March 14, 2010 - March 20, 2010
Closing Bell: Tee Time at The Flea
Thrown into the usual mix of antiques, vintage clothing and delish food at The Flea this weekend will be the recently-introduced but rarely available Brownstoner t-shirts. Two loyal readers whom you might recognize as Arkady and Snappy have volunteered to man the main information booth on Sunday from 12 to 4. They'll have a not-infinite stash of the new shirts on hand, so the early birds will get the worms. They're $15 a pop and we have all adult sizes as well as some 4's and 6's for the kid crowd. The Brooklyn Flea will be taking place every Saturday and Sunday through the end of March from 10 am to 5 pm at One Hanson Place. You can take any number of subways to the Atlantic Terminal or the C train to Lafayette.
Building of the Day:1341 Bedford Avenue
Bachelor's Flats, (center) 1341 Bedford Ave, Grant's Square, Crown Heights North. George P. Chappell, architect. 1888. Montrose Morris' Imperial Apartments on left.
The BOTD is a no-frills look at interesting structures of all types and from all neighborhoods. There will be old, new, important, forgotten, public, private, good and bad. Whatever strikes our fancy. We hope you enjoy.
Address: 1341 Bedford Avenue, between Pacific and Dean Streets, aka Grant’s Square
Name: Apartment House, ground floor occupied by Erskine Funeral Home
Neighborhood: Crown Heights North (Crown Heights North Historic District)
Year Built: 1888
Architectural Style: Queen Anne
Architect: George P. Chappell
Landmarked: Yes
Why chosen: This is the oldest multiple-unit building in Crown Heights North, built when Grant’s Square was one of the finest addresses in Bedford, as the neighborhood used to be called. Situated next door to Montrose Morris’ Imperial Apartments, and across from the 23rd Regiment Armory and the Union Club, this was the center of social life in this part of Brooklyn. The building is only 21 feet wide and was once fashionable bachelor’s flats. The façade is remarkably well preserved above the first floor, with pressed metal, carved stone, and wrought iron details. The attic floor is now closed off, and was probably the original servant's quarters. The presence of the Erskine Funeral Home, which has been there for years, altered the ground floor and original entrance, but does not overly distract from the vertical power of this slim tower. This building joins the rest of the fine buildings facing Grant’s Square, still holding its own with the other masterpieces there.
Development Watch: 12 Clermont Avenue
There's a new three-story building going up at 12 Clermont Avenue, across the street from the still-fallow Navy Brig site. So far, height is contextual and windows are nice and big. Don't get your hopes up though, renters: It's zoned to be an industrial building. GMAP DOB
Streetlevel: New Bagel Shop for Lorimer
As we noted on Wednesday, new delis are popping up around Williamsburg, and even the sleepiest corners are getting into the race. The long-vacant Lorimer Deli & Grocery, at 568 Lorimer Street at the corner of Metropolitan, is undergoing renovations. A permit posted in the window in early February states that the current owner is working on a new "bagel and deli" outfit for the space. Intriguingly, workers were seen performing minor demolition inside the adjacent, also-vacant "Metro Flicks," an independent movie rental store at 590 Metropolitan Avenue that went out of business and sold its inventory last summer. If the renovation (and expansion?) finishes soon, the new joint should get a fair amount of spillover from the subway entrance or the Alligator Lounge, just down the street. GMAP — Nick Lichtenberg
Open House Picks
Clinton Hill
83 Downing Street
Brown Harris Stevens
Sunday 1-3
$1,325,000
GMAP P*Shark
Ditmas Park
726 Rugby Road
Fillmore
Sunday 2:30-4:30
$899,000
GMAP P*Shark
Crown Heights
1227 Union Street
Corley
Sunday 12-2
$489,000
GMAP P*Shark
Open House Picks: Six Months Later
Comment: Not too shabby!
Open House Picks 9/18/09 [Brownstoner]
Previous Six Months Later Posts [Brownstoner]
Metropol Cans Condos for Rentals
Way back in 2006, news broke that Williamsburg was getting its first movie theater. Four years later, we check in at 136 Metropolitan, The Metropol, where construction halted in mid-2009 with nary a sign of activity since. A call to David Rogers of Prudential Douglas Elliman - still referenced on the web as the building’s broker though listings disappeared in June of last year - tells us the developer has sold the entire property to an LLC who plans on rentals, not condos, for the nine units above. The sale happened in early February so we’ll keep an eye on this one. Hopefully this ending won’t crush the hearts of indie film-making hipsters all over the ‘Burg. — Jordan Shapiro
Checking in on Cassandra Cinema [Brownstoner] GMAP P*Shark DOB
Lights, Camera, (Almost) Action in Williamsburg [Brownstoner]
Movies on Metropolitan Coming Soon [Brownstoner]
Update on the Greenpoint Remediation Project
Yesterday afternoon, a public meeting regarding the Greenpoint Petroleum Remediation Project was held in the auditorium of St. Cecilia’s Church on North Henry Street. In a brief introduction, Assemblyman Joe Lentol indicated that the oil spill issue “has received more attention in the last two years than the last twenty-five.” Ed Hampston, the project manager for the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC), provided an update of new developments and ongoing oil recovery activities in the Greenpoint area.
Hampston indicated that current efforts are focused on capturing the oil floating above the groundwater, 7 feet to 40 feet below the surface. “There is soil and groundwater contamination,” says Hampston, but he estimates that “we are a third of the way” toward completion of the oil extraction phase of the project. Even so, he emphasized that further work would be necessary even after all the oil is removed, including continued soil recovery and water monitoring. As of January, approximately 10.8 million gallons of petroleum products had been recovered with 881,000 gallons recovered in 2009.
Regarding the pace of the clean-up effort...
Continue reading "Update on the Greenpoint Remediation Project"
Skywatch Comes to Myrtle Avenue
A reader tipped us off that the NYPD had set up one of their Skywatch contraptions on Myrtle Avenue at Carlton Avenue yesterday so we swung by this morning to check it out. According to the cops on location, there are now more than 30 of these things in rotation and this one is expected to be there for a couple of weeks. Maybe they should have parked it at Clinton and Greene though: We hear there was a drive-by shooting there last night.
The Solis Launches
The sales process began this week at 174 Clermont Avenue, the new nine-unit development that we covered when it was under construction last summer. The website for the project, which is being called the Solis, doesn't have much information, butfive listings are now up on the Halstead site; they range in price from $675,000 for a 969-square-foot two-bedroom to $1,250,000 for a 2,045-square-foot three-bedroom. We think the building looks pretty nice from both the inside (like the windows and kitchens) and the outside.
174 Clermont Avenue [Halstead] GMAP P*Shark DOB
Development Watch: 174 Clermont Avenue [Brownstoner]
Work Starting on Building 92
There's been a fair amount of digging going on around Building 92 inside the Brooklyn Navy Yard over the past couple of months, presumably related to some of the infrastructure that will be required when the 1858 brick building is converted into an historical center. Speaking of which, we noticed a couple of work lights on the building for the first time this week. A check with the Navy Yard brass confirmed that work on the building has indeed begun. Fan-frigging-tastic!
$15 Million for Two Navy Yard Projects [Brownstoner]
Bloomie Announces Navy Yard Historical Center [Brownstoner]
Bloomie Announces Navy Yard Historical Center [Brownstoner]
Brooklyn Navy Yard Building 92 [Brownstoner]
Shake Shack Coming to Beisl Space?
Could it be true? Is Shake Shack really coming to the Thomas Beisl space across from BAM? We have no idea, but that's the implication of a hint-dropping post on a blog called At the Sign of the Pink Pig. Here's how they put it:
“Let’s say a moderately well-known restaurant was known to be closing its doors after half a dozen or so years. And let's say it had a nice terrace for outdoor dining alongside. And it was very near an entertainment center. A good place for a Shake Shack?
As Grub Street said when the New York Mag food blog reblogged the rumor yesterday, "this reads more like wishful thinking than genuine intel — but, hey, something to think about." After all, Shake Shake's owner Danny Meyer has been eyeing locations in Downtown Brooklyn and Fort Greene for the last couple of years. And as Eater reported last week, the Beisl space recently hit the market. Here's the listing.
Photo by Eating in Translation
Weekend Events
String Orchestra of Brooklyn Performing
Havn't heard any good classical music lately? Here's your chance to get your classy on. The String Orchestra of Brooklyn will be playing the music of young composers - Feltman, Hall, Penman, and Greenstein. After the performance, there will be a wine reception. All are welcome to attend. Saturday, March 20. 8 p.m. $10. 157 Montague Street, St. Ann & The Holy Trinity Church.
Comedy Fundraiser
The Friend's of the RKO Keith's Flushing, and its 2900+ member group will be holding a comedy fundraiser on Friday. The funds collected will go towards a feasibility study that will hopefully be completed before June 2010. Come and enjoy. Friday, March 19. 8 p.m. $20 (advance tickets). $30 (at the door). 239-21 Braddock Avenue, Fuzzy's Wolfrose.
The Brooklyn Flea
The Flea is located at the former bank at One Hanson for the rest of the winter. The clocktower Art Deco building at Flatbush Ave., across from the Target mall, will be the Flea's new home every Saturday and Sunday through March, for 12 weekends only. The Flea features 100 vendors and a great mix of vintage, antiques, jewelry, and food. Saturday & Sunday, March 20 & 21. 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Free. 1 Hanson Place, Skylight One Hanson.
Please send your events listings to events@brownstoner.com
Friday Links
Interlopers on the Skyline [NY Times]
Stately Grounds and Atari-Hued Lanes [NY Times]
Greenspan Concedes That Fed Failed to Gauge Bubble [NY TImes]
Have You Seen this Sexual Assaulter? [NY Times]
Brooklyn Bridge Park to open Monday [NY Post]
Computer Glitch Blamed for Marine Park Raids [NY Post]
Brooklyn Rabbi on List of Worst Landlords [Village Voice]
Bicycle Ticket Blitz in Downtown Brooklyn [Brooklyn Paper]
Police: Bed Stuy Man Killed Wife, Self [NY1]
Greenpoint House Doubles as Live-In Fridge [Curbed]
Brooklyn IKEA Running Out of Furniture [Racked]
Peaches Hothouse Opened This Week [Ultraclay]
Photo by ROBatGraveShift
Thursday Blogwrap
Police Seek Armed Attacker in Sexual Assault [The Local]
CHCA - Talk and Action [I Love Franklin Ave]
Cops Searching For Perps Keep Visiting Brooklyn Seniors [Gothamist]
3-Year Lease for Freak Museum & Maybe More [ATZ]
Frito Pie 101 [Brooklyn Based]
Best Brooklyn Eateries You’ve Never Heard Of [Brokelyn]
Photo by bdwac from the Brownstoner Flickr Pool.
Closing Bell: Spotlight on Bushwick Avenue North
Kevin Walsh, the mastermind behind the genius site Forgotten NY, has just uploaded a photo set to Flickr of the area he's calling Bushwick Avenue North. The set includes close-ups of the thrift-meets-taxidermy store Zukkies as well as the Bushwick Public Library.
Building of the Day: 79-81 Decatur Street
The Clermont Apartments. 79-81 Decatur Street, near Throop Ave. Stuyvesant Heights. Montrose Morris, architect. 1900.
The BOTD is a no-frills look at interesting structures of all types and from all neighborhoods. There will be old, new, important, forgotten, public, private, good and bad. Whatever strikes our fancy. We hope you enjoy.
Address: 79-81 Decatur Street, between Throop and Marcus Garvey
Name: Clermont Apartments
Neighborhood: Stuyvesant Heights
Year Built: 1900
Architectural Style: French Gothic Revival
Architect: Montrose Morris
Landmarked: No
Why chosen: This fanciful French chateau was built for Stuyvesant Heights’ growing middle class population, at a time when apartment living was becoming popular. Made of brick, limestone and pressed metal trim, the Clermont is Morris’ second and better attempt at French Gothic. A darker, but similar apartment building by him stands on Clinton Avenue, between Fulton and Atlantic Avenues. The building has a strong street presence greatly enhanced by a 2003 restoration by Danois Architects, PC, and is now an 8 unit co-op building.
Development Watch: Nightmare on Boerum Place?
This situation at 113 Boerum Place is looking like kind of a nightmare. The owner ran out of money last year and put the place, mid-massive renovation, on the market for $1,599,000. No nibbles, so he took the price down to $1,400,000. Still nothing, and the property was delisted in December with the owner deciding to try to finish the job herself. The scaffolding that was up last year is now gone and there's a Stop Work Order as well as an Intent to Revoke that was issued at the end of February; there's also an unpaid fine for $3,000 on the place. To top that off, the craftmanship seems worthy of some of the South Slope hack jobs we've witnessed in recent years. Check out a close up on the jump.
House of the Day: 113 Boerum Place [Brownstoner] GMAP P*Shark
Continue reading "Development Watch: Nightmare on Boerum Place?"
Streetlevel: Abilene Spin-Off Coming to 3rd Avenue
According to the tipster who sent in this photo, Court Street bar and restaurant Abilene is building out this space at 543 3rd Avenue in Gowanus. Should be a nice fit with the pentecostal church next door! GMAP
House of the Day: 43 3rd Street
This three-story brick house at 43 3rd Street in Carroll Gardens just hit the market with an asking price of $1,390,000. It looks like a very cute place to us, with lots original detail on both the inside and outside. To us, it's screaming out to be a one-family, but appears to work fine currently as a two. You likey?
43 3rd Street [Douglas Elliman] GMAP P*Shark
Co-op of the Day: 296 Garfield Place, #3
This one-bedroom that just hit the market at 296 Garfield Place is nothing fancy, but it's a perfectly attractive apartment in a nice looking building. Looks perfect for one person, maybe a little tight for two (especially if they're clothes horses). Maintenance is $436 and the price is $310,000. Reasonable?
296 Garfield Place, #3 [Corcoran] GMAP P*Shark
Inside Third & Bond: Week 122
This week the Third & Bond bloggers take at look at how their new construction held up to last week's weather...What happened to Third + Bond during one of the worst storms seen by NYC in the last 30 years? Was siding ripped from the façade? Did water back up in the mechanical rooms? Did massive roof leaks ruin newly installed wood floors? Nope. Not much of anything happened. There were two units where the waterproofing hadn’t been completed and a small amount of water leached into a discrete spot. Fortunately the drywall is actually cement board in that area so it fared pretty well. We set up electric space heaters to dry the spot out and will determine soon if the floorboards need to be replaced.
Aside from our sadness at the loss of old growth trees around the City, and our empathy for fellow city dwellers who lost power or experienced property damage, we were pretty psyched to have a storm like this one...
Minerva Gets Its Streetlight Back
As you may recall, we reported last week that a streetlight at the corner of 23rd Street and 7th Avenue mysteriously disappeared. In the aftermath of our post, the local council member's office and a reporter from The Post reached out to DOT. According to a recent email blast from the Concerned Citizens of Greenwood Heights, when Council Member Gonzalez reached out to try to remedy the situation she was told that the removal had been part of routine maintenance; a Post reporter who followed up was told that it was getting replaced because of a traffic accident. Maybe we'll never know the truth, but at least the corner is no longer a safety hazard, particularly in light of the recent stabbing incident just three blocks from here.
Walkabout: A Developer’s Tale
Virginia Place houses. 1902 photo shows just completed homes with unfinished sidewalks and streets. Crown Heights North. (Brooklyn Daily Eagle, March 22, 1902)
Two developers, eager to capitalize on a building boom, a robust economy, and a hot neighborhood, take a chance to build what they feel will be hugely successful and lucrative housing. But while everything seems to be in their favor, something happens, and the bottom falls out and bankruptcy looms. Will they succeed? Will the housing be built? More importantly, will it sell? What happens? Here on Brownstoner, we read about these situations every day, it seems. But this tale is not about Williamsburg or Park Slope in 2008. It’s about the St. Marks District, now called Crown Heights North, and the year is 1898.
At the end of the 19th century, the St. Marks District was one of the most fashionable areas of Brooklyn. As the mansions of the rich were going up on St. Marks Avenue, and adjacent streets, new blocks of more modest housing was going up all around the area. Most of this was speculative housing, and the developers of yesterday were doing much of what today’s developers are doing – trying to build in a popular neighborhood for those who could afford it. Sometimes this involved taking an innovative approach with a marketing hook. In this case, developing an exclusive enclave of two short blocks tucked in between two popular streets, and in between two busy avenues, all a block or two from a beautiful new park.
Fulton BID: The Other Side of the Story
The Local's piece yesterday on the Fulton Area Business Alliance felt like a bit of a take-down, so here's the glass-half-full take on the five-month-old BID. Sure, there are still some business owners who aren't on board with the program, which levies a mandatory tax on retailers surcharge on property owners along the commercial thoroughfare through Fort Greene and Clinton Hill in return for much-needed quality of life improvements and marketing exposure for the area. Many commercial leases allow a owner to pass along the surcharge to his retail tenant; to help out tenants put out by this, the BID was able to offer $500 grants thanks to Council Member James and the Pratt Area Community Council. But there are plenty of merchants in support of the BID (especially after the recently concluded '21 Blocks in 21 Days' program where BID officials met block-by-block with all the business owners) and lots of reasons right now to be excited about the BID going forward. On April 17-18, the BID will be set up at the Putnam Triangle giving away 200 trees as a way to draw people down to the long-neglected stretch of Fulton; MET Foods, which was once a vocal opponent of the BID and is now featured on the organization's homepage, will be providing carts for tree delivery. Anything that replaces the illegal trade that has dominated this location for decades is a huge step in the right direction as far as we're concerned. On the same weekend, the BID is spearheading a graffiti-removal effort up and down the street. In June, the BID has a number of events, from street festivals to musical performances, in the works. And in the meantime, the BID continues to work on bringing planters, bike racks and green spaces to Fulton. With all these positive changes in the offing, it's still hard to reconcile why some businesses in Fort Greene and Clinton Hill remain resistant to the idea of investing in improvements that only stand to bring more consumer spending to the area when their counterparts on Fulton Street in Bed Stuy "get it". Update: In related news, PACC and Bed Stuy Restoration are putting on a "Roll Up The Gates" event on Fulton this weekend to attract new retailers to the area.
Fulton Street Businesses Still Wary of BID [NY Times]
Flushing Avenue Bike Lane Plans Revealed
The Department of Transportation presented its plans to remake Flushing Avenue as part of the ongoing master-planning of the 14-mile Brooklyn Greenway. Streetsblog, where this image first appeared, summed up the plan this way:
The Flushing Avenue project would construct a two-way bike path from Williamsburg Street West to Navy Street, separated from traffic by a nine-foot planted median. Vehicle traffic would travel in one westbound lane, between two lanes of parking. Only three curb cuts providing vehicle access to the Brooklyn Navy Yard would interrupt the bike path along the length of the project. Passengers on the B69 and B57 would disembark at bus bulbs constructed in the center median, with eastbound bus routes diverted to Park Avenue.
We're still not used to those weird parking lanes over on Kent, but hopefully that planted median will make this one work better. There's a planning workshop for the Greenway at Borough Hall on March 25th. You can also support the non-profit Greenway by attending the fundraiser tonight at ñ in Dumbo from 6 to 8 p.m.
Flushing to Get Two-Way Protected Bike Lane [Brooklyn Paper]
DOT Proposes Flushing Ave Bikeway [Streetsblog]
205 Water Street Plans Revealed at Community Board
Toll Brothers revealed its plans for a new residential development at 205 Water Street in the Dumbo Historic District to the members of Community Board 2's landmarks committee and ended up getting a very warm reception. According to the Brooklyn Paper, the committee found the design to be contextual and gave props to the developer for keeping the height of the project much lower than zoning regulations would allow: Instead of the maximum 12 stories, Toll's plan calls for most of the building to be seven stories, which one section rising to nine. “We loved the gritty nature of this industrial area, and that was our inspiration,” said Navid Maqami of GreenbergFarrow, the project’s architects, of the design submitted last night. “The rust colors, steel and concrete — these are what you find in DUMBO.” The design includes 67 market-rate apartments and 86 below-ground parking spaces. LPC itself will consider the project at its April 6 meeting. (Click on the image above to expand.)
CB2: This project takes no ‘Toll’ on DUMBO [Brooklyn Paper]
Toll Running 205 Water Plans Up the Flagpole [Brownstoner]
Deconstructing the 205 Water Street Deal [Brownstoner] GMAP
Toll Brothers Planning Large Dumbo Project [Brownstoner]
DUMBO Rezoning Passed (Without Much Fanfare) [Brownstoner]
Praying for the Variance Gods at 205 Water Street [Brownstoner]
Thursday Links
Taxi Agency Missed Scope of Cheating on Fares [NY Times]
It's Hard to Stop Using the Word 'Hipster' [NY Times]
Top Eateries Vying to Serve Booze at BBP [NY Post]
Pol's Suit Keeps on Trucking [NY Post]
Councilman Levin Comes Out Against Domino Project [NY Daily News]
Turning Gowanus Gunk into Glass [NY Daily News]
Landmarking Stirring Class Tensions in Carroll Gardens [Brooklyn Paper]
Photo by Emilio Guerra
Wednesday Blogwrap
Where to Dine on 5th [All About 5th]
Cyclone Opens [Bay Ridge Journal]
Chatting Chocolate Stout withGarrett Oliver [Serious Eats]
Astroland Owner to Sell Rides, at Last [Daily Intel]
The Early Word on Two Day Old Pulino's Bar & Pizzeria [Eater]
Photo by ultraclay! from the Brownstoner Flickr Pool.
Closing Bell: Navy Street Barricades As Promised
We told you on Monday that the National Guard had asked the city to cordon off part of the sidewalk on Navy Street over concerns about the structural instability of the Timber Shed. Well, the barricades are up, but it looks like it was the wall more than the shed that they were worried about.
Building of the Day: 2 and 3 Pierrepont Place
The BOTD is a no-frills look at interesting structures of all types and from all neighborhoods. There will be old, new, important, forgotten, public, private, good and bad. Whatever strikes our fancy. We hope you enjoy.
Address: 2 and 3 Pierrepont Place, between Montague and Pierrepont Streets
Name: Alexander M. White and Abiel Abbot Low Houses
Neighborhood: Brooklyn Heights ( Brooklyn Heights Historic District)
Year Built: 1857
Architectural Style: Italianate
Architect: Frederick A. Peterson
Landmarked: Yes
Why chosen: These twin mansions are called the “most elegant pair of brownstone mansions remaining in NY” by the AIA Guide. They are huge, rich, but architecturally simple homes befitting two of Brooklyn’s most wealthy and distinguished families. Alfred Treadway White, businessman and philanthropist grew up in #2. He was the builder of the Riverside, Tower, and Home Apartments, and Workman’s Cottages, as well as the Japanese Garden at the Botanical Garden. Abiel Low in # 3 (foreground), made a fortune on the Chinese tea trade, but his son, Seth, was one of the great Brooklynites of all time, becoming mayor of Brooklyn, and later greater New York City. A graduate of Columbia College, Seth Low is best remembered as president of that institution, turning the small college into Columbia University, buying its Morningside Heights location, and commissioning Charles Follen McKim to design the campus, including the great Abiel Abbot Low Library, which he paid for himself. Originally, a third mansion, designed by Richard Upjohn stood at #1 Pierrepont Place. That was the Henry Pierrepont mansion, which was torn down in 1946 to create the current children’s playground.
Some Directory Love
Five months in, and the Brownstoner Directory already has more than 110 members. A special subset of Directory advertisers have stepped up to the plate and created their own mini-sites, full-page marketing tools that enable the service provider to feature photos, testimonials, advice, etc. while benefiting from the SEO boost of being hosted on Brownstoner. You can check them out below:
A & A Chimney & Fireplace Co.
AllRenovation Construction LLC
aptsandlofts.com
Big Apple Chimney
Big Apple Moving
City Building Owners Insurance
Classic Tile Inc.
Ever-Nu Metal Products
Family Documentary Photos
Gateway Plumbing and Heating
Stan Gelber
Daniel Gershburg Esq PC
Green Light Expediting
Kings County Nurseries, Inc.
Madison Estates
Marvin Windows by Park Avenue Building Supply
Nemo Tile
Perfect Renovation
Petri Plumbing
Shibui - Japanese Antiques
St. John's Woodworking, Inc.
The Super Movers
Transcend Construction
Development Watch: Best Western Rising
The Best Western at 764 4th Avenue stalled out for a while last year because of a pesky Stop Work Order but in recent months it's cranked back up. It's topped out at ten stories and even has a few windows in now. Think people will stay there?
Development Watch: 4th Avenue Best Western [Brownstoner] GMAP P*Shark
Development Watch: Best Western Hits 4th Avenue [Brownstoner] DOB
Streetlevel: Appropriately Named Deli Coming to W'burg
What appears to be your run-of-the-mill deli is in the process of taking over the former Italian Ice spot at 357 Graham Avenue in Williamsburg. At least the owner has picked a name that should resonate with at least a portion of the area residents. GMAP
House of the Day: 100 Albany Avenue
This brownstone at 100 Albany Avenue in Crown Heights could use some touching up, but the new listing has some pretty nice bones to work with. The two-family house is only three stories though. Asking price: $559,000. What do you think?
100 Albany Avenue [Realty Collective] GMAP P*Shark
Co-op of the Day: 155 Lafayette Avenue, #5A
This one-bedroom at 155 Lafayette Avenue in Fort Greene just hit the market with a price tag of $369,000. The co-op apartment has nice light and high ceilings going for it and a reasonable monthly maintenance of $737. What do you make of it?
155 Lafayette Avenue, #5A [Corcoran] GMAP P*Shark
Brooklyn Food & Drink Round-Up
New Chef at Ceol
191 Smith Street (near Warren Street), Boerum Hill; (347) 643-9911
We just got word that Chef Marc Elliot, whom some of you may remember from Cobble Hill's now-closed Whim and Blue Star, is now running the kitchen at Ceol on Smith Street. He's replaced their frozen-then-fried Irish pub grub with items like crisp spicy artichoke hearts with homemade carrot ice cream ($9), a fresh, sustainable and environmentally-friendly catch-of-the-day (market price), hanger steak drizzled with horseradish-caper steak sauce and served with salad and bubble 'n' squeak ($16), and sticky caramel bread pudding ($5). He's got hot dogs, sliders, and an array of fries (with curry, Philly cheese, disco, or bacon and cheese) on the bar menu, too. Has anybody eaten here lately?
Opening This Week
Time Out New York reports that Little Skips, an art and music venue serving coffee, egg creams, and sandwiches, is opening at 941 Willoughby Avenue in Bushwick. TONY also notes that Kaz An Nou, the new "Guadeloupian-French" restaurant in Prospect Heights that we mentioned last week, is run by the husband-and-wife team behind Ivo & Lulu, one of our favorite little spots in Soho.
Coming Soon
Eater reports that St. Anselm, the new restaurant from the owners of Fette Sau looks almost ready to go. They'll be serving "Jersey diner-inspired fare such as hot dogs, homemade sausages, White Manna-style burgers... disco fries, and pork roll, AKA Taylor ham." ... Eater is also spreading a rumor that "Taavo Somer, he of the Rusty Knot and Freemans, is opening a restaurant on Wythe and South 2nd. The latest source notes it's going to be a wood burning pizza place."
After the jump: Early reviews of Fatty 'Cue and Greenpoint's veggie heaven...
110 Livingston 2BR Sells for Over Ask
What do you make of dem apples? Looks like our optimism was well-founded on this one.
Condo of the Day: 110 Livingston Street, #8O [Brownstoner]
110 Livingston Street, #8O [City Connections] GMAP P*Shark
374 Pacific Street Coming Up For Auction
The five-story brownstone at 374 Pacific Street, reputed to be Boerum Hill's largest, has long been the victim of neglect by its owner, Bruce Marlow. According to a tipster, the government is finally doing something about it. The New York City Sheriff's Office has scheduled an auction for the property on June 9 at 10:30 a.m. on the 9th floor of the Brooklyn Municipal Building. Many residents in the neighborhood are hoping that the shell of a building is bought by someone with the means and taste to restore the exterior to its former glory, so spread the word if you know any enlightened investment bankers. GMAP
Goldman Following Through on Bed Stuy Housing
Goldman Sachs may be plowing some of the profits it made from the subprime crisis back into one of the Brooklyn neighborhoods hit hardest by the meltdown. Two years ago, we reported that Goldman was teaming up with BRP (the developer behind The Clermont and the Home for Old Ladies) to build an 84-unit project with lots of affordable housing on the site of a row of abandoned walk-ups on Fulton Street between Marcus Garvey Boulevard and Albany Avenue in Bed Stuy. (The group ponied up close to $10 million in late 2007 for the buildings and air rights that come with them.) Yesterday, the Bed-Stuy Blog reported that a construction fence has gone up in front of the buildings in anticipation of a controlled demolition with asbestos in place; the abatement is set to begin within the next few days. For more background analysis of Goldman's Urban Investment Group, check out My Brooklyn Report. GMAP
Photo from Bed-Stuy Blog
Toll Running 205 Water Plans Up the Flagpole
The empty lot at 205 Water Street in Dumbo where Toll Brothers wants to build a new high-rise apartment building happens to sit within the boundaries of the Dumbo Historic District which means that the large developer needs sign-off from the Landmarks Preservation Commission before it can get the Department of Buildings to grant building permits. Toll will be presenting its design for the 10-story building to LPC commissioners on April 6, reports Crain's, but before that happens, the developer will have to do its song-and-dance in front of Community Board 2's landmarks committee tonight. Toll's plans, at a time when project financing has virtually disappeared, reflect a stong faith in the strength of the Dumbo market. "Besides Brooklyn Heights, this is the only desirable place in Brooklyn where we would want to do a project now,” said Toll's top dog for Brooklyn David Von Spreckelsen.
Toll Advances Plans for Dumbo Tower [Crain's]
Deconstructing the 205 Water Street Deal [Brownstoner]
Toll Brothers Planning Large Dumbo Project [Brownstoner]
DUMBO Rezoning Passed (Without Much Fanfare) [Brownstoner] GMAP
Praying for the Variance Gods at 205 Water Street [Brownstoner] P*Shark
Nasty Car Crash on Navy Street
At some point in the last hour, there was a nasty two-car smash up on Navy Street right where Concord Street hits the park. There were several fire engines and ambulances on the scene when we passed by 15 minutes ago, and people were getting taken away on stretchers. Anyone witness this?
Wednesday Links
Fed Affirms Plan to End Mortgage Intervention [NY Times]
Handmade Tokens from a Brooklyn Artist [NY Times]
City Restaurants Required to Post Cleanliness Grades [NY Times]
Head of Arabic-Language School Resigns [NY Times]
Meet the Guy Behind Gnarly Vines [NY Times]
Cyclone Yes, Astroland No This Summer [NY Post]
Top Picks for Kiddie Activities in Brooklyn [NY Daily News]
Weekend Storm Topples Shoddy House in Manhattan Beach [NY Daily News]
New Look for 86th Street R Station [Courier]
W'burg Bridge to Get Safer for Bikers [Brooklyn Paper]
Kensington Stables Get a Reprieve [Brookyn Paper]
CB2 Approves First Phase of City Point Build [Brooklyn Eagle]
Extensive Tree Damage at Green-Wood Cemetery [Brooklyn Eagle]
Brooklyn Restaurant Week Underway [NY1]
Dark Monolith Appears on Metropolitan Avenue [Curbed]
Photo by Frank Lynch
Tuesday Blogwrap
Official Statement of CG Courtyard Expansion [PMFA]
Second Fatal Shooting this Month [The Local]
Peter Shapiro, Brooklyn Bowl [Gothamist]
Fatty ‘Cue: Sneak Peak [Brooklyn Based]
Love and Longevity at Union Max [TWOCS]
Photo by flatbushnelson from the Brownstoner Flickr Pool.
Closing Bell: Best Chow in Brooklyn?
The Daily News tackles one of those impossible tasks--compiling a list of what they call the best food in Brooklyn. Winners include the Gyro Cart in Bay Ridge, Armando's in Canarsie and Tom's (above) in Prospect Heights.
Best of the boros: Food in Brooklyn [Brownstoner]
Photo by little fluffy dots
Building of the Day: 29 Third Avenue
Brooklyn Central Dispensary. 29 Third Ave, near Atlantic Avenue. Boerum Hill. George L. Morse, architect of redesign. 1890.
The BOTD is a no-frills look at interesting structures of all types and from all neighborhoods. There will be old, new, important, forgotten, public, private, good and bad. Whatever strikes our fancy. We hope you enjoy.
Address: 29 Third Avenue, between Atlantic Avenue and State Street
Name: Brooklyn Central Dispensary
Neighborhood: Boerum Hill
Year Built: probably 1860’s, but redesigned in 1890
Architectural Style: Queen Anne over original Greek Revival
Architect: George L. Morse (redesign)
Landmarked: No
Why chosen: The Bklyn Central Dispensary was a charitable medical organization founded in 1855, in a building on nearby Flatbush and Nevins. The facility provided free treatment and medicines to indigent patients. This new building opened to much fanfare in November of 1890. The Dispensary originally had the clinic on the ground floor, with a waiting room, exam and operating rooms and a pharmacy. The second floor had offices, a dentist’s office, and rest rooms. The third floor housed the pharmacist and his wife, and the top floor, the “janitress”. The Dispensary treated over 14,000 patients in its first year in the space. Only the pharmacist and janitress collected salaries. Today, the building is co-ops.
Development Watch: 307 Atlantic All Glassed Up
When we checked in last month with 307 Atlantic Avenue, the 25-unit rental project had a few windows in place. Now it's got them all, and they're nice big windows too.
Development Watch: 307 Atlantic Avenue [Brownstoner]
Development Watch: 307 Atlantic Avenue [Brownstoner]
Development Watch: 307 Atlantic Really Cruising Now [Brownstoner]
Development Watch: 307 Atlantic Avenue [Brownstoner] GMAP DOB
Development Watch: 307 Atlantic Avenue, Post Demo [Brownstoner]
Development Watch: 307 Atlantic Avenue [Brownstoner]
Streetlevel: New Coffee Shop on 23rd st and 4th Ave
Right under the huge apartment complex known as 725 4th Ave, three brand new stores have opened up in the past month, a convent store, a pizza place and now Jules Coffee House. No word yet on what brand of coffee or food they will serve but Alex Jones, who is the super of 725 4th Ave, is the contractor in charge of construction. One block away on 24th st, is a 24-hour Dunkin’ Donuts that’s windows are now proudly covered in advertisement for their Waffle Breakfast Sandwich. One block north of Jules is On The Corner Delicatessen, which was just named the best bodega in Brooklyn by L Magazine and serves up some amazing coffee and sandwiches. Tough competition? GMAP
Continue reading "Streetlevel: New Coffee Shop on 23rd st and 4th Ave"
House of the Day: 1201 Dean Street
This one-family limestone house at 1201 Dean Street in Crown Heights has a lot going for it: It's big, has tons of beautiful old woodwork and has recently had its kitchens and bathrooms updated. The asking price is $849,000, which only comes out to about $225 a foot. You like?
1201 Dean Street [Douglas Elliman] GMAP P*Shark
Condo of the Day: 535 Dean Street, #616
Can you say 'bachelor pad'? This loft at the Newswalk Building in Prospect Heights looks like it was designed for a party. It's more than 1,100 square feet and designed with an open plan; the high-ceilings don't hurt either. The combined monthly charge of $892 is quite reasonable, as is the asking price of $599,000, we think. Of course, there is one small downside: We hear that some small-time developer may be doing some work across the street for the next 15 or 20 years.
535 Dean Street [Corcoran] GMAP P*Shark
Brooklyn Bridge Park's Pier 1 Coming Together
Last Thursday we were lucky enough to get a tour, along with 40 or so potential food vendors, of Pier 1 at Brooklyn Bridge Park. As you can see from these photos, it's pretty spectacular—and not that far from being finished. We'll have a follow-up post tomorrow with a close look at the toddler playground. In the meantime, make sure you check out photos #8 and #9 of the grand steps that were built with granite recycled from the Roosevelt Island Bridge. When those summer sunsets roll around, this will be about the best seat in Brooklyn!
Last Week's Biggest Sales
1. GRAVESEND $2,650,000
2090 East 4th Street GMAP
This was one of our Biggest Sales in July 2008, when it sold for $2,000,000. PropertyShark says it's a 1-fam, 4,290-sf house with a garage. Entered into contract on 2/12/10; closed on 2/12/10; deed recorded on 3/11/10.
2. PROSPECT HEIGHTS $2,545,625
1 Grand Army Plaza; 3F GMAP
This 3,199-sf condo in the Richard Meier On Prospect Park has 4 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms, says PropertyShark. According to its listing, it offers "stunning, unobstructed views of Grand Army Plaza" through "floor-to-ceiling wall-to-wall glass," as well as "spacious living/dining rooms, balcony, master suite with oversized walk in closet, guest suite, separate laundry room and pantry." Entered into contract on 1/29/10; closed on 2/24/10; deed recorded on 3/11/10.
3. COBBLE HILL $2,250,000
143 Amity Street GMAP
Listed as a "5 story 4 family brownstone, used as a grand 1 family," this was a House of the Day when it hit the market in June '09 at the whopping asking price of $3,900,000. According to PropertyShark, the price was reduced by 23% in December and listed at $2,995,000. Entered into contract on 1/13/10; closed on 3/8/10; deed recorded on 3/12/10.
4. PARK SLOPE $1,675,000
159 6th Avenue GMAP
This 4,332-sf, 2-family brownstone was built in 1901, according to PropertyShark. Entered into contract on 11/11/09; closed on 1/28/10; deed recorded on 3/10/10.
5. PARK SLOPE $1,660,000
702 President Street GMAP
This 3-family brownstone was originally listed at $1,895,000 in June '09, says StreetEasy, and it was an Open House Pick back in October, when the asking price decreased by 6% to $1,695,000. Entered into contract on 12/1/09; closed on 2/16/10; deed recorded on 3/11/10.
Photos from Property Shark and Richard Meier on Prospect Park.
Walkabout: Turn, Turn, Turn Verein
The Turn Verein Hall, Eastern District. Corner of Gates and Bushwick, Bushwick. Old Tully Mansion with new wings. Postcard dated 1906
I look at all kinds of on-line sources of old pictures of Brooklyn for research, and recently came across an old postcard for a Brooklyn building with the caption “Turn Verein – Brooklyn”. Never having heard the phrase, and curious as to where the building was, and what “Turn Verein” meant, I did some investigating.
In 1811, German gymnasium instructor Friedrich Ludwig Jahn, disgusted with his country’s losses to Napoleon, came to the conclusion that part of the loss was due to the lack of physical conditioning of the average German soldier. He came up with an elaborate regimen of strength training through gymnastics, naming his program and fitness philosophy turn verein, (pronounced tooorn fe-rahn) from the German verb “turen” meaning to perform gymnastic exercises, and “verein”, the word for club or organization. The motto of the Turn Verein was “Frisch, Fromm, Fröhlich, Frei.” (Hardy, Pious, Cheerful, Free) Jahn is credited as the father of modern gymnastics, and was the inventor of the balance beam, horizontal and parallel bars, as well as the vaulting horse. He established Turn Verein clubs across much of a non-unified Germany, but was jailed for his ultra nationalist sentiments in the 1820’s. (He also had problems with Catholics, Jews and the French) The government put strong restrictions on the Turn Veriens during this period, and when he was released, Jahn fades from the leadership of the movement he created. By the 1840’s, restrictions had been lifted, and the growth of gymnastics clubs throughout the German states was tremendous. Membership was expanded to include non-gymnasts, called “Friends of Turnen”, and the clubs were engaged in the creation of libraries, reading rooms and lectures, many of them of a liberal political nature, attracting workers and students. Many of the Turnen established classes for children and some even encouraged women to train. Jews were not denied admission, and some became leaders of local Turnen branches. Large elaborate gymnastic festivals were staged, and the Turnen called for national unity in this land of separate states. In 1848, revolution erupted in an unsuccessful drive for German unification, and it was during this period that thousand of Germans first came to the United States.
DOB's Most Violated?
Which building has the most DOB violations in Brooklyn? Beehive Hairdresser thinks he's found it: 2300 Cropsey Avenue. According to the blog, the stalled Bath Beach development has 38 active violations and $69,000 of outstanding penalties. "The DOB appears to be powerless with regard to having the ability to enforce anything and the owners appear to think that DOB summons as well as other official notes need to fade out in the sun," says the blog. GMAP
Part of 490 Fulton Streets Sells
Apparently, a number of buildings on Fulton Street have complicated, multi-party ownership structures. What's more, when the stakes trade, perhaps in an effort to clarify the complicated ownership structures, they tend to be recorded by deed. One such transaction just occurred at 490 Fulton Street, where a 14.3% stake in the 270,000-square-foot commercial building just traded for just under $6,500,000. If our calculations are correct, the price comes out to $167 per square foot. Now if they could just get some ground-floor retail tenants in there, they'd be all set! GMAP
Bullish Words from One Brownstone Brooklyn Broker
We asked a broker we know and trust how things are going. Here was the response:
It is extremely busy. Buyers are out in droves. A lot of them have their places sold already or in contract and are very motivated. Or else they are just extremely motivated based on interest rates, lame rental selection out there and lower prices to buy. Now we are seeing deals come together fast for a lot of listings and a fair number of places are having 6-15 people bidding on them within the first couple of weeks a property comes on the market. Location is a big selling point now. Prime in all the neighborhoods we serve moves very fast. It is interesting how things changes so suddenly after January 1. It will be interesting to see whether this will translate to more listings coming on the market when sellers start realizing things are moving briskly, or if inventory will still stay low, which could (gasp…) raise prices down the road. 'Never enough inventory' is a constant mantra brokers and buyers are saying for prime properties.
Interesting, no?
McSam Bailing on Nevins Hotel
It looks like McSam is bailing on Downtown Brooklyn. The prolific hotel developer had at one point been planning to build a 12-story Hyatt Place Hotel at the corner of Schermerhorn and Nevins Streets, but the property is now on the market with Massey Knakal with a price tag of $5,000,000. According to the listing, the lucky buyer will be able to put up a 90,000-square-foot building (assuming they take advantage of the inclusionary zoning bonus). Any takers?
Development Watch: 46 Nevins Street [Brownstoner] GMAP
Development Watch: 46 Nevins Street [Brownstoner] P*Shark
Development Watch: 46 Nevins Street [Brownstoner] DOB
Tuesday Links
Dollar Slices Catching on Around the City [NY Times]
Garbled Sirens in Red Hook Just a Test [NY Times]
Cleaning a Canal, but Not Writing About It [NY Times]
Old Coots Take Brooklyn Street Fight to Court [NY Post]
$16 Million Greenway Rolling Out [NY Post]
Brooklyn Resident Without Power Blasts Con Ed [NY Daily News]
Markowitz Echoes CB1's Concerns About Domino [Brooklyn Eagle]
Battle over Broadway Triangle Begins in Court [Brooklyn Paper]
Another Big Boerum Hill Prostitution Bust [Brooklyn Paper]
Storm Damages Historic Brooklyn Cemetery [NY1]
Paul Giamatti Buys in Brooklyn Heights [Real Estalker]
It's Newtown Creek's Time to Stink [Curbed]
Photo by jpotisch
Monday Blogwrap
Spring Ahead, (Bike) Map Your Route Now... [Brooklyn Born]
Brooklyn Historical Society Receives $440,000 Grant [Brooklyn Heights Blog]
Vigil Tonight For Hate Crime Victim [Cobble Hill Blog]
Thieves Break Into Bank, Take Nothing [Gothamist]
‘Diamond’ Cheerleaders Need Funding for Competition [The Local]
The Bed-Stuy Farm Share Accepting Applications for 2010 [Bed-Stuy Blog]
Photo by Digiart2001 | jason.kuffer from the Brownstoner Flickr Pool.
Closing Bell: New 'Organic' Jungle Gym for Prospect Park
There's something new for the kids to climb on at the 3rd Street playground in Prospect Park. From the looks of this photo, though, it won't be around for long.
Building of the Day: 317 Clermont Avenue
Brooklyn Masonic Temple, 317 Clermont Avenue at corner of Lafayette Ave. Fort Greene. Lord and Hewlett, Pell and Corbett, architects. 1906.
The BOTD is a no-frills look at interesting structures of all types and from all neighborhoods. There will be old, new, important, forgotten, public, private, good and bad. Whatever strikes our fancy. We hope you enjoy.
Address: 317 Clermont Avenue, corner of Lafayette Ave.
Name: Brooklyn Masonic Temple
Neighborhood: Fort Greene (Fort Greene Historic District)
Year Built: 1906
Architectural Style: Neo-Classical
Architects: Lord & Hewlett and Pell &Corbett
Landmarked: Yes
Why chosen: Thirty-five lodges joined in the building of this magnificent Masonic Temple. The size and design alone would have been impressive, especially in this location, but what makes this building a masterpiece is the use of polychrome glazed terra-cotta. The colors rise to the roof, with green, yellow, blue, sienna and cream in a joyous profusion of ornamental detail. This is one of the earliest and best polychrome terra-cotta buildings in New York City. The interior boasts a 1000 seat, 4 story auditorium on the ground floor, 3 story lodge rooms above, and a double height room above that. One of the architects, James Monroe Hewlett, was also responsible for the drawings that became the Sky Ceiling Fresco in Grand Central Terminal.
348 Clermont's Architectural Archaeology
With most of the facade removed and much of the exposed side wall demolished, 348 Clermont Avenue provides an interesting and entertaining (if you can forget for a second the tragedy of the situation) look at some of the old architectural elements. Most notably, the outline of the stairs on the southern wall and a lone fireplace holding on for dear life. Also, if you're the salvaging type, there are a handful of joists just lying in the street out in front.
348 Clermont Demo Well Underway [Brownstoner]
348 Clermont Avenue Getting Demolished [Brownstoner]
Streetlevel: Fatty 'Cue Coming Soon
We've been waiting a long time for Fatty 'Cue. "The idea for a Southeast Asian–tinged BBQ spot struck Zak Pelaccio (Fatty Crab, Cabrito) and Robbie Richter (Hill Country) in 2005, when the two smoked a hog for a friend’s wedding—and in the process married Richter’s ’cue savvy with Pelaccio’s love of Eastern flavors," Time Out New York reported, back in the spring of '09. As of last week, there was still tape on the windows, but we heard a rumor that there might be a friends-and-family opening party within the next week. Metromix says that Fatty 'Cue "will not serve traditional sauce-meets-pork barbecue, but rather smoked meats paired with astringent and aromatic herbs like dried and fresh chiles, young ginger, and Vietnamese mint, finished with flaming sauces and lacquers... Two antique hickory smokers will be housed in an adjacent driveway, near heated outdoor seating." GMAP
House of the Day: 122 Bond Street
This three-story brick house at 122 Bond Street just hit the market at the relatively accessible (for the nabe) price of $1,625,000. The single-family house also recently underwent a major renovation, which by and large looks nicely done. So what do you think of that price? We could see it going for pretty close to that.
122 Bond Street [Brooklyn Hearth] GMAP P*Shark
Co-op of the Day: 1 Pierrepont Street 3BR
A massive apartment at Brooklyn Heights' swankiest address has just hit the market. This high-floor three-bedroom co-op at 1 Pierrepont Street has been under the same ownership for three decades and retains much of its original charm, though the apartment does sport a large, recently renovated kitchen with all the trappings. The monthly maintenance is $3,640 and the asking price is $4,500,000. We'll be mighty surprised if this asking price is achieved. After all, the most recent sale in the building was a four-bedroom that went for just $3,150,000 after dramatic price cuts. Update: As a commenter points out, Property Shark and StreetEasy both have the wrong sales price for 8A. As per city records, the actual sales price was $4,650,000. How does that change your outlook?
1 Pierrepont Street 3BR [Corcoran] GMAP P*Shark
Continue reading "Co-op of the Day: 1 Pierrepont Street 3BR"
Organic Food Market Coming to Myrtle
This may be the first photo tip we've received via Twitter...a few minutes ago, @mrsbetsygood tweeted this photo of the new signage that just went up at 365 Myrtle Avenue, underneath The Clermont and right next to Walgreens. It may not be a supermarket, but it's still a nice hook-up for folks who live nearby, dontcha think? GMAP
Architect's Journal: Park Slope Brownstone
Today James Cleary of James Cleary Architecture walks us through a recent renovation. If you'd like to write about one of your projects, please send us an email at brownstoner@brownstoner.com.
The new owners of a three story central Park Slope brownstone hired us to transform the building into an open, light-filled home for their family of four on a budget that was reasonable but not to be exceeded. The building had been used for years as an illegal two-family, with interiors that had not been touched since a decades-old down-and-dirty renovation that stripped much of the original detail from two of the building's floors and left the interiors feeling cramped. It was clear from day one that all new plumbing, electrical, and mechanical systems, including central air conditioning, would be required. After the initial design studies were completed, the owners and I agreed that the existing layout did not work with the owner's program, so the interior partitions - including the interior bearing wall that ran the length of the building on each floor - were all demolished.
In the new layout, the parlor floor contains all the home’s social spaces, and has been completely opened up so that the kitchen, living, and dining areas share one grand space. The parlor floor was the only area with intact original details, and the renovation’s design creates a sense of play between those details and newer, contemporary elements. In the center of the floor, the dining room walls and ceiling are wrapped in a wallpapered ‘liner,’ which gives the area a unique feel, and at the same time carefully conceals the HVAC system, drain lines coming down from the third floor bathroom, and the building’s risers. To maximize storage space, the full height and width of one wall of the kitchen conceals a series of pantry cabinets whose face has been painted with blackboard paint, allowing the children to draw on the wall while dinner’s being prepared, or spouses to jot a note about what time they’ll be back from the gym.
The garden floor...
Continue reading "Architect's Journal: Park Slope Brownstone"
Timber Shed To Be Stabilized While Admiral's Row Drags On
Biking past the Timber Shed at the southwest corner of the Brooklyn Navy Yard on Thursday we spotted a couple of men in hard hats poking around in a second-story window. (As you may recall, the Timber Shed is one of only two structures on Admiral's Row that was slated, as of last May, to be preserved.) The spotting was curious enough to merit an email to the National Guard Bureau to see what was up. Turns out that The Guard recently performed a structural assessment of the historic building and, not surprisingly, found that it was "unstable and may be further vulnerable to collapse with impending weather conditions." (And that was before the biblical rains of this past weekend!) As a result, The Guard has asked the city to cordon off the sidewalk and bus stop outside the shed and will be moving ahead quickly with efforts to stabilize (i.e. brace) the building. There was another structural assessment performed on Friday, the results of which we hope to have soon. In this case, time continues to be the enemy of preservation, so let's hope that this stabilization process can forestall any worsening of the building's condition to a point where those who want to tear it down will get their way. Meanwhile, in related news, we haven't heard a peep about how the RFP process for a 40,000-square-foot supermarket adjacent to the Timber Shed is going.
It's Curtains for Most of Admiral's Row [Brownstoner]
Navy Yard Kicks Off Supermarket RFP Process [Brownstoner]
Avalon Leases On
Avalon Fort Greene, the 631-unit rental development nearing completion at the corner of Flatbush and Myrtle Avenues, continues to sign leases at a healthy pace. According to the Brooklyn Eagle, 240 leases have now been signed and 175 units are now occupied; back in January, 176 apartment had been rented. (That comes out to about one apartment a day over the last couple of months, according to our math.) Avalon is a current advertiser on Brownstoner. GMAP
Tough Slog for Downtown Brooklyn Office Market
The new residential projects in Downtown Brooklyn may be chugging along despite broader setbacks in the local and national economies, but the state of the area's commercial real estate is having a tougher time of it. According to an article in Crain's, there were only three new office leases last year in excess of 30,000 square feet: One at 470 Vanderbilt, one at MetroTech and one at 1 Pierrepont Plaza. “The market is a mixed picture, with a vacancy rate that is lower than almost any major office market in America, but it's a very slow-moving market," said Chris Havens, chief executive of Brooklyn-based brokerage Creative Real Estate Group. Crain's argues that Downtown Brooklyn has suffered from a double-whammy: A recession that has seen companies of all stripes cutting back on their need for space coupled with declining office rents in prime areas of Manhattan. “It's hard to see who would have an appetite for large chunks of office space in downtown Brooklyn,” says Marisa Manley, president of Commercial Tenant Real Estate Representation. The slow pace of new leases may not be the real problem, though; instead, the big question is whether the large existing tenants, many of them back-office operations of large Manhattan-based firms, will renew.
Downtown Brooklyn Losing Its Big Edge [Crain's]
BSA Shows Rare Cojones in Carroll Street Rebuke
It shouldn't come as a surprise based on earlier comments, but the Board of Standards and Appeals' final ruling against the developers of 580 Carroll Street is still noteworthy because, well, it's a ruling against a developer from a group that historically has bent over back to accommodate developers. This case, which we've followed ad nauseam as the links below indicated, involved the developer's request to build three townhouses in the front yard of a five-story Enrique Norten-designed glass building in Park Slope. The request was based on a claim of hardship deriving from the discovery of underground concrete bunkers whose removal added unforeseen expense to the project. The BSA wasn't buying it: "The applicant's inability to realize a reasonable return is due to mismanagement rather than actual costs...any hardship claimed by the applicant is self-created." Ouch.
BSA Shoots Down Controversial Slope Addition [NY Post]
No Means No for Garfield Sparta [Curbed]
City Rejects Norten’s Park Slope Project [Brooklyn Paper]
580 Carroll-BSA Journey To End Next Month [Brownstoner]
580 Carroll-BSA Saga Drags On! [Brownstoner]
BSA Smacks Down 580 Carroll Hardship Claim...For Now [Brownstoner]
580 Carroll Developers Cite Chambers of Horror [Brownstoner]
Development Watch: 580 Carroll Gets Its Glass On [Brownstoner]
BSA Postpones Decision on Carroll St Norten Again [Brownstoner]
580 Carroll Decision Postponed [Brownstoner]
Slope Rallies Against 580 Carroll, Rags on the BSA [Brownstoner]
Battle Over Carroll St. Norten Build Heats Up This Week [Brownstoner]
CB6 Doesn't Buy Carroll Street Hardship Claim [Brownstoner]
580 Carroll Developer Trying to Supersize Norten Project [Brownstoner]
Development Watch: 580 Carroll Street [Brownstoner] GMAP
Enrique Norten-Designed Project in Park Slope Revealed [Brownstoner]
Four Developments Coming to One Stretch of Carroll [Brownstoner]
Photo by Denton Taylor
Hannah Sennesh Shalt Not Build on Courtyard
On Friday, Hannah Senesh, a 152-seat private Jewish day school in Carroll Gardens, announced it was officially dropping its plans to try to circumvent a 160-year-old zoning law in an effort to erect a two-story building on an empty lot at the corner of Smith Street and First Place. News that the school had hired a lobbyist in December to gain an exemption to the city law that treats all front yards on the "Place" blocks of Carroll Gardens as public space resulted in a huge backlash from area residents and lots of bad publicity for the school and outgoing City Council Member Bill de Blasio, who had sponsored the change. “We were most afraid that once law changed for [Hannah Senesh] other people would get the same idea and it would be changed again, and the signature courtyards would vanish, corner by corner,” Triada Samaras, a member of the group Carroll Gardens Coalition for Respectful Development, told The Brooklyn Paper. Since then State Senator Daniel Squadron, State Assemblywoman Joan Millman, and Councilman Brad Lander have all come out against amending the law. "Their plan would have set a dangerous precedent," said Millman in a statement on Friday. "The courtyards are an integral part of Carroll Garden’s charm and character and must be protected."
School Comes to Its Seneshes [Brooklyn Paper] GMAP
Hannah Sennesh Backs Off Plans to Expand [PMFA]
Photo from Pardon Me For Asking
Weekday Events
Dine in Brooklyn
It’s once again time for Dine In Brooklyn, when $25 will get you a three-course prix-fixe dinner at 175 participating restaurants, giving you a chance to sample some of the great eats our borough has to offer without making your bank account cry. Special lunch menus (at $20.10 a person) are on offer, too. Reservations fill up fast, so make yours soon. Dine In Brooklyn ends March 25. Monday, March 15.
CHCA Meeting
The Crow Hill Community Association is having its monthly meeting this Tuesday. The meeting will include community updates, a guest speaker, and important census information. Refreshments will be served. All are welcome. Tuesday, March 16. 7:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. Free. 721 Franklin Ave.
Book Reading
What is it like doing the back-breaking work of low-wage immigrants? To find out, Gabriel Thompson spent the year working alongside Latino immigrants, who initially thought he was either crazy or an undercover immigration agent. Gabriel Thompson's new book, "Working in the Shadows", shines a bright light on the underside of the American economy, exposing harsh working conditions, union busting, and lax government enforcement—while telling the stories of workers, undocumented immigrants and desperate US citizens alike, forced to live with chronic pain in the pursuit of $8 an hour. To RSVP to this reading, you can email rsvp@prattarea.org or call 718-522-2613 x 14. Tuesday, March 16. 7:30 p.m. Free with RSVP. 686 Fulton Street, Greenlight Bookstore.
Please send your events listings to events@brownstoner.com
Monday Links
Cabbies Cheat? Riders Express No Surprise [NY Times]
City to Reconsider Law Against Beekeeping [NY Times]
NYCHA to Get $230 Million in Federal Aid [NY Times]
'Life Tenants' Complicate Greenpoint House Sale [NY Times]
Shopkeepers Unsure About Atlantic Yards Impact [NY Times]
Great Time to Buy (Famous Last Words) [NY Times]
Longer Response Times in Downtown Brooklyn [NY Post]
Decatur Street Fire Kills One Man [NY Post]
Who Owns The Best Domain Names in NYC? [NY Daily News]
A Final Twirl at Wollman Rink [NY Daily News]
City Embarks on Broad Plan for Waterfront [Courier]
Prospect Park a Macabre Crime Scene [Brooklyn Paper]
Councilman Levin Comes Out Against Domino [Brooklyn Paper]
David Yassky Nominated at TLC Commissioner [Brooklyn Eagle]
Court Says Buyers Can’t Get Money Back [TRD]
Photo by triebensee
BREAKING: Car on Fire on Brooklyn Bridge
A few moments ago a car on the Manhattan-bound, Brooklyn-side of the Brooklyn Bridge caught on fire. Dramatic smoke. Multiple fire engines on the scene. Fire appears to be out now. Update: Great set of photos here. And another one here.
Latest Restaurant Additions
-
Cariño
added September 2, 2010 12:00 PM in Williamsburg -
Il Cantuccio
added September 1, 2010 12:00 PM in Carroll Gardens -
Double Windsor
added August 31, 2010 12:00 PM in Windsor Terrace -
Blue Bottle Coffee
added August 30, 2010 12:00 PM in Williamsburg -
Vamos al Tequila
added August 27, 2010 12:00 PM in Greenpoint -
Cafe Colette
added August 26, 2010 12:00 PM in Williamsburg -
Cafe Grumpy
added August 25, 2010 12:00 PM in Greenpoint, Park Slope -
Miranda
added August 24, 2010 12:00 PM in Williamsburg -
Van Leeuwen Artisan Ice Cream
added August 23, 2010 12:00 PM in Greenpoint -
Saltie
added August 20, 2010 12:00 PM in Williamsburg