Brownstoner

Friday Blogwrap

Let the Stoop Sales Begin [Park Slope Stoop]
Ditmas History: A Photographic Legacy [DPC]
RIP to the Best Used Bookstore in Brooklyn [The L]
5 Extraordinary Art Openings This Weekend [Bushwick Daily]
Road Closures for Brooklyn Half Marathon on Saturday [Kensington BK]
Sunday Tree-Bench Raising at The Green Triangle [Kensington BK]
Go Listen to This Coney Island-Themed Playlist Marty Markowitz Made on Spotify [Runnin' Scared]

Categories: Blogwrap

By Emily | 05/17/2013 4:30 PM | Comment

Closing Bell: Performance by the PS 11 Drum Line

Here is the perfect video for your late Friday afternoon: the PS 11 drum line performing for their school field day at the Park Slope Armory. It was shot by Michael Galinksky, local Brooklyn filmmaker and Hot Seat interviewee.

Categories: Closing Bell, Schools

By Emily | 05/17/2013 4:00 PM | Comment

Building of the Day: 1310-1314 Dean Street

Brooklyn, one building at a time.

Name: Row houses
Address: 1310-1314 Dean Street
Cross Streets: New York and Brooklyn avenues
Neighborhood: Crown Heights North
Year Built: 1888
Architectural Style: Queen Anne
Architect: George P. Chappell
Other Work by Architect: Row and freestanding houses in Park Slope, Bedford Stuyvesant, Clinton Hill, and especially Crown Heights North. Also churches and storefront/flats buildings in Bed Stuy and Crown Heights.
Landmarked: Yes, part of Crown Heights North HD (2007)

The story: We haven’t had a Chappell group in a while, and it’s always a pleasure to show another example of the work of one of my favorite architects. If neighborhoods were named after the architects who designed so much of the streetscape, Crown Heights North would have been re-named Chappelltown. He contributed that much to the beauty of this neighborhood, which he also called home for much of his life and career.

Although I like certain parts of all of our different styles of row house architecture, one of the favorite things I like about the Queen Anne period is the permission to be creative. Let’s face it; you really can only do so much with three to five stories on a 20-foot lot. Chappell had three lots to work with here, designing these houses for developer D. H. Fowler. Instead of designing three houses that were more or less the same, or totally different, he chose to make the set a unified group that at a casual glance is one very large chateau of a building. (more…)

Categories: BOTD, Crown Heights

By Montrose Morris | 05/17/2013 3:00 PM | Comment

Old Facade Bricked up at 843-845 Dekalb

Now here is a curious sight: The owner of this building at 843-845 Dekalb is converting it from a four-family with two commercial units to a 10-family, adding two stories, and changing the position of all the windows on the front. Once the original facade is covered over with stucco, as per the permits, all trace of the old windows will be gone. GMAP

(more…)

Categories: Brooklyn, Development

By Cate | 05/17/2013 2:40 PM | Comment

Checking in on Coney Businesses After Sandy

The Daily News attended the grand reopening of Grimaldi’s Pizza in Coney Island yesterday, a celebration held because Hurricane Sandy devastated the pizzeria. Amusing the Zillion checked out the renovated space at 1215 Surf Avenue a few days ago, where the owners have put the “Dreamland Bell” on display near the entrance, pictured above. It’s the bell that survived the Dreamland Fire of 1911 and is serving as a testament to the Hurricane Sandy recovery. It will be at the restaurant for a few weeks. The Daily News also shared a few other updates on surrounding businesses: The Aquarium is still set to open on May 25, Nathans will open Memorial Day weekend, the Parachute Jump will be relit on June 24, Peggy O’Neil’s bar is open but barely hanging in there, and El Dorado Auto Skooter is struggling with a lack of revenue. Amusing the Zillion reports that two shooting galleries have replaced establishments wiped out by Sandy. The Wonder Wheel and Luna Park, of course, are already up and running, meaning it’s time to plan another visit to Coney Island…
Coney Island Attractions Slowly Rebound [NYDN]
Grimaldi’s Rings in Coney Island Comeback With Dreamland Bell [ATZ]
Photo by Tricia Vita for Amusing the Zillion

Categories: Coney Island Area, Streetlevel

By Emily | 05/17/2013 2:00 PM | Comment

Open House Picks

Prospect Heights
204 Park Place
Donawald Realty, Inc
Sunday, 12:00-2:00
$3,900,000
GMAP P*Shark

Boerum Hill
442 State Street
Brown Harris Stevens
Sunday, 12:00-1:30
$3,500,000
GMAP P*Shark

Park Slope
98 6th Avenue
Corcoran
Sunday, 2:00-4:00
$3,300,000
GMAP P*Shark

Williamsburg
267 Ainslie Street
Aptsandlofts.com
Sunday, 12:00-2:00
$1,595,000
GMAP P*Shark

Categories: Boerum Hill, Open Houses, Park Slope, Prospect Heights, Williamsburg

By Brownstoner | 05/17/2013 1:04 PM | Comment

Open House Picks: Six Months Later

Comment: We came this close to a “four for four” for the third week in a row!
Open House Picks 11/9/2012 [Brownstoner]

Categories: Open Houses, Six Months Later

By Emily | 05/17/2013 12:30 PM | Comment

The Hot Seat: Corrin Arasa

Welcome to the Hot Seat, where we interview folks involved in Brooklyn real estate, architecture, development, and the like. Introducing Corrin Arasa, the founder and creative director at Patina Vintage Rentals, a furniture rental showroom and studio in Bushwick.

Brownstoner: What neighborhood do you live in, and how’d you end up there?
Corrin Arasa: The Patina studio is in Bushwick. I live in Forest Hills and have for ten years. We moved there because it’s a great place to raise a family and it’s one of the prettiest spots in the city. Plus it’s only 10 minutes away from Bushwick — which is great.

BS: Can you talk about the beginnings of the company, and how you got into vintage furniture?
CA: I’ve always been into vintage furniture and décor. I’ve always loved finding hidden treasures at flea markets and estate sales. My mom used to drag us to yard sales all of the time growing up, so I guess the thrill of the hunt is long ingrained. I started an event-marketing agency ten years ago. Many of my clients needed something different from anything that was offered for events, so I started pulling from my own collection and scouting and creating custom pieces for them. As my inventory and sources grew, so did my company. Now I have an inventory of hundreds of pieces which led to the launch of Patina Rentals last summer.

After the jump, Corrin talks about finding a 5,000-square-foot space in Bushwick, what’s happening with Brooklyn design, and the craziest event she provided furniture for… (more…)

Categories: Bushwick, Interview

By Emily | 05/17/2013 12:00 PM | Comment

DOT Reworks Cadman Plaza West Sidewalk

It’s not only the Manhattan side of the Brooklyn Bridge that’s getting attention from the DOT. The stretch of Cadman Plaza around the exit ramp that drivers take to access the BQE is being made more pedestrian-friendly as we write. A curb extension (or “neckdown”) is being added at the southeast corner of Middagh Street and Cadman Plaza West while an entirely new sidewalk is being installed between Middagh and where the exit ramp feeds out to Old Fulton Street. Right now a pedestrian has no way to safely continue down the east side of Cadman Plaza West towards the Brooklyn Bridge underpass. These changes should help address that.

Categories: Brooklyn Heights, Streets

By Brownstoner | 05/17/2013 11:30 AM | Comment

Brownstoner Upstate: Delaware County Discounts

Fridays at 11, Brownstoner Upstate brings you a selection of properties within three hours north, and a little bit east or west, of New York City.

496 Wagner Avenue, Fleischmanns: $99,000

One of the many things we love about Delaware County, located in the Catskill Mountains southwest of Albany, is that you can find some spectacular properties at modest prices. Sure, some need work, but if you’re willing to put in the time and elbow grease it takes to put a polish on these lovely properties, the benefits are numerous. This week, we’re looking at four excellent deals in Fleischmanns, Delhi, Hamden, and Stamford, some of our favorite Catskill Mountain towns. Delaware County is situated approximately 3.5 hours from Brooklyn, and it feels a world away.

more after the jump…

(more…)

Categories: Upstate New York

By upstater | 05/17/2013 11:00 AM | Comment

Past and Present: Fulton Street at Marcy Avenue

A look at Brooklyn, then and now.

The changes that take place on our streetscapes are often subtle, especially on residential blocks. One can often look at a century old photograph of many of our residential blocks in our brownstone neighborhoods and see the same streetscape as today. That is rarely the case on commercial blocks, which is part of the reason why so many historic districts don’t seem to extend to the major commercial thoroughfares. The changes are too extreme, and the original is often long gone. Take a look at one of Brooklyn’s largest neighborhoods’ main street: Fulton Street in Bedford Stuyvesant, as a prime example.

For much of its length, Fulton Street was filled with brownstone buildings, most dating from the late 1860s, through the 70s and 80s, with ground floor storefronts and flats above. These storefronts held lots of small businesses; including the grocer, butcher, hardware store, bakery, clothing shop and more. Back then, as now, people liked one stop shopping for their needs, and being able to simply walk a length of street, and find everything you need was as important to people in the late 19th century as it is now. And Fulton delivered. (more…)

Categories: Bedford Stuyvesant, Past and Present

By Montrose Morris | 05/17/2013 10:30 AM | Comment

More Details on the 434 Vanderbilt Renovation

Last week scaffolding came down at 434 Vanderbilt Avenue, the formerly rundown Fort Greene townhouse that’s been under construction for almost a year. Sean Beckerman of Complimentary Colors Construction Corp, which is owned by Michael Sheehan, got in touch about their work on the project; they took over about six months ago after two other contractors fell through and the renovation was put on hold. The building, unsurprisingly, needed to be gutted, but a previous contractor set up the interior steel structure incorrectly. Complimentary Colors reworked it and corrected a 4-inch lean to the building. And while the LPC asked that they reuse at least 60 percent of the original brick, there wasn’t enough to salvage. They started the facade renovation by removing all the old bricks and mortar, then tied the new cinder blocks to the new interior steel structure. They corrected the 4-inch lean by stepping the bricks in from left to right. They rebricked the entire front of the house with a new brick approved by the LPC. They also rebuilt the front and rear pitched roofs. The reason the reno is missing a full cornice is because the homeowner can’t fund it at this point. The interior setup consists of an owners duplex with two upper floor rental units. And keep an eye out for more: The firm was asked to look at a house across the street, where the owner is considering a four-story addition. What a nice job they did saving this French Second Empire-style home, built back in 1866.
Transformation for 434 Vanderbilt Avenue [Brownstoner]
Salvation for Decrepit Fort Greene Townhouse [Brownstoner] GMAP (more…)

Categories: Fort Greene, Renovation

By Emily | 05/17/2013 10:00 AM | Comment

Landlords Give Sandy-Damaged Tenants a Break

Landlords in Coney Island, Red Hook and Dumbo are helping out their Sandy-ravaged commercial tenants with rent and other aid, DNAinfo reported. Thor Equities has lowered rents by as much as 40 percent on Surf Avenue in Coney Island, benefitting Brooklyn Rock and Wampum, among others. Red Hook landlord Gregory O’Connell, whose own business moved back into its Red Hook HQ only last week, has offered low-interest loans and rent abatements to tenants. Two Trees Management in Dumbo has also been letting tenants pay rent later and talking to insurance companies on their behalf, as well as helping out with property repairs.
Brooklyn Waterfront’s Landlords Forgo Rent to Keep Sandy-Ravaged Tenants [TRD]
Photo by Lock

Categories: Brooklyn, Commercial Real Estate, Coney Island Area, DUMBO, Environmental, Flooding, Red Hook

By Cate | 05/17/2013 9:45 AM | Comment

High-Priced Bed Stuy HOTD in Contract?

The brick rowhouse at 44 Monroe Street that was asking $1,650,000 — and whose interior was made over by its architect owner with an urban rustic vibe – has entered contract, as a commenter in the Forum pointed out yesterday. You can still see the photos on Streeteasy. When it was a House of the Day back in July, we said, ”Overall, looks like a nice effort. The bigger question in our minds is whether a three-story house (and one with relatively modest proportions, at that) in this location can command a price of $1,650,000 but we’ve learned our lesson about betting against the Minsk!” Did they get their ask? Well, it’s not so simple. We don’t know because, strangely, the sale has not yet hit public records, although the contract was signed in January, according to Streeteasy. Ominously, right about the same time, a lis pendens was filed against the property by the mortgage holder, although the amount is not listed in PropertyShark. (The mortgage was only $150,000.) Could title problems be holding up a sale? In the meantime, prices have really taken off in this corner of Bed Stuy. What do you think the property is worth now?

Categories: Bedford Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, Sales

By Cate | 05/17/2013 9:30 AM | Comment

Residential Tower Going Into 4th Avenue Space?

DNAinfo has a few more details on the story we broke yesterday about the huge development slated for the corner of 4th Avenue and 11th Street. Unsurprisingly, it will be a residential high rise, according to one of the homeowners whose house is one of five, above, slated to be demolished to make way for the build. But JBS Project Management, which is managing the project, had no comment. Interestingly, it seems the developer picked up the large corner lot first, then approached each homeowner to sell. DNAinfo profiles one holdout, 90-year-old Lillian Striano, who initially didn’t want to leave her home of 43 years, until her son convinced her she wouldn’t want to live next door to all the construction noise and dirt. As we reported yesterday, most of the homeowners got just under a million for each of their properties, except for 239 11th Street, which cost the developers $2,500,000. Striano, whose sale has not yet hit public records, said she can’t afford to buy another property in the area and is moving to Staten Island.
90-Year-Old Widow Last to Move out at 4th Avenue Development Site [DNAinfo]

Categories: Brooklyn, Development, Gowanus, Park Slope

By Cate | 05/17/2013 9:15 AM | Comment

145 McGuinness Boulevard Is Half Full

Buyers are picking up apartments at 145 McGuiness, the 10-unit Greenpoint condo that launched this April. A sales rep at Aptsandlofts.com reports that five units are now spoken for. In fact, all five offers came in and were accepted at the official building launch on May 9. Prices range from $499,000 for a one-bedroom to $949,000 for a two-bedroom. The next open house is this Sunday, from 2 pm to 4 pm.
10-Unit Condo Launches in Greenpoint [Brownstoner]
145 McGuinness Boulevard Listings [Aptsandlofts.com] GMAP

Categories: Condos, Greenpoint

By Emily | 05/17/2013 9:00 AM | Comment

Friday Links

Exercise Class, Obedience Not Required [NY Times]
Silver to Seek Lopez’s Expulsion From Assembly Over Harassment Claims [NY Times]
Lawyer Criticizes Brooklyn Prosecutor Over TV Show [NY Times]
Slay Kin Rip Into Suspect [NY Post]
Measles Hits Two Jewish Neighborhoods in Brooklyn [NY Daily News]
From Brooklyn to California, Housing Bubble Threat Grows [Bloomberg]
Prospect Park in Brooklyn: Six Must-Sees [Newsday]
Massive $9M Compound With Garages Hits Market in Fort Greene [NY Daily News]
Morning Crowing in Greenpoint Reminds Transplants of Home [Brooklyn Paper]
Brooklyn Day Cares Have the Most Violations Citywide [News 12 Brooklyn]
Makers Prepare for Battle in McCarren Park [PC Mag]
Community Bookstore to Open New Store in Brooklyn [MediaBistro]
What Happened to the “B market” Along Arena’s Atlantic Avenue Facade? [AYR]
Papa John’s Delivery Man Sold “Coke” With Pizza, Police Say [DNAinfo]
Bushwick’s Surge of Liquor License Applications Prompts Extra Meetings [DNAinfo]
Gritty Gowanus Embraces Softer Side With First Bridal Boutique [DNAinfo]

Categories: Daily Links

By Cate | 05/17/2013 8:30 AM | Comment

Thursday Blogwrap

Real Estate Roundup [Wyckoff Heights]
Brooklyn Summer Street Styles….From 1987 [PMFA]
Help Clean up the Neighborhood on June 1 [DPC]
Construction Continues on Pacific Street Rental [Patch]
Oslo Coffee Reopens Post-Fire With Free Coffee [Eater]
Surplus Paint From the Brooklyn Bridge Gets a Second Act [Brooklyn Based]
Park Slope Activists Calling for Prospect Park Surveillance Cameras [PSS]

Categories: Blogwrap

By Emily | 05/16/2013 4:30 PM | Comment

Closing Bell: Two School Silent Auctions This Week

Two Brooklyn schools are holding silent auction fundraisers this week: the Arts & Letters 2013 Speakeasy Gala and Auction, scheduled for tomorrow, and the P.S. 84 Second Annual Gala Benefit Auction, scheduled for Sunday. Arts & Letters is hosting an evening with live music and an open bar, and tons of deals on local camps, classes, meals, and backstage passes are up for bid. Bidding lasts through today at midnight. And on Sunday, the P.S. 84 PTA will host an evening with a live DJ, home-cooked food, cash bar, and a silent auction featuring local and city-wide businesses, including a night at the Wythe Hotel, dinner at Peter Luger, Yankee tickets, and a Catskills weekend getaway. Bid here!

Categories: Brooklyn, Closing Bell, Schools

By Emily | 05/16/2013 4:00 PM | Comment

Building of the Day: 20-26 Willow Street

Brooklyn, one building at a time.

Name: Row houses
Address: 20-26 Willow Street
Cross Streets: Cranberry and Middagh streets
Neighborhood: Brooklyn Heights
Year Built: 1846
Architectural Style: Greek Revival
Architect: Unknown
Landmarked: Yes, part of Brooklyn Heights HD (1965)

The story: The oldest parts of Brooklyn Heights, over near Middagh Street, are a fascinating patchwork of styles and history. Frame houses stand next to Greek Revival row houses, followed by later brownstone styles, late 19th century tenements, early 20th century apartment buildings, and finally, late 20th century apartment housing. I’ve always enjoyed walking around this part of the Heights, as you never know what you are going to come upon next.

This group of Greek Revival row houses was built in 1846, a time when Brooklyn Heights was feeling its oats as the a leafy suburb for the powerful merchants and financiers whose businesses lay below by the docks, or across the river in Manhattan. The houses are brick built on top of a brownstone basement story. Unlike later Italianate houses, the stoops on these houses rise only ten or so stairs from the street level, necessitating an excavated cellar level in order to get light and windows into the ground floor. (more…)

Categories: BOTD, Brooklyn Heights

By Montrose Morris | 05/16/2013 3:30 PM | Comment

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