March 13, 2008

Development Watch: 23 Caton Place

The Karl Fischer design at 23 Caton Place in Kensington has topped out and most of the walls have been framed out. The 107-unit project, which is right across from the Kensington Stables, is being brought to you by developer Moshe Feller. Feller and Fischer have some other projects in the works over in Greenpoint. Presumably the Caton Place property will be on the market by summer at this rate.
At 23 Caton, Laboring on Labor Day [Brownstoner]GMAP P*Shark DOB

March 6, 2008

Co-op of the Day: 81 Ocean Parkway

Why are sponsors so consistently incapable of doing a sensitive renovation? A coat of white paint, a few gallons of polyurethane and a Home Depot kitchen and they're done. At least in the case of this three-bedroom, two-bathroom place at 81 Ocean Parkway in Kensington the apartment had some good bones that even a sponsor couldn't mess up. And given the asking price of $575,000 (and low monthly maintenance of $743), we bet buyers will be willing to swallow that eyesore of a kitchen.
81 Ocean Parkway [Brooklyn Properties] GMAP P*Shark

March 4, 2008

Brooklyn Post Offices: Endless Bummer?

Is every single post office in Brooklyn a nightmare? Seems like it. There's consistent bitching (that we hear, anyway) about three in particular. Here's the latest on the most-loathed po's:

Kensington: Councilmember Bill De Blasio continues to work toward building a new post office for the neighborhood, which gained Internet fame via a You Tube vid last year. "We have been working closely with the Brooklyn Postmaster, Community Board 12 and the community," says De Blasio. "There are still complaints regarding postal service in 11218 but I have also heard some positive feedback.We would love to see a new post office in the neighborhood or a commercial postal unit in one of the local retail stores. This community is growing at a rapid pace and business owners and residents at the very least deserve a functioning postal facility."

Park Slope, 9th Street: The Brooklynian folks have a thread devoted to this place's suckitude. Comments range from this observation, "The line to pick up a package that you missed because they can't ring the correct bell is miles long. Usually 50 people waiting in the pick up line every weekend. Then it takes an average of 5-15 minutes for them to locate the package at the post office. How hard is it to have two people or more working the pick up line on Saturday's." to this one, "What do you expect from people who smoke too much crack (as i learned when i went to a party held by people who worked for the Brooklyn Post Office)?"

Boerum Hill, Atlantic near 4th Ave.: This is another neighborhood where there's noise about replacing the post office. GL reported the latest complaints about the facility yesterday, with one person saying they "had a horrendous, Third World experience at the Times Plaza" and another writing, "I have never had a package or letter that needed to be signed for delivered by them!"

So. Are there any halfway decent post offices in this borough?

A Drive to Replace the Post Office [Brownstoner]
Return to the Times Plaza Post Office: Not Fixed [Gowanus Lounge]
9th St Post Office [Brooklynian]