South Slope
November 20, 2009
Development Watch: 575 5th Avenue Coming Along
All the construction netting on the Fifth Avenue Committee's supportive housing project on 5th Avenue and 16th street has come down, and it's now possible to see progress on the corner of the structure. The rendering above shows how it's supposed to turn out.
Development Watch: 575 5th Avenue Gets Its Brick On [Brownstoner]
Development Watch: 575 5th Avenue [Brownstoner]
Development Watch: 575 5th Avenue [Brownstoner]
575 Fifth on a Roll [Brownstoner] GMAP P*SharkDOB
DOB Green-Lights 575 5th Avenue [Brownstoner]
City Planning Approves FAC Project at 575 5th Ave [Brownstoner]
Marty DK's Fifth Avenue Housing Project [Brownstoner]
City Planning Considers 5th Ave Housing Facility [Brownstoner]
FAC Development at 575 Fifth Avenue [Brownstoner]
StreetLevel: South, New 5th Avenue Bar, Opens
South, the new bar in the former Vin Rouge space on 5th Avenue between 17th and 18th streets, has opened. According to BlackBook, South is run by the same people who own the Brooklyn Ice House in Red Hook and has half a dozen beers on tap.
StreetLevel: New South Slope Bar on Tap [Brownstoner] GMAP
November 18, 2009
Development Watch: 169 16th Street
More than three years after the BSA voted against granting a variance to developer Isaac Katan on 15th Street, the smaller building rising on the land in question—which fronts both 15th and 16th streets—is starting to show itself. The development was originally supposed to be the sister building of the Vue but was only allowed to be built to 5 stories. A resident of the block said that he's concerned about the influx of cars that he believes will descend upon 16th Street when the project's garage is complete: Between this and the Vue, he says 16th Street is primed to become a "traffic nightmare."
BSA Gives the Heisman to Katan [Brownstoner]
DOB Backs Community Opposition to 15th Street [Brownstoner] GMAP DOB
BSA Hearing on 182 15th Street [Brownstoner]
November 9, 2009
21123 Revealed - And Exposed
Last week Curbed revealed that the posters and sidewalk spray-paintings that have popped up all over the Slope recently were for the condo at 211 23rd Street; The Courier and The Eagle both gave the publicity stunt ink last week as well, so it's fair to say that the guerilla campaign (which also included an annoying spam post on the Forum) succeeded in getting attention. Not all of it was positive, however: The Courier noted some posts on Brooklynian by irritated neighbors. “Defacing a neighborhood isn’t the most enlightened way to sell a new development in the area," said one. And there are plenty of other area residents who are failing to find the humor in the project. The building was originally one of the Scarano mezzanine specials that was caught with its pants down; while the developers scrambled to save the project (which they ultimately did by merging tax lots to create enough FAR to make the mezzanines legit), the site turned into a quality-of-life nightmare ("trash, broken windows, a disgusting port-o-potty that was left to rot for 2 years," according to one reader who lives nearby) for Greenwood Heights. When we last wrote about the development way back in January '07, sales were already under way for the first time, with prices ranging from the mid-$400,000's to $889,000. Listings after the relaunch now run from $563,748 to $811,578.
Park Slope Mystery Ads Were for Ugly Condo Building [Curbed]
211 23rd Street: Livin' La Vida Scarano [Brownstoner] GMAP
211 23rd Street [Official Site]
October 28, 2009
Development Watch: Fischer Out at 572 5th Avenue
Initially, the development on 5th Avenue near the corner of 16th Street was designed by Karl Fischer, but DOB records inform that the architect on the job was recently switched to a firm called David King. The building is supposed to have 18 units.
A Karl Fischer Building for South Slope's 5th Avenue [Brownstoner] GMAP P*SharkDOB
October 27, 2009
Development Watch: 585 6th Avenue Coming Along
The future 25-unit apartment building on 6th Avenue between 16th Street and Prospect Avenue has reached full height since we checked in on it last December. Sears Tambasco Architects designed the structure.
Development Watch: 585 6th Avenue [Brownstoner]
Development Watch: 585 6th Avenue [Brownstoner] GMAP DOB
Katan Sells Off South Slope Development Parcel [Brownstoner]
October 23, 2009
Park Slope Schoolhouse in at 5th Ave's 'Classic Modern'
A poster in the window of the ground floor of the South Slope condo called the Classic Modern informs that the space will be the future home of the Park Slope Schoolhouse, the preschool program formerly known as the Berkeley Carroll Child Care Center. The preschool, which is currently located on 6th Street, plans to move into the building on 5th Avenue between 15th and 16th streets next year. Meanwhile, sales in the condo itself have gone fairly well: There have been 6 closings in the 8-unit building and only two listings are left: A $540,000 1-bedroom and a $575,000 2-bedroom.
Going Modern on Fifth Avenue [Brownstoner] GMAP
556 5th Avenue [StreetEasy]
From Flicks to Fischer on 15th Street
A couple of years ago the old Globe Theater on 15th Street between 5th and 6th avenues was demolished. Cinema Treasures says the second-run movie house closed decades ago and was later used as a warehouse. What's risen in its place is a 48-unit apartment building, according to DOB records, that came from beneath the sea! was designed by architect Karl Fischer.
Development Watch: 226 15th Street [Brownstoner] GMAP DOB
Old Globe photo from kencta.
September 24, 2009
Price Chops at South Slope Specimen
Some price cuts have come through the StreetEasy wire for the small condo at 368 12th Street, between 6th and 7th avenues. Like the 16th Street Condominiums, which we checked in on about a month ago, this masterwork comes from BK Developers. Prices were cut last week on the three active listings at 368 12th. The biggest cut was on the smallest and cheapest unit, with a 685-sf one-bedroom going from $550,000 to $449,000. The bigger units got smaller reductions: A 1,045-sf two-bedroom, for example, went down only 2 percent, from $685,000 to $670,000. Three units in the building have closed since sales began in June '08, and StreetEasy says another is in contract.
368 12th Street Listings [StreetEasy] GMAP
September 23, 2009
Brooklyn Food & Drink Round-Up
New Restaurant & Bar Openings
Grub Street sneaks a peek inside Mercat Negre in Williamsburg and shows us the restaurant's roof deck, pictured above. The NY Times says it's scheduled to open tomorrow at 65 Grand Street (at Wythe Avenue)... The Strong Buzz reports that the GM of 'inotecca is teaming up with Mike Burkett (a.k.a. Fat Mike from NOFX) to open Thistle Hill Tavern this December or January: "The restaurant, which will be located at corner of Seventh Ave. and 15th St. in the South Slope, will serve robust regional seasonal cuisine in a very laid back, turn-of-the-century tavern setting." ... According to Eater, the old Baron's at 98 Nassau Avenue in Greenpoint is now The Keg And Lantern, "a bar and grill serving classic pub fare." ... And Bushwick BK says that the Hibachi Tiki Hut is now open and serving "wood-fire barbeque cuisine" at 890 Broadway (at Belvidere Street).
More Food at Fort Defiance?
New York magazine shares our love for Fort Defiance, and hints at what the future may hold for this Red Hook spot: "There are plans, gas service pending, to fire up the stoves and start offering daily specials, like red beans and rice and oysters Rockefeller. But [owner St. John] Frizell says he won’t turn the joint into a full-fledged restaurant. For him, the café-bar-what-have-you model serves the neighborhood, and its quotidian appetites, quite nicely."
Homebrews by Brooklynites, for Brooklynites
"Stephen Valand, 23, and Erica Shea, 25, quit their jobs earlier this year to start the Brooklyn Brew Shop, which makes gallon beer-brewing kits sized for New York City apartments," says the New York Times. The fledgling company's current DIY brews include Grapefruit Honey Ale and Chocolate Maple Porter. The $40 kit (grains included) seems like a pretty solid gift for a beer enthusiast. Has anybody tried their brewing system yet?
After the jump: Bushwick's pastoral wonderland, karaoke confusion in Bay Ridge, and more love for the food vendors at the Flea...
September 11, 2009
StreetLevel: Home Furnishings Store for the South Slope
The turnover-heavy stretch of 7th Avenue near 15th Street is getting another new shop: Word comes via Ideal Properties Group that a home furnishings store called Homebody is scheduled to open in the small space next to Vespa Salon in early November. The storefront was previously leased by the short-lived boutique Closet Couture. GMAP
August 31, 2009
StreetLevel: New Bakery in the South Slope
A bakery called Little Buddy Biscuit Company opened a few weeks ago on 5th Avenue near the corner of 18th Street. Its owner, Pete Solomita (whose blog you can read here), says he took up baking about four years ago when he was looking after his young son; prior to that, he had trained as a chef. The goods at Little Buddy are baked in small batches on a daily basis and include stuff like brownies ($2.50), big cookies (also $2.50) and scones ($2.25), as well as a revolving lineup of daily specials. More details on the business are included on a Brooklynian post. It opens at 7 a.m. on weekdays and 8 a.m. Saturdays and Sundays. GMAP
August 19, 2009
StreetLevel: New Mexican Restaurant for the South Slope
Fonda, a new Mexican restaurant on 7th Avenue between 14th and 15th streets, is in the midst of a "soft opening," according to a couple posters on Brooklynian. No word yet on prices, but a blackboard inside the restaurant touts Mexican burgers, fresh guacamole, zarape de pato and pork in adobo as "signature creations." The eatery is in the former Little D space. GMAP
August 5, 2009
StreetLevel: Bistro Open on 6th Ave and 14th
The former bodega on 14th Street and 6th Avenue has been turned into a restaurant that opened about a week and a half ago. Slope's Bistro Restaurant fare runs from salads ($6.95 for Caesar) to pasta ($9.95 for mushroom ravioli) to fish and meat entrees ($17.50 for a NY strip). GMAP
August 4, 2009
StreetLevel: Lily Closing Up Shop in the South Slope
The boutique Lily is closing its 7th Avenue branch. The store was first established on Court Street in 1999 and the South Slope location opened in 2007. According to an employee of the store, the Court Street boutique will remain open and the 7th Avenue shop will probably close by the end of August. She said they were closing the second boutique "because this neighborhood has been very slow for us." GMAP
August 3, 2009
Brokerage Switches Ain't Helping at 245 16th Street
It's been a year and a half since we last checked in on the small condo at 245 16th Street in the South Slope. Back then, the development was going by the name "The Athena," but three brokerages later it appears that the moniker has been dropped in favor of "The 16th Street Condominiums." What hasn't dropped, at least not appreciably, are the condo's prices: Unit 1 in the building (1,105-sf studio loft), for example, started out its life on the market at $495,000. While Elliman, which first had the listing, brought it down by $10K last summer, the asking has stayed at the same level through Corcoran and Brown Harris Stevens' runs representing the building and is still listed for $485,000 with its new handlers, Brooklyn Heights RE. Prices on two other units have also been pretty static, with one (Unit 3) staying at the same price it was initially listed for in January '08, $695,000, and the other (Unit 2) now at $585,000 after first coming to market for $695,000—a decent cut, but it was made last December, and it doesn't seem to have had much effect. It doesn't look like the other three units in the building have active listings, but there definitely haven't been any closings thus far, even though the development's final C of O came through almost a year ago. Has anyone checked these out?
245 16th Street Listings [StreetEasy]
Athena Prices a Big Fat Myth? [Brownstoner] GMAP
July 31, 2009
Looks Like Lucali is Coming to the South Slope!
Eater has an "insider" saying that the rumored expansion of the much-lauded Carroll Gardens pizzeria Lucali to the South Slope will be helmed by the brother of Mark Iacono, the pizza-maker behind the original restaurant. Two guys working on plumbing in the Slope space yesterday, which is on 6th Avenue and 20th Street, said the rumor is true. One added that the place is probably going to be called "Lucali 2." Although Lucali is not confirming the rumor, seems like signs are pointing to yes on this one!
More Details Revealed on Lucali's South Slope Expansion GMAP
July 29, 2009
More Trouble for CoHousing Group
Another curve in the road for the idealistic crew behind the Brooklyn CoHousing project, via The New York Times. Seems that the bank, already skittish lending to even experienced developers these days, is extra nervous about giving money to an experience group such as those trying to convert the South Slope warehouse into apartments with communal living facilities. Instead of closing with $1 million down, as they originally thought, they now need more like twice that amount.
July 22, 2009
Development Watch: 575 5th Avenue
Here she is, the in-progress 49-unit supportive housing project being developed by the Fifth Avenue Committee on the corner of 16th Street. The building appears to have topped out since we last checked in on it, in May. A reminder of what the finished product is supposed to look like is right here.
Development Watch: 575 5th Avenue [Brownstoner]
575 Fifth on a Roll [Brownstoner] GMAP P*SharkDOB
DOB Green-Lights 575 5th Avenue [Brownstoner]
City Planning Approves FAC Project at 575 5th Ave [Brownstoner]
Marty DK's Fifth Avenue Housing Project [Brownstoner]
City Planning Considers 5th Ave Housing Facility [Brownstoner]
FAC Development at 575 Fifth Avenue [Brownstoner]
StreetLevel: New South Slope Bar on Tap
The South Slope will get a new watering hole next door to another one of recent vintage, Ellis. The bar will open in the space formerly occupied by wine bar Vin Rouge.
Streetlevel: Vin Rouge Goes Dark [Brownstoner] GMAP
June 29, 2009
StreetLevel: Cafe Grumpy Now Open in the South Slope
Cafe Grumpy, the coffee shop with locations in Greenpoint and Chelsea, now has a new outpost on 7th Avenue between 11th and 12th streets. The small storefront was previously home to the clothing store Lola. Grumpy is set up more for takeout than lounging; the narrow shop only has a few seats and a couple of benches. Click through for a pic of the menu.
Cafe Grumpy [Official Site] GMAP
Continue reading "StreetLevel: Cafe Grumpy Now Open in the South Slope"
Slope Armory on Track to Open in September
The long-awaited opening of an athletic center at the Park Slope Armory is set to happen in September, according to Sean Andrews, executive director of the Prospect Park Y. The new, $16 million center that the Y is running was supposed to open early this year, but contractors are still putting the finishing touches on construction. While the centerpiece of the armory's renovation is the overhauled drill floor (above), which will be used primarily for track-and-field purposes, Andrews says the Y wants the facility to be a destination for community recreation. To that end, the armory will be outfitted with what Andrews calls 10 "very large" multi-purpose rooms and the Y will offer programs like mom-and-baby yoga at the center. Andrews says that basic membership will cost $40 a month for adults and, as at other Y's, financial aid will be available. Open houses and tours of the center are supposed to begin soon.
Slope Armory Should be Ready for Action by '09 [Brownstoner] GMAP
Slope Armory Athletic Center Comes Out to Play [Brownstoner]
Closing Bell: Park Slope Armory Lookin' Hot to Trot [Brownstoner]
June 25, 2009
406 15th Street: The Lawsuit
Starting in 2006, the construction work for a development at 406 15th Street was marked by what residents time and again alleged were less-than-best practices, to put it mildly: In July '06, the DOB evacuated an adjacent building because construction at 406 made the structure "imminently perilous to life"; in October '06, neighbors put together a video about how work at 406 was damaging adjacent structures; and, most recently, IMBY had a post early this year about how the underground parking garage at 406 constantly ventilated fumes into a neighboring backyard. It comes as no surprise, then, that 406 15th Street, which is a rental with people living in it, is now the subject of a lawsuit filed at the beginning of this year in New York State Supreme Court. The suit has been brought by the owners of the 8-unit rental at 1504 8th Avenue that was evacuated a few years ago and the insurance company that provided coverage for the building; it names 406 15th Street developer Jack LoCicero and architecture firm Bricolage among the defendants. The lawsuit has a laundry list of alleged negligent construction practices at 406 15th and reads, in part, "as a result of said negligence, damages were incurred by the plaintiffs for the cleanup, renovation, assessment, remediation, equipment, construction, renovation, repairs, labor and materials, loss of rents and costs in excess of $626,000." So far, Bricolage and contractors that worked on 406 15th Street have filed answers to the plaintiff's complaint denying all culpability.
406 15th Lawsuit Filings [Supreme Court]
Head-Pounding Nightmare on 15th Street [Brownstoner] GMAP
Reckless 15th Street Excavation Forces Evac [Brownstoner] P*Shark DOB
Sticking It To Their South Slope Neighbors [Brownstoner]
June 17, 2009
Brooklyn Food & Drink Round-Up
7 New Bars and Restaurants
(1) Fort Defiance, the new Red Hook spot from writer and Pegu Club alum St. John Frizell, won't get a liquor license until late July, but they'll start serving food this weekend. Eater says, "the sandwich menu includes Italian tuna, turkey, muffuletta with custom baked bread, and what else, banh mi." (2) Brooklyn Heights Blog says that Brooklyn Heights Wine Bar has opened at Henry and Cranberry. (3) Grub Street says that Calexico is finally set to open next Tuesday, but Lost City isn't sure why the word "thanks" was written in forks and knives on the sidewalk outside. (4) Lost City says that Black Horse Pub will be opening in two weeks in the South Slope, at 14th and Fifth Avenue. (5) Brunch Anytime noticed that another location of Bay Ridge health food spot Nature's Grill is setting up shop a few doors down from Trader Joe's in Cobble Hill. (6) Grub Street says that Italian-American restaurant Grandma Rose's is opening today at 457 Graham Avenue (near Herbert Street) in Williamsburg. (7) And blogger Didactic Katydid reports that yakitori spot Sui Ren is now open at 302 Metropolitan Avenue (at Roebling).
Rye Gets Reviewed
247 South First Street (Roebling Street), Williamsburg; (718) 218-8047
New York Times restaurant critic Frank Bruni gives a single star to Williamsburg's Rye and wonders whether it is meant to be "a drinkers’ refuge with ambitious food or a proper restaurant with a particular vanity about its cocktails... Maybe that’s a function of the neighborhood, whose hipsters are aging and being joined by more settled, stodgy types." We're not sure how the restaurant's regulars are supposed to feel about this remark. In any case, Tasting Table raves about Rye's meatloaf sandwich: "The glorious, two-handed sandwich comprises a half-pound tablet of ground pork, veal and duck cooked in its own reduced braising juices and planted between a chewy, crusty roll. Golden haystack onions spill out atop the meat loaf, while a layer of horseradish-dressed frisée packs serious zip, and briny, thin-sliced pickles temper the opulence."
After the jump: a new home for the McCarren Park Greenmarket, Char No. 4's summer barbecue deal, a $5 dinner at Hope Lounge, a Red Hook bar crawl in photos, and new signage for Timboo's...
June 10, 2009
CB6, Fifth Avenue BID Going After Bike Lane
The Fifth Avenue BID wants to do away with the bike lane that runs from Carroll Street to 24th Street, and Community Board 6 is listening, reports Streets Blog. The BID argues that the bike lane makes it too difficult for trucks to make deliveries to the many businesses that line the avenue and that more tickets are getting issued as a result. CB6 District Manager Craig Hammerman has suggested a compromise—downgrading from a full-fledged bike lane to sharrows, lighter-weight markings. "The proposed scenario wouldn't do anything to help delivery drivers find curbside spots," writes the blog, "but it would force cyclists to kiss their dedicated space goodbye." Streets Blog thinks the answer lies in a fledgling program that's been experimented with along Fifth Avenue that makes metered parking more expensive at peak times.
Fifth Ave BID, CB6 Take Aim at Park Slope Bike Lane [Streets Blog]
Latest Restaurant Additions
-
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