Archive for ‘real estate’

Carroll Gardens Gets Levi’s Pop-Up Boutique

By Tobey, 15 February, 2012, No Comment

image via Racked NY

Sometimes shopping is funny in this hood. No doubt you’ll find the hippest clothing and accessories at our upscale boutiques. But sometimes, just unearthing the basics can be tough. So here’s a small compromise: Levi’s Made & Crafted, the brand’s premium line of denim, is now available in a pop-up shop in the back of the handsome retailer, Smith & Butler (225 Smith St.). According to Racked NY, “The spring 2012 collection is inspired by Levi’s catalogs from the late ’60s, as well as the west coat prep sported by Steve McQueen and Jacqueline Bisset in the 1968 police drama Bullitt.” The pop-up won’t close until summer, so no need to bum-rush for your denim fix.

New Kid’s Boutique to Open in Cobble Hill

By Tobey, 14 February, 2012, No Comment

It’s been years since anyone has set foot in the tiny storefront at 192 Amity St. Formerly an upscale shoe store (damned if I can remember the name), it is finally getting ready to reopen in a new iteration. This time as Picnic, a kid’s clothing boutique. From the website, here’s what to expect, “Inspired by lazy afternoons in the park and hanging upside down on the monkey bars Picnic is the brain child of owner Lindsey Engler. Lindsey, a new mom and Brooklyn resident had always wanted to open a small, neighborhood boutique and after many years of work in Manhattan’s garment district she decided to make the move shortly after the birth of her daughter Grey. Picnic isn’t just a boutique, it’s a mind set… we want kids to run barefoot in the grass, gaze dreamily up at the clouds and get popsicle stains on their lips. In short, we think kids should be kids.”
Ok, I admit, I thought they were going to be selling sandwiches, but I’ll certainly stop in. Look to see doors open by March.

More Cobble Hill Charter School Furor

By Tobey, 10 February, 2012, 5 Comments

UPDATE: Here is a copy of the official petition to block the Cobble Hill Success Academy. Though it’s fairly long, it reinforces the idea that the school should not legally be allowed to exist outside school districts 13 or 14.
A group of angry parents are suing to keep Eva Mosokowitz’s Success Charter School from opening this Sept in a neighborhood high school. According to the Brooklyn Paper,

“They’re not playing by the rules,” said Coleen Mingo, whose son attends the School for International Studies, which shares space in the school building with the Brooklyn School for Global Studies. “They’ve left us no other choice but to sue.”
The State University of New York approved Moskowitz’s plan to “open, operate and maintain” a new charter school in Districts 13 or 14, which include Downtown, Brooklyn Heights, Fort Greene, Clinton Hill, Bedford-Stuyvesant, Williamsburg, Greenpoint, Prospect Heights, and part of Park Slope — but not Cobble Hill, which is in District 15.
The city signed off on Moskowitz’s plan, but opponents say that approval is moot because the state never granted “Brooklyn Success Academy 3” permission to open in their neighborhood.
A spokesman for the Department of Education, which is also named in the suit, declined to comment, citing a policy about pending litigation. But a representative from Success Charter Network defended the school, saying there’s plenty of support for it in Cobble Hill.There’s already a waiting list of families who want to attend the charter school, said Jenny Sedlis a director with Success Charter Network.

What are your thoughts?

Sweet Melissa Closes Shop in Cobble Hill

By Tobey, 8 February, 2012, 3 Comments

image via Brooklyn Heights Blog

I haven’t walked by recently, but according to the NY Times, bakery and cafe Sweet Melissa, at 276 Court St., is shuttered for good. Though she has another shop in Park Slope, owner Melissa Murphy decided to close her original store because of rising rents in the hood. The expanded bakery also included the Cremerie, which was a nice stop for an ice cream cone on a hot day. Wonder who’ll be able to afford to rent such a large space on Court St.? Anyone have any thoughts?

And the Winner Is…

By Tobey, 7 February, 2012, 1 Comment

Thanks to everyone who commented on one of our posts last month. We picked a winner at random this morning for the One Girl Cookies Cookbook contest–congrats to Jessica of Brooklyn Heights. We’ll be sending a book straight to her home, and we hope there will be plenty of baking going on. Remember, the One Girl Cookies DUMBO shop just opened at 33 Main St. (corner of Water St.), so go by and say hi when you get a chance. Pick up a Whoopie Pie for us.

Northern Thai Coming to Cobble Hill’s Columbia Street

By Tobey, 6 February, 2012, 1 Comment

I’m always fascinated by how many Thai restaurants we have in the BoCoCa hood. And none have stood out enough to keep me coming back for more. So I was super, crazy-psyched to hear of the impending opening of Pok Pok Ny, a Portland, OR-based eatery featuring a James Beard awarded chef and outstanding Northern Thai street food. Known for its fish sauce chicken wings, it will open at 127 Columbia St. (in the old 5 Burro and Pit Stop space: so expect a big outdoor component). According to the Brooklyn Paper, “The new Thai joint will open by March, offering Brooklynites acclaimed dishes such as hoy thawt…and egg-and-mussel crepes inspired by street markets in Thailand.”

Red Hook and Boerum Hill Get Italian Newcomers

By Tobey, 31 January, 2012, No Comment

A wood-fired pizza from Sottocasa in Boerum Hill

A few new eateries have sprouted on opposite ends of our BoCoCa. I noticed the Ristorante Gancio Rosso at 228 Van Brunt St. last time I drove to Fairway. Though I haven’t been inside, it looks like a nice place to come for some hearty fare, with a menu announcing rustic Italian food and pizzas. Sunday nights, you can bring the family in for $11 “Sunday Sauce”–rigatoni, meatballs and sausage with ricotta. And Thursday through Sunday, a $25 prix fixe dinner is available all night (includes appetizer, entree and dessert).
Walk east about a mile or so and you’ll find Sottocasa at 298 Atlantic Ave (between Smith and Hoyt), which was recently reviewed in the Village Voice. More pizza, in the lines of beloved Lucali on Henry St., it serves brick oven deliciousness and a few salads to boot. The pizza oven had to be “crane-lifted over the building and lowered into the backyard because the old floors of the brownstone space on Atlantic Avenue couldn’t handle the weight,” according to the Voice, and the high quality ingredients (and selection of wine and beer) make it a perfect neighborhood joint for date night or an evening with the kids.

Brooklyn Heights Getting a Le Pain Quotidien

By Tobey, 31 January, 2012, No Comment

Coming to Brooklyn Heights main drag soon, an outpost of French bakery chain Le Pain Quotidien. According to Brooklyn Heights Blog, a reader actually saw the architectural plans from the carb palace at 121 Montague St. We’ll still be heading to Smith Street’s Bien Cuit for our fresh-baked cravings, but for those express train commuters and north Heights dwellers, this should be a boost to your day.

Safer Walk to Pier 6 Being Implemented

By Tobey, 23 January, 2012, No Comment

As much as we love Pier 6 at Brooklyn Bridge Park, we totally hate getting there. Whether walking on Columbia or Atlantic, the ramps to and from the BQE are always scaring the living stuffing out of us. And yes, there’s been some changes, but not enough to make it safe. The Brooklyn Heights Association has been working to make some fixes and recently sent out an email detailing four things they say will be implemented by the Department of Transportation to make it safe for pedestrians to cross the BQE’s northbound entrance on Atlantic Avenue–starting this spring.

Following a diagram produced by BHA President Jane McGroarty, the agency will: 1) prohibit the right turn on red at all times; 2) change the existing signals to create a dedicated pedestrian-only crossing; 3) add arrow signals to channel the left and right turning vehicles at this intersection. These improvements will make the intersection much safer, and we’re very grateful to the DOT for moving forward with the requests.
Before doing the above, the DOT plans to build up the triangular shaped “island” on Atlantic in the westbound left lane (the island is now marked with stripes just west of Hicks Street on Atlantic Avenue). Because this involves pouring concrete, it probably won’t be done before spring (2012), but “Jane’s Plan” is definitely in the works.

I know we’ll be grateful for these changes, though there’s still a lot that needs to be done.

Cobble Hill Getting New Middle Eastern Restaurant

By Tobey, 18 January, 2012, 4 Comments

All that is old is new again. This adage is especially true when speaking of the coming soon Middle Eastern eatery/lounge, Levant, named after the owner’s original region (including Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Palestine and Israel). The restaurant is taking over the space of current Middle Eastern restaurant Palmyra (Court St. between Degraw and Sackett) and the food will be Jordanian-based.
According to one half of the husband/wife ownership team, Sara Abus, “Our food is a bit different than Lebanese food because we use different kinds of spices. We do however have a particular dish in common called Manakeesh. They are a cross between pita and pizza, though the dough is made differently than pizza dough,” she says. “Our restaurant will be serving around 20 different kinds of Manakeesh, some which will be authentically Jordanian and others that will have some American influence. They will be served in twos or threes because they are smaller than regular, individual size pizza. Levant will also have a variety of mixed grills including Shish Kebob, Shish Taouk and Kafta. The Mazzeh (appetizers) will have around 10 different items including hummus and baba ghanouj. We will also be offering an Arabic burger which contains parsley and onion and is stuffed with feta cheese.”
Brunch will include Arabic breakfast specialties like ground beef with eggs, pastrami with eggs, and potatoes and eggs. And of course, there will be Falafel. Three different kinds to be exact: Jordanian falafel (made with chick peas and fava beans), Syrian falafel (made with only chick peas) and Egyptian falafel (made with only fava beans). Wine and beer will be available and you can expect it to open for business in mid-February.