"I remember when Santa Fe Grill opened in the Slope and we all took it as a sign of the coming yuppie apocalypse." - slopefarm

No, that was when the Haagen Dazs opened!

Posted by: Xris at March 1, 2010 6:02 PM in response to Foodies as the New Gentrifiers

Re: 803 E. 17th: The property is 70x100, 40% wider than the 50x100 typical for the area. *Annual* property tax of $6,223 seems correct. The listing incorrectly gives it as the *monthly* taxes. Oddly, the listing doesn't mention that this is in the landmarked Fiske Terrace-Midwood Park Historic District.

Posted by: Xris at February 20, 2010 9:53 AM in response to Open House Picks: Ditmas Edition

Q: When did somebody scoop up Bob Guskind's "Gowanus Lounge" url and start blogging there?

A: This past Sunday. See http://bit.ly/65QDtI

Posted by: Xris at January 8, 2010 2:43 PM in response to Thursday Blogwrap

bessie2: I know that house!

Posted by: Xris at November 20, 2009 1:26 PM in response to Development Watch: Turnaround at 424 Waverly Avenue

Corn is a poor choice.

Corn is a high-maintenance plant, as bessie2 points out. It requires copious amounts of water to grow well. It needs full sun, which is not uniformly available in our streetscapes, even in relatively low-rise neighborhoods.

The idea of planting something in these spaces is a good one. Raised planting beds would fare better than surface plantings in high traffic areas like street corners.

Posted by: Xris at October 8, 2009 7:04 PM in response to Corn Porn in BoCoCa

Most of the detached houses in Flatbush are zoned (R3 or R4) for one- or two-family. You still need COO from DOB for legal conversions from 1-2 or 2-1.

There are lots of extended family households in the area. You can put in as many kitchens and baths as you want. What you can't do legally is break up the interior into 3 or more units with separate entrances.

Posted by: Xris at September 9, 2009 4:56 PM in response to Ditmas Park Zoning

July is when I usually see the youngsters showing up.Haven't seen them this year. Maybe the cool summer start slowed them down.

Ditto all above: avoid immediate contact, keep pets away, call animal control if seen in daytime, etc.

Posted by: Xris at August 27, 2009 4:45 PM in response to Raccoons Evidently Digging 4th Avenue

Gorgeous house. Nothing missing. Pristine condition. Deep lot. Under FAR.

Given that a similar home recently sold for $1.15M, I think this could go over ask. I guessed $1.265M. It needs more exposure and some competitive bidding.

Posted by: Xris at August 5, 2009 2:58 PM in response to House of the Day: 439 East 19th Street

wasder: I had no inside info on the Glenwood Road house.

Do I get a prize or something?!

Posted by: Xris at July 28, 2009 6:00 PM in response to Last Week's Biggest Sales

The house is in the landmarked Fiske Terrace-Midwood park Historic District. Glenwood Road is part of Flatbush Malls, with a planted median down the middle. It's probably 6 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, hence the discrepancy of numbers across various sources.

My guess: $1.1M.

Posted by: Xris at June 9, 2009 4:36 PM in response to House of the Day: 1809 Glenwood Road

Agree that the enclosures around the footing of the staircase look odd. Hard to tell if this is at the back or the front of the house, or even if it's on the first floor. If the front, then the bookcase and wall were definitely added later. The footing of the staircase would have flared out onto the floor. If this is in the back of the house, it's possible that this is an adaptation of a butler's stairs.

This is on the Glenwood Road section of Flatbush Malls, the boulevards with central planted medians in this part of Flatbush. Also, this is in the newly landmarked Fisk Terrace neighborhood.

My guess: $1.15M.

Posted by: Xris at May 4, 2009 4:43 PM in response to House of the Day: 1816 Glenwood Road

The Cortelyou Greenmarket will operate through December.

Posted by: Xris at April 27, 2009 5:52 PM in response to Closing Bell: Greenmarket Season is Back

The main post from my 2007 visit, with links to posts and photos from all three neighborhoods, is at http://flatbushgardener.blogspot.com/2007/06/10th-annual-brownstone-brooklyn-garden.html.

Barring the illness and 90+ degree weather that prevented my attendance last year, I hope to make it again this year. It's a remarkable collection of gardens. Highly recommended.

Posted by: Xris at April 22, 2009 12:10 PM in response to Brownstone Brooklyn Garden Tour Needs More Gardens

There are many gardens missing from the map. I added GofU and Annie's.

Posted by: Xris at April 21, 2009 5:48 PM in response to Community Garden Spotlight: Cedar Tree Garden

FYI, I already started a Google Map last year for all of Brooklyn's Community Gardens. It's nowhere near complete. Let me know who else to add as a collaborator from Brownstoner. The link is http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=114058217796225095742.0004610118c59dc79ff9a&t=h&z=12

Posted by: Xris at April 20, 2009 2:32 PM in response to Community Garden Spotlight: Cedar Tree Garden

What they all said.

We bought our house under FAR, which is unusual for houses in the area. Nearly every other house we looked at four-five years ago - dozens of them - were at or above FAR.

On the plus side, the Yards Text Amendment increased the FAR bonus for detached garages: 300 square feet for a one-car garage, 500 square feet for a two-car garage. Most of these homes have detached garages. Some houses which were slightly above FAR may now be below FAR.

Lot coverage requirements have been replaced by setbacks.

If you're looking in the real Ditmas Park Historic District, landmarking must also be consulted. The rear of these detached houses - the tertiary facade - is visible from adjacent blocks.

Posted by: Xris at April 13, 2009 5:52 PM in response to Ditmas Park Addition?

Landmarking is just one means of preserving, and encouraging the long-term restoration of, neighborhoods. Eclectic building types and styles - "a tudor, a Dutch Colonial, a plain-old center hall colonial, and a bunch of 'victorians'" - are part of the character of Victorian Flatbush. It doesn't diminish the possible virtue of landmarking. One need only look at Prospect Park South as an example of a landmarked historic district with wildly varied architectural styles.

"The zoning already limits you to single-family detached residences, and includes height limits and yard requirements."

Under current zoning, most of the areas in Flatbush zoned to allow only single-family detached houses (R1-2 and R2 districts) are already landmarked: Prospect Park South, Ditmas Park, Midwood Park and Fiske Terrace. West Midwood is the only area so zoned that is not already landmarked.

Most of the non-landmarked areas with detached houses are currently zoned for both single- and two-family residences, but allow any type of construction, including townhouse/rowhouse buildings. Some areas are zoned for even denser, multiple-unit residences. Among other goals, the Flatbush Rezoning Proposal will replace the existing zoning in those areas to allow only single-/two-family detached residences.

Posted by: Xris at April 1, 2009 1:20 PM in response to New Retro Lampposts for Victorian Flatbush

The rezoning is entirely within Community Board 14, the northern extent of which is Parkside Avenue east to Flatbush Avenue, south to Clarkson, east to Bedford, then south. Only the south sides of Parkside and Clarkson are included, since the district boundary lies down the middle of the street.

Here's the largest version of the map of the proposed zoning:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/flatbushgardener/3323787492/sizes/o/

PS: I don't follow comments on Brownstoner!

Posted by: Xris at March 17, 2009 2:10 PM in response to City Planning OK's Flatbush Rezoning Plan for ULURP

Regarding green screening: I second/third the cautions of the other responders about selecting the right plant material. "Fast-growing" is almost never the right choice for a city garden. Mature, slower-growing specimens will be proportionately more expensive to purchase.

Are you in full sun, or is your yard shaded by other buildings, or street trees? Do you have bare ground to plant in, or will you need to use containers? Can you, will you, keep it watered? Do you have access to a faucet and hose? These are factors that will influence which plants will thrive, merely survive, or outright die in your location.

Carefully consider what your needs are for screening. Does it really need to be screened "on all sides"? Are you trying to screen off your neighbors, or just the street? Keep in mind that everything you plant will take up usable space on the interior of your garden, as well as increase the costs.

Does it need to be screened during the winter, when you're not spending time outside? If not, deciduous plants are an option, opening up more choices. There are many ornamental grasses that will grow 6' high or more during a single year, but they tend to want full sun. Bamboo in the genus Fargesia are slow-growing, but they are clumping and non-invasive, shade-tolerant, and are semi-evergreen. Upright forms are available.

Since the space is so small to begin with, consider other options. Think vertically. You can get cheap, quick covering with screens of willow or bamboo which can be attached to vertical supports. You can try that for one year/season to understand what you need before investing in plants. Is there an existing fence? How high is it? Vines grown on the fence can provide a lot of privacy, while taking up little interior space.

Posted by: Xris at March 9, 2009 1:54 PM in response to Need Multiple Recommendations

Oh, my god. I'm stunned.

Posted by: Xris at March 5, 2009 10:54 AM in response to Robert Guskind, Founder of Gowanus Lounge, Dies

Should read "... so I don't mention them by name ..."

Posted by: Xris at March 4, 2009 11:56 AM in response to City Planning OK's Flatbush Rezoning Plan for ULURP

Just to clarify, the neighborhoods I mention are only those most affected by changes in zoning for detached/free-standing houses. These account for only 80 of the 180 blocks included in the rezoning proposal. I don't know the other areas, such as the Flatbush row house neighborhoods, so I mention them by name, but they are also affected, and protected, by the proposal.

Posted by: Xris at March 4, 2009 11:43 AM in response to City Planning OK's Flatbush Rezoning Plan for ULURP

CHG: The East 21st Street building is interesting, but it's not what someone is typically looking for if they're browsing the other neighborhoods you mentioned, which are comprised largely of detached, wood-frame homes.

Like Prospect Park South, it's landmarked, part of the Albemarle-Kenmore Terraces Historic District. That could be a plus or a minus, depending on what someone is looking for.

The building itself looks nice, but it faces onto East 21st Street, not the Terrace cul-de-sacs. Most of that block is large apartment buildings. Take a look at the street view in Google Maps.

East 21st Street is one block from both Ocean Avenue and Flatbush Avenues. It gets a lot of traffic from folks trying to avoid them. The garden is on the street, not behind the house, so it would not be a quiet space.

Pluses are it's around the corner from the landmarked Flatbush Dutch Reformed Church and its beautiful graveyard, a 2-minute walk to the B/Q Church Avenue stop, and a 5-minute walk, if that, to Prospect Park. Shopping and amenities are also right around the corner on both Church and Flatbush Avenues.

Posted by: Xris at January 31, 2009 12:31 PM in response to Open House Picks

Re: "What is Nat Turner" [sic]

http://tinyurl.com/d4f6eg

Posted by: Xris at January 30, 2009 2:27 PM in response to Manhattan Is to Brooklyn As...

These are from the Prospect Park South Historic District. I also like "out-of-focus" shots. Fun to figure out which houses are in the background. The 5th one is 143 Buckingham Road.

Flatbush Development Corporation sponsors the Victorian Flatbush House (and sometimes also Garden) Tour every year. It covers a huge area which includes four landmarked historic districts. The link is http://fdconline.org/housetour.html. It also gets publicized in the press, and especially local blogs, when the date is announced.

Chaka: Thanks for the link!

Posted by: Xris at January 16, 2009 2:37 PM in response to Victorian Flatbush in White

Most of the houses in Victorian Flatbush use a simple three-color paint scheme. Very few are true "painted ladies."

The house which illustrates the New York article is operated as a bed and breakfast in my neighborhood of Beverley Square West. The paint job is new over the past year. Even when it was on the house tour in 2007, it had a five-color scheme, though the palette was more restrained.

Posted by: Xris at December 16, 2008 11:13 AM in response to San Francisco of the East Coast

All correct. I added a link on my post to Kevin Walsh's (Forgotten New York) Franklin Avenue page, which provides more info and photos.

Posted by: Xris at November 3, 2008 1:29 PM in response to Malbone Street Wreck's 90th Birthday

Opposition is most likely to come from owners of those properties which are being down-zoned. In particular, there are stretches currently zoned R6 in Beverley Square West, Ditmas Park West, and South Midwood which would be rezoned R3X or R4A. However, most of the current owners of detached homes in R6 zones want the downzoning. Any individual opposition will be met with overwhelming support from their neighbors and neighborhood.

Posted by: Xris at October 9, 2008 11:17 AM in response to Flatbush Gardener on Flatbush Rezoning: Thumbs Up

Yes, it's moving into the old Cornerstone location.

Posted by: Xris at September 10, 2008 2:48 PM in response to Streetlevel: Cortelyou Gets a New Restaurant

Your mention of bamboo made me think you were looking to use it as a material. Then your mention of "containment" sounds like you want to have a living bamboo screen.

I would select clumping instead of running bamboos to eliminate the need for containment and the long-term maintenance issues that entails. Research the genus Fargesia for species that are hardy in our area and will be tall enough for your screening needs.

Posted by: Xris at August 19, 2008 5:59 PM in response to Design on a Dime

I believe the building is 1701 Albemarle Road, which takes up the north side of Albemarle Road between East 18th Street and the B/Q tracks. It's the only building on Albemarle that "overlooks the tennis court.".

This building is huge, with 84 units. That area of Flatbush has many large, multi-unit buildings. Only a realtor - and apparently the Times - would call that "Ditmas Park," which lies three long blocks away to the south.

Posted by: Xris at August 18, 2008 12:22 PM in response to When Lowering A Home's Price Doesn't Sell It

Have you noticed these holes before? If they've only appeared in the past month, they could be from Dog-Day Cicadas, which began to emerge at the beginning of June.

Another possibility is that it's the burrow of a Cicada Killer, which are also active right now. They leave distinctive, asymmetrical piles to one side of the entrance.

To find out if these holes lead to active burrows, just fill them in and see if they get re-opened, or if new holes appear nearby.

Posted by: Xris at August 4, 2008 8:33 AM in response to MOLE PROBLEM IN BACKYARD HELP!

Landmarking overlays zoning; it doesn't replace it. Zoning, not landmarking, determines residential use. That said, the largest and best-known landmark districts in the area of Beverley Square West - Prospect Park South, Ditmas Park, and the new Fiske terrace-Midwood Park - are all zoned only for single-family use, either R1-2 or R2. So no rental income to help pay for landmarks-approved repairs and restoration.

Posted by: Xris at July 28, 2008 8:01 AM in response to Beverly Square West - Landmark Status?

Update: Closed on June 29 at $1,265,000, 97%/-$35K of the asking price of $1.3M.

1st place: Anon-2008-02-19-09:54PM predicted it exactly: "This one has that ugly enclosed porch but is priced about 35K over what it will go for."

2nd place: Anon-2008-02-17-08:27PM for their prediction of $1,275,000, only $10K off the mark.

Posted by: Xris at July 23, 2008 3:59 PM in response to House of the Day: 491 East 17th Street

Really nice. I appreciate seeing the work in progress, as well as its current state. It's good for folks to see how a garden gets to where it is: time and work.

Posted by: Xris at July 7, 2008 1:09 PM in response to Garden of the Day: Kensington DIY, Four Years On

Very nice!

Posted by: Xris at July 1, 2008 5:32 PM in response to Garden of the Day: Ornamental Edibles

I wrote about this recently on my blog as a project for a Pest Management class at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden.

Aphid Control.
http://flatbushgardener.blogspot.com/2008/06/why-are-aphids-so-hard-to-control.html

All the commenters' suggestions (except squirrels) will work. However, regular household soaps are not the same as the fatty acid soaps used as insecticides. They may interfere physically, but they're not as effective.

Posted by: Xris at June 29, 2008 9:44 AM in response to black aphids

Re: "Some historical, residential streets should be downzoned. But not huge commercial arteries like Flatbush."

Flatbush AVENUE would NOT get downzoned. One of the goals of DCP's draft proposal is to create opportunities for commercial growth. No controversy there; noone at last Thursday's meeting spoke out against THAT.

Posted by: Xris at June 16, 2008 5:19 PM in response to Flatbush Rezoning in the Works

5:05: I'd like to hear about this year's Brownstone Garden Tour. I couldn't make it this year.

Posted by: Xris at June 14, 2008 11:01 AM in response to A Look at Last Weekend's Victorian Flatbush House Tour

The southern half of CB14, with its large Orthodox community, already had a rezoning a couple of years ago. Most of it was rezoned to R4 and R5, which reduces open space requirements and increases FAR. There are no R2X areas there.

Posted by: Xris at May 23, 2008 1:49 PM in response to Flatbush Rezoning Push Not Sitting Well With Some Locals

PS: The petition is for Ditmas Park West, only. The house in the photo will not be affected, since it's within the proposed Fiske Terrace-Midwood Park historic district.

Posted by: Xris at May 23, 2008 12:33 PM in response to Flatbush Rezoning Push Not Sitting Well With Some Locals

The study area is the northern half of CB14. There will be a public hearing on the proposed zoning changes on 6/12, 7pm, at PS 249. The map will be presented to the public at that time.

Here's a working link for the Flatbush Life article:
http://www.yournabe.com/articles/2008/05/23/flatbush/flatbush_life/news/flatbush_life_newsbiggerbutn05162008.txt

Posted by: Xris at May 23, 2008 12:29 PM in response to Flatbush Rezoning Push Not Sitting Well With Some Locals

The Flatbush (not just Ditmas Park) CSA is still accepting members for this year. Details are available on my blog [http://flatbushgardener.blogspot.com/2008/04/flatbush-csa.html].

Posted by: Xris at April 9, 2008 11:13 AM in response to New CSA Action in Fort Greene, Ditmas Park

More information on the Greening Flatbush event is available at http://flatbushgardener.blogspot.com/2008/02/reminder-greening-flatbush-this-sunday.html and http://sustainableflatbush.org/?p=303

Posted by: Xris at February 22, 2008 2:01 PM in response to Weekend Events

There were TWO dozen people, not a dozen. In zero-windchill weather. If the weather had been better we would have spent more time in discussion on the sidewalk.

There are so many shots of the people attending because that was the event: the meet-up. And there are shots of the tracks, and the now-vacant land where buildings have been razed. The center photograph above is one such photo: there used to be buildings on that empty lot surrounded by orange construction fencing. There is no "yards" to be photographed, because nothing has been built.

Posted by: Xris at February 11, 2008 2:37 PM in response to Atlantic Yards Shutterbugs Meet Up

OP: What's in the contract? Is it being sold as a single- or two-family? In either case, it's on the seller to make it right.

If the former, then the seller must complete the C of O to satisfy the contract.

If the latter, then the seller must withdraw the change.

IANAL, but we went through a similar situation when we bought our two-family house. It took us six months to close (it seemed like MUCH longer!). Your real estate lawyer should advise you on your options, including withdrawing from the sale if the seller cannot satisfy the contract.

Posted by: Xris at February 11, 2008 12:09 PM in response to C of O Question

Not every "frame house" has fill between the studs.

Posted by: Xris at February 5, 2008 6:54 PM in response to Closing Bell: Grand Avenue Haunted House Losing Its Skin

"I have no idea where your home is in relation to other points in Brooklyn."

http://maps.google.com/

Posted by: Xris at February 2, 2008 2:09 PM in response to Open House Picks

381 Argyle is IN Ditmas Park West. Its northern boundary is the south side of Cortelyou Road.

Posted by: Xris at January 22, 2008 12:34 PM in response to Foreclosures of the Week

I don't think we could afford the $1K/seat Babs would require.

Posted by: Xris at January 14, 2008 11:28 AM in response to Theater Operator Said to be Eyeing Loew’s Kings