Dumbo NYC

Notes from the DUMBO, Brooklyn NY neighborhood


1 Main Street Rooftop Solarium

January 25th, 2008

Looks like someone just built a nice glass enclosed solarium on top of the 1 Main Street building.

1 Main Street

1 Main Street
Am I right? Is that for the penthouse?

Filed in Main Street, Real Estate at 4:38 pm
Comments
  • cf
    glad to see they finally enclosed this, its gonna be quite a view!
    on 10/7/07 it was still just steal beams
    http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2153/2188623978_...
  • nycGRAEME
    So much for the historic district and landmark building preservation!
  • bridge
    That is probably the best view in Brooklyn.
  • Rich
    Best view is from one of the front penthouse cabanas at 30 Main Street
  • hiyajudd
    ...one of which just happens to be for sale by a Walentas
  • IAS
    The solarium is part of the penthouse that Walentas owns and has been building out in hopes of selling for an outrageous sum.
  • BrooklynLove
    i hope he gets a mint for it. he has created so much wealth for so many property owners in this area yet all people seemingly want to do is shit on him. nice that he gets to reap some of what he's sewn.
  • MatzoMan
    BrooklynLove, you're deluded. In fact, it's quite the opposite. The initial buyers in The Clocktower saved Walentas from imminent bankruptcy. He repaid them by selling them, among other things, precarious elevators, a broken roof, substandard chilling and heating systems, tenth-rate construction, windows that wouldn't open, a facade that leaked like a sieve, and an attitude of entitlement and arrogance that persists to this moment. He even had the audacity to steal electricity from One Main, billing residents of The Clocktower for electricity that was being diverted to one of his Washington St. buildings. David Walentas is a cockroach, and that goes as well to his hideous wife and cretinous offspring. The appreciation that took place between 1998-2001 was due to the people who lived here who chose to make the best of things because, after all, it was their home. It was because of them that Walentas was able to successfully sell Sweeney and then 70. As for that solarium/roof deck, it, too, was made possible by the people of One Main, who, facing bankruptcy themselves (a situation created by Walentas), resolved to give him the air rights for a mere $300K. Perhaps had they known that Walentas was racing to start his project before Historic Preservation disallowed it, they would have realized how much leverage they actually had, and wouldn't have settled for such a pitiful amount. Regardless, your point is patently false. But that's not surprising as you probably work for Two Trees.
  • BrooklynLove
    no, i don't work for 2 trees, and have never had a single dealing with the company or any walentas. and i'm sorry to hear that your experience has been negative, but it's not indicative of the majority of people who have bought (and sold) in his buildings. i'm not saying the guy is a saint. but he's not a devil either.
  • Johnson
    I bought from Walentas in a different building as well because without any insights like what MatzoMan shared, he _seemed_ like one of the better developers. Post purchase I've learned quite the opposite not only from my own experience but from dozens of other buyers and renters I've spoken to. He's every much the snake described. The problem is such dirty deeds are not catalogged nor tracked nor publicly disclosed. Thus the public only reads the glossy "Founder of DUMBO!" newspaper articles and tends to form a pollyannish view of him allowing him to continue to take advantage of that widespread ignorance.
  • MatzoMan
    To BrooklynLove:If you don't work for Two Trees and you've never had a single dealing with the compnay or Walentas, then what gives you the right to make idiotic comments like, "he has created so much wealth for so many property owners in this area yet all people seemingly want to do is sh*t on him."? Your retort to me that my experience is "not indicative of the majority of people who have bought (and sold) in his buildings" - Wrong again. I've lived in Dumbo since '98 and I've known hundreds of people who have bought and sold (read: fled) since then.
    His commercial buildings are worse: leaks, rats, roaches, mice, crime, no security, dangerous elevators, fire hazards, 50% rent hikes, non-working elevators in 10-story buildings, non-working freight elevators, construction interfering with work, construction being shut down by DOB due to obvious dangers and hazards. On and on. Across the board, the guy is a disaster. I could give you literally hundreds of examples of his incompetence, his arrogance, his lack of vision, his outright stupidity, etc., not to mention the dozens and dozens of disgruntled employees and partners (and let's not forget the suspiciously dead ones). But in your eyes (and in the eyes of people like you)its all about the pretty carousel, the lovely view, the G-Class Mercedes with the pitiful vanity license plates, and whatever BS some grunt at The NY Times was paid to write. Learn to shut your mouth and stop posting on blogs about things you know nothing. You are the worst kind of idiot.
  • BrooklynLove
    conspiracy theories and insults is all that you have for me. most happy owners and residents don't feel compelled to boast or gush about their positive experiences, especially when some have been less fortunate. it is more often those who are upset who want to share.

    don't take your anger out on me - i didn't sell you the apartment or tell you to buy it. and don't judge me or characterize me; you don't know a thing about me or what i know.
  • mainer
    Walentas's mistakes and fault aside, One Main was not facing bankruptcy and the issues that plagued the building initially have either all been solved or are in the midst of being solved. I am not arguing pro-Walentas, just pro-1 Main. We have worked hard to put this building into great shape.
  • MatzoMan
    Man, people like you abound. You feel it necessary to put your insipid tripe on a blog and then someone corrects you (obliterates you) and you still feel compelled to defend your stance. Dude, the only appropriate responses in this situation: 1) apologize 2) silence. You're a sycophant. "Conspiracy theories and insults" ? Everything I've written is true and most of it is widely known. You're insulted? Too bad. Then don't write dumb shite on subjects you know nothing about. What I've written isn't "angry," it's statement of fact. That you had no knowledge of it and yet felt compelled to comment anyway, makes you a dunce. (Oh, I'm sorry, did I hurt your wittle feelings again?) This began because you said that Walentas made a lot of people rich, to which I take exception. If a person buys a unit in Dumbo for hundreds-of-thousands, or millions, of dollars, they did it through their own hard work. It was their risk, their debt, their perseverance. They've made money not because of, but in spite of, David Walentas. Now go have some warm milk and cookies and back away from the keyboard, Mary.
  • BrooklynLove
    "... people like me." again, you know nothing about me.

    conspiracy theories - my alleged affiliation with 2 trees - remember?

    not angry? just look at your rants above.

    insulted - just b/c you spew insults left and right doesn't mean they have an insulting effect on their target, especially when coming from a bitter hothead with an axe to grind and who doesn't know me from adam. save it for someone who cares.

    milk and cookies - only if you'll take a valium in return.
  • mainer2
    actually,1 main was facing bankruptcy in 2005 which is why they rushed to settle with walentas in their protracted lawsuit. it also resulted in giving walentas the air rights. the only reason the building claims to be ok now is because the money raised from assessing and settlement hasn't been spent. but pretty much every penny is earmarked for repairs that are 2years overdue.
  • mainer
    You use the term 'bankruptcy' loosely and incorrectly. In 2005 the building came up with an overall plan to address outstanding issues with the sponsor and building repairs. The settlement was one (small) part of it and for the benefit of the building. This does not mean bankruptcy.
    And you are projecting the negative bias two year out as well. If a building is able to make large scale, timely repairs without assessments (haven't had one in years and won't need another one in forseeable future) they are considered to be in good shape.

    Trying to sell more Jcondo units? Or is it Beacon?
  • low bmi
    Mainers - I don't think it's a good idea to publicly disclose and discuss the financial health of One Main, especially if it is or was a little shaky.

    It is possible that someone who is considering buying in the the building is reading this blog. It could turn them off.

    Now would be a good time to just get back on topic regarding the tumor on top of the building.
  • Mike Nichols
    MatzoMan - I think you need to back away from the computer, go outside with all the other three-dimensional people and get a life.

    Holy moly you're crazy.
  • inflamatory poster
    MatzoMan is the illegemite son of David. Don't be too mad bro, keep your head up. The outside world is scary so stay behind the screen.
  • MatzoMan
    i will obliterate you all. stop calling me mad.
  • BrooklynLove
    Actually, upon thoughtful consideration, I realize now that I was wrong. MatzoMan is right. I apologize for being overly sensitive. I've since learned a great deal about how awful Walentas and his crew are. I just had no idea. I'm sorry.
  • BrooklynLove
    lovely. now the cornball fake posters are coming out of the woodwork.
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