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Energy-Neutral Test House in Carroll Gardens Nears Completion, Park Slope Rental to Follow
Last month we showed you some renderings of a renovation underway on a brownstone at 367 Fifth Avenue in Park Slope. The eco-friendly project by developer Voltaic Solaire will be entirely solar-powered, with the cost of all utilities included in the rent for all six rental units in the building. While it’ll be some time still until the 5th Avenue building is complete, the New York Times reports that the developer is putting the finishing touches on a “test house” on a small triangular plot at the corner of Hamilton Avenue and Ninth Street in Carroll Gardens. “If we can obtain sustainability at this location, it can be obtained anywhere,” Ronald F. Faia, Voltaic Solaire’s CFO, said of the site’s location in the shadows of the BQE. To get to energy-neutral from just plain old green, the developer is installing LED lighting and insulated pipes along with energy-efficient appliances and windows. (The windows cost 15 percent more than regular ones.)
Off-the-Grid Living in Brooklyn [NY Times]
Visions of Park Slope’s Green Machine [Brownstoner]
Building Powered by Sun and Wind Will Rise in Park Slope [Brownstoner]
05/25/2012 10:30 AM
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Signs of Pre-Construction at Gowanus Whole Foods Site
A reader just sent in this photo along with the following email: “Was riding my bike past the 3rd and 3rd site this morning and noticed a trailer and mobile office in the Whole Foods lot. Could it be that construction might actually begin?” After eight years of planning and three months since the project was officially green-lighted, that appears to be the case. Big stuff!
05/25/2012 9:30 AM
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Everett Ortner, Noted Preservationist, Has Passed
We received the following email in our inbox this morning: “Hello Friends of Mr. Everett Ortner — With sadness, I am informing you of Mr. Ortner’s passing on Tuesday, May 22. Kindly inform your organization. Thank you for your friendship and for your promotion of Brooklyn causes. Please view [above] photo by Mr. Levi Stolove.” Here is part of a write-up about Mr. Ortner via Develop Don’t Destroy Brooklyn: “Since 1963, when he and his wife, Evelyn, bought a brownstone in Park Slope, Brooklyn, he has been a missionary for the brownstone-revival movement in New York City, and for urban revival nationally. He was a leader in the early days of the revival movement in Park Slope, a photographer and public-relations man for the Park Slope Civic Council, and a founder, with Joe Ferris, of the Park Slope Betterment Committee, which organized many series of particularized house tours (hard-selling houses that needed work). With Ken Patton as chairman, he was a co-founder and first president (1968) of the Brownstone Revival Committee of New York, now the Brownstone Revival Coalition–a citywide organization devoted to the promotion and preservation of New York City’s older communities. He is currently its Chairman Emeritus. The BRC publishes a newsletter, ‘The Brownstoner,’ sponsors lectures and workshops on architectural history and preservation topics, and acts frequently as the voice of New York’s brownstone communities. He continues to write for and edit ‘The Brownstoner.’” Rest in peace, Mr. Ortner.
Everett H. Ortner [DDDB]
05/23/2012 9:30 AM
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Justin Bieber To Perform at the Barclays Center
Babs isn’t the only pop star who’ll be crossing the East River this fall. Evidently someone named Justin Bieber will be playing at the Barclays Center in November. Tix go on sale June 2.
05/23/2012 8:31 AM
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Closing Bell: Bike to School Day Tomorrow
Tomorrow Park Slope school MS 51 is holding a Bike to School Day. The PTA and local bike store Bicycle Habitat are providing volunteers to escort students to and from school along three different routes, from Sunset Park, Carroll Gardens and Windsor Terrace starting points. The school is holding bicycling assemblies today on safety, etiquette, and bike locking. Parents from MS 51 ask drivers to remain alert to youth riding to and from school tomorrow, 7am to 4:00pm.
Photo by Dmitry Gudkov
05/22/2012 4:00 PM
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Last Week’s Biggest Sales
1. BROOKLYN HEIGHTS $5,450,000
26 Garden Place GMAP P*Shark
We covered this sale last week. It first asked $5,500,000 before a few price cuts. Entered into contract on 4/12/12; closed on 5/9/12; deed recorded on 5/16/2012.
2. MIDWOOD $3,400,500
1025 East 24th Street GMAP P*Shark
This one-family, two-story house is on a 5,000-square foot lot. Entered into contract on 2/29/12; closed on 4/30/12; deed recorded on 5/14/2012.
3. FORT GREENE $3,285,000
181 Washington Park GMAP P*Shark
A HOTD this September. Ask: $3,450,000. Entered into contract on 1/16/12; closed on 4/24/12; deed recorded on 5/14/2012.
4. PROSPECT HEIGHTS $2,293,000
1 Grand Army Plaza, #7B GMAP P*Shark
A three bed/three-and-a-half bath unit. First listed as $2,200,000, then $2,175,000, then $2,395,000. Entered into contract on 3/6/12; closed on 5/3/12; deed recorded on 5/18/2012.
5. PARK SLOPE $1,800,000
937 Union Street, #10 GMAP P*Shark
A three bed/three bath unit. Asking $1,850,000. Entered into contract on 3/12/12; closed on 5/1/12; deed recorded on 5/16/2012
05/22/2012 11:30 AM
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Prospect Park West Medians Almost Complete
Here’s how they looked over the weekend, here’s how they looked one month ago.
Pedestrian Islands Going In on Prospect Park West [Brownstoner]
05/21/2012 2:40 PM
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House of the Day: 778 Carroll Street
This house at 778 Carroll Street in Park Slope just hit the market with a price tag of $2,995,000. The centerpiece of the house is a grand center stair, enhanced, we would guess, by the recent renovation. The parlor floor has a nice open-plan loftiness to it that we bet’ll appeal to buyers. The bathrooms and kitchen of the owner’s triplex have also all be redone. The location, between 7th and 8th Avenues, is also very good. Think the price is right?
778 Carroll Street [Warren Lewis] GMAP P*Shark
778 Carroll Street [Aguayo & Huebener]
05/21/2012 1:26 PM
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Co-op of the Day: 90 Prospect Park West, #4L
This new listing at 90 Prospect Park West in Park Slope has some pretty impressive woodwork and other architectural detail, especially for a fourth floor apartment. In addition, the three-bedroom co-op has lovely views over the tops of Prospect Park’s trees. And despite the railroad-y format, the apartment actually lays out quite nicely. Only small gripe is that the main bathroom is down the hall from the master bedroom. Asking price: $1,400,000.
90 Prospect Park West [Corcoran] GMAP P*Shark
05/21/2012 12:57 PM
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Slope Conversion, 397 First Street, on the Market Soon
In a couple of weeks, a converted Park Slope building at 397 First Street, close to the corner of Sixth Avenue, will launch condo sales. While the building is still very much under gut renovation, it will have eight units: Seven two-bedrooms and one garden duplex. The asking prices will range from $829,000 to $1,279,000. Pros: A lot of historical details are being preserved, and it is zoned for P.S. 321. Meanwhile, updates to the kitchen and new security systems are being put into place. There’s also going to be a common space for bikes and strollers. The developers are East River Partners LLC, and Corcoran is handling the sales and marketing. We had the rare opportunity to witness the gut renovation in progress late last week; click through for some photos.
397 First Street GMAP (more…)
05/21/2012 10:00 AM
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The Outsider: Viewing Garden in Park Slope
WELCOME TO The Outsider, Brownstoner’s weekly garden column, written and produced by Cara Greenberg. Find it here every Sunday at 8AM.
THIS GARDEN BEGAN as an outline on a napkin, sketched out by the homeowner. “The client is an architect and had very strong ideas about what he wanted,” says Sasha Newman of Little Miracles Designs, who was hired to turn the concept into a finished design and then to oversee fabrication and installation.
The round central structure, made of Corten steel, serves two functions; it acts as a retaining wall to hold up soil and support plantings, and also provides convivial seating for a group. It was Newman’s inspiration to use Corten for the structure, rather than the stone the client originally had in mind. “A thick wall would have been visually too heavy for a rectangular backyard 18-20′ wide,” he says. Instead, he suggested the material popularized by the sculptor Richard Serra and by its use on the High Line — an alloy that doesn’t rust through, but merely oxidizes on the surface for a coppery patina.
The garden is designed to be viewed from all levels of the house. Plantings were informed by contemporary currents in American landscape design, using primarily foliage plants that don’t rely on floral color but whose interest comes from contrasting combinations of texture. The garden is also, says Newman, “as close to zero maintenance as you can get.”
Details and more photos, including construction shots and a complete plant list, after the jump.
Photos: Sasha Newman
05/20/2012 8:00 AM
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‘Crispy Mr. Chicken’ Announces Itself on 4th Avenue
Perhaps looking to fill the void that was created when the KFC on 4th Avenue closed in the fall so that it could be converted into a McDonalds, an awesome sign advertising “Crispy Mr. Chicken” has been on the front of 52 4th Avenue for more than a month now. The location is almost directly across the street from the former KFC and possible future McDonalds. Unfortunately for those looking to get their chicken fix, the work inside appears to be progressing slowly and there are no indications that the restaurant will be opening anytime soon. However, all hope is not lost: According to Department of Buildings records, there was a fried chicken biz operating in the same location from 1994 until 2010, before it was converted into a deli. Now that the deli’s gone, the chicken is free to range in all its glory. –By Evan Bleier
Blight at 4th Avenue Fast-Food Building [Brownstoner] GMAP
05/19/2012 11:00 AM
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Slope Beer Garden, Die Koelner Bierhalle, May Open Soon!
Park Slope might not be getting a Hooters anytime soon, but that doesn’t mean that the area isn’t going to be filling up with other new businesses. One such business, Die Koelner Bierhalle, is moving closer to opening its doors. Construction is still being done on the building’s interior, but the facade of the German-style beer hall is intact and looking just about ready for business. As previously reported on Brownstoner, the bar will have 30 German draft beers and will be run by the former manager of Der Schwarze Kölner in nearby Fort Greene. Located at 84 St. Marks Place, near the corner of 4th Avenue, the beer hall will offer bar-goers an alternative to nearby watering holes like the Cherry Tree and Pacific Standard. The bar’s website reports that it will be opening in Spring 2012, which means you should be able to say “Prost!” there sooner rather than later. –By Evan Bleier Update: Correct spelling of business name is now in place.
Beer Hall Opening in the North Slope [Brownstoner] GMAP
05/19/2012 9:28 AM
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Open House Picks
Park Slope
477 4th Street
Betancourt
Sunday, 1:00-3:00
$3,495,000
GMAP P*Shark
Park Slope
488 13th Street
Corcoran
Sunday, 11:00-1:00
$2,650,000
GMAP P*Shark
Flatbush
194 Lennox Road
Barbara Ann Rogers/William B. May
Sunday, 1:00-3:00
$950,000
GMAP P*Shark
Ditmas Park
2109 Abelmarle Terrace
Brown Harris Stevens
Sunday, 2:30-4:30
$839,000
GMAP P*Shark
05/18/2012 1:05 PM
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Safety Improvements Approved for 4th Avenue
Brooklyn’s 4th Avenue has long been a dangerous proposition for pedestrians: Seven were killed between 2006 and 2011 with many others left to contemplate the likelihood of a similar fate while stranded on some of the narrowest medians in town. )nd just last month, three school children were injured by a turning driver at 44th Street.) DOT’s been working for the last three years on a plan to address the concerns and on Wednesday night Community Board 7 voted overwhelmingly to green-light the re-engineering project, the first phase of which would stretch from 15th Street to 65th Street. StreetsBlog has a good summary of the changes:
Under the plan, the narrowest medians would at least triple in width, and wider ones would expand too. The pedestrian space will be reclaimed by converting 17-foot wide combined parking and travel lanes on each side of the street into 13-foot wide parking lanes, though three travel lanes will be maintained northbound during the morning rush, from 38th Street to 17th Street. The changes would be implemented with low-cost materials — epoxy, gravel, planters, flexible posts — and DOT can complete them by this fall.
If you want more nitty-gritty, check out DOT’s slideshow [PDF] on the link.
CB 7 Approves 50-Block Ped Safety Project for Fourth Ave [StreetsBlog]
05/18/2012 11:03 AM
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Past and Present: Polo Fields in Prospect Park
A Look at Brooklyn, then and now.
The first polo game played in Prospect Park took place on June 11, 1879. It was between the Westchester Polo Club and a club from Queens. Up until that day, the sport of polo had a totally different meaning to Brooklyn’s sports lovers. “Polo” meant ice polo, a game we now call hockey. It had been played in Brooklyn for several years, inaugurated by the Crescent Athletic Club, and other well-to-do sports clubs. They played in the Clermont Rink in Fort Greene, playing clubs from local colleges like Yale and Columbia, as well as other sports clubs.
As Brooklyn was getting richer, so too were her sports. Polo, the game with horses, had been played in Persia for centuries. A version of it traveled to the east, and was in play for hundreds of years in India, before it was encountered by bored aristocratic British officers stationed in that country, in the middle of the 19th century. Two British soldiers started a polo club to introduce the sport to their countrymen, and the game took off and has been popular ever since. It’s basically football on horses. (more…)
05/18/2012 10:30 AM
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Closing Bell: Slope’s Gorilla Coffee Gets Bike Parking
Via BrooklynSpoke we learn that on-street bike parking has been added outside of Gorilla Coffee on 5th Avenue in Park Slope. The blog’s commentary: “This morning, on-street bike parking was installed on 5th Avenue and Park Place, right in front of Gorilla Coffee. It’s only the third bike corral in the city and even though it was only completed within the last hour or so of this posting, it’s already seeing some action as shown in the photo above. …Two planters (seen on the truck prior to installation) will protect the bikes and racks from cars. Bikes on the sidewalk (mine is on the right) will soon be parked on the street, leaving more room for pedestrians.”
If You Build It, They Will Park [BrooklynSpoke]
Photo by Gorilla Coffee via BrooklynSpoke
05/17/2012 4:00 PM
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Building of the Day: 521-529 Third Street
Brooklyn, one building at a time.
Name: Row houses
Address: 521-539 Third Street
Cross Streets: Seventh and Eighth Avenues
Neighborhood: Park Slope
Year Built: late 1880s-early 1890s
Architectural Style: Queen Anne, with Neo-Grec elements
Architect: Unknown, but perhaps E. H. Mobrey
Landmarked: Yes, part of Park Slope HD (1973)
The story: There are many fantastic houses in Park Slope, and this group remains one of my favorites. For an architecture geek like me, the most frustrating part is that we’re not sure whose work this is. Neither the LPC, nor the diligent folks from the Save the Slope research committee were able to shed definitive light on the architects of these homes. They are unlike any others in the neighborhood, or the rest of Brooklyn. It’s the griffins. I just love the griffins.
The surrounding Queen Anne houses were built between 1889-1891, so it’s not unreasonable to think these date from the same time. The group next door, numbers 511-519, was built by architect/developer E. H. Mobrey, and is a mixture of Neo-Grec and Queen Anne elements. There are similarities between those houses and these, and Mobrey is on record as selling number 523 in this group, in 1895, so they may be his design, or he could have just developed them all. (more…)
05/17/2012 3:30 PM
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Co-op of the Day: 563 8th Street, #3R
If you’re a fan of old architectural detail but aren’t in a position to buy an entire house, this 1,300-square-foot floor-through unit at 563 8th Street might be worth a look. The three-bedroom pad has beautiful inlaid parquet floors and along with a couple of impressive mantels and mirrors. The listing has been on the market for more than three months though and has already undergone one price cut, a reflection perhaps of the railroad layout. The asking price is currently $975,000 with a monthly maintenance of $850.
563 8th Street, #3R [Brooklyn Properties] GMAP P*Shark
05/17/2012 12:58 PM
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466 dad
May 21, 2012 | 02:16 PM