NEWSLETTER

See all articles by this contributor

THE MOST INTERESTING HOMES I COULD FIND IN BROOKLYN

INTERVIEWS AND PHOTOS BY NICK GAZIN


If you’re new to Brooklyn you might assume that it’s an overpriced ex-industrial wasteland that a whole bunch of grimy bars sprung out of, all of them blasting “Children of the Grave” to the point where you are no longer aware it’s playing. You might assume that about Brooklyn and be right. And, finding a place to live here sucks.  

But! Not everyone has just given in and settled for what’s put in front of them. I visited four different homes in an attempt to see and understand new things.


Helene Silverman and Gary Panter are two geniuses who live near Prospect Park in a beautiful three-story house. Helene is a big-deal book designer and Gary is famous for all the amazing comics stuff he does.

Vice: What’s with this chalkboard next to the refrigerator?
Helene: It’s a list of band names that my daughter, Olive, and I make up. We’re about to do a project relating to it.

Tell me about what it was like when you first moved in here.
We’d hear gunshots and there would be police running through our yard looking for perps across our lawn. Flatbush Avenue isn’t that far away. There’s lots of funky, intense, weird things and there’s murders that happen, but there are pockets of beauty and niceness. Nothing bad ever happens to us here, but it’s not like the suburbs. It’s still the city and you’re always aware of that. It’s not heaven, but if you want to live in the New York area, it almost is.

Do you know the history of this house?
There’s a beautiful N in the doorway, which was the initial of the original owner, who was a borough president of Brooklyn. This was built as a summer residence. There was no train line back then. This is where people would come to be close to the beach. Back in the 20s and 30s, movie stars would stay out here. The house across the street is famous and a friend of mine lives in a house that Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford lived in a few blocks away. This house has only changed hands a few times since it was built. We’re, at most, the fourth owners.

Who lived here before?
He was an insane nightmare person. Gary and I have an agreement that we’re not allowed to talk about him to each other. He was a dentist and he accidentally killed a child with anesthesia in the house and I think he went crazy after that. The house is haunted a little bit. There’s a faucet upstairs and sometimes we can hear words coming out of it.

What kind of words?
I don’t remember, maybe Gary does. It hasn’t happened in a long time. I think they were saying, “We’re happy that you’re living here now instead of that horrible person.” He left a lot of beakers behind. Let’s go see Gary. 

Hey, Gary, what did the faucet say?
Gary: Wait, the... what?
Helene: The haunted sink.
Gary: Oh, it said, “Africa.” “Afffrica.” It said it two or three times.
Helene: I thought it was his way of saying he was happy we were here instead of Mort. Oh, also his name was Mort.

---

See all articles by this contributor

Comments

Anonymous, on Jan 18, 2010 wrote: I wasn’t gazing "adoringly" at him. I was sizing up the simplest way to snap his neck.
Anonymous, on Nov 23, 2009 wrote: What about the Gingerbread House? Is that on Staten Island?
Anonymous, on Nov 23, 2009 wrote: I love the Fabio clone wearing the leather saurong, gazing adoringly at the other guy.
Anonymous, on Nov 23, 2009 wrote: PARTY BOOOAAAAT!!!
Anonymous, on Nov 22, 2009 wrote: Like I said they say, nothing stops a party boat
Anonymous, on Nov 21, 2009 wrote: hott
	TP, on Nov 20, 2009 wrote: This is nothing on the Huge Grant story Willow (left) told me..
Anonymous, on Nov 20, 2009 wrote: wow. i’m inspiredd