There are some new home renovators and a new blog in Newburgh. It’s called 45 Henry. You might remember that the home was featured here on NR in May on real estate Fridays. Jon and Nadene are wasting no time fixing up their 7,000 sq ft Queen Anne Victorian brick home in the Heights. The couple hails from Brooklyn. They are both painters and had decided they were over city life after living there over 8 years. Why did they choose Newburgh anyway? Jon says:
“To be honest, it started because of Detroit. It was sometime during 2013 that Detroit was getting a lot of press as a city for artists – one where they could afford to live and work in spaces that needed a miracle. The idea of being able to purchase a house or a warehouse for tens of thousands of dollars was very inciting. After weeks of talking non-stop about moving there Nadene had enough. “We aren’t moving to Detroit.”
Those words were what did it. In a dusty corner of my mind, I remembered hearing about Newburgh from a gallerist. We did a little research on a gray January day and soon after that we were coming up every weekend to look at houses. We fell in love right away.”
45 Henry was not the first home they saw. They also were considering the Arno. But that property deemed to be too great a task needing way more work than they could handle. The thousands of dead bees and 40 missing radiators was a huge deterrent.
Eventually the couple fell in love with 45 Henry. It was overwhelming for them to go from a 400 sq ft apartment to 7,000 sq ft house but we are so glad to see they are transitioning well into their new homeowner role. Their magnificent Hudson River views from the top floor probably make it all worth it. Having a new Newburgh home renovation blog will surely inspire others who want to do the same. Make sure to follow their website and Instagram account.
Jon/Nadene:
Thank you for buying this house and doing the only thing that will “save” this city – buying and moving into a property. One house at a time we can rejuvinate Newburgh. The fact that you are conscientious enough to rehab the buliding (and I have no doubt you will do a terrific job) is merely delicious icing on the cake!
Welcome.
Look forward to meeting these new Heights neighbors! And now I think I’ve located the source of all the (thankfully LIVE) bees I’ve seen in my garden this Summer…:)
I listed this beauty for sale, a wonderful couple of artists will develop one of the apartments for their working studio. There is a tremendous Hudson River view from the top floor. MJT
This is an impressive story and house for sure!
I spent a bit of time working in that building before I was a teacher. See, if I was ever short of cash (um, often!), my dad always had an apartment to paint! He owned 45 Henry for a long time. I wish the new owners the best of luck!
People such as these folks are the future of Newburgh. They will be the ones who resurrect the City and bring it back. I wish them all the best!
Agree, however “people like this” are the minority in cities such as Newburgh and 45 Henry is ‘prime’ property relatively. Newburgh is not lacking in housing, indeed there is a surplus. However, ownership of the existing housing stock must compete with subsidized ‘group’ building and restoration fueled by a policy of easy lending terms and tax abatements. In essence, this policy has permeated a demand for the ready packaged new or improved to the detriment of the old housing stock that requires, gasp, hard work and real capital to own and maintain. As well, if the situation necessitates, the individual owners of
existing older multi-units must be able to pass the costs of maintenance and repair to their tenants, ‘else the buildings suffer and/or the owners leave. Hence the ongoing disconnect in a supply of empty houses alongside a perceived lack of affordability.
“Treat the earth well: it was not given to you by your parents, it was loaned to you by your children. We do not inherit the Earth from our Ancestors, we borrow it from our Children.”
Thumbs up to Jon and Nadene for ‘treating Newburgh well’.
Wow Walt I have been comming to the site for a while and once in while i post something. But i find your comments to be spot on, 99% of time I agree with you. Has anyone tried to get you to run for office in some form?
That would spell the end to his insight, as he would automatically be brain dead…it seems that’s the requisite for politicians.
I already look for black suburbans in my rear view ; ) All seriousness aside, I just never went for the ‘blue pill’, a double edged sword at times.
Ha, my first thought was Viagra…until I remembered the Matrix…