Comments on: Judging Buildings

By: realist

realist — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 03:57:40 +0000

The DuMont is an excellent building. It’s a shame those of us that wanted to live there can’t and no, every building on mass ave doesnt have to have a full ground floor of retail on it. Even most neighborhoods in NYC which is much more dense than DC can’t support it.

Some of the other buildings in the triangle are seriously lacking most notedly 555 Mass, Madrigal and the Sonata. Talk about big bland boxes that were just built for developer profits. Madrigal lofts barely even offer units with windows in the bedrooms. Thats pretty shitty planning if you ask me

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 18:22:39 +0000

No; we shop for groceries at the new Safeway, two blocks away on 5th street.

By: Cap Hill

Cap Hill — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 12:24:25 +0000

5:18:

One morning a few years back, they were doing a fashion photo shoot in the Monroe. Each room had different colored wallpaper — it looked just like a dollhouse. The fashion shoot featured a model in each room wearing something that complimented/contrasted with the colorful wallpaper. I always wanted to see the final photo spread, but I have no idea where it was published.

Yes, it’s nice that Mass Ave no longer looks like Beirut, but how long can those million-dollar condos stand empty?

And to those who live there — where the heck do you shop? Canned soup at CVS?

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 21:18:22 +0000

In response to post 9:54 that block was filled with old row houses, a remnant can be seen at 457-59 Mass Ave, also known as the House of Ruth, as for the block where the Firehouse is, there were old rowhouses on either side, abandoned since at least 1980.
Notable losses there was the President Monroe apartment a few doors East of the hosue at 435, looked like, for a number of years after its facade was sheared off, bombed out Berlin or Beirut, annd the houses from 439-55 pretty much looked similar to today’s House of Ruth.

By: eric in ledroit

eric in ledroit — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 16:10:53 +0000

the dumont is absolutely awesome. that is some seriously interesting architecture, much nicer than a lot of the bland boxes that are around that area.

By: tom veil

tom veil — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 15:55:40 +0000

I live around here. I have been tempted on many occasions to leave little notes in the entrance to the DuMont saying, “Dear Mr. Foreclosure Bank, please let me move in here. Thank you.” If you need any proof that the banking industry is still in a flying panic over how badly they screwed up the real estate bubble, look no further than a giant, finished condo, 3 blocks from the metro, with even the appliances already installed, sitting empty instead of being sold.

By: Riley

Riley — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 13:54:04 +0000

Does anyone have a picture of this block or along Mass Avenue (pre 2004)? Now that would be a very interesting ‘before’ and ‘after’

By: jonesy

jonesy — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 21:48:08 +0000

Anyone who remembers what that stretch of Mass was like even as recently as, say, 2001 would not say it “totally sucks,” as Anon 5:11 p.m. wrote. I’m guessing Anon 5:11 p.m. either didn’t live here (or in that neighborhood, as I did) at that time, or is one of the elitist snobs that increasingly populate the POP comment threads.

I’ll take a boulevard of sterile condo/office buildings over a dangerous, drug addict- and prostitute-populated wasteland of parking lots and vacant lots any day of the week.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 21:29:03 +0000

That building was home to Mr Spriggs’ business, note the 2006 article, as his refusal to sell was his decision, as for the firehouse, it is not a useless bookend, having predated the War Between the States.
The little house dates from 1890, and I can remember it being one of the nicer buildings on that block, neighboring houses being ramshackle in the 80′s, of course the House of Ruth at the far end is the best one on the block, the new buildings have much to prove as the DuMont is colorful indeed, it somewhat overpowers Mr Spriggs’ house that he and his daughter would be wise to accept deliveries from the basement, note the trap doors often seen downtown due to the unfortunate decision of the Du Mont ownersto block access to the back of Mr Spriggs’ house, as that house can be incorporated into the scheme of things.
These buildings, the Spriggs house,and the Firehouse should be protected as monuments despite what the naysayers think, as the House of Ruth already is.
Don’t tell me these quirky landmarks deserve the bulldozer, I don’t want to hear it.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 21:11:19 +0000

The Ledos and firehouse inserts are equally useless. The developer decided to build around the Ledos place for when its owner eventually comes to his senses and accepts a much lower payment than he could have had several years ago. The firehouse across the street is also horribly incorporated, but the developer treated it like a design element which just makes it looks weird and incongruant. The firehouse used to look really cool on Mass, but now it might have just as well been bulldozed.

This entire corridor totally sucks by the way.