Huître on Court Street : Will Court Street's Newest Restaurant Ever Open?

Will this place ever open? Construction of the new restaurant Huître on Court Street has been moving at a snails pace. From the looks of it, they are far from opening.But that did not prevent our Community Board 6 vote on allowing outside tables. The vote was unanimously!This place does not even have inside seating, yet. How can C.B.6 make an informed decision at this time? The Board always seems to bend over backwards for restaurants.Pardon...

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Quite A Halloween Crowd In Carroll Gardens!

I bought a ton of Halloween candy, and I mean a ton. (All right, my husband, my son and I ate our fair share of it last night in anticipation) But, knowing that the weather was going to be glorious, I had gotten more M&M's and Butterfingers than I ever had before. Guess by what time I ran out? You will never believe it! I officially distributed my last candy at 5:15 PM. The street was full of little goblins, little Dorothies, ghosts, princesses...

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Free Kiddie Movie At P.S.58

P.S. 58 International Children's Film Series THIS FRIDAY!!! Come and join us Friday for the premiere of PS 58's Cine Club. November 2nd at 6:30 PM in the auditorium Doors open at 6 PM. Kirikou (Michel Ocelot - French)[Dubbed version] This ANIMATED!! film tells the story of a small African boy’s determination to save his village from the evil sorceress Karaba. It was the joint winner (with "Chicken Run") of the 2002 British Animation Award. Come...

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Time To Dress Up: It's Halloween!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN TO YOU ALLThis is not my dog! I wish I had one. And if I had one, I sure would dress it up for Halloween.For Home Page, click Pardon Me For Ask...

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Perfect For Halloween: Carniceria's Ghost Restaurant

When I wrote last about the closing of Carniceria on Smith, I only posted pictures of the outside. Last week-end, I walked by the place again and noticed that at least a month after it ceased to do business, the tables are still set: white folded napkins, fork and knife gleaming in the afternoon sun, glasses ready to be filled with ice-water. Even the Martini glasses await a sweet concoction on the bar. Eerie! Spooky! Haunted? A perfect place...

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Best Costume Award Goes To...!

Best Halloween Costume goes to ... this broken light post on Smith. This costume has it all: functionality, originality as well as that certain je-ne-sais-quoi. It's just fabulous!For Home Page, click Pardon Me For Asking...

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The Great Pumpkin Comes To Caputo's

A giant pumpkin painted on the storefront of Caputo's bakery. And many, many fall colored leaves, too. Very festive. Very Halloween!For Home Page, click Pardon Me For Ask...

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A Must Read: Atlantic Yards And Bill De Blasio

Norman Oder, author of the Atlantic Yards Report posted a very well written analysis of Bill De Blasio and his stand on Ratner's mega-project, affordable housing and over-development. A must read, especially since De Blasio just declared his candidacy for Borough President. Click here:The due diligence of BP candidate Bill de Blasio, or the (AY) end justifies the meansFor Home Page, click Pardon Me For Ask...

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Unicycling Through The Streets Of New York City

Sheer madness, but oh, so fun. Notice that none of the people on the street even turn to look as a unicycle scoots by. Only in New York folks, only in New York. For Home Page, click Pardon Me For Ask...

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Where Was Bill De Blasio For The Last 7 Years?

BROOKLYN CITIZENS AGAINST BILL DE BLASIONo, that group does not exist yet, but it should!Yesterday's email from Bill De Blasio informing us that he is running for Brooklyn Borough President sent shivers down my spine. I knew the announcement was coming, but until now, I had hoped that it would just all go away. No such luck.I don't want to speak for all Brooklynites. But, here in Carroll Gardens, Bill De Blasio has been mostly absent in his...

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Sweet Frocks On Smith

The Ohio Knitting Mill Store is sort of an oddity on Smith Street. Selling a collection of sweaters made between 1947 to 1974 in the Ohio mill, one of the countries biggest and oldest, the store window looks like a fashion time capsule. Recently, though, they have very cute little children's clothes on display. Very 50's and 60's looking! And very adorable.For Home Page, Click Pardon Me For Ask...

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Empty Shelves At Rite-Aid On Smith

I stopped by the Rite-Aid on Smith Street over the week-end and was a bit puzzled by all the empty shelves in the store. It sure did not look as though they were moving things around, the shelves were just bare. I am sure that the neighborhood hoped that the store formerly know as Eckerd would improve after becoming a Rite-Aid. I for one have not seen much improvement.For Home Page Click Pardon Me For Ask...

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Free Vitamins, Anyone?

Found on Court between President and Union! Free pills, free honey, stacked up right on the sidewalk. If you feel under the weather, you may want to scoot by to pick some up.For Home Page, Click Pardon Me For Ask...

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I Got Me Some "No Flier Signs!"

I'm so totally excited. I am holding in my hand two "No Flier" signs.I know it won't seem like a big thing to my non- Brooklyn readers, but anyone who lives here can probably relate. Theoretically, by posting one of the signs above, I should no longer be inundated by useless paper.You have no idea how hyped I am. They are going up on my front gate this week-end.I will have to refrain myself from peeking out the front window and yelling at the...

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Water, Water, Everywhere: Hurricanes And The Brooklyn Battery Tunnel

Picture Credit Mark SudduthDon't ask me how I stumbled onto this information. (Suffice it to say that it was a rainy day and that strange things pop up when one googles "Brooklyn") I found my way onto the National Hurricane Center's web page. The center has a storm surge simulator for the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel (the tunnel linking Brooklyn and Manhattan.) It is pretty scary but definitely worth watching. The simulation looks at the storm surge...

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Congestion Pricing, Stockholm Style. Almost Looks Sexy!

(photo credit: luis_colan on flickr)Now if Congestion Pricing could run as smoothly in New York City as in Stockholm, I think there would be less opposition.I have been skeptical of Mayor Bloomberg's plan for New York City because, in my humble opinion, it would add a traffic and parking burden on Brooklyn and the other Outer Boroughs. However, I watched this little clip from the Herald Tribune with interest. The Swedes make it look downright sexy....

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A Last Hurrah In My Brooklyn Garden

It got so cool overnight, that I took a look at my backyards this afternoon just to check on how the plants fared after weeks of drought and above average temperatures, followed by a drop of temperature. Well, I can report back, that the end of the blooming season is near, very near.Most of my lovely annuals are looking sad. Some of the perennials are offering me their last blooms, before they too will retire for the year.Here are some pictures...

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And So, The Music Ends!

On Second Place, standing alone, it was wondering how it could have gotten to this point. Did it not provide sweet tunes for decades? Is this really how it had to end? Thrown out like garbage?No more sweet Sinatra, no more Frankie Valle, no more Elvis? Ga...

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De Blasio Finally Listens To His Constituents!

(Photo Credit: The Observer)Finally! Someone talked some sense into Councilman Bill De Blasio. He sure took his time about seeing the handwriting on the wall on this particular issue.DeBlasio did not see anything wrong with allowing developer Two Trees to exceed the height limit by 10 feet in landmarked Cobble Hill for a new apartment building going in at the corner of Atlantic and Court next to the future Trader Joe's. This would have opened...

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The Hunchback Of Carroll Gardens

Much has been said about the beautiful corner brownstone that was f****cked up by some developer who thought that he could make a fortune attaching a hump to it. The building at 45 3rd Place has been divided into two duplexes each going for around $1.5 million.I took a walk with my husband on Sunday afternoon and by "pure" coincidence, I had my camera with me. I saw this building getting uglified a few months ago and heard that it was now being...

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Carroll "Garden" Berries

So much beauty around, like these fall berries in a neighbor's yard. The bright red color just drew me towards them with my camera. Nature's last gift before wint...

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Sanitizing The Gowanus Canal

(photo credit: f.trainer on Fickr)This Is a follow-up to: Wishful Thinking, Rezoning and the Mighty Dollar Along The Gowanus CanalI was pretty depressed after the C.B.6 meeting on Monday regarding the clean-up of the Gowanus Canal. Both the presentations by D.E.P. and The Army Corp Of Engineers left me with so many questions that yesterday, I reached out to my friend Marlene Donnelly who has been a member of Friends And Residents Of Greater Gowanus...

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Where Have All The Pretty Brownstones Gone On Smith?

In former times: The Corner of Smith Street and 1st Place looking towards 2nd Place The same corner todayLooking towards the other direction. View down Smith Street towards Atlantic. First Street is on the right. A bit further down on the left is First PlaceMy local pizza parlor, Giardini's on Smith, has these neat old photographs of his storefront hanging on the wall. I know the city took pictures of every house for tax purposes back in the...

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