Flatbush
June 19, 2009
City Planning Approves Flatbush Rezoning
Three and a half months after certifying the Flatbush Rezoning Plan for the public review process, the City Planning Commission gave its official seal of approval to the ne set of contextual building rules for the 180-block area that encompasses, among others, Caton Park, Beverley Square West and East, Ditmas Park West, and South Midwood. All that's left before this baby becomes law is sign-off from the City Council, which is likely to happen in late July. For details on the rezoning, check out the City Planning website.
CPC approves Flatbush Rezoning Proposal [Flatbush Gardener]
City Planning OK's Flatbush Rezoning Plan for ULURP [Brownstoner]
Flatbush Rezoning in the Works [Brownstoner]
June 2, 2009
Flatbush Rezoning Can't Come Soon Enough
The 60-day ULURP period for the Flatbush Rezoning plan concludes this week with a hearing at City Planning on Wednesday night. Unfortunately the downzoning, which affects approximately 180 blocks and has particular impact on the historic areas of Victorian Flatbush did not come soon enough to save this place at 248 Stratford Road in Ditmas Park, notes the Ditmas Park Blog. We shudder to think what its replacement will look like. McMansion anyone?
May 13, 2009
Closing Bell: Visit 9 in '09
The Beat has all the info on a new tourism initiative launched by Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, City Council Speaker Christine C. Quinn, and Council Member Melissa Mark-Viverito. Nine in ‘09 encourages residents to "explore nine highlighted, culturally-diverse neighborhoods across the five boroughs with distinct cultural, retail, dining and entertainment offerings." Don't have the cash to go on a vacation this summer? Nine in '09 outlines the perfect staycation. You can view sample itineraries with neighborhood information here. For that staycation in Brooklyn, find out what Brighton Beach and Flatbush have to offer (like a visit to the Flatbush Caton Market).
Photo by Ana Rose.
March 24, 2009
Cool Map: Flatbush Landmarks
One of seven documents Community Board 14 has assembled in anticipation of its hearing on the Flatbush Rezoning proposal now working its way through ULURP (and approved recently by City Planning) is a map of all the landmarked structures in the area. We cropped the area most densely populated by historic structures, but you can click here to see the full, large version. The CB14 hearing on the matter is scheduled for 7 p.m. on April 2 at PS 249 at Caton Avenue and Marlborough Road.
City Planning OK's Flatbush Rezoning Plan for ULURP [Brownstoner]
Public Hearing Scheduled for April 2nd [CB14]
March 4, 2009
Brooklyn Food & Drink Round-Up
Photo by Brewing the Perfect Beer
Sixpoint and Frankies to Partner Up?
Eater shares an "unsubstantiated and somewhat far fetched rumor" that "the Franks (of the Frankies Spuntinos and Prime Meats) are working in conjunction with Shane Welch of Sixpoint Craft Ales to open a cafe on Court Street and (yes and) a Frankies beer garden in the vicinity of—or perhaps even in—the current space of the Sixpoint Brewery." Eater also notes that neither Welch nor anyone at Frankies will confirm this rumor, "but it's something to watch out for. "
A Closer Look at Glass Shop
Last week, we reported on the new Crown Heights coffee house, Glass Shop. According to Grub Street, they're open and serving "Australian-style espressos ($2.50) and lattes ($3 for 8 oz.). No drip for now, but there’s also a selection of PG Tips teas and simple sandwiches (ham and egg, sardine) as well as egg specials in the morning... and in warmer weather there’ll be a 600-square-foot garden in the back." Has anybody been in yet?
Where to Wet Your Whistle
The bar at Prime Meats is officially open, and Time Out New York posted their "wallet-friendly" cocktail menu — but TONY also reviews the well-crafted cocktails at the less-hyped Jack the Horse Tavern in Brooklyn Heights: "the Robbie Robbie, a cockle-warming spin on the Scotch-based Rob Roy, which enlists Luxardo’s cinnamon-flavored bitter, Amaro Abano, to spicy effect. The Dos Amentes (tequila, mescal, Cherry Heering, dry vermouth, lime juice and cognac-almond syrup) is a rich tequila drink that allows the spirit’s aromatic, vegetal character to shine through."
After the jump: Eating out in Clinton Hill, CSA news, beloved butcher closes up shop in Coney Island, Dom DeMarco hits up the Pizza Hall of Fame, and the Brooklyn Inn adds more seating...
City Planning OK's Flatbush Rezoning Plan for ULURP
The New York City Planning Commission certified the Flatbush Rezoning Proposal on Monday, ushering in the 60-day public review period at the beginning of the ULURP process. The rezoning covers approximately 180 blocks between and paves the way for a more contextual development and preservation of existing detached and row houses. “Flatbush is one of the city’s most architecturally diverse and breathtakingly beautiful residential neighborhoods," said Planning Commissioner Amanda Burden. “Mayor Bloomberg’s strategy to protect the city’s lower-density neighborhoods while providing opportunities for new and affordable housing is exemplified by this comprehensive proposal." For all the gorey details about boundaries, height limits and contextual zoning districts, check out the press release. The neighborhoods most affected by the proposed rezoning, notes Flatbush Gardener, are Caton Park, Beverley Square West and East, Ditmas Park West, and South Midwood.
Flatbush Rezoning Proposal Certified [Flatbush Gardener]
Flatbush Rezoning in the Works [Brownstoner]
December 10, 2008
What's it Like in Flatbush?
That's what Brooklyn Based is asking, following up on their series of neighborhood investigations. "What began as a series of swanky developments in the early 1900s, luring white, upper class residents from Brooklyn Heights, is now attracting professionals and ex-Park Slopers to the stately homes of “Victorian Flatbush” — a term that’s only three decades old," they write. Flatbush has attracted immigrants from everywhere: Italians and Jews, Caribbeans, Pakistanis and Southeast Asians. Within the sprawling neighborhood are its mini-enclaves: Prospect Park South, Ditmas Park, Fiske Terrace, Wingate, South Midwood, Midwood Park and West Midwood. For the scoop on life in the 'bush, they interview a young couple, one originally from the Bahamas, the other with Trinidadian parents. Their thoughts: "I like Flatbush, it’s convenient to everything I need and the apartment is big and affordable." The food? "We walk to Kensington for non-Caribbean food, but there’s a Japanese restaurant [Sushi Tatsu III] up the block and there’s Tex Mex [Tex Mex Fresco] and there’s a Spanish spot [La Cabana Rodriguez Restaurant] that you can sit and eat, maybe have drinks." Neighborhood changes? "For the first time in life, my neighbors are Caucasian. You see them jogging, skateboarding, food shopping, with children in strollers, walking their dogs."
What's It Like in Flatbush [Brooklyn Based]
Photo by Rufus Mangrove.
November 10, 2008
TD Bank Furthering Affordable Housing in Brooklyn
Just last week, we noted that TD banks had been replacing Commerce banks all over town. Well, they're planning on being good neighbors indeed. According to a press release we received, they're awarding CAMBA Housing Ventures (CHV) $100,000 for a 53-unit affordable housing development at 97 Crooke Avenue in Flatbush; McBrooklyn reported this, too. (We also learned last week that such supportive housing developments don't negatively impact surrounding property values.) On-site at the building: case management, community rooms, and a landscaped back patio and garden. Twenty of the 53 units are aimed at folks making $30,000 or less, while 32 are targeted for "formerly homeless individuals exiting the New York City Shelter system." The design firm is Dattner Architects, also responsible for the Catsimatidis project on Myrtle.
November 7, 2008
Fewer Mortgages for Minority Communities
Brooklyn mortgages dropped 18 percent in 2007, reports the Daily News, in line with the city's statistics. But it turns out the number of mortgages was chopped in half, or more, in poorer, minority neighborhoods, which are bearing the brunt of the foreclosure crisis — they call it the "tale of two Brooklyns." "The number of mortgages issued fell by 60% in Brownsville, 58% in Bushwick, 57% in East New York and 45% in East Flatbush," they write. "Experts say the declines are due to a combination of the drying up of the subprime market and lending discrimination by banks reluctant to make loans — even to qualified buyers — in those neighborhoods." Now for the other Brooklyn: the number of mortgages rose 48 percent in Brooklyn Heights and Fort Greene; 11 percent in Williamsburg and Greenpoint; and stayed the same in the Slope.
Mortgages Plunge by 50% in Some Minority Neighborhoods [NY Daily News]
Photo by Jimmy Legs.
October 8, 2008
Brownstoner Food & Drink Round-Up
Beer Table: Now Serving the Most Expensive Brunch in Brooklyn
427 B 7th Avenue (between 14th and 15th Streets), Park Slope
"On weekends they've just started serving a $23 brunch menu inspired by the mid-morning Bavarian meal of weisswurst (white sausage), a pretzel, and weissbier (white beer). Weisswurst is fresh sausage made from veal, pork, cardamom, and other spices, then boiled and served in its cooking water... They're served with two extra-crispy Belgian style waffles piled high with greenmarket fruits, a spoonful of some of the best butter I've ever tasted--it's from Evans Farmhouse Creamery in Norwich, NY--and a 500 ml glass of Schneider Weisse." [BA Foodist]
Newish in East Flatbush: Jerk-a-Rama
704 Rogers Avenue (near Lenox Road); (718) 284-4100
"Jerk chicken at the newish Jerk-a-Rama is deeply smoky and cooked 'damn near perfectly,' wleatherette reports. Spicing could be stronger and the hot sauce is too sweet, she adds, but this place is a keeper, 'a solid B/B+.'" [CHOW's Outer Borough Digest]
Two Newbies on Atlantic
Slice reports that a new brick oven pizza place, La Pizzetta, has opened at 145 Atlantic between Clinton and Henry (in the old Bouillabaisse/Soju/Dragon Lounge/Buck's spot). Chowhound EJC says that a barbecue place called Dallas Jones "is moving into the Old Red Pepper takeout Chinese space next to Magnetic Field (RIP)... One more new restaurant to note — on Henry St, just south of Atlantic, the old TV Repair shop has a building permit in the window for a restaurant and bar. Any ideas what that is?"
After the jump: The New Yorker visits James, another one bites the dust in Park Slope, Time Out offers dates with chefs, bakers, and barkeeps, and Hope & Anchor gets a TV spot...
Flatbush Gardener on Flatbush Rezoning: Thumbs Up
Our friends at Flatbush Gardener have given the DCP's Flatbush revised rezoning plan, presented to CB14 last month, a review. More below.
From everything I've heard and seen about this second draft, they got it right. In general, lots that are 50x100 feet will get the R3X designation, while lots that are 40x100 will get R4A. This is a more tailored approach than the broad brush of R4A that was painted over Ditmas Park West and South Midwood in the first draft. They really listened to the concerns of residents, went back and re-drafted to address them. The free-standing homes responsible for the physical character of this area of Flatbush will be protected. All of Flatbush will be protected against unlimited height residential development. There are new opportunities for commercial development, and incentives for affordable housing. It's hard to find something to critique in this draft.
We spoke with CB 14's chair Alvin Berk, who says the DCP has been very responsive to community input, but they take no official position until the formal proposal is finished and certified for the ULURP process. "We won't really see the shape of this until it goes through those public hearings," he says, which might happen by early 2009. What do you guys think?
Flabush Rezoning Moving Forward [Flatbush Life]
New Flatbush Rezoning Proposal Gets It Right [Flatbush Gardener]
Flatbush Rezoning in the Works [Brownstoner]
September 29, 2008
House of the Day: 2777 Bedford Avenue
We included 2777 Bedford Avenue in our Open House Picks back in January when it was listed at $649,000. It still hasn't sold and the price is now down to $599,000. (Judging from the differing sets of photos in the new Mary Kay Gallagher listing versus the photos in the original Brooklyn Properties listing, the sellers have already moved out, suggesting there may be some urgency to the sale now.) We have a little crush on this house Colonial charmer and hope someone who appreciates its historic details comes along and buys it. For those readers who complain about there not being enough lower-priced houses featured, this is as nice a house as you're going to find in the $600,000 range. Of course, it requires that you want to live in the Brooklyn College area.
2777 Bedford Avenue [Brooklyn Properties] GMAP P*Shark
2777 Bedford Avenue [Mary Kay/NYT]
Open House Picks 1/25/08 [Brownstoner]
September 3, 2008
Big Boxes Go to Flatbush
The 300,000-square-foot Triangle Junction development in Flatbush had been having a bit of trouble finding tenants, the New York Times reports, until Target saved the day. The idea was to "rejuvenate an anemic mix of mostly small retailers at Flatbush and Nostrand Avenues," but since the two-story, 225,000-square-foot Target — the company's largest — signed up in April, more chains are trickling in: David’s Bridal, Children’s Place, Payless ShoeSource, and Applebee’s. Two ground floor spots are still open, and rents are rising all around the area; retail space rents "within a two-block radius of the intersection have doubled, or in some cases tripled, over the last two years, to about $100 a square foot annually," according to the Times.
Big Stores in Odd Shapes Arriving in Brooklyn [NY Times]
Flatbush Junction Target Coming Soon [Brownstoner]
Photo from BrooklynJunction.
July 30, 2008
StreetLevel: Cornbread Diner Coming to Flatbush
Park Slope's former Cornbread Cafe is being reincarnated in Flatbush Junction as the Cornbread Diner. The Southern-style restaurant opens this Monday on Flatbush Ave between Farragut and Glenwood. The same chef/owner behind the old 7th Avenue Cornbread, Bettina Harris, is helming the new venture, which'll offer garden dining while the weather's still fine. The locals certainly seem excited about the development: "Three cheers to Bettina Harris for gracing one of Brooklyn's most
"epicuriously challenged" strips with some comfort food," quoth the blog Flatbush Pigeon. "We need it out here!"
Big Flatbush News! [Flatbush Pigeon] GMAP
April 23, 2008
Caton Avenue Condo Plans For Sale: Flatbush Edition
Yet another Caton Avenue property is for sale with approved plans for condos, this one in Prospect Lefferts Gardens. Last week, we wrote about 417 Caton Avenue, on the market for $1.35 million, and Caton On the Park (technically on Caton Place, which is really close to Caton Avenue), where construction on 107 apartments abruptly stopped with 40 percent of the work done. This newest property has plans to build 27 apartments and 24,400 square feet, only a few blocks away from Prospect Park. Asking price is $1.83 million, not much more than the $1.2 million purchase price two years ago. Think this one will be able to find a buyer?
Work Stops At Caton On the Park [Brownstoner]
417 Caton Avenue Going For Another Flip [Brownstoner]
March 17, 2008
Developer Save the Kings?
The city is once again shopping around for a developer to bring the dilapidated Loew's Kings Theatre in Flatbush back to life, according to an article in the Post. Potential grand plans for the neglected building could extend further than simply getting the 63,000-square-foot structure in working condition again; the deal might include giving a developer air rights to build residential space, a boutique hotel and retail shops. The price tag for just restoring the theater is expected to cost a whopping $70 mil. The EDC has a video on its website (developer no like read?) about the building's history that includes Marty Markowitz waxing poetic about how his first date was at the Wonder Theater. In all seriousness, though, it does seem high time for somebody to step up to the plate and hopefully broker a win-win: Brooklyn would get to see the revitalization of one its most magnificent structures, and a developer would get to make some cash off that work.
'King' of Rehabs? [NY Post]
Loews Kings Theater [EDC]
A Chance to Bring Back an Old Brooklyn Gem [Brownstoner] GMAP
Photo by marioletto.
March 5, 2008
Closing Bell: Brooklyn College's New Dorm
Brooklyn Junction dug up a fresh rendering, above, for the new building on at Farragut Road and Kenilworth Place that will provide housing for about 220 Brooklyn College students. Developer Sefi Zvieli is putting up the 8-story building, and the residence hall will be privately owned and operated (not by Brooklyn College). The dorm rooms will be ready to rent in Spring '09, according to a statement from the school.
Brooklyn College Dorm: Second Rendering [Brooklyn Junction] GMAP
February 21, 2008
Flatbush Junction Target Coming Soon
Fading Ad Blog has been chronicling the construction of Brooklyn's newest Target at Flatbush Junction (the intersection of Nostrand, Flatbush and Avenue H). The store is scheduled to open within the next month or so. Here's what the blog has to say about changes to the area:
When Canal Jeans came to Flatbush, I was astounded. They were pioneers way before the first Flatbush Starbucks replaced the only decent diner on Hillel Place. Then the banks came. We already had banks, and fast food chains, and now places to buy cell phones. To replace the municipal lot where commuters would park to take the train into “the city” to work is a Target Superstore. Now with the Congestion Pricing plans underway, where are commuters going to park? In my driveway.
Any readers foresee going to the new store?
What Difference Will Targé Make? [Fading Ad Blog] GMAP
February 14, 2008
Foreclosures of the Week
There are a couple of cute houses up for auction today that aren’t in Bed-Stuy or East New York. To the left is a turn-of-the-century, three-story Bay Ridge house that appears to have been refinanced again and again (and again) by its current owner, who took control of the property in ’02. The lien for this one stands at $787,627. To the right, meanwhile, is a Flatbush house that seems to have been owned by the same people since 1976; the lien here is a comparatively skimpy $85,753, suggesting a sadder story. Both auctions take place at 3 p.m. this afternoon at 360 Adams Street, room 261.
230 95th Street [Property Shark] GMAP
435 E 34 Street [Property Shark] GMAP
January 25, 2008
Video: Imagining Flatbush in 2030
Here's a clip put together by the Municipal Art Society about a workshop the organization conducted last month along with the Flatbush Development Corporation. The workshop was one of a series called Imagine Flatbush 2030 that "is piloting the idea that full implementation of the Mayor’s PlaNYC 2030 will depend on engaging neighborhoods more fully in the dialogue about sustainability in planning and development," according to the MAS. The most recent Imagine Flatbush meeting was held last night—did any readers attend?
Building a Consensus for Growth in Flatbush [Brownstoner]
Imagine Flatbush 2030 [Vimeo]
January 22, 2008
Foreclosures of the Week
There are two interesting co-op foreclosure auction scheduled for tomorrow morning. First off, unit 8F at the 13-story, prewar 40 Boerum Place is going on the block. There’s currently a lien of $327,669 on the property, which sold for $420,000 in 2005. There’s also an auction scheduled for unit 6A at 381 Argyle Road in Flatbush (a block away from Ditmas Park West). The unit has a lien of $78,586 on it, and it last sold for $89,610 in 2005. The Argyle Road auction is scheduled for 11 a.m. tomorrow on the steps of 360 Adams Street; the Boerum Place auction will follow at 11:30.
40 Boerum Place, Unit 8F [Property Shark] GMAP
381 Argyle Road, Unit 6A [Property Shark] GMAP
January 14, 2008
Theater Operator Said to be Eyeing Loew’s Kings
There’s potentially exciting news brewing about the Loew’s Kings theater in Flatbush. An unspecified “major theater operator” is considering answering the EDC’s longstanding call to redevelop the property, according to Brooklyn Junction. A city official told the blog that the company is holding focus groups to try to determine what sort of programming would work at the theater, which would probably cost between $20 and $40 million to renovate. The EDC issued an RFP for the former wonder theater in September ’06. Any guesses about who the operator is or what its plans may include?
Theater Operator Expresses Interest in Loew's Kings Theater [Brooklyn Junction]
Real Estate Round-Up [Brooklyn Eagle] GMAP
Wondering About the Loew’s Wonder Theater [Brownstoner]
A Chance to Bring Back an Old Brooklyn Gem [Brownstoner]
December 5, 2007
Building a Consensus for Growth in Flatbush
Frightened, perhaps, by the top-down-dictatorship approach of Atlantic Yards or the too-little-too-late reaction of Carroll Gardens residents to encroaching development, stakeholders in Flatbush are trying to make a preemptive strike at defining what their neighborhood should look like in the coming decades. As detailed on yesterday's Brian Lehrer Show on WNYC, the Flatbush Development Corporation (which has been around for 30 years) has teamed up the the Municipal Art Society to form a grassroots campaign (dubbed "community visioning") that aims to get input from members of one of the most ethnically diverse neighborhoods in the city. The population's growing at 8% a year and, despite last Sunday's New York Times article, real estate prices have been steadily increasing. (A guest on the show told of how her mother purchased her co-op in 1989 for $40,000 and could sell it now for over $300,000.) The development corporation has already been lobbying City Planning to consider a rezoning that would help maintain the residential feel of the neighborhood while promoting the creation of more affordable housing. Two ideas, borrowed from recent rezonings of other neighborhoods in the borough, include (1) downzoning the R6 areas to prevent the destruction of Victorian homes to make way for six-story atrocities and (2) creating inclusionary zoning around commercial stretches to foster affordable housing. The next community meeting on the initiative is to be held at 6:30 p.m. on December 12 at the Brooklyn College Student Center, 6th Floor, at East 27th Street and Campus Road.
Brian Lehrer Show 12/4/07 [WNYC]
Imagine Your Neighborhood 2030 [MAS]
December 3, 2007
Flatbush: Bargain Hunters' Paradise?
This weekend’s profile of Flatbush in the Times (which defines the area’s “ambiguous” boundaries as Ocean Avenue, New York Avenue, Parkside Avenue and Avenue H) characterizes it as a place that’s becoming more attractive to buyers priced out of Manhattan and other parts of Brooklyn. According to a Century 21 broker, prices are hovering around $120,000 for one-bedrooms, $170,000 to $190,000 for two-bedrooms, $450,000 for one-family houses and $600,000 for two-family houses. Some recent transplants say they’ve also been won over by Flatbush’s diversity and retail offerings (which will soon include a new Target). The area’s primary lure, though, is its affordability. As one investor says, “Where else do you find a one-bedroom in the mid-$100s, or if you’re a couple with a couple of kids, a two-bedroom for $200,000?” Have any readers snagged a deal they'd care to brag about? What are the nicest old co-op buildings in the area?
Note to City Dwellers: Steals Available Here [NY Times]
Photo by Rob Hoey.
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