Found standing on Smith on Sunday. A bit past its prime, I'd say. Maybe the owner had a really, really wild cat with extremely sharp claws.
Sunday, September 30, 2007
All right, I admit, I almost took a free key chain until I realized that the little booth set up at the Atlantic Antic was promoting no other than Forest City Ratner, the development firm behind the controversial Atlantic Yards project. I put the stupid key chain back as quickly as I could and took a picture of the little "Brooklyn Nets" stand right in front of the Brooklyn Detention Center instead. Very fitting, isn't it? Did the organizers of the Atlantic Antic do that on purpose? I wonder!To read more about Ratner and his Brooklyn sweetheart deal, click:
No Land Grab
Atlantic Yards Report
Develop-don't destroy
A perfect day for a street fair! Sunday's Atlantic Antic was fun like always. It was great seeing more artisan vendors and less generic ones. Clothing in particular was pretty cool this year. And of course, there was Eddie The Sheik with his band. I don't know how old this guy is, but he has not aged during the 20 plus years I have attended the Antic. The belly dancing was entertaining and made this different from all the other fairs around town.
The best part of this fair by far is that I am sure to run into some friends I only get to see once a year. Like Linda Brady, owner of Tiki, whose hip little dresses in hot pink are pictured above.
More Ellis Gallagher chalk fun on Smith. This time right around the corner from my house.
Picasso had his Blue Period, Ellis seems to have his Bicycle Period.
More Ellis Art
I just received an email about a worthwhile movie that I think we should all try to watch.
When I Came Home tells the story about a young Iraq veteran who comes home to Brooklyn with some extra baggage: Post Stress Disorder. Living out of his car, he tries to navigate the complex system of the Veterans Affairs Bureau to fight for what was promised to him in exchange for his service to his country. the film is directed by Dan Lohaus
The film is being shown on October 10th at 7:30 PM at The Tank.
To watch a clip, click here.
From the website:
When I Came Home is a documentary film about homeless veterans in America: from those who served in Vietnam to those returning from the current war in Iraq. The film looks at the challenges faced by returning combat veterans and the battle many must fight to receive their benefits from the Veterans Administration.
Through the story of Herold Noel, a homeless Iraq war veteran suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and living out of his car in Brooklyn, the film reveals a failing system and the veteran’s struggle to survive after returning from the war. When I Came Home follows Herold’s battle with homelessness and PTSD as he tries to get help from the VA, city agencies, and various veterans organizations.
With temperatures dropping in New York, Herold meets fellow vet Paul Rieckhoff, founder of the country’s largest Iraq veteran advocacy organization. What follows is a media blitz that transforms the young, homeless veteran into the leader of a new movement.
Screening Information:
WHEN I CAME HOME
FREE (with suggested donation of $7)
October 10th, 7:30 pm
The Tank
279 Church Street
Saturday, September 29, 2007
(artist rendering: picture credit www.75smith.com)
Real Time pictures taken September 2007Call me a minimalist if you want, but in my book, less is always more. Take the example of The Smith, Leviev/ Boymelgreen's box that is almost finished at the corner of Smith and Atlantic. As the building was getting its brick veneer, I was at first amused and then distressed about the many colors of brick used. The other day, I happened to walk by and counted the various shades.
*There is your "run of the mill brick" colored brick.
*There is the "Look!-I-Could-Be-Brownstone" dark brown brick.
*There is the lighter "Let's Totally Be Creative" slightly lighter brown brick
*And the pièce de résistance, the element that is supposed to tie everything together, but doesn't: the "limestone" color brick.
*There is your "run of the mill brick" colored brick.
*There is the "Look!-I-Could-Be-Brownstone" dark brown brick.
*There is the lighter "Let's Totally Be Creative" slightly lighter brown brick
*And the pièce de résistance, the element that is supposed to tie everything together, but doesn't: the "limestone" color brick.
Now, I am sure that all of this looked clever on paper, but in reality, all these different blocks of color give 75 Smith a real cheap look. Wouldn't the building have looked better in one color brick with some real interest over the windows? How about something like a cornice?
Am I being too critical? Well, probably! I am just so tired of those inelegant, thoughtless monstrosities going up.
Related Links:
Leviev Boymelgreen
75 Smith
Friday, September 28, 2007
(Pictures taken last night at the concert)(Concert clip from You Tube from another concert)
Moody Teen and I don't always see eye to eye on things. However, strangely enough, my son has a pretty eclectic compilation on his mp3 player. If I discount the occasional techno that creeps up once in a while and his newfound interest in country music, I could even say that we share the same taste in music. And I consider it a rare honor when he puts on something for me to listen to. So when he put on "The Answer" by Blue October, the Texas band fronted by the charismatic Justin Furstenfeld, I melted. Haunting lyrics, the most beautiful violin solo, it was a song that stuck in my head.
There were other songs, equally dark and disturbing such as "Into The Ocean" and " Hate Me" songs far too morose for my son to listen to. But yet, I understood his draw to Furstenfeld's voice. It transmitted the inner turmoil of a man who knows what it is like to sink deep into despair, someone who had gone too close to the edge. In essence, a man who still remembers what teen angst feels like. No wonder M. related.
So, in an incredibly inspired moment, if I may say so myself, I had an amazing idea. Get tickets to Blue October's show as a way to celebrate M's upcoming October birthday. And not tell him!
So last night, with the element of surprise firmly on our side, Mr. Pardon Me, College Daughter and I took him to the show at the Nokia Theatre at 44th and Broadway. And what a show it was.
May I just say that Furstenfeld may be one of the best performers I have ever seen? He is mesmerizing. He is the kind of performer who demands your attention and does not let go until he is done with you. His presence is menacing and vulnerable at the same time. He is a man who sings as though his life depends on it. Dark, yes, but so honest that it made me want to cry at times.
And just when you thought you can not take your eye off him, you catch from the corner of your eyes, another performance. Off to the side, violinist, guitarist, pianist, vocalist
Ryan Delahoussaye's presence is equally transfixing. Switching constantly from one instrument to the other, Delahoussaye's notes add a softer, more human aspect to the songs. Truly. He is an amazing musician, a joy to watch.
Have I gushed enough about the group? You can tell that I enjoyed the concert. And Moody Teen, you ask? I think it was an evening he will never forget. And I hope that when he thinks back on this experience many years from now, he will remember that I was standing right beside him, cheering both him and Furstenberg.
Links:
Official Blue October Web Site
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Picture taken on Smith yesterday on my way to Atlantic:
Through the window of the store Home & Haven. If you ever need to know what time it is!
***I have been dying to buy one of those clocks but can't settle on which one I want, the one that says New York, Brooklyn or Carroll Gardens. Or all three. But that would be crazy, don't you think?
My friend Andy sent me the link to an interesting article about the "divorce" settlement of two of the biggest developers here in New York. Since 2002, The partnership of Lev Leviev and Shaya Boymelgreen has been a powerhouse in both Miami, Florida and in New York City where they were "an alliance that at one time looked set to re-draw the luxury housing map in both New York and Florida." Now the partners will go their separate ways. How their partnership will be dissolved have recently been made public. This is interesting for Brooklyn and for the Gowanus area in particular. The Leviev Boymelgreen partnership has been involved with the Gowanus re-development from the beginning and the partners are sitting on quite a few acres along the heavily polluted waterway. According to this article, Leviev is ending up with the "Gowanus Village" project. Here is a great article on the partnership and...the split
Below are excerpts from an Real Estate Daily article by Lind Barr entitled: Leviev and Boymelgreen divvy up property 8/1/2007
Leviev Boymelgreen was originally formed in 2002 when Lev Leviev struck
up a friendship with Shaya Boymelgreen when the two met on a Caribbean
cruise. With Africa Israel owning 65% of the venture and Boymelgreen
owning 35%, the two quickly announced a series of luxury developments in
Miami and New York and enlisted numerous high profile designers and
architects to work on the projects.
When the initial reports of a rift began to surface last year,
Boymelgreen indicated it was likely they would go their separate ways
and split the properties in the portfolio. He suggested his company
would retain the Florida portfolio and Leviev would take over in New
York, where Africa Israel has made no secret of its intention to swell
its portfolio of trophy buildings.
Israel Investments owned by diamond magnet, Lev Leviev--will become the
sole owner of all of the joint venture's Miami properties and it will
become 100% owner of the partnership's major New York City projects,
including 88 Leonard and 23 Wall Street.
In the last few months the firm has made a series of landmark deals in
the city, including the purchase of the luxury Apthorpe, the old New
York Times Building and The Clocktower at 5 Madison Avenue, where it has
reportedly been in talks with superstar Robert DeNiro to create a luxury
hotel. Rosen was spotted dining with the movie star at the nearby
Gramercy Hotel on several occasions.
The one-time partners will complete the groundbreaking Armani Casa
luxury condo conversion they undertook at 20 Pine together by the end of
the year, but that, for the most part, will be the final salvo from an
alliance that at one time looked set to re-draw the luxury housing map
in both New York and Florida.
In filings with the Israeli stock exchange reported in the Israeli media, Leviev and Boymelgreen signed a memorandum of understanding agreeing Africa-Israel will take over all of the Miami projects, including Marquis, Soleil, Vitri and The Performing Arts Center. It will also take 100% ownership of 23 Wall, the commercial part of 15 Broad, Gowanus Village, 88 Leonard and the commercial part of the W Squared project in New York.
up a friendship with Shaya Boymelgreen when the two met on a Caribbean
cruise. With Africa Israel owning 65% of the venture and Boymelgreen
owning 35%, the two quickly announced a series of luxury developments in
Miami and New York and enlisted numerous high profile designers and
architects to work on the projects.
When the initial reports of a rift began to surface last year,
Boymelgreen indicated it was likely they would go their separate ways
and split the properties in the portfolio. He suggested his company
would retain the Florida portfolio and Leviev would take over in New
York, where Africa Israel has made no secret of its intention to swell
its portfolio of trophy buildings.
Israel Investments owned by diamond magnet, Lev Leviev--will become the
sole owner of all of the joint venture's Miami properties and it will
become 100% owner of the partnership's major New York City projects,
including 88 Leonard and 23 Wall Street.
In the last few months the firm has made a series of landmark deals in
the city, including the purchase of the luxury Apthorpe, the old New
York Times Building and The Clocktower at 5 Madison Avenue, where it has
reportedly been in talks with superstar Robert DeNiro to create a luxury
hotel. Rosen was spotted dining with the movie star at the nearby
Gramercy Hotel on several occasions.
The one-time partners will complete the groundbreaking Armani Casa
luxury condo conversion they undertook at 20 Pine together by the end of
the year, but that, for the most part, will be the final salvo from an
alliance that at one time looked set to re-draw the luxury housing map
in both New York and Florida.
In filings with the Israeli stock exchange reported in the Israeli media, Leviev and Boymelgreen signed a memorandum of understanding agreeing Africa-Israel will take over all of the Miami projects, including Marquis, Soleil, Vitri and The Performing Arts Center. It will also take 100% ownership of 23 Wall, the commercial part of 15 Broad, Gowanus Village, 88 Leonard and the commercial part of the W Squared project in New York.
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
(photo credit: Evening Standard)As we are getting more and more chain stores here in Brownstone Brooklyn, I am dreading the day when rents finally become too high for small independent store owners. We have already lost countless service oriented stores. The chains are making their presence felt and I hate it. On Smith Street alone, we have American Apparel, Starbucks, Diesel, Dunkin Donuts and I am sure I am forgetting some. That's why I was so interested in this little article about London's city government and council getting involved in saving mom-and-pop stores. Even Prince Charles is getting involved! How about here in New York? Bloomberg and Markowitz, you out there?
Save Our Small Shops
London's Evening Standard
The Evening Standard is championing the capital's independent shops in a world increasingly dominated by vast supermarkets and chain stores.
London has lost more than 7,000 individual or family-owned shops in the past six years.
The campaign has been backed by thousands of businesses, consumers, MPs and even royalty.
Less than a fortnight after its launch, Prince Charles told a CBI conference that small shops must remain a central part of our economy to generate "wealth and employment".
A victory came almost immediately, when the Government announced it would scrap tax breaks for landlords who keep retail premises empty, bolstering the number of high street sites available for small retailers.
Since then the campaign has gone from strength to strength, securing both the future of Queens Market in Upton Park, one of London's best-known ethnic markets, and an array of award-winning independent food retailers in Northcote Road.
In June this year, 39 MPs from all parties welcomed our 18-month long campaign and signed an early day motion calling for the Government and councils to do more to protect and encourage small retailers.
It warned that "if planning policy is not changed the remaining small shops that give high streets their character will vanish".
London has lost more than 7,000 individual or family-owned shops in the past six years.
The campaign has been backed by thousands of businesses, consumers, MPs and even royalty.
Less than a fortnight after its launch, Prince Charles told a CBI conference that small shops must remain a central part of our economy to generate "wealth and employment".
A victory came almost immediately, when the Government announced it would scrap tax breaks for landlords who keep retail premises empty, bolstering the number of high street sites available for small retailers.
Since then the campaign has gone from strength to strength, securing both the future of Queens Market in Upton Park, one of London's best-known ethnic markets, and an array of award-winning independent food retailers in Northcote Road.
In June this year, 39 MPs from all parties welcomed our 18-month long campaign and signed an early day motion calling for the Government and councils to do more to protect and encourage small retailers.
It warned that "if planning policy is not changed the remaining small shops that give high streets their character will vanish".
It has come to my attention that a bit of back and forth editing on Councilman
Bill De Blasio's Wikipedia page has been taking place in the last few weeks. One paragraph in particular has gone through a few re-writes before it was omitted altogether.
Looking at the edits on the Wiki Scanner Page it is evident that DeBlasio or one of his staffers has been doing some on-line damage control.
The subtle changes in the paragraph speak volumes about De Blasio. The Councilman has been playing a game of " Now I Am Pro-Development, Now I'm Not" depending on how it will make him look in the press and how it will affect his political record. It is about time that he stands up for something. I hope he will choose to listen to his constituents, most of whom favor a responsible, contextual development plan which includes updating Brooklyn's antiquated infrastructure.
Here are the "subtle" changes on Bill's Wiki Page.
*De Blasio has encountered criticism for his continued opposition to a number of large scale real estate developments that have been supported by his constituents. For example, De Blasio is currently opposed to the popular development of a project at the site of a parking lot on Atlantic Avenue and Court Street in Downtown Brooklyn. This project was recently rejected by De Blasio's representatives in the anti-development Community Board 6, even thought the proposed building conforms with the scale of the surrounding apartment building and brownstone neighborhood. De Blasio's support of parking over people has earned him considerable enmity among Cobble Hill families. On the other hand, De Blasio has supported some affordable housing efforts. De Blasio is also a supporter of the generally popular Atlantic Yards development proposed by Bruce Ratner.
*On the other hand, De Blasio has supported some affordable housing efforts. De Blasio is also a supporter of the generally popular Atlantic Yards development, a major affordable housing initiative currently under development.
*This project was recently rejected by Community Board 6, which is seeking to keep height limitations and contextual buildings in the neighborhood. The proposed building exceeds the scale and context of the surrounding apartment building and brownstone neighborhood. De Blasio is also a supporter of the generally unpopular Atlantic Yards development, which critics contend will be excessive in size,provide major tax subsidies to the developer and will have a detrimental impact upon the neighborhood.
*This project was previously rejected by Community Board 6, which is seeking to preserve parking spaces for wealthy neighborhood residents. The since approved building matches the local context of small apartment buildings and brownstones. On the other hand, De Blasio has supported some popular development projects. De Blasio is a supporter of the generally popular Atlantic Yards development, which is a major mixed-income housing, retail, office and sports complex.
And now, the paragraph has been deleted altogether.
As I said, subtle changes, but, oh, so meaningful.
Incidentally, I have been invited by Bill De Blasio tonight as a member of the Brooklyn blogging community to a "conversation about issues of concern to all of us as Brooklynites."
I'll let you know tomorrow how it went and what he said.
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
So, I have to tell you about my little flier breakthrough yesterday. As you know, I have become super annoyed with the fliers being shoved into my front gate almost daily. The environmental impact of all those plastic bags and useless advertisement pages is horrendous.
On Friday, as I was recycling the daily collection of paper junk, I found a post-card sized flier in all that paper. Maybe it is in there all the time and I just noticed it for the first time. Turns out that this particular bunch of advertisements came compliments of Newsday. They call the garbage that they leave on our property a "Value Bag" and they seem proud to be "delivering money-saving circulars to your home."
On the piece of paper, there was a Newsday Customer Service number. I called it. And let me tell you, it felt so good to inform the woman on the other end that I was mad and that I wasn't going to take it any more and to pleeease stop delivering the "value #$%^&* pack "to my house. To my surprise, the woman said that she will forward the information to the home delivery department and that they will take my address off their list. Will it work? I doubt it. Especially because the person delivering it comes with a shopping cart and seems to wildly fling the packs around him sans system. But it sure made me feel better to do something.
Anyway, in case you want to call too, here is the number. And spread it around amongst your friends and neighbors. Lets start a flier revolution. Maybe if enough people call....
Newsday Customer Service: 1 800 639 7329
Who can say it better than The Onion? When you are sick of regular news coverage, this little rag puts things in perspective.Putting Pressure On Iran
From The Onion: America's Finest News SourceThe White House is looking at deterring the Iranian nuclear program with new sanctions. What measures have been proposed?
- Cutting off two-thirds of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's name any time he is mentioned in the press
- Revoking the country's membership in the axis of evil
- Ceasing production of monogrammed "U.S. & Iran: A Perfect Match" matchbooks
- Miss America not including Iran on world tour
- Jesse Jackson to be sent, without an interpreter, to negotiate
- Copyrighting the phrase "The Great Satan" and suing Iran every time it is used to refer to U.S.
- Putting restrictions on how much Iran is allowed to hate the U.S. at any given moment
- Will stop selling them uranium
Monday, September 24, 2007
Pardon me for asking, but why should Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad not speak at Columbia University today? I, for one, am dying to see how this madman fares at a question-and- answer session with America's brightest students. It should be very interesting and will expose him to the world as the small mind that he is. Give him enough rope, I say.
And isn't it common knowledge that you are better off keeping your enemies close? Well he is as close as we can wish for at this present moment.
News Update:
My daugher is reporting back to me from the Columbia Campus while the speech is going on. Her comment: "What a dumbass." Just like I suspected. Ahmadinejad will make himself look like an idiot if you let him talk long enough. But she said that the president of Columbia University, Lee Bollinger, had given an incredible speech.
More on her comments including links to the speech:
Kudos To Prez Bo
CNN coverage
BBC Coverage
(photo credit: Brownstoner.com)Just days ago, I wrote about the "other" Scarano building in Carroll Gardens. After countless complaints from neighbors, 333 Carroll Street was slapped with a "stop work" order. For months, there has been no activity. Now, neighbors have reported that there is work going on at the site though the stop work order is still in effect on the D.o.B. site. The neighbors have called 311 and sure enough, there are 3 new complaints listed.
What's going on?
Here are the comments left on this blog from concerned neighbors:
Katia
Let me know if you hear anything about that building and I will keep my ears open too. I have been monitoring the NYC DOB site, but there is nothing new on there. What about the reports that there have been some workers on the site lately. Is that true?
Anonymous:
Yes it is absolutely true. They were there last Saturday and someone who is absolutely impeachable saw them doing something with beams and I saw them doing work on what I believe is the elevator shaft. Another person also saw them working.
Katia
Has anyone called 311? Not that it would do anything, but just for the record. I am amazed. You would think that they would lay low for a while. Unless they already know that they will be allowed to continue building and just can't wait. Hmm! Interesting.
Anonymous:
Yes, at least three people, myself included, called 311 but by the time dob arrived later in the afternoon the workers were gone or maybe dob didn't look up. The complaints are noted on the dob website.
Revisiting Scarano's Carroll Street Building
(Picture credit: Jim In Times Square on Flikr)Triada Samaras of the group C.O.R.D. collected and made a list of the comments left by people signing the petition against the 360 Smith Street Building. The sentiment seems pretty clear: Carroll Gardeners want to protect their neighborhood by limiting the hight of any new development. Lets hope that Councilman DeBlasio, Borough Prez Markowitz and Mayor Bloomberg are taking note.
"Don't ruin the neighborhood."
"My husband and I are both 4 generation Carroll Garden residents whats going
on in this neigborhood is changing the whole look and feel of what was once
the best little neigborhoods in Brooklyn. This was like the suburbs of
Brooklyn compared to other neighborhoods now it's starting to get the cold
feeling like Manhattan."
"We were born and rised in this beautiful neighborhood and what it was and
what it is becoming are two different things. SKYSCRAPPERS DO NOT BELONG
HERE!."
"TO OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS- 50' OR FIND A NEW JOB!! IF YOU DON'T HELP
MAINTAIN THE INTERGRITY OF OUR NEIGHBORHOOD WHO NEEDS YOU??"
"Build your skyscrapers in Manhattan not Carroll Gardens."
"As a 25 year Carroll Gardens resident, I am deeply troubled by the crowding
out of of family businesses by corporate franchises, and construction of
"luxury" properties without regard for our traditional architecture. Where
ARE our elected officials? Is Carroll Gardens going to submit to the greed
of predatory developers who have no place in our neighborhood?"
"My wife and I come from the area and often go back to visit friends and
shop in the quaint stores. High rise buildings will detract from the
ambiance of the area."
"I lived in the area a few years back and have many friends still there. I
would hate to see the area defiled by high rise buildings."
"To our elected officials, please help protect the integrity of this lovely
neighborhood which is home to some of my dear friends."
"The visual continuity of the Carroll Gardens neighborhood is crucial to the
special atmosphere here."
"I have visited a very close friend and loved the neighborhood. High risers
will destroy the quaint feel of the neighborhood."
"The charm of the neighborhood would certainly be destroyed by the
construction of high-rise buildings."
"Visit my love one and love the neighborhood she's in. High rises will
destroy the feel of a nice place."
"Although I do not currently reside in Carroll Gardens, I do own a condo to
which I may return to live one day. I would hate to see such a lovely area
become overly congested and an eye sore. Please change the zoning."
"No more high rises!"
"Say NO to "luxury" developments!"
"i grew up in brooklyn and im tired of watching it go down the tubes in the
manhattanification of our fair borough. stop this now!"
"Please do not allow the charm and beauty of Carroll Gardens to be eroded
with the presence of a structure which does not fit the neighborhood. Allow
the local lawmakers to bring zoning laws to the present."
"I come to Carroll Gardens every summer from Athens. Don't destroy the
beauty here! It is such a precious commodity and once it is gone you can
never get it back!!"
"I have spoken to so many people running away from their neighborhood
because it was corrupted due to development which overpowered the
neighborhood and was not in keeping with the character of same. They have
all moved here - let's not disappoint them - please don't sanction the
ruining of Carroll Gardens, my home."
"As a long time Carrol Gardens resident and homeowner, I disagree with the
plan to develop high rises in our neighborhood"
"Stop this insanity and down zone please now before it is too late. I love
it here. It is not Manhattan. That's what I love so much!"
"Build in the context of the neighborhood! Don't Destroy Carroll Gardens!"
"Stop this insanity and down zone please now before it is too late. I love
it here. It is not Manhattan. That's what I love so much!"
"Build in the context of the neighborhood! Don't Destroy Carroll Gardens"
I X's comment: "Outrageous"; we *must* do whatever we can to stop the
building and to preserve the character of our neighborhood."
"My family has been in the Gardens for over 100 years....people come from
all over to view our gardens and comment on our beautiful homes and sunny
blocks. If large buildings go up all of that would be at jepordy."
Saturday, September 22, 2007
(picture credit: Scarano Architects)I am not a builder, nor am I an architect. Obviously! I am just a Brooklyn blogger. Precisely, a Carroll Gardens Blogger and resident. In other words, someone who is keenly interested in what will be rising on the big lot at 360 Smith Street.
However, that seems to be top secret information. The developer, Bill Stein, was "gracious" enough to attend a Carroll Gardens Neighborhood Meeting on September 10. The purpose was to assure the community that the building was being redesigned and that the rendering on his architectual firm's web site was never the finished design.
So, pardon me for asking: why would the same drawing still appear on Scarano's web site, unchanged, unaltered from its original version?
Now if I were Stein, developer of a highly controversial 70 foot building, (the tallest of the neighborhood,) employer of certainly the most controversial architect in Brooklyn, I think I would ask him to remove the rendering from his web site, no?
At the September meeting, we were assured by Mr. Stein that he had heard the community and that he was in the process of revising the design so that it would better integrate into the low-rise neighborhood. The big surprise of the evening was that he showed up not with plans and big architectual drawings of the redesign, but with a small drawing not bigger than 11"x 14," which he protectively showed around under the condition that no one take a picture.
This, the community was told, was not the final design either.
So what is the final design? Is it more like the one he showed around at the meeting or the one still posted on Scarano's web site? And why all this secrecy? Why not just show the plans to the community? What is there to hide?
It is important to us, the residents, to know what he is planning for the site.
He is imposing major changes on our neighborhood and that makes him responsible for at least building something that fits contextually into a brownstone neighborhood. Lets make sure that his project is a reflection of Carroll Gardens and not a reflection of his own ego!
Related Reading:
Scarano Sleeze Factor
Mr.Stein's show-and-tell in Carroll Gardens
De Blasio Show Coming To a Street Corner Near You
Friday, September 21, 2007
Where do New York artists go when rents for studios become too expensive? Brooklyn? No, rents here are astronomical too. Hoboken? Nope, there too, it has become unaffordable...and that goes for pretty much all of New York City and surroundings.
So where can artists go to rent a space big enough to actually work without having to come up with a small fortune to cover the rent?
Berlin! That's right! Berlin.
From the magazine Der Spiegel:
Leonard Cohen famously sang "First we'll take Manhattan, then we'll take Berlin." Now many New York artists are doing just that, turning their backs on excessive rents and the stifling conservativism of the post-9/11 city to carve out a niche for themselves in the thriving Berlin art scene.
New York-based artists are inspired to make the move through a combination of rising rents, diminishing opportunities and a growing sense that the city's centrality to the art world has passed its peak. Gone are the days when up-and-coming painters such as Jasper Johns and Robert Rauschenberg could rent a huge loft in Manhattan for just a few hundred dollars a month. Today those same lofts rent for upwards of $5,000 and sell for millions, forcing artists out of Manhattan and into the outer boroughs. But even in Brooklyn, spaces that rented for hundreds just a decade ago now cost up to 10 times as much.
To Continue reading Article:
From Brooklyn To Berlin: New York Artists Escape To Berlin
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Caffè Carciofo's enticing "PRE-FIX" SignThough I have never run the same post twice, there is always a first. So here we go! Back in February, I wrote a little rant about the misspelling of Prix-fixe on restaurant menus and the inadvertent (other) meaning that such a mistake calls forth. Yesterday, I spied this little sign in Carciofo's window. So, pardon me, but I just have to post this again:
If you are going to give your restaurant this certain French " je ne sais quoi," better have a Frenchman check the spelling. I have been laughing out loud while walking down Brooklyn's commercial strips such as Smith Street and Court Street. Restaurants are competing for my business with large blackboards with their prix fixe menus.
Usually, a prix fixe in french means a fixed price charged for a meal. I don’t know what my neighborhood restaurants are trying to advertise. I have seen such variances as pre-fix, pre-fixe, prix-fixed or even pre-fixé.
"Pre-Fix" to me means either that the price shown is the one before it was fixed or that all the restaurateurs got together and fixed their menu prices. In other words: price gouging. Are they advertising that they are trying to cheat us?
Ah! The subtleties of language!
Do you have any good pictures of your price fixed restaurant menus?
Dictionary Definition:
prix fixe (prē' fēks')
n., pl. prix fixes (prē' fēks').
A complete meal of several courses, sometimes with choices permitted, offered by a restaurant at a fixed price.
Click here: How To Work A Greenmarket
All Right! Since I moaned and groaned about the Carroll Gardens Farmers Market 's prices and selection twice this week, this is the last entry on the subject. I swear!My sister Tania sent this little video clip to me from the New York Times. It is a little lesson on how to shop at one of the fresh markets by Alice Waters, ( famous chef & food expert.) All stuff that we all already know, but its still fun.
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Eddie The Sheik
Aha! Here is proof. The heirloom tomatoes were cheaper today at the Borough Hall Fresh Market than at the Carroll Street Market on Sunday. And they were organic too. What gives? Is it that there are more vendors downtown? Because for a difference in two dollars a pound, I will gladly walk the extra blocks.
read the related story:
Carroll Gardens Farmers Market And The $2 Tomato
A glorious day deserves a walk, so after my cup of Java, after doing some important but tedious tasks, I made my way down Court Street all the way to the Central Post office in Downtown Brooklyn. And since I now see the world through blogger's eyes, here is a tiny report of what's happening on that stretch.
I have to admit. I never thought I would see the day, but here it is: the Community Book Store, long neglected and downright dingy is getting some much needed repair. Who would have thought it? For those who are not from around here, words can not describe the absolute disarray in the store: piles and piles of books in no discernable order. The outside did not look better.
Now this work is being done. Is the owner ready to give his storefront an entire face lift, or is he just repairing what was ready to fall down? Maybe it has been taken over by someone new?
Does anybody know?.
But just as a little aside: Last year, my son, Moody Teen, needed a biography on Golda Meir, and he needed it fast ( don't ask). Barnes and Nobles on Court did not have a copy in stock, Book Court would have needed to order it too and a third bookstore in Manhattan did not carry it in the store either. My son was getting desperate, when in a moment of absolute clarity, I knew where I could find him a copy: at the Community Bookstore. Moody Teen was doubtful, having never set foot in the store, but none-the-less, he agreed to ride his bike down there to see. Sure enough, the long haired, bearded owner knew exactly were to find a copy of Golda Meir's biography in his many dusty stacks of books. Now that's a book store worth having.
I hope the new cornice means that it will stay around for a while longer.
Oh, how I miss the little Renaissance Pharmacy. Run by two lovely ladies, it closed just a few months ago. Come to think of it, it was just about the time that the CVS opened three blocks further on Court. Coincidence??? What a loss the closing is for the neighborhood. Many a time, I had to pick up a prescription for my kids when they were small and had yet another ear infection. The ladies were always so kind and had such reassuring words for me when I felt frazzled.
The storefront has been empty since spring. But in the last few days, there has been action. The place has been gutted. Does anybody know what is going in? Please tell me its not another over-priced boutique or a restaurant. Pleeeeaaaase !
And last but not least, a little yellow duckie sitting on the stoop railing of Court and President.
May he find his owner....
I have to admit. I never thought I would see the day, but here it is: the Community Book Store, long neglected and downright dingy is getting some much needed repair. Who would have thought it? For those who are not from around here, words can not describe the absolute disarray in the store: piles and piles of books in no discernable order. The outside did not look better.Now this work is being done. Is the owner ready to give his storefront an entire face lift, or is he just repairing what was ready to fall down? Maybe it has been taken over by someone new?
Does anybody know?.
But just as a little aside: Last year, my son, Moody Teen, needed a biography on Golda Meir, and he needed it fast ( don't ask). Barnes and Nobles on Court did not have a copy in stock, Book Court would have needed to order it too and a third bookstore in Manhattan did not carry it in the store either. My son was getting desperate, when in a moment of absolute clarity, I knew where I could find him a copy: at the Community Bookstore. Moody Teen was doubtful, having never set foot in the store, but none-the-less, he agreed to ride his bike down there to see. Sure enough, the long haired, bearded owner knew exactly were to find a copy of Golda Meir's biography in his many dusty stacks of books. Now that's a book store worth having.
I hope the new cornice means that it will stay around for a while longer.
Oh, how I miss the little Renaissance Pharmacy. Run by two lovely ladies, it closed just a few months ago. Come to think of it, it was just about the time that the CVS opened three blocks further on Court. Coincidence??? What a loss the closing is for the neighborhood. Many a time, I had to pick up a prescription for my kids when they were small and had yet another ear infection. The ladies were always so kind and had such reassuring words for me when I felt frazzled.
The storefront has been empty since spring. But in the last few days, there has been action. The place has been gutted. Does anybody know what is going in? Please tell me its not another over-priced boutique or a restaurant. Pleeeeaaaase !
And last but not least, a little yellow duckie sitting on the stoop railing of Court and President.May he find his owner....
Monday, September 17, 2007
$ 10 for three tomatoes and a dozen eggs? Yeah, that sounds about right!
That is exactly how much I paid yesterday at the Carroll Gardens Fresh Market. Yes, the tomatoes where the heirloom type. Yes, the eggs were organic. But you have to admit, that is a bit steep.I came home from the market with my ridiculously light shopping bag, feeling slightly stupid. I am trying to buy my produce at the market, but I am starting to feel as though I am being taken to the cleaners every time I shop there.
I have to say: the tomato tasted incredible, as it should for a $ 2.00 tomato ( the lb. price was over $6.00). But who are we kidding here. I think that we have learned to accept such lousy produce at the supermarket, that we feel the sun-ripened verity is worth any premium. I don't mind paying a bit more but lets stay real here.
Am I the only one who finds the prices outrageous? What do you say, dear reader.
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