You may remember, back in early 2008, some wild stories of a thief robbing Carroll Gardens brownstones of their historic cast-iron gates, taking them to the scrap iron dealer on Smith and 3rd to sell for cash.
Well, he may have struck again. Early this morning, I was walking west on Third Place between Clinton and Henry, lost in my thoughts while the snow lightly fell, when two men approached me. They were carrying something. I didn't think much of it until they had passed. Then I turned around and took a good look. It was a cast iron gate! I felt around for my camera and cursed my luck that I had forgotten to bring it. I suppose I should have asked them what they were doing with a cast iron gate, but by then they were well ahead of me. And what if it was their gate after all (unlikely, I know, but...)? I got a good look at them, though. One man was old, probably 60 or 65, about 5' 6" and haggard looking, with a black thermal winter coat and black pants and a black wool cap. The other was young, maybe 30 or younger, 5' 5", with a dark green thermal winter coat, black pants and a black wool cap. They were walking hurriedly and took a left at Clinton.
I thought at first that they might be construction workers going about legitimate business. But then something changed my mind. The old man paused briefly before another brownstone, reached out and tested the gate, as if to see if it were loose or not. Then I thought: thieves.
I traces their steps to Henry but did not see any absent gates on any of the homes. Is anyone out there in south Carroll Gardens, around Henry Street, missing one?
(Picture courtesy of Pardon Me For Asking.)
Oh, no!
ReplyDeleteThat's dreadful. I feel bad for the homeowner. I hope the gate does not end up here:
http://pardonmeforasking.blogspot.com/2010/01/barging-on-gowanus-canal-benson-street.html
After reporting on the first gate theft on President Street, I had my own gate welded on permanently to prevent it from being lifted off its hinge.
It doesn't cost much.
I would suggest this to everyone.
Wow, I didn't realize this was a racket. When I lived in Windsor Terrance around 1999 the cast iron gate was stolen the very run down three-family we rented in. At the time our basement door was also broken down (into splinters), drug busts were regular in the area and I'd had to side-step a knife-fight on the way to the subway, so it didn't seem like such a big deal.
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