Open Thread Wednesday 11/25/09

By on November 25, 2009 12:56 am in Brooklyn Heights
BHB PHoto Club pic by mopostal

BHB PHoto Club pic by mopostal

What’s on your mind? Comment below!

Share this Story:

,

← 
Newer Comments  →
  • Andrew Porter

    There are two churches in BH that had steeples but don’t any more. St. Ann’s, at the corner of Montague and Clinton, had theirs removed when the subway was built underneath. You can see a photo of what it looked like pre-subway on the cover of “Brooklyn In Early Photographs”, published by Dover.

    The other church with a steeple in early photos, but absent one now, is the Maronite Cathedral at the corner of Remsen and Henry, the one with the doors from the ocean liner Normandie. I’ve seen photos of this church with a steeple in the 1920s, but it’s obviously not there now. What’s the story here?

  • AEB

    I’d blame it on the DOH, Andrew.

  • wallard

    Judy Stanton thought it looked better without it.

  • nabeguy

    They swapped it for the doors. Made a good masthead.

  • Monty

    They traded it for the right to have parishioners park on the sidewalk.

  • http://selfabsorbedboomer.blogspot.com Claude Scales

    Our Lady of Lebanon, the Maronite cathedral, was formerly the Church of the Pilgrims, a Congregational church, which merged with Plymouth Church to form today’s Plymouth Church of the Pilgrims. According to Clay Lancaster’s Old Brooklyn Heights, Church of the Pilgrims was designed by Richard Upjohn, who also designed Trinity Church at Broadway and Wall Street in Manhattan, Grace Church on Hicks Street, and the mansions on Pierrepont Place. Church of the Pilgrims/Our Lady of Lebanon is the first building in the U.S. in the Romanesque Revival style ( a later example in the Heights is the Behr Mansion at the southwest corner of Henry and Pierrepont). Lancaster notes the “unfortunate” removal of the steeple from Church of the Pilgrims, but doesn’t give a reason.

  • http://www.melaniehopegreenberg.com melanie hope greenberg

    Happy Thanksgiving to Homer, Mrs Fink, Claude and the whole cast and crew of the Brooklyn Heights Blog.

  • http://selfabsorbedboomer.blogspot.com Claude Scales

    Thanks, Melanie, and a very happy Thanksgiving to you and yours.

  • Teddy

    Happy Thanksgiving to everyone at BHB.

  • John

    happy Thanksgivings to all the blogger’s in the Heights !

  • Homer Fink

    Wish I was having a better holiday — but thanks to Golden Hanger, an entire bag marked “dry cleaning” was laundered instead. Thanks guys for ruining thousands in clothing. Really.

  • nabeguy

    Oh, that truly sux. Sorry to hear that HF.

  • Homer Fink

    Been using them because “new guy” at Plaza is a total flake and was screwing up badly. Can’t catch a break.

  • nabeguy

    You tried to take a break from a dry-cleaning flake and your clothes ended up at the bottom of lake. Now, that’s just not jake. Sounds like a case for Judge Judy. In the meantime, you and yours enjoy your bird and have a Happy Thanksgiving.

  • Nick

    Homer – You’re right about the new guy at Plaza being a total flake. No problem with my dry cleaning, but the last two times I’ve brought in wash & fold they’ve shrunk my clothes. I asked them last week if they could just wash everything in cold and they charged me extra for it. What’s up with that? He also tries to charge me for an extra two pounds every time I bring in wash and fold.

  • Karl Junkersfeld

    On this wonderful Thanksgiving Day I give thanks to Maureen Dowd, Frank Rich and this wonderful blog headed by HF but supported by wonderful contributors such as nabeguy, AEB and many others to name a few. Their witty repartee provides a chuckle on a daily basis.

    Still laugh when nabeguy deflected a slight and made it comical a few days ago:

    TB
    LOL! you win gramps!

    Comment from nabeguy:
    Peace TB. Maybe you and I can share a round of Metamucil together.

    and this one in the same thread:

    TB
    Graffiti can be cleaned off most surfaces and painted out of painted surfaces.

    nabeguy
    Since you seem to be such an expert on graffiti removal, can you offer any suggestions on how to eradicate your posts?

    or this one just yesterday:

    Comment from David
    nabeguy,
    When or if Lou Dobbs ever calls you back be sure to let him know I use his “rant” not to thieve, but to spread his enlightened message.

    Comment from nabeguy
    Enlightened message? I said Dobbs, not Hobbes.

    You got to love this stuff. Thanks again Homer for providing the vehicle for these truly funny contributors.

    Also kudos to the brilliance and generosity of Claude Scales. His allocation of time and energy to this blog is second to none.

    In conclusion, I’m very appreciative that clever individuals still appreciate the art of writing in this age of….

    Wait how did nabeguy put it a couple of months ago:

    And, in this digital age, one that’s seeing the writing on the kindle.

    Happy Thanksgiving to all.

  • AEB

    Thanks, Karl–a Happy Thanksgiving to you, Homer, the BHB cadre, and all.

    I, for one, am particularly thankful because, last night, on entering Fortune House, I saw workers in the process of dismantling the interior.

    Turns out that a redecorating job will take place over the next two days, during which FH will be closed.

    I’m thankful because, with any luck, I’ll never have to see again:

    The year-round tinsel wrapped above-the-counter glass holder;

    The carpet, with its use-blackened “track” into the dining room;

    The soiled wait-for-your order banquettes;

    The high-80s light fixtures with their yellowed shades;

    The various “Chinese” tchotkes deployed througout the dining room…

    Of course, I fully expect the cloudy fish tank (with taped-on notice explaining WHY it’s cloudy) to be there post-re-do. Some things are not only priceless, but forever.

  • GHB

    AEB, those yellowed “80s light fixtures” are actually ’50s-’60s George Nelson bubble shades. And they’re not knock-offs. I hope they keep them!

  • nabeguy

    Thanks Karl. Let me know when you put together the Collected Wit and Wisdom of Nabeguy. I’ll be sure to autograph your copy first.

  • AEB

    Wait, GHB, you mean:

    http://www.ylighting.com/bub-xlsaucer.html ?

    Do the good folks at FH know? Still–everything has its own span-‘o-days….

    (Should I investigate the fish more closely?)

  • GHB

    Yes AEB, but vintage. They’re not in perfect shape, but they are real. Don’t know if the folks at FH have any idea. They’ve probably been hanging by the bar since 1959!

  • AEB

    Oooooo, GHB. Time to check out their dumpster. Though, when I passed by FH yesterday, guys were carrying thing out via a kind of fire-line, who-knows-where-to?

    I’m happy to report, though, that the carpet is no more. (The fish tank was however, in situ, albeit covered. They claim they’ll reopen by 3:00 tomorrow…..)

  • nabeguy

    When I walked by yesterday, they had the lamps puled to the side, which I took to mean that they were keeping them. Guess we’ll all know by 3:00 tomorrow. BTW does anyone remember what was there in 1959?

  • justaneighbor

    Homer, that totally sucks and I’m so sorry to hear it. I’ve been having pretty good luck with Lung’s, in case that helps.

  • heightsdiho

    Plaza hasn’t ruined any of our clothes, but don’t EVER use a credit card w/ them. They attached my card to someone else’s dry-cleaning order – twice. It was unintentional and I got my $ back but it was a hassle and I had to cancel the card to be on the safe side. I still go there but use cash or a check only. They’re still better than C. Coleman on Hicks St. – serial ruiner of shirts.

  • heightsdiho
  • Homer Fink

    Heightsdiho thanks for that tidbit.

    Also if anyone has photos of fortune house redo please send em over!

  • bklym20

    I try to use Best Cleaners, the tiny store on Henry St just north of Montague. Although I don’t dry clean too much lately, I have used them over the years and they have been the best. They are able to patch my jeans properly and unobtrusively. The very lovely woman who used to be there all the time seems to be gone, and the man there now I find rather arrogant. The store is decidedly mediocre for alterations, but the best option over all that I have found. Does anyone know of someone who is good at taloring and alterations for women in the neighborhood?

  • AEB

    FH re-do update. Your reporter passed the restaurant at approximately 8:20 AM. He peeked in and saw:

    1) Work still in progress. Will FH meet its 3:00 deadline? I DON’T THINK SO!

    2) Think pink! Many surfaces are now so-colored.

    3) The floor is minus carpet. Revealed: ancient parquet. Will a carpet be laid over? Stay tuned.

    4) The George Nelson shades are in place. In bright daylight, your reporter noticed that one has a large hole. The shades may be choice, but these iterations are OLD.

    5) Bar “woodwork” appears to have received a “cherry-wood” restain. So right with pink!

    6) Fish tank still covered. The fish have now, presumably, been asleep for forty days and forty nights.

    More to come, I’m sure.

  • Nick

    Is it just me, or does the coffee at Cranberry’s suck (not to mention overpriced)? I love some of the baked goods, but there coffee is just terrible black water.

←  
Newer Comments  →