I walked up and down West 28th today and looked at all the little old buildings. Most are two and three storeys, and in pretty bad condition from years of neglect, just being used for the flower-merchants. You see water damage everywhere..
Most are very cute, sweet old places with the old paint still on them, funny rickety old wood windows...the wrecker's ball trembling above their heads.
I had looked at space on West 27th facing North, and the views from those lofts are stupendous
because of all those little old buildings on 28th. Raw lofts there were $4500. @ 2500 sq ft. but you have to put in at least $20K to make them livable. Private bathrooms are impossible too because the water seems usually to be in the center of the floor, around the elevators.
I asked several of the flower workers if they were moving. No-one seemed to know what I was talking about. Then one guy said, "Maybe the Bronx, we don't know." The BRONX? What local decorator, restauranteur in Chelsea is going to be trekking up there... I got 4 dozen roses at the 3 PM price of $5. a dozen. I mean having all these plants and flowers in midtown was such a joy. Living in the city you need reminders of the seasons like that!
Well I'm leaving this neighborhood anyhow... what do I care. Well I care!
Along with the dominatrix, the photographer, the little coffee shop owner goes alot of beautiful history.
We forget that NY has never respected its own history. There's an amazing book called "Lost
New York" I have seen and need to get again... you think the stuff they're tearing down NOW is sad.
Some of the 28th Street buildings are apparently in the throes of a clean-up and renovation. I imagine prices are going to be high.
On West 28th in the middle of the block, on the south side there's a tall strange building that looks amazing... it has fifteen foot ceilings, tall windows, it looks like it may have been a convention hall! I saw workers on the second floor, and went up and snooped around. The place was a wreck with a scarlet Police Closure sign on the door. I imagined it may have been some secret gambling den until recently...
I got the name of the owner, but unfortunately the water is all at one end. We can't have a public bathroom, now can we.
I have to get over this idea I'm going to find some great old wreck for cheap that I can fix up. I'm living in the past. It's over.