Open Thread Wednesday

Good photo, Claude. I noticed the first few crocuses a week ago at the corner of the Promenade and the Montague Street entrance.

Here’s another photo of the Heights once upon a time. East side of Court and Schermerhorn, looking north, on Oct. 12, 1928. Then and now photo below:
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/d2a2b60345c4da2e3bb18312a28fe835ccfbb63b2224d53d25af42b5aba4cf98.jpg

I almost wrote this last week when this “note in a bottle” first appeared on this blog.

I don’t know how many lost dogs are ever found, but a wedding ring?? But if there’s the tiniest chance that someone either found it and is wondering or – are we at 1 in a million? – it’s still on the ground somewhere & someone picks it up – move this “post” over to Nextdoor – the website – because hundreds of Heights people are active readers. If 50 even see what you put up here, I’d be shocked.

Sincerely, you’re a wonderful friend/neighbor!

Does anyone know what’s going on with Heights Cafe? I know they closed down in January until indoor dining reopened, but now there is brown construction paper covering the windows… I hope they are not gone for good!

My guess is they are taking the downtime to do some renovations.

I don’t think this building has been converted yet. (Although I’m sure it will be.)

This conversion issue is a real problem for housing affordability but I doubt it has much effect on the mix/viability of commercial businesses. Cobble Hill has the same problem of conversions causing diminishing housing stock in brownstones, but Court Street is in much better shape than Montague. The real problem for healthy commercial real estate here is that the rents are too damn high.

I’m not disagreeing with the sentiment here but it’s hard for me to believe that the neighborhood’s density is decreasing because of some brownstone returns to single family. I mean, there are quite a few large ex-Jehoviah’s Witness properties that’ve been converted, alongside the major high rises in Bklyn Bridge Park, the former LICH site, several ex-parking lots, etc., etc., etc. If anything, I think that the density has increased significantly.

According to NYC data, the central Heights (between Joralemon & Pineapple) had a net loss of housing units 2010-2020. Zoom in on this map: https://www1.nyc.gov/assets/planning/download/pdf/planning-level/housing-economy/info-brief-net-change-housing-units-2010-2020.pdf

No cause is given, but if new units came available, then something needs to explain why even more units were lost. Or perhaps, there weren’t actually any new units at all in the central Heights, and just a few losses. Either way, not great news for affordable housing.

More coverage here: https://www.thecity.nyc/housing/2021/2/8/22273634/nycs-wealthy-enclaves-lost-housing-in-past-decade

A slight decrease in housing units but a large increase in household income, which can therefore afford to buy more on Montague Street.

The record-breaking $25 million brownstone at 8 Montague Terrace had eight units before it was converted to single-family. Vinny Viola sold it to a shell corporation.

Yes, the per capita increase means that more residents can afford Tango prices. hehe
One point I would like to make, selfish on my part, is the housing stock in the neighborhood structurally experiences a major upgrade when homes are converted to private ownership. Just looking at the street around my corner, Middagh Street, the transformation over the years has been nothing short of miraculous. We have come a long way from “February House”. Every building, with a few exceptions, has been upgraded through private ownership. A consequence may be less affordable housing but coupling affordable housing and Brooklyn Heights real estate seems a bit disjointed from a city-wide point of view.

https://www.curbed.com/2021/03/brownstone-shared-housing.html

problem solved

How many here never received their $600 Stimulus check (raises hand)?

Then there’s all the dog poop that appears when the snow melts. Everyone knows that NYC ordinance that you don’t have to pick up after your dog if they go on the snow, right?
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/8a310ded1171a9dbfd7730353e99c59bed7bb55efadfdb1dd2b8c54c4c423478.jpg

And at least for now, I’m pretty sure the Downtown Brooklyn residents – thousands of them already, thousands more “in the pipeline” would patronize Montague Street if it had anything like a healthy mix of stores … and some “magnets.” OK, Sahadi probably won’t ever have an outpost 5 blocks from the mother ship, but the “Loft” location has lots of potential.

Yes, the rents clearly foster the retail equivalent of predators – did I see a sign for a kind of pawn shop near the now gone Conn. Muffin? – but if that’s the “rock,” the “hard place” is online shopping.

The Times reports today that “normal” is clearly “in sight” now, and to me that means that multiple restaurants will be trying their luck there before very long.

The Heights will NEVER provide “good news for affordable housing.” I dare say – if it ever did, we’d switch from a couple of left-of-center good-hearted people to a torrent of “everything’s been ruined.” But on a positive note, entirely:

a) It’s surely not 2010-2020, because the City won’t have 2020 numbers ’til about 2024 at the earliest.
b) We’re part of “BK2,” one of the top 4 in the city in terms of POSITIVE growth.
c) There are a few big empty buildings by the Promenade – 1 may not be JW, either – plus, I think, a dorm for NY Law School on Monroe Place went “offline” for a few years.
d) I think at least one bldg on Montague (a tall one) was new that decade, so if the assertion is that “the Heights from Joralemon to Pineapple has fewer housing units,” I say, “Trust your eyes. They say the opposite, and they’re right!
e) 1 Clinton & plenty of other units don’t have a C of O yet, so 2011-2021 (accurately counted) will probably turn the orange to blue on that map.
f) if >50 units got lost to ultra-gentrification in the decade, I’d be very surprised.