Open and Shut

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    Columbia Street Waterfront
    This week the blogosphere wondered, “Is the Columbia St. Waterfront the new Smith Street?” Brooklyn Paper points to the opening of Pok Pok, the coming Greenway and park, and new restaurants vying to move in. The neighborhood is still limited by its lack of transportation, construction, and geographic isolation. So what do you think? Meanwhile, the Columbia Street Post Office will be forced to close due to budget cuts, according to CG Patch.

    Cobble Hill/Carroll Gardens
    Grub Street posts the menu for Arthur on Smith, the organic/local restaurant from Southfork Kitchen chef slated to open March 19th at 276 Smith Street. And Sweet Melissa closes at Court and Douglas after being in the neighborhood since 1998. Says PMFA: “Melissa’s will be missed by many.” A little further north in Brooklyn Heights, construction workers are combining the retail space at 214-216 Hicks Street – past home to Overtures and Dara Ettinger. No one’s leased out the larger space yet.

    Park Slope
    Owners of much-hyped restaurant Talde are opening another at the old Aunt Suzie’s place, says Park Slope Patch. The name and cuisine type has not yet been revealed. The owner of Prospect Perk is expanding to 253 Flatbush Avenue, the new spot will be called Hungry Ghost Cafe. They tell HPS, “It will be a little more upscale than Prospect Perk, with a full bakery in-house and lots of room to sit.” A burger bar is filling the old Oko Frozen Yogurt space at 152 5th Avenue, between Degraw and Douglass. And new Italian joint Feluccio opened at 364 Prospect Avenue.

    Elsewhere
    A roll-your-own-smokes place in Sheepshead Bay is being threatened by the city to close down. The White Castle on Willoughby has shuttered in Downtown Brooklyn. BHB wonders if it closed due to the recent arrival of Shake Shack. Greenpoint club Europa was temporarily shut down by the cops due to some previously violent incidents. And lawmakers are pushing to bring a summertime plaza to Third Avenue between 81st and 89th Streets in Bay Ridge.
    Photo by Jay Woodworth

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