Eyesore of the week

Property: 1603 Park Ave., Lansing

Owner: Jeffrey Nixon

Assessed value: $50,500

Owner says: Could not be reached for comment

The smashed-in second story window of this house is like a black eye peering out onto the street. The missing front door screen offers an easy view of the several “Unsafe — Do not enter or occupy” signs stamped on the porch door. 

The best, or worst, part of this house is the fact that it rests on a street corner, ruining the view on two separate streets. Venture to the north side of the house and you’ll be confronted by a large wall of burgundy-trimmed windows — eight of them and one boarded door — that dot the faded yellow or stained-white (it’s hard to tell) paint job. 

The house, which is larger than it looks from the front, could be perfect for college students, though I doubt even the guys from “Animal House” would move into this place as it stands. 

Architecture critic Amanda Harrell-Seyburn says: Prominence is an important feature when siting a building. Corner lots were often the location of the largest house on the block in traditional neighborhoods, like this one at the corner of Park Avenue and Hammond Street. Located on a block of impeccably kept homes, a residence like this one is perfect for the conspicuous homeowner with a passion for vintage homes. It’s an opportunity for twice the curb appeal — a very turn-of-the-century notion that is regaining popularity.