Ditmas Park
November 16, 2009
Ditmas Park Gets the 'Living In' Treatment
'Tis the season to love on Victorian Flatbush, it seems, and the latest story in that vein comes from this weekend's "Living in..." article about Ditmas Park in the Times. The piece describes Cortelyou's retail and dining options as a neighborhood anchor and, increasingly, a big lure for new and old residents. There's also an interesting snapshot of Ditmas Park's real estate climate: Area broker Mary Kay Gallagher says that following the $1 million-mark being passed for houses in the area in the past decade, Victorians usually start at around $900,000. Another broker, however, says the down market is resulting in home prices as low as $800,000 and that "We haven’t seen these kinds of numbers in, I’d say, well over 10 years." Ditmas Park Blog'sreaction to the story notes that while its descriptions of the area's gorgeous housing stock and evolving dining scene are on the mark, it neglects to mention DP's team spirit: "We came for the space, but we stayed because we like our neighbors, the laid back feel of the place, and the fact that folks like to slow down and enjoy each others’ company."
Living in...Ditmas Park [NY Times]
Moved for the Space, Stayed For... [Ditmas Park Blog]
Photo by florence wang
November 10, 2009
Purple Yam Opens Today
Purple Yam, the long awaited Filipino restaurant from the former owners of Cendrillon in Soho, opens today at 1314 Cortelyou Road in Ditmas Park. New York Magazine has a slideshow of the restaurant's interiors and Ditmas Park Blog has a post about Sunday's soft opening; Nelson Ryland has some photos posted on Flickr from the soft opening as well. Are all of you Victorian Flatbushers psyched or what? GMAP
Photo by Konstantin Sergeyev for New York Magazine
September 3, 2009
House of the Day: 790 Rugby Road
This one-family Tudor at 790 Rugby Road just hit the market with an asking price of $875,000. While the exterior doesn't look all that, the interior (except for the kitchen!) is pretty spiffy in an old-school kinda way. Plus, the house comes with a two-car garage. Doesn't seem like a bad deal to us.
790 Rugby Road [Brooklyn Properties] GMAP P*Shark
September 1, 2009
House of the Day: 694 East 17th Street
This five-bedroom house at 694 East 17th Street in Ditmas Park just hit the market with an asking price of $1,249,000. It's got plenty of old-school charm (parquet floors, stained glass, beamed ceilings) but we're not loving the recently renovated kitchen. How 'bout you?
694 East 17th Street [Douglas Elliman] GMAP P*Shark
August 24, 2009
Co-op of the Day: 385 Argyle Road, #3J
This one bedroom co-op at 385 Argyle Road in Ditmas Park is nothing fancy but, at 820 square feet and with some prewar character, it's also a pretty solid starter apartment. The maintenance is quite reasonable at $513 per month. We'd be surprised, however, if it fetched the asking price of $309,000. More like 10 percent south of that, we'd guess.
385 Argyle Road, #3J [Brooklyn Hearth] GMAP P*Shark
August 5, 2009
House of the Day: 439 East 19th Street
We're liking the look of this single-family house at 439 East 19th Street in Ditmas Park—the original built-ins and coffered ceilings are stunning. The 2,800-square-foot house changed hands in 2002 for $775,000 and just hit the market now for $1,249,000. That comes out to about $450 per square foot, less than what this house a couple of blocks away recently sold for.
[Brooklyn Hearth] GMAP P*Shark
July 30, 2009
City Council Approves Two Three More Rezonings
We don't have much to go on other than a couple of tweets that came across the transom last night (see, non-believers, Twitter can be useful!), but apparently, the City Council approved two three rezonings (in addition to the Coney Island vote) yesterday, the Greenpoint-Williamsburg Contextual Rezoning and the Flatbush Rezoning. Way to go! Update: And Dumbo too!
July 2, 2009
House of the Day: 664 Westminster Road
This three-story Victorian House at 664 Westminster Road in Ditmas Park was an Open House Pick back in early May when it hit the market asking $995,000; the price was reduced to $939,000 at the end of May and then again to its current price of $895,000 at the beginning of June. The house clearly has a lot of charm so that means it should only be a matter of finding the right price. What do you think?
664 Westminster Road [Brooklyn Properties] GMAP P*Shark
June 19, 2009
City Planning Approves Flatbush Rezoning
Three and a half months after certifying the Flatbush Rezoning Plan for the public review process, the City Planning Commission gave its official seal of approval to the ne set of contextual building rules for the 180-block area that encompasses, among others, Caton Park, Beverley Square West and East, Ditmas Park West, and South Midwood. All that's left before this baby becomes law is sign-off from the City Council, which is likely to happen in late July. For details on the rezoning, check out the City Planning website.
CPC approves Flatbush Rezoning Proposal [Flatbush Gardener]
City Planning OK's Flatbush Rezoning Plan for ULURP [Brownstoner]
Flatbush Rezoning in the Works [Brownstoner]
June 11, 2009
House of the Day: 1600 Dorchester Road
This beautiful Victorian house at 1600 Dorchester Road has the distinction of having the only in-ground pool in Ditmas Park. And what a tastefully-done pool it is (especially when compared to what most pools in Brooklyn look like)! The interior of the house is gorgeous as well, with beautiful old floors and tastefully remodeled bathrooms. There should be no shortage of potential buyers coveting this place, the question is whether they will be willing to pay the asking price of $1,525,000. What do you think?
1600 Dorchester Road [Corcoran] GMAP P*Shark
June 9, 2009
House of the Day: 1809 Glenwood Road
It takes a little vision to look past some of the aesthetics of this listing at 1809 Glenwood Road, but if you look closely you can see the downers are mostly skin deep. Remove the tacky furniture and occasional strip of track lighting, and this three-bedroom house would show pretty nicely. It's got some very nice bones in the form of front-hall columns, fireplaces and built-in cabinetry. Not so sure about the price though: It's asking $1,275,000. Reactions?
1809 Glenwood Road [Ditmas Estates] GMAP P*Shark
May 14, 2009
Can Ditmas Park Save The Middle Class?
Despite tremendous quality-of-life gains, more residents left New York City in 2006 than in 1993. (Brooklyn was the one borough that bucked that trend.) The main reason, says an article from the American Enterprise Institute, is the the rising cost of living for middle-class families. In fact, New York now has the lowest rate of middle-income families of any city; and, except for Los Angeles, it also has the smallest percentage of middle-income neighborhoods. One exception—and a model for the future—is Ditmas Park:
The ‘place’ Ellen and Joe looked for was not just a physical location but something less tangible: a sense of community and a neighborhood to raise their hoped-for children. Although they considered suburban locations, as most families do, ultimately they chose the Ditmas Park neighborhood of Brooklyn, where Joe had grown up. At first, this seemed a risky choice. While Joe was growing up in the 1980s, the neighborhood—a mixture of Victorian homes and modest apartments—had become crime-infested. The old families were moving out, and newer ones were not replacing them. Yet Joe’s Mom still lived there, and they liked the idea of having grandma around for their planned-for family.
Politicians genuflect to the idea of maintaining a middle class, yet their actions suggest otherwise. In a city that has been losing middle-class families for generations, the resurgence of places like Ditmas Park represents a welcome change. In recent years, child-friendly restaurants and shops have started up along once-decayed Cortelyou Road. More important, some local elementary schools have shown marked improvement, with an increase in parental involvement and new facilities. Even in hard economic times, the area has become a beacon to New York families, as well as singles seeking a community where they will put down long-term roots. “There’s an attempt in this neighborhood to break down the city feel and to see this more as a kind of a small town,” notes Ellen. “It may be in the city, but it’s a community unto itself, a place where you can stay and raise your children.”
If cities like New York want to nurture their middle-class populations, the article suggests, they will need to shift their priorities away from "subsidizing developers for luxury mega-developments, new museums, or performing arts centers" and instead focus on "those things critical to the middle class such as maintaining relatively low density work areas and shopping streets, new schools, and parks." In our opinion, at the end of the day, it's all about the schools.
The Luxury City vs. the Middle Class [The American]
April 15, 2009
Brooklyn Food & Drink Round-Up
Now Open: Belleville Lounge
332 Fifth Street, Park Slope; (718)832-9777
"Belleville, the landmark Brooklyn bistro that has wowed devoted locals and urban day-trippers with authentic Parisian food and ambiance, has recently expanded their space and created an exciting new nightspot, the Belleville Lounge... The Lounge, with its soaring sky-lit ceiling, vintage 1950’s Parisian bar and original French antique furnishings, brings the Marais to the Slope," or so says their press release. According to the Belleville website, they'll also host Wednesday night Karaoke (which will involve a "mix of everything from Brooklyn’s favorite karaoke singers, to readings of Dr. Seuss"), Monday night Girl Party, and a Sunday Night Drag/Tea Party.
Coming Soon: Purple Yam
1314 Cortelyou Road, Ditmas Park
Ditmas Park Blog happily reports that Purple Yam, "the eagerly-awaited Filipino restaurant on Cortelyou will open in May." A model of the new space and photos of the work-in-progress are posted on the Cendrillon website.
Newly Improved: Press 195
195 Fifth Avenue, Park Slope; (718) 857-1950
Chowhound Bob Oreilly talked to the owner at the recently reopened Press 195 and learned that they'll now be serving liquor, new menu items, six beers on tap, and "more importantly faster service as the kitchen has expanded... I can't wait to have a roasted beet salad and try these Belgian fries the owner told me about." (Thoughts on Press 195? Review it here.)
After the jump: A culinary tour of Brighton Beach, the new Patois, $25 prix fixe dinners, and more...
April 13, 2009
Co-op of the Day: 415 Argyle Road
We'll be honest: The reason this listing at 415 Argyle Road grabbed our attention was the interior decoration. That living room. Wow. Then we started to take a look at the numbers: Two beds, two baths, 1,250 square feet, $1,155 maintenance, $485,000 asking price. Then we realized that we'd recently tapped another unit in this building: Apartment 3J which was 1,000 square feet and asking $379,000. So how do you think this one stacks up? It would be helpful to have a floorplan.
415 Argyle Road [Abacus] GMAP P*Shark
April 1, 2009
Wednesday Food & Drink Round-Up
Now Open: Unauthorized Obama Eatery
"In an apparent bid to stand out in the crowded fast food market, a Brooklyn business has rechristened itself 'Obama Fried Chicken.' Previously known as Royal Fried Chicken, the eatery, located at Rockaway Parkway and Rutland Road in Brownsville, unveiled its revamped name last Thursday afternoon when the business's new awning was installed," says the Smoking Gun. We can only wonder if this fried chicken joint will meet the same fate as Sixpoint's Hop Obama beer.
Ditmas Park: Home of the City's Best Hummus
1209 Cortelyou Road (Westminster Road), Ditmas Park; (718) 284-4444
The New York Times reports on the Israeli hummus parlors popping up around the city and says, "The newest of these hummusiot also happens to be the best. Mimi’s Hummus opened in February on Cortelyou Road, the Restaurant Row of Ditmas Park." At this 8-table spot, owner Mimi Kitani — an Israeli with Moroccan-Kurdish parents — draws culinary influences from each culture and serves 5 types of hummus priced from $8 to $9.
Pizza Pizza
Bloggers across Brooklyn are buzzing about two newcomer pizzerias set to open this week — Ignazio's (4 Water Street, Dumbo; 718-522-2100) and Anselmo's (354 Van Brunt Street, Red Hook; 718-775-5386). Time Out New York says that Ignazio's "menu is mostly devoted to thin-crust and Sicilian pies. Special versions include toppings such as lobster or seasonal greens, like baby dandelion and chicory." And Slice shares the story behind Anselmo's: "[Jack] Stella, one of the joint's three partners, runs a chemical business down the street. He and his colleagues in that business originally bought the building that would house Anselmo's as a sort of clubhouse where they could take smoke breaks. While gutting it, he discovered the coal oven, and realizing he had the proverbial diamond in the rough, made plans to turn it into a pizzeria. Their loss of a smokers' lounge is our gain as coal-oven aficionados."
After the jump: 3 new grocery stores, a new restaurant from a Red Hook ball fields vendor, a secret new Williamsburg eatery, Buttermilk Channel hits the big screen, and more...
New Retro Lampposts for Victorian Flatbush
Ditmas Park Blog gives a shout-out to the Bishop Crook lights that are popping up all over Victorian Flatbush (as well as Community Board 14, Ditmas Park Association, West Midwood Association and Marty Markowitz for making them happen). Turns out there are 500 of the antique-style lampposts going up all over the 'hood. The only downside: Jack hammer at 7 a.m. To see some originals, check out this coverage on Forgotten NY.
March 31, 2009
Vox Pop Sells Shares, Claims Survival
Despite some sloppy business practices and resulting financial difficulties, the much-beloved coffee shop cum community gathering place Vox Pop will live to host another open mike night. The Ditmas Park blog reported an update from the current manager of the place. All it took was 172 local people coughing up $50 a pop (sorry, couldn't resist) to get the coffee beans grinding again:
Against what seemed that impossible odds, in a time of economic struggle for us all, our friends and neighbors came together to raise the funds needed to save this important anchor in our neighborhood. This action embodies the spirit that is Vox Pop -- The Voice of the People. And that voice was heard loud and clear. It is important to us all that we have a place that supports the arts and music and local, organic menu selections. A place for friends and neighbors to gather, meet and share.
We thought the place was $29,000 in the hole, so we're not sure how 172 x $50 gets them there, but glad to hear it!
Ryan: 'Vox Pop Will Survive' [Ditmas Park Blog]
Vox Pop Responds, Plans Town Hall Meeting [Brownstoner]
Vox Pop Teeters On The Edge [Brownstoner]
Photo by cck
March 18, 2009
Vox Pop Responds, Plans Town Hall Meeting
Towards the end of Monday's thread about the troubles facing Vox Pop, the cafe and neighborhood gathering place at 1022 Cortelyou Road in Ditmas Park, the woman overseeing the place now responded to a number of aspects of the story. We've cut-and-pasted her lengthy comment below, but one of the things she addresses is the Department of Health fines that are at the root of the cafe's inability to serve food or drinks:
The vision of the founders, four and a half years ago, was of a political coffee shop franchise, it’s goal being to expand rapidly. Last spring, in an effort to expand, the board at that time decided to open a second Vox Pop in the Lower East Side. The second store did not have adequate start-up cash and dragged Vox Pop #1 on Cortelyou Rd., deep into the red over the past year. The decision was made to close the second Vox Pop location. One of the debts that was left unpaid was to the Department of Health, which refused to renew our permit and closed us down almost a month ago. Since then, the old Board of Directors and the Officers of the Corporation have all resigned.
In a second comment, she goes on to describe what management has done to remedy the DOH complaints. Read on.
Vox Pop Teeters On The Edge [Brownstoner]
A Cortelyou Cafe Struggles to Stay Afloat [NY Times]
Photo by Rob Hoey
Continue reading "Vox Pop Responds, Plans Town Hall Meeting"
March 16, 2009
Vox Pop Teeters On The Edge
"Finally, a local hang out for the likes of me" is the caption accompanying this photograph on Flickr, encapsulating the excitement a lot of people in the Ditmas area felt when Sander Hicks and Holley Anderson opened Vox Pop at 1022 Cortelyou Road in 2004. The cafe's arc has mirrored the real estate market at large, thriving for several years until falling on hard times recently. The popular neighborhood gathering spot is three months behind on its rent, the phone is disconnected and it lost its food and beverage license recently because of $29,000 in unpaid fines to the health department. “We’re in trouble," says Debi Ryan, the person brought in to try to straighten out Vox's problems.
A Cortelyou Cafe Struggles to Stay Afloat [NY Times]
Photo by CocteauBoy
March 11, 2009
Brooklyn Food & Drink Round-Up
Closing Temporarily: Lobo
218 Court Street, Cobble Hill; (718) 858-7739
Grub Street reports that Lobo "is closing its Cobble Hill location for a month beginning March 23. The official reason given is 'renovations,' but you have to worry whether restaurants that take an extended break during this economy will actually reopen. There’s still plenty of people choking Lobo’s tiny hallway at night, so we’re hopeful."
Many Openings This Week
Besides Zuzu Ramen in Park Slope, this week will also see the openings of Deniz (a Turkish restaurant at Fulton Street and South Elliott Place in Fort Greene), Anselmo’s Coal-Fired Brick Oven Pizzeria (on Van Brunt and Sullivan in Red Hook), and Lucky Shot Espresso (at 145 Driggs in Greenpoint), says Time Out New York. And according to New York Magazine, the Frankies are opening Cafe Peddlar, a "Viennese-style cafe" at 210 Court Street (near Warren Street, in the old Magaret Palca Bakes space), today.
Coming Soon: Purple Yam, Brooklyn Bowl, and Cherry Hill
Last month, we mentioned that the owners of Soho's Filipino spot Cendrillon were preparing to open Purple Yam on Cortelyou in April. Now, Ditmas Park Blog says that Cendrillon has closed, but the new spot's opening date still stands: "The concept of the new Purple Yam is to re-create a kitchen-centered home harking back to the Asian values of hospitality and generosity." Plus, Down by the Hipster reports that Brooklyn Bowl is gearing up for a May 1st opening, and Gothamist says that the old Lundy's space in Sheepshead Bay will soon be home to a "19,000 square foot gourmet market called Cherry Hill."
After the jump: Hanco's drops prices in Park Slope, Chef César Ramirez at a lunch counter in Downtown Brooklyn, and the O'Connor's vs. Freddy's rivalry...
March 4, 2009
Co-op of the Day: 415 Argyle Road, #3J
This two-bedroom co-op at 415 Argyle Road in Ditmas Park strikes us as exceedingly average, and that's why it's interesting. The 1,000-square-foot pad in the 1961 building is attractive if a bit unsexy—decent wood floors, no moldings—but it does have a kitchen and bathroom that look like they were renovated recently. The asking price? $379,000. Is this market right now?
415 Argyle Road, #3J [Brooklyn Hearth] GMAP P*Shark
February 25, 2009
Brooklyn Food & Drink Round-Up
Brooklyn's New Generation of Food Producers
"These days, with a kitchen and a bit of ambition, you can start to make a name for yourself in Brooklyn. The borough has become an incubator for a culinary-minded generation whose idea of fun is learning how to make something delicious and finding a way to sell it," writes Oliver Schwaner-Albright for the NY Times in an article about Brooklyn's community of young food purveyors and producers. The story gives shout-outs to our own Eric Demby and a bunch of Flea vendors, including Fine + Raw Chocolates (pictured above), Mast Brothers Chocolate, McClure's Pickles, and Salvatore Bklyn Ricotta.
Must-Try Brunch: Kevin's
277A Van Brunt Street (between Visitation Place and Pioneer Street), Red Hook; (718) 596-8335
"You won’t find better blueberry pancakes than the ones at Kevin’s in Red Hook, promises the_state. Big, nicely crisp, and somehow both fluffy and dense, they blow away the competition elsewhere around Brooklyn... Other winners include omelets, hamburgers, seafood stew, corn-flake-crusted challah French toast, and an eggs Benedict variation made with smoked trout." [CHOW's Outer Borough Digest]
Neighborhood Happy Hour at Sycamore Tomorrow
Ditmas Park Blog shares info on tomorrow night's "Friends of Cortelyou Neighborhood Happy Hour." Free food and drink specials will be served from 7pm to 9pm at Sycamore Flower Shop & Bar (1118 Cortelyou Road, between Westminster and Stratford).
After the jump: More Buttermilk Channel reviews, a "game tasting fundraiser" in Williamsburg, a South Slope bar crawl, another new bánh mì spot, and the first vintage from Red Hook Winery...
February 4, 2009
Streetlevel: Cortelyou's Purple Yam Opening in April
As first noted on the Ditmas Park Blog, the folks behind Soho's pan-Asian Cendrillon have a new spot in the works for Victorian Flatbush. Located in a former 99-cent store at 1314 Cortelyou Road, Purple Yam will "re-create a kitchen-centered home harking back to the Asian values of hospitality and generosity," according to the owners. An April opening is targeted. GMAP
Forbes Discovers New York's Middle Class
"Despite Mayor Bloomberg's celebration of "the luxury city," there's still a middle class in New York, although not in the zip codes close to hizzoner's townhouse. In many cases, they live in Bay Ridge, Bayside, Brighton or Bensonhurst, in the vast sprawl that is Brooklyn and Queens. Some of the emerging middle class also cluster in places like Ditmas Park, a reviving part of Flatbush. The new population here is made up largely of information age "artisans"--musicians, writers, designers and business consultants who cluster in New York. They may have migrated there for the culture, but they stay because they find these neighborhoods congenial and family-friendly. "It's easy to name the things that attracted us--the neighbors, the moderate density," explains Nelson Ryland, a film editor with two children who works part-time at his sprawling turn-of-the-century Flatbush house. "More than anything, it's the sense of the community. That's the great thing that keeps people like us here." — Forbes
February 2, 2009
House of the Day: 1217 Ditmas Avenue
Why do sellers keep using brokers who haven't figured out how to take a decent digital photograph? This was the first thing that popped into our mind as we looked at this new listing at 1217 Ditmas Avenue on the Kestyn website. (We lifted the exterior photo above from PropertyShark.) The second was that this one-family house (with two-car garage) could benefit from some staging. After all, it has some respectable bones but it has a very drab, dated feel to it. Declutter the furniture, take down those drapes, punch it up a bit, and you'd definitely have a better shot at achieving the $999,000 asking price. And get a broker who won't cut corners on the photos. You have to put your best foot forward in this market.
1217 Ditmas Avenue [Kestyn] GMAP P*Shark
Latest Restaurant Additions
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Le Barricou
added November 20, 2009 12:00 PM in Williamsburg -
Der Schwarze Kölner
added November 19, 2009 12:00 PM in Fort Greene -
Oak Wine Bar & Café
added November 18, 2009 12:00 PM in Williamsburg -
Mr. Wonton
added November 17, 2009 12:00 PM in Park Slope -
Casa Rosa
added November 16, 2009 12:00 PM in Carroll Gardens -
Cousin John's Café & Bakery
added November 13, 2009 12:00 PM in Park Slope -
Elote
added November 12, 2009 12:00 PM in Williamsburg -
Miracle Grill
added November 11, 2009 12:00 PM in Park Slope -
Phoebe's Cafe
added November 10, 2009 12:00 PM in Williamsburg -
Ruthie's
added November 9, 2009 12:00 PM in Clinton Hill, Downtown Brooklyn