Rezoning Carroll Gardens: Getting DeBlasio To Do The Right Thing

I was once quoted in the press as saying : "Bill DeBlasio feels your pain, but then does not do anything about it." I still stand by that statement. The rezoning of Carroll Gardens is a prime example. In a recent post, I explained thatBill De Blablah , our Councilman, talks about helping the community to downzone without actually doing so . Below is an article on the latest efford of the Carroll Gardens Neighborhood's Association's efford to...

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The NIMBY Label

Almost twenty years ago, when my husband and I bought our house in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn, our families thought we were crazy. My parents could not believe that after spending my childhood in Germany and France, after my years as a single in Manhattan, I would end up in Brooklyn. For my husband's parents, it was more a question of having worked so hard to move from Brooklyn to Long Island to offer their son a better life just to see him turn...

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Scarano Horror For Smith Street!

Photo from Curbed Wherever Architect Robert Scarano, Jr. is building in Brooklyn, controversy is sure to follow. Known for pushing the envelope when it comes to zoning laws, Scarano buildings mostly end up taller and uglier than most buildings in the neighborhoods in which he builds. His creative interpretation of New York City's system of zoning which regulate such things such as height, floor area, setbacks, and number of dwelling unit has...

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The Germans Are Coming! The Germans Are Coming!

Imagine buying an entire Tuscan village. Yeah, I could go for that. A German tour operator just did exactly that. But I wonder how the inhabitants of this little Italian village feel about a German invasion. I am already sick of the tourists marching up and down Smith Street here in Brooklyn. I could not imagine living in a village that has just become a vacation resort for Herr and Frau Müller from Kaiserslautern. Read below and you will...

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Cool Music For A Warm Friday Night

The Unwanted ThingThis is Ted Leo and the Pharmacists from their 2007 album Living with the LivingI am sitting on my stoop, enjoying a nice balmy evening after a particularly stressing week. What better way of relaxing than with some good new music. Here is my internet music find of the evening. Do you like ...

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You Are Never Too Old To Learn!

Priceless little old ladies surfing the net...

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Protecting Carroll Gardens From The Overdevelopment Sharks

For those of you who know Carroll Gardens in Brooklyn, you know that what we have here is pretty special. For those who don't, our neighborhood is a rather well preserved example of a brownstone neighborhood: rows and rows of beautiful turn of the century townhouses. In any other big city, city officials would protect such a historical treasure. Especially if the community wants it. In the case of our elected officials, they attach conditions...

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Brooklyn's Community Board 6 Gets Punished

What happens here in Brooklyn when a Community Board opposes big development? Well, the borough Prez and Council members who want to give away our land to developers such as in the Atlanic Yards case just kick off the offending board members who voted against the project. Nice!Community Board 6 is my community board and the members listened to the people they represent and voted against supporting Ratner's mega development. Now they have been punished...

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Before And After Carroll Park, Brooklyn!

I love the old picture of the Carroll Park park house here in Brooklyn. It is taken at the turn of the last century. The view is from the President Street Side looking into the park. The houses in the back are on Smith Street and give a great idea of what Smith Street must have been like. Now we have mostly bars, restaurants and over-priced children's boutiques on that same stretch of street.The second picture is of the park house now. It is...

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Another Use For Viagra?

Now I don't know about you, but some medical studies seem just plain wasteful. The latest comes from Argentina and was just published by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science. I would hope that real men don't need Viagra to deal with a little bit of jetlag...Read onViagra 'could help jetlag'http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_2343046.html?menu=Viagra could be used to help people flying eastwards recover from jetlag, according to new...

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Freebees by Bruce Ratner

Why not buy their affection? Bruce Ratner seems to be in the news every day. The man who has been given free reign over a 22 acre site in Brooklyn is now giving away freebees to the residents surrounding his huge construction site. I doubt very much that it will make his "neighbors" feel better since his construction site is going to make their lives miserable for years. RATNER TO BROOKLYN: BE COOLBy RICH CALDERBRUCE RATNERFree air conditioning.May...

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Another New York Mayor For President?

I don't like Michael Bloomberg. I did not like Rudy Giuliani either, but I really do not like Bloomberg. Frankly, the thought of him running for president in 2008 is scary to me. I believe that the little man has a huge complex. He seems to suffer from what the French call "folie de grandeur," the delusion of greatness or megalomania. For some reason, Bloomberg is hell-bent on leaving his mark on this city. And his heavy handprint is evident...

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No Short Shorts!

This is the time of year when New York Public schools send out a letter to parents urging them to make sure that their children adhere to the dress code. I have not received one for a while since daughter is out of school and Moody Teen son would not be caught out of his oversized jeans and T-shirt uniform. However, when I did get the letter by way of the children's backpack, I remember that it said something like: "Now that the weather is warmer,...

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Look Homeward, Brooklyn!

So I found this nifty web site especially for ex-Brooklynites. It's www.brooklynboard.com, The site encourages people to send in pictures of their Brooklyn past. I think these two are the most interesting because they are not very far from my house. I should see if I can find them and take a picture.From Catherine GarbellottoThis was my husband's grandfather's store on Union Street between Bond and Union Street taken in 1940. We know the year...

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Final Word On French Election!

So true, so true. Bill Maher sums up the difference between French politics and U.S.conservative politicians. Touc...

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A New Place To Try: Fette Sau

What is a die-hard vegetarian doing promoting a barbeque place? How can I resist a place called "Fette Sau?"The translation from the German basically means "Fat Pig" and is also an expression used to insult someone who is a bit corpulant. Great name for a meat restaurant. Will have to try it. Boy, I hope they have some salad for me to eat!The place is located on Metropolitan Avenue in Williamsburg. Did anyone try it yet? Leave a comment to let...

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Picture Of The Day!

A great Post-Mother's Day picture. One can never have enough mothers, I s...

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Motherless Mother's day!

The smaller one is the older one, the bigger one is the younger one. C & M, College Girl and Moody Teen. My Brood. My Mother's Day.It has been a pretty uneventful Mother's Day here in Brooklyn. For that, I am thankful. I am old enough to enjoy and relish the idea that everything is fine, everyone is healthy and we are all together on a beautiful sunny Sunday. An acquaintance recently told me that our children are here because of us, so...

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Oh, Where Has My Smith Street Gone!

I can't even imagine why Smith Street keeps on being written up. What a bunch of crock. Some restauranteurs open a few small but overprized restaurants, others follow. Then bar owners, with the help of dysfunctional State Liquor Authority, open three bars on every block, and Voila! Time Out and N.Y. Times write about it every week. Yes, I know, I should be glad that real estate prices are going through the roof, but we also have to live here...

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A Place Of One's Own

Well, faithful readers, you will be happy for me that the painting in the little studio in Manhattan is almost done. The kitchen and the bathroom have yet to be addressed, but those need a bit more construction, less cosmetic work. And the place is looking soooo much better. So much better in fact that I am starting to regret not moving in there myself. After all, this was my place when I was a young fashion designer working on 7th Avenue. ...

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German Word Of The Day

Putzfimmel: Noun; An obsession with cleaningNow I don't want any comments about the fact that I am making fun of Germany's preoccupation with cleanliness. I am German myself, so I can get away with it. As a matter of fact, I have been accused of having a Putzfimmel, though you could not tell from my house at the moment, what with me heading off to Manhattan every day for the last two weeks. I just thought the above picture kind of illustrated...

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John Irving On The Subway

Back and forth, back and forth to Manhattan to work on that little studio apartment. Of course it is taking much longer than I thought. I am kind of under the gun because College Daugher is finished with her finals tomorrow and has to move out of her dorm by the end of the week. We could just move her back here to Brooklyn for a few days of course. But nah! I don't relish the idea of bringing her stuff here just to schlepp it back to Manhattan.What...

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Parallel Parking in Brooklyn!

I hardly ever take our car and drive here in Brooklyn. No need to! There are subways that take me anywhere I want to go. The f---ing F, as we call it, is just around the corner. So, it is mostly my husband who takes it when he has to see clients outside the city or when he has a major installation for work. He also takes it on the week-end to take Master Teen, our 15-year old moody teen, to soccer every week-end. I try to stay out of that soccer...

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Oh Boy! Another Conservative Leader

I know my French friend Violaine is upset this morning. Sorry, Violaine. She did not want Sarkozy to win the election. He is another one of those conservatives who will bully his way through his presidency. A child of immigrants who is anti-immigrant. Go figure. It will be interesting to return to France this summer and to check out the mood.Though the choice of prez is not to my liking, I have to say that the 70% voter rate in this run-off...

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New Cool Song

"Does This Mean You're Moving On" by The Airborne Toxic Event. A California band that took its name from a reference in Don DeLillo's novel "White Noise." This is probably the sad song sung by the poor schmoh who put a Post-it note on his girlfriend's forehead to remember her name. See yesterday's blog entry for explanat...

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Great Advertisement!

Now this is creative thinking. And funny! An ad for Post-It not...

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Parenting

On my way into Manhattan today, I observed a mother with her two energetic kids in the subway. During the time it took the F train to go from Delancy to 14th Street, I became exhausted just observing this poor woman. The kids could not have been older than 6 and 4, but the mother looked at least 50. The only thought going through my mind was: " Thank goodness, I had my kids early!"Here I am, in my mid-*&^%% (hahaha you thought I would actually...

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Artist At Work

Yes, I am still painting. As a matter of fact, I am in the process of painting two places at once. I am that good...No, I am not done with Husband's office, which if I may say so is turning out quite nicely. In addition, I have started painting a studio apartment in the city which belongs to my father. It has been rented out for the last 20 something years, precisely as long as I moved out to get married. ( Can you imagine that the doorman recognized...

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Ugly Dog Of The Week!

I have not posted a Dog Of The Week entry for a while, though I can tell you, there are many of them ugly canines out there. So here is one. Can you say : "Here Doggie, Doggi...

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