Upon seeing Dave Chappelle's Block Party, a concert film from 2004 set in Brooklyn, a viewer gets an intimate look at what is called the Broken Angel House, a dilapidated old factory building purchased by a married couple, Synthia and Arthur Wood, most likely in the '70s, which they had lovingly "worked on". I use the quotes on that because the inside, what you can see in the film anyway, is a mix of exposed two-by-fours and rope ladders. The film lets the couple explain their ideas for the building...it also shows the upper floors that were built by the Woods using glass and mirrors to resemble a floating ship from a distance. The illusion worked since they built it up to more that a hundred feet high, and in this(that) area of Brooklyn, that would be pretty high.
I went to visit it the other day. The neighborhood it's in is called Clinton Hill, but it is one street away from Bed-Stuy, and I easily walked their in twenty minutes. The front door still has the recognizable painting seen in Dave Chappelle's movie.
However, I was disappointed when I arrived because the upper floors no longer exist. Apparently there was a fire, and then a siege of sorts, and the upper floors were eventually destroyed. Here is an article from 2006 highlighting that story. Here is a picture of how it appears now, and you can see some of the whimsical wood and glass work that used to tower above the neighborhood, still existent below the top roof area.
Unfortunately, the Woods are hurting, as Synthia has been diagnosed with cancer, and they are looking to sell the property to climb out from under the financial burden they're facing. More detailed information is here.
I was hoping this Brooklyn Wonder would be more spectacular, but the L-shaped block at Quincy and Downing still holds some energy.
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