Today we pulled a pile of noodles out of the walls and from around the doors and window casings of our brownstone. Once a single room occupancy (SRO) every room in our building has its own dedicated phone jack and cable outlet with the requisite wires and television cables strewn about the mouldings and stapled to the exterior of the building. As an architect, I hate unsightly wires dripping, drooping and hanging from the exterior of a brownstone and pretending to hide beneath the surface of 3 layers of paint and wall paper. It just looks like clutter and a bowl of old noodles. Just ask Jean Loretto, she knew the deal. While this spaghetti monster is going to be tamed and brought under control, this pastafarian is no creationist, just a modernist in sheep skin.

Its an astonishing amount of wire we pulled from just one floor.

Well maybe not as much as they ate in Anaheim, but it sure makes a difference just looking at the walls. While pulling wire may seem trivial and i have seen others just go for that 4th layer of paint, we feel that removing the antiquated wire, old telephone jacks and cables outlets littered all over our beautiful oak moulding makes a big difference in the livability of the spaces. Especially prior to stripping the wood.

While the invention of the telephone was certainly a great day in humanity along with the introduction of premium cable and 700 channels, with modern WiFi and cellular service there is little need for the infrastructure of copper land lines and cable service in every room. At current count there have been 3 separate phone lines installed in our building. I assume one in the 10’s, one in the 60’s, and perhaps another in the 90’s. While I like to think of all the conversations and incredible moments in history that were carried through these metallic noodles, I sure am happy to be rid of them and see the beauty of the building as it once was.