Dear bxgrl,
I know there have been bail bondsmen in the area for years- in fact there were more when the jail was in full operation. Did they cause problems in the area? I don't know and neither do you. Crime was higher.
I'm not going to spend the rest of the day explaining why I,a father worried about his children's safety, a husband worried about his wife's safety,and a home owner worried about his only large investment's value,am less than thrilled about this new business on my street.
As I said, the landlord has the right to rent this space to this tenant,but its location in this particular building which owes its existence to community activism and has provided unusual benefits to its developer is a slap in the face to my community.Let other neighborhoods be warned about Mr. Boymelgreen.

Posted by: crafty at September 9, 2009 12:54 PM in response to New Retail Tenant at The Smith

Dear BH76,
The IBEC and Hamlin buildings have no vacancies and the Boymelgreen building was completed at least a year ahead of them at a more desirable location.

Posted by: crafty at September 9, 2009 11:52 AM in response to New Retail Tenant at The Smith

Dear bxgrl
I grant you that a bail bondsman/bounty hunter is a legitimate business, and that the building owner has every right to rent them the space. I think its obvious that the vast majority of people (except for those trying to be "down" in some way)would view the arrival of this particular business as a pretty depressing development in their own neighborhood.
I have lived on State st. for over 20 years. There have been advances and setbacks.This is a setback, especially considering the history of this building as I have already described.

Posted by: crafty at September 9, 2009 11:48 AM in response to New Retail Tenant at The Smith

If anyone needed any proof that Sheya Boymelgreen is a complete sleeze here it is. This building, now home to the bail bondsman, sits on a lot that was one of three sold by New York State way, WAY below market price after the local community partnered with the Borough President's office to encourage positive development guidelines for these sites. The other sites were sold to Hamlin ventures of 14 townhouses fame, and IBEC who built the building now home to the Brooklyn Fare Market.
These lots came with strings attached. There were percentages of affordable and low income units required. Boymelgreen was somehow able to have his portion of these units shifted onto the other lots. Furthermore, the other developers had the added hardship of having to build over the subway with expensive engineering and delays dealing with the MTA. Yet these developers managed to build projects that have enhanced the area.
The ground floor spaces of this building alone have remained vacant due to ,one can only surmise, greedy rents.
Boymelgreen got a sweetheart deal on this property due to community involvement and this is how he's paying us back.I wonder how his anchor tenant, The Nu Hotel feels about this?

Posted by: crafty at September 9, 2009 10:44 AM in response to New Retail Tenant at The Smith

I agree with bklynite.I have been disappointed and angered for decades by the squandering of Brooklyn's once elegant downtown shopping and entertainment center. But the times do seem to be changing.Those huge apartment buildings on Schermerhorn and Bridge St. will fill up. The new hotels too.The crowds on Fulton look to me to be more and more diverse.The new upscale Brooklyn Fare market on once desolate Schermerhorn seems to be doing well with a growing clientele.
I always thought Lugar's should have opened a downtown outpost there but now with Morton's its too late. Quality restaurants have been pulling people to the furthest reaches of Red Hook, Vinegar Hill, Bed Sty, East Williamsburg etc.I have no doubt that a new, quality Gage & Tollner would be a success today.

Posted by: crafty at May 20, 2009 11:50 AM in response to LPC Sends Arby's Back to the Prep Station

There is still no amusement park in the world that has the name recognition of Coney Island. The baseball park is very successful.There's the Cyclone,the aquarium,the boardwalk,and a renovated train station. Tourists from all over the world are discovering Brooklyn. Build a friggin amusement park at Coney already.It would be wildly successful.

Posted by: crafty at April 21, 2009 3:19 PM in response to Hard Times In Store for Coney Island?

O.K. so where's it moving to?

Posted by: crafty at March 11, 2009 11:29 AM in response to Red Hook Methadone Clinic Closes (Well, Moves)

I'll just have to continue to disagree with BrooklynSteve and bxgrl about the historical role the HOD and it's satellites of bail bondsmen has had on creating the "two Atlantic Avenues" syndrome.It is worth noting the enormous strides that the Boerum hill side has made during the closure.Also remember that Boeurum place is reduced down to one lane across the street from the jail,making it very easy to cross.People always stopped there because of the forbidding atmosphere.
Bkgrl is correct that the bail bondsmen were stable businesses
as long as the jail was operating,but they hardly the kind that we locals-whether new or long term residents such as myself- would like to see return.

Posted by: crafty at January 7, 2009 11:18 AM in response to Supreme Court Weighs House of Detention Re-Opening

Dear bxgrl,
I bought a house in this neighborhood 20 years ago and unlike you I stayed.While the jail's presence was not a deal breaker for me,that doesn't mean i wouldn't like to see it gone.Anyone who really knows this neighborhood knows that the jail has always divided Atlantic Ave into two zones to the detriment the Boerum Hill side.Anyone who lived through those years would remember how many bail bondsmen set up shop along Atlanic and the negitive effect they had on the area's image and development.I guess we'll have twice as many under the city's new plan.And more girlfriends catcalling up from the street-and more chain gangs unloaded on State st-and more crime.Welcome to Brooklyn tourists!
By the way I doubt that whatever neighborhood you now live in has been more impacted by social services than downtown Brooklyn.

Posted by: crafty at January 7, 2009 10:08 AM in response to Supreme Court Weighs House of Detention Re-Opening