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Open and Shut
Carroll Gardens/Cobble Hill
Lost City snaps this photograph of Ciro’s (above), the replacement for the Fall Cafe. As he says: “New layout inside, though it looks like they’ve kept some of the old chairs that gave the Fall Cafe its ratty charm. And there might be the possibility of garden seating in back.” A new Thai restaurant replaces an old Thai restaurant at 160 Smith Street. Sadie’s Kitchen closed on Degraw Street for spring remodeling. A bad sign? wonders one PMFA reader. And sadly, over on the Columbia Street Waterfront, Accardi Hardware, the oldest biz on the block, shuttered.
Park Slope
FIPS throws out a rumor that Starbucks is planned for the old Uncle Moe’s space on 7th Avenue. They also report that Talde is now serving brunch. Here’s Park Slope spots a new Indian restaurant coming to 396 5th Avenue and notes that Hungry Ghost Cafe opened its doors on Flatbush. An English Pub called Monro’s got signage at 481 5th Avenue.
Elsewhere
Brooklyn Pie Corps is looking to open a retail space sometime this year. A French Bistro is opening on Atlantic Ave. in Brooklyn Heights. A rundown building/deli on the corner of Parkside and Flatbush is being renovated in Prospect Lefferts Gardens. Grubstreet notes that Greenpoint fave Anella’s has started serving lunch. Last but not least, on Franklin Avenue in Crown Heights, a bike shop and a new restaurant will soon be the latest additions to the very busy block.
04/18/2012 12:00 PM
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Pfizer Sells Off Another Chunk of its Williamsburg Property
Last night Brooklyn 11211 brought word that pharma giant Pfizer has a deal in place to sell off the last of its big holdings in Williamsburg and that the buyers are not thought to be the coalition of community groups that wanted to see affordable housing built on the site. Today Crain’s reports the story out a bit more, though the identity of the buyers is still opaque: “The pharmaceutical giant said 306 Rutledge Street II LLC, a newly formed company representing investors who have experience in residential and mixed-use properties, is in contract to buy the site for an undisclosed price. …’The investors are committed to redevelopment of the property to provide employment and meet the needs of the local community,’ said Pfizer in a statement. ‘We anticipate that the buyer’s development plans will foster economic stability through new job creation that will benefit the vibrant Williamsburg community into the future. We believe this is a positive step in our longstanding efforts to achieve Pfizer’s community-based principles for the site.’” The two large plots comprise 4 acres. The community groups that wanted to develop affordable housing reportedly offered $10 million. Politicians and residents have talked about building housing on Pfizer’s former holdings for a long time, but the only real action has come via a developer that bought the plant and leased space to some food manufacturers.
Pfizer Sells, But Not to Local Groups [Brooklyn 11211]
Investor Group Swallows 4-Acre Pfizer Site in Bklyn [Crain's]
Photo by robot glue
04/18/2012 9:00 AM
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Atlantic Yards Effect: Is it Changing Retail For the Worse?
A story in the Times today looks at the extent to which the blocks surrounding Atlantic Yards are in the midst of a retail transformation directly linked to the fall opening of the Barclays Center arena. While rents are no doubt going up nearby, we’re not sure we’re buying the basic premise of the story: “‘The neighborhood is now becoming an entertainment mecca — anything that’s hip and of the moment,’ said Robert Schulman, who fits prosthetic devices for Allied Orthopedics, which has been on Flatbush Avenue for 25 years. ‘The change was slowly growing, but once the arena came into play, it was exponential. Once a week, a new restaurant or clothing store is opening up.’” Yes, there have been many openings near the arena, but the story’s angle is that it’s changing the face of the surrounding neighborhoods so that old-time mom-and-pops like hardware stores are losing out to retailers that can afford higher rents. However, as the article notes, the Prospect Heights and Park Slope blocks very near the coming arena have been changing for several years now, and not in a mega-retailer sort of way: Witness Pintchick Row on Bergen Street off Flatbush, a block that now boasts Bark, Ricky’s, a vegetarian cafe, a bicycle shop, a comic book store and a yoga shop. All have opened in the past five or so years and it seems like a stretch to say they’ve hurt quality of life in the area. At the same time, the story points out what is perhaps of bigger concern to nearby residents: New, loud bars and noisy arena-goers ruining evenings on nearby residential streets when events let out. Here’s the kicker, from a small business owner near Barclays: “‘As a businessman it’s good. …As a resident not so much. It turns a neighborhood into Midtown Manhattan.’” Certainly the neighbors of the arena have legitimate quality-of-life concerns, but we’re not seeing MSG-level horror yet, though time will tell. Atlantic Yards Report has an extensive critique of the article up, including a note that there was a mis-characterization of people at a recent liquor license hearing as “die-hard opponents” of Barclays Center.
Impact of Atlantic Yards, for Good or Ill, Is Already Felt [NY Times]
Times Focuses on Retail Changes Near Arena Site [AY Report]
Photo by schmuela
04/17/2012 9:30 AM
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Open and Shut
Prospect Heights
In Prospect Heights, neighborhood favorite James started offering lunch Tuesdays through Fridays last week. The menu is very vegetarian-friendly. Inset, above, a baked herbed polenta with cheddar, duck eggs and melted cherry tomato that’s on offer.
Carroll Gardens
Pardon Me for Asking wonders if the owner of Green Onion Children’s Store walked away from the business, leaving it fully stocked. Middle Eastern eatery Levant is opening in Palmyra’s place at 316 Court Street, hopefully by the end of this month. And Kosher eatery Olga’s on 5th will be replaced by HBH, which sells smoked meats and gourmet sandwiches.
Park Slope
What’s up with Lucky Lou’s Cafe and Grill, wondering FIPS. Pinkberry will open this summer at 161 Seventh Avenue, near Garfield Place. A medical center is moving into the old Jennifer Convertible’s space on 5th Avenue, Mezcal’s (also on 5th) reopened after a brief closure, and Chinese restaurant Red Hot II reopened after being shuttered by the DOH.
Elsewhere
Prospect Restaurant will open at 773 Fulton Street in Fort Greene in July and serve local, fresh ingredients. The Gallery restaurant in Dumbo, at the cursed space on Jay Street, is closed temporarily. Steve’s New Grill House made a comeback on the Coney Island Boardwalk, the biz was one of the “Coney Island Eight” evicted by Zamperla. Popup shop Hayseed’s Big City Farm Supply is now in Greenpoint and sells urban farming supplies. Finally, Rough Trade NYC will open a record store (with a live performance area) in Williamsburg.
04/11/2012 11:30 AM
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How the Smith Street Bunker Will be Transformed
A reader forwarded along this listing for commercial space at 166 Smith Street, the former MTA property where renovations began last week. It’s possible Lululemon claimed a chunk of the commercial space on the corner of Wyckoff, although the company did not return requests for info, and perhaps their branding is only being used for marketing purposes. And it looks like there will be residential units on the top floor. To date, we haven’t heard back from either the architects of this project or the broker representing the commercial space.
Work Begins at Former MTA Property 166 Smith Street [Brownstoner]
166 Smith Street Under Construction [Realty Collective]
MTA Sells Smith Street Eyesore [Brownstoner]
Three Brooklyn Winners on AMNY’s Most-Fugly List [Brownstoner] GMAP
04/09/2012 10:00 AM
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Leasing of Downtown Brooklyn Office Space Ain’t So Hot
Prime office space in Downtown Brooklyn is readily available but having trouble finding takers, the Real Deal reports:
The office market in Downtown Brooklyn was once going strong with a full slate of long-term leases, and a roster of financial firms like Bear Stearns & Company, which were locating back offices there to flee expensive Manhattan rents. But today its high 90 percent occupancy rate masks a staggering 26.8 percent availability rate — from downsizing tenants and expiring leases in its 8 million square feet of modern, Class A office buildings. That’s according to fourth-quarter 2011 figures, the most recent available from commercial firm Jones Lang LaSalle. The growth of vacant and available space has been a long time in the making, as financial firms reduced head counts, moved staff overseas, or decamped to New Jersey.
Another scary stat that’s trotted out is that availability in Downtown Brooklyn modern office space is among the highest in the entire country. There are a lot of possible reasons for the high availability rate, according to the article, such as that Jersey is more financially attractive to some firms. But, to us, the real story in this article that’s only mentioned in passing is that Downtown is in the midst of transforming into nearly as much of a residential zone as a commercial one thanks to the 2004 rezoning of the area. While the rezoning was meant to spur commercial and residential development, it sure has brought a lot more new residents than offices or the folks who work in them. On the other hand, as an article in the Observer recently pointed out, there is basically now office vacancy in Dumbo, and the tech-savvy neighborhood is incredibly popular with Brooklyn’s “creative class.” So maybe companies considering office space in Brooklyn aren’t exactly looking for the white-show firms of old, and perhaps future commercial developers should take heed.
Brooklyn’s Class A Woes [The Real Deal]
04/05/2012 9:00 AM
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Open and Shut
Carroll Gardens
A reader sent along the above pic of the 16 Handles frozen yogurt spot opening at 349 Court Street, and boy, are residents hating that signage. PMFA calls the sign “garish” and says others have called it “hideous,” “out of context,” and “beyond ugly.” Lost NYC shares some choice words in his post Worst Sign on Court Street: “This is, by far, the worst, the ugliest sign in the 20-plus block of stretch of Court Street. It is worse than McDonald’s, Popeye’s and Dunkin’ Donuts, and that is saying something. The so-bright-they-hurt colors were obviously chosen to attract the attention of the freeway driver whizzing by a roadside rest stop.” Elsewhere in Carroll Gardens, BoCoCa Land notices the farm to table restaurant Chesnut closed its doors: “It served excellent cocktails, affordable wine and American Nouveau cuisine with a bent towards local ingredients. And there wasn’t much like it around. Fast-forward nine years and this pioneer has shuttered.” UPDATE: The sign is coming down. Finally up in Cobble Hill, the Spanish eatery La Vara officially opened, reported PMFA.
Park Slope
Grub Street writes that very popular Zitos Sandwich Shoppe will bring outdoor food carts to Grand Army Plaza and Prospect Park this summer, probably by mid-May. Here’s Park Slope notes that Brooklyn Flea favorites People’s Pops are going brick and mortar at 7th Avenue and Union Street. It will open May 1st. And finally, the Latin and vegan restaurant V Spot at 5th and Degraw reopened after being shuttered by the DOH.
Elsewhere
James, in Prospect Heights, started serving lunch today. According to Patch, the menu is very vegetarian friendly. The Starbucks that moved eastward on Montague Street will reopen in May, says Brooklyn Heights Blog. They nabbed a picture of the under-construction interior at 134 Montague. The controversial Bay Ridge bar Crown KTV got its liquor licence reissued but owes $37,000 in fines. And in Gownaus, Brooklyn bakery Runner and Stone (and another Flea fave) is opening a store soon on 3rd Avenue late summer or early fall.
04/04/2012 11:28 AM
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490 Fulton: Raw and Ready for Retail
While the exterior of 490 Fulton Street has been looking just about complete for a few months now, the building that (presumably) lost out on a big lease when its intended anchor tenant, Filene’s Basement/Sym’s, filed for bankruptcy protection in November, the multi-level interior is still being primed. Obviously the huge space offers a lot of possibilities for big retailers on the Fulton Mall. (On that note, still no word on what’s going into City Point Phase 1, across the street, though the announcement must be coming soon.) An Express is the only tenant at 490 Fulton that remains on the books, as far as we know, and they’re supposed to open sometime in the spring.
490 Fulton Facade Reaches Completion [Brownstoner] GMAP
04/03/2012 11:00 AM
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Yet Another Storage Facility for Atlantic Avenue
Wow, lots of people living in Clinton Hill, Fort Greene, Prospect and Crown Heights must have a great deal of need for storage, because it’s looking like yet another storage facility is making its way to the Atlantic Avenue corridor running between those neighborhoods. Storage Deluxe just paid $5.3 million for two buildings on the south side of the avenue near the corner of Classon, 1046 and 1050 Atlantic, which between the two of them are around 50,000 square feet. There’s already two Storage Deluxe warehouses within a few blocks, near the corners of both Grand and Washington. Storage Deluxe has been on a Brooklyn buying binge lately, spending $123.9 million on Brooklyn properties last year.
Storage Facilities Sell in Biggest Real Estate Trade of 2011 [Brownstoner] GMAP
04/03/2012 10:00 AM
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Thor Buys More Coney, Including Eldorado Building
Coney Island blog Amusing the Zillion notes that Thor Equities has purchased another couple holdings on Surf Avenue in Coney Island, including the Eldorado Building, a longtime bumper-car business. Price tag? $4.5 million. The blog says the owners of the Eldorado and the neighboring ice cream shop are expected to stay open for at least this season and that both had been looking to retire and sell the properties. So what’s in it for Thor? Here’s what the rumor mill is saying: “[it could help] the controversial rezoning for ‘hotels’ of up to 27 stories on the south side of Surf. One of these parcels is the corner of Surf and Stillwell, where Thor demolished the century-old Henderson Music Hall to build a one-story building that remains vacant. Sitt is expected to tear down the Eldorado building, which dates back to 1928, and the Coney Island Rumor Mill is saying Thor will try to acquire other property on the Bowery.” As with all things Coney and Thor-Coney related, nothing seems to be moving terribly quickly in terms of large-scale new development, though.
Thor Equities Paid $4.5M for Coney Island’s Eldorado [ATZ]
Photo copyright Amusing the Zillion
04/02/2012 3:15 PM
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CPEX Real Estate Moves to Bigger Downtown Office
At the end of this week the commercial real estate firm CPEX is moving to bigger digs at 81 Willoughby Street in Downtown Brooklyn. The company spent four years at 350 Livingston Street and is doubling the size of its homebase, to 8,000 square feet, in its new location. GMAP
Photo via
03/29/2012 11:45 AM
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Long-Stalled, Huge ‘Burg Project Showing Signs of Life
Is the Chetrit Group gearing up to finally start work on the massive Williamsburg development once dubbed “The Gateway to Williamsburg”? Signs are pointing to yes: Permits were recently filed for the blighted site, at 500 Metropolitan Avenue between Union and the BQE, and it looks like the tight-lipped developer is gearing up to build a hotel/residential/retail complex. The permit request, which is “pending zoning approval,” calls for 234 units and a max height of 14 stories to develop a “new mixed use building to include residential, transient and commercial uses.” The architect on the job is Gene Kaufman. The project has been on ice for years. Back in 2008, Meltzer/Mandl Architects was supposed to be designing it, and Duane Reade had reportedly inked a deal as an anchor tenant. Instead, it has become one of the biggest symbols of post-boom, developer-induced blight in Williamsburg (see inset), with a poorly maintained construction fence. It sits on the same block as Kellogg’s Diner and is in an extremely prime location next to the Metropolitan-Lorimer G and L-train stop. Curbed covered plans for the site, which was being referred to as “The Gateway to Williamsburg,” in detail before it became a non-starter in 2008. Meanwhile, the firm Winick Realty is actively marketing the commercial portion of the development, and their listing is where the rendering above comes from. The Chetrit Group has been in the headlines lately for its tactics involving longtime tenants of the Chelsea Hotel following its purchase of the Manhattan landmark.
502 Metropolitan Avenue Revealed [Brownstoner] GMAP DOB
Rendering courtesy of Winick Realty
03/29/2012 9:00 AM
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Open and Shut
Dumbo
Gran Electra, one of the two new restaurants expanding from Brooklyn Height’s Colonie to Dumbo, is open. The focus of the menu is on Mexican street snacks, says Dumbo NYC, like “Oaxacan garnachas, chili-blackened pork spare ribs, tortita de huauzontle, tacos, flautas, quesadillas.” The other restaurant from the Colonie crew, under construction at 1 Main Street, will open in late spring.
Williamsburg
The Wall Street Journal reports on three new retailers for the Edge Condo’s commercial space: A 15,000-square-foot grocery store called Brooklyn Harvest Market, an Italian restaurant/espresso bar/bakery called Fabbrica, and Ride Brooklyn, a bike shop expanding from Park Slope. Eater notes a temporary restaurant called Yuji Ramen at Williamsburg’s Kinfolk Studios, 90 Wythe Avenue. It serves noodle and seafood dishes. And popular brunch spot Five Leaves will expand next door with a Aussie-style meat pie shop, says Grub Street. Over in Greenpoint, Lost New York notices the Mizgalski Funeral Home shuttered and the property is for sale.
Park Slope
Where are all the Park Slope video stores? asks FIPS, who chronicles the death of the neighborhood’s video scene. In the old Perch space on 5th Avenue there will be a fancy bakery, reports HPS. One of the pastry chefs tells HPS: “You can expect an eclectic menu filled with classic pastries that we will make in house daily. Staples like croissant, Danish, and tarts are a given, but we also want to have fun and make the food we love to eat.” Badlands Barber and Salon opened on 5th Ave. between Prospect and Park. And the S Club Gym will re-open under new management.
Elsewhere
Frozen yogurt store 16 Handles is coming to 349 Court Street, the former location of Joe’s Diner in Cobble Hill. The Dekalb Market reopens this weekend in Downtown Brooklyn. A Bay Ridge karaoke club on 64th Street may close after a violent fight last summer, among other issues. And a Walgreens on Avenue U in Sheepshead Bay is going to become a Chinese market.
03/28/2012 11:30 AM
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Commercial Klutch: March Madness Edition
Here’s the latest scoop on all things commercial real estate from our source out in the field…
Irrational exuberance rules the retail market again, with rents back to pre-Crash highs and more tenants looking than space available. While holes remain in the market, businesses large and small seek space in the greater DTB area. Rising rents rippling down Court many blocks south from the mighty Atlantic’s Trader Joe’s, with a national slowly slowly leasing the former Beastly Bite space; fancy Moscot arriving; Douglass Elliman paying up for corner space; and Park Slope’s Goldy + Mac the latest addition to Cobble’s Hill “Ladies Mile,” rounding out the bunch at the late, lamented Bococa’s former home. Watch for $100 a foot north of Union next. We hear TD Bank adding a 7-day a week branch to the steel arising on Court and Union as well as, yes, the now lovely 4 Flatbush corner.
We welcome Sephora to Court & Joralemon city space corner next year, where B & H is rumoured to be eyeing adjacency.
Speaking of slowly slowly, we hope the lease out to Century 21 at Citypoint inks, furthering strengthening Fulton Mall’s discount shopping mission. Numerous tenants circle the almost Filene’s Basement Syms space, again we wish another top discounter. Panera opened, testing lure of known mall name to draw lunchers across Adams from Court-side.
Battersby is the latest trend splendorous eatery to hit Smith, where restos dare to roam amidst brutal competition. Ceol for sale and others sure to be replaced by irrational money seeking same in food and drink. Do we all? Burgers on Smith is a test of that odd Fang space. Hang in the back, great room.
On Atlantic, try Colonie too, not cheap, bespoke never is, and check out where Montreal Bagels never quit. Maybe smaller is better. Tripoli offered, terms terrifying. Hey, are we buying a chateau in the Heights?
Sky’s the limit in the Arena orbit, where exuberant money chases space to dispense liquid exuberance. We imagine that with rents in mid-hundreds some watering holes will airball, though most will slam dunk. What’s 604 Pacific going to do?
03/23/2012 12:00 PM
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Open and Shut
Carroll Gardens/Cobble Hill
Lost NYC notes the loss of Fall Cafe, which closed months back for renovations. It looks like it will be replaced by some type of restaurant called Ciro’s. LNYC says, “Inside, things are looking spiffier that the raffish old Fall Cafe ever did. I’ll miss the place. It had pretensions, as all coffee bars do. But they were low-rent pretensions.” (Picture via Lost NYC) Pardon Me for Asking covers the impending shutter of another longtime business in Carroll Gardens, Michael’s Shoe Repair. The building recently sold for $1,200,000 and Michael’s rent is increasing from $2,700/month to $5,400/month. And Grub Street tells you what to eat at La Vara, the restaurant coming to 268 Clinton Street with Jewish and Spanish influences. It should open by the end of this month.
Williamsburg/Greenpoint
In New York Mag’s Spring Food Preview, they highlight Lake Trout, a spot coming next month to 160 Havemeyer serving a Baltimore-style deep-fried fish sandwich specialty, and Reynards at Wythe Hotel, “Whole-animal, wood-fired cooking” from the Marlow & Sons team coming to the ground-floor of the Wythe Hotel. Eater spots a Kickstarter campaign by the quarterly food magazine Diner’s Journal; they hope to open a mixed-use creative arts space above Marlow & Sons. Grub Street checks out The Flat, a bar/dance club opening at 308 Hopper Street this Friday night. Also New York Shitty dishes details on Carrera’s Taqueria, a newish Mexican joint in Bushwick. She gives it two thumbs up.
Park Slope
Here’s Park Slope notes that BKLYN Larder opens for breakfast today. On the menu: frittatas, biscuits, granola, scones, coffee cake, doughnuts and some more yummy-sounding stuff. HPS also notes the Leelawadee Thai Bistro opened on 7th Avenue between Lincoln and St. Johns. Finally Area Kids will soon occupy the Brooklyn Mercantile Space on 5th Avenue.
Elsewhere
The New York Post floats a rumor that Sephora is close to signing a lease at the Brooklyn Municipal Building in Downtown Brooklyn. In Fort Greene,
Red Lantern Bicycles on Myrtle Avenue is now serving beer. Prospect Heights Patch profiles a new cafe in Crown Heights on Franklin Avenue called Little Zelda. In Coney Island, the family who owned the building with Eldorado Auto Skooters and Arcade at 1216-1218 Surf Avenue for 60 years sold it to Thor Equities. ATZ wrote a very detailed post about the sale and says: ” The bumper cars have undergone pre-season maintenance and passed inspection and are ready to open on Coney Island’s opening day if an agreement can be reached with Thor Equities.” Finally Bensonhurst Bean reports that a Best Fresh Supermarket is coming to 6719–6723 Bay Parkway in, where else, Bensonhurst!
03/21/2012 11:30 AM
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184 Kent Developer Makes Big Buy in Cobble Hill
A couple days ago a deed showed up in public records showing that JMH Development—best known here in Brooklyn for developing 184 Kent in Williamsburg—spent $6.6 million for a nice assemblage of properties in Cobble Hill, at 118 Congress Street, which is between Hicks and Henry. The seller was the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn, and the string of buildings included in the sale total 18,001 square feet. We’re not sure what the Diocese used the buildings for, but perhaps they were office space. Repeated calls to JMH for info about what they’re planning to do with the properties haven’t been answered—and there’s no action on the DOB-filing front yet—but our money is on a conversion. The properties are part of the Cobble Hill Historic District. GMAP
Photo via PropertyShark
03/15/2012 10:00 AM
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Open and Shut
Park Slope
The Burger Bistro and Sebastiano’s Pizza are now open on 5th and 7th avenues, reports Here’s Park Slope. The Burger Bistro (pictured above, via HPS) expanded from Bay Ridge, is very no frills and has a variety of burger combos. Anyone try it out? Elsewhere in the Slope, Moutarde is up for rent, Dizzy’s puts signage up at its second location on 5th and President, and a new thai bistro will open in about a week at the old Mango space.
Brooklyn Heights
Brooklyn Heights residents are getting excited for the Le Pain Quotidien, which now has signage up on Montague Street. It should open sometime this spring. Up in Dumbo, DumboNYC files a commercial report for the neighborhood. Some interesting facts: Pete’s Downtown Restaurant is dunzo at One Fulton Street, there are now office spaces at the Vinegar Hill building 231 Front Street, and the Vinegar Hill House continues to work on its all-day cafe next door.
Elsewhere
A bike store is coming to Cobble Hill! PMFA reports that Smith Bike will open at 149 Smith Street, on the corner of Bergen. It’ll sell bikes, offer repairs, and eventually do rentals. It looks like it may be related to Prospect Height’s bike shop Brooklyn Bike and Board. Brokerage firm Modern Spaces expands from Queens into the commercial space at the Egde in Williamsburg, along with Sweetleaf Coffee Shop, a popular Long Island City cafe who will share the space. A Nathan’s Gift Shop is in the works and set to open at the end of this month in Coney Island, reports Amusing the Zillion. The Cortelyou Library reopened this Monday in Ditmas Park after months of renovations. Finally a space on Nostrand Avenue in Sheepshead Bay slated to be a Starbucks drive-through will actually be a Popeye’s Chicken.
03/14/2012 11:30 AM
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40-Unit Clinton Hill Apartment Building Sells for $11.3M
Commercial brokerage Massey Knakal reports that the firm handled the sale of the multi-family building at 83 Clifton Place in Clinton Hill. The building, which is between Grand and Classon, has 40 apartments and was converted from a warehouse into affordable housing in 1999. Here’s how Massey is spinning the upside potential in a press release: “‘Onerous regulatory agreements associated with the property made this a complicated transaction and created a buyer pool of specific clientele. While the building faces an immediate substantial tax burden as the J-51 expires in a few years, the end result for the investor will be the opportunity to convert to condominiums,’ said Massey Knakal Director of Sales Stephen Palmese.” GMAP
03/08/2012 2:15 PM
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Closing Bell: City Point Phase One Nearing Completion
The Fort Greene Association published an update on all things Downtown Brooklyn and noted that City Point has just about wrapped on Phase One of development. The 50,000-square-foot retail building just needs some tenants now! Still no word on opening dates or what retailers will be taking space, but the building is scheduled to open this spring. As for the next-door Albee Square Plaza, the Downtown Brooklyn Partnership issued an RFP “seeking proposals for a temporary (moveable, but not mobile) subconcession at Albee Square.” Proposals for food and beverage concepts are due March 23rd.
News from Fulton Mall Improvement Association & DBP [FGA]
City Point’s Shiny New Facade Now on Display [Brownstoner] GMAP
03/07/2012 4:00 PM
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Open and Shut
Brooklyn Heights
Brooklyn Heights Blog reports that a French bistro is coming to the neighborhood, and a tipster thinks it’s at the old La Mancha space, currently under construction. Apparently it will open in two months. The second Area Yoga studio will open on Montague Street next month. And B&B Bagel Empire reopened on Atlantic Avenue and Clinton Street after closing for some renovations.
Carroll Gardens
As the weather warms, Blue Marble gets back to scooping ice cream. The storefront on Court Street is open for business after a winter hibernation, reports Patch. BoCoca Land profiles a fancy new salon recently opened at 519 Court Street called Danka Panka. He calls it “a perfect addition to the hood.” Also on Court Street, women’s clothing boutique Goldy Mac opened its doors at #195 (previously BoCoCa Cafe). PMFA says: “For the moment, the Court Street store carries a small selection of clothing by such companies as BCBG and Suzi Chin, but more pieces will be added soon. The boutique also features a small but fun selection of handbags, jewelry, scarves and other accessories.”
Park Slope
Beauty Bar is open for biz at 249 5th Avenue, the old Ozzie’s Coffee. Ozzie’s still lives next door in a smaller space. Here’s Park Slope says Beauty Bar is covered in glitter designs from floor to ceiling, “Quite a sight to behold.” Over at 72 7th Avenue, The Painted Pot, a DIY pottery studio, opened its third Brooklyn location. Cyprus Bar has reopened on 5th and Bergen, and Patch reports that a yoga studio will move into the stretch of storefronts on 7th Avenue previously housing 161 Wine and Tapas Bar and Chickadee Chick.
Elsewhere
Veronica People’s Club, the small bar in Greenpoint opened by the owners of East Village’s Heathers, shut down for good last week. The huge bar Tradesman opened in Bushwick at 222 Bushiwck Avenue, and Brooklyn Based gives the spot a good review. Speedy Romeo is now serving lunch in Clinton Hill. Another roll-your-own cigarette store meets is demise in Sheepshead Bay. And a huge food, drink, and music festival is in the works this summer at Prospect Park. Called “the Great GoogaMooga” it will feature 65 food vendors, 35 brewers, 25 winemakers, and over a dozen bands….nice!
03/07/2012 11:30 AM
Comment
deancollins
May 21, 2012 | 02:16 PM