Photos of Prospect Heights.. a random mix:

The Kurdish Museum! I just passed by that building today - it looks stunning now that it's now all overgrown with ivy. Your shot was a few months ago? You should do a before and after.

Subject: What Kurdish museum?

Where is it?
Is there realy one in PH?
thanks,
oh, and nice pictures

Subject: Kurdish Museum

I was standing around on that block one day this past fall, just looking at the buildings and noticing that there were a number of lovely brownstones with missing cornices. As I was pondering the reason for this, a very tiny woman, dressed all in black --- a dress from head to toe --- almost burkha like. Her grey hair was pulled back severely in a bun.

She asked me what I was looking at and I told her I was wondering about the the lack of cornices on those particular buildings. She asked me if I was an architect, and I said no. She told me that she was an architect, had gotten her Master's in Architecture from Columbia in the 1930's or 40's. She then proceeded to tell me about her home, and how she had a Kurdish museum there, as her late husband was a Kurd. She invited me in and gave me the grand tour of the museum, which takes up her entire parlor floor. It's quite amazing and she was exceedingly friendly and informative.

After my tour, I thanked her. Mischievously, I questioned her about the vines growing on her home. I said, half jokingly, that as an architect she must be aware that the vines eat away at the mortar between the bricks and ultimately destabilize the exterior wall of her home. She told me yes, she was aware, however, she enjoyed the privacy it afforded her.

Just one of those small magical things that happen in New York.

Subject: Re: Kurdish Museum

FLUTE wrote: I was standing around on that block one day this past fall, just looking at the buildings and noticing that there were a number of lovely brownstones with missing cornices. As I was pondering the reason for this, a very tiny woman, dressed all in black --- a dress from head to toe --- almost burkha like. Her grey hair was pulled back severely in a bun.

She asked me what I was looking at and I told her I was wondering about the the lack of cornices on those particular buildings. She asked me if I was an architect, and I said no. She told me that she was an architect, had gotten her Master's in Architecture from Columbia in the 1930's or 40's. She then proceeded to tell me about her home, and how she had a Kurdish museum there, as her late husband was a Kurd. She invited me in and gave me the grand tour of the museum, which takes up her entire parlor floor. It's quite amazing and she was exceedingly friendly and informative.

After my tour, I thanked her. Mischievously, I questioned her about the vines growing on her home. I said, half jokingly, that as an architect she must be aware that the vines eat away at the mortar between the bricks and ultimately destabilize the exterior wall of her home. She told me yes, she was aware, however, she enjoyed the privacy it afforded her.

Just one of those small magical things that happen in New York.

great story...

but what does she have in her "museum"?