From PMFA's Mailbox: Looking For Photos Of Long Gone Carroll Gardens Pizzerias

Michael Berman, who writes Pizza Cetric, a blog dedicated to the perfect New York slice, is currently writing a story about Lucali on Henry Street and was wondering if anyone had old photos of some long gone pizzerias in the neighborhood.
The photos could be of the interior, the exterior or even of the pizza slice made in those establishments so long ago.
Michael writes: "I would (of course) credit any contributor and if they have only a print I could stop by wherever they are and make a quick copy photo."

In particular, he is looking for photos of:
*Frankie Penna's candy and submarine shop, and the candy shop that is now Lucali.
*LaBarbera Bakery
*Cristardi's
*Gloria
*Leonardo's.

If you can help Michael out with some old photo of any of these places, contact him through his website or email me at pardonmeinbrooklyn AT gmail DOT com and I will forward.

By the way, for those who are newer to the neighborhood:
I still miss Cristardi's to this day. Best pizza in the neighborhood for many years. It used to be on President Street.
Leonardo's was located on Court Street where Dunkin Donuts is now. They made a good brick oven pizza, but they didn't sell by the slice, which I never understood.
La Barbera was on Court Street where the Brooklyn Bread Café is housed on Court Street between2nd and 3rd Place.
And I believe Gloria's once operated out of the Casa Rosa location at Court and President Streets. But that was long gone when I moved here 27 years ago.

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In PMFA's Mail Box: Looking For Lost Stroller

Carroll Gardener Jamie just sent me the email below.

"I was wondering if you could post something about an uppa baby vista stroller being stolen from outside my apartment on Union St (b/t Clinton and Court) today. It was taken this afternoon. There are two carabiner's on it with the foam ripping off that would be the most identifiable parts of it."

If you have any info, send me an email to pardonmeinbrooklyn AT gmail DOT com and I will forward it.

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From PMFA's Mail Box: Did Anyone Lose A Bird?

Just got the message below from Nate, who spotted a green bird in his back yard area.  He writes:

I live on Carroll St. near Smith and have recently noticed a single small parrot or tropical bird has been spending time in and around my backyard [the collective block backyard bounded by Carroll, Smith, President, and Hoyt]. I've only recently noticed it and was wondering if someone in the area might be looking for their lost pet. The bird, I believe, is mostly green, with a dash of red. It could be colored a bit differently, but a detailed view of it has always been obscured by trees and bushes.

If you or anyone you know is missing a green bird, write me an email at pardonmeinbrooklyn at gmail dot com.

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From PMFA's Mailbox: Changing The Landscape Of Carroll Gardens Forever

I received an email from reader Phyllis Wrynn this morning regarding the 360 Smith Street development. I am sure she speaks for many in this community.

Dear Katia,

Every time my husband and I drive to Carroll Gardens, we pass the 360 (Smith Street) site, but somehow, inexplicably, I didn't know that it was a private development!

We have been working for 7 years against the monstrous development at Atlantic Yards and although we try to pay close attention to all of the issues that affect our low-rise Brooklyn communities, the 360 project was completely off of our radar!

We thought they were improving the subway entrance with some additional services. I can't believe how awful it is...and done by a totally discredited architect.

How did they get the permission to build such a high and dense building? How did this happen? Is it too late to stop?

It changes the landscape of Carroll Gardens COMPLETELY!

For Home Page, click Pardon Me For Asking

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"A Sleight Of Hand ": Another Reader Writes To PMFA Regarding Hannah Senesh Expansion

"Pardon me for asking, but I can't help wondering why the Board of Directors of Hannah Senesh would spend several years planning and millions of dollars buying and constructing a facility which did not meet their needs and which they outgrew in less than a year."
From the post Bill De Blasio Courtyard Caper Delayed

Dear Katia,

As soon as I heard what Carroll Gardens was facing I was very upset.

The layout of the front gardens of Carroll Gardens is one of the architectural jewels of the Old City of Brooklyn. The Old City of Brooklyn, what we have come to call "Brownstone Brooklyn", is the finest and largest collection of intact residential architecture of the 19th century, and in my opinion should be a UNESCO world heritage site.

That aside, the situation you refer to smacks of politics and money. It doesn't take a tremendous amount of foresight to realize the financial potential of the location. It is very close to transportation, and in a lovely neighborhood. If the school were to declare itself not in need of the property in the future, a large residential building could be erected.

A little bit more of political slight of hand, like politically connected Ken Fisher helping this group acquire a publicly owned property and politician Bill deBlasio taking more publicly owned land, could undo height restrictions.

After achieving these maneuvers, how hard would it be to move again to construct a huge tower on the enlarged footprint, with views of the harbor and an improved Gowanus Canal?

Actually, we should consider the move to steal the garden to be a gift. It alerts us to the long term plan that this group seems to be hatching.

Now is the time to stop them in their tracks and push for legislation that would prevent the site from being used for anything other than a school or other legitimate, non-profit use in the future.

That would be fun...seeing the disproportionate howls of protest from the group that is using it as a school (for the time being)........

Mitch

For Home Page, click Pardon Me For Asking

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"Worn Out By Horrendous Development Greed": A Reader Writes To PMFA Regarding Hannah Senesh Expansion

From Pardon Me For Asking's mail box:

Dear Katia,

So many of the critical Atlantic Yards actions through the long years of our opposition have come at times when people are otherwise engaged, that I have to assume that De Blasio read the playbook and assumed holiday distractions would keep people from paying attention.

This is NOT to be trusted...please suggest what we can do. If this proposal is allowed to happen, other such travesties will follow and the entire nature of our historic low-rise communities will evaporate.

For eight classrooms, they will alter the streetscape FOREVER...or is this just another ruse by developers...as they pulled off on 16th Street...connecting a development to a religious purpose and then after they got all sorts of waivers and privileges, changed the entire situation at the last moment, actually believing that no one would notice?

So worn out by such horrendous development greed,
Phyllis Wrynn

For Home Page, click Pardon Me For Asking

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