Good Fences, Part 3: Gentrification

When Hudson was down-at-the-heels, I put my office in a storefront that went begging further up Warren Street.  But then antiques dealers kept popping into my storefront office, asking about renting it.  At first I said “nah”, but after about the fourth inquiry, it hit me like I needed a V-8.  Who cared where my rental office was?  At that point there was not much happening on the 200 block, so I moved my office into a vacant apartment in the BND.  I knew applicants and tenants would come wherever I was.  Heck, my first office was a construction trailer in the alley, an afterthought behind one of our buildings, and people came there.

But as I write this now, my office is in the BND, and unrecognizable as a former crack house.  The BND has morphed into a charming building on a gentrified block.  It’s totally detached, on a double lot, and sports a front lawn, rare on Warren Street.  The sun shines all day long, roses and morning glories festoon the iron railings in the summer, and birds have been known to winter over in our hedges.  I’m always getting inquiries into selling it, and it’s the only building I really want to keep.  Good karma.  Who would’ve thought.

Epilogue:  After many years we sold our original building, but kept the BND. Before we closed on the sale, I installed yet another fence, this one separating the two properties once again. There are a couple of long-time tenants in the original building who have free use of our gangway and yard*, but, I figured, you never know who might move in if they move out. 

So we’re back to “good fences…”   


*see Oct. 12th post