February 2007
February 28, 2007
AY Financial Projections: We Got 'Em
Well, it looks like the ESDC has in fact coughed up the financial projections for the Atlantic Yards project. We haven't had time to go through them too closely, but at first glance they do not paint as profitable a picture as many opponents suspect, generating a mediocre IRR of 9.6 percent. The biggest thing that jumps out at us is that they show that FRC is planning to sell off most of the pieces of the project in 2015. Either that, or they just needed to estimate a terminal value and that seemed as good a year as any. We're sure others far more qualified to analyze this stuff will be able to offer more insightful analysis. We've provided links to the three documents below. Have fun.
1) AY Cash Flows Returns
2) Combined IRR
3) Nets Arena Cash Flows
Earlier coverage and discussion:
ESDC Forced to Cough Up Financial Docs on AY [Brownstoner]
And Norman Oder's response...
ESDC-released Documents Lack Vital Information [AY Report]
Photo by threecee
Wednesday On The Record
P.S. 133, Butler Street. Photo by Betty Blade.
Today in Brooklyn
Language School Lets Brooklyn Students Down
Wednesday Food & Drink Round-Up
Coney Island: Funky T-Shirts Out, Condos In
The End of Brooklyn Hip Hop?n
Rats Cited in Brooklyn Pizza Hut
Rats Cited in Brooklyn Pizza Hut
If you've watched the evening news in the past week, you've probably seen some footage of the KFC/Taco Bell in Greenwich Village that was closed due to rat infestation. (We're talking straight-up Secret of NIMH style — it's super gross.) The inspector who'd been assigned to that restaurant has since been yanked from her job, and Health Commissioner Thomas Frieden told the Daily News:
"The inspector actually found rat signs and cited them for it, but did not take appropriate action given the level of infestation. We're looking at that inspector, we're looking at the supervisors and we're looking at our policies."
They're also looking at the 20 other city restaurants run by ADF Cos., the same operator as the rat-infested fast food joint. Rodents also were cited at the ADF-run Pizza Huts at 2082 Rockaway Parkway, Brooklyn. Wait a minute, are there really Brooklynites who eat Pizza Hut? Ew.
Rats the Way it is for Inspector [NY Daily News]
New York KFC - Kentucky Fried Rats [YouTube]
Houses of the Day: 629 Doubleshot
What does $629,000 buy you in Bed Stuy these days? Well, take your pick. On the left we've got 369 Bainbridge, a three-story, 2,400-square-foot house that's been in the same family for decades; the two-family has lots of original details and a new roof. We also have to give the broker the Most Honest Listing of the Year award for volunteerting the fact that the house is "across the street from public housing." On the right we have 163 Pulaski Street, a two-family brownstone that has one floor and 1,000 square feet on the Bainbridge house. Unlike the Bainbridge listing, however, this broker has the wrong photo listed. The house was also bought last summer for $555,000 by a flipper who financed it with $700,000 in debt. Hmmmm. Anyway, which of these looks like the better deal to you?
369 Bainbridge Street [Slope Brownstones] GMAP P*Shark
163 Pulaski Street [Craigslist] GMAP P*Shark
Condos of the Day: 486 3rd Street
We're gonna keep working this converted Brownstone condo thing some more...The current owner paid $1,600,000 for this five-story, 4,400-square-foot brownstone on 3rd Street between 6th and 7th Avenues back in 2004. Now he's looking to sell the four units for a combined $4,455,000. Even if he has to take 10 percent below asking price, he's going to be doing pretty well. If he spent about $250 a foot on renovation and another three hundred grand on carrying costs, then his total cost would be around $3 million. As for the units, we think they look a tad nicer than yesterday's 418 Henry but they're also a tad more expensive. It's also a little easier to find a condo in Park Slope than Cobble Hill.
486 3rd Street [Douglas Elliman] GMAP
Development Watch: 210 Front Street
Considering that the plans for the 46,000-square-foot Vista on Vinegar Hill building were first filed by Karl Fischer back in 2003, it's fair to say that this building was a long time coming. Corcoran's had the listing since the Fall, and DumboNYC reported back in November that it was 2/3 sold. There are only two listings left on the website, a 1,173-square-foot ground-floor apartment for $724,914 and a 1,220-square-foot penthouse for $1,024,800. Is that all that's left?
The Vista on Vinegar Hill [Corcoran] GMAP P*Shark DOB
Vista on Vinegar Hill Progress 2/13/07 [Dumbo NYC]
Vista on Vinegar Hill Progress 11/30/06 [Dumbo NYC]
A Shot of Vinegar Hill [Curbed]
Razing 328 Grand: What a Waste
When we first saw the dumpster in front of 328 Grand Avenue, we assumed that someone was going to do a cool loft renovation with possibly a rooftop addition. So we were distressed to learn from the demolition crew that the entire building is being taken down to make way for a new condo development. What a waste! The facade would make a beautiful base to build something more modern on top of. Only demo permits are online so we don't know what lies in store for the site. Anyone heard anything? GMAP
Open Windows Not a Great Sign at Domino
While the Landmarks Preservation Commission tries to make up its mind about whether to save the Domino Sugar Factory, the most beautiful portion of the Kent Avenue complex is being left exposed to the elements, the Waterfront Preservation Alliance notes in its most recent blog post. This ain't too surprising given that developer Isaac Katan isn't exactly known for his reverence for old buildings. The worse shape he lets this building fall into while the LPC fiddles, the better chance he'll have of being allowed to tear it down.
Hey, Close That Window! [Waterfront Preservation Alliance]
Open Windows at Domino [Curbed]
Domino Sugar Factory Proposed for Landmarking [Brownstoner]
Katan Tries to (Ab)Use Affordable Housing [Brownstoner]
Domino Decision Not "Either-Or" [Brownstoner]
Wednesday Food & Drink Round-Up
Miriam
29 Court St, Cobble Hill, 718-522-2220
"I ordered a seared Foie Gras Special ($11) resting on puff-pastry hearts cloaked in poached pear and a tooth-aching sauce. With a mere dab of sauce and no pear, the three large hunks of foie gras, though underseasoned, were awesome (and cheap) — one of New York's best values in engorged duck liver." [The L Magazine]
After the jump: The NY Press hits Williamsburg's Moto; Chowhounders chat about the best places to buy fresh pasta in Brooklyn.
Brooklyn Prices Up 8% in '06, Appraiser Says
According to appraisal firm HMS Associates, the average sales price of single- and multi-homes in Brooklyn rose 8 percent in 2006, despite a drop in the number of transactions. "The Brooklyn residential market was very strong in 2006," says HMS Associates founder Sam Heskel. "We expect 2007 will be another good year, but home prices will come back down to earth somewhat, with transactions up moderately." In Brownstone Brooklyn, the biggest price increase came in Brooklyn Heights, where prices jumped 16.6 percent, from $1,831,857 to $2,136,891. The study also cites big rises in Boerum Hill, Carroll Gardens, Williamsburg, Bay Ridge, Park Slope, Greenpoint, and Crown Heights.
Brooklyn Home Prices Rose Nearly 8% in 2006 [Market Wire]
Photo by Adam Brock
ESDC Forced to Cough Up Financial Docs on AY
After dragging its feet for two years, the Empire State Development Corporation signalled yesterday that it would finally release documents containing financial information about the Atlantic Yards project. After the ESDC fought a freedom of information reques last year, Assemblyman James Brennan teamed up with state Senator Velmanette Montgomery on Monday to file a lawsuit against the ESDC for improperly withholding the financial documents. One reason opponents of the project are so curious to see the documents is to get a better view into how profitable the project is expected to be for Bruce Ratner, hoping that big numbers would undermine his argument for needing to make the site so dense. The craving for transparency is due in part to the fact that the project gets to by-pass the city's land-review process because so much of the land is state-owned.
Lawmakers Push for the Release of AY Financial Documents [NY Sun]
Photo by nautical2k
Wednesday Links
Crown Heights Window. Photo by neene.
Buyer’s Assurance to Starrett Tenants Questioned [NY Times]
Freddie Mac Tightens Standards, Threatens Poor [NY Times]
Developers Scramble as Spitzer Caps Financing [NY Observer]
Interview with Craig of Craigslist [NY Observer]
Park Slope Clogged by Parking Seekers [Curbed]
Another Unit in Contract at the Washington [Set Speed]
Construction Site Du Jour, Greenpoint Edition [Gowanus Lounge]
Filing With DOB By Yourself [Forum]
Lower Level: Closing The Walls [Bed Stuy Reno]
February 27, 2007
Tuesday On The Record
Army Terminal, Sunset Park. Photo by theanthracite.
Today in Brooklyn
Green Power: Earth-Friendly Electric Bills
Park Slope Parking Worse Than Manhattan
Tuesday To-Do List
Flying Trapeze School in Williamsburg
House of the Day: 297 Pacific Street
What does everyone think of this place? As far as we're concerned, it's neither fish nor fowl. If we wanted a loft, we'd be looking for beamed ceilings, old columns, etc.; we'd be happy to have some modern fixtures or finishes in that context, but we want the raw material to have some history in its bones. Maybe it's the recessed lighting or we're being unduly influenced by the leather couch, but we're not feeling this converted two-story commercial building on Pacific betwen Smith and Hoyt. And judging from the fact that the price has recently been cut, no one else particularly is either. Perhaps that's because it's priced as if it were a four-story Greek Revival house on the same block. Don't get us wrong: 3,750 square feet of high-ceilinged space in the area for $2,390,000 isn't a rip-off in itself, but people don't buy square footage, they buy a dream.
297 Pacific Street [Bellmarc Realty] GMAP P*Shark
Condos of the Day: 418 Henry Street
Continuing the theme of converted brownstones, today we look at 418 Henry Street, a four-unit conversion between Kane and Baltic in Cobble Hill. Prices range from a $895,000 for a 1,090-square-foot two-bedroom to $995,000 for a 1,470-square-foot one-bedroom. We don't particularly care for the finishes (new fireplaces, new floors, recessed lighting and granite counters) but we bet that the work was of a relatively high quality given the location and small size of the job. Has anyone seen these in person?
418 Henry Street [Halstead] GMAP P*Shark
Development Watch: Spencer Street Boomtown
When we checked in on Spencer Street back in October, construction was just underway at Number 192 (top). Now, despite a partial Stop Work Order in effect, the building has topped out at six stories; when all is said and done, it will have 47,000 square feet of residential space with 24 parking spaces. Across the street, Number 175 (bottom right) will be a six-story, 33,000 square foot residential building with 18 parking spaces. The architect on both of them is Kossar & Garry Architects — anyone know anything about them? Lastly, at 382 Willoughby/907 Bedford (lower left), the owner just got a permit for the plywood fence but there's no information yet for what kind of building lies in store.
Development Watch: Spencer Street Doubleshot [Brownstoner] GMAP
Residential Sales in Brooklyn
BOERUM HILL $2,095,000
26 Bergen Street
2-family prewar four-story Federal-style wood-frame house; 4 bedrooms, 2 baths, living room with fireplace in primary triplex; 1 bedroom, 1 bath in garden simplex; central air-conditioning; 22-by-100-ft. lot; taxes $3,069; listed at $2,375,000, 13 weeks on market. Brokers: Prudential Douglas Elliman, Nancy McKiernan Realty.
WINDSOR TERRACE $425,000
14 Prospect Park Southwest
2-bedroom, 1-bath, 700-sq.-ft. co-op in a prewar building; windowed eat-in kitchen, high ceilings, washer-dryer in unit; maintenance $654, 50% tax deductible; listed at $420,000 (multiple bids), 2 weeks on market. Broker: Coldwell Banker Hunt Kennedy & Garfield.
From the print edition of last Thursday's New York Times.
Photo by Scott Bintner for Property Shark
Inside the Grand Avenue Haunted House
After we posted about the impending renovation of the dilapidated woodframe on Grand Avenue on Friday, these interior photos were sent our way over the weekend. One more photo on the jump. Quite something, huh?
Grand Avenue Wreck Getting a Makeover [Brownstoner]
Party Like It's 2005: Bidding Wars Galore
Remember the Times article last week about the reinvigorated real estate market in New York? Well, there may have been something to it. We've caught wind of a couple of bidding wars currently underway that certainly show that the demand side of the equation is strong. First up: A 1,350-square-foot, top-floor co-op at 235 Lincoln Place. The first showing on Sunday generated eight bids, six of them over the asking price of $795,000. (Of course, another conclusion could be simply that it was just priced too low.) Meanwhile, over at 218 Greene Avenue (which we discussed last week), the price was jacked almost 30 percent over the weekend. After it was listed at $650,000 on Wednesday, we hear that offers of up to $825,000 rolled in, prompting a swift price increase of the asking price to $850,000. How psyched is the owner. Guess the POS at 220 Greene was not much a deterrent after all.
235 Lincoln Place (#5761) [Warren Lewis] GMAP
218 Greene Avenue [Corcoran] GMAP
Green Power: Earth-Friendly Electric Bills
Before winter made its frigid descent a few weeks ago, we were enjoying the unseasonably warm temperatures — and our ability to walk around sans hat and gloves — as much as the rest of the city. But we're also worried about global warming, and when we found out about this cheap, easy way to reduce our carbon footprint, we signed up straightaway. ConEd's Green Power program allows residential and small business customers to switch to 100% renewable energy, and it's surprisingly affordable...
Continue reading "Green Power: Earth-Friendly Electric Bills"
LPC Gives Go-Ahead to Carlton Mews Project
Not sure how we missed this one, but according to this month's Fort Greene Association newsletter, the Carlton Mews project, which includes a row of new townhouses on Carlton and the conversion of two existing church buildings on Adelphi, received Landmarks approval back on January 19th. The FGA, in addition to TIsh James and the Carlton-Willoughby Block Association, all spoke at the hearings in favor of the development, citing its respect for the scale and architecture of the historic neighborhood. The architect of the project is Ken Levenson, though there's no mention of Carlton Mews on his website.
February 2007 Newsletter [Fort Greene Association] GMAP
A Look Inside the Carlton Mews Church [Brownstoner]
LPC Sends Carlton Mews Back to Drawing Board [Brownstoner]
Continue reading "LPC Gives Go-Ahead to Carlton Mews Project"
Tuesday Links
Red and Blue House, Carroll Gardens. Photo by dondidwhat.
Park Slope Clogged by Parking Seekers [NY Sun]
Pats Coach Also a Park Slope Landlord! [Gothamist]
Blowtorch for Revere Sugar Factory [Curbed]
Big Price Drop at Fort Greene Rental [Set Speed]
Le Petite Marche Gets Facelift [BH Blog]
J Condo Owners Can See Their Place [Dumbo NYC]
Agnes Gund: Real Estate Better Than Art [Intelligencer]
February 26, 2007
Monday On The Record
Fort Greene Park in the Snow. Photo by Lena Corwin.
Today in Brooklyn
Heath and Michelle in Brooklyn Heights?
Gowanus Yacht Club Is Hiring Writers
Wine Stores With Shtick: The Greene Grape
Red Hook for Tourists
Brazen Head Keeps Cask Ale Local
Brazen Head Keeps Cask Ale Local
Beer from a cask. Many from Brooklyn.
If the thought of "cask ales" conjure up images of drunken monks swigging beer out of wooden barrels in a dingy monastery, that's good — run with it, it'll make all of this seem a lot cooler. In actuality, however, most beer casks now are made out of metal and look like little kegs. Nonethless, casks are the traditional storage vessels for beer, and the term still implies that the beer is unpasteurized, unfiltered, and without any additional carbon dioxide added. The result is more actual beer flavor coming through, without being obscured by bubbles, although, to a palate used to kegs, the beer might seem flat. For a more comprehensive description, read this. Anyway, the Brazen Head pulls together a collection of cask ales three times a year, and this past weekend was the first such festival of 2007.
House of the Day: 413 Sterling Place
There was an open house at 413 Sterling Place yesterday, which we're hoping some of you attended cuz the listing doesn't provide any interior photos. (It does, however, include one nice data point that others should: date listed.) The 3,000-square-foot, three-family house is asking $1,600,000. If the were in great shape this would be an interesting price. We're betting this place hasn't been touched in years. (Certainly no central air, judging from the window a/c units.) That said, we dig the rounded bay windows and the proximity to the park is sa-weet. How 'bout it? Who's been inside?
413 Sterling Place [Washington Realty] GMAP P*Shark
Photo by Krista Kujat for Property Shark
Condos of the Day: 231 Bergen Street
In the current market, condo conversion is the most compelling way to squeeze out a profit on a brownstone. From a buyer's perspective, the prices often seem crazy (like this place in Clinton Hill). It's hard for us to get our arms around buying 1/2 or a 1/4 of a brownstone in one nabe for the price of a full brownstone a little further out, but for some people it's obviously worth it. The latest such project to come to our attention is the conversion at 231 Bergen Street that's being marketed as The Distinctive Condominiums of Bergen Street. Cobble Heights Realty has the listings and there's a flash site up at 231Bergen.com. The offering consists of three units ranging in price from $1,050,000 for an 1,100-square-foot two-bedroom on the parlor floor to $1,600,000 for the 1,900-square-foot upper duplex. And just to sweeten the deal, all units come equipped with flat screen televisions. There was an open house yesterday. How'd they look?
231 Bergen Street [NY Times]
GMAP P*Shark
Development Watch: Degraw-ful?
For a small street in the Columbia Waterfront District, Degraw sure has a lot of construction going on, most of it not pretty. Clockwise from upper left, you're looking at 140, 130 and 129 Degraw. Number 140 is probably the most "interesting" of the three, but we'd be curious to know whether this was necessary surgery mere architectural whim; Number 130 looks better in this photo than we remember it feeling in person, but at least there are big windows and relatively high ceilings. The real head scratcher is Number 129, which looks like some strange attempt to create private mews, but Warren Place it is not. GMAP
Wine Stores With Shtick: The Greene Grape
In the Wall Street Journal's Tastings column, they're talking about wine shops "with all sorts of new ideas to make the wine-buying experience more fun and less intimidating." One of the shops mentioned is Fort Greene's own Green Grape:
"At the Greene Grape in Manhattan and Brooklyn, the stores' computers keep a record of every wine you buy. Yes, this sure seems simple in this day and age. We wonder why it took so long. Amy Bennett, the owner in Brooklyn, says the computer file was inspired by her tech-savvy partner and by her experience being in a large store next to a woman who approached a clerk and asked, 'I had this great Spanish red. Do you remember which one it was?'"
This is a great idea to help newbie wine enthusiasts remember specific bottles — but for a local shop, a computer isn't always necessary to remember customers' preferences. Once we became regulars at our favorite neighborhood wine store, Scotto's at 318 Court Street, the owner would always recognize us, ask us what we thought about our last bottle, and recommend another accordingly.
Wine's New Wave — Stores With Shtick [WSJ]
The Greene Grape [Homepage]
Scotto's [Homepage]
Residential Sales in Brooklyn
EAST WILLIAMSBURG $786,600
329 Manhattan Avenue
2-family, 5-bedroom prewar limestone; primary unit: 3 bedrooms; other unit: 2 bedrooms; in each: dining room, 1 bath, hardwood floors, original detail; 25-bt-72-foot lot; taxes $1,536; listed at $879,000. Broker: Kline Realty. Photo by Scott Bintner for Property Shark
PARK SLOPE $975,000
570 Sixth Avenue
106-year-old, three-bedroom wood townhouse; renovated kitchen, den, living-room fireplace, tin ceilings, 2 skylights, 18-by-75-ft. lot; taces $1,459; listed at $1,045,000. Broker: Warren Lewis Realty.
Residential Sales [NY Times]
New Development at Myrtle and Clermont Avenues
We've gotten a number of inquiries in recent weeks about the big project at the corner of Myrtle and Clermont in Fort Greene. We posted photos of the lot back in November and a debate ensued about the degree of Fedders-ness of the design. Turns out it's going to be a 6-story, 93,000-square-foot residential building, about 7,000 square feet of which will be office and retail space; in addition, there will be nine underground parking spots. The project is being done by the same group, BRP Development, that converted the Graham Home for Old Ladies in Clinton Hill. The building, which will consist entirely of two-bedroom, two-bath apartments, is designed by Danois Architects (which, before it does anything else, better redesign its website!) While the rendering isn't anything to get excited about, the developers get big points for being concerned about contextual design: "The design continues the street wall of Myrtle Avenue at a scale that is consistent with buildings found along the avenue," reads the website. "In an attempt to delicately intertwine the residential fabric of the neighborhood with the commercial strip, the wall of Myrtle Avenue conspicuously wraps around the corner, locating the residential and the office entrances along Clermont Avenue."
375 Myrtle Avenue [BRP Development] GMAP P*Shark DOB
Development Watch: 150 Clermont [Brownstoner]
Gowanus Yacht Club Is Hiring Writers
Looks like Gowanus Yacht Club, the outdoor beer garden on the corner of Smith and President, is already looking for a springtime staff — and all those "I'm-waiting-tables-until-I-finish-my-first-novel" types are invited to show off their literary skills in a one-page essay about why they'd like to work at this "fine establishment." When we were snapping pictures of their resume box, a passer-by leaned in and said, "I could write a 10-page essay about why I wouldn't want to work there," but he refused to elaborate, for fear of stepping on anyone's toes. The comment piqued our curiosity — what's so bad about working at Gowanus?
UPDATE: Looks like our pals at A Brooklyn Life spotted this, too!
Great Light and Views on Wolcott
When we last wrote about the fugly pair of new townhomes on Wolcott Street we noted the language in the listing that said, "These luxury town houses are of top quality construction." Of course, we took the agent's prose at face value so we were terribly surprised to receive this photo in our inbox over the weekend that shows the entire eastern wall of the house, er, missing. Looks like this baby's got a Scarano-esque mezzanine too. These are asking over a million bucks each, so maybe Friday's POS really was a great deal at $1.8 million. Hah. Anyone know what happened?
Wolcott Asking Prices Top $1 Million [Brownstoner] GMAP
Heath and Michelle in Brooklyn Heights?
A reader just sent us a link to a Forbes.com article that reports:
"Recently, A-listers such as Michelle Williams and Heath Ledger have answered the bohemian call of Brooklyn, plopping down $3.5 million for a four-story brick house with a three-car garage in Brooklyn Heights."
Looks to us like Forbes may have made a rare fact-checking blunder, as everyone knows the Brokeback pair are shacked up in Boerum Hill. Maybe it was the $3.5 million price tag that lured the Forbes writer into assuming it was Brooklyn Heights. That, or the magazine's famous attention to detail doesn't extend to its online progeny.
Star-Studded Neighborhoods [Forbes.com]
Ledger and Williams Opt to Own [Brownstoner]
Egan: Apathy and Resignation To Blame in AY Fight
In her NY Times op-ed piece this weekend, author, Fort Greene resident and DDDB board member Jennifer Egan contrasts the wily public relations machinations of Atlantic Yards developer Bruce Ratner with the relative apathy and inaction of those who claim to oppose the project that would indelibly change the landscape and character of the borough. The combination of presenting the project as a fait accompli from day one and casting himself as the champion of the working class was, she opines, effective in a race-baiting sort of way. In the end, she laments the passive role it has placed the borough in, to be molded and shaped by profit-seeking developers, not the people who live here.
What was mostly lost in this caustic debate was the biggest question of all: what do we Brooklynites — a diverse and even divided collective — want our borough to be? Do we want it transformed from a sunny, low-lying place into knots of vertical superblocks? Are we content to let our borough’s future be imposed on us by developers and politicians? A strong girding of power and ideas is our best defense against developers who might wish to control the process. And an active and vocal public will send a healthy warning to elected officials who might consider placing these developers’ interests above our own.
What surprised us most was the tone of resignation that underlay the essay, playing right into Ratner "formidable spin machine ".
A Developing Story [NY Times]
Monday Links
Deco Door, Brooklyn Heights. Photo by James Wolberg.
State Reduces Tax Breaks for Developers [NY Times]
Last Co-op Hurdle: The Board Interview [NY Times]
New Help for Subprime Borrowers [NY Times]
Lawmakers to Push Starrett City Rent Protection [NY Times]
Rie in Builder Tax Breaks Expected [NY Post]
Erroll Louis: Play Ball with Bruce [NY Daily News]
Erroll Louis on AY, But Not 20-Year Plan [AY Report]
Moving Right Along: Joists and Layouts [Broken Angel Reno]
Brooklyn Back in the Day: Coney Island [Gowanus Lounge]
'New Park Slope' is Not Like the Old One [Curbed]
Dumbo Improvement District Newsletter [Dumbo NYC]
Check Out This House in Greenpoint [Flickr]
Zoning: Business in a Brownstone? [Forum]
Some More Tiling [Bed Stuy Reno]
February 23, 2007
A Look Back at the Atlantic Yards Groundbreaking
Flickr photog AKinloch snapped this photo on Tuesday of the first day of demolition at the Atlantic Yards. We're going to stop by this weekend to check out the site for ourselves. Please send us pics if you do the same. Update: A federal magistrate judge has recommended that the lawsuit against Ratner, Bloomberg, Pataki et al. stay in State Court. See the different spins on the links below.
Magistrate Says ED Case Belongs in State Court [AY Report]
Judge Urges Dismissal of Atlantic Yards Suit [NY Times]
Proof That The AY Demo Did Indeed Begin [Brownstoner]
Friday On The Record
Pigeons, Gowanus. Photo by Joseph O. Holmes.
This Weekend in Brooklyn
McCarren Pool Summer Concerts a Go
Sample Sale at ModernTots
Best Thai in Brooklyn?
Mathieu Eugene Swearing-In Postponed
The Wine Bar That Never Was
The Wine Bar that Never Was
Way back in August, we posted about a wine bar and epicerie that was set to open on the corner of Union and Hoyt in October. For a few months, it appeared that the space was being renovated, but then it started looking vacant again. October came and went and the place never materialized. The corner seems like it would be a good location for a business, especially as Union Street becomes more of a pedestrian thoroughfare between Carroll Gardens and Park Slope — does anybody know what's going on? Could it be that they couldn't get a liquor license, since they're across the street from a school and around the corner from a church?
New Wine Bar Set to Open This Fall [Brooklyn Record]
Open House Picks
Clinton Hill
85 Downing Street
Corcoran
Sunday 1:30-3:30
$1,375,000
GMAP P*Shark
Boerum Hill
457 Warren Street
Brownstone Real Estate
Sunday 12-2
$1,000,000
GMAP P*Shark
Bay Ridge
326 74th Street
Brown Harris Stevens
Sunday 12-:30
$979,000
GMAP P*Shark
Fort Greene Park: The Plan and the Reality
Fort Greene Park — the borough's first outdoor recreation area — came into being in 1848 at the urging of Walt Whitman, then editor of the Brooklyn Daily Eagle. In 1858, the park was so heavily used (and showing it) that talk began of building an even larger one to the south. In 1867, with work on Prospect Park proceeding apace, Frederick Law Olmstead and Calvert Vaux were hired to redesign Fort Greene Park (then known as Washington Park). Their plans, at top, called for a vault to hold the remains of American soldiers who had died on the British prison ships that had been anchored in Wallabout Bay during the War of 1812 Revolutionary War. The Panic of 1873 resulted in only a scaled-back version (bottom photo) being actualized: The observatory and rostrum were omitted and only the foundation for the Martyrs Memorial was built. The revitalized park was still a big hit and led to a construction boom of brownstones in the surrounding area.
Photo from New York 1880: Architecture and Urbanism in the Gilded Age by Robert A. M. Stern, Thomas Mellins and David Fishman.
Best Thai in Brooklyn?
Now, as most local Thai food lovers know, you've got to trek over to Sripraphai in Queens if you want the real deal. We haven't had found any restaurants in Brooklyn that compare, though we do like Em Thai at 278 Smith Street — where they serve a few dishes that venture beyond the basics. Their crispy and spicy Duck Basil is always a winner; another house specialty involves panang curry is poured over grilled shrimp and buttery avocado slices; and the Pad Kee Mao (super spicy noodles) never disappoints. The delivery is almost instantaneous — we once received a meal in seven minutes flat (no joke) — but the restaurant's mod decor and friendly servers make it worth stopping in now and then. Of course, that's just one neighborhood spot. The photo above was shot at Nana (155 5th Avenue in Park Slope), which we've also heard good things about. Any other recommendations for neighborhood Thai joints? Or perhaps somebody can point out a few dishes at local spots that will help us Sripraphai fans stave off another journey to Queens?
Photo by Brooklyn Hilary
Joke of the Day: Red Hook New Build for $1.8 Mil
We've heard of going fishing, but this is ridiculous. This recently built three family house in Red Hook has to be one of the biggest jokes we've seen in a long time. Completely devoid of any character or quality, the house has an asking price of $1,800,000, at least double what it could be worth. Better yet, the broker describes the house as "priced to sell." Hah! Who in his right mind would even go look at this?
$1800000 Just Built Three Family [Craigslist]
Brand New Beautiful Three Family [Red Hook Realty]
Forgotten NY on Greenpoint's Milton Street
On his way to check out the ruins of the Greenpoint Terminal Market last weekend, Forgotten NY took a detour down Milton Street, highlights of which include the Greenpoint Dutch Reformed Church and these houses built by the china maker and architect Thomas C. Smith in 1894. Enjoy.
Little Milton: Block of Wonders [Forgotten NY] GMAP
Grand Avenue Wreck Getting a Makeover
The old woodframe house on Grand Avenue that has fallen into extreme disrepair over the last decade is finally getting a makeover. For years, the son of the owner has lived there (along with assorted unsavory neighborhood characters) without heat or hot water. The older woman who has owned the house in absentia for years recently died, leaving the house to her granddaughter. A few days ago, this dumpster showed up. This morning there was a cleaning crew working on the place. We were able to take a quick look around. It was hard to believe that people had been living in this place: Paint and wallpaper peeling off the walls, puddles everywhere, windows boarded up. It will be interesting to see if this changes the dynamic of the drug trade and loitering at this end of the block. Only the warmer weather will tell.
Architectural Salvage, A Business
Back in the early 1970's when New York was a very different place, members of the Anonymous Art Reclamation Society would remove objects from demolition sites and donate them to museums. At around that same time, however, the salvagers realized that these items had real market value for a certain segment of the public and began turning their passions in to businesses. In addition to Gil Shapiro's Tribeca-based Urban Archaeology, other big players in the New York market included the Scranton, PA-based Olde Good Things and Harlem mainstay Demolition Depot (both of which we used in our own renovation). The Times doesn't mention two of our faves in Brooklyn, Williamsburg's Moon River Chattel and Clinton Hill's Eddie's Salvage at 222 Greene Avenue. Any other places in or around the city that you've found useful? The ceramic tub at the far right in this photo looks a lot like the one we bought from United House Wrecking for our master bath. Cost us $900, if memory serves.
A Business Built on Salvage [NY Times]
Photos by Donna Alberico for The New York Times
Friday Links
Greenpoint Terminal Market. Photo by bluejake.
Ratner Starts Work on Atlantic Yards [Brooklyn Paper]
Glamour Blogger Hearts Brownstoner [Alyssacentric]
Is 100% Financing Really Possible? [Forum]
Is There a Frenzy in the Market? [Curbed]
Mystery of The Key [Windsor Terrace Reno]
A Pooper-Scooper Law with Teeth [Gothamist]
Futuristic Dumbo Exhibit Review [Dumbo NYC]
Cost of Gutting Brooklyn Co-op Kitchen [AT]
A Break From Tiling: Framing [Bed Stuy Reno]
Jane Jacobs' Revenge [The Real Estate]
February 22, 2007
Thursday On The Record
Park Slope Wall. Photo by Atomische.
Today in Brooklyn
Slopers Petition for a Greener Whole Foods
Stiff Competition for Specialized High Schools
Did the New Yorker Publish a Racist Joke?
All Aboard the Mary Whalen
Virginia Vitzthum: Sex Columnist & Brooklynite
House of the Day: 1219 Bergen Street
Even if the listing for today's HOTD on Bergen Street didn't include a photo with an easel and frames in it, one might still be able to guess that an artist lived there. The house has a very pleasing (in our opinion) vibe that is at once minimalist and respectful of its architectural history. (Either that, or the owner is using a great stager!) The listing is a little skimpy on photos though so it's impossible to know if the rest of the house has the same feel. The fact that the 16-footer is located between New York and Brooklyn Avenues in the footprint of first phase of Crown Heights North landmark district makes the $850,000 asking price a little easier to digest, no?
1219 Bergen Street [Douglas Elliman] GMAP P*Shark
New Condos: Suite Sixteen Hits Market
This former vacuum bag factory on 16th Street between 5th and 6th Avenues is being turned into a five-story, 32-unit condominium residence with the unfortunate moniker Suite Sixteen. The Karl Fischer-designed building was vested under the former R6 zoning, which explains its height of 55 feet; it also used the "alteration permit" backdoor. Aguayo & Huebener has the first listing up now, a 1,400-square-foot, two-bedroom condo on the fourth floor for $1,199,000. Parking and an on-site gym are also available. The listing description is rife with high-end catch phrases and brand names and is clearly targeting a buyer with money to spend. Do you think there's going to be an appetite for this kind of listing this far south?
Suite Sixteen [Aguayo & Huebener]
GMAP P*Shark DOB
Development Watch: 189 Schermerhorn Street
Furthering the growth of Downtown Brooklyn, developer Mario Procida has gotten approval — and started to build — a 25-story tower at 189 Schermerhorn. Although this block is zoned commercial, the 277,000-square-foot building will be residential. The architect is Stephen B. Jacobs but there's nothing on the firm's website yet. Photo of the big dig on the jump. Anyone seen any drawings? GMAP P*Shark DOB
Continue reading "Development Watch: 189 Schermerhorn Street"
Just Sold in Brooklyn
BOERUM Hill $699,000
53 Boerum Place
Two-bedroom, two-bath condo, 860 square feet, with kitchen with stainless-steel appliances and granite countertops, chrome bath, central AC and western exposure; building features 24-hour doorman, parking, gym, laundry, courtyard and live-in super. Asking price $699,000, on market 2 1/2 months. Broker: Rodolfo Lucchese, The Corcoran Group.
Just Sold! [NY Post]
Boerum Place 2 Bedroom [Corcoran]
You Too Can Get Laid At The Oro
As Curbed mentioned yesterday, The Oro now has its very own ad on television. A reader nicely captured it for us an posted it here.
Brownstone Renos: A Contrast In Styles
The House & Home today section compares the renovation approaches of one couple who went for a bold modern approach to renovating part of their brownstone overlooking Fort Greene Park with that of hardcore preservationists and Clinton Hill old-timers Jim and Sharon Barnes. Here's what we had to say about the modern reno after seeing it last May on the Fort Greene House Tour:
Clearly the boldest departure from brownstone tradition on the Fort Greene House Tour was the parlor floor renovation at 203 Washington Park which featured poured and buffed concrete floors as well as an open-plan loft-style kitchen/dining/living area. We thought the modern approach was largely successful but agree with an earlier commenter that the juxtaposition to the shlubby traditional hallway was a little jarring. Perhaps the coolest part of the design, though, was the giant wall of windows overlooking the garden.
Interestingly, modern and spare does not mean cheap: The Phillips spent $400,000 renovating the bottom two floors.
By contrast, the Barnes have painstakingly restored their Clinton Avenue house over the past twenty years, along with seven other rental properties in the neighborhood. Preservation, to the Barnes, is a kind of calling. “Every one of the people who I met over the years who’d bid on this house were going to tear it to smithereens," says Ms. Barnes. "What is unique about this house is that it is intact.”
A Flood of Foreclosures, but Should You Invest? [NY Times]
FGHT: Modern on the Park [Brownstoner]
Photos by John Lei for The New York Times
Park Slopers Petition for a Greener Whole Foods
Whole Foods Market is working on their plans for a new branch on Third Street and Third Avenue along the banks of the Gowanus Canal, and the local organization Park Slope Neighbors is hoping to convince them to build a cleaner, greener supermarket. Their petition, addressed to Whole Foods Chairman and CEO John Mackey, requests the reduction of the store's planned 420 parking spaces by at least 100. It all calls to replace parking spaces planned for the building's rooftop with a green roof or solar panels. To fight the onslaught of neighborhood traffic jams, it recommends the implementation of a jitney service, ample bike parking, and a fleet of pedicabs, among other strategies...
Continue reading "Park Slopers Petition for a Greener Whole Foods"
Investing in Foreclosures for Dummies
With foreclosures rising around the country — Realty Trac estimates than the number of houses entering foreclosure was 25 percent higher in January 2007 than in January 2006 — more investors are getting curious about investing in this end of the market. "Some people are using the phrase 'tsunami;' there's going to be a tsunami of foreclosures," said Dave Jenks, co-author of "The Millionaire Real Estate Investor." "For the people who are pros at dealing with foreclosures and have the infrastructure of information and wherewithal ... they will take full advantage of this." In Valencia, California, foreclosure investor Daryl White estimates that he needs to buy a property at 30 percent below the price he can sell it for after he fixes it up and pays carrying costs for several months. Obviously every property is different, but is that a reasonable rule of thumb here in Brooklyn too? What other tips would those with experience in the area offer to newbies?
Update: We just got a press release from Property Shark with some interesting data on local foreclosures. There were 354 new residential foreclosures in New York City (5 boroughs), an overall decrease (-16.7%) from the third quarter of 2006 (425 foreclosures). Staten Island had the highest foreclosure rate per household in Q4 2006, 250% higher than Brooklyn and seven times the rate per household in Manhattan. Sixteen of the top-20 zip codes for foreclosures were in Queens and Brooklyn. “The biggest surprise to us was in Brooklyn, with new foreclosure auctions down 34% from last quarter and at two-year lows,” stated Ryan Slack, chief executive officer, PropertyShark.com.
A Flood of Foreclosures, but Should You Invest? [MarketWatch]
Photo by Sybil Star
Thursday Links
Cortelyou Road. Photo by Picture in Focus.
Contractor Quotes Are an Estimate [NY Times]
Trying to Go the FSBO Route [NY Post]
Reason to Live Near the Subway [NY Sun]
Profile of NYC Zoning Czar [Greenpoint Star]
An Historic (District) Special Election Debate [Greenpoint Star]
Anyone Recognize This Building? [Brooklynian]
Is Williamsburg's Edge Property on the Market? [Curbed]
Fresh Kills: Midcentury with an Edge [Apartment Therapy]
AY Landscaping Would Take Twenty Years [AY Report]
Hiding the Elephant (Radiator) in the Room [ROTC]
Brooklynites Earn Less Than Other Boroughs [Daily Intel]
February 21, 2007
Wednesday On The Record
Windows, Red Hook. Photo by David Boyle.
Today in Brooklyn
Wednesday Food and Drink Round-Up
Building a Greener Gowanus
Yuppie Chickens Invade Brooklyn
Haitian Sensation: Eugene Snags Council Seat
Woo Hah!! Busta Busts Outta Jail
House of the Day: 1211 Ditmas Avenue
Gotta say we're surprised this Ditmas Avenue Queen Anne Victorian hasn't been gobbled up by some eager beaver renovator since we included it as an Open House Pick back in November. While it's a little shabby in a genteel sort of way, the detailing is mind-blowing. Granted, the exterior is going to take some dough and we wouldn't be surprised if the plumbing or electrical needed an updating, but this place is hot in our humble opinion. Why's no one taken the bait yet?
1211 Ditmas Avenue [Brooklyn Properties] GMAP P*Shark
Open House Picks 11/17/06 [Brownstoner]
Co-op of the Day: Windsor Terrace Deco 1BR
We're digging the vibe at this old-school Art Deco building overlooking Prospect Park. Orrichio Anderson calls 135 Prospect Park SW "Windsor Terrace's most coveted elevator building" which doesn't sound like a stretch to us. There's no doorman but there is a live-in super and laundry facilities. As for the apartment, it looks to be very nice in an unfancy prewar kind of way, though, as in a lot of places, the kitchen is nothing special. And the price? Dunno. How does $349,000 sound to those of you in the market?
135 Prospect Park SW [Orrichio Anderson] GMAP P*Shark
Development Watch: Kane in Vain
We checked in on the progress of 115 Kane last week, which is most notable for the fact that its balconies will overlook the BQE traffic whizzing by underneath. The seven-story building will have 12 units spread over more than 15,000 square feet of space, so expect a lot of two-bedrooms. We don't mind the uneven coloring of the brick but wish that they'd avoided the rounded lintels and stuck to a limestone-y color. Still, we've seen worse. What do you think they're going to be able to get per square foot in this location?
Development Watch: Hicks and What? [Brownstoner] GMAP P*Shark DOB
Yuppie Chickens Invade Brooklyn
Over on the Brownstoner forum, one anonymous Clinton Hill resident is considering getting some chickens to keep in their backyard. And they're not joking: "Fresh eggs are amazing, chickens are easy, and — as long as they're female — not loud or problemtic. Also, it's legal. Are we crazy?" Well, that's up for grabs... others commented that they've seen backyard chickens in Sunset Park and South Slope, and mentioned that LeNell, the liquor store proprietor in Red Hook, has got a few of her own. One Carroll Gardens resident is thinking about getting a coop, too. But not everybody thinks these barnyard pets are a good idea...
Lot for Sale: Don't Mind the POS Next Door
When the monstrosity at 220 Greene Avenue (at left) was getting built, we would periodically feel sorry for the poor bloke who owned the lot next to him, whose value was being destroyed with every new block of Jerusalem stone. Now that the lot's on the market and we've taken a look at the property's history, we feel a little less sorry for the guy. He got the lot from the city, according to Property Shark, for nothing back in 2001. Corcoran's 2006 Brooklyn Rookie of the Year broker Philip Henn has the listing, which just hit the web at $650,000. If you want a real eye-opener, check out the photo of the property from, we guess, the 1970s. Grand Avenue looks like a wasteland. Update: We just heard that the owner of this lot is the one who sold the next door two years ago.
218 Greene Avenue [Corcoran] GMAP P*Shark
Continue reading "Lot for Sale: Don't Mind the POS Next Door"
Brooklyn Heights' Prewar Promenade
This photo from the turn of the century shows a much different promenade in Brooklyn Heights. Until they were demolished in 1946 to make way for the expressway, this arched viaduct, greenhouse and buttressed wall were accessible by the stone stairways that led down from the mansions above to the ferry landing below. The grand double-brownstone at right was designed by Richard Upjohn and completed in 1857 for the merchants A. A. Low (as in Low Library at Columbia) and A. M. White. To the left (at center in the photo) is the Henry Pierrepont mansion.
Photo from Old Brooklyn In Early Photographs by William Lee Younger.
Baltic Street Needs a Miracle (Everyday)
When we walked from Smith to Hoyt on Baltic Street a couple of weekends ago, we couldn't believe that this was 2007 near the epicenter of Brooklyn. We passed two homeless men sleeping in the school doorways, another one dumpster diving and garbage strewn across the playground. We know that projects are just a block away, but this block seems to have something going on beyond its proximity to the projects. As one commenter said in an earlier thread, it's got bad karma.
It's also got a lot of new developments springing up. Number 360 is a 5-story, 14,000-square-foot building designed by Isaac & Stern Architects; Number 377 (which we discussed here), working the community facility angle, will be seven stories and 27,000 square feet; meanwhile, Joseph Chan is charging ahead with his (which we discussed 11-story tower) that has been the subject of much concern among neighbors.
Anyone have any updates on any of these projects? Perhaps more importantly, what's it gonna take to turn this block around? There are a lot of involved residents, so what's the problem? Are the police not pulling their weight?
360 Baltic: GMAP P*Shark DOB
377 Baltic: GMAP P*Shark DOB
382 Baltic: GMAP P*Shark DOB
LPC Supporters Want More Dough from Bloomberg
When Mayor Bloomberg released his Fiscal 2008 budget last month, the Landmarks Preservation Commission received a $100,000 increase over 2007's number of $4.2 million; in addition, the agency picked up two more staff positions, bringing the number to 57. While this move was in the right direction, the Citizens Emergency Committee to Preserve Preservation argues that it's not enough. Since 1991, the LPC has lost almost 20 percent of its buying power in real dollar terms and a similar percentage of its staff. Given that the commission is now trying to make up for years of its arguably overly Manhattan-centric focus by addressing critical portions of the outer boroughs, one would think it would need more than a couple more staff members.
Mayor Bloomberg's Landmarks Budget [Save LPC]
Photo of Brooklyn Fire Department on Jay Street by Frank Lynch
Wednesday Food & Drink Round-Up
Alchemy Restaurant and Tavern
56 Fifth Avenue (Bergen Street), Park Slope, Brooklyn, (718) 636-4385.
"The gastropub trend has reached Brooklyn with the opening today of this 48-seat spot. It has brick walls, dark wood and vintage decorative touches, and a garden that is not worth thinking about for now. The menu offers simple fare like fried skate and chips, crisp pork cheeks and, of course, a burger, prepared by Jared King, who worked at Windows on the World and Peacock Alley." [NY Times]
After the jump: NY Press thanks God for Chavella’s; Gothmamist goes behind the counter at Cobblestone Foods, a Chowhounder rants about Porchetta, and Park Slope's Miriam opens a second branch in Cobble Hill...
Wednesday Links
Rowhouses, Sunset Park. Photo by theanthracite.
Brooklyn Tenants Reflect on Successful Experiment [NY Times]
Wollman To Be Replaced By Two New Rinks [NY Post]
Brooklyn Arena Is Underway [NY Post]
More Financing for NYCHA [NY Sun]
He Wants You To Love Atlantic Yards [NY Observer]
A Condo Tower Grows in Brooklyn [Washington Post]
Novo Park Slope Adds Greenery [Curbed]
AY Construction to Start...But Should It? [Gothamist]
Do You Feel Safe in Clinton Hill? [Brooklynian]
Hello Living Website Back Up [Set Speed]
Places for Guests Near Clinton Hill [CH Blog]
135 Joralemon Reno Almost Done [BH Blog]
Manhattan Bridge Stats [Dumbo NYC]
The Crown Heights North Association meeting is tonight at 7 pm at St. Gregory's School at St. Johns Place and Brooklyn Avenue. In addition to the general update on the Historic Landmark progress, there will be a presentation on reverse mortgages.
The Fort Greene and Clinton Hill Associations host a screening tonight of the anti-Atlantic Yards documentary Brooklyn Matters tonight at Bishop Loughlin High School, 357 Clermont Avenue at 7:30
February 20, 2007
Proof That The AY Demo Did Indeed Begin
New York Magazine has posted the first photo we've seen of the first day of demolition at the eastern end of the Atlantic Yards. Sure there will be lots more popping up on Flickr.
Atlantic Yards Begins Not With a Bang.. [Daily Intel]
Wrecking Ball Gets Rolling on Atlantic Yards [Brownstoner]
Tuesday On The Record
Sunrise over Atlantic Avenue. Photo by Vanessa Hradsky.
Today in Brooklyn
Tuesday To Do List
Today's Special Election Could Make History
One Restaurant To Survive AY Demolition
Best Cajun or Creole Fare in Brooklyn?
Hometown Haiku on Big Sky Brooklyn
Tired of the Bar scene? Try Montauk Clubbing
House of the Day: 855 Jefferson Avenue
The reader who flagged today's HOTD for us thought that it was significantly overpriced at $1,150,000. While we doubt the seller (who also happens to be a Fillmore broker) will get his ask, we bet he'll get within 10 percent of it — not too bad of a return considering he paid $499,000 back in the summer of 2005. The brownstone house (we're guessing 1890's) is stunning both inside and out, though the jury's still out on the new kitchen. And while we're not familiar with the block off the top of our head, the neighboring houses appear to be of equal architectural pedigree. Any recent comps or insider info on this place?
Listing #706047 [Fillmore] GMAP P*Shark
855 Jefferson Avenue [Craigslist]
Photo by Gregg Snodgrass for Property Shark
Best Cajun or Creole Fare in Brooklyn?
Chicken, Pork Andouille and Tasso Jambalaya at Nono's kitchen. Photo by smoothdude.
We'd love to celebrate Fat Tuesday with an authentic New Orleans-style meal. Can anybody recommend a good cajun or creole restaurant here in Brooklyn? We had a decent dinner at Stan's Place (411 Atlantic Avenue in Boerum Hill) when they first opened, and they're having a $15 buffet tonight with specials on Abita beer. NoNo kitchen (293 7th Avenue in Park Slope) is another option, though it's gotten very mixed reviews on the Brooklynian boards. But what we really wanna know is — will either of these spots (or any other borough bars or restaurants) make us a decent Hurricane?
NoNo Grill 7th ave/8th street [Brooklynian]
Stan's Place [Homepage]
Co-op of the Day: Turner Towers Two Bedroom
We can't get enough of Turner Towers so luckily for us there always seems to be something on the market there. At the beginning of January we took a look at Apartment 2J which had started out back in June at $749,000 and worked its way down to $599,000. Today's two bedroom is on a much higher floor but looks like it still has the original prewar kitchen (which could be a plus for some people). The asking price is a full $100,000 more than 2J, though, so it'll be interesting to see how this does. Does anyone know which apartment this is and how long it has been on the market?
Turner Towers 2 Bedroom $699,000 [Craigslist] GMAP P*Shark
Co-op of the Day: Turner Towers, 2J [Brownstoner]
Building photo from jcohen
New Development: The Oddly-Named Lefferts South
The developer of this new condo building really scored when he bought the 2,700-square-foot house that used to be sit at the corner of Caton and Bedford Avenues. He paid $575,000 in January 2005 and then proceeded to replace it with an 18,000-square-foot structure, putting his purchase price at about $32 per buildable square foot. Sweet! The Developers Group has the first six of the 15 units up for sale, all two bedrooms between 830 and 979 square feet with outdoor space for between $439,000 and $525,000. The building strikes us as a pretty good effort by the developer to deliver a solid product in an unglamorous area. Will it win any design awards? Probably not, but it's a relatively clean, simple structure without any silly affectations or architectural blunders. These days, outside of a few of the fanciest nabes, that's about all you can hope for in Brooklyn. The finishes look more like something that would show up in one of the many new Williamsburg buildings that The Developers Groups markets and look surprisingly fresh in an area where you're more likely to find developers opting for whatever's on sale at Home Depot.
Lefferts South [The Developers Group] GMAP P*Shark DOB
New Condo Development for (Not Really) PLG [Brownstoner]
Development Watch: 136 St. Marks Place
Compared to some other neighborhoods like Williamsburg and Dumbo, Scarano Architects hasn't made much of mark on the North Slope, probably because much of it is landmarked. The controversial firm has at least one project in construction in the area now. This new five-story building at 136 St. Marks Place will have 10,777 square feet spread over nine units. It's hard to tell, but it doesn't look like there could be any mezzanines in this one. Any other Scarano projects in the immediate area right now? GMAP P*Shark DOB
Domino's Top Picks for Green Housing Products
The new issue of Domino that hits newsstands today is all about the ecofriendly home, with the magazine's top picks for sources of everything from fabrics to flooring. One particularly interesting resource is a company called Straw Sticks & Bricks; the Kansas City-based outfit has a wide range of building materials, including concrete, lumber and insulation. Another one that grabbed our attention is Auro, a natural paint company whose products do not emit any solvent vapors without sacrificing paint quality. Lots of others on the link.
Green Sites We Love [Domino]
The Psychology of Real Estate Pricing
When it's time to sell your house, there a basically three pricing philosophies you can choose from: (1) Overprice to enable you to negotiate down to your real price; (2) Underprice to generate interest and, hopefully, a bidding war; or (3) Price it at what you think it's worth. Once you've made that decision, it's time to tweak the exact asking price for maximum effectiveness. Yesterday's article in The Times notes the importance of dropping down to psychologically significant "break points" which seem to occur every $25,000 or so. If, for example, an apartment is really worth $610,000, the article argues, price it at $600,000 so you don't lose all those people who've set $600,000 as their limit; once you've got their attention, they can potentially be lured into a bidding war. Likewise, the subconscious impact of the first integer is important enough to go with $599,000 over $600,000. Barbara Fox, the president of Fox Residential Group, recommends a combination of the above strategies: Pick a number that's slightly below a threshold but a little higher than its market value. “Everybody likes to be able to negotiate a little bit,” she said. One approach that receives almost universal mockery is the overly-specific price. “I’ve seen prices like $433,779,” said James Lake, a vice president of Bellmarc Realty. “It indicates it’s going to be a difficult transaction from beginning to end.” What strategies have worked well for you in the past?
The Psychology of Pricing [NY Times]
Illustration by Douglas B. Jones
Wrecking Ball Gets Rolling on Atlantic Yards
Forest City Ratner is expected to break ground on the Atlantic Yards project today with the demolition of an old bus depot at the eastern end of the the rail yards; this will create a temporary area to store the LIRR trains that are now at the western end. Later this week, FCR is also planning to start demo on the former auto repair shop (above) at 179 Flatbush Avenue to make way for the base of Miss Brooklyn, should the project clear the remaining legal hurdles. Opponents are calling this week's work "premature" in light of the eminent domain lawsuit.
Developer Gets Ball Rolling on Nets arena [NY Daily News]
Brooklyn Arena Tip-Off [NY Post]
Photo by Gregg Snodgrass for Property Shark
Tuesday Links
Putnam Candy Store, Clinton Hill. Photo by lesterhead.
IKEA Destroys Historic Shipyard Documents [FG Courier]
Fifth Avenue Apartments Raise Eyebrows [PS Courier]
NYC Housing Market En Fuego in 2007 - So Far [Gothamist]
Inside the Greenpoint Terminal Market [Curbed]
Sneak Peek at lisa Congdon's Apartment [Design Sponge]
Survey: Why Do You Go Green? [Tree Hugger]
Sources for Reclaimed Wood [Charles & Hudson]
Finding an Apartment without Craigslist? [Brooklynian]
Some Ideas for the Bathroom [Windsor Terrace Reno]
February 19, 2007
House of the Day: 43 Love Lane
Believe it or not, today's House of the Day was built in 1999. Located on the same block as the soon-to-be-condo'd Love Lane garage, the building succeeds on the exterior as a credible carriage house recreation (though a straight roofline might have worked a little better). The interior — all 1,300 2,400 square feet of it — is much less successful. For this location and this price we'd expect a hell of a lot more than recessed lighting and cheesy marble floors. If you've got money to burn and care more about having jacuzzi than nice moldings, this could be the place for you. Or, if you want to spend half as much for twice the space, you could always check this place out.
43 Love Lane [Douglas Elliman] GMAP P*Shark
Photo by Scott Bintner for Property Shark
214 Richardson: The Other Finger
The developers of 214 Richardson aka the other Finger Building paid $1,800,000 for the 4,600-square-foot lot back in October of 2005 and enlisted the help of Scarano Architects to design a nine-story, 17,000-square-foot tower in the otherwise low-rise section of Williamsburg just east of the BQE. Flickr photog lisacat captures the building here from the south, at left, and from the north, at right, with the Luxe 226, one of the nicer new buildings around, in the foreground. How do you think the Other Finger will fare on the market?
Will the Real Finger Building Please Flip Us Off [Curbed] GMAP P*Shark DOB
Photo by lisacat
Where to Get Your Taxes Done in Brooklyn
Well, it's tax time again, and over on the Brooklynian boards almost everybody is recommending Joe Colacino (at 304 7th Avenue) as the best accountant in Park Slope. There's even one commentor who travels from central Jersey to have the guy prep his taxes — so he must be pretty good. Does anyone else have tax prep recommendations — in Park Slope or in other neighborhoods?
Tax preparers in Park Slope? [Brooklynian]
Joseph Colacino Tax Partners [Homepage]
Residential Sales in Brooklyn
WINDSOR TERRACE $999,000
17 Howard Place
Prewar attached 4-bedroom brick house; music room, parquet floors, stained-g;ass windows, pocket doors, English basement, rear garden, 17-by-90-foot lot; taxes $2,605; listed at $1,025,000. Time on market: 3 weeks. Broker: Warren Lewis.
BROOKLYN HEIGHTS $458,000
195 Adams Street
835-square-foot 2-bedroom, 1-bath co-op in a postwar building; 24-hour doormen, windowed kitchen, hardwood floors, Statue of Liberty view, common roof deck; maintenance $972, 50% tax deductible; listed at $469,000. Time on market: 12 weeks. Broker: Brooklyn Heights Real Estate.
Residential Sales [NY Times]
Taking the Edge Off a Rough Reno
Reading yesterday's Habitats column in The Times, it was hard not to feel like a complete whimp, not only because we don't take bourbon in our Sunday morning tea but also because we didn't camp out with no heat or running water in our house while it was being renovated. After picking up their three-story wood-frame house on Dikeman Street in Red Hook for $360,000 two years ago, LeNell Smothers and Benjamin Peikes ran in to some unexpected problems. “We had planned to live in one of the rooms while the work was going on, but we came home one day, and that room was gone,” Ms. Smothers said. After the frequent sewage floodings drove them out of an illegal basement apartment on Pioneer Street, the couple starting camping out amid the construction in their new home, a situation that was only made bearable at first by the fact that they had the use of a shower and toilet at Ms. LeNell's eponymous liquor store around the corner on Van Brunt Street. And now, with a wood stove and space heaters, things are relatively cushy. We were bummed that there were not more photos with the article. Perhaps LeNell and Benjamin will share some more photos with us?
Nothing a Shot of Bourbon Won’t Cure [NY Times]
Illustration by Douglas B. Jones
City Real Estate Market Rebounds Sharply in January
The lower prices and negative psychology that dominated the New York City real estate market last year went "poof!" last month as the bonus-rich and others showed a renewed appetite for residential properties of all shapes and asking prices. Overall, both prices and the number of signed contracts rose more than 10% year-over-year in January. “[Buyers'] psychology has changed,” said Frederick W. Peters, the president of the Warburg Realty Partnership. “For almost two years, they’ve been scared that the market would plummet and they’d end up like fools who paid too much.” Steven L. James, director of Manhattan sales for Prudential Douglas Elliman, calls it a "cautious exuberance." One example: A park slope brownstone asking $2,475,000 that sold in a day. And in a further sign of strength, there is lots of demand for apartments and houses at all points in the price spectrum, not just the high end, according to Jonathan Miller of Miller Samuel.
Housing Market Heats Up Again in New York City [NY Times]
Photo by John Marshall Mantel for The New York Times
Monday Links
Browstones, Park Slope. Photo by atomische.
Editorial: Protecting Affordable Housing [NY Times]
BB Park Held Up By WTC Sifters [NY Post]
BB Park Held Up By WTC Sifters [NY Post]
Housing Secretary Looking at Starrett Deal [NY1]
575 5th Avenue ULURP Application [IMBY]
Radusky and Bricolage Come to the Notary District [Gowanus Lounge]
Ninth Street Bridge Vista [Big Sky Brooklyn]
Swoon's Response to Splasher [Gothamist]
Greene House Triplex for $2.75 Million! [Set Speed]
What do you think of this building at Myrtle and Kent? We like the red.
February 16, 2007
Friday On The Record
Behind Atlantic Avenue, Prospect Heights. Photo by Frank Lynch.
This Weekend in Brooklyn
Everybody Hates Brooklyn
Having the Aquarium All To Yourself
Brooklyn Brewery Scouts Out Red Hook
Freddy's Showcases Banned Art
Crime Wave in Brooklyn Heights?
Best Chinese Food in Brooklyn?
Best Chinese Food in Brooklyn?
We've never had a local Chinese spot that was worth raving about, but we recently had some above-average take-out from Lichee Nut — a Brooklyn Heights spot with a wide delivery radius. We didn't order anything too adventurous on the first time around, but we were very satisfied with what we got — the sesame chicken wasn't gristly; the peanut noodles were served in a very generous portion for only $3.50; and the Szechuan veggie dumplings with hot sesame sauce were downright delicious. It got us wondering — what are everybody's favorite Chinese take-out joints in Brooklyn? And if we're going to make a trip to Brooklyn's Chinatown, what are the best eats there?
Photo by jUSTINYC
Open House Picks
Park Slope
43 Park Place
Aguayo & Huebener
Sunday 12-2
$1,800,000
GMAP P*Shark
Williamsburg
331 South 1st Street
Douglas Elliman
Sunday 12-2
$1,550,000
GMAP P*Shark
Lefferts Manor
62 Midwood Street Archive!
Brown Harris Stevens
Sunday 1-3
$1,375,000
GMAP P*Shark
Crown Heights
1300 Carroll Street
Corcoran
Sunday 12-1:30
$899,000
GMAP P*Shark
Kensington Townhouses: Affordable or Avoidable?
A group called Gracie Developers is finishing up its Kensington Townhouses project at the corner of Beverley Road and East 7th Street in Kensington. We haven't seen a photo of how it looks from the outside yet (anyone?) but judging from the rendering above it's a step up (just) from a lot of the crap that's being built on small lots in the area but a far cry from 14 Townhouses. We've talked about it a thousand times, but why do architects persist in designing these ridiculously-scaled stoops? The name of the development is a little misleading, too. From what we can tell, these are really just apartments within a larger building that's designed in a kind of Disneyfied townhouse theme. Regardless, the interiors are unexciting, and for $600 a foot in this part of town we'd expect some higher ceilings, bigger windows and nicer doors. Corcoran is also its own toughest competition on this one. If we were a buyer in this part of town, we'd opt for the Park Circle over this place in a heartbeat. Cheaper by the foot and far superior views. If any of you check out the open house this weekend, please snap up us a photo of the exterior. Update: The developer sent us a photo which we've included on the jump. It looks a little better in real life, but we still don't get those stairways and those slope-roofed entranceways. A lesson to err on the simple side if you're not going to spring for real architectural talent.
336 E. 7th Street - Apt: C [Corcoran] GMAP
Continue reading "Kensington Townhouses: Affordable or Avoidable?"
A Wig and a Mullet for Bar 4
In keeping with the neighborhood m.o. of maxing out available FAR, the owners of 444 7th are tacking on a fourth floor and mezzanine to the existing three-story building that houses local watering hole Bar 4. The reader who sent in this pic likened the addition to the building getting a "wig and a mullet" which seems like a rather apt description to us. It feels oddly similar in spirit to our old friend 45 Third Place aka the Carroll Cardens Atrocity. GMAP P*Shark DOB
Brooklyn Brewery Scouts Out Red Hook
According to the Daily News, Brooklyn Brewery President Steve Hindy is talking about relocating his Williamsburg brewery to Red Hook — where there would be enough room for a beer garden and space for distributor Phoenix beverages, which is now based in Long Island City. "They believe that other beverage distributors in New York would [also] be interested in receiving their products from Europe through the Brooklyn port," Hindy said. But this move is reliant on a pact which would tranfer control of Red Hook's piers 7 through 12 from the Port Authority to the city Economic Development Corp...
Residential Sales in Brooklyn
WINDSOR TERRACE $350,000
651 Vanderbilt Street
1-bedroom, 1-bath, 800-sq.-ft. co-op in a postwar building; elevator, renovated eat-in kitchen with windowed dining area, renovated bath; laundry facilities in building; maintenance $539, 29% tax deductible; listed at $359,000, 10 weeks on market. Broker: Orrichio Anderson. P*Shark
PARK SLOPE $1,366,000
428 Fifth Street
2-family, 3-story brownstone; 3 bedrooms, 11-ft. dilings in primary unit; 2 bedrooms in top-floor unit; 1 bath, original detail in each; 18-by-100-ft. lot; taxes $2,620; listed at $1,399,000, 3 weeks on market. Broker: Orrichio Anderson. P*Shark
BOERUM HILL $745,000
307 Warren Street
1,080-sq.-ft. 5-year-old town-house condo; renovated kitchen and baths, fireplace, cherry floors, skylight, c/a/ private roof deck; common charge $182; taxes $624 (abated); listed at $749,000. Broker: Citi Habitats.
Residential Sales [NY Times]
First two items from the print edition of yesterday's New York Times.
Oro Watch: Still Building, Now Selling
The Oro Condominium (shown in a fresh action shot from about 15 minutes ago) sales effort is underway. The winning brokerage firm? Douglas Elliman. Ka-ching! The first wave of thirteen listings ranges from $366,000 for a 484-square-foot quasi-one-bedrooom to $995,000 for a 1,334-square-foot two-bedroom with two baths. Finishes, not surprisingly, look pretty high-end. Overall, asking prices are within spitting distance of about $750 a foot, which gives us further conviction that some of these smaller, more marginal developments like Das Haus are going to have to scale back their price expectations.
Oro: 306 Gold Street [Douglas Elliman] GMAP
ro Condos worth their weight in gold [Set Speed]
Oro Condos: Now For Sale [Myrtle Minutes]
Gold Rush! Oro Condos Hit the Market [Curbed]
There's Gold in Them There Hills! [Brownstoner]
Oro Watch: Three Stories and Counting [Brownstoner]
Das Haus in the House
Mrs. Bukem couldn't have been very happy that LTJ was spending Valentine's Day posting about the newest Fort Greene condo to hit the market, but we're glad he brought it to our attention. Oddly called Das Haus, the new development at 90 Clermont Avenue is an undetermined number of units (high single digits, most probably), ranging in price from $359,000 for a studio to $750,000 for a two bedroom. Set Speed, who pays special attention to the Fort Greene and Prospect Heights markets, think the developer is pushing it on price: "Asking $700 psf is a tall order in this non-prime area of Fort Greene," he says. "Especially when they're located blocks from public housing." While it's true that this side of Myrtle is still a tough sell and this block ain't the best, we stick by the opinion we expressed in the Verdi post last week that there is not a lot of supply (yet) of smaller condo units in this neighborhood. So while the pricing may have to come down, we think the buyers will ultimately be there.
90 Clermont Avenue [Corcoran] GMAP P*Shark
Das Haus - 90 Clermont condos [Set Speed]
More Rentals in Williamsburg's Future
Rather than make developers lose their enthusiasm for the neighborhood, the cooling condo market in Williamsburg has merely made constructing a new rental building that much more attractive, posits The Real Deal in its current issue. The first major sign of this shift is a six-story, 70,000-square-foot design for 510 Driggs Avenue between North 8th and 9th Streets (above) designed by Stephen B. Jacobs for Kalmon Dolgin Affiliates. Like the condos that have gone up in the past couple of years, this won't exactly be targeted at starving artists: One- and two-bedroom apartments are expected to go for between $2,500 and $3,850, while the penthouses will run upwards of $5,000 a month. Whether this is a trend remains to be seen. Despite rumors to that effect, 55 Berry never went rental, despite disappointing initial sales. One developer is splitting the difference: After starting out as condos, 191 Woodpoint will now be a condo-rental hybrid. Wish some of that creativity had gone into the building!
Billyburg Shifts to Rentals [The Real Deal]
Friday Links
Rowhouses, Cobble Hill. Photo by fake is the new real.
Home Prices Fall in More Than Half of Biggest Markets [NY Times]
EV Couple Can Boot Rent-Control Tenants [NY Post]
Case of Nerves on Rent Rules Hits Owners [NY Sun]
How Good Are Zillow's Estimates [RE Journal]
Oro Condos: Now For Sale [Myrtle Minutes]
Thinking of Spring: Fence Replacement [Forum]
Brownstoner Bloggers Going Full Time [Colin O'Malley]
Feedback on 649 Washington Open House [Brooklynian]
February 15, 2007
Debris Removal at the Broken Angel
Today on the Broken Angel Reno, enjoy some voyeuristic photos of thirty years of pack-ratting in addition to a lesson from Shahn on the economics of debris removal.
Rolling The Ball [Broken Angle Reno]
Thursday On The Record
Graffiti House, Bushwick. Photo by samanthanyc.
Events: Today in Brooklyn
Green Party Demands Paper Ballots
First Issue of Diner Journal Drops
Brooklyn’s Best Kept Secret for Moms-to-Be?
Mentally Ill Tenant Kicked Out During Storm
Christian Anarchists Squatting in Bushwick
Snowstorm a Boon to City Coffers
Preparing for Summer at McCarren Pool
House of the Day: 57 Lincoln Place
This place looks like a pretty good deal. The 3,500-square-foot brownstone on Lincoln Place between Fifth and Sixth Avenues looks to be in very good shape with plenty of historic details. The double-duplex configuration also makes it financially within reach for a lot of folks who couldn't otherwise afford a house in this part of town. Taxes are low and there's even a little FAR left over. It's also the 4th most-viewed listing on Corcoran.com right now. This should go in a flash, don't you think? There's an open house on Sunday from 2 to 4 pm.
57 Lincoln Place [Corcoran] GMAP P*Shark
Condo of the Day: Carroll Gardens Two Bedroom
When we saw this listing, one word leapt to mind: Obfuscate. Dictionary.com provides three definitions:
1. to confuse, bewilder, or stupefy.
2. to make obscure or unclear
3. to darken.
We continue to be astounded at brokers who refuse to provide the most basic information in a listing. In this case, it's an address. Clearly, this broker is hoping to trade on the Carroll Gardens name, even though (or perhaps because) this particular building lacks any of the charm that is typically associated with the neighborhood. Maybe it's all beside the point: Based on the photos of the interior, this two-bedroom condo would look like a rip-off if it were in friggin' Brooklyn Heights. Next please.
Carroll Gardens Condo [NY Times]
Obfuscate [Dictionary.com]
14 Townhouses: From the Rear
We've known all along that the views weren't going to be so hot out the back of the 14 Townhouses but we hadn't realized that the backyards were quite this small. Guess that's why they have roof terraces. Anyone know how deep the lots are on this block?
Price Hike At The 14 Townhouses [Brownstoner] GMAP
14 Townhouses Update: Slow Going, At Best [Brownstoner]
Just Sold in Brooklyn
WILLIAMSBURG $935,000
25 Orient Avenue
Prewar seven-bedroom, two-bath three-level converted convent, 3,050 square feet on a 28-foot-by-100 foot lot, with hardwood floors, standup attic, full basement and garden. Asking price $999,000, on market one month. Brokers: Nick Mastropierro and Ban Leow, Fillmore Real Estate.
COBBLE HILL $782,505
501 Hicks Street
Prewar two-bedroom, two-bath corner condo, 1,243 square feet, with 14-foot ceilings, foyer, renovated bath and kitchen with dishwasher, dining area and E/S exposures; building is pet-friendly and features parking, roof deck, laundry, storage and bike room. Common charges $520, taxes $228. Asking price $819,000, on market one month. Broker: Julie Elizabeth Cohen, Dowling Realty Group/ Brooklyn Heights Real Estate.
Just Sold! [NY Post]
Orient Avenue photo by Scott Bintner for Property Shark
Today's Foreclosure Action
Here are three houses that are up for auction this afternoon: (1) 255 Clifton Place; (2) 557 MacDonough Street; (3) 1258 Bushwick Avenue. Both in terms of location and architecture, the MacDonough house looks by far the most interesting. There's currently a lien of $346,411 against the place, though it's a pretty safe bet that it'll go for between two and three times that. All three will be on the block at 3pm today at 360 Adams Street.
Foreclosures [Property Shark] P*Shark
First Issue of Diner Journal Drops
Andrew Tarlow and Mark Firth, the men behind Williamsburg dining institutions Diner, Bonita and Marlow & Sons, have taken their passion for food in a new direction with first issue of Diner Journal, a quarterly publication that intersperses recipes with articles on local organic farmers and a primer on Italian grapes. This issue kicks off with a nostalgic essay about Diner's humble beginnings, when Williamsburg was just a glint in Toll Brothers' eye. If you want to track down one of the 500 copies, stop by Marlow & Sons, Spoonbill & Sugartown on Bedford Avenue or McNally Robinson in Nolita.
Development Watch: Another Bricolage in the Wall
A six-story glass, metal and stone residential building is in the early stages of construction on the three-lot property at 118-122 Vanderbilt Avenue in Fort Greene. The architect? Bricolage Designs. This rendering doesn't look so bad (a little out of place, but could be worse) but we're more worried about how it'll look with all the real-life materials.This isn't Bricolage's first new design on Vanderbilt, by the way. If you've been paying attention, you'll recall this building going up on Gates and Vanderbilt. On a related note, do you know what the name Bricolage comes from? Turns out that a bricoleur is a person who creates things from existing materials, is creative and resourceful. Wikipedia says that bricolage is the French-language equivalent of "Do It Yourself." GMAP P*Shark DOB
Continue reading "Development Watch: Another Bricolage in the Wall"
HPD: Understaffed, Incompetent or Both?
When you want to convert a house that has been used and classified by the city as a Single Room Occupance (SRO) dwelling, you have to go through a cumbersome process with the Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) designed to protect the rights of SRO residents. Unfortunately, as we found out first hand when we converted our house, despite its presumably good intentions, the process is marred by incompetent people and ridiculous bureaucratic hurdles.
HPD's basic goal is to make sure that a tenant who's been paying a couple of hundred bucks a month for a room for the last ten or twenty years isn't booted out in the street. As the owner, you have to fill out a lengthy questionnaire with all the current and former residents' names and known addresses (even if the house is empty, as ours was when we bought it). Then HPD is supposed to make an effort to contact all these people to make sure they weren't forced out against their will. In our case, after this mail campaign came up clean, we were told over the phone that everything was fine and we should be getting our Certificate of No Harassment (CNH) within the week. When we called back three weeks later, we found out that HPD had decided to send someone out on foot to try to talk to all the former tenants, thus adding another month to the timeline. At some point in the process, an HPD inspector has to come inspect your house to make sure there are no signs of tenants still living there; at the time (back in late 2004), there was only one inspector for the five boroughs!
Thursday Links
Ikea Rising, Red Hook. Photo by Alexis Robie.
Big Plans for Red Hook Waterfront [NY Post]
Quinn Pushes for Rent Rebates [NY Post]
Big Plans for Red Hook Waterfront [NY Post]
City to Close Red Hook Container Port [NY Sun]
New School at AY Would Add 100,000 sf [AY Report]
Court Street Lofts Update [A Brooklyn Life]
Someone to Rebuild a Garage Door? [Forum]
More Tiling Work - Shower Time [Bed Stuy Reno]
Strange Houses [2Spare via Free Williamsburg]
February 14, 2007
Wednesday On The Record
Vents, Brooklyn Heights. Photo by therealjanelle.
Events: Today in Brooklyn
Smith Street Is Getting a Hookah Bar!
Navy Yard Goes Hollywood
Child-Rearing Tips from Strangers
Brooklyn Industries Becomes Art Space
Wednesday Food & Drink Round-Up
Wednesday Food & Drink Round-Up
Little Cupcake Bakeshop
9102 Third Avenue at 91 St., (718) 680-4465
"This cute cupcake shop, which seats about 20 people, opened in July of 2005. This Valentine’s Day, owner Luigi Lobuglio will be delving into a romantic theme, serving red cupcakes topped with cupid and heart-shaped sprinkles, heart-shaped cakes and cookies with amorous messages scrawled on them. Regular menu items will also be available; Brooklyn black out cake, “an all time favorite” according to Lobuglio, is made from dark chocolate with ganache filling and covered by 2 types of chocolate butter. Another popular item is the Red Velvet cake, a traditional southern cake with cocoa and cream cheese icing that is completely red inside. The new Nutella Cappuccino as well as their traditional Caramel Vanilla Cappuccino and hot chocolate will be served to wash down the goodies." [The Brooklyn Paper]
Photo by The Brooklyn Paper file / Tom Callan
After the jump: Chowhounders complain about the cranky bartender at Applewood; Lundy's closes in Sheepshead Bay.
House of the Day: 1441 Dean Street
The current owner of 1441 Dean Street paid just $626,000 when he bought the three-story, two-family house last June. Since then, he's clearly done a lot of cosmetic work, polying the heck out of the floors and making the gorgeous wood paneling look its best. It's unclear what else he did — nothing that required a DOB permit, that's for sure. Given that the house falls outside the proposed Crown Heights North Historic District and is only three stories, the asking price of $849,000 feels a tad aggressive. We also wonder whether those floors might be a little too glossy in person. Waddya think?
1441 Dean Street [Corcoran] GMAP P*Shark
Co-op of the Day: 125 Eastern Parkway 3 Bedroom
Real family-size prewar apartments are hard to find to come by in Brownstone Brooklyn, so we were interested to come across this FSBO listing (yet another one using free blogging software) for a three bedroom at 125 Eastern Parkway. The 1,800-square-foot place combines two apartments, the D and E lines. Given that 5D sold for $725,000 last June and 3E sold for $271,371 in 2004, the asking price of $900,000 (or $500 a foot) seems quite reasonable. We also like the layout: If it were our place, we'd blow open the whole center of the apartment, combining the current kitchen, dining room, living room and den into one gigantic space. But that's just us. Looks like the apartment has been on the market since February 1. We bet it'll be snapped up by someone at one of the two open houses this weekend.
125 Eastern Parkway FSBO [Blogspot] GMAP P*Shark
New Development: The Atlantic State Condos
We got a report from a reader who stopped by an open house last weekend at the Atlantic State Condos — two sister buildings at 489 Atlantic and 480 State.
On the Atlantic side, there are three floor-throughs (about 1,100 square feet each, and all are $685,000) and one 1,750 square-foot penthouse ($1,250,000); on the State side, there's a lower duplex, two floor-throughs ($650,000 for one, $675,000 for the other), and a penthouse duplex ($985,000). The exterior of the building is modern but not terribly offensive, and aside for some cheap-looking bathroom tile and light fixtures, I was rather impressed with the units. It looked to me like they were getting quite a bit of traffic.
Has anyone else checked these out? Brooklyn Heights Real Estate is hosting open houses every Saturday and Sunday from 1 to 4 pm this month. Update: For the record, we agree with most of the commenters who called this a POS. Though we will give some credit for big windows.
Apartments and Contacts [Atlantic State Condos] GMAP
What's Up with 1860 Bedford Avenue
Back when we were house hunting in 2004, this place at 1860 Bedford Avenue was on the market for, we believe, about $550,000. It was a complete wreck but we were tempted. Given the limited number of this kind of house in the borough, though, we had always assumed that someone had snapped it up. Apparently not, judging from the condition it was in when we drove by last week (though Property Shark does show that the property changed hands for $185,000 in May of that year). So what's the hold up? Family dispute? GMAP P*Shark
Brownstoner Reader Survey Results
As promised, we've got the results of the reader survey that ran from last Friday morning through Monday afternoon. Based on the 882 responses (out of the 100,000 or so people who visit the site every month), 52 percent of readers are male and 48 percent are female (with at least one abstension). Exactly half are in their Thirties, two-thirds have household incomes in excess of $100,000 and more than 95 percent have a college degree or higher (we expect to see fewer typos going forward!). In terms of geography, 85 percent of readers live in Brooklyn, with the greatest numbers hailing from Park Slope, Clinton Hill and Carroll Gardens, in that order. Of the two-thirds of respondents who own their own home, 57 percent own a house, 26 percent own a co-op and 17 percent own a condo. It's also a conservative bunch: 71 percent have a fixed-rate mortgage, 19 percent a variable and 10 percent are debt-free. Lastly, more than 60 percent of renters plan to buy a place within the next two years (less than 4 percent plan on never owning). Anything surprising to you in those numbers?
Time for the Brownstoner Readership Survey [Brownstoner]
Navy Yard Goes Hollywood
According to local officials, Brooklyn's largest film studio is nearly doubling in size — in hopes of attracting more business from the West Coast. The Daily News reports:
"Steiner Studios, part of New York's so-called Hollywood East, plans to expand its studio space to 600,000 square feet by renovating a seven-story building in the Brooklyn Navy Yard. The expansion will put the two-year-old studio in the same league as many of its Tinseltown competitors."
This past October the construction of retail and industrial space in the Navy Yard created 800 jobs, and this expansion will bring another 550 new jobs to the area.
B'klyn going Hollywood [NY Daily News]
Steiner Studios [Home]
$25 MacArthur Grant for Affordable Housing Research
During the past decade, the booming real estate market and waning federal subsidies resulted in the loss of over two million units of affordable housing, according to the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation which announced on Tuesday that it was committing $25 million to the study of housing policy in the United States. "A greater national commitment to affordable housing requires a greater understanding of the impact of housing on the well-being of children, families, and communities," MacArthur President Jonathan Fanton, speaking at New York University's Furman Center for Real Estate and Urban Policy, said today. "This new research will produce a deep, empirical evidence base to show how housing affects children's cognitive, emotional, and behavioral development and how housing choices shape the economic, emotional, and physical well-being of adults." According to a reader who attended the event, panel member and HPD Commish Shaun Donovan disclosed that a big focus of HPD over the next year or two is going to be addressing the need for "permanently affordable" housing that doesn't trap families (by disincentivizing them to move) or disappear when initial owners turn around and sell.
Maybe MacArthur wants to devote a few bucks to an idea we've had lately: What if the government created a comprehensive housing voucher program that made subsidies linked to people and not properties? This would remove the incredible inefficiencies and disincentives of the current system, while providing a much more liquid subsidy program to the people who need it. Crazy?
MacArthur to Invest $25 Million in Housing Research [Newswire]
Affordable Housing [Macfound.org]
Photo of Boulevard Homes in East New York by gkjarvis
A Last-Ditch Effort to Save Admiral's Row
Until the Navy Base at Wallabout Bay was closed in 1967, if you were a married officer, you got a chance to shack up in one of the ten historic row houses looking out over Flushing Avenue (drawn here as they were in 1855). When the Army Corp of Engineers took over the location, the houses were left to decay, though some Navy families continued to live in the houses into the 1970s. In 1996, the New York State Historic Preservation Office signed off on an agreement that gave the Army Corp the right to demolish the houses without any landmark review. The city, which took control of all of the Navy Yard except Admiral's Row in 2001, is planning to knock the houses down to make way for a supermarket when it finally takes control. (The transfer is still hung up in bureaucratic red tape.) Despite the efforts of various preservationist groups in recent years, the Bloomberg shows no signs of budging, citing the $25 million cost of restoration as being prohibitively high. Now a group known as Brooklyn's Other Museum of Brooklyn has made an eleventh-hour appeal to Governor Spitzer in a letter last month:
I am but one American, yet Admiral's Row is mine and belongs to every citizen of the United States of America. Don't allow the Mayor of the city of New York to demolish a national heritage site to satisfy a political favor. It appears you are the only person who, with a stroke of your pen, can undo this madness and insure longevity for Admiral's Row. Please rescind the A.R.M.O.A. (Admiral's Row Memorandum Agreement).
Does anyone know more about the "political favor"? How about a timeline for the expected demolition>
Admiral's Row [B.O.M.B.]GMAP
Retail May Trump Admiral's Row Preservation [Brownstoner]
City Trying to Demolish Admiral's Row [Brownstoner]
Group Asks for a 'Pardon' for Admiral's Row [Curbed]
Smith Street Is Getting a Hookah Bar!
Well, sort of. On Sackett Street, just steps from Smith and just behind Zaytoon's, there's a new awning up for a place called Sheesha. We're assuming the name refers to a sheesha or hookah pipe, as there's one pictured on the awning. (See close-up at right.) Anybody know if the place is affiliated with Zaytoon's? And does anybody know if hookah bars are exempt from the smoking ban? If they are, this new spot could be drawing a lot of neighborhood smokers in from the cold.
Wednesday Links
Surprise Plastics, Sunset Park. Photo by gkjarvis.
'Playground of Future' Wins City OK [NY Post]
Brooklyn Waterfront Plan [NY Post]
Big Expansion for Steiner Studios [NY Daily News]
Landlords Can't Require Terrorism Insurance [The Real Estate]
Winners Announced in NYC Architecture Awards [Gothamist]
55 Hanson Place to Go Condo? [Set Speed]
Grand Army Plaza Glass Watch [Curbed]
Commercial Space at 1 Grand Army Plaza? [Brooklynian]
New Bakery in Old Blimpies [Clinton Hill Blog]
Stop Work Order at 205 Water [Dumbo NYC]
February 13, 2007
Tuesday On The Record
City Scape, Gowanus. Photo by acrstudio.
Events: Today in Brooklyn
Events: Tuesday To-Do List
Eats: Valentine's Scalpers and Specials
Eats: Po Set for Mid-March Opening on Smith Street
Kids: PS To Teach Arabic Language & Culture
Politics: Who's Backing Who
House of the Day: 115 Hall Street
Talk about a flipper mark-up! The current owner of this house on Hall between Myrtle and Park got the place a year ago for $595,000. He's clearly done some cosmetic work, just judging by the photo of the front door in the listing and the photo in the Property Shark archive. (But judging by one photo of a sealed up fireplace next to a Home Depot-esque kitchenette, not all that work will have universal appeal.) But the past is the past. The house is now listed for the oddly specific price of $1,011,000. One major selling point which the broker doesn't include is the property's proximity to this place two houses over!
115 Hall Street [Citi-Habitats] GMAP P*Shark
Co-op of the Day: 119 Henry Street 2BR
Brooklyn Heights remains the blue chip neighborhood in Brooklyn without a doubt, but as other neighborhoods improve their housing stock and services how much of a relative premium should The Heights command? That eternal question popped into our mind as we were looking at today's Co-op of the Day at 119 Henry Street. There's no question that it's a lovely apartment — only whether it's worth $1,099,000 when that same amount buys you two floors of a brownstone one subway stop away and a beautiful house five stops away. But, as we've discussed before, that's not really the right way to look at it. Most people aren't deciding between a two bedroom in Brooklyn Heights or a house in Windsor Terrace. More likely, they're deciding between this place on Henry Street and another two bedroom in the neighborhood like this one on Hicks Street for $925,000. Which do you think looks like a better deal?
119 Henry Street [Douglas Elliman] GMAP P*Shark
Development Watch: Bridgeview Tower
The Bridgeview Tower, likely the first of the big developments to be completed along Flatbush Extension, looks like it belongs in the East Sixties in Manhattan or even, as DumboNYC points out, in Florida. Like the nearby Oro Condominium, the 18-story Bridgeview will have fantastic views. Set Speed points out that the developer can't seem to make up its mind about which brokerage firm to use. Having just set up shop on Gold Street, we're generally bullish on this area and think that there will be demand for the 58 one- and two-bedroom units though the developers may have to soften the prices a bit. A half-million bucks for a 700-square-foot studio in this part of town is pushing it, especially when you could get this place at the BellTel Lofts for about the same price.
Residences [Bridgeview Tower] GMAP
Bridgeview Tower Development Update [Dumbo NYC]
Bridgeview Tower Hot Potato [Set Speed]
Bridgeview Advertorial [New York Magazine]
Po Set for Mid-March Opening on Smith Street
In about a month, Po Restaurant will take over the vacant space at 276 Smith Street that once belonged to the short-lived Smitty's. Po's original location, at 31 Cornelia Street in Manhattan, was founded by Mario Batali and later sold to business partner Steve Crane. Eater posted the menu in December and it's looking like yet another Italian spot. We're not sure if there's a need for another one of those on Smith Street, but then, we haven't been to the original location. Is anyone anxiously awaiting Po's arrival in Brooklyn?
Po Brooklyn Update: Menu Revealed! [Eater]
Nomad's Rear Addition to Brooklyn Victorian
We stumbled across this 2003 addition to a 19th-century Victorian rowhouse in Brooklyn by the Park Slope-based Nomad Architecture recently. While we didn't think the end-product was particularly stylistically distinctive, it may not have been meant to be:
Nomad Architecture does not have a "style" or signature look. Each project's design is a response to our client's aspirations and values, the site, cultural and historical context, climate and method of construction. However, we find that there is a continuity to our work. We strive to design what a building is and how it works, not simply how it looks. We believe that there is much beauty to be found in an unpretentious, straight forward, simple, functional and well crafted building.
The thing that did strike us about the design was how much more open and spacious the room felt than most typical townhouse additions we've seen, a feeling the architects attribute to the sloped ceiling and clearstory windows. Has anyone been inside this house? On a related note, the firm also has a side business called Dumpster Design that turns salvaged materials into furniture. Neato!
Kellog/Sills Residence [Nomad Architecture]
LPC Calendaring Considering Adventist Complex
We wrote a post up last night reporting that the Landmarks Preservation Committee was planning to hold a hearing tonight to calender the Hebron Seventh Day Adventist School complex (originally the Methodist Home, built in 1899). Unfortunately, we got word this morning that it has been postponed. But it's still worth discussing. Although this complex, which is almost an entire square block in size, is in the proposed Crown Heights North Historic District, it is in Phase 2 and therefore potentially still vulnerable to a developer who would care more about the huge plot of land than the building's architectural significance. The building, which the AIA Guide notes "has the look of an asylum," sat abandoned for many years until the church acquired the property less than a decade ago. For all the critics who say that preservationists only re-act, this is an example of a community group trying to be proactive to save an important part of its history.
Hebron Seventh Day Adventist School [Brownstoner] GMAP
Valentine's Scalpers and Specials
It's not too late to score a V-Day table at the River Cafe, one of the most romantic restaurants in the borough... as long as you don't mind dropping an extra $40. One crafty Craigslister booked a few tables for two under fake names, and now he's selling the reservations — or rather, the fake names that the reservations are listed under — online. (Looks like the 6:30 and 9:15 seatings are still available.) But be warned — their four-course Valentine's menu is a whopping $185 per person.
Looking for a cheaper date? Head over to Myrtle Avenue and its nearby streets, where the shops, salons, and restaurants are offering holiday sales and specials. Luz, Maggie Brown, Mojito Cuban Cuisine, and Chez Lola are all offering reasonably-priced prix fixe dinners, but we haven't been to all of them — can anybody tell us which is the most romantic of the bunch?
Net scalpers offer fine dines for Valentine's Day [NY Daily News]
Buy Me Some Lovin' [Myrtle Minutes]
Photo by this-charming-cam
FAC Development at 575 Fifth Avenue
Tonight's coommunity meeting at Grand Prospect Hall is going to put the South Slope's liberal leanings to the test. Up for discussion will be a proposed supported housing facility that the Fifth Avenue Committee wants to build on a municipal parking lot at 575 Fifth Avenue. Here's the rub: When FAC initially proposed the project a year and a half ago, the group left community members with the impression that it would be open to restricting the occupants to seniors and/or youths who were transitioning out of foster care. Now that the project is getting ready to move forward, the word is that 60% of the 49 studios in the development will be reserved for homeless and mentally disabled tenants. Some nearby residents (especially those with children) are concerned about the high numbers of drug addicts and sex offernders that are in this group. (Tempers are already flaring on the Brooklynian boards.) It's easy to be in favor of providing facilities for this segment of society until one is planned for your own backyard. The meeting is tonight at 7 pm at Grand Prospect Hall, 263 Prospect Avenue. GMAP
Fifth Avenue Affordable Housing Fight Intensifies [Gowanus Lounge]
Expansion, Skyscraper Planned for Albee Square Mall
Thor Equities is poised to cash out of its investment in a Fulton Mall property for more than five times what the firm paid for it back in 2001, despite never having followed through on its promises to spiff up the place. (God knows what its return on equity is!). As part of the $125 million deal, the three-story mall (formerly known as the Albee Square Mall), will be torn down by the new consortium of owners; in its place will rise, according to Dan Doctoroff, "one of the tallest buildings in Downtown Brooklyn." We're talking almost 500,000 square feet of retail space, 125,000 square feet of Class A office space, and 1,000 rental apartments (with 20 percent set aside for tenants of moderate income). The project, known as the Center at Albee Square, has multiple government approvals to make it through, but is expected to benefit from $3.2 million in tax breaks that the Industrial Development Agency is voting on today.
Albee Square Mall to Triple in Size and Add a High-Rise [NY Times]
Photo from Forgotten NY
Tuesday Links
Turrets on Carlton, Prospect Heights. Photo by Tracy Collins.
Starrett City Sale Draws 2 New Doubters [NY Times]
Pols Vow Fight over Starrett City Deal [NY Daily News]
Ben Stein: Truth about Real Estate Investing [Yahoo]
Demo Workers Tag Up Revere Sugar Factory [Curbed]
Moses, Jacobs, the BQE, and the Promenade [AY Report]
Ikea Stands Erect in Red Hook [Gowanus Lounge]
Schumer to Starrett Owners: Keep It Affordable [The Real Estate]
Insider Price at Prospect Heights Condo [Forum]
How To Install Shelves Between Studs [AT]
Market Update: Very Active Buyer Pool [Urban Digs]
Crain's is hosting a breakfast discussion with City Planning chief Amanda Burden tomorrow morning in midtown. It'll run you 70 bucks though.
February 12, 2007
Monday On The Record
Background Glass, Flatbush Avenue. Photo by threecee.
Today in Brooklyn
Free Subway Rides in NYC?
Plainclothes Officer Shot in Park Slope
The Blackout of 2003, Ambient-Style
A Good Roommate Is Hard to Find
You Go, Girl Talk
What's Next for Marty?
House of the Day: Crown Heights Grand Dame
Readers know that one of our pet peeves is the omission of addresses from real estate listings; that omission is particularly galling when a broker fails to respond to an email request for an address. You'd think the free publicity would be enough. Not one Brooklyn Heights Real Estate broker. The radio silence and the lack of interior photos make us wonder whether this "Grand Dame" across from the Brooklyn Children's Museum in Crown Heights is not an exclusive. (That, and the fact that the broker thinks it's located in Bedford Stuyvesant.) Regardless, this baby looks awfully charming from the outside, though the listing does disclose that it's in need of "total" restoration. Given that fact and the square footage of 3,872, we'd say that the asking price of $1,500,000 is rather aggressive. Thoughts? Update: We know now that the address is 875 St. Marks Avenue and have been sent a few photos of the interior which are posted above and on the jump.
Grand Dame [Brooklyn Heights RE] GMAP
Continue reading "House of the Day: Crown Heights Grand Dame"
All-or-Nothing Brownstone Rental in Slope
This has to be the sickest rental in Brooklyn right now. The owner of this detail-heavy brownstone on Lincoln Place in Park Slope is looking for someone to take the entire four-story, eight-bedroom house for a long-term rental. (Don't bother asking to buy — he ain't interested in selling.) The house is stunning, except for a very regrettable kitchen. Why someone who probably has a couple million of equity in this place would cut corners is beyond us. Anyway, even if you're not in the market for a rental, the listing's worth checking out for the photos alone. Droolworthy, for sure. Any guesses about what the monthly rent would be on this place. $10,000?
Park Slope Landmark Brownstone for Rent [Craigslist] GMAP
Development Watch: 20 Tiffany Place
For those of you who've never checked it out, Tiffany Place is a gorgeous one-block cobblestone street just west of the BQE (which Corcoran is apparently calling Cobble Hill West) that has retained its historic charm through a number of low-key residential conversions over the years. (Check out the photo on the jump.) That's all changed in recent months with the addition of a the Tiffany Tower to the streetscape. To the building's credit, the high-rise portion is mercifully set back, so that it does not dominate the street-level vista. We're sure the light and views will be very nice indeed. Do we wish the original building had been preserved? Absolutely. It could have worked very nicely with a glassy modern addition. But what's done is done and the end result could be a lot worse. And it's clearly been popular with buyers — every unit is in contract, ranging in price from about $650 to $875 per square foot.
Tiffany Tower [Corcoran] GMAP
Photo by The City of New York from Property Shark
A Good Roommate Is Hard to Find
In a city where there are a lot of crazies, the search for a decent roommate always generates some interesting stories. So, obviously, when the Times interviewed a few Williamsburg residents about their roommate search histories, they learned about some interesting characters. One of their subjects encountered an applicant who sent a 500-word essay about his desire to share "more than just a living space":
"'Honestly,' the applicant wrote, 'I’d like to find roommates that actually wouldn’t mind having a meal together from time to time, or talking, maybe about humans, society, culture or maybe even Mars.'"
And then there was the applicant who sent an electroclash music video that he starred in — and in which he doused a woman with a jug of milk. This strange behavior isn't confined to Williamsburg, though, and sometimes the corporate types are even worse than the kooky hipsters...
Brownstoner's Bonehead Move
Doh! Guess who found out the hard way this weekend that he forget to turn off the water line to his garden hose? Luckily your faithful blog host's cellar survived unscathed. And, who knows, maybe the kids will be able to get some skating in before Spring!
A Couple of Things
A couple of housekeeping items:
1) If you haven't taken the reader survey yet and want to participate, please do so as soon as possible. We'll be closing the polls at 5 o'clock today. Update: Polls are closed. We'll have the results for you on Wednesday.
2) One interesting result of the survey so far is that about half the respondents are in favor of requiring registration. We're not ready to require it yet, but we would like to take an intermediate step of strongly encouraging readers to register for a TypeKey identity. In addition to providing greater continuity in the discussion threads, it also helps us weed out the trolls from the real posters. Over time, if you stick to the same identity, you also start to develop the respect (or at least the recognition) of fellow readers which makes the sense of community stronger on the site.
Thanks
Putting The San Diego in Williamsburg
Last week, the city put forth its latest plan for the Northern Brooklyn waterfront and, reports New York Magazine, the reception from local community groups was generally pretty warm and fuzzy. "I believe they are making a true effort to tune the plan into a community vision," said Laura Hoffman of the Greenpoint Waterfront Association for Parks and Planning. The new plans call for boat launches, wetland preserves and picnic grounds. Not everyone's letting down his guard just yet though. The Municipal Art Society's Jasper Goldman points out that earlier renderings made the area, until now known for its gritiness, "look like San Diego." Is there anyway to do this without Williamsburg ending up looking, if not like San Diego, at least like Battery Park City? Doubtful.
Beware of Riprap in Greenpoint and Williamsburg [Daily Intel]
More Greenpoint-Williamsburg Waterfront Fun [Curbed]
Image from Donna Walcavage Landscape Architecture + Urban Design, Weisz + Yoes Studio Architecture + Urban Design
Bad Karma: Fire at Washington Condos
On Friday evening there was an electrical fire in the ceiling of the massive duplex/loft condo that faces Underhill, right above the entrance according to a reader who was enjoying a burger across the street at Tavern on Dean. "The lobby below was filled with water — and firemen — and through the soaring windows (which were foggy and soaked from all the water) we could see them digging around in the ceiling," he writes. According to the waitress at ToD, someone had moved into that unit about a week ago. Bummer for them. Update: Turns out there was not a fire (though firetrucks did come to the scene). There was a rather large leak from the line to the ice machine that resulted in water damage to the ceiling below.
More Insanity at The Washington Condos [Brownstoner]
Cover-Up At The Washington Condos? [Brownstoner]
Free Subway Rides in NYC?
A group of mass transit advocates is lobbying to allow passengers to ride the subway for free — and if their plan works out, we may need to start dreaming up new uses our Metrocards. To compensate for the subway riders free fare, those who drive a car in the city would be forced to pay a congestion tax. According to the NY Post:
"Environmentalist Theodore Kheel has funded a $100,000 study conducted by mass-transportation advocate George Haikalis of the Institute for Rational Urban Mobility to prove the plan could work. Congestion pricing forces drivers to pay a toll for driving in certain heavily traveled areas and at certain times. 'Portland and Seattle offer free transit on bus and light-rail lines within their central business districts,' Haikalis said."
But with the MTA's predicted billion-dollar deficit, could this really work? And would people be in favor of free subway fare, if it meant they'd have to pay a toll to drive in the city?
Bid for Free Subways [NY Post]
Photo by dM.nyc
How Clean Should the Gowanus Clean-Up Be?
11 acres is a lot of land, especially in a city where people buy air rights for several hundred dollars a foot. So it's a sign of just how toxic the land between Smith Street and the Gowanus Canal is (and how little interest there was in the area historically) that the city has owned the property for three decades and is only now getting its act together to make use of it. With KeySpan ready to pay for the clean-up, the issue is what exactly to do with the land. As discussed last week, this decision is part of a larger decision about the entire Gowanus area. The extent of the detoxification depends on whether this site will ultimately have housing. Either way, it's a massive project given that the contaminants have seeped 120 feet into the earth by now.
Open Land, but With a Past [NY Times]
Gowanus Rezoning: Complete Chaos [Brownstoner]
Monday Links
Heinz Factory, Crown Heights. Photo by Josh Jackson.
Where Floor Plans Are Sought After [NY Times]
The Importane of Good Listings Photos [NY Times]
Forget Gimmicks: Buyers Want Numbers [NY TImes]
Sex Offenders Booted from Public Housing [NY Daily News]
Foreclosures in City Jump 18% [NY Daily News]
Lawmakers Call for Hearings on Starrett City [Newsday]
Preservationists seek Historic District Status for Dumbo [FG Courier]
Bloomberg Not Sold on Starrett Buyer [NY Daily News]
AY Fight in Court as Mayor Weighs In [AM NY]
Take Your Home Equity and Run [Yahoo Finance]
Crime and Home Prices: Rushkoff Redux [The Real Deal]
CO John Cosgrove (formerly of the 88th precinct) will speak tonight to the 77th Precinct community at 7:30 at the Center for Nursing and Rehab at Classon and Prospect Place. [via Brooklynian]
February 9, 2007
Friday On The Record
Red Wall, Williamsburg. Photo by Lisa Bennett.
This Weekend in Brooklyn
Brooklyn Public Library Drops Anti-AY Art
Exxon Suit in Greenpoint: Too Little, Too Late?
Guerilla Artist Erects Red Hook Road Block
Opening Day Delayed for Monteleone's
The Shop Formerly Known as Adam's Books
Open House Picks
Stuyvesant Heights
408 Stuyvesant Avenue Archive!
Halstead
Sunday 12-2
$2,100,000
GMAP P*Shark
Park Slope
393 6th Avenue
Brown Harris Stevens
Sunday 11:30-2:30
$1,695,000
GMAP P*Shark
Boerum Hill
224 Wyckoff Street
Brooklyn Heights RE
Sunday 1-4
$1,600,000
GMAP P*Shark
Bedford Stuyvesant
18 Herkimer Street
Corcoran
Sunday 12-1:30
$899,000
GMAP P*Shark
Getting a Clue About 11 Terrace
We're a little confused. We've all known for a while about The Simone, Windsor Terrace's first (that we know of) upscale condo development of this building boom. The Bricolage-designed project (and a step up for them, at that) is particularly notable for its impressive views of Green-wood Cemetery. We were a little confused when we went by last weekend to see another development just down the hill on Macdonald Avenue. It appears to be by the same developers (given the joint billboard) but it is being marketed as 11 Terrace Place. Anyone know anything about this one? GMAP
Luxury Condos Come to Windsor Terrace [Brownstoner]
Checking in on Windsor Terrace's Simone [Brownstoner]
Opening Day Delayed for Monteleone's
We're still patiently awaiting the re-opening of our favorite local bakery, Monteleone's on Court Street — which will soon be Monteleone & Cammareri Bakery — but local blogger Lost City is getting concerned:
"At last report, the combined bakery said they would open this past weekend. But by midweek this week, miniature cream puff one hadn't been sold. The cookies are all sitting their in their glass display cases waiting to be bought. It makes one wonder if all the legal problems that have been rumored over the months are true, or worse."
It pains us to see almond macaroons going stale in the display case. Anybody know what the deal is, or when this place is actually going to open?
UPDATE: They're open! We stopped by Friday night — the bakery was hoppin' and the renovation looks great. We picked up some cookies, which were as delicious as ever, chatted with the very sweet girls behind the counter, and were even handed a free loaf of bread from the guy who appeared to be the owner. (And we didn't even mention the Brooklyn Record — so this wasn't a publicity bribe!) Gotta love this place.
Monteleone and Cammareri Plays Hard to Get [Lost City via Gowanus Lounge]
Monteleone's is Making a Comeback [Brooklyn Record]
Martha To The Rescue
Not sure how we've gone more than two years on a blog about the home without mentioning Martha Stewart. But now Mrs. Limestone, in yesterday's post, finally has. The reason? She used a Martha technique of boiling off old paint to strip her old doorknobs and plates. Awesome! Something tells us we're not going to be the only ones following suit this weekend. Check out the WT Reno on the link for play-by-play photos.
Boiling doorknobs ala Martha [Windsor Terrace Reno]
Craigspicks: By Owner No Fee Rental Edition
2 Bedroom Brownstone Floor-thru $1,800 [Clinton Hill] photo 1
3 Bedroom Brownstone Triplex $2,275 [Bed Stuy] photo 2
2 Bedroom Prewar Apt Bldg $1,475 [Prospect Lefferts] photo 3
2 BR Top Floor in Brownstone $1,400 [Crown Heights]
Let us know if you like the addition of rentals into the mix...
Time for the Brownstoner Readership Survey
As we mentioned a couple of days ago, we've been preparing a reader survey that we're hoping everyone will take a couple of minutes to fill out. In addition to helping us to wring a few bucks out of advertisers in the coming months, we're hoping it'll be interesting data for the readers to see. Who isn't just a little bit curious about what percentage of readers already own their own home? Or how many of you rolled the dice with a variable rate mortgage instead of a fixed? All shall be revealed. To participate, just click here. It'll only take two minutes. Seriously.
Thanks in advance.
Brownstoner Readership Survey [Survey Monkey]
Three-Way Race for 100 Decatur Is On
When we reported last week that there was a bidding was a bidding war over 100 Decatur Street, we also noted that there was a drop-dead date of last Friday. But from what we heard last night, the horse race is still undecided. Word is that there are three bidders still in the game with the price having now passed the $930,000 mark. Yowza. Anyone heard anything else?
100 Decatur Street [Corcoran] GMAP P*Shark
Whisper, Whisper: Decatur Is For Lovers (Not Haters) [Brownstoner]
HOTD: 100 Decatur Street [Brownstoner]
An Angel Rises: Broken Angel Reno Blog Launches
Not wasting any time (it's been 28 years since the Woods first bought the former trolley factory but less than a month since they inked their deal with Shahn Andersen), work begins today on the conversion of the Broken Angel. To coincide with the first piece of scaffolding going up, we're happy to announce that the Broken Angel reno blog, which Shahn has titled "An Angel Rises," also launches today. You can access it off the navigation bar above or directly through www.anangelrises.com. We wish both Shahn and the Woods the best of luck and are sure we speak for everyone when we say we look forward to being a fly on the wall for the next several months.
An Angel Rises: Broken Angel Reno Blog [Brownstoner]
Photo by plemeljr
Friday Links
Prospect Park West. Photo by Betty Blade.
NY State To Sue Over Greenpoint Oilspill [NY Times]
Rates Down for First Time Since December [NY Daily News]
The Jane Jacobs Medal Created by Rockefeller [NY Sun]
$1.3 Billion for Starrett City [Gothamist]
New Development on North 6th Street [Curbed]
Raccoon Watch in the South Slope [Brooklynian]
Yvette Clarke to Ratner: Reject Barclays [Brooklyn Paper]
Posting Again! This Time About Radiators [Gates Reno]
2 BR Sells at The Washington for $675K [Set Speed]
February 8, 2007
Thursday On The Record
Montauk Club, Park Slope. Photo by Brooklyn Hilary.
Today in Brooklyn
$100 Fines Proposed for iPod Users
Some Competition for Fresh Direct
Fighting off Dogs with Pepper Spray
62 Brooklyn Bands Head to SXSW
Most Romantic Restaurant in Brooklyn?
Most Romantic Restaurant in Brooklyn?
Valentine's Day is less than a week away, so if somebody is expecting you to make a dinner reservation, it's about time to get on it. We usually opt for a special meal at home — but we did snag a last-minute table at Red Rose in Carroll Gardens a couple of years back, and though the place was a little hectic, the servers graciously sent each of the ladies home with a single red rose and a mini-box of chocolates. If you're sharing the evening with the kids, Fratelli's heart-shaped ravioli makes an easy but festive meal. But for everyone who is prepared to brave the Valentine's dinnertime crowds, what's the ideal spot for a romantic meal?
V-Day in Brooklyn [A Brooklyn Life]
Photo by tianadargent
House of the Day: 464 Macon Street
It looks like the success of 100 Decatur has emboldened owners in the surrounding area. Today's house at 464 Macon Street, while certainly very nice, is a whole floor smaller than Decatur. Property Shark puts the square footage at 2,600 which, at the asking price of $899,000, comes out to about $350 a foot. The house traded at $750,000 back in September 2005 but it's unclear to us how much has been spent on the place since then. Not that it really matters -- the price will be what people are willing to pay. What do you think that will be?
464 Macon Street [Corcoran] GMAP P*Shark
"Raging" Fire at 110 Livingston?
We just got a tip that a large fire has broken out at 110 Livingston. Anyone nearby? Any photos? Please send them to us at brownstoner@brownstoner.com.
Update: 11:48 a.m. 53 Boerum has a perfect view and has some pics up already.
Condo of the Day: 443 Clinton Avenue
We've been critical of the exterior renovation of 443 Clinton Avenue but had yet to see the interior until we stumbled across a virtual tour on the Century 21 website. While the reno ain't gonna win any prizes, we were at least pleased to see that the developers kept the original flooring. The exposed brick is a very strange call though, isn't it? It's hard to tell from the limited visuals, but the layout looks a little awkward too. Too bad the whole thing comes off as so slap-dash. Given the location and building, they should have been able to get the $759,000 for 1,200 square feet if they'd done it right. In their current state, the apartments have been languishing on the market. Does anyone know if any of the seven units have sold yet?
MLS# *958064 [Century 21] GMAP
Development Watch: Much Ado on Clinton Avenue [Brownstoner]
"Contextual" Condo Design for Love Lane
Because of its subscription policy, all we know from today's Brooklyn Eagle article on the Love Lane garage conversion (which was approved by LPC last week) is that it will be called Love Lane Mews, include 38 apartments and two townhouses, and have a contextual design. What did we miss by not paying $49.91 for monthly access?
Garage-to-Condo Conversion in Heights [Brooklyn Eagle] GMAP P*Shark
The Latest on the Love Lane Garage? [Brownstoner]