Epically huge Chelsea rental complex London Terrace has had nearly a full city block's worth of scaffolding up?on both its 23rd and 24th Street sides?for a very long time. Hey, maintenance and repairs take a little longer in pre-war buildings, right? According to one Curbed reader, that's no excuse. London Terrace has become a "scaffolding terror story." Pardon us, a "SCAFFOLDING TERROR STORY." It wasn't supposed to be like this. Back in 2008, a scaffolding art project was announced to make the property less grim. The art, and any hope of aesthetic pleasure, is long gone. But how bad is the problem?
To understand the residents' pain, here's the rant our tipster sent over:
I haven't read anything in your web about the most scary SCAFFOLDING TERROR STORY in NYC, the one in LONDON TERRACE. This building has been covered by scaffolding for 3 years already. With news that there's still one more year left. Total: 4 years. DO YOU FIND IT NORMAL? Is the construction company doing the renovations ever going to finish? Everybody complains and I wished you could investigate about this: THE MOST TERRIFYING SCAFFOLDING TERROR STORY in NYC.Is London Terrace truly so terrifying? We dispatched Curbed intern/ghost hunter Zoe Katleman to the scene to get a read on the place. This is her story: "As you make your way towards the colossal London Terrace block, the scaffolding begins to resemble a mineshaft with a light literally at the end of the tunnel.
Wavy metal panels complete with rust and dim mineshaft lamps are layered above the entire length of 23rd street between Ninth and Tenth avenue. Not the most comforting at night, we imagine.
Oh, and did I mention the bird nest?
That's right, a nest of trash and twigs is nestled inside netting halfway down the block, so at least some residents of London Terraces can appreciate the ever-present scaffolding.
How terrifying on a scale of 1 to 10?
I give it a solid 7 because it was partially saved by a nice day and great weather. Surely it would be an 8 or even 9 if it was nighttime and/or raining. And if it leaks like most scaffolding, which we imagine it does...
...you'll need to be sure you are up to date on your Tetnis shots."
Case closed! Let's call it one of the city's most terrifying scaffolding terror stories, but we can't commit to labeling it the most frightening. And will all the chills be worth it in the end? Here are some looks at London Terrace's refurbished brick facades. Some clean bricks are worth a few feared axe murders, right?
· London Terrace Gardens [londonterrace.com]
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