Genesis Of The Carl

We fell in love with “The Carl,” painted inside a doorway on 5th Avenue, between 16th Street and Prospect Avenue, from the moment we saw it. Who is Carl, though? Why does he have his own door and/or building? These questions have plagued us since we first spotted the graffiti, but after a chance meeting with neighbor Genevieve Leloup on Monday, who happens to live at The Carl, we finally discovered a bit of the history behind the unique South Slope sign.

When Genevieve noticed that somebody had tagged their name on the front door of her building, she amusedly thought that the artist had done a pretty nice job. It needed a bit of work, though, so she decided to paint “the” above Carl’s name.

The residents at 586 5th Avenue didn’t stop there. They created a Facebook page for The Carl, and whenever anybody comes to visit the building, they’re asked to check-in, like you would at a hotel.

Genevieve proudly told us that “when you search for The Carl on Facebook, it generally pops up right below The Carlyle and The Carlton Hotels.” Not too shabby 5th Avenue.

Sadly, while chatting inside of Flirt, we heard that the door may be painted over soon. Here’s to hoping that the building’s owners change their mind.