Slope's 21123 mystery revealed
By Gary Buiso
Comment
 |
| Mystery solved: 21123 is 211 23rd Street, a new boutique condominium. |
Local numerologists can stop wracking their brains — 21123 is not an arcane biblical prophecy of doom, but something a bit more mundane: the address of a new condominium development in the South Slope.
For about a month, graffiti, posters, rollerbladers, T-shirts, and a Web site all begged the question, “What is 21123?” puzzling — and occasionally perturbing — those in and around Park Slope.
Those behind the scrawls told this paper this week that the initiative was an ad campaign to generate buzz for 211 23rd Street, a high tech, boutique condominium developed by Staten Island-based Leewood Real Estate Group.
“We believe it’s a very unique building,” said Leewood vice president Jeffrey Li. “Why not have an unique campaign?”
Leewood hired Red Hook based Pier 41 Advertising for the campaign. “Everyone does print ads and that’s great for a regular building. But we think we have something special here,” he continued.
Interior work on the project is ongoing, and the building is expected to be completed by 2010, Li said. Prices range from the mid $500,000’s to just over $800,000 for a duplex. Those who register for a hard hat tour of the building can be eligible for a chance to win an Apple MacBook Pro, according to Li. The building will feature a cyber-doorman, an off-site flesh and blood human who monitors the property, and does everything a traditional doorman does, save for bring up residents’ groceries, Li said.
The campaign generated consternation on the blog Brooklynian, where one poster called the guerilla advertising campaign “a desperate ad stunt.” Another said, “Defacing a neighborhood isn’t the most enlightened way to sell a new development in the area.”
Craig Hammerman, district manager of Community Board 6 and a Park Slope resident, said he noticed the curious string of numbers with “an alarming intensity and frequency.” He said the board has so far received no complaints though. “What’s interesting is that someone would resort to breaking the law and disrupting and diminishing the quality of life in a neighborhood just to make a buck,” he said.
In a statement, the company said that Leewood and Pier 41 are “conscious of their civic responsibilities and are arranging to send street teams in not only to clean up after the campaign, but to clean up other stickers and posters as well, leaving the neighborhood cleaner than before the campaign started.” The statement continues,“There were no complaints made to the street teams and residents seemed to enjoy the campaign, especially the rollerblader tricks, T-shirt giveaways and, of course, the mystery of it all.The objective was to create a buzz and get noticed in a world deluged with advertising messages.”
Li added, “We understand we are part of the community. We’re not here to deface and spoil the community. We definitely have plans to clean it up ourselves.”
For about a month, graffiti, posters, rollerbladers, T-shirts, and a Web site all begged the question, “What is 21123?” puzzling — and occasionally perturbing — those in and around Park Slope.
Those behind the scrawls told this paper this week that the initiative was an ad campaign to generate buzz for 211 23rd Street, a high tech, boutique condominium developed by Staten Island-based Leewood Real Estate Group.
“We believe it’s a very unique building,” said Leewood vice president Jeffrey Li. “Why not have an unique campaign?”
Leewood hired Red Hook based Pier 41 Advertising for the campaign. “Everyone does print ads and that’s great for a regular building. But we think we have something special here,” he continued.
Interior work on the project is ongoing, and the building is expected to be completed by 2010, Li said. Prices range from the mid $500,000’s to just over $800,000 for a duplex. Those who register for a hard hat tour of the building can be eligible for a chance to win an Apple MacBook Pro, according to Li. The building will feature a cyber-doorman, an off-site flesh and blood human who monitors the property, and does everything a traditional doorman does, save for bring up residents’ groceries, Li said.
The campaign generated consternation on the blog Brooklynian, where one poster called the guerilla advertising campaign “a desperate ad stunt.” Another said, “Defacing a neighborhood isn’t the most enlightened way to sell a new development in the area.”
Craig Hammerman, district manager of Community Board 6 and a Park Slope resident, said he noticed the curious string of numbers with “an alarming intensity and frequency.” He said the board has so far received no complaints though. “What’s interesting is that someone would resort to breaking the law and disrupting and diminishing the quality of life in a neighborhood just to make a buck,” he said.
In a statement, the company said that Leewood and Pier 41 are “conscious of their civic responsibilities and are arranging to send street teams in not only to clean up after the campaign, but to clean up other stickers and posters as well, leaving the neighborhood cleaner than before the campaign started.” The statement continues,“There were no complaints made to the street teams and residents seemed to enjoy the campaign, especially the rollerblader tricks, T-shirt giveaways and, of course, the mystery of it all.The objective was to create a buzz and get noticed in a world deluged with advertising messages.”
Li added, “We understand we are part of the community. We’re not here to deface and spoil the community. We definitely have plans to clean it up ourselves.”
ADVERTISEMENT
 |
 |
|
| Flatbush pol pushes for gay marriage | Nardiello needling |
Reader Comments
Submit a Comment
We encourage your feedback and dialog, all comments will be reviewed by our Web staff after appearing on the Web site.
|
Aaron Brashear wrote on Nov 8, 2009 6:59 PM:
Here's my note to our community groups after the total B.S. PR piece the Brooklyn Eagle (who beat you to the punch, I guess) ran last week, see below.
While you certainly did more research than the BE did, how about talking to some of the folks in the community, IE. CB7 not CB6, who have been dealing with this abandoned work site (trash, broken windows, a disgusting port-o-potty that was left to rot for 2 years) of an illegal building designed by bad-boy architect Robert Scarano, fired from the job when he lost his self cert and the DOB placed a SWO on the site 2+ years ago. An now, through the abuse of the ZR, these "good neighbors" have merged tax lots to make the illegal Scarano legal again. What nice neighbors at a starting price of $500k
Perhaps the PS Courier would like another side to this developer friendly article. Perhaps that's the new MO from your new owners a The News Corp...
I thought better of y'all. heck, this is a block and a half from me!
Your buddy, as always,
Aaron Brashear
23rd St., Greenwood Heights, Brooklyn
*******
http://www.brooklyneagle.com/categories/category.php?category_id=4&id=31759
23rd St is the South Slope? Ahem! That's Greenwood Heights to you
Brooklyn Eagle.
Anyway, thought folks should know what's going on right down the block.
Follow the link.
Background info: 211 23rd St. was one of the properties put under
investigation by DOB when they went after bad-boy architect Robert
Scarano. Long story short, SWO on the site, the economy tanks, and the
development has been in limbo until this past summer when the owner of
the adjacent property (the red sided multi-family to the west) went into
a deal with the development company to "merge the tax lots." The theory,
a very strong one, is the Mr. Scarano overbuilt the building under R6B
and it's no longer legal. By merging with the property next door, 211
can use any available FAR left over, thus making their overbuilt 8-unit
condo "legal" in the eyes of the DOB and under the zoning resolution.
Let's see how their "Guerrilla Marketing Campaign" works in this tanked
economy...and with such a controversial project...and shoddy
construction materials that have been exposed to the elements for 2+ years.
http://www.21123condo.com/
What an interesting neighborhood we live in!
Feh,
Aaron "