An Optimistic Interview with Brooklyn's Real-Life Ghostbuster

You don't believe me?
Well, read this flier posted on Smith Street
(spelling mistakes included)

Attention:
Are you having trouble with the supernatural?
If so, call us: the brooklyn ghost investigators.
We will investigate, and answer all questions and let you know, If Furthur investigation is necessary,we will then let you know if anything else may be involved regarding clients matter.Such as house blessing, Or american indian smudgeing. (sage burning)etc.
for more info:
please contact sal

Say what? Are ghosts a real problem around here?
And what, may I ask, is a sage burning?
Or would I rather not know?

**********************************
Story Update

************************************

My story on the Brooklyn Ghost Investigator made it onto the New York Times'
City Room page today. But that's not all!

My blogger friend Morgan Pehme of The Brooklyn Optimist was so intrigued by my little post on the Brooklyn Ghost Investigator that he actually dialled the number on the flier. He called me this morning to let me know that he had talked to Sal Ciccone, the 27 year-old who will rid your home of any pesky spirits.

Read Morgan's wonderful interview with Sal here.

An Optimistic Interview with Brooklyn's Real-Life Ghostbuster

Technorati Cosmos: other blogs commenting on this post

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(photo credit: joe holmes on Flickr)

My blogger friend Lisanne over at Found In Brooklyn has posted some information on a meeting organized by the "Friends Of Bond" group. Concerned about rezoning, development and environmental issues, they are getting ready to fight.
Below is the information on the meeting. Make sure to visit her great blog.

IMPORTANT GOWANUS NEIGHBORHOOD MEETING ON MONDAY!

The rezoning of Bond Street is happening quicker that anticipated. Many of us in the neighborhood are concerned about the enviromental issues involved in the Toll Brothers Condo Complex. Just to name a few.We are concerned about our health (the site is located on a brownfield),the canals fragile ecosystem, the fact that the condos are being built in a flood zone with a major sewage problem, the fact that they intend on building before a new flushing tunnel is installed, there is A LOT to be concerned about. This meeting on Monday has some good people attending (see below)I urge anyone who is concerned about this project to attend.

It’s coming and it’s big.707 new apartments on the Gowanus.The Toll Brothers have unveiled their plan for a 605,380 square foot project between Bond and the Gowanus, Carroll and Second Streets.What does it mean for our neighborhood?

Come hear Craig Hammerman (District Manager Community Board 6),
Phil dePaolo(Community Organizer), Tony Avella (City Council member) address our concerned response the Toll Brothers development.

Help plan for the upcoming Pubic Scoping Meeting at City Planning on 13 March.

Monday, 3 March
Mary Star of the Sea
41 First Street (between Hoyt and Bond)
Community Room
6:30

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More Fun With Bikes

I am fascinated by broken and abandoned bikes on the streets of Brooklyn. I love the one on the photo above. The chain has popped off, the tire's inner tube is hanging out, the handle bar is totally missing, yet, it's still chained to the sign post.

But it's nothing compared to the beauty below!
A clear winner!

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Former Blockbuster Space On Court Finally Seeing Some Action!

Hard to believe, but the doors of the former Blockbuster on Court Street were open yesterday for the first time in a very long time. A construction truck was parked in front and a worker with a dust mask in hand was going in and out. Has a tenant finally been found for the space? And what type of business will open there?
It is actually a huge store with a basement level, slightly too big for a restaurant, too small for a supermarket. And we DO NOT need another drugstore.

Until we find out for sure, dear reader, let me quiz you on your neighborhood knowledge:

What occupied the space before Blockbuster occupied it?

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When Space Becomes Too Tight, It's Time To Move!

Do you sometimes feel squeezed in?
Don't have enough room to breathe?
Maybe it's time to move.

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Busy Day At 333 Carroll Street

Yesterday was a busy day at 333 Carroll Street, the building with the huge metal top. After months of inactivity, workers were spied on the top floor. In addition, bright lights have been illuminating the structure for two nights in a row. Pardon me for asking, but what's going on?

Carroll Gardeners still don't know what exactly will happen at 333 Carroll Street. The community has been outraged by the height added to the former manufacturing building being converted into condos. The fact that Robert Scarano, the controversial architect, was involved, is not helping matters.

On February 21st, a meeting was finally held at Councilmember Bill DeBlasio's office to discuss 333 Carroll with a group of local residents. Though the building's developer Fischman was not in attendance, he sent his General Contractor, Tom Link, and two Aguayo & Hubener realtors. Tom Gray was representing Bill DeBlasio.

Unfortunately, plans for the project were unavailable partly because it seems that architect Scarano is being replaced and partly because the height of the project is still being challenged.

Residents were told that the construction would proceed in a safe manner and that no one wanted problems with the neighbors. There were no firm timetables available for either demo or construction but they did indicate that there was a strong possibility of working on both Saturday and Sunday, if permits were granted by D.O.B.

That sounds just great, just great. I have the feeling the next few months will be very interesting, indeed, at 333 Carroll.

Related Reading:
333 Carroll Street Update: Scarano Out!
New Permit For Mr. Mezzanine's Carroll Gardens Carcass?
Revisiting Scarano's Carroll Street Building


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"You Are Beautiful" On Union Street!

There it was,
next to the weathered Pepsi sign.
At the corner of Union And Smith.
" You are beautiful"
Well, thank you for the compliment!
You don't look so bad yourself.

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Must Have Item: Williamsburg Savings Bank Piggy Bank

Don't you want it?
Don't you need it?
A ceramic replica of the Williamsburg Savings Bank.
Granted, it's a bit dumpy looking,
the clock is in the wrong place,
And it frankly looks a bit like....well, you know.
But it is an actual piggy bank.
Clever, no?


It was originally made by McCoy, Contemporary Ceramics in New Jersey.
I am not sure when, but it looks like it is from the 50's.

Need a house warming present for anyone who just moved into One Hanson Place?

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The Gate Thief Of Carroll Gardens And How He Was Confronted By Vigilant Neighbors!

A gate thief ? Yes, yes. Right here in Carroll Gardens. Let me tell you all about it:
On Monday, I received a call from a friend who lives on President Street. She and her husband were busy working in front of their house when they noticed a homeless-looking man milling about their neighbor's house. My friend observed him for a while, but since the man was just standing there, she went back into her own house. On a hunch, she looked out of her window after a few minutes. By then, the man was nowhere in sight and neither was the neighbor's iron gate.
Pretty upset (and disgusted,) my friends decided to take a walk to look for the man. They guessed that he was going to try to get some cash for the gate at the scrap metal yard on Smith, close to the B.Q.E.. Sure enough, they caught up to him at 3rd Street and Smith. He was carrying the gate on his back. Confronted by my friend's husband and by some choice words, the man put the gate down, but not before hissing that he knew where they lived...
Triumphantly, my friends carried the gate back to their neighbor's house where it is now safely stored and locked under the stoop.

Is this a trend? Just in case, my friend and I both alerted the 76th precinct and talked to Community Affairs Officer Paul Grudzinski. Of course there is no proof that the scrap metal yard on Smith would have accepted the gate, but we are rather concerned. The value of the iron is meaningless. However, the gate is original to the house and would have been very, very expensive to replace.
Since we don't all have such vigilant super-hero neighbors, be aware that this is going on in Carroll Gardens in broad daylight and watch your gate...





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Brooklyn Rush Hour, Circa 1910

Oh, how I love these old Brooklyn postcards.
This one is a favorite.
The caption reads:
"Jam At The Brooklyn Bridge During Rush Hour, N.Y. City"
No cars, but a sea of people.
Do you see all the straw hats?
Fetching!

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Snowman Remains Found On President

The evidence?
A single carrot on the ground
and a heap of snow.
No more, no less.
In a front yard on President street.


And in my own yard?
The first crocus of the season.
The daffodils aren't far behind.
See?
They are already poking their head out of the snow.

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Marty's Rats Still Going Strong And Playing In The Snow

It sure looks as though the rats of Brooklyn Borough Hall are having fun in the snow. Little footprints show that they are dashing back and forth happily from their burrows. Despite the efforts of a private exterminator hired to take care of these pests, evidence shows that Marty's rats are unaffected by the poison put out for them.They seem to be having a good old time. Rattus Brooklynitus! Tough and smart!

Related Reading:
Marty Switching Tactic In Fight Against Rats
Lots Of Rats At Brooklyn Borough Hall


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Behind the newly erected wooden fence at 340 Court Street came the sound of breaking glass yesterday. The windows are being taken out of the old building one by one....another step closer to demolition.
On a related (and brighter) note, the Union-Sackett Block Association is meeting with the Clarett Group on Thursday. From their blog:

On Thursday morning, the Union-Sackett Block Association Core Committee will meet with Daniel Hollander, the Senior Managing Director of Clarett Group, along with other representatives from the Clarett Group. The meeting will be held at Clarett's Manhattan offices and members of the USBA will reiterate to Clarett the importance of working with the community, express community concerns about design and construction, and prepare for another meeting scheduled for March, when Clarett will present its plans for 340 Court St. to the entire community.

There will be an update about this meeting later this week.

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Blogging For Change In Carroll Gardens

Take a look at an article in Crain's written by Andrew Buck. I had a nice conversation with him about two weeks ago. Here now his article on bloggers and their role in spreading local news...

From Crain's, Feb. 24

 B'klyn finds it takes an online village

Carroll Gardens activists raise ruckus via blogs; builders, politicians take
note
February 23. 2008 11:40AM

By: Andrew Buck

It didn't seem like a big deal when Bob Guskind posted a rendering of a
building for a site on Smith Street in Carroll Gardens several months ago.
But within days, other bloggers in the Brooklyn neighborhood had zeroed in
on the property. They uncovered fresh details, including the developer's
name and the luxury residential project's height, 70 feet, which would dwarf
the surrounding brownstones.

Dubbed “the heavy metal building” by Carroll Gardens bloggers, the
development quickly became a magnet for local groups and officials
determined to preserve the neighborhood's low-rise charm. In response to the
opposition, developer Bill Stein has replaced the original architect and
modified the design.

“It is amazing how a small community was galvanized after reading one post,”
says Mr. Guskind, whose blog, The Gowanus Lounge, was the first to carry an
image of the building. “Three years ago, this wouldn't have happened.”

It's a new day for online community activism. According to Katia Kelly, a
longtime Carroll Gardens resident and the sole blogger on Pardon Me for
Asking, the movement's strength lies in networking. Cross-linking posts lets
one person's message spread almost instantly. Blogs are also gaining power
as their content makes it into mainstream media.

“We used to have to beg papers for coverage on local issues, and if we
published anything ourselves it would be waved off as a rumor,” says Lumi
Michelle Rolley, founder of No Land Grab, a four-year-old, Atlantic
Yards-centric blog. “Blogs are now a natural fit for activists.”

Politicians are also in listening mode. Democratic Councilman Bill de
Blasio, who represents Carroll Gardens, recently began holding monthly
“teas” to meet with bloggers and other locals. Late last month, he proposed
an immediate study to possibly downzone the area.

That was good news for Triada Samaras. Within days of seeing the picture of
the development at 360 Smith St., she and half a dozen other fiftysomething
neighbors formed the Carroll Gardens Coalition to Respectfully Develop.
Among the details the group has uncovered is that the project will benefit
from a zoning rule quirk that allows it to be larger than normal.

CORD has gathered more than 3,000 signatures online calling for city
officials to recognize that a sizable number of residents want a moratorium
on construction in the neighborhood.

“The land-use and development process has not been transparent,” Mr. Guskind
says. “Blogging has changed that.”

B'klyn finds it takes an online village

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Back In The Neighborhood. What's New?

Back In Brooklyn!
What have I missed?
I know, I know,
the snow.
A lot of it this time,
not like the dusting we got last week.
What else, what else..
fill me in!

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Facing Perils On The Road Back Home

To get back to Brooklyn, we faced many perils. Here is just one of them. You see there through the windshield? This little orange pick-up truck was loaded down with a gigantic heap of old tires. A bit dangerous to say the least, especially because these babies were not tied down.
But somehow, they stayed stacked, artfully.
And we got home safely.

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Come And Set Yourself Down On The Porch, Y'all!

(photo credits: Max Kelly)

Won't you sit and stay awhile?

Spied along route 701 in North Carolina.
I had seen it on the way down South but missed my chance for a photo.
I wasn't going to make the same mistake on the way back home.
Actually, son Max had the clearer shots. (He has the better camera)
How long do you think before this porch comes down?

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Brooklyn On The Beach?

Cute little houses
right next to
a huge monstrous high-rise.
Brooklyn?
No!
Surfside Beach, South Carolina.

(Have the Toll Brothers been here?)

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Day Breaking Over The Ocean Down South

6: 30 Am.
First darkness
Then light.
Day break!
The sun slowly rising over the ocean.
Another day
Another chance.

I will miss the horizon
Back in Brooklyn.

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