let them fall into such a sorry state… they could make for amazing faculty housing, or Pratt could flip the buildings and make such a great profit. Weird.
As an former Pratter, I think it is safe to say that they do some strange things. They owned a bunch of houses along Clinton Ave, the police station on Classon and Dekalb, as well as Emerson Hall on Emerson and Willoughby; all of which they sold in the 80′s for almost nothing. They also own two carriage houses on Hall St (just a few doors in from Pratt Coffee Shop)that they used to rent out until recently. Rumor has it that they sold them and will be converted to condos. I guess Pratt is finally catching.
i’m about 90% sure that these houses fall within the clinton hill historic district or are part of the assemblage of buildings on pratt’s campus that are landmarked. so, pratt couldn’t raze them without permission from the landmarks preservation commission. and demolition, most likely, wouldn’t be approved.
Passing along spurious rumors?
220-234 Willoughby, 171-185 Steuben, and 172-186 Emerson are all, as a group, individual NYC Landmarks (built in 1907). Some are used as faculty housing.
I know some of them were “restored” in the past few years (I can’t remember if they’re the ones on Emerson or Steuben) and I think the plan is to restore them all eventually.
If they did, for whatever reason, have plans to tear them down I’d think they’d get quite a fight from the Brooklyn preservation community. Nothin’s gonna fly under the radar.
Why rush to renovate when you can hold out and cause all these cool rumors and stories to be told? Basically they hold out for more money. They are going to renovate or sell these things just in the nick of time to make a fortune! That is IF they are smart!
Joe, does your last name start w/ M. Only you would know these “tid bits.” Anyway sounds like you ,Architecture (1999)
Follow the money…
http://nycserv.nyc.gov/nycproperty/statements/flk/jsp/stmtassessflk.jsp?statementId=104657084
No – it’s a W. I went for fine art/painting.
OK, Thanks, that would make two of you with that sort of knowledge.
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