Open Thread Wednesday 5/21/08

By on May 21, 2008 12:05 am in Brooklyn Heights

Considering that the BHB Community was off topic crazy this week, we’re not going to make any suggestions. Now — have at it! Comment away!!

Photo by Homer “Like? I want to Love It!” Fink

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  • No One Of Consequence

    I hear things like Gristede’s was significantly behind on their rent and the landlord was trying to get rid of them (but are now paid up and staying?) and that the fire was severe enough to cause structural damage, which they were also fighting over who was responsible for repairing (resolved?).

    Also noticed, that in true Gristede’s fashion, there were two 12 year old boys (visual approximation) wearing dust masks “cleaning up” inside this morning (actually, they seemed to be more goofing off than cleaning; throwing garbage around, etc.) around 11am. Shouldn’t 12 year olds be in school at that time?

  • since47

    I haven’t been on in a few days, so if you’ve already spent hours on this I apologize – but does that Gristede’s sign read:
    TO OUR VALVED CUSTOMERS?

  • Homer Fink

    Yes!!!!!

  • CJP

    Just wondering about a couple of neighborhood stores. I see Blue Rose is back where it was, Microsoft is gone as quickly as you can say “Yahoo” or “Vista.”

    Construction, or more appropriately demolition, seems to be underway inside Armando’s. What’s up with VitalDent? I peeked behind the brown paper over the window and can’t tell if work is proceeding or not. But the permits were from last May and some of them look like they’ve expired, but not sure what the rules are about extensions.

    And how about Bagel Lady? Can anyone shed any light on what’s happening there? And that huge basement space across from Gristedes. What kind of business could possibly go in there? It’s a big space but seems kind of inaccessible. Maybe a big shoe store or something?

    Korres looks great but I never see anyone in there. And Dashing Divas seems like a bright, happy place that opened pretty quickly.

    What’s coming into the Traviata on Jouralemon? Also the old Innovative Audio store at Clinton and Remsen, and the women’s clothing store that used to be on the corner (Strawberries?) Can someone explain how a landlord makes money by allowing a place to remain vacant for what has it been two years, at least? Why wouldn’t a landlord at some point want to cut his/her asking place rather than having a place sit vacant, unless of course the previous tenant is still paying rent on an empty space?

    And one more while I’m asking about vacant retail space. The old Independence Bank on Atlantic and Court. Demolition was proceeding at a torrid pace a few months ago. Now nothing. What’s up with that?

    Finally, and I mean finally, I got awoken last night by the removal of one of those massive demolition dumpsters. The truck has to put down the empty one, slide out the full one, load the full one, move the empty one to the curb and then drive away. Not in the same category as a screeching car alarm but an annoyance nonetheless. I’m guessing it’s perfectly legal to haul away these things at any hour of the day or night but dang the steel on tarmac makes a lot of noise. Presumably the truckers like to do it at night for the reason that there’s no traffic?

  • bornhere

    Not very “all inclusive” of Gristedes — what about the bivalve customers?

  • Topham Beauclerk

    I believe I can shed light on one of CJP’s questions. Concerning the old Bolton’s at the corner of Clinton and Remsen, the landlord intends to make a condo of what had been a office building. Not an easy undertaking.

  • Troubled Reader

    The Brooklyn Eagle and the Brooklyn Paper have both reported on the closing of the Key Food at Third Avenue and 95th Street in Bay Ridge. It is going to become a Walgreens pharmacy, much to the consternation of the community. Are other Key Food locations likely to go this way, or is this an isolated case? What was troubling about the story in the Eagle was that the Key Food in Bay Ridge was a crowded, popular store that one would not have expected to close

  • Monty

    Keyfood stores are like franchises. They are individually owned. I don’t think you can read anything into one location closing.

  • Eric

    Does anyone know the knife sharpener truck’s schedule?

  • nabeguy

    WIth the price of gas these days, I doubt he’s stilll in business. In any case, his hours and days were fairly sporadic, but generally he was in the North Heights on Saturday mornings.

  • bornhere

    He was on Joralemon and Henry last Saturday around noon.

  • T.K. Small

    This morning there was a fantastic racket of helicopter activity over Brooklyn Heights. The noise started just before 8 a.m. and lasted until 8:30+. It was so loud that I could not even hear my radio. Does anyone have any idea what was behind the commotion?

  • Homer Fink

    Accident on the BQE by Kosciusko Bridge

  • hoppy

    There were three helicopters doing several circuits around the harbor this morning; one of them was marked “MARINES” so I’m sure it was some kind of fleet week exercise.

  • T.K. Small

    Thanks, I thought perhaps the pope had made an unannounced return trip to New York City to celebrate the anniversary of the Brooklyn Bridge!

  • bklyn20

    I called the84th Precinct when it seemd that a military helicopter was about to land in my backyard (a few lblocks from the river.) It was the filming of the remake of “The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3″ (don’t recall the appropriate punctuation.) The movie stars Denzel Washington (good guy) and John Travolta (bad guy.) James Gandolfini is in it as well.

    I know this was in the air and apparently involved no parking spaces, but I do wish that film crews would post these things in advance so we can plan our mornings accordingly. Too utopian, I know…

  • happyhere

    Clark Street between Henry and Cadman Plaza West has been blocked to traffic to allow a cherry picker to carry workers up to the roof of 100 Clark Street. Brave souls. There was a Vacate Order slapped on one of the street-level doors below the scaffolding today. Is this poor neglected building finally going to collapse?