Streetlevel
July 2, 2009
StreetLevel: Cleaners, Threading Joint Replace Argyle Office
The 5th Avenue storefront that used to be a sales office for the Argyle condo now has two new businesses: a dry cleaner and an eyebrow threading salon. According to a suspiciously fawning review on Yelp, the threading biz is the first of its kind in the Slope.
StreetLevel: The Argyle Closes Up Shop on 5th Avenue [Brownstoner] GMAP
July 1, 2009
Streetlevel: Unnameable Books Re-Opens on Vanderbilt
Unnameable Books has completed its move we told you about last month and is up and running in its new storefront space at 600 Vanderbilt Avenue in Prospect Heights. We went by on Saturday and thought the set-up looked very nice. Folks in the hood must be pleased!
StreetLevel: Bergen's Loss is Vanderbilt's Gain [Brownstoner] GMAP
No Shortage of Demand for Checkers
Checkers has only been open for a couple of weeks in its first New York location at 111 Court Street but it's safe to say it's been well received so far. After getting a tip that the burger joint's been packed at lunchtime and when the movies let out across the street, we stopped by at around 2:30 yesterday—not exactly prime time—and the lines were still several persons deep. It's nice to see a business doing well in this environment!
Streetlevel: Checkers Opens! [Brownstoner] GMAP
Checkers Looks Ready to Open [Brownstoner]
Streetlevel: Checkers Signage Goes Up [Brownstoner]
Court Street Checkers In Progress [Brownstoner]
Checkers Checking Into 111 Court Street? [Brownstoner]
June 30, 2009
When's Der Schwarze Kölner Opening?
A couple weeks ago we were told by someone involved with Der Schwarze Kölner that the german-style beer garden in the former 7 Corners Hardware space at 710 Fulton Street in Fort Greene would open by "the end of the month." Well, here we are. The new signage is up. Anyone know when the doors open?
Der Schwarze Kolner To Open By End of Month [Brownstoner] GMAP
Rumor: Biergarten Coming to Seven Corners Space [Brownstoner]
June 29, 2009
Closing Bell: Obama Pitching Myrtle Deli
Clinton Hill blog has a photo of the signage going up for the new Obama deli on Myrtle Avenue between Clinton and Vanderbilt Avenues. Can they really use the President's likeness to pitch their business?
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"
June 26, 2009
Streetlevel: Pedigree Sneaker Gallery Coming July 4th
We bumped into Asio Highsmith, the man behind the Hideout bar on Adelphi and budding footwear entrepreneur, on the street in front of his soon-to-open shop at 45 Willoughby Avenue called Pedigree Sneaker Gallery and were able to poke our heads (and camera) through the front door to see how the renovation was coming. The Local did a lengthy profile of Mr. Highsmith and his lofty ambitions for his store, so we won't go into too much detail here, except to say that this ain't no Payless. We were digging the fake grass floor he'd already laid down and are interested to see the custom-made sneaker displays a local artist is fabricating for him. Opening day is targeted for July 4.
Streetlevel: Sneakers for Willoughby [Brownstoner] GMAP
June 25, 2009
StreetLevel: Dean Street Can Eat Cake
About a month ago a new bakery called Cake Ambiance opened on Dean Street, near the corner of Flatbush. According to the shop's website, it specializes in all sorts of confections, and the business runs baking classes. Anyone checked it out yet?
Cake Ambiance [Official Site] GMAP
June 24, 2009
StreetLevel: Vintage Shop Opening on Van Brunt
Per the awning that's up on this Van Brunt storefront near the corner of Visitation, a vintage clothing shop is scheduled to open in the space. From the looks of it, the folks behind the business have been gutting the interior. Thrifty Couture will join another new-ish clothing boutique on Red Hook's main shopping drag, Tiburon, which opened a couple months ago at 392 Van Brunt. GMAP
June 23, 2009
Streetlevel: New Deli for Myrtle Avenue
A new deli is getting ready to open at 336 Myrtle Avenue in Fort Greene. The store, to be named, we hear, Farmer and the Deli, will feature hot foods and a salad bar in addition to the standard bodega fun. Meanwhile, the facade of the building is getting an upgrade through the NY Main Street Program. GMAP
Duane Reade Signage Up at Northside Piers
More than a year after Curbed first reported that Duane Reade would be coming to Northside Piers, a "Coming Soon" sign has appeared in the Kent Avenue storefront window. The drug store joins a Mexican bar and a cleaners in the ground floor (see this post from April) of the Toll Brothers luxury condo complex.
Northside Piers Slowly Gaining Businesses [Brownstoner] GMAP
June 22, 2009
Streetlevel: Loulou No More
As The Local reported, Dekalb mainstay eatery Loulou has thrown in the towel. With receipts down 50 percent from last year, the husband-and-wife owners decided the time had come for a change: They're moving to Vermont to open a new restaurant there. You can read the farewell letter posted in the window here. And what about the storefront at 222 Dekalb Avenue? We hear that a new lease has already been signed by a duo planning to open an Italian restaurant. We also hear that the monthly rent was $3,200, double what Loulou was paying. GMAP
Jonathan Adler Coming to Atlantic Avenue!
Potter-about-town Jonathan Adler (or, as his new signage puts it, "your 24-hour pot dealer") is bringing his trendy mix of lamps, plates and home furnishings to 378 Atlantic Avenue between Hoyt and Bond Streets. The sign in the window confirms the teaser that's been on his website. Excited? GMAP
June 19, 2009
Streetlevel: 7 Eleven Coming to Greenpoint
The headline says it all: 7 Eleven is in the process of taking over the former Halpern-Perlow storefront at 883 Manhattan Avenue. The Greenpointers blog, which broke the news, is nonplussed: "As much as I know people are gonna jump on the hater bandwagon, I personally am not all that upset to see it coming. At least it's not another bank."
Big Gulps Come to Greenpoint [Greenpointers] GMAP
June 18, 2009
Streetlevel: Knotting Slope Closes
After almost five years in their shop at 242 7th Avenue in Park Slope, the folks behind hand-made carpet specialty store Knotting Slope are calling it quits. According to OTBKB, they couldn't afford the rent increase the owner wanted to charge. Their loss is your gain: there's currently a big going-out-of-business sale underway. GMAP
June 17, 2009
Streetlevel: New Turkish Place Opening on 7th Avenue
A tipster sent in this photo showing what lies in the future for the space at 293 7th Avenue in Park Slope which was formerly occupied by the New Orleans-style No No Kitchen: Turkish cuisine. GMAP
Sound Fix Finds a New Home
After a full-court press from a variety of city agencies last spring, pioneering and uber-hip record store (and later cafe cum performance space) Sound Fix decided that it was time to move on from the Bedford Avenue storefront it has called home for five years. The store has found new digs just up North 11th Street at the corner of Berry. The new space in a 90-year-old renovated loft building will enable the store to expand the selection of music it offers, but the days of selling beers and bagels are behind it. "With several neighbors at 44 Berry offering those services," an email we received from them said, "Sound Fix can focus on selling music." Rock on.
Sound Fix Feels the Noise from City Agencies [Brownstoner] GMAP
Der Schwarze Kolner To Open By End of Month
At this rate, we should all be sipping pilsners and wolfing down bratwurst before July 4th weekend rolls around. According to a guy we spoke to in the doorway of Der Schwarze Kolner, the German-style beer garden should be open by the end of the month. Bring it on!
Rumor: Biergarten Coming to Seven Corners Space [Brownstoner] GMAP
June 16, 2009
Streetlevel: Checkers Opens!
Hey, everyone, Checkers is now open! Thanks for the camera phone shot, KW.
Checkers Looks Ready to Open [Brownstoner] GMAP
Streetlevel: Checkers Signage Goes Up [Brownstoner]
Court Street Checkers In Progress [Brownstoner]
Checkers Checking Into 111 Court Street? [Brownstoner]
June 15, 2009
StreetLevel: Slope Card Store Getting Bigger Digs
The very cute 5th Avenue card/gift shop Scaredy Kat is trading its current storefront for a larger one across the street, in the recently vacated Star of India space near the corner of President. The business is about to celebrate its 10-year anniversary and plans to be up and running in its new space the week after Father's Day.
Scaredy Kat [Official Site] GMAP
Checkers Looks Ready to Open
When we rode by on Friday afternoon, the Checkers at 111 Court Street—Brooklyn's first—looked pretty darn close to being ready to open. Can't be more than a matter of days now...
Streetlevel: Checkers Signage Goes Up [Brownstoner]
Court Street Checkers In Progress [Brownstoner] GMAP
Checkers Checking Into 111 Court Street? [Brownstoner]
June 12, 2009
Streetlevel: Beri Empire Expands with Crown Heights Outlet
There's already a redberi store in Prospect Heights and a blueberi store in Dumbo. Now, as of two weekends ago, there's a beri outlet store in Crown Heights. Located at 500 Prospect Place, the 600-square-foot outlet will feature sale items from both retail locations. The phone number is 718-622-3494. Anyone been yet? You can see a couple of interior shots on the Crown Heights Blog.
Competition for Choice on Grand Avenue?
Ever since the building at the corner of Grand Avenue and Clifton Place changed hands more than four years ago and the bodega was pushed out, there's been great speculation about what sort of tenant would eventually show up in the storefront; the sense of mystery was enhanced by the large graphic portraits in the windows. Among the possibilities we've heard tossed around over the years have been a brick oven pizza place, a tea shop and a bookstore. Unfortunately there's no way to properly vent a stove in the space, so that eliminates most food-related pursuits. Clinton Hill Blog adds the latest, and perhaps the last, chapter to the saga: While on a jog this week she popped her head in and asked the electricians what the space would be and they told her a coffee shop. Seems a little odd given that Choice is just down the block but we shall see. According to another source, the space is supposed to be ready by the end of the month.
Kitchen Bar Out, Lot 2 In
A tipster wrote in earlier this week with news that a new restaurant was in the works at 687 6th Avenue in Greenwood Heights in the former Kitchen Bar digs. Seems he wasn't the only one to notice the new sign above the door: A commenter on Brooklynian notes that the folks behind the coffee shop down the street were planning some kind of organic restaurant for the space. GMAP
June 11, 2009
Streetlevel: Tish James Campaign HQ Opens on Fulton
Council Member James has put a lot of effort into trying to revitalize Fulton Street so it made sense when she decided to set up her campaign headquarters between Grand and Downing; the new office opened this past weekend. Now she'll also have to kick in for the BID fees that some of her neighbors are complaining about! GMAP
Latest Restaurant Additions
-
Carroll Gardens Classic Diner
added July 2, 2009 12:00 PM in Boerum Hill -
Tripoli
added July 1, 2009 12:00 PM in Cobble Hill -
Williamsburger
added June 30, 2009 12:00 PM in Williamsburg -
Brooklyn Bread Cafe
added June 29, 2009 12:00 PM in Carroll Gardens, Park Slope -
Naidre's
added June 26, 2009 12:00 PM in Carroll Gardens, Park Slope -
Amorina
added June 25, 2009 12:00 PM in Prospect Heights -
Caracas Arepa Bar: Brooklyn
added June 24, 2009 12:00 PM in Williamsburg -
Dawg Shack
added June 23, 2009 12:00 PM in Gowanus -
Mitchell's
added June 22, 2009 12:00 PM in Prospect Heights -
City Sub
added June 19, 2009 12:00 PM in Park Slope