Gravesend
September 28, 2009
Priciest Brooklyn Sale of '09 is in Gravesend!
Holy moly! The sale of 2111 East 2nd Street in Gravesend for $10.26 million just hit public records, and although the price tag isn't high enough to make it a Brooklyn record, it's definitely the biggest sale of this year, and probably one of the top 10 or so biggest house sales in the borough ever. (Houses in Brooklyn Heights, for example, have traded for more.) Here are the specs on 2111 East 2nd from Property Shark: It's an 8,206-square-foot one-family house that was built in 1998. The buyer of the manse was cloaked behind an LLC.
2111 East 2nd Street Deed [ACRIS] GMAP P*Shark
Photo from Property Shark.
November 13, 2008
CB6 Says Full-on Yes to Toll Brothers Rezoning
The CB6 land-use committee voted yes to the Toll Brothers' request for spot rezoning back in October, which would allow them to construct a complex of buildings, some 12-stories high (along with creating a public park along the canal and some permanently affordable housing). Not surprising to many, the full board met for a general meeting last night and gave their collective thumbs up, too, says PMFA and Curbed. Much of the pro-rezoning sentiment came from a Field of Dreams vision for the polluted canal: If you build it, they will clean (they, ostensibly, being the city, which would be pressured by local residents; therefore you need local residents). But the consortium of local groups known as FROGG was staunchly against the rezoning. They sent a letter to CB6 (reprinted on the Carroll Gardens Petition blog) stating that "the environmental concerns are in themselves sufficient reason to predicate any change of use, involving a dense residential development along the FEMA flood way, upon a known and verifiable cleanup of the canal waters that include limits on the pathogens levels." There's also the problem of “un-mitigatable smells." Clearly, that didn't change the minds of CB6 members, but all is not lost for those who oppose it. The next ULURP step is an 11/19 meeting with the Borough Prez.
Photo from PFMA.
August 11, 2008
The New York Times Does Gravesend
The Times' Living In column covered the south Brooklyn neighborhood of Gravesend this weekend, a largely Sephardic Jewish area sandwiched between Brighton Beach and Bensonhurst. But it's not just Middle Eastern immigrants who inhabit the one- and two-family homes there—Chinese, Mexicans and Russians have been taking root as well. It's always been an immigrant neighborhood, they say, but the geography of the immigrants changes over the years. As the neighborhood grows wealthier, it's seeing the increase of a fad popular in other parts of the States: the tear-down. Five million dollar mansions are going in razed lots, though they say you can still snatch up an older home—one that doesn't need razing—for $600,000. One local broker summed up why prices are so high: “Sephardic Jews would rather pay a million dollars for a 2,000-square-foot lot in Gravesend than pay $500,000 for a 4,000-square-foot lot elsewhere.”
A Neighborhood Both Insular and Diverse [NY Times]
Ocean Parkway at Avenue U. Photo by Lisanne!.
July 23, 2008
Wednesday Food & Drink Round-Up
The Skinny on 5 New Neighborhood Haunts
Brooklyn Based shares their early impressions of the General Greene, Peaches Market Café, Abigail Café and Wine Bar, James, and Annabelle's. We're intrigued by their recommended cocktail at the General Greene: "We loveloveloved the Clermont Bubbly (a refreshing combo of St. Germaine, pear and Prosecco)." And the photo of Annabelle's backyard (at right, by Melissa Sands) looks so inviting, but Brooklyn Based notes that "the pond, flower garden and multi-level patio out back has potential, but is still a work in progress."
The Times on Peaches Market Cafe
393 Lewis Avenue (MacDonough Street), Bedford-Stuyvesant; (718) 942-4162
"Peaches is Southern with a difference. Smoked country ham is finished with dried plums and arugula, and fried grits are polished with sun-dried tomato marmalade. There’s fried whiting as well as fried Greenmarket vegetables and fried calamari with aioli. Barbecue, like baby back ribs and pulled pork sandwiches, make it here, too. The menu tops out at $18 for a grass-fed ribeye steak." [NY Times]
Underrated Pizza: Sam's and Italia
"Sam's on Court Street is one of those old-school neighborhood perennials that Chowhounds rarely mention, but guttergourmet thinks it belongs in New York's never-ending pizza conversation, right up there with the most celebrated places in Brooklyn and beyond. 'Beautiful pizza, precious place,' guttergourmet writes... Meanwhile, down in Bensonhurst and Gravesend, Brklynbobby puts in a word for another sleeper, the Sicilian pie at Italia on Kings Highway. 'The crust is lighter than air and the sauce is heaven,' says Brklynbobby." [CHOW]
After the jump: A new coal-oven pizzeria for Red Hook, cheap tapas on Columbia Street, a new burger joint and vegetarian eats in Park Slope, news on the Red Hook vendors' schedule, and a Williamsburg bar gets a taco truck right in their backyard...
June 17, 2008
The Venetian: 16th-Century Living, Gravesend-Style
Is Brooklyn's most expensive new condo in Gravesend? We're not sure, but we know Avenue P's The Venetian has gotta at least be in the running. Curbed reports that the entry fee to nab a unit in the development is more than $1 million, and Flatbush Pigeon has some fresh shots of the under-construction building, noting that if you look at the rendering "long enough, you will see Nero fiddling on one of the balconies." The condo's marketing materials say that the structure was inspired by 16th-century masterpieces like Veneto's Villa Barbaro and Palazzo Porto.
So When You Think About Brooklyn... [Flatbush Pigeon] GMAP
Meet the Venetian: Brooklyn's Version of Palazzo Chupi? [Curbed]
$2,000 a Foot in Gravesend? You Betcha [Brownstoner]
The Venetian [Official Site]
Photo from Flatbush Pigeon.
April 18, 2008
Gravesend Park Not So Grave Anymore
Only last year "filled with glass and dog feces," according to a Daily News article, Gravesend Park this week unveiled its $5 million renovation—including $2 million to fix-up the comfort station! The park reconstruction funded by Councilman Simcha Felder includes a new playground with adventure play equipment, a play mountain, swings and a spray shower; cafe tables and benches for senior citizens; and landscaping, according to a Parks Department release. "The park's ballfields were also restored in-house by the borough's maintenance and operations crews. They sifted through 1,800 cubic yards of soil to remove debris, added another 450 yards of topsoil, brought in 60 cubic yards of clay for the infields, and seeded, watered and groomed the fields for their opening this summer." Bloomberg funded the comfort station. We've never been in there, but it must be massive, have been in pretty sorry shape, or super luxe now that it cost two-thirds as much to fix-up as the rest of the park! Starbucks may not be the city's premiere public restroom anymore.
FDR football team has nothing to fear, but field itself [Daily News]
October 19, 2007
Gravesend Sales Price Falls Just Short of Brooklyn Record
Anyone who read the recent Times Magazine article about the incredibly close-knit and financially successful community of Syrian Jews in Gravesend may not be all that surprised to learn that one of its business leaders just sold his 7,526-square-foot house for $10 million. The seller was Joseph Cayre, founder of Midtown Equities and a former Latin music producer; the buyer was an LLC. While the $10 million number falls short of the $10.75 million paid for 140 Columbia Heights, it continues a trend of sky-high prices in the South Brooklyn neighborhood: Five out of the nine highest sales prices ever recorded in Brooklyn have been in Gravesend.
Developer sells Brooklyn home for $10M [The Real Deal] GMAP P*Shark
Photo by Nicholas Strini for PropertyShark
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