Columbia Street Faces Fading Prospects
Long-held plans to transform Columbia Street into Brooklyn’s next hot retail destination appear to be faltering, according to an article in today’s Times. Shopkeepers on the waterfront strip say continued construction projects, a remote location, and an absence of the hard-to-pin-down alchemy that has transformed drags like Smith Street into shopping destinations have conspired to…
Long-held plans to transform Columbia Street into Brooklyn’s next hot retail destination appear to be faltering, according to an article in today’s Times. Shopkeepers on the waterfront strip say continued construction projects, a remote location, and an absence of the hard-to-pin-down alchemy that has transformed drags like Smith Street into shopping destinations have conspired to keep Columbia Street from living up to its potential. Smith Street has everything, said Freddy Saint-Aignan, who opened up Sugar Lounge on Columbia Street a couple years ago. With all the construction, there is no place for parking. We have no access, no subway, no buses. At night we have no lights. At some point, one hopes, the construction on Columbia Street will end—think it’s possible it’ll yet become Brooklyn’s next Smith Street when that happens?
Two Years Later, a Street Still Waits for Its Promised Gentrification [NY Times]
Columbia Street photo by mr.seymour.
I live on President btwn Columbia and Hicks, and I must say that I really love my hood. Its quiet (aside from the BQE fuzz), the people are nice, and you have just enough local staples to keep you happy and not too many that it attracts a bunch of visitors/foot traffic. I really hope this hood doesn’t change much, its the perfect balance if you ask me.
Love Nuevo Portal. Can’t beat their cafe con leche.
Sad Otter: I can’t figure out where that guy was wandering either! I have never had trouble eating 10ish on a Friday night! (Plus there’s Moonshine–but you have to bring your own meat from Fairway for BBQing!)
I grew up in Carroll Gardens in the 60’s,70’s, we never called it Red Hook or” Carroll Gardens west”, It was desolate and ghetto, but still just an extension of Carroll Gardens..Red Hook refers to the penninsula beyond the expresway, shaped like a “hook”..but for the most part, we called our neighborhood (what tuorists call bococa) “South Brooklyn”…I agree about Smith street, tho, one of the mainstays, Nuevo Portal is still one of the best restaurants on Smith..
11:33am – I so agree with you about the bulk of crappiness that exists among the restaurants on Smith street. Although, was recently on the upper east side and realized that we are kind of spoiled in terms of restaurants compared to neighbs like those.
When I was growing up, this was red hook, not carrol gardens “west” as the brokers now refer to it. Also, the area is dramatically different than it was two or three years ago, so I dont get all this bs about it not coming around. And lets hope it doesnt become like smith street, which is now lined with one crappy restuarant after another (yes, there are a few good ones, but most suck and are usually empty). It would be nice if at least one neighborhood in brooklyn could grow and retain at least a little grit. By the way, Lido is the best bar in brooklyn.
I’ve always thought of this area as a possible comparison to the West Side Highway. When I was in college (early 90s) the Far West side was filled with drugs and prostitutes and no one wanted to go there. Then the park was built and now it’s the real estate is pricier than the heart of the west village. I wonder if the park/bike path ever gets built, will it have a similar effect.
I would think that one of the street’s best and brightest hopes–at least for extracting any money from moi–is its position as a runway to Fairway. That’s been the only reason I’ve ever had to travel over there–and I could definitely see stopping by Nightmare or one of the restaurants one of these days. It is a bit hobbled by construction and lack of parking. I had never heard of Nightmare before, so thanks for bringing it up in this thread.
at least no ones calling this strip Red Hook, like they are on Gothamist