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Broken Angel On the Market
By
Jen Chung
Published Dec 29, 2006
Modified Mar 7, 2008
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By
Jen Chung
Published Dec 29, 2006
Modified Mar 7, 2008
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Brownstoner reports that the beautiful and strange Broken Angel building and lot are for sale. While the listing for Broken Angel and an adjacent lot is not online, Brownstoner saw a tearsheet:
The Angel itself is at 4-6 Downing Street and sits on a 40-by-100-foot lot zoned for R6. At 13,000 square feet, the current building is actually overbuilt by about 4,000 square feet. The empty lot next door at 8 Downing is 20-by-100-feet. The properties are asking $1,400,000 and $425,000, respectively. One can only surmise that the cost of bringing the structure up to code has turned out to be too great for the Woods. Maybe they couldn't get a loan against the property for some reason or maybe they just became overwhelmed with the whole thing.
Arthur and Cindy Wood have spent the past few decades designing Broken Angel (Dave Chappelle's Block Party has an explanation straight from the Woods); Arthur Wood bought the building in 1971 for $2,000.
Broken Angel's structural soundness was questioned after an October fire. In November, even after getting an architectural firm to help out, the Woods were in court, trying to fight the Department of Buildings' demolition orders. And we got this holiday message from Wood's son Chris:
To all of the friends of Broken Angel,
Thank you all so much for your help and the hope that you have given us. We hope everyone has a great holiday and here is wishing for better luck and news in the New Year.
Photographs from Chris Wood's Flickr set of Broken Angel - the lower picture is our favorite - it's Arthur Wood with some of their cats!
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In November
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Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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