Norah Jones' Cobble Hill Townhouse

While canvassing Brooklyn's Cobble Hill neighborhood today for the U.S. Census, I happened by Norah Jones' (as yet unoccupied) townhouse. The Grammy-winning singer-songwriter paid nearly $5 million for the 25-foot-wide, 4,100-square-foot three-level structure last year, with an additional basement apartment (and it’s not even particularly close to a subway line; guess that matters not to her).

Jones got into a major spat with the Cobble Hill Association last fall when she requested adding 10 windows to the side of the structure, which is wide open to a lot next door—despite approval from the typically staunch Landmarks Preservation Commission. Her neighbors whined that the windows were "historically inconsistent and structurally dubious."

Sounds like sour grapes to me. Who cares if she opens the side of the brick building to add light? Apparently, she compromised with her nasty nabes, agreeing to seven new windows, instead of 10, bless her heart. Too bad her townhouse brue-haha is more exciting than her music. (P.S. Sorry, even I'm not so crass as to hand out the address.)