October 28, 2009

Makeover of Ocean Parkway Mall

A portion of the mall that runs alongside Ocean Parkway in the Midwood section of Brooklyn is getting a new look. Council Member Simcha Felder, who in other instances has displayed a philistine's concern for matters of aesthetics in neighborhoods outside his own district, has ponied up $1.35 million to redo the pavement and bike path while sprucing up benches, railings and law areas. The work began recently, reports The Brooklyn Eagle, and is expected to be finished before summer. If anyone's nearby and can snap a photo of the work, we'd love to see it.
Beautification, Restoration for Ocean P’kway Mall [Brooklyn Eagle]
Photo by Urch

Posted by Brownstoner at 10:19 AM | Comments (12)
Categories: Midwood, Streets

April 7, 2009

Midwood Rental Project Tops Out

A 51-unit residential development at 3692 Bedford Avenue in Midwood topped out last week despite an economic environment that has stopped many other developments around the borough in their tracks, reports The Brooklyn Eagle. In addition to the mix of studios, one-bedrooms and two-bedrooms, the Karl Fischer-designed project will also include 27 parking spaces and three community use spaces on the ground floor. According to the building's developer, the is a "void for luxury rental housing in South Brooklyn” that the building will address. Do you think that's the case? GMAP

Posted by Brownstoner at 10:44 AM | Comments (1)
Categories: Development, Midwood

March 19, 2009

CB14 Says No To Japanese Sect's Church Plans

According to a tipster, a Japanese religious sect that wanted a variance to build a temple up to the lot line on a residential street in Midwood was voted down earlier this month by Community Board 14. According to DOB records, the Tenseishinbika Religious Organization, which paid $620,000 for the 50-by-100-foot lot in 2007, wanted to build a two-story building at 583 East 23rd Street in South Midwood without the required 15-foot front yard. Of course, in the end, the community board's opinion is just that—it has no legal power to stop the project, and we all know which way the BSA leans. GMAP

Posted by Brownstoner at 9:30 AM | Comments (19)
Categories: Development, Midwood

March 4, 2009

Brooklyn Food & Drink Round-Up

Photo by Brewing the Perfect Beer
Sixpoint and Frankies to Partner Up?
Eater shares an "unsubstantiated and somewhat far fetched rumor" that "the Franks (of the Frankies Spuntinos and Prime Meats) are working in conjunction with Shane Welch of Sixpoint Craft Ales to open a cafe on Court Street and (yes and) a Frankies beer garden in the vicinity of—or perhaps even in—the current space of the Sixpoint Brewery." Eater also notes that neither Welch nor anyone at Frankies will confirm this rumor, "but it's something to watch out for. "

A Closer Look at Glass Shop
Last week, we reported on the new Crown Heights coffee house, Glass Shop. According to Grub Street, they're open and serving "Australian-style espressos ($2.50) and lattes ($3 for 8 oz.). No drip for now, but there’s also a selection of PG Tips teas and simple sandwiches (ham and egg, sardine) as well as egg specials in the morning... and in warmer weather there’ll be a 600-square-foot garden in the back." Has anybody been in yet?

Where to Wet Your Whistle
The bar at Prime Meats is officially open, and Time Out New York posted their "wallet-friendly" cocktail menu — but TONY also reviews the well-crafted cocktails at the less-hyped Jack the Horse Tavern in Brooklyn Heights: "the Robbie Robbie, a cockle-warming spin on the Scotch-based Rob Roy, which enlists Luxardo’s cinnamon-flavored bitter, Amaro Abano, to spicy effect. The Dos Amentes (tequila, mescal, Cherry Heering, dry vermouth, lime juice and cognac-almond syrup) is a rich tequila drink that allows the spirit’s aromatic, vegetal character to shine through."

After the jump: Eating out in Clinton Hill, CSA news, beloved butcher closes up shop in Coney Island, Dom DeMarco hits up the Pizza Hall of Fame, and the Brooklyn Inn adds more seating...

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Posted by Kara at 11:32 AM | Comments (9)
Categories: Boerum Hill, Brooklyn Heights, Carroll Gardens, Clinton Hill, Coney Island Area, Crown Heights, Flatbush, Food and Drink, Midwood, Red Hook, Restaurants

February 24, 2009

House of the Day: 657 East 24th Street

This single-family house at 657 East 24th Street in Midwood has a nice feel to it—and it's hard not to covet the two-car garage. The six-bedroom pad traded for $625,000 back in '07 and is now on the market with a price tag of $925,000. Any bets on whether this price flies? Seems like it might be a little high.
657 East 24th Street [Heights Berkeley] GMAP P*Shark

Posted by Brownstoner at 1:15 PM | Comments (41)
Categories: HOTD, Midwood

February 18, 2009

Brooklyn Food & Drink Round-Up

Photo by Gothamist

New Restaurants for Red Hook
Gothamist asks: "Will Van Brunt Street be Home to a New Restaurant Row?" It's a question that the press has been asking for a long time, but now Gothamist shares photos of 5 restaurants that are in the works in Red Hook, including Radio Free Red Hook at 365 Van Brunt Street, pictured above. The story also notes the progress at Delightful Coffee Shop (219 Van Brunt), Barrone Ristorante (the old 360 space), Grindhaus ("The sausage and suds HQ is scheduled to open next month at 275 Van Brunt"), and Anselmo’s (the brick oven pizzeria at 351 Van Brunt).

African Eats in Fort Greene
Ligaya Mishan for the New York Times admires the "fusion of West African flavors and French technique" at Abistro, and calls the flatbread at Fulton Street's new Ethiopian spot, Bati, "the real thing, dusky in color and springy to the touch." Mishan also recommends the Moroccan dishes at Kif: "In the chicken tagine ($16), presented in its namesake clay pot, the slow-braised meat is mixed with fleshy green olives and heady with preserved lemon."

This Week's Openings
Time Out New York says that Brooklyn Public House (247 DeKalb Ave at Vanderbilt Ave, Fort Greene) is opening this week: "Back in the 1950s, the space was occupied by a bar called Eric’s, remembered by locals for its Skip and Go Naked cocktail (vodka, gin, beer, lemon and sugar). Try this revived drink, plus 16 beers on tap—including gems such as Twisted Thistle and Belhaven Stout." TONY also reports that Mast Brothers Chocolates (105 North 3rd St between Berry and Wythe Sts, Williamsburg) is opening a "weekend-only retail store."

After the jump: The feds take down Sixpoint's Hop Obama ale, new tapas in Williamsburg, a 20-pound lobster in Dyker Heights, Di Fara reopens, and Kelso trades beer for blood...

Continue reading "Brooklyn Food & Drink Round-Up"

Posted by Kara at 11:28 AM | Comments (5)
Categories: Dyker Heights, Food and Drink, Fort Greene, Midwood, Red Hook, South Slope, Williamsburg

February 11, 2009

Brooklyn Food & Drink Round-Up

Photo by the Village Voice's Fork in the Road blog

Now Open: Scandinavian Grace Cafe
668 President Street (at 5th Avenue), Park Slope
Williamsburg design shop Scandinavian Grace has opened the Scandinavian Grace Café in Park Slope. The owner told the Village Voice "that they're focusing on housewares, plus coffee, sweets and Scandinavian food items. On the shelves, I noticed those enormous Swedish crackers, elderflower and lingonberry concentrates, lots of jams, a waffle mix, plus other sundry groceries."

Opening This Week: Whiskey Sunday
49 Lincoln Road (between Flatbush and Ocean Aves), Prospect–Lefferts Gardens; (718) 282-7098
"A massive wood smoker—capable of cooking 500 pounds of meat at once—is the keystone of Richard Krause’s Texas barbecue joint. Look for spice-rubbed slabs of beef (brisket, cheeks, short ribs), pork (shoulder, belly, ribs) and chicken. As the name suggests, there’s an extensive collection of whiskey (currently 75 bottles and growing), along with 14 beers on tap." [Time Out New York]

Sneak Peak: Prime Meats
465 Court Street, at Luquer Street, Carroll Gardens; (718) 254-0327
Though Frankies 457 spin-off Prime Meats hasn't officially opened yet, A Brooklyn Life's Erin Behan managed to sneak in and sample some of their uniquely flavored cocktails: "Words that come to mind are 'herbaceous,' 'forest-y,' and 'medicinal.' That may have something to do with my choice of The Waterfront, a mix of Fernet-Branca, Branca Menta and ginger ale, which is best described as what a Halls mentho-lyptus drop would taste like if bottled and bubbled." Behan preferred the Strawberry Mash, made with "rye, whiskey barrel aged bitters, muddled strawberries and mint--it's a bracing drink that won't win over strawberry lovers but truly makes the whiskey shine."

After the jump: Di Fara remains closed while the owner recovers from car accident, Beer Table’s Tuesday-night dinner, a review of Walter Foods, yet another Uncle Louie G's, Zipi Zape reinvents itself, and more...

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Posted by Kara at 11:29 AM | Comments (3)
Categories: Carroll Gardens, Food and Drink, Midwood, Park Slope, Prospect Lefferts Gardens, Williamsburg