Vintage 1970s Photos Show Lost Sites of NYC's Lower East Side
A quest to find his grandmother's birthplace led Richard Marc Sakols on a mission to capture his changing neighborhood on film.
We’re excited New Yorkers are finally getting behind the fascination that are rooftop cottages–could there be any better way to beat the urban jungle, while still staying in it? Yesterday, Gothamist revealed yet another–a cabin sitting in an urban meadow with a porch to take it all in. As The New York Times reported in 2006, owner David Puchkoff was inspired by a visit to Elk, Pennsylvania and just wanted a porch.
As the Times describes, “The porch is basically a glorified bulkhead over a hole punched in the ceiling of the family’s loft to make way for a nautical stairway that rises to a landing with a galley-like kitchenette, with two paned windows and a door that opens to the roof.” So perhaps even better than some of the others we’ve seen, it’s an extension from a top floor apartment, not just a stand-alone unit. We’re just wondering why the other guy on the roof didn’t do the same thing with his rooftop extension
There’s also a 1,200 square foot garden of sedums–hardy plants more common to Europe and Asia, with a built-in drip irrigation system used only when needed. Puchkoff is the developer of the entire apartment building, formerly a basket warehouse, and did much of the work himself.
A Gothamist reader also uncovered a video about the construction of this bucolic homestead in Manhattan:
Next, check out 8 more rooftop cottages in New York City!
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