Since there's no good involved, our local pols won't get involved. As noted earlier, the owner has lawyers out the yin-yang, greasing the Brooklyn political skids. Local community board? Ha! Doing anything with this building doesn't have anything with making rules and running for office. So it sits. Until some brick falls off the building and some politically connected attorney's daughter's noggin is split open by it. Markowitz [Borough President for Life] and his cronies won't do jack unless someone dies. And even then ...

Posted by: 5w30 at November 16, 2009 7:05 PM in response to Doings at the Dilapidated 7th Ave & 2nd St Building?

Whinnnnnnnnnnne. Red Hook is combined industrial/residential and has been since the late 1800's. Tough. Concrete plants must be near construction sites, and this is one of a couple that are closest to lower Manhattan, the other close-by one is next to the Smith-9th Street subway stop and has been there for years. Unlike other manufacturing and industrial that have moved to larger spaces elsewhere in the world, concrete plants have to be within a reasonable distance to where the action is. Manhattan doesn't have space for contractors to build portable concrete plants similar to what is done in other parts of the country. Dig it? Or else we ask, what's your shoe size? We even have the technology to color your concrete.

Posted by: 5w30 at November 9, 2009 11:13 AM in response to Dustup Over Red Hook Concrete Plant Continues

Maybe the space should go back to its South Brooklyn roots and become a pizza joint, social club, some sort of front operation, you name it.

Posted by: 5w30 at October 7, 2009 12:49 PM in response to The Slope's Most Cursed Corner?

I need to see a tricked-out Escalade with bass throbbing in one of these places, soon. And try to stop him. He could be packing ...

Posted by: 5w30 at September 18, 2009 1:18 PM in response to Park(ing) Day on Fulton

It is a single family house, brick with brownstone trim. home was recently toned up by the malek guys about 5-6 years ago, but they did a hinky job on the brownstone stairs, which are chipping.
it was home to a very elderly man until he became infirm a summer or so ago. there's a nice deep yard.
and yes, this will need a top-to-bottom gut. even has the old '50's tv antenna on the roof. This will be good for a single family; too skinny for a 3+ family. It's part of a row of similar homes that are all 1-family deals.
the tree next door is a bradford callery pear that's probably about 25-30 years old. even has a tag on it from the parks department saying what type of tree it is. i remember seeing them go in as saplings.
the garage in the picture is not part of the building.
good neighborhood, active block association, quiet block; the john jay kids don't frequent it.
fyi: mopar's description is like the car parts company his name comes from. dodge-y and close to bankrupt.

Posted by: 5w30 at September 15, 2009 6:52 PM in response to House of the Day: 434 4th Street

All depends - tlocane from 8/30 makes valid points about existing equipment capability. Also whether you want to enter into a contract with Verizon, infamous for its high early termination costs, fees and taxes. Comparing the two is like Visa vs. Mastercard - lean on one, and maybe you can get a better deal. I'm a big sports fan and due to some odd rules one can't see certain teams in HD on FiOS, so I stick with cable

Posted by: 5w30 at September 1, 2009 1:13 PM in response to Verizon FIOS or Opt Triple Play?

I did mine with Bank of America. What a bunch of incompetent nincompoops. I thought it would be easy as they held my original mortgage. BofA is still overwhelmed with re-fi applications. Plus they don't have New York-smarts equipped personnel that can deal with our complex co-op and condo laws. I did re-negotiate all the closing costs. It took over 8 months to complete the entire process. Never again.
If you get hung up in your process, threaten to go to the federal Comptroller of the Currency ... the agency that deals with nationally chartered banks [the ones with N.A. after the company name] with a complaint, and file one if things get sticky. It can be done online. Also complain to the person at the top - look in the wACHOVIA website [as Wachovia owns Wells Fargo] to see who highest person is in terms of the loans and mortgages area - and write that person a formal, US-mailed letter.

Posted by: 5w30 at September 1, 2009 1:05 PM in response to How Long to Refinance?

Yeah, the sign as probably painted by some trustafarian on a dare was funny. Now it's time to grow up.

Posted by: 5w30 at August 25, 2009 3:14 PM in response to Gowanus Building No Longer Dissing Wall St.

uh, oh.
I smell a "smartmom" column coming!
hide!

Posted by: 5w30 at August 13, 2009 11:10 PM in response to Sex and the Other City

Gus - the man, the restaurant, the legend.
Glad Tom's will still be in the family.

Posted by: 5w30 at July 23, 2009 10:43 AM in response to Changing of the Guard at Tom's

Pitching a tent ..heh heh heh heh heh heh. Real dumb. White boys' Rikers.

Posted by: 5w30 at June 15, 2009 2:01 PM in response to It's Hard to Beat the Tent Rent

The apartment may have roof rights, but does the building's certificate of occupancy allow for recreational use of the roof? It's a question that must be asked. If everything's not up to par, the seller at their own expense should remove the deck so as not to cause any mess with the buildings department or anyone else down the line.

Posted by: 5w30 at June 5, 2009 11:40 AM in response to Roof Deck Not Up To Code

Hope it is indeed a cistern or well and not a privy. I'll bet some want to have it filled in [liability issues???] but if it were my yard I would build it up to the present ground level and make it a true secondary water source if at all possible. Your plants will love it. You can also use the water in the yard for many many other things. Good luck and let Brownstoner know the outcome!

Posted by: 5w30 at May 15, 2009 11:35 AM in response to Backyard Reno Unveils Old Well in Fort Greene

Go west, young douches. We don't need youse in Brooklyn no more.

Posted by: 5w30 at May 11, 2009 9:11 AM in response to Brooklynites Jumping Ship to Manhattan?

For roof decks in NYC, building permits are required. And only so much of the roof can be used for a deck. A certificate of occupancy saying the roof can be used for such purposes is also needed. The buildings department loves to prey on those with undocumented roofdecks.

Posted by: 5w30 at May 4, 2009 3:28 PM in response to rooftop deck

The artificial turf is in the part of the park that was an asphalt field for years and years ... much before you Ohio transplants came here.

Posted by: 5w30 at March 26, 2009 9:44 PM in response to Turf's Down at Slope Park

Knuckleheads.
It was a REAL fire. In the cleaners next to Dizzy's. Fire went all the way up to the top floor. Yes, it did look unreal for a while, as the movie trucks co-existed with the fire apparatus.
And FYI, the movie people when shooting here employ a lot of local folks. Good union jobs. Those trucks with the Pennsylvania address are normally parked in Red Hook or at the Navy Yard.

Posted by: 5w30 at March 25, 2009 1:09 PM in response to Big Fire on 9th Street?

The jail is convenient to the nearby criminal courts buildings, some of which have been around for more than 70 years ... the building on Schermerhorn comes to mind. The jail services the nearby court buildings, and is in a central location, easy to access by all means of public transportation. [See Rikers Island for a jail facility that's truly a bitch to get to, even via private car.] Sure, one could build a jail in another part of Kings County. But add up all the new construction costs, the usual NIMBY litigation, and all the diesel fuel wasted by transporting prisoners from somewhere else in Brooklyn to the court complex downtown ... and you're talking AIG bonus money, baby!

Posted by: 5w30 at March 19, 2009 12:20 PM in response to Split Decision on House of Detention

Now the Post can legitimately steal the Brooklyn Papers' local stories, unlike the NY Times which just does it and sometimes gives them attribution.
The BP was going the way of the Post anyway, or more like its British cousin the Sun.
What's next, nekkid pix of Slope women on page 3?

Posted by: 5w30 at March 10, 2009 6:12 PM in response to BREAKING: Murdoch Buying The Brooklyn Paper!

Just when you need a laugh ... the NYU "protest" and the fun at the Park Slope Food Coop come through in the clutch.
It doesn't get any better ...

Posted by: 5w30 at February 20, 2009 9:19 AM in response to Proposed Ban Roiling Park Slope Co-op

Wait until you get the Verizon bill after the contract is over! Meantime I can always walk away from my Time Warner account.

Posted by: 5w30 at February 5, 2009 9:07 PM in response to Inside Third & Bond: Week 70

Speaking of parody, I've always enjoyed this one:
http://www.brooklynian.com/files/dumbwhore.pdf

Posted by: 5w30 at December 17, 2008 12:35 PM in response to The 100 Best Things in Park Slope

A fine whine.
Unless they rebuild the main north-south runway at LGA, there will always be planes nearby.
Just so fortunate, tunnel-viewers, that you don't live in Elmhurst or Astoria.
Find something else to rail against.
The loss of a child's hat.
A coffee house.
Stray electricity.
Coney Island.

Posted by: 5w30 at December 15, 2008 7:51 PM in response to Closing Bell: Keeping Quiet in Park Slope

moron gowanus lounge
that's about right.

Posted by: 5w30 at December 9, 2008 2:52 PM in response to Missing Details at Landmarked Third and Third Building

Hey, even this neighborhood needs a place for a nooner!

Posted by: 5w30 at December 5, 2008 12:28 AM in response to Development Watch: Best Western Hits 4th Avenue

Yep, and it's across the street from a kidney dialysis center.
And Pep Boys, if its only your oil or antifreeze that needs to be changed.

Posted by: 5w30 at November 17, 2008 2:56 PM in response to Streetlevel: Novo's Retail Tenant Appears

And I thought that part of Third Street veered towards the hammer and sickle.
Always nice to see an American flag!

Posted by: 5w30 at November 10, 2008 7:32 PM in response to Flying the Flag in the Slope

Problem is not [yet] new people running a restaurant, it's the same landlord.
He tried to pull a fast one [no permits] until DOB caught him in the act. Got the permits, apparently paid fines, went ahead with construction. Still shady.
Restaurant waiting to get final sign-off from Buildings. It was supposed to open around Labor Day. Now its sometime in early October.

Posted by: 5w30 at September 17, 2008 6:00 PM in response to Streetlevel: Shinju Sushi Nears Completion