Picture Of The Day: Floating On The Gowanus

Today, floating on the surface of the Gowanus Canal's fetid water:

empty plastic bottles

empty coffee cups

cans

plastic bags

a red ball

pieces of wood,

a shoe, 

a latex glove...

and much much more.

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Sad News: Mario Dandola of George's Potpourri On Court Has Passed Away

photo courtesy of bridgeandtunnelclub.com

Mario Dandola, A.K.A. George, in front of his store on Court Street

(photo credit: Allyn Howard)

George on Court Street

(photo credit: Allyn Howard)

George's wife Emily inside George's Potpourri's 489 Court Street location

(photo credit: Allyn Howard)

Sad news!  Mario Dandola, whom many in the neighborhood will remember as George of George's Potpourri on Court Street, has passed away this past Friday.  For decades, he operated his unique little china shop, surrounded by shelves upon shelves of glasses, plates, bowls and tea sets decorated with a myriad of patterns.   One could spend quite a lot of time just browsing through his incredible stock, and find all kinds of fun items one could not live without.

Until recently, George's Potpourri was located at 500 Court Street, but the space was taken over by Le Petit Café next door.  George relocated his store to its current location across the street at 489 Court Street.

He will be missed by many in Carroll Gardens.

Friend Allyn Howard, who knew George well, wrote a lovely tribute to him on her blog.  She writes: 

"It's hard to believe he won't be sitting outside his shop feeding the birds, including the maligned pigeons each day or offering an icy refreshment in the summertime. He loved being social and seemed to know about any and everything going on in the area. When I told my friend he was in the hospital, her daughter exclaimed "not the nice man with the skunks?!" He sometimes gave out little good luck skunks, made of pipe cleaner, to kids and some adults, like my mom. She's even traveled out of the country with hers. I have several myself."

For more about the man, please visit her site here.

I would truly love it if those in the neighborhood who knew him could tell us more about him.

500 Court Street, the former home of George's Potpourri

George's Potpourri at its current location, 489 Court Street

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A Moment In Time: Urban Fisherman

Near the Manhattan Bridge

I am not sure if they were biting,

but it didn't quite seem to matter to this urban fisherman.

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Forget Rockefeller Center: Carroll Park Holiday Tree Lighting Ceremony This Friday

Photo Credit: corydalus on Flickr

The Holiday tree in Rockefeller Center is much bigger, but the tree lighting ceremony in Carroll Park is much more fun.  There is nothing like twinkly lights, a bit of hot chocolate and caroling with your neighbors to get into the holiday spirit.  See you there?

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Whole Foods Coming To Gowanus After All

Whole Food To Proceed With Gowanus Store

Today's big neighborhood news is that Whole Foods is moving forward with their Gowanus Store at Third Street/ Third Avenue. The Whole Foods project has seen little action since 2006, when the national organic food purveyor announced that it was planning to build an approximately 77,000 square foot footprint commercial building housing a supermarket, along with a total of 414 parking spaces, including a 3 level parking garage.The store was tentatively supposed to open in 2008.
However, the 2.15 acre site on the Gowanus Canal has been contaminated with a plethora of industrial waste from a former coal yard, a petroleum oil company and a freight company. The site was remediated under the Brownfield Clean-up program in early 2010.
The project came to a stop once more when the Environmental Protection Agency declared the Gowanus Canal a Superfund site.
Today, the announcement came that the store would move forward after all, although with some changes.


From an email by Paul Nelson of Assemblywoman Joan Millman's Office:

It will be 25% smaller (52,000 sq. ft), with 50% less on-site parking (230 parking spots), and the roof with be a 20,000 sq. ft. greenhouse that will grow fresh, organic produce for the store. The building will no longer be built below-grade, which addresses a number of issues, including potential flooding and the now-remediated site. The reduction in parking eliminates the previous need for a separate parking structure and allows all of the parking to be at-grade in a surface parking lot. The store will feature parking for both energy efficient vehicles as well as specially designated recharging stations for electric powered vehicles.

There are no details on when construction will be begin or when the store will open. As soon as I get that information, I'll pass it on.

To read more about the announcement, head on over to:

Breaking: Gowanus Whole Foods Confirmed! (Brownstoner)

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Get A 'Spacial' Foot Massage And Other 'Treatmen' at New Happy 888 Spa On Court Street

Ad from Craig's list 

Get your 30 "minuts spacial" foot massage at the newly opened Happy 888 Spa at 145B Court Street near Atlantic Avenue.  Or maybe not...  I am all for spa treatments, but I can't say I am too eager to try this place, not after a Google search directed me to one of those Asian Massage Craig's list pages .  

Turns out that one may be able to 'enioy' more relaxing 'treatmen' than the usual massage at Happy 888 Spa.  Might make some customers very happy,indeed!

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Buy Locally: Artist Print Fair At Screwball Spaces

Holiday shopping is better done locally, I say.  Forget about big chain stores. Support artists that live and work right here in our own community

This coming Saturday, you will have the opportunity to purchase great fine art prints, photographs, cards, apparel and linens at Screwball Space, a visual artists community at 183 Lorraine Street, just past the Brooklyn Queens Expressway.

Over a dozen artists/vendors like Fine Artichoke will be making their wares available.  

There will also be an open studio and a holiday group show featuring over 40 artists at Screwball's Spaces Sweet Lorraine Gallery.

Screwball Spaces Print Fair

Saturday December 4th,

from 2 Pm to 9 Pm

 183 Lorraine Street, 

between Court and Clinton Streets in Carroll Gardens / Red Hook. 

F/G trains to Smith/9th Street Subway Station

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Happy Thanksgiving To All

The turkey is defrosting, my house is almost cleaned and the cranberry chutney is bubbling on the stove, infusing the house with a heavenly scent.  
I am thankful to be able to spend Thanksgiving right here in Carroll Gardens, surrounded by my little family. There truly is no place like home (except maybe a first class hotel in the Caribbean?) 
I want to wish you, dear Reader, a wonderful holiday and would like to thank you for your loyalty, your clever comments and for inspiring me to write.
I'll meet you back here on Monday.  
Cheers, Katia


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Come Out To Support A Brooklyn Bridge Park...Without Condos

UPDATE ON TUESDAY'S  MEETING  HERE:

Public Park Or Private Enclave? 

Last Night's Public Hearing On Alternatives To Housing In Brooklyn Bridge Park

It took decades of planning, of jumping over hurdles, and sheer determination by dedicated community members to get the beautiful new Brooklyn Bridge Park that we all enjoy now.  But one important hurdle remains: to deter the city from building luxury housing inside the park.  Because, truly, parks should be green, and free of personal interests, no?

The city says the high-rise condos are needed to pay for the park's maintenance. Not so, say those in the community who have been involved with the project from the start.

To understand the issue, please read the detailed letter below from Roy Sloane, President of the Cobble Hill Association:

Hi All,

For over 25 years, we in South Brooklyn have worked to secure a park along the waterfront. We are pleased that residents are finally able to access the waterfront at Brooklyn Bridge Park. But our job as a community is not over.
The city is still planning to build 5 more luxury condo and hotel towers inside the park’s borders, with two particularly non-compatible buildings at 20 and 30 stories high planned for Pier 6 at Atlantic Avenue. And despite what some may think, these luxury high-rise towers are not needed to fund the park’s maintenance. There are many solutions to “pay” for park maintenance. When condos came into the park all year round recreation came out. Landscaping replaced the two pools, the indoor recreation center and ice rink that the community had worked so hard for decades to get. Landscaping sells condos while baseball fields do not.
We now have a unique opportunity to regain the recreational facilities our children need at the same time tell the city planners that we do not want more housing inside the park’s borders. Residents are asked to come to two public comment meetings on Tuesday, November 30th at 6 PM at Long Island College Hospital and again on Thursday, December 9th at 6 PM at St. Francis College on Montague Street. 

These public meetings are critical to demonstrating yet again the importance of our parks, the real value they provide to the livability of the city, and to the actual dollars they “put back” into city coffers. The rise in DUMBO values since their part of the park opened is evidence enough of a park’s tax value. A recent proposal offered by community members – to negotiate a deal with the Jehovah Witnesses to develop their soon-to-be-abandoned buildings close to the park, for the benefit of park financing – is gaining traction. Other park funding models, including Senator Squadron’s park increment recapture proposal (named the PIRC plan) also offer relief from the draconian condos inside park borders plan.
But you need only come out and say no to housing, and yes to recreation! Please make sure that your voice is heard at the two public hearings:

Tuesday, November 30, 2010, 6pm – 8pm

Long Island College Hospital, 339 Hicks Street

Avram Conference Center, 1st floor

Thursday, December 9, 2010, 6pm – 8pm

St. Francis College*, 180 Remsen Street

Founders Hall Auditorium, 1st floor

Thank you, 

Roy Sloane
President, Cobble Hill Association

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Picture Of The Day: Culver Viaduct At Sunset

Culver Viaduct

at

Sunset

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