February 8, 2010
Monday Blogwrap
Park Slope’s Infamous ‘Fabulous’ Mom Launches Blog [Brokelyn]
Brunch at Provence en Boite [Eat It]
Valentine's Week Sales and Specials [All About 5th]
The Ultimate V-Day Gift: A Brokelyn Beer Book! [Brokelyn]
Super Bowl Sunday on Smith Street [PMFA]
Red Hook Sunset/No better place. Photo by Josh Derr from the Brownstoner Flickr Pool.
Closing Bell: Trailer Out for 'A Walk Around Fort Greene'
The trailer for a movie in production called "A Walk Around Fort Greene" hit Vimeo last week. Here's the synopsis: "A feature-length documentary about the black arts movement that exploded in Fort Greene from the mid 1980s through the 90s.The film features Spike Lee, Chris Rock, Rosie Perez, Vernon Reid, Carl Hancock Rux, Saul Williams, Lorna Simpson, Alva Rogers, Kevin Powell, Toure, Bill Stephany to name a few."
February 8, 2010
From the Forum: Acris: $0 for a Sale Price?
What does it mean when the recorded sales price on ACRIS is $0? We are looking at comps, and out...More >Development Watch: Window Time at Strong Place
The Strong Place Church conversion has been going on since 2006 at this point and it still looks far from done. (Hopefully this indicates it will be a high-quality development.) Right now workers are prepping to install new windows into the building and have already put in some of the smaller ones. It is supposed to have 24 condos when finished. Click through for another pic.
Strong Place Church Construction Update [Brownstoner]
Strong Place Church Conversion: Slow ‘n’ Steady [Brownstoner] GMAP DOB
Strong Place Church Conversion In Full Swing [Brownstoner]
Strong Place Church: Next Step, Scaffolding [Brownstoner]
Continue reading "Development Watch: Window Time at Strong Place"
StreetLevel: Maya Taqueria
A no-frills Mexican restaurant called Maya Taqueria opened on Vanderbilt between St. Marks Avenue and Prospect Place a few weeks ago. Sample prices: $6.50 for a veggie quesadilla; $6.25 for a meat burrito; and $2.95 for a steak taco. The few Yelp reviews that have been posted so far are pretty positive. GMAP
House of the Day: 96 Joralemon Street
Not too shabby! This three-family house at 96 Joralemon Street is top-shelf — and the price reflects it. The 4,600-square-foot property is divided up into three units, including a doctor's office on the ground floor. Both the upper triplex and parlor-floor simplex are attractively renovated and full of old-school charm. So there's no question that lots of folks will be salivating over this place. The only question is whether they'll be willing to shell out $3,600,000 for the privilege of owning it.
96 Joralemon Street [Corcoran] GMAP P*Shark
Co-op of the Day: 75 Prospect Park West, #2B
This co-op that just hit the market at 75 Prospect Park West shouldn't have any problem attracting interested buyers: It's got lots of classic charm and three bedrooms to boot. It's also located right across the street from the 3rd Street entrance to the park. (We're also digging the oh-so-subtle 321 reference: "Stroll down 3rd Street to an ever popular elementary school on 7th Ave.") The price tag is $1,095,000. Think it'll fly?
75 Prospect Park West, #2B [Corcoran] GMAP P*Shark
Restaurant of the Day: Anella
"Housed in the old Queen’s Hideway space on Franklin, Anella has expanded it to two slim dining spaces wrapped around the apartment entrance in the middle. If this makes for a slightly disorienting entrance—aim for the door on the left—inside one is warmly welcomed by a sturdy, idiosyncratic-looking bar made out of workbenches snagged from the Queens Steinway factory," says FreeWilliamsburg.
Just last week, Chef Joseph Ogrodnek, former sous chef at Gramercy Tavern and Jean Georges at the Mark, officially took over Anella's kitchen, and the Brooklyn Paper paid him a visit: "Ogrodnek whipped up a preview menu featuring a roasted broccoli with watercress, pecorino, olive oil and lemon ($7) and a handmade pappardelle with pork ragu ($13) that were both outstanding." The new menu also includes potato-crusted Chatham cod with braised fennel and olives, and a pork and bean cassoulet with smoked cacon and Tuscan kale. What's your take on this place?
Essential Info
222 Franklin Street
- Address:
- 222 Franklin Street
- Phone:
- (718) 389-8100
- Nabe:
- Greenpoint
- Cuisine:
- American, Brunch Spot, Mediterranean
- Median Entree:
- $14
From the Forum: Penny Tile
Does anyone have any experience with using penny tile in the bathtub/shower areas? Would the grout attract mold in the...More >Norah Jones' Windows Coming In
As a reader pointed out, workers have started the process of putting in those controversial windows on the side of Norah Jones' Cobble Hill house. That's it, there goes the neighborhood!
Norah Jones Cuts Back on Her Windows [Brownstoner]
Cobble Hill Neighbors Irked by Norah Jones' Windows [Brownstoner]
What's Up with Cafe on Clinton?
Has long-time Cobble Hill bistro Cafe on Clinton fallen on hard times? Three weeks ago a Forum post asked what was up with the recent non-activity and at the end of last week a reader sent in this photo of the suspended-in-time storefront. Evidently the tables are all set but the doors haven't been open for close to a month now. Anyone know what's going on?GMAP
From the Forum: Too Soon for April 1 Rental?
I have a question for the landlords here - is it too soon to be looking for an April 1st...More >Brooklyn Bridge Park: Private-Public Pros and Cons
Brooklyn Bridge Park [is] perched atop a ribbon of piers, and already hailed for its design and scope. But the park is taking shape only in fits and starts, and even opening the small part that is complete has been delayed until spring as the city and state hash out questions of money and control. Despite 20 years of planning, work has barely begun on the bulk of the project. The $350 million construction budget is still short $125 million, and no one is sure who will come up with the $16 million needed each year for operations and maintenance — New York Times
Pier 6 Rendering from BBP Conservancy.
Push and Pull Over Burg Affordable Build
The Post brings an update about an affordable housing development that's been in the works in Williamsburg for several years. The project, which has been in the pipeline since '07, is being built via a partnership between a firm called Yuco Real Estate and HPD; plans recently unveiled to the Community Board 1 call for about 90 rental units on a few lots, most on Ten Eyck Street (one of them is pictured above). CB1's land-use committee is critical of several aspects of the plans, particularly that the overwhelming majority of the apartments are supposed to be studios and one-bedrooms, and that most would be made available to people who make 60 percent of the area's median income. "Our initial concern in HPD awarding the sites to a private developer was how affordable the apartments would be to those most in need in our neighborhood,” said CB 1 member Esteban Duran. "Yuco should provide a lower AMI range to bring it in line with what local community based housing organizations would offer." The board has asked the developer and HPD to present plans to the board again in a few months.
Yucon't Always Get What You Want [NY Post] GMAP
Photo from Property Shark.
From the Forum: Seller's Concession Question
My broker mentioned using a seller's concession to cover closing costs. I'm still trying to wrap my head around something-does...More >Meet Brooklyn's Most Expensive Condo
Hot damn. Laurels for the priciest condo sale ever in Brooklyn have just been stripped from Dumbo's One Main Street and handed over to One Brooklyn Bridge Park. The Times says a humble, 9,486-square-foot triplex at 1BBP (actually five units rolled into one) sold for $8.495 million to a finance guy. "Three of the units, on the building’s 11th and 12th floors, had already been combined by a previous buyer who backed out of the deal after the Lehman Brothers collapse in 2008. That buyer was forced to walk away from a deposit of more than $600,000. 'The original buyers had created a very luxe three-bedroom five-bath apartment with a huge living and dining space,' said Highlyann Krasnow, the sales director for One Brooklyn Bridge. It was about 4,200 square feet. 'But this buyer wanted even more square footage,” she said. The most expensive condo to sell in Brooklyn prior to this was a $7 million spread at One Main.
One Costly Condo [NY Times] GMAP
NYCHA Plans First High-Rise Complex Demolition
This news hit late Friday, but it seemed too huge to ignore today: The Times reports that for the first time in its history, the New York City Housing Authority is planning to demolish a public housing project, Brownsville's Prospect Plaza Houses. The three towers that make up the complex once housed 1,200 people but they've been completely vacant for about 7 years, when NYCHA moved residents out and told them they would eventually be able to return to renovated apartments. Now, however, the agency says that it would actually be more expensive to renovate the buildings than to build new apartments, and it hopes to start construction on new, low-rise replacement buildings in a couple of years. Some former residents, of course, don't trust NYCHA's plans: "Several former residents of Prospect Plaza and groups that represent public housing tenants said they did not support the demolition, in part, because it was unclear to them that the authority intended to replace the old units with the same number of new public housing units."
New York City Plans to Topple Public Housing Towers [NYT] GMAP
Photo from Property Shark.
Weekday Events
Franklin Park Reading Series
At this month's reading series you'll meet some desperate characters -- a would-be subway suicide bomber, a schizophrenic teen roaming city trains and a New School student working as a dominatrix. John Wray, Masha Hamilton, and Melissa Febos will be reading from some of their recent novels. Join on in with the fun. Monday, February 8. 8 p.m. - 10 p.m. Free. 618 St. John's Place, Franklin Park Bar and Beer Garden.
4th Annual Rock n’ Roll Auction
The Willie Mae Rock Camp for Girls presents its Annual Rock n’ Roll Auction, hosted by Mr. Murray Hill and featuring performances by Kaki King, camper band Saffire, as well as special surprise guests. There will be silent, live, and online auctions of fine goods and services, including guitars signed by Sheryl Crow, Rosanne Cash, Amy Ray & Kaia Wilson, and a microphone signed by Tori Amos. Proceeds benefit Willie Mae Rock Camp for Girls, a non-profit music and mentoring program for girls and women in New York City. Tuesday, February 9. 8 p.m. $25 or $75 (VIP tickets). You can purchase tickets here. 361 Metropolitan Avenue, The Knitting Factory.
John Ullman Exhibition
A special exhibition benefiting the children of the Manjushree Orphanage and Free School, located in the high Himalayas of Northeast India. New York architect John Ullman was introduced to Manjushree in early 2007, when he taught basic engineering to the older students there. There will be tea and special cookies, followed by the screening of a short film about AFT's Manjushree Orphanage Project to help his non-profit group solicit funding for a new Academic Center, followed by Q and A with AFT founder John Ullman. Wednesday, February 10. $5 for raffle. 7 p.m. - 9 p.m. 248 Dekalb Avenue, Tillie's.
Please send your events listings to events@brownstoner.com
Monday Links
Retired Officers Raise Questions on Crime Data [NY Times]
Officer Shoots and Wounds Man Holding BB Gun [NY Times]
A Couple Smitten With a Bath Beach Home [NY Times]
Bed-Stuy Raises Dough to Save Bread Stuy [NY Post]
Why the Classic NY Accent is Fading [NY Post]
Council Slaps Down Charles Barron [NY Post]
Firefighters Save Tots From ENY Blaze [NY Post]
Never-ending Renos at P.O., Courthouse [McBrooklyn]
Looking Back at AY Legal Battles [AYR]
Checking Out the Brooklyner [Curbed]
The Jane Jacobs of Gowanus [NYO]
Photo by Each Day is a Gift.
February 5, 2010
Closing Bell: Flea's February Fling
The fun continues this weekend at The Flea at One Hanson. In addition to the world-renowned UrbanGlass, there are a bunch of new antique dealers starting this weekend; there are also a couple of new food vendors whose names we're not going mention but foodies will want to check out who'll be serving it up just on Saturday. So come take shelter from the storm at The Flea!If you get there early enough, you might even be able to snag one of this week's scavenger hunt items. The Brooklyn Flea will be taking place every Saturday and Sunday through the end of March from 10 am to 5 pm at One Hanson Place. You can take any number of subways to the Atlantic Terminal or the C train to Lafayette.
Development Watch: The Two Sides of 169 16th Street
Work has progressed on the facade of the 16th Street side of the street-through Katan development between 4th and 5th avenues since we took a look at it a couple months ago. As shown above, though, the 15th Street side isn't as far along. The BSA voted against granting a variance for this one a few years ago.
Development Watch: 169 16th Street [Brownstoner]
BSA Gives the Heisman to Katan [Brownstoner]
DOB Backs Community Opposition to 15th Street [Brownstoner] GMAP DOB
BSA Hearing on 182 15th Street [Brownstoner]
Latest Restaurant Additions
-
222 Franklin Street
added February 8, 2010 12:00 PM in Greenpoint -
La Petite Provence
added February 5, 2010 12:00 PM in Carroll Gardens -
Purple Yam
added February 4, 2010 12:00 PM in Ditmas Park -
Kasia's Restaurant
added February 3, 2010 12:00 PM in Williamsburg -
myThai
added February 2, 2010 12:00 PM in Bay Ridge -
Vinnie's Pizzeria
added February 1, 2010 12:00 PM in Greenpoint, Williamsburg -
Vesuvio
added January 29, 2010 12:00 PM in Bay Ridge -
Sue Perette
added January 28, 2010 12:00 PM in Carroll Gardens -
Radegast Hall & Biergarten
added January 27, 2010 12:00 PM in Williamsburg -
Sapporo
added January 26, 2010 12:00 PM in Bay Ridge