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Girl Scouts Make Video to Save Pacific Library
Girl Scout Troop 2657 made this video to save the Pacific Street Library, a property the Brooklyn Public Library plans to sell off. They also started a petition in April, which they read at a press conference on the steps of City Hall. The 17-member troop started advocating for this library because they use its community meeting room every Wednesday. BPL plans call for moving the branch into the new Two Trees development off Fulton Street. The BPL is facing budget cuts and said it cannot afford the $11 million renovation that the building requires. (The BPL also recently put this pop up on their website for Brooklynites to speak out against coming budget cuts.) The proceeds from the building sale would go toward the new branch at the Two Trees site.
05/15/2013 12:00 PM
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Open and Shut
North Brooklyn
A gas station at 445 Troutman Street in Bushwick will become an eating/drinking establishment. Wyckoff Heights reports that the space, pictured above, will be transformed into a “country-style” restaurant by the new musician owners. Photo by Wyckoff Heights. A shop called BKLYN Curated is open at 88 Franklin Street in Greenpoint. Bushwick Daily checks out Falansai, a French–Vietnamese restaurant that is now open on the corner of Porter Avenue and Harrison Place.
Crown Heights
Brooklyn Based tests grilled cheese sandwiches at Glady’s, the new grilled cheese specialty restaurant on Franklin Avenue. And a Brooklynian commenter reports that Lula Bagels is opening on the corner of Nostrand and Lincoln. Lula will serve bagels, coffee, pastries, fresh bread, and paninis starting in June.
Elsewhere
Long-in-the-works Italian restaurant Mezini should open in Park Slope in about a week. A cafe called Tip of the Tongue is opening in Prospect Lefferts Gardens next week; it’ll serve take-out food and coffee. 773 Lounge on Coney Island Avenue in Ditmas Park is opening a kitchen next week. And Prospect Heights Patch reports that the southern restaurant Elberta’s is expanding into the space next door.
05/15/2013 11:30 AM
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Renderings Live for the New Dumbo Townhouses
BuzzBuzzHome spotted the official site for Dumbo’s new townhouse build, coming to 55 Pearl Street. It’s full of snazzy renderings and floor plans for the five homes, each with four bedrooms and three bathrooms. Square footage for each home will range from 3,049 to 3,358 square feet. Landmarks approved the exterior design, comprised of one-foot-deep ductal fins (ductal is a high performance concrete), this February. The ground-floor facade is made of wood. According the BuzzBuzzHome, the developers are still finalizing pricing. Given the high demand in Dumbo these days, and the virtual lack of one-family homes in the neighborhood, how much do you think these will go for? Check out drool-worthy interior renderings after the jump and then give us your guesses…
Dumbo Townhouses [Official Site]
Facade Proposal Revealed for 55-57 Pearl St. Townhouses [Brownstoner]
New Building proposed for Dumbo Graffiti Garage [Brownstoner]
Dumbo Lot Sells for $4.25 Million [Brownstoner] (more…)
05/15/2013 11:00 AM
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Citi Bike Moves Rack in Heights
The city has relocated one Citi Bike docking station in Brooklyn Heights after residents of nearby co-op building 60 Remsen Street complained. The station, initially on Remsen Street just east of Hicks, was moved to Hicks Street just north of Remsen, according to The New York Daily News. (That’s the new station pictured at right.) Officials did not give a specific reason for the move, although the Daily News heard from a source that the docking station “logistically didn’t fit… [The street] was too small for when the bikes were going to come in.” An informed source tells us that the docking location did not conform to DOT’s own standards for pedestrian clearance. Nearby co-op building 130 Clinton Street sued the city for a docking station placed in front of the building; there’s no word whether or not that station will be moved as well. Citi Bike officially launches May 27. DNAinfo noted this morning that Park Slope just got its first docking station, on the corner of Dean Street and 4th Avenue.
Another CitiBike Rack Bites the Dust in Brooklyn Heights [NY Daily News]
Park Slope Gets First Citi Bike Station [DNAinfo]
Photo by Reuven Blau for NY Daily News
05/15/2013 10:00 AM
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Tuesday Blogwrap
An Infamous Murder on Brooklyn’s Lincoln Place [Ephemeral New York]
23rd Street Mega Stoop Sale Coming up This Weekend [CCofGH]
Eyes on the Street: Checking Out Books at Putnam Plaza [Streetsblog]
Auctioned One Hanson Place Penthouse Returns for $3.6M [Curbed]
Castle in the Loire Valley of Brooklyn Seeks $1.3 Million [Curbed]
Renovating Dome Playground, AKA 38th Street: Stage 1 [Kensington BK]
Finally, a TV Show in Brooklyn Not about Young People Screwing Up [Brokelyn]
Attend Sustainable Flatbush’s Garden and Compost Open House This Saturday [DPC]
Photo by hunter.gatherer
05/14/2013 4:30 PM
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Lots of Openings at New Bed Stuy Gallery
A new gallery and community space called The Bishop opened at 916 Bedford Avenue in March. The gallery, run by two Pratt graduates, has already hosted two shows and is prepping for two more. Opening on Saturday, May 18 is Six Sides of the Cube, an art collection that “explores international similarities and differences through the universality of the cube.” Curating for a Cure, a charity art auction to benefit the Leukemia Lymphoma Society, will debut Thursday, May 23. In addition to exhibits, the Bishop plans to host educational workshops and special events. The space is also available for event rentals. GMAP
Photo by Scott Levin
05/14/2013 2:00 PM
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Rental of the Day: 49 Montgomery Place
Not much to complain about when it comes to this fully furnished townhouse rental at 49 Montgomery Place, in Park Slope. It’s a beautiful house a half block from the park. Along with many well-kept historic details, it also comes with a restored antique billiards table. The home is available this August and only available to rent for a year. The monthly cost is $13,500.
49 Montgomery Place [Brown Harris Stevens] GMAP P*Shark
05/14/2013 12:30 PM
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Greenpoint’s Belvedere Empire
Astute observers of architecture in Greenpoint may have noticed a curious phenomenon: Several dozen small apartment buildings scattered throughout the neighborhood, most sporting red brick facades, balconies and white columns, and all named ”Belvedere.” Turns out the style and the name started with one development firm, the Times discovered. The name refers to the Belvedere Palace, the state house of the president of Poland, where the original partners in the firm are from. Critical opinion on their architectural merits is mixed. ”They could be worse,” said an architect and Greenpoint resident. “Their heart is in the right place; I think they’re trying to be contextual,” said Matthew Coody, founder of Preservation Greenpoint. The style, however, is catching on: A different developer liked the look of the building and hired a Belvedere architect to construct “Osho Castle,” a similar development right down the block from Belvedere XXX.
Building Condos by the Numbers, Skipping Some Along the Way [NY Times]
Belvedere XXVII by catasterist
05/14/2013 12:00 PM
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Last Week’s Biggest Sales
1. BOERUM HILL $3,200,000
118 Wyckoff Street GMAP P*Shark
Here’s the listing for this Boerum Hill one family, which was owned by Corcoran senior vice president Deborah Rieders. According to the Real Deal, Rieders purchased the home for $999,000 in 2005. It was asking $3,200,000. Deed recorded on 5/10/2013.
2. PARK SLOPE $2,800,000
592 3rd Street GMAP P*Shark
Here’s the old listing for this one family. It was listed in December 2012 for $2,850,000 and entered contract by March. Deed recorded on 5/8/2013.
3. FORT GREENE $2,775,000
11A South Elliott Place GMAP P*Shark
An Open House Pick in March. It was listed in February for $2,750,000. The home’s a looker, check out the old listing here. Deed recorded on 5/9/2013.
4. WILLIAMSBURG $2,316,518.75
20 Bayard Street, PHB GMAP P*Shark
Here’s the listing for this three bed, two-and-a-half bath condo unit. It was listed in January for $2,250,000. The new owner got a parking space in the deal. Deed recorded on 5/7/2013.
5. COBBLE HILL $2,150,000
253 Pacific Street, #1 GMAP P*Shark
This is the last unit to sell at the modern build 253 Pacific Street. It went right at ask. The other two units sold for $2,495,528 and $2,647,450. Deed recorded on 5/7/2013.
05/14/2013 11:30 AM
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Rendering and Details About New Greenpoint Build
The architecture firm Lubrano Ciavarra Architects just secured permits for a new build at 45 India Street, currently an empty lot between West and Franklin streets in Greenpoint. The four-story, seven-unit condo building will break ground in late May. The architects were given the task to design a small scale building that would reflect the neighborhood’s 19th century architecture and distinguish itself from the new glassy architecture along the waterfront, as well as the recently constructed, low-rise, fast-track developments going up around North Brooklyn. Here’s what they have to say about the design:
In exploring masonry patterning, the “corduroy” brick façade recalls the system of bays that organize the traditional industrial facades of the neighborhood. The metalwork that articulates the entry both alludes to the ironwork found at the street level of 19th century buildings to the east, and the boat-building industry that was so predominant at the bottom of India Street to the west.
And here’s what they have to say about the building itself: (more…)
05/14/2013 10:00 AM
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Monday Blogwrap
Spiderman 2 Filming Video Clip [Dumbo NYC]
Park Slope’s Pink House Memorialized in Solange’s New Video [FiPS]
This Week’s Transit Changes [Park Slope Stoop]
Greenpoint and the Sequester [Greenpointers]
Fatal Crash Near Williamsburg Bridge [Gothamist]
From Gas to Grub at 445 Troutman [Wyckoff Heights]
Corcoran’s Deborah Rieders Sells Her Boerum Hill Home [TRD]
Volunteers Needed for the Brooklyn Half Marathon [South Slope News]
Photos: 18th Avenue N Train Station Crumbles! [Bensonhurst Bean]
Here’s a Look at GoogaMooga’s Chef-Themed Trading Cards [Grub Street]
Inside Leah Goren and Dylan Ousley’s Brooklyn Apartment [Design Sponge]
Photo by lostinbrooklyn
05/13/2013 4:30 PM
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Closing Bell: Brooklyn Bridge Improvements
Earlier today the Department of Transportation and Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan announced some major improvements for the access ramps to and from the Brooklyn Bridge and the FDR Drive. The first ramp, which connects the exit from the bridge’s Manhattan-bound lanes with the FDR Drive, has been expanded from one to two lanes to ease traffic backups. And the second ramp, connecting the southbound FDR Drive with the approach to bridge’s Brooklyn-bound lanes, has been expanded from one to two lanes in an attempt to ease congestion and keep cars from aggressively cutting in. The DOT also announced that they are nearly finished with work on a third ramp on the Brooklyn side of the bridge, which connects the Brooklyn-bound lanes to Cadman Plaza West and Old Fulton Street. This ramp will also be expanded into two travel lanes to expand vehicle capacity and increase safety for the surrounding streets. This is all part of the major Brooklyn Bridge rehab project, which includes repainting the bridge. The whole shebang, which started up in 2010, will cost a total of $508 million and hopefully finish next year. Click through to see more images of the ramp improvements happening. (more…)
05/13/2013 4:00 PM
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Design Studio Opening in Greenpoint Soon
A combination store, showroom, gallery, and design lab known as Jellio is opening in Greenpoint on May 20. (Right, a whimsical image they designed.) It’s a collection of fun, wacky home furnishings that includes an ice cream bench, a Rubick’s Cube table, and gummy bear light fixtures. The owners will run the store out of a giant fabrication shop at 239 Java Street so visitors can see the items in production. They’ll be opening Jellio with a debut show called “Toy Chest,” a design tribute to iconic items the owners had as kids. Stay tuned for a sneak peak of the new space, and check out some more of the products at the Jellio Facebook page. GMAP
05/13/2013 2:00 PM
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Rental of the Day: 398 Bond Street
Here’s a floor-through apartment at 398 Bond Street, the glassy Gowanus building that sold for $3 million back in 2011. The two-bedroom, two-bathroom unit is pretty big: 1,000 square feet with a 500-square-foot private deck. The finishes are new and the windows are from floor to ceiling. The rent is a hefty $5,000 a month. Think they’ll get it?
398 Bond Street [Warren Lewis] GMAP P*Shark
05/13/2013 12:30 PM
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Cobble Hill Rentals Debut
Aptsandlofts.com launched four two- and three-bedroom rental units at the shiny new building 11 Wyckoff Street in Cobble Hill. Each floor-through unit comes with private elevator access and a washer/dryer; some come with private balconies. The prices range from $5,900 a month for a two-bedroom to $7,400 per month for a three-bedroom. A sales rep tells us that one unit, the three-bedroom asking $7,400 a month, has already been spoken for. GMAP
05/13/2013 10:00 AM
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Friday Blogwrap
Shocking Street Art Riles Residents [Brooklyn Paper]
Admiring the Details of Two Restored Clinton Hill Houses [Curbed]
Man Arrested in Greenpoint After Crazy Queens Carjacking Spree [Gothamist]
New Lecture Series for Seniors at Carroll Gardens Library [PMFA]
Dance Night Kicks off at Brooklyn Bridge Park [BHB]
Construction Under Way at Aldi Food Market on Nostrand [Sheepshead Bites]
Photo by mcmillianfurlow
05/10/2013 4:30 PM
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Closing Bell: Brooklyn Film Festival Coming Next Week
The Third Annual Art of Brooklyn Film Festival kicks off next week and will screen a total of 40 films with Brooklyn cred. The films include features, shorts, documentaries, experimental/art films, comedies, dramas, horror and suspense, all of which were either filmed in Brooklyn, feature Brooklyn artists, or are about Brooklyn. If These Knishes Could Talk, a documentary looking into the origin of the Brooklyn accent, will run at the festival, as well as Rescue! Brooklyn, a documentary about Brooklyn’s Sean Casey Animal Rescue. The showings take place at St. Francis College’s Founders Hall and Maroney Theaters and St. Joseph College’s Tuohy Hall Theater, starting on May 15. Check out the full schedule, trailers and ticket information at the Art of Brooklyn Film Festival website.
05/10/2013 4:00 PM
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204 Wythe Avenue, Under Construction
Yesterday, a fresh rendering and details of the new rental building at 204 Wythe Avenue popped up. We knew the Williamsburg development was slated for a summer completion, but we didn’t have a recent photo of the construction site. A helpful tipster sent the above image, showing that the building facade is almost done. Once finished, this build will have 229 residential units and 7,500 square feet of ground floor retail space.
New Rendering, Rentals for 204 Wythe Avenue [Brownstoner]
05/10/2013 2:40 PM
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Inside a New Brooklyn Rum Distillery
Here’s a cool video looking inside a one-woman distillery in Bushwick. The Noble Experiment, founded by born-and-raised Brooklynite Bridget Firtle, puts out 5,000 cases a year of small-batch spirits a year. Her first product, Owney’s, is a 100 percent molasses-based white rum. The recipe is based on the first spirit distilled in the United States. You can take $10 tours of the distillery on Saturdays. Pick up tickets here.
05/10/2013 2:00 PM
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mmm
May 16, 2013 | 09:04 AM