A fearless couple bought a brownstone at 46 West 94th street in 1960 for $18,000. Little could they have imagined that it would one day hit the market for $5 million. Peggy Mann Houlton and her husband William lived in the house for decades and became famous when they began teaching local kids to sell flower boxes on the block, to earn money and spruce up the neighborhood. Peggy wrote a book about it called “The Street if the Flower Boxes” that became a movie.
Both Peggy and William have died, but their children are now selling the brownstone after fixing it up and renting it for many years for $14,000 a month. A New York Times article about the listing this week reminisced about the bad old days:
“If a passer-by looks closely at the front window of the Houltons’ brownstone at 46 West 94th Street, he can see three bullet holes,” a 1972 article in The New York Times said.
“Two of the bullet holes were there when we bought the house,” Ms. Houlton recounted in the article. “One happened after we moved in, during a riot in the street.”
Their elder daughter, Jenny, was an infant at the time, the article said, and her mother hid her in a closet to protect her from stray bullets.
The listing encourages the next owners to also write books:
“The Street of the Flower Boxes, an award winning series of books and movie, was written in this very special townhouse and was based on the owners experience as block newcomers. This 1901 lovely lady is now for sale to a fortunate buyer for the first time in half a century. Four stories with stoop intact. Four bedrooms (possible five), three full baths and powder room. Amazing chefs’ kitchen. Dining room opens onto serene and lush garden at rear of house. Original and exquisite detail and glory intact yet artfully restored and renovated. Perfect condition! Just move in and start writing your own novel. You will be charmed and inspired, too.”
Where is Bruce Bernstein to pine for the days when muggers and bullets ruled our streets?
Reminding us how great it was (rose colored glasses anyone?) how “real” it was for the only true people who deserve to live here, not those evil criminal condo dwellers.
Even suggesting we get crime up so housing can be more affordable.
Dude (or dudette), you have the right to distort my viewpoints and disparage me as much as you like. that’s a form of free speech (although it is a little rude).
although as per the last election, the mainstream liberal viewpoints I express apparently hold sway on the Upper West Side… with liberals like Gale Brewer getting 70-90% of the vote. (Gale has been continually disparaged by right wing “commenters” as an “extremist” and “ultra-liberal.” perhaps you were one of these?)
but, as we’ve said before, what you DON’T have the right to do — what is bad netiquette and really sort of unethical — is to “pose” as the author of these postings (“West Sider”). this is confusing to people and makes it look like you are the “official voice” of this web site rather than a reader. since we have discussed this before, you are obviously doing it on purpose.
I don’t hide behind a pseudonym — I post my opinions under my real name. Why don’t you do the same?
by the way, as a condo owner myself, i have never suggested that condo owners were “evil” nor disparaged them.
what i HAVE said — and what some of the other readers, perhaps including yourself, just can’t stand to hear — is that among the most highly govt subsidized housing units on the UWS are luxury condos and coops. We owners get huge govt subsidies which eclipse the amounts given (per person) to public housing tenants.
the mortgage interest tax credit is the largest housing subsidy in the country, and the higher your mortgage (up to $1 mil) the more you get. many people even get a second home subsidized. In addition, there are many NYC tax credits and abatements that go to luxury condo buildings and that serve as subsidies… and are passed along to owners in reduced common charges and/or reduced property taxes.