Former 'New York Perks' Space On Smith Street Is Renting For $12,000 A Month

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The space recently vacated by New York Perks, the slightly shady martini bar/ nightclub that closed its doors back in the fall of 2012 is currently being marketed by Smith Hanten Realty.

The approximately 2,500 square foot retail space with 25 foot wide frontage at 193 Smith Street has a large basement that was utilized by Perks for private parties, but the extra space below street level may not have been quite legal. On its site, Perks boasted about its 3400 square foot facility, but the business never got the necessary Public Assembly Permit from NYC Department of Buildings to accommodate all the extra customers.

(A Public Assembly Permit is required when more than 75 people [including staff] gather in one establishment. The PA permit addresses proper fire safety, egress and safety lighting and is issued jointly by the Buildings Department and Fire Department.)

The listing by Smith Hanten reflects the correct usable square footage and just mentions the basement as an extra feature.

What do you think of the monthly rent? A bit steep for Smith Street? Or just about right?

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If You Are Going To Ride One Of Those Big Dutch Bikes In Carroll Gardens....

...perhaps you would not mind parking it just a bit off to the side and not in the middle of the sidewalk.  There is a perfectly good bicycle stand right by the curb.  See it?
And perhaps, it may be better to not leave your child unattended sitting in the cargo box, even if it is just for a second.


In front of Canteen on Smith Street a few afternoons ago.

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A Moment In Time: Sidewalk Table For Two

Canine and master having a drink at a sidewalk table on Smith Street

(wasn't it just snowing a few days ago?)

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Mc Donald's Films Commercial On Smith Street

McDonald's was filming a commercial here in Carroll Gardens today.
Over the week-end,  'no parking' notices had been posted on Smith Street from 4th Place to around DeGraw Street and on several side streets.
This afternoon, there only seemed to be some filming activity at the corner of Smith and 3rd Streets.
I might have missed it, but was there more filming activity in the morning that would have warranted the elimination of all that parking today?

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Reader Points Out Traffic Problem At Intersection Of Smith Street and Hamilton Avenue

I recently got the email below from a reader pointing out a traffic problems at the intersection of Smith Street And Hamilton Avenue. The reader writes: 

I was wondering if anyone has ever given you info and complained about the two businesses at Hamilton Avenue and Smith Street? Benson Scrap Metal and Greco Concrete are always blocking traffic and have vehicles parked illegally on Smith, especially during rush hour in the morning.When they need to stop traffic for a vehicle they just have a worker with no safety gear step into the street and put his hand up. The 76 Precinct does nothing but try to give tickets to drivers for seatbelts or phones at the intersection and lets these businesses do whatever they want.

I have witnessed this myself. As a matter of fact, when I took these photos yesterday, trucks at both businesses were blocking part of the intersection, which meant that other cars were stuck on Hamilton Avenue, waiting to turn onto Smith.
This is not a new problem by any means, since both Benson and Greco have been on Smith Street or decades.
Has the problem just gotten worse?  What do you think?

Pin It

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New ATM Real Eyesore on Smith Street

It seems that every time I walk down Smith Street, I notice yet another automatic teller machine that has been installed on Smith Street. Reader J. alerted me to yet another one that was "thrown in" on the corner of Smith and Union Street.  And what an eyesore it is. 
It's bad enough that the installation looks less than professional. Even worse, a niche was cut out of the old brick wall in order to make it fit.
The Smith Union Market building is one of my favorites on Smith Street.  Yes, there are already billboards attached the side wall, but those can easily be removed in the future.  The ATM (and the hole in the wall) is way more offensive. 

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Sad News! Perfect Corner On Smith Street To Close After More Than Eight Years On Smith Street

I am sorry to report that Perfect Corner, the lovely framing store at 345 Smith Street will be closing its doors at the end of January.  Over the last eight and a half years, owners Joe and Marion Alameda have become very good friends and I will miss them very much.  They were the kind of business owners who not only knew their craft, but most importantly, they truly cared about their clientele and the neighborhood. 
The Alamedas did not want to close their business, but were not offered a new lease by their landlord.  
A sign in the store reads:
It is with great sadness that we are announcing the closure of our labor of love, otherwise known as Perfect Corner.  We would like to thank all our loyal customers who have walked through our doors since opening day in September 2003.  We will miss being part of this vibrant neighborhood and the wonderful art that we we were able to display that represents the best of Carroll Gardens.  And of course, to all the admirers that have appreciated our annual Holiday train displays, we apologize for not putting them up this year.

Unfortunately, we were unable to come to a reasonable negotiation with our landlord to continue our business.  Due to the time and expense necessary in putting together such a specialty store, we find ourselves not in a position to relocate elsewhere.  We look forward to the next chapter in our life.

Warmest regards,  Marion and Joe

Most likely, the space will now be leased to yet another restaurant, bar or chain store, the only businesses that can afford the ever rising retail rents on Smith Street. 
What a pity. 


Update:
Take advantage of Perfect Corner closing sale, going on right now.
***** 20% off all Oringal Oil paintings by Regina Perlin....20% off Roma Photo Frames....35% off pre matted photos....35% off pre framed art....50% off Prinz photo frame

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Huge (Plush) Rat Startles Pedestrians On Smith Street

At the corner of Smith and President Street

Perhaps it was someone's idea of a joke.  Maybe, it was meant as a comment about the overflown public garbage cans on Smith Street.  Or simply a randomly discarded toy.

No matter why it was there.  This rather large plushy rodent startled quite a few passersby.
Ah, life in the city!

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Reminder: Get Ready For The Second Smith Street Soup Crawl

Scenes from the 2010 Smith Street Soup Festival

Last year's Smith Street Soup Crawl was such a success that the event is obviously becoming an annual event. The date for the second crawl has just been scheduled for October 22th, so mark your calendar.The same great restaurants will be taking part in the event and will be serving their own special soups on that day.

From the organizer, Bette Stoltz of South Brooklyn Local Development Corporations (SBLDC):
"The Foodies of New York came by the thousands last year and they loved it. Who does not love a delicious soup? Soup is everyones' secret pleasure, but all to often it just doesn't get the respect and attention it deserves on the menu and in the reviews. So Smith's Street's Restaurant Row set out to do something about it and is once again dedicating an autumn afternoon to an homage to everything from minestrone to avgolemono, from lobster bisque to mulligatawney, from mondongo to pumpkin, from matzoh ball to gumbo, from Lunetta to Seersucker, from Provence en Boite to Chestnut , Raga, Bombay Dream , Sue Perette, and on and on.
This is also Smith Street's day of support for the wonderful high school culinary arts program they helped to found in the local public High School For International Studies. Students from the school will be selling tickets for 4 oz. "tastings" on the corners of Smith & President, Smith & Butler, and Smith & Bergen Streets starting at 1PM -- 5 tastings for $5.00, 12 tastings for $10.00, and for families with children -- 25 tastings for $20.00. Tasters walk from crock to crock along 14 blocks of Smith Street. The proceeds will be shared with the school to buy food for the cooking program which does not otherwise have enough of a budget to keep supplied all year.
In case of rain on Saturday the raindate is the next day (10/23) same times."
See you there?

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New Bike Racks Installed At One Of Smith Street's Most Dangerous Corners

Lets face it. Now that we have designated bike lanes all over Brooklyn, we need more bike racks. This morning, NY DOT crews were busy installing 16 racks at the corner of Smith and Sackett Streets in front of the Smith Street Deli.

That's cool, but why would the city choose to install new racks in a current No Standing Zone, right near one of the most accident prone corners of Smith Street?

For a long time now, neighbors have been complaining about that corner and about the lack of visibility for cars turning onto Smith Street from Sackett Street. Quite a few accidents have happened there recently, like the one involving an overturned SUV in June 2010.

That turn is problematic for bigger vehicles and especially fire trucks. The No Standing zone was supposed to help alleviate the problem.

Apparently, the idea was first proposed by the Sackett Block Association. Community Board 6 Transportation Committee gave the idea its full recommendation back in July 2011.

What do you think? Is it a good idea to add the racks to the No Standing zone of this already problematic corner?

June 2010 accident at that corner.

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Mark Your Calendar: Smith Street Funday Sunday Street Fair On June 26th

Get ready for the Smith Street Fun Fair, one of the neighborhood's favorite events. Mark your calendar and be there....

THE LITTLE STREET THAT COULD - DOES IT AGAIN!!

Smith Street Funday Sunday

June 26,2011 from Noon to 6PM

Not a tube sock, not a sheet, no massage chairs! There is something special about Smith Street’s Annual Festival. It is not just coordinated -- it is “curated”. We start with a street full of special shops with an eclectic variety of things you will want to wear, consume, eat, or otherwise enjoy --

and to that we add our BOCOCA neighborhood art and craft talent, community activism, interests and collections; plus the independent designers, the joie de vivre, and only the finest region wide assortment of vendors of merchandise you will really want to bring home.

We are eight blocks long -- deliberately not the longest or the biggest because we aim to bring you Brooklyn’s most exotically perfect bazaar!! Our businesses also aim to bring you fun – by sponsoring great local music and entertainment at four locations along the way..

Not to be missed is - Stinky Brooklyn”s fourth annual “Cheese Eating Contest” which will take place at 2:30 PM on the stage in front of their sister store Smith & Vine Wine Shop, between Sackett and DeGraw. That same stage will hold “StinkFest”, a day long schedule of entertainment with something for everyone -- all ages and tastes.

The BOCOCA Arts Festival will bring an array of local talent to Ceol Pub between Warren & Baltic Streets, Angry Wades will provide their exquisite choices of local music groups at the corner of Butler Street, and of course there will be salsa dancing to live bands in the street in front of Tony’s Hardware and Cibao Restaurant between Wyckoff & Warren Streets.

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Bringing The Caribbean To Smith Street: Presenting The Fire Escape Hammock

Got to love the way some people deal with summer in the city. Take for example the Smith Street resident who hung his/her hammock between two ladders of a fire escape. It may not be the beach, but close your eyes, imagine that the constant roar of traffic is actually the sound of waves crashing against the shore, and voila...instant tropical paradise.

Frozen Margaritas, anyone?

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"Men In Black 3" Throws Carroll Gardens Back Into The 1960's

photo credit: Jeff Somogyi

photo credit: Manny Simone

photo credit: Manny Simone

photo credit: Manny Simone

photo credit: Manny Simone

photo credit: Katia Kelly

photo credit: Katia Kelly

photo credit: Jeff Somogyi

photo credit: Jeff Somogyi

 

photo credit: Jeff Somogyi

photo credit: Jeff Somogyi

photo credit: Jeff Somogyi

photo credit: Jeff Somogyi

photo credit: Jeff Somogyi

A time warp took place in Carroll Gardens on Thursday and Friday. Parts of Court Street and Smith Street were thrown back into the 1960's* for the production of Men In Black 3.

Not only were the streets lined with vintage cars, taxis and trucks, but the street signs were changed to reflect a different era as well. Even the newspaper boxes were filled with papers flashing 1960's headlines.
Funniest of all were the 'fake' subway stations which were erected around the neighborhood. Apparently, Court Street has turned into Elmhurst Avenue, according to the sign on the station.

Will Smith, the star of MIB3 was not part of the high speed car chase scene that was filmed last night.
The filming of this one scene for the movie was rather disruptive, to say the least. Local residents were prevented from parking on several side streets as well as on Smith and Court. Many were heard grumbling about it.

By Saturday morning, most of the trucks had been moved and traffic seemed to be back to normal. More filming is scheduled for tonight on Court Street in Brooklyn Heights

Was anyone up last night to see the actual filming?


Thanks to readers Jeff and to Manny for sending me their great photos and for allowing me to post them.

*Apparently, the movie is supposed to take place in 1968. Previously, I had reported that it took place in the 50's.

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