Fort Greene
April 29, 2008
House of the Day: 52 South Oxford Street
Um, no. An unrenovated SRO, five stories or not, on South Oxford Street for $2,500,000 in this market? Don't think so. There's some nice detail left and, according to the listing, 6,000 square feet of space, but given the headaches and delays associated with the SRO status and the time value of money, we think the sellers of 52 South Oxford Street are going to have to come down in price to get a deal done, especially given the unfortunate facades of its two neighbors (both of which serve as useful reminders of the importance of landmarking).
52 South Oxford Street [Clinton Hill RE] GMAP P*Shark
Development Watch: Atlantic Terrace
While the future of affordable housing at Atlantic Yards is unclear, there's been some progress on Atlantic Terrace, the mixed-income development a stone's throw from the AY footprint. There was a ceremonial groundbreaking for the project back (rendered at right) in October, and workers have dug the big hole that'll eventually get filled with 80 co-ops, 50 percent of which will be affordable to low-income families and 20 percent of which will be affordable moderate-income earners. Last year there were stories in the Observer and Post about how plans for solar panels on the building's roof had to be scrapped because the looming shadows of AY high-rises would interfere with harnessing sunshine. Perhaps dark days for AY help that design facet see the light of day.
AY-Area Affordable Housing: Made in the Shade [Brownstoner]
Mixed-Rate Building Next to Atlantic Yards [Brownstoner] GMAP
April 23, 2008
Wednesday Food & Drink Round-Up
Angry Wade's Gets a Makeover
224 Smith Street (at Butler Street); (718) 488-7253
Haven't been inside in a while, but doesn't this place look better in red?
Five Guys Burgers in Park Slope: Hot or Not?
Says one Chowhound: "I was walking past the corner of 7th Ave and 6th street (where that ugly Bank of America is going in) and I saw a work permit on the space next door (the old D'Agostino's) that says a Five Guys is going in. Yea!"
But another replies: "Or is it another nail in the coffin for the charm of Park Slope?"
Opening and Closing Report
According to Eater, Jesse's Brooklyn Kitchen will be closing shop on Smith Street, and Manhattan's Cheyenne Diner will reopen in Red Hook, but Red Hook's 360 is officially gone for good.
After the jump: Luz turns out the lights for Earth Day (and today), bargains at Barrio, and Andrea Strong's move to Brooklyn...
April 22, 2008
Streetlevel: What's Going On at June?
What's going on at June? The exterior of the Fort Greene restaurant recently began getting a makeover in anticipation of a change of stewardship. A source tells us that the owner of the restaurant (and the building) at 229 Dekalb Avenue decided to get out of the food biz himself and has rented the space to somebody "from Manhattan." This is a pretty sweet corner location—it'll be interesting to see what they come up with. GMAP
April 16, 2008
Still No Takers for One Hanson's Retail Space
After a two-year hunt for a retail tenant, the opulent One Hanson lobby is still unoccupied, a situation that recently prompted the tower's owners to switch brokers, according to an article in this morning's Observer. The self-proclaimed "Queen of Retail," Elliman's colorful Faith Hope Consolo, has replaced Jeffrey Roseman, a Newmark Knight Frank broker. The Williamsburgh Savings Bank lobby totals 33,000 square feet and is landmarked inside and out, posing branding/structural challenges for would-be tenants (a deal with Borders, for example, feel through). “I visualize a big specialty store,” says. Consolo. “It also could be a very important catering group. … It could also be another great restaurant.” Roseman says that while he was the broker for the space, One Hanson's owners were looking for around $3 million a year in rent.
One Hanson Place Switches Broker [NY Observer]
Photo by Ando228.
April 9, 2008
New CSA Action in Fort Greene, Ditmas Park
Cool beans. There are Community Supported Agriculture programs in the works for both Fort Greene and Ditmas Park. In Fort Greene, the Myrtle Avenue Revitalization Project, Families United for Racial and Economic Equality, and Just Food have partnered to bring the neighborhood a CSA beginning this summer. According to an article in Crain's (sub req'd), the idea to begin the CSA grew in part out of the fact that the closing of the Myrtle Ave. Associated last year has left many area residents without easy access to fresh produce. The CSA will run for 22 weeks from June through November, and full shares will cost $400 for the season (half shares will be available for $200, and there will also be subsidized shares for low-income residents that cost $300 full/$150 half). Jen Datka, the CSA coordinator, says that she has a list with 136 names of people who've expressed interest in joining the program. Datka says the Fort Greene CSA will offer around 50 shares this summer, though they hope to expand the program next year if it's successful this summer. Over in Ditmas Park, the person who organized last year's Cortelyou Rd. farmers’ market is also working to set up a CSA, according to Ditmas Park Blog. The CSA will involve a partnership with a Pennsylvania farm and cost around $400 for around 20 deliveries of produce from May through November.
Fort Greene CSA
A Ditmas Park CSA! [Ditmas Park Blog]
Photo by winyang.
April 8, 2008
Closing Bell: South Portland's Very Polite Bike War
A reader sent in this photo-poem shot on South Portland. It is entitled "Indignity MINE!!!" Click through the photos and witness the palpable tension and riveting conclusion.
StreetLevel: Bank Carves Out Myrtle Space
The small Carver Federal Savings Bank location at the corner of Myrtle and Adelphi recently opened. The space Carver took had been vacant for over a year. The exterior seems the match the Scarano design next door.
Streetlevel: Another Bank for Myrtle Avenue [Brownstoner] GMAP
April 7, 2008
Development Watch: 175 Vanderbilt Avenue
The property at 174 Clinton Avenue used to be a 200-foot lot that went through all the way to Vanderbilt Avenue. When the current owner bought it, however, he subdivided it. On the Clinton side, he's busy curb cutting; on the Vanderbilt side, he's slowly putting up a six-story, seven-unit building. It's too early to tell how this will stack up in the looks department. GMAP P*Shark DOB
April 3, 2008
StreetLevel: The Muffin Man is Coming
One of Brooklyn's biggest little coffee/pastry chains, Connecticut Muffin, is opening another Fort Greene location, this one at the corner of Lafayette and Fulton. The storefront used to be a Citibank mortgage center, according to General Greene, and it looks like it'll be in business pretty soon.
Connecticut Muffin Moves in on Lafayette [General Greene] GMAP
House of the Day: 52 Fort Greene Place
Someone didn't get the memo that pie-in-the-sky asking prices have no place in today's market. At least we know where to send it: 52 Fort Greene Place. If this four-story house were on a better block or was more compelling in terms of its historical authenticity, then the asking price of $2,250,000 would make more sense. But this is one of the less attractive blocks in the area (nice try cropping that facade photo!) and this house, while not devoid of original details, doesn't pack a strong enough punch to justify this price in this market. Sorry, ain't gonna happen.
52 Fort Greene Place [Corcoran] GMAP P*Shark
April 1, 2008
Latest Addition to BAM Complete
A few days ago the Brooklyn Academy of Music unveiled the new glass canopy outside its landmark Peter Jay Sharp building. The multi-million-dollar restoration of most of the building was completed a few years ago, and BAM's website says the canopy was supposed to be finished in 2005. The organization declined to comment on the addition since it's issuing a press release about it in a couple of days, but our understanding is that the structure marks the end of Peter Jay Sharp's restoration. How do you think it looks? GMAP