Open Thread Wednesday 3/17/10

By on March 17, 2010 12:15 am in Brooklyn Heights
Flickr photo by sdspl

Flickr photo by sdspl

What’s on your mind? Comment away!

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52 Responses to Open Thread Wednesday 3/17/10

  1. Brooklyn1 March 17, 2010 at 4:07 am #

    The old police station on 72 Poplar is back up for sale. Looks like the owners will not be heading back to the Lanmarks Preservation Commission with updated designs. It is too bad that yet another project in Brooklyn Heights will be in a holding pattern. At least when the current owner was trying to present designs for the building there was hope something would get done.
    http://brooklynheightsblog.com/archives/11922
    Does anyone know if the current owner, Regal Investments, ever actually got the zoning changed to residential or does a new buyer have to start from the begining?
    Any update on the 20 Henry litigation?

  2. Remsen March 17, 2010 at 6:42 am #

    On the making due with what is next door topic (lack of fun bars in BH), owners of the new 5-Burro restaurant/bar (they have a location in Forest Hills) are planning to open in late April/ early May in the old Pit Stop location on Columbia St. They will be making use of the large backyard, so I am looking forward to some spring time open air boozing!

  3. jorale-man March 17, 2010 at 7:08 am #

    Does anyone know of a good jewelry store in the area where one can get a watch battery? I’ve had a hard time finding something and don’t quite have it in me to walk over to Fulton Street. Thanks…

  4. Allison March 17, 2010 at 8:20 am #

    There is a good jeweler on State Street between Court and Boerum. I have my watch batteries changed there.

  5. HeightsDiva March 17, 2010 at 8:37 am #

    I wish there weren’t so many kids and strollers around.
    I feel like I live in a 24/7 daycare or going to see Sesame Street Live every time I walk down the street.

  6. harumph March 17, 2010 at 8:58 am #

    HeightsDiva,
    Hate to break it to you – but you were once a kid too. I hear the Frick still doesn’t allow children in the museum – maybe you need art break?

  7. AEB March 17, 2010 at 9:08 am #

    As an ex-upper-west-sider, Diva, I can truly say that, in relation to that nabe, BH is relatively stroller-free.

    There, one had to confront daily a stroller army with many moms who felt they had an unchallenged right-of-way. Not their children’s fault, to be sure, but…..

  8. jorale-man March 17, 2010 at 9:19 am #

    Thanks, Allison! I’ll give that a try.

  9. HicksStRes March 17, 2010 at 9:21 am #

    We are doing a local move (BH to Dumbo). Any recommendations for reasonably priced and reliable moving companies? Any experience with “Low Rate Movers”? Thanks!

  10. justaneighbor March 17, 2010 at 9:54 am #

    HicksStRes – Sorry I don’t have a better reco for you, but stay away from Top Hat. The foreman was nasty and he tried to pull one over on me by attempting to charge me for all extras that the boss had waived. In addition, they put a few things back together incorrectly that didn’t need to be taken apart in the first place.

  11. No One of Consequence March 17, 2010 at 9:58 am #

    ahh,, April, 2008
    I didn’t think that was a current photo

  12. Bartmann March 17, 2010 at 9:59 am #

    @jorale-man, you can take out the old battery, and bring it to the Radio Shack on Montague. They will look at the number on the back of the battery and find you the right one.

  13. Jo March 17, 2010 at 10:05 am #

    HicksStRes-We used Movers Not Shakers. The pricing was a bit better than FlatRate and they did a good job. Quick and professional from lower Manhattan to BH.

  14. Teddie Boy Eddie March 17, 2010 at 10:07 am #

    HicksStRes,

    I’ve used Movers Not Shakers. They were quick, efficient, and didn’t seem over-priced, realtively speaking. They’re based in Carroll Gardens/Red Hook.

  15. brooklynite March 17, 2010 at 10:52 am #

    Stay away from Moishes. HORRIBLE!!! worst moving experience ever and I only moved 4 blocks!. I have had several friends use Movers not shakers and were very pleased with them. Seem to be very reasonable as well.

  16. Billy Reno March 17, 2010 at 10:57 am #

    Anyone know what’s going on with the Italian place going in at the old River Deli? The day Iris opened I walked past and there were workers installing a new bar and beutiful black and white floor tiles. Haven’t seen any activity since.

  17. Billy Reno March 17, 2010 at 11:00 am #

    “bootyful”…duh!

  18. It's good for the neighborhood! March 17, 2010 at 11:26 am #

    There’s never been a better time to don-8 to PS8!
    Help PS8 Win The Matching Contribution Challenge!

    FEBRUARY 26 through MARCH 26 2010

    Double or triple your donations with our Matching Contribution Challenge

    A generous PS8 parent has agreed to make a $20,000 donation to the PTA. However, there’s a catch. So we need your help!

    The $20,000 donation is a matching contribution challenge. This means it is contingent upon our raising $20,000.

    For more information, please go to:
    http://ps8pta.org/archives/000694.html#more

  19. fishermb March 17, 2010 at 12:07 pm #

    Anyone have recommendations for storage as close to BH as possible? Moving to a slightly smaller apartment in a few weeks and likely will need to put a few things away like luggage that I don’t need to have in my closet.

  20. Remsen March 17, 2010 at 12:18 pm #

    I had a good storage experience at Treasure Island in Red Hook

  21. Hicks St guy March 17, 2010 at 12:27 pm #

    Billy Reno: spoke to the lovely Italian woman from that new about to open restaurant on Joralemon, pressed her re: when opening, she said very soon! very sweet lady.
    jorale-man: the guy in the Clark St subway station mezzanine is a certified watchmaker, and has done numerous battery changes for me with no problem. have heard he can fix anything, especially expensive watches.
    finished reading The Heights, a fun, entertaining and thoughtful novel, recommended.
    p.s. why do the drivers in the Heights really, really s-ck?

  22. Boop March 17, 2010 at 12:47 pm #

    Anyone else having trouble with raccoons in their yards/on their fire escapes? There’s been a problem in the area behind Middagh/Cranberry between Henry and Hicks. I know this has been an issue in the ‘hood and the City for awhile now…any tried-and-true methods for keeping them away? Any suggestions?

  23. me March 17, 2010 at 1:33 pm #

    i’m new to brooklyn heights and can’t help but notice how many people still have holiday wreaths and lights hanging on their doors and windows. am i missing something? most wreaths aren’t even alive anymore!

  24. Homer Fink March 17, 2010 at 1:44 pm #

    BHB/Brooklyn Bugle Media just ponied up a BENJAMIN for PS 8. I hope that the BHB community will rally and help “make it rain” as I believe is the vernacular for PS 8!!!!
    http://ps8pta.org/archives/000694.html#more

  25. melanie hope greenberg March 17, 2010 at 1:59 pm #

    Bring the kids this Sunday March 21 from 4-6pm to P.S. BOOKSHOP for a Group Story Time with picture book illustrator/authors SELINA ALKO, MIRIAM COHEN, PAT CUMMINGS, MELANIE HOPE GREENBERG, AILEEN LEIJTEN, and MEGHAN MCCARTHY. LOCATION: 147A Front Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201 INFO: 718.222.3340
    This is a part of the month long Women’s History Celebration. Full schedule here:http://mermaidsonparade.blogspot.com/2010/01/brooklyn-celebrates-its-author.html

  26. AEB March 17, 2010 at 2:04 pm #

    Interesting, me. I’ve noticed the wreaths, etc., too.

    I would blame it on the BH zeit only to the extent that the place can seem rather timeless/cut off from its metropolitan neighbor across the sea (well, river), where things are constantly changing–where there’s a greater sense of impermanence.

    The other part has to do with people’s resistance to change. I have a neighbor downstairs who has a rush mat in front of her apartment door that smells and is turning to powder. At some point, I offered her an extra new one I had, and she wouldn’t hear of it. Not because she didn’t want to accept a gift, but because she wanted/needed to keep the old one/didn’t see that it was in deep decay….

  27. cat March 17, 2010 at 2:30 pm #

    I read The Heights also. While I would like to support a local writer, the only word I can use to describe it is: slight. Underdeveloped characters, gossipy, and forgettable except for trying to figure out if I knew any of the neighborhood people he described. I think he wrote a screenplay and called it a novel. I had looked forward to reading it and was disappointed.

  28. It's good for the neighborhood! March 17, 2010 at 2:30 pm #

    On behalf of PS8 – Thank you BHB/Brooklyn Bugle Media for your donation! I hope it inspires others to do the same. The continued success of PS8 is good for all of us in this neighborhood.

  29. Bartmann March 17, 2010 at 2:59 pm #

    Does anyone know what the New York City law is for playing a musical instrument? I have two neighbors: one plays the sax, the other a piano. I only really hear them when I am in the hallways.

  30. nabeguy March 17, 2010 at 3:53 pm #

    Bartmann, maybe you should introduce them to each other.

  31. othersideofthebridge March 17, 2010 at 4:04 pm #

    There aren’t any laws about musical instruments – just loud noise in general. But my coop specifies no loud music after 9pm. They even specify no vacuuming before 8am which I find really specific.

  32. Harry on Hicks March 17, 2010 at 4:35 pm #

    Why doesn’t Eastern Athletic Club on Clark Street clean up it’s facility?

  33. AL March 17, 2010 at 4:50 pm #

    Harry

    Why don’t you take a grammar course? “It’s” = It is. “Its” is possessive.

  34. laurie March 17, 2010 at 4:55 pm #

    I second the reco for Treasure Island in Red Hook. I moved my stuff there from Tuck-it-away and got the same space for almost half the price. It’s a much nicer facility too.

  35. Claude Scales March 17, 2010 at 5:29 pm #

    AL: You’re right, of course, but I think you’ll find acting as a grammar enforcer a well-nigh Sisyphian task. I find it daunting, and all I try to do is copy-edit Homer. Apostrophe misuse is one of my pet peeves, probably because it’s so prevalent (and alliteration is one of my weaknesses). For my full-court press on the apostrophe issue, see http://selfabsorbedboomer.blogspot.com/2009/02/lets-stop-abusing-apostrophes.html

  36. Joe March 17, 2010 at 6:32 pm #

    This year the wreaths and xmas decorations are out particularly late. Willow Street has a bunch of dried greens still hanging on doors and handrails. It mazes me that people have the energy to put it up but not the energy to take it down.

  37. jorale-man March 17, 2010 at 7:15 pm #

    Joe is right. On more depressing note, I’ve noticed lately that some of the streets that border Clinton have gotten awfully filthy lately, especially in early mornings when I go out for a jog.

    Remsen between Clinton and Court looks like a war zone with all manner of trash strewn about the sidewalks. The church on the corner of Clinton & Remsen as well as the health food store down the block seem to be particular offenders in terms of not cleaning sidewalks regularly. I realize there’s always going to be some litter on the streets but this seems above and beyond what’s considered normal.

  38. justaneighbor March 17, 2010 at 9:12 pm #

    Harry – inside or outside? Is this something that’s easily fixed? I was thinking of joining there but this may save me the trouble of the tour, etc.

  39. rebecca March 17, 2010 at 9:27 pm #

    does anyone know if cafe on clinton is reopening????

  40. Andrew Porter March 18, 2010 at 12:10 am #

    The church on the SE corner of Clinton and Remsen is not a church, but a residential coop. Presumably they have a super, though possibly not a live-in one. I think a lot of the trash comes from St. Francis students. Also, the scaffolding put up on the building at the corner when a piece of the facade peeled off (a year or so ago?) collects trash, and the stores are empty.

    A couple of days ago I passed at FedEx truck parked on Clinton while a delivery was in progress. The door to the truck was open and a very Christian radio program was on, extremely loudly. I closed the door of the truck, then told the driver when he returned. He was not pleased. Driver of the truck had a moustache. Anyone here experience anything like this?

  41. WillowtownCop March 18, 2010 at 3:24 am #

    Boop- my mother had a raccoon in her window well in San Francisco. Animal Control told her to put out a pan of ammonia with some rags in it so it won’t evaporate as quickly. They’ll leave because they don’t like the smell.

  42. WillowtownCop March 18, 2010 at 3:33 am #

    Bartmann- if you can only hear it in the hallway it isn’t unreasonable. I believe the sound has to be amplified for it to be a summons, too. Generally, for (really) loud music coming from a stereo at night, its a warning, followed by a summons, which may or may not involve the vouchering of the stereo at the officer’s discretion. The problem is, if they refuse to open the door, there’s nothing we can do. It’s not an emergency that would justify kicking in the door. You could sue them in civil court, but not for piano music in the hallway …

  43. John C. Wentling March 18, 2010 at 9:32 am #

    “Vouchering of the stereo”!?

    Geez Louise, only in NY.

  44. Bartmann March 18, 2010 at 9:32 am #

    @WillowtownCop,
    I think someone on this board wrote we are all a bunch of complainers.

    When I was writing my initial inquiry I thought that I should have specified that I was not bothered by the music of my neighbors. As a electric keyboard player myself (I wear headphones so no one can hear me) I was merely curious. In September I will be getting my old Bösendorfer Imperial from Vienna where I had it in storage.

    So when you respond: “if you can only hear it in the hallway it isn’t ‘unreasonable’”, it shows how conditioned we are to expect grumpiness.

    Bartmann

  45. lifer March 18, 2010 at 10:05 am #

    Hey, Rebecca….re: Cafe on Clinton

    http://www.brownstoner.com/brownstoner/archives/2010/03/streetlevel_loc.php

  46. Matthew Parker March 18, 2010 at 1:04 pm #

    Brooklyn Bridge Park Pier 1 is opening to the public this Monday, March 22nd!

    Early in the morning there’s an invite only ribbon cutting ceremony with state and city officials, then sometime later in the day the park officially opens for the public.

  47. James March 18, 2010 at 4:03 pm #

    I am still trying to pick up my clothes – yes, they might be smoke damaged – from the Laundromat on Montague that caught fire. Despite the sign on the door, nobody ever seems to be there. Can anyone offer assistance?
    Regards,

  48. Karl Junkersfeld March 21, 2010 at 7:32 am #

    Along with the BBP opening on Monday, OZU is opening up on Clark. Yes that makes 3 Japanese restaurants within a half block of each other. Grand opening is offering a 15% discount so that counts me in to try it. I love Japanese and generally take the hike to Hibino on Henry and Pacific a minimum of 3 times a week but if their sushi passes the test…..

    If you get a chance to look in the window, the interior is very impressive. I’ll take good food over nice environment but it doesn’t hurt. I’m not optimistic that I will prefer their sushi over Hibino but I’ll try to taste with an open mind.

    So Monday will be a trip to the BBP along with a visit to the Grand Opening of OZU at 78 Clark. Maybe I’ll bring my camera and provide a review.

    It is great to live in the Heights. Wish the weather would have cooperated better for the opening of the park but life isn’t perfect.

  49. No One of Consequence March 22, 2010 at 1:40 am #

    “good food over nice environment” = Great Wall

  50. WillowSt. March 22, 2010 at 4:06 pm #

    For the sake of consensus, I agree with AEB: compared to the Upper West Side, the amount of strollers in Brooklyn Heights is nothing. Also, more importanly, the moms in this neighborhood are pretty civilized and rarely use their strollers as steamrollers.

  51. HeightsDiva March 22, 2010 at 5:36 pm #

    Child free zoning for people who don’t like kids or want to be subjected to the screaming would be amazing.

  52. nabeguy March 22, 2010 at 6:51 pm #

    How about intolerance-free zoning for people like HeightsDiva?