May 14, 2008
Streetlevel: Former Galapagos Space Plays Naming Game
As previously reported, the former Galapagos space in Williamsburg is being taken over by some new folks. There was also talk that the venue's fresh blood was going to call it "Natural Selection," which, as it turns out, is not the case. "That name was just sort of a joke," says Matt Roff, who is also one of the people who runs the show at Southpaw and Franklin Park. Roff says he and his investors, who include Mike Palms (also of Southpaw), Larry Hyland (one of the people behind Greenpoint's Matchless), Ted Mann (of Smith Street's Camp and the Slope's Bar 4) and Mike Esposito (also of Camp and Bar 4), can't decide on a name, so they've started a "Name Our Space" contest on the web. If you come up with the name that the new owners eventually go with, you'll get a $1,000 bar tab and free admission to the space for a year. Roff says he and his partners intend to upgrade the venue's sound system and "keep the programming that works," like Galapagos' burlesque nights. "We're getting rid of stuff like the puppet shows," says Roff. The venue's transition is going to start taking place in the next couple of weeks, says Roff, who notes that the plan right now is to have free DJ parties in the front space most nights of the week and then to have additional programming that comes with a cover charge in the back room.
Name Our Space [70 N. 6th Street] GMAP
House of the Day: 204 Clermont Avenue
After being listed since February for $2,500,000, the three-family brick house at 204 Clermont Avenue is now on the block for $1,950,000. The 3,100-square-foot house has lots of old detail but, despite a new kitchen (just say no to granite!), still feels a little rough around the edges. Despite the significant price-cut, the asking price is still far from a lay-up: The house next door sold for $1,625,000 back in 2006. Plus, a not-so-photogenic extension means that there's no backyard to speak of, a big negative for most family buyers.
204 Clermont Avenue [AHrlty] GMAP P*Shark
Co-op of the Day: 115 Eastern Parkway
Although this duplex at 115 Eastern Parkway doesn't feel particularly old-school, the apartment is atop a lovely prewar building overlooking the Brooklyn Museum. The most eye-catching element of the place is a large roofdeck—unfortunately, it's off one of the two bedrooms on the bedroom floor not the living floor. Not surprisingly, there's a ton of windows and natural light. It'll be interesting to see how the $799,000 asking price and $1,121 go over with buyers. Guess it depends on what kind of a dollar value you put on the outdoor space.
115 Eastern Parkway [Brown Harris Stevens] GMAP P*Shark
Development Watch: Catsimatidis Ready to Go on Myrtle?
Although he probably has other things on his mind right now (like a mayoral bid), John Catsimatidis appears to be gearing up to start construction at 162 Myrtle Avenue. The subject of much speculation in recent months as the weakening market has made the billionaire rethink the viability of his project, the 660-unit condo project is of public interest because of the need for a supermarket in the area. After getting a tip that the wheels might be starting to turn, we biked by yesterday to find a group of surveyors doing their thing. One of them confirmed that ground-breaking was imminent. Nothing new on DOB yet though. Interesting indeed.
Catsimatidis To Bring Back Myrtle Market [Brownstoner] GMAP P*Shark DOB
CatCatsimatidis "Taking a Hard Look" at 162 Myrtle Project [Brownstoner]
Catsimatidis Puts Myrtle Build on Hold! [Brownstoner]
Catsimatidis Puts Myrtle Build on Hold! [Brownstoner]
Catsimatidis on Myrtle Revealed [Brownstoner]
Wednesday Food & Drink Round-Up
Photo by McBrooklyn
Neighborhood Newcomer Bashes Bar Tabac
Food blogger Andrea Strong recently moved to Brooklyn, and while she loves the Grocery, she's got nothing but hatred for Bar Tabac: "You see, I live down the block from Bar Tabac, a wannabe faux French bistro owned by the same folks that own Jules, Café Noir and Cercle Rouge, that recently and unfathomably to me, was voted best neighborhood bistro in the Time Out Awards... From where I sit, which is just a few yards from this hellacious restaurant’s front doors, it’s a rude, self-important, obnoxious cave (with al fresco seating) for French ex-pats and ubiquitous hipsters in the Brooklyn area." Yowch!
This Week on Chowhound
One Chowhound has good things to say about the newly opened South Brooklyn Pizza (Court at 4th Street, Carroll Gardens), and another spotted Uncle Louis G's "iconic blue & white striped awning" on Smith Street near the New St. Claire. Meanwhile, Chowhound's Outer Borough Digest shares a few positive reviews of the new Israeli restaurant at 641 President Street, Delicious on the Slope.
Now Open: Lookout Hill Smokehouse
230 Fifth Avenue at President Street, Park Slope; (718) 399-2161
Time Out New York reports that Lookout Hill Smokehouse has opened in the old Biscuit space: "Two smokers pump out the expected lineup of brisket and ribs, along with a few wild cards such as lamb, hanger steak and kielbasa from nearby butcher Jubilat." Heart Fish shares some photos of the place.
After the jump: Lost City ponders the new 360 signage, a review of the Olive Vine Café, BeerMenus.com expands to Brooklyn, and a big-time pastry chef sets her sights on Clinton Hill...
Last Week's Biggest Sales
The sale of one of those bank-breaking Carroll Gardens listings was recorded last week—for almost $1 million less than it was originally asking.
1. CARROLL GARDENS $2,550,000
78 3rd Place GMAP (left)
3,100-square-foot, three-story, 23-feet-wide brick house. When featured as House of the Day in January, it was asking $3,495,000 and one of a new crop of super-pricey Carroll Gardens listings. As noted in March, the asking was reduced to $2,700,000. Deed recorded 5/9.
2. GREENPOINT $1,975,000
538 Graham Avenue GMAP (right)
According to StreetEasy, this 4-story townhouse was listed at $2,200,000 in January. Multi-residential building with eight units, six of which rent for market-rate and two of which are set to become destabilized. Deed recorded 5/8.
3. FORT GREENE $1,470,690
One Hanson Place GMAP
Deal was for unit 16BC at the landmark former Williamsburgh Savings Bank Tower. Deed recorded 5/7.
4. WILLIAMSBURG $1,427,990
51 North 8th Street GMAP
Unit 4D and a parking space at the North 8 condo. Deed recorded 5/7.
5. DUMBO $1,375,000
100 Jay Street GMAP
Closings at J Condo keep coming in. This one's for a 22nd-floor unit. Deed recorded 5/5.
Photos from Property Shark.
Garden of the Day: Praiseworthy in Park Slope
Today's submission comes from Park Slope. The garden has been a work-in-progress since 2001. When the current owners bought the house it had a huge pine tree and some grass in a raised square bed with concrete walkways surrounding the raised bed. "It was all very awkward," writes the owner. The "before" photo at the end of the slideshow shows the garden after all the concrete had been removed. The beautiful circular table they purchased four years ended up not fitting through the front door so they ended up having to hoist it over the roof! The chairs were picked up at the Park Slope flea market. Other than that, you can tell that they are big clematis fans. Great job.
Garden of the Day: Crown Heights Verdant [Brownstoner]
Garden of the Day: Another Greenwood Heights Goodie [Brownstoner]
Garden of the Day: HGTV Does Greenwood Heights [Brownstoner]
Garden of the Day: PLG Make-Over [Brownstoner]
Submit Your Garden for 'Garden of the Day' [Brownstoner]
CB2 To Nip Liquor Licenses in the Bud (Light)
Park Slope's Union Hall isn't the only bar experiencing backlash from neighbors tired of overhearing peoples' drunk conversations. Community Board 2 District Manager Robert Perris told us his board plans to stop issuing new liquor licenses in certain areas where residents feel over-saturated with noisy bars. As a compromise, the board would suggest either a beer and wine license or an early closing time. The two "over-saturation" examples Perris gave were Atlantic Avenue near Henry Street in Brooklyn Heights (Brazen Head, Floyd, Last Exit, Magnetic Field, Montero's, Waterfront Ale House) and the intersection of Fulton Street and Lafayette Avenue in Fort Greene (Frank's Lounge, Moe's, Stonehome Wine Bar). Perris said the focus right now would be on suggesting beer and wine licenses as an alternative. "The relationship is clearer that the alcohol is part of the dining experience and not sort of the focus by itself." And if the applicant is absent at hearings, or otherwise "appears to us that they are intentionally or unintentially unwilling to have a conversation with us," the community board may recommend that the state not approve the liquor license request as standard protocol. The board is expected to vote on the official protocol change tonight. Editor's Note: To clarify, the above are measures that have been discussed, but nothing has been decided on. The issue will be discussed at the board meeting tonight.
Community Board Moving to Nuke Union Hall [Brownstoner]
Photo by Bryan Bruchman.
NYCHA Funding Shortfall Could Mean Dark Days for Projects
City Hall News reports that the New York City Housing Authority is looking at a $200 million budget shortfall this year, which some officials say is likely to result in worsening conditions at public housing. “You see the conditions they're living in and the problems they're going through,” says Council Member Rosie Mendez (D-Manhattan), who chairs the Council's Public Housing Committee, “and you're sort of helpless in trying to rectify the situation.” Last year NYCHA had a $168 million budget deficit. As federal funding for the projects has dried up, so too have city and state dollars. In recent years NYCHA has laid off thousands of employees and cut hundreds of millions of dollars from its operating budget. Some public housing advocates say that the city uses the projects as a "cash cow," collecting millions every year for things like police services. Although there have been rumors that some of the city's public housing stock would be sold off to private developers, Nicholas Dagen Bloom, an assistant professor at the New York Institute of Technology and author of "Public Housing That Worked: New York in the Twentieth Century," says that's probably not going to happen. “It's not likely the program will be privatized,” he says, “but there will be structural changes in the way it operates to reflect current conditions, which is higher costs.” The are currently more than 400,000 residents of public housing in the city, and rent averages $320 a month for tenants who earn, on average, $20,000 a year.
The City's Own Looming Housing Crisis [City Hall]
HUD Official Speaks the Unspeakable: Selling The Projects [Brownstoner]
Politicians Can't Back Sell-The-Projects Idea [Brownstoner]
Photo by bondidwhat.
Park It, Slope: Alternate-Side Regs Tossed 'Indefintely'
It's good to be a Sloper. Especially, nowadays, one who owns a car. The Department of Transportation is suspending alternate side of the street parking in the neighborhood starting this Monday, according to a post on Gowanus Lounge. The suspension will be in effect "indefinitely" for the area from Pacific Street to 15th Street and from 4th Avenue to the park, or until the DOT changes the neighborhood's signs so they reflect new regulations that cut restricted parking periods down from three hours to 90 minutes. GL reports that similar suspensions are on tap for Cobble Hill, Carroll Gardens and Red Hook. The big question right now, probably, is whether this is going to mean a very dirty summer for Park Slope curbs.
Alternate Side Parking Suspended in Park Slope [Gowanus Lounge]
Photo by redxdress.
Wednesday Links
Waterfront sunset. Photo by ChivoJudas.
Senate Approves $350 Million in Projects for Economic Development [NY Times]
Profit Dips at Whole Foods Market [NY Times]
Charter School OK'd for Slope [NY Sun]
Hospitals Face Fund Cuts [NY Post]
Union Hall Meeting Tonight [Gothamist]
May 13, 2008
Tuesday Blogwrap
South Slope. Photo by Heather-D.
Real World Really Coming to Brooklyn [Curbed]
Toll Brothers Launch a Gowanus Website [GL]
Courier Life, We Hardly Knew Ye [Brooklyn Junction]
Illegal Duplexes at Atlantic & Court? [Cobble Hill Association]
2 Storefronts on Van Brunt [Lost City]
Fairway Expands to the Bronx [Crain's]
Closing Bell: BITV Looks at Development Blogging
Brooklyn Independent Television takes a look at blogs that focus on development issues. Our own Third & Bond feature takes center stage. (That's the back of David Kramer's head you're looking at in the opening frame.) The segment is part of the Brooklyn Review show, which airs Thursday, May 15 at 1pm & 9pm and Friday, May 16 at 3pm & 11pm on Time Warner 56/Cablevison 69.
Today on the Forum
Here are some of the topics posted on The Forum today:
Check Out My 18th Street Renovation (above)
Free Salvage - Take My House Apart Please
Need Help Cutting a Cabinet in Half
Experience Installing Solar Water and Electric?
Need a New Back Door-Where to Start?
Streetlevel: Lincoln Road Nail Salon Shuts Down
The nail salon on Lincoln Road in Prospect-Lefferts Gardens, where manis and pedis could be had for a mere $15 (the trick is to ask for three coats), closed down two weeks ago. A note was attached to the door announcing the closure "because of a change in lease" and thanking customers for years of support. The buzz at neighborhood wi-fi cafe K-Dog & Dunebuggy is that a restaurant might go in its place. There's been a number of changes at this strip of stores. K-dogs just started serving alcohol and extended its evening hours. Papa & Sons started serving smoothies and fresh made food, and now stays open 24 hours. And then of course there's that huge glass tower going up next door, which we reported could serve as expansion space for the Maple Street School if built as planned. Tons of nail salons are nearby on Flatbush Avenue, but without an appointment they all have 40 minute waits on a weekend. But no use crying over spilled rubbing alcohol. What would you like to see move in?
PLG's Maple Street School in Talks With Glassy Tower [Brownstoner]
House of the Day: 468 Henry Street
Despite having been chopped up into four units, the brownstone at 468 Henry Street in Cobble Hill appears to have retained much of its original detail (or at least the parlor floor, which is all that's shown in the photos, has.) Given the configuration, however, and the potential expense involved in turning it into a two-family, we suspect that the $2,600,000 asking price is a bit of a stretch for the 3,000-square-foot building. Interestingly, the house did change hands just four months ago; unfortunately, public records do not reveal the price. Thoughts?
468 Henry Street [Corcoran] GMAP P*Shark