Three handrails on the same block of West 123rd Street between Morningside and Manhattan Avenue really show what a difference in maintaining cast iron work makes on a brownstone stoop. The top photo shows a stoop that has seen better days with missing newel post that have been replaced by concrete blocks and missing baluster pieces on a few of the steps. The lower two photos are that of the neighbors who have kept up their stoops and even have fresh coats of high gloss paint on them. How much would replacing all the components on the wreck stoop? We found a cast iron resource that list each baluster (four total) at the cost of $322 each and the newel post around $ 3,500 each so the total would be around $8,288 to get all the iron pieces back up. The second cheaper option would probably be not to spend the money on the the newels and just have the concrete blocks re-casted which would only be a couple of thousand. The cheapest version of them all are the skinny handrails that many home owner opt for since they are probably under one thousand in total. All photos by Ulysses. For the cast iron resource site: www.architecturaliron.com
What a difference a great stoop makes being the face of the brownstone, they represent the high end in restoration. These historically correct restored stoops are rare in Harlem and more prevalent in Park Slope, I assume because Park Slope is many years ahead in terms of gentrification. I expect to see more stoop restorations of this caliber as these Harlem homes are returned to their former glory.
ReplyDeletethose are beauties!
ReplyDeleteJust the other day I thought about this very topic. It makes a huge difference in the look of a block when the railings are done nicely.
ReplyDeleteTrying to find the cast-iron resource,,, Need number and location
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