July 24, 2008
Today on the Forum
Here are some of the topics posted on The Forum today:
How Do I Research Comps?
Experience with Lefroy Brooks, Waterworks Fittings?
Metal Worker to Make Grille?
Curtain Rod To Avoid Drilling Moldings?
How's 14th Between 7th and 8th?
Development Watch: New Sunset Park High School
Rapid progress on the under-construction Sunset Park High School on 4th Avenue and 35th Street continues; the building has started to sport the beginnings of a facade. Second pic above shows how the facility is supposed to look when all's said and done. The new public school should be ready for action late next year, and, aside from classrooms and offices, it'll feature a 550-seat auditorium, a 4,000-square-foot wireless technology library, a full competition gymnasium, and a cafeteria and kitchen.
Development Watch: Sunset Park H.S. Rising Fast [Brownstoner] GMAP
Sunset Park High School November 2009? [IMBY]
House of the Day: 210 Prospect Place
Talk about a make-over! If you click through and check out the "before" photo of 210 Prospect Place in Prospect Heights, you'll barely recognize the "after" photo above. From what we can tell from the interior photos, the renovation succeeded in maintaining the historical architectural elements in the house while infusing it with a clean, modern feel. (For some reason, we don't mind the recessed lighting in the kitchen either!) The one-family house is also on one of the nicest block in Prospect Heights. As nice as it is, do you think that you can get $2,495,000 for a 3,600-square-foot house on this side of Flatbush?
210 Prospect Place [Corcoran] GMAP P*Shark
Condos of the Day: Cumberland Greene
The public got an advance look at the new-construction, townhouse-style condos at 237 Cumberland Street on the Fort Greene House Tour back in May. The place wasn't finished yet, but it was apparent that the developers (who own and live in the house next door) were putting a lot of care into the project. The overall vibe was quite modern, and the layouts were more open than you would find in a real townhouse. At the time, the most attention-grabbing feature was the rear garden (a picture of which is on the jump). To date, one out of four units has gone into contract, according to the Brooklyn Properties website. The three remaining units range in size from 1,579 to 1,695 square feet and $1,650,000 to $1,799,000. It would be interesting to know what the first unit sold for. Although $1,000 a foot seems on the high side to us, it is a differentiated product.
237 Cumberland Street [Brooklyn Properties] GMAP P*Shark
Fort Greene House Tour Wrap [Brownstoner]
Development Watch: 239 Cumberland Street [Brownstoner]
Restaurant of the Day: Zaytoons
"Zaytoons has the standard kasbah trappings, with hanging lanterns, dark, tasseled curtains and a decorative hookah or two, but here the food--more than the atmosphere--creates a transporting experience," writes Karen Rosenberg for Citysearch. Time Out New York calls the food "excellent, distinctive, slightly offbeat—and stunningly affordable."
"Falafel is fried to supercrunchy delectability; stuffed grape leaves carry a preserved-lemon tang," says New York magazine. "The soft, pillowy, baked-to-order pitas are perfect for scooping up cool salads and dips like tangy hummus," says the New York Times. Best Street Brooklyn recommends "the salad combo plate, which is perfect for those who can't decide what to order and/or vegetarians (and make sure to try the Turkish Salad as one of the 5 combo items, which is sweet and spicy without the overpowering quality that sun-dried tomatoes usually bring)."
Zaytoons has opened on Smith Street in 1998, and has since opened additional locations on Myrtle Avenue and Vanderbilt Avenue, but not everyone is thrilled about their expansion. Chowhound Larry Brooks says, "I've been faithful to Zaytoons forever but they have fallen off a bit since they expanded." Any thoughts on this mini-chain?
- Name: Zaytoons
- Address: 283 Smith Street
- Phone: (718) 875-1880
- Nabe: Carroll Gardens
- Cuisine: Middle Eastern
- Median Entree: $8
- Additional Location(s)
- Short Address: 472 Myrtle Avenue
- Nabe: Clinton Hill
- Phone: (718) 623-5522
- Additional Location(s)
- Short Address: 594 Vanderbilt Avenue
- Nabe: Prospect Heights
- Phone: (718) 230-3200
Value
5 - One of Brooklyn's best bargains
4 - Worth every penny
3 - A bit overpriced
2 - Very overpriced
1 - Total rip off
Inside Third & Bond: Week 46
Now this starts to get really fun. The bloggers from The Hudson Companies get ready to put some beams into the ground...After a couple of weeks of excavation, we’re ready to start putting stuff into the ground rather than removing it. Yesterday, our subcontractor arrived and parked his rig at the site. The rig will be used to install solider beams for shoring the edges of the property—everywhere but where there are existing buildings to be underpinned.
When we arrived at the trailer on Wednesday around 9a.m....
Checking In On The Purchase Building Demolition
We'll always be a little surprised that the LPC left the Purchase Building, built in 1936 underneath the Brooklyn Bridge, out to dry, but it did, and the demolition is now in full swing. The cleared space will become part of Brooklyn Bridge Park.
LPC Puts Another Nail in Purchase Bldg's Coffin [Brownstoner]
Brownstoner Goin' Mobile
We were lucky enough (and believe us, it was luck, not some great foresight) to start tagging all property-related posts with google map data some three years ago. If you've checked out the neighborhood archives on Brownstoner in the last few months, you will have noticed that you can navigate them through a google map interface. This should be useful if, for example, you are thinking of buying a specific property and want to go back and read the archives about all the other properties in, say, a three-block radius of the one you're considering. If you've been paying extra close attention, you may have noticed a new widget pop up in the lower right-hand corner of the home page in the last couple of days prompting you to "Get Brownstoner on Your Mobile Phone." What's this about? Well, through a new service from the mobile services company Lightpole you can now be out looking at open houses and access the Brownstoner archives on the go through your phone. Additionally, as our list of restaurant reviews gains critical mass, you'll also be able to get that info on the go. Give it a try. We hope it'll be useful.
Still for Sale, 275 Washington Goes Renovation Route
The stately (but rundown) mansion at 275 Washington Avenue in Clinton Hill has been on the market since last September, when it started its listed life with Corcoran at $3,500,000; Brown Harris Stevens got the listing in March at $3,200,000, where it's stayed since. If it seems like the owner's not tripping over himself to sell, it might be because he's begun converting the 7,800-square-foot building into a four-family residence. According to DOB filings, approval for the reno was granted on July 3, which jibes with our memory of when we started seeing workers in the yard. Who smells condos?
275 Washington Avenue [Brown Harris Stevens] GMAP P*Shark
House of the Day: 275 Washington Avenue [Brownstoner]
Yassky Weighs in on Saint Ann's Probation Office Affair
Just when you thought you'd heard the last of saga involving the impending relocation of the Federal probation office on top of the Saint Ann's campus, along comes this letter dated July 21 from Councilman David Yassky to Judge Dearie. Check it:
I have recently been made aware of plans to consolidate and relocate the Federal Probation Offices and Federal Defenders offices in my district into a new facility 147 Pierrepont. As you know, the proposed new facility at 147 Pierrepont is located on the same block as St. Ann's School and, in fact, is directly situated between the upper and lower schools. As no notification was provided to either to local elected officials, the community, or to the parents of St. Ann's School, it is not surprising that much concern and frustration has been expressed over this proposed move. While I recognize that adequate probation facilities are an important resource that offers critical services to criminals attempting to reenter society and certainly understand the need for these facilities to be close to the courts, I am nonetheless concerned with the close proximity of this new facility to the school. The facility will service all types of federal probation parolees, including convicted sex offenders, and it is this group that it is of particular concern for St. Ann's parents. It seems both unusual and ill considered to compel convicted sex offenders to come so close to a school in the process of their efforts to rehabilitate themselves. As there are currently federal and state laws in place that restrict how close convicted sex offenders can live to a school, it seems fair to expect that similar considerations be taken for probation facilities that service this particular type of criminal. I urge you to take these issues under careful consideration as you consider this new probation facility and ask that you work with the community in order to find an appropriate solution that will mitigate these concerns.
Think this will have any muscle with the Feds?
Saint Ann's To Make the Best of Probation Office Move [Brownstoner]
Federal Probation Officer Defends Proximity to St. Ann's [Brownstoner]
Parole Facility Planned Next Door to St. Ann's School [Brownstoner]
Number of Offering Plans Drops For 1st Time Since '99
The Sun reports on how the number of condo offering plans in the city and state is decreasing. There was a 4.5 percent drop between 2006 and 2007 in city offering plans, the first decline since 1999. Statewide, the number of offering plans is on track to decrease by around 11 percent this year. "It appears this is the end of an era, of this incredible building boom that many thought would never end," says one real estate attorney. And some think the decline will be good for the city's market. "With less offering plans, it will definitely protect the market," says Andrew Barrocas, the chief executive of the Real Estate Group. "I think it could be an excellent thing." As a gauge of how deeply the city is feeling a housing slowdown, developers and analysts say the stats aren't as meaningful as the number of building permits that have been issued. There was a 46 percent drop in building permits issued by the DOB in the first quarter of this year.
Drop in Offering Plans Less Severe Than Anticipated [NY Sun]
CG Zoning Tweak Passes; Oliver House Height Doomed?
Yesterday was a big day for residents of Carroll Gardens who have been trying to protect their neighborhood from the construction of out-of-scale buildings. The City Council unanimously approved a zoning text amendment that will limit the height of new construction and additions on several streets in the neighborhood (primarily the "Place" streets). Pardon Me for Asking writes that "After almost a year of meetings, hearings and community outreach efforts, there is finally something written into law that will truly help to protect the historical character of the neighborhood." The Times' story on the passage of the amendment, meanwhile, raises questions about whether the new rules will affect the height of 360 Smith Street, aka 'Oliver House,' the under-construction condo project that some residents have long been wary of. Oliver House developer William Stein says says he hopes his six-story (plus penthouse) build will be exempt from the amendment, which goes into effect immediately.
City Council Unanimously Says "Yes" To Carroll Gardens [PMFA]
New Limits on Builders in an Area of Brooklyn [NY Times]
Thursday Links
Brighton Beach. Photo by kpbim.
House Approves Sweeping Effort to Help Housing [NY Times]
MTA Eyes Fare Hikes in 2009 and 2011 [NY Times]
The Little Shuttle That Could [NY Times]
Mass. Woman Facing Foreclosure Kills Herself [AP/NY Daily News]
Play Tells of Being a Slope Nanny [NY Daily News]
Will NYC's Hotel Industry Be OK? [NY Sun]
Grimaldi's is Briefly Shut Down [NY Post]
July 23, 2008
Wednesday Blogwrap
Red Hook Buoy. Photo by urban_lisa.
Burg's Little Hipster Park Has a New Look [Curbed]
Red Hook Talks Real World [Gothamist]
80s Has-Been Deigns to Visit Bushwick [Bushwick BK]
192 Water Street Construction Moving Forward [Dumbo NYC]
The Never-Ending Construction Work [Clinton Hill Blog]
Closing Bell: Bunking in the Burg
Per Curbed, there's now an option for folks who are priced out of Williamsburg's Hotel Le Jolie: The New York Loft Hostel on Varet Street. The hostel offers accommodations for less than $30 a night in its dorm spaces, bunk bed and wi-fi included. A pool and jacuzzi are on the way.
'Live Like a Hipster King,' Bunk Beds Included [Curbed] GMAP
Live Like A Hipster King! [NY Shitty]
The New York Loft Hostel [Official Site]