Picture Of The Day: Sunny Forecast

A wonderful week-end to everyone.

Enjoy the sun and the blooms. Meet you back here on Monday!

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Best Comment Of The Day: Nightly Rumble

Anonymous has left the following comment on the post "Spiffy Brochure, 360 Degree Views And Steep Rental Prices At 360 Smith Street":

And you'd also be paying for the privilege of being vibrated right out of bed when the F & G trains enter and leave the station in the middle of the night...

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Planting A New Roof Garden At MS 442 On Hoyt Street

Samuel Mills Sprole school building on Hoyt Street

Getting the roof ready (photo courtesy of MS 442)

Dirt being lifted onto roof (photo courtesy of MS 442)

The roof garden this morning. The Center area is planted with native plants.

Students with young tomato plants.

Garden gloves for everyone

Science teachers Jason James and Maureen Anderson

giving advice as the students plant tomatoes

MS 442 Principal Deanna Sinito with students

I couldn't think of a better way of starting this sunny day than with the 7th graders at MS 442 on their brand new roof garden at the Samuel Mills Sprole school building at 317 Hoyt Street, between Union and President Streets.

This was a long awaited moment. The Middle Schoolers had started vegetable and herb seedlings in the classroom a few weeks ago, and now it was time to plant them outdoors in the raised planting beds on the second floor roof garden, which has just recently been completed with the generous help of Lowe's Corporation, Citizens Committee for New York City, Harefield Road, Architect Jean Miele and others.

The planting project involves all of the 200 students at MS442 and science teachers Maureen Anderson, Christine Bahringer, and Jason James. Under their supervision, the children had laid out their vegetable garden carefully, deciding beforehand where the tomatoes, broccoli, collards, basil, and oregano plants should be placed. The edible garden will be planted around the outer edges of the planting area for easy access. The central planting area is reserved for native, self-sustaining perennials, such as columbines, flax and coreopsis.

It was a real pleasure to see the kids so exited. MS 442 Principal Deanna Sinito looked on proudly as her charges excitedly dug in the dirt. It was clear that this rooftop and garden meant a lot to her, her teachers and staff, but most importantly, to the kids.

To everyone at MS442, thanks for allowing me to be part of this day. And please invite me back when you harvest the first crop.

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Court Street Festival: Don't Miss The Fun This Sunday

It's supposed to be a really sunny week-end, so everyone will be looking for outdoor activities. Whatever you decide to do, don't miss the Court Street Festival on Sunday, May 1st. Court Street will be closed from Union Street to 9th Street and 200 vendors, children's rides and music will take the place of cars. It starts at noon and will go till 6 PM. See you there?

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This Saturday, Check Out Third Street's 'Super Spring Stoop Sale'

Spring means 'Stoop Sales' here in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn. The season is off to a great start this Saturday as "Third Street "from the tracks to the canal" is having a Super Spring Stoop Sale. Lots of treasures, friendly neighbors, art bargains, and more. Check it out."

April 30 from 11am-5pm.

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A Moment In Time: Partners

A man and his instrument.

Spotted on Smith Street

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Best Comment Of The Day: No Colonial Williamsburg

MiMi has left the following comment on the post "Spiffy Brochure, 360 Degree Views And Steep Rental Prices At 360 Smith Street":

I won't be warmly greeting anyone. What is this, Colonial Williamsburg? Hahaha. Whatever. Would you like a biscotti while you park your Range Rover?

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Spiffy Brochure, 360 Degree Views And Steep Rental Prices At 360 Smith Street

Brochure images and renderings via 360 Smith Street

360 Smith Street +70 feet= 360 degree views. Get it?

Someone forwarded me the entire rental brochure for 360 Smith Street, the almost completed, quite controversial 70 foot building at the corner of 2nd Place and Smith Street.

According to an agent, there are no rental fees, the first month is free and utilities, except for electricity, are free as well.

Sounds good, but the rental fees are rather steep.

*Apartment G, a1,092 sf two bedroom, two bath apartment facing Smith Street goes for about $3,800 on the second floor to about $4,150 on the fourth floor.

*Apartment type A, also two-bedroom, 2-bath, is slightly bigger at 1,105 sf. It faces Second Place and costs $3,995 for the 2 second floor and $4,200 for the third floor.

*The J line penthouse at 1613 sf facing 2nd Place will rent from$5, 750 on the second floor to $6,050 on the third floor.

The rest of the brochure offers some photos of the area, some exaggerated renderings of the front of the building and of the rooftop, as well as some platitudes about our neighborhood, including this gem:"A close-knit community of long-time Carroll Gardens residents who warmly greet you from their 19th century garden brownstones."
One neighborhood friend chuckled when I read this last part of the brochure out loud. "Yeah!" she said "We have a special greeting here in the neighborhood. But it takes two hands..." (It's also called the Italian salute)

And one more thing....An eagle-eyed reader spotted someone who looked suspiciously like Bill Stein, the original developer of 360 Smith Street, standing in front of the site. It had been rumored that Stein was out of this deal, but he may still be involved.

Stein once told the Carroll Gardens community that he would occupy the penthouse apartment of 360 Smith Street because his wife "loved" the neighborhood.

Well, if that is still the case and he is moving in, lets all remember to greet him warmly (not) from our brownstones. Remember! Use two hands...

Is this Bill Stein (gray hair) standing in front of 360 Smith Street?

******UPDATE*****

Just got some additional plans and details for 360 Smith Street from a PMFA reader.

He writes:

Here are the renderings for the penthouses. They are all priced north of $7m per month.
The apartments are nice but not too well thought out. The bedrooms are on the smallish size (with the last bedrrom begin tiny) and there is an oversize a/c unit that takes up a lot of space. I did not think they were nice enough for the rents that they are asking. It will be very interesting to see if the Carroll Gardens residents will be willing to pony up these kind of $’s.

There are storage units on each floor. They are ridiculously priced @ $200 per month
There is indoor parking available, which is a pretty awesome feature

The roof deck has stellar view. Literally 360 views that take your breath away. However, the idea of a playground up there is probably not too well thought out.

Brochure images and renderings via 360 Smith Street

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Cobble Hill Association To Host Green Events This Saturday

Friend Paco from the Cobble Hill Association has forwarded me information on three green events held in the neighborhood this Saturday. Read on:

Electronics Recycling, Plant Sale, & the Brooklyn Bike Fest!

Saturday, April 30th, 2011

From 10am to 4pm, PS 29 & the Cobble Hill Association are hosting the Lower East Side Ecology's Electronics Recycling Event. We've spared tons (literally) of e-waste from landfills and hope to have the same success this time around. Grab those old computers, cameras, cell phone and properly dispose of them with us.

Then, walk over to Cobble Hill Park for the Cobble Hill Tree Fund's Annual Plant Sale, from 10:30AM to 3PM. Annuals, tomatoes, geraniums, hanging baskets, and a variety of perennials will all be available. There'll also be plant/tree identification activities for children in the park.

Still want more green in your day? Saturday, from 10 am - 4 pm, at Brooklyn Bridge Park will be the first-ever Five Boro Bike Fest.

This free, family-friendly event is open to the public and features live entertainment, classes, bike repair, and an expo with demos and giveaways. The Bike Fest is part of a fun-filled weekend that kicks off Bike Month.

Activities at Bike Fest
*10:30 Wear a helmet *10:30 Fix-a-flat *11:00 Use your gears *11:30 How to buy a bicycle *11:30 Chain maintenance *12:00 Adjust your bike for a comfortable ride *12:30 Stretching for cyclists *12:30 Fix-a-flat *1:00 Fuel up--gels, bars, beans, oh my! *1:30 How to buy a bicycle *1:30 Commute by bicycle *2:30 Use your gears *2:30 Fix-a-flat *3:00 Chain maintenance *3:30 Adjust your bike for a comfortable ride

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Work on Court Street's Five Guys Burger Moving Right Along

Forget those chi-chi Steak & Frites places around the neighborhood. That's so passé as the ordinary hamburger seems to be undergoing a renaissance. Two 8 Two burger just opened on Atlantic Avenue, Moo Burger is in the works on Court Street, in a space formerly occupied by a chinese take-out place, and just a few doors away, the Five Guys Burger joint at 266 Court Street is moving right along.

If hamburgers is what everyone wants, I say, by all means, let them eat burgers...

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Royal Fever In Carroll Gardens

I guess someone in the neighborhood is really excited about Friday's royal wedding.

Spotted by my friend Bruce at the south side of 4th Place between Court Street and Smith.

Thanks for sharing, Bruce!

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Picture Of The Day: 9th Street Mannequins

Under the Culver Viaduct at 9th Street

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Best Comment Of The Day: Italian Dialect

Anonymous has left the following comment on the post "Greetings From The Carroll Park Bocce Guys":

What's even better is when I pass by these gentleman and hear them speaking Italian (or related dialect), and I understand exactly what they're saying..and they have no idea that I know!

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Gowanus Canal Community Advisory Group Ratifies Charter

Operating Procedure Committee members:

From L to R: Craig Hammerman, Rita Miller, Steven Miller

CAG Neutral Facilitator: Jeff Edelstein

Natalie Loney of the EPA addressing the CAG

The April meeting of the Gowanus Canal Community Advisory Group (CAG) took place at Metro Tech last night and foremost on the agenda was the ratification of the proposed charter presented by the Operating Procedure Committee.

Since the CAG has been operating without a framework since its formation, it was recognized that a Charter was a high priority, not only to make the CAG more productive but also to give it more stability and predictability.

Operating Procedure Committee members Rita Miller, Craig Hammerman, Maria Pagano and Steven Miller worked not only long hours but long days on producing a carefully crafted document that stresses community involvement, inclusiveness and is devoid of hierarchy.

It also aims at striking a fair balance between progress and process.

The draft was presented by Craig Hammerman, followed by a question and answer period.

The CAG members in attendance then voted.

The Charter was ratified with a "YES" vote by 23 of the 27 members present at the meeting.

To read the entire CAG Charter, click here.

Related reading:

Gowanus Canal Community Advisory Group's Operating Procedures Committee Submits Charter Draft

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Shelsky's Smoked Fish To Brink Lower East Side To Smith Street

"No more schlepping for your smoked salmon and herring fix! Shelsky's Smoked Fish is coming to Brownstone Brooklyn!"

Get ready for Shelsky's. The new grocery is bringing smoked fish and herring to 251 Smith Street "with a nod to the traditional Lower East Side." The little storefront is right next to Oaxaca and once housed Handmade, a gift boutique.

No further details are available yet on Shelsky's web site or on their brand new Facebook and Twitter pages, so stay tuned.

Think this will do well on Smith Street?

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A Moment In Time: Cigarette Break

Taking a cigarette break

in front of Salon De Quartier on Smith Street

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Best Comment Of The Day: A Very Unscrupulous Bunch

Anonymous has left the following comment on the post "Exaggerate Much? Rendering On 360 Smith Street's Brochure Not Quite Reality":

This is typical for RE developers. My father was an architectural illustrator for years, and his clients were always asking him to do ridiculous things, like making the building seem shorter because they were pushing zoning, or plazas look bigger to attract buyers. He just did it because they wrote the checks.

A very unscrupulous bunch.

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Meet Local Artist Jorge Luis Cordero

On this sunny April morning, local artist Jorge Luis Codero had set up his easel right outside of his studio on DeGraw Street. Most passers-by expected him to be painting the Carroll Gardens street scene in front of him, but, to their surprise, he was working on a Tuscan scene, evoked from memory. "This is part of a series called 'Lived Experiences' "he tells me. "When I was young, I traveled to many places, to Paris, Florence and Sienna." Those long ago experiences are his inspiration now.

Jorge was born in Carroll Gardens. His family still lives in a brownstone on Sackett Street. He left the neighborhood when he was 19 to attend Parsons School of Design in Manhattan. Later, he spent time at the Paris branch of Parsons. Travels through Italy followed, but then he settled down to a 'white picket fence' life in the suburbs.

He moved back to Carroll Gardens nine years ago. He "feels like Odysseus in the Odyssey," coming home after many years away, he tells me.

He currently teaches at High School For Art And Design on Second Avenue at 57th Street and seems to truly enjoy this new chapter in his life.

It turns out that Jorge and I went to Parsons at the same time in the early 80's, though we did not know each other back then. Standing on DeGraw Street, we exchanged stories about our time there, our lives, our children and the neighborhood.

As I am leaving, he tells me to stop at Enoteca on Court Street to see one of his completed paintings, which the eatery's owner has purchased from him. You can see the photo of it above.

Thanks, Jorge! It was a pleasure meeting you. I'll be sure to stop by again for a chat.

And thanks to David at Enoteca, for taking the photo of Jose's painting.

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