Commercial Real Estate

Columbia Street Waterfront
This week the blogosphere wondered, “Is the Columbia St. Waterfront the new Smith Street?” Brooklyn Paper points to the opening of Pok Pok, the coming Greenway and park, and new restaurants vying to move in. The neighborhood is still limited by its lack of transportation, construction, and geographic isolation. So what do you think? Meanwhile, the Columbia Street Post Office will be forced to close due to budget cuts, according to CG Patch.

Cobble Hill/Carroll Gardens
Grub Street posts the menu for Arthur on Smith, the organic/local restaurant from Southfork Kitchen chef slated to open March 19th at 276 Smith Street. And Sweet Melissa closes at Court and Douglas after being in the neighborhood since 1998. Says PMFA: “Melissa’s will be missed by many.” A little further north in Brooklyn Heights, construction workers are combining the retail space at 214-216 Hicks Street – past home to Overtures and Dara Ettinger. No one’s leased out the larger space yet.

Park Slope
Owners of much-hyped restaurant Talde are opening another at the old Aunt Suzie’s place, says Park Slope Patch. The name and cuisine type has not yet been revealed. The owner of Prospect Perk is expanding to 253 Flatbush Avenue, the new spot will be called Hungry Ghost Cafe. They tell HPS, “It will be a little more upscale than Prospect Perk, with a full bakery in-house and lots of room to sit.” A burger bar is filling the old Oko Frozen Yogurt space at 152 5th Avenue, between Degraw and Douglass. And new Italian joint Feluccio opened at 364 Prospect Avenue.

Elsewhere
A roll-your-own-smokes place in Sheepshead Bay is being threatened by the city to close down. The White Castle on Willoughby has shuttered in Downtown Brooklyn. BHB wonders if it closed due to the recent arrival of Shake Shack. Greenpoint club Europa was temporarily shut down by the cops due to some previously violent incidents. And lawmakers are pushing to bring a summertime plaza to Third Avenue between 81st and 89th Streets in Bay Ridge.
Photo by Jay Woodworth

Coney Island
Amusing the Zillion posted this awesome picture of an old rathskellers that sold under the Boardwalk sometime in the 1940-50s. The owner of Brooklyn Beach shop was renovating the first-floor space of what was previously Coney Island Souvenirs when she found this menu up on the basement wall. Beer and milk: 10 cents, coffee: 5 cents. Not bad!

Ditmas Park/Windsor Terrace
Am Thai Bistro opens on Church Avenue in Ditmas Park and plans to serve traditional Thai dishes to the nabe. Le Paddock extended its hours to be open Friday for brunch and for take-out. The cafe Oak and Iris should ropen on Fort Hamilton Parkway today.

Park Slope
Long-time Slope concert hall South Paw is closing down and a tutoring center is moving in, in a shift that seems catered to the changes of the neighborhood. The owner told the Brooklyn Paper: “I’m kind of over Park Slope — it’s not a destination for nightlife anymore.” V Spot is closed due to health violations and the old Timboo’s Bar will be replaced by a new bar run by the owners of Abilene Bar on Court Street, says Here’s Park Slope. HPS notes a third BBQ joint is moving into the neighborhood and Gothamist takes a tour of Fort Reno Provisions.

Elsewhere
Chocolate Earth opens in Dumbo at The Shops at 145 Front Street with over 20 brands and 80 types of artisan and craft chocolate bars. Burgersmith opens on Smith Street and Baltic in Cobble Hill serving up grass-fed beef burgers grilled on a cast-iron. East Village restaurant Max is expanding to South 2nd Street and Driggs in Williamsburg. Also in the neighborhood the Camel Art Space joins the gallery migration from Williamburg east into Bushwick. BoCoCa Land rounds up a few Italian newcomers he’s noticed in the neighborhood. Indian restaurant Baluchi’s opened quickly on Henry Street in Brooklyn Heights. Finally, Patch profiles Crem Puff Cafe, a coffe/juice bar on 6th Avenue between Dean and Bergen.

Carroll Gardens
NY Times shares details on Arthur, a new restaurant at 276 Smith Street by Chef Joe Isidori, from Brideghampton’s Southfork Kitchen. It will open this spring. The L interviews Kim Ima about opening up a brick-and-mortar Treats Truck at 521 Court Street. The bakery/cafe will open in February or early March.

Williamsburg
Timeout checks out Mercado on Kent, a Spanish market-style restaurant. A philly cheese steak food truck called Phil’s Steaks now graces Bedford Avenue. A New England, eastern seaboard style restaurant/bar named Extra Fancy is coming soon to 205 Metropolitan Avenue, says Here’s Williamsburg. And Evolve, a motor scooter store, is open 155 Grand Street. In case you’re interested, scooter prices start at $2900.

Elsewhere
Grub Street takes the first look at Clinton Hill’s Speedy Romeo, a new wood-fire pizza and Italian joint opening today! opening January 24th. Dumbo NYC shares a Dumbo retail report for this month. And Monte’s Deli and Catering moved into a larger location at 1811 Avenue P, on the corner of McDonald Avenue, in Sheepshead Bay.

Park Slope
The NY Times published the menu at Talde, which will open Sunday. FIPS has five suggestions for what should fill the PS Bklyn space, the recently shuttered kid-friendly restaurant. And according to Here’s Park Slope, a real estate office will take the place of ice cream shop Scoopz on 5th Avenue, Pizza Rustica is closed for business on 3rd Street, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is coming to the uber ugly vacant building at 5th Ave and 13th Street and a bodega on 4th Avenue is changing into a halal restaurant.

Elsewhere
The long-time Brooklyn Heights biz Overtures is closing after 30 years on Hicks Street, according to the Brooklyn Paper. Nona Brooklyn profiles Saraghina offshoot Celestino in Bed Stuy. The seafood restaurant should open in the next few weeks. Whirly Bird, a breakfast burrito/espresso spot, opened in South Williamsburg. A new upscale hair and skin salon moves into 154 Nassau Avenue in Greenpoint. A deli/grocery at 236 Court Street in Cobble Hill has shuttered. Finally an Egyptian Community Center opened in Bay Ridge.

Burgers
Burger shops were probably the biggest food trend this year, most recently evidenced by this month’s opening of Brooklyn’s first Shake Shack on Fulton Street. Before that, Five Guys Burgers moved into Park Slope, Cobble Hill, Downtown Brooklyn and the Metrotech Center. Smash Burger expanded from Denver to Downtown Brooklyn, and Jake’s Wayback Burger opened in DoBro a few blocks away.

National Retailers Ink Deals in Downtown Brooklyn
A number of big-name national retailers announced plans to take space on the Fulton Mall this year, setting the stage for the continued transformation of the commercial strip. H&M, Gap and Express all announced plans to move onto Fulton Street. (Plans for a Filene’s/Sym’s hybrid at 490 Fulton fell through, however, after the company went bankrupt.) Construction progressed on the first phase of the City Point development, which will add 50,000 square feet of retail space to Downtown next year. A Panera is also under construction in Downtown. Meanwhile, artsy businesses and cafes set up shop in shipping containers at Dekalb Market. All of the changes aren’t without controversy, though: a documentary film is in the works about the aggressive gentrification seen on the Fulton Mall.

Atlantic Yards Anxieties
The arena’s going up, but many nearby residents cast aspersions on the planned opening of several businesses perceived as catering primarily to arena visitors. The controversy over a bar/restaurant called Prime 6 got the most press. After the owner announced the joint wouldn’t, as some feared, be a strip club, residents still pushed for strict operating hours and complained about plans to offer bottle service. The state approved a liquor license but it has yet to open. Meanwhile, a gastropub announced plans to open at 604 Pacific Street, and a liquor license was eventually approved with a stipulation that no dancing be allowed. No doubt these won’t be the only new businesses near the arena to battle the community boards.

After the jump, Manhattan chefs who moved to Brooklyn this year, commercial changes in Crown Heights and Bed Stuy, and critics’ favorite Brooklyn meals of 2011… (more…)

Williamsburg
Here’s Williamsburg welcomes Konditori Coffee Shop (at Bedford and North 7th) and Kabob Shack (at 182 Havemeyer) to the neighborhood. Brooklyn Paper writes that chef Tyler Kord, of Manhattan-based No 7. Sub, is opening a Williamsburg outpost. No location or opening date as of yet.

Elsewhere
Sadly, Tillie’s Coffee House will leave Deklab Avenue at the end of this month. It’s been a Fort Greene staple for 14 years. After a short run, Seasons Restaurant is closing in Brooklyn Heights. BHB thinks it may be replaced by an Indian restaurant. Apparently there can never be too much pizza for Dumbo. A Julianna’s Pizza sign appeared at 17 Front Street, after Grimaldi’s moved to its new location at One Front Street. Athena may close in Cobble Hill because neighbors aren’t happy with the late-night noise. Also on Smith Street, Brooklyn Strategist – a cafe and social club – will replace Peek A Boo Kids. Finally, Ice Scream U Scream calls it quits in Gerritsen Beach.

Coney Island
The big food news this week was that Paul’s Daughters signed an eight year lease on the Coney Island boardwalk, Ruby’s Bar and Grill also signed on for eight more years, and Tom’s Diner is officially expanding from Prospect Heights to the Coney Boardwalk. There’s a holiday gift if we’ve ever heard one!

Park Slope
A few things happened in the Slope this past week: De Luxe Cafe opened at 410 7th Avenue, Noella Brew Bar opened further north at 72 7th Avenue and Pete’s Pizzaria on 5th is closed until January for renovations.

Elsewhere
Is a Chick-Fil-A coming to Brooklyn? Over in Fort Greene, the original A Bistro spot, recently up for rent, will soon be Lulu & Po. The chef comes from East Village’s Belcourt. In Williamsburg Grub Street checks out what to eat at newly opened Brooklyn Wok Shop. Up in Greenpoint, the bar Oak and Iron is open at 147 Franklin Street and New York Shitty takes a video tour of One Stop Beer Shop, opening later this month on Kingsland Ave. Finally, Palermo Pizza was seized by the tax man in Ditmas Park.