475 Kent Avenue
Years ago I lived in Williamsburg/Brooklyn at 475 Kent Avenue. I still remember the first time coming to this building. I had subleased a place at Stuyvesant Town from a friend of mine who moved to England and got married there. I was only allowed to sublease for two years but knowingly overstayed since the rent was cheap. One day somebody rang the door I opened and this guy with sunglasses and black trench coat asked me where Sandy was. I told him that she was traveling. He asked me who I was and I was honest about it. His reply was that I would have had to move out three months ago. They have me three weeks to move out.
I was devastated. I did not know where I wanted to live within the city. I said to myself that I would leave New York if I would not find an apartment I liked instantly. I did not have much money and started to search for a place on craigslist. The first one I saw was an artist loft directly on the East River in Williamsburg its address was 475 Kent Avenue.
I think I only saw one place afterwards but decided that it was the right place to live. The main factor was the view. I had this big loft window overlooking New York City from Midtown to Battery Park. I gave Marcello, the Italian guy who had the lease first last and one month deposit. That night I could not sleep. I realized that I could not live there since the place was pretty messy and Marcello had so many furniture in the loft and I was bringing my own. I stopped the checks only to find out the next morning that they had been already debited from my account. Who knows how things would have turned out if I had been able to hold these checks?
I moved in the day before my birthday and remember that I cried when I woke up the next morning. I had so much stuff in the place it was overwhelming. I made it work and had a wonderful time on the 10th floor. Eight months later Marcello was about to come back from Spain. I had to find a new place and I wanted to stay in the building. I loved 475 Kent. From the outside what used to be an old pasta factory looked like a run down building but on the inside it was filled with beautiful lofts and all these artists that would do their art and throw these great parties. I used to call it “the building of light”.
One day I took the elevator and there was Chris. Chris was the over-tenant of the 11th floor. What happened at Kent Avenue was that certain people rented the whole floor from the landlord, fixed and divided it and rented it to subtenants. The 11th floor was the “dream-floor” since it had private terraces. I told Chris that I was looking for a place and he told me that just one had opened up on his floor and asked me if I would like to see it. Moments later I was on the 11th floor looking at an 1800 square foot space that included a 300 square foot terrace.
Beauty always has its price especially in New York City. The price tag on this apartment was $ 2,600.00 per month plus utilities. I just had inherited a few thousand Dollars since my grandfather had passed away. I thought if I would jump into it I would figure out how to make it work somehow along the way and was insane enough to go for it.
Six crazy months followed. I spend 3.5 months to paint the place and turned into the whitest apartment in New York City. I spent many nights sleeping on my deck, saw beautiful sunsets almost every night, was constantly stressed out about not having the rent, got great hugs from my neighbor Penelope who was like a mother to me and used to call us “the chosen ones” when we would watch another gorgeous sunset.
At the end I was not able to keep the apartment. But it was meant to happen. I feel that since my grandfather was a Nazi (but also the best grandfather I could have wished for!) the money I inherited had to go to a Jewish landlord. When I told my over-tenants Chris and Carol that I had to leave they did not give me a hard time and offered me another much cheaper place they also had available where I still live in today. We also became great friends.
On January 20th 2007 more then three years after I had moved the whole building was evacuated by the Fire and Buildings Department since it had been illegally converted to a matzoh factory with highly combustible grain silos in the basement. There was also no working sprinkler system. Within six hours 200 people were forced to live their apartments and were not allowed to return before May.
Because of that many people moved out of the building. The lease between over tenants and landlord is also ending. Today my friend Chris who with his wife Carol had an apartment on the 11th floor, one of the five best apartments I have ever seen in the city moved out as well and I was more then happy to help.
It was a long and intense day moving his stuff out on the hottest day of the year. There were also so many memories and the amazing view that I had to leave behind. For me this building was really the building of light. I met so many amazing people there, had so many great experiences and strove on its creative energy. Thank you Chris and Carol! Thank you 475 Kent Avenue!
"475 Kent Avenue" Williamsburg/Brooklyn/ View from 475 Kent Avenue 06-08-08 at 09:41 AM
Please check out my website at carstenfleck.com