Open Thread Wednesday 9/28/11

By on September 28, 2011 6:02 am in Brooklyn Heights

What’s on your mind? Comment away!

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  • beth

    Thanks for the idea, Eric! I also submitted a complaint to 311.

  • Willow St. Neighbor

    Also highly recommend New Excel. Jok serviced our car for years.

  • Matthew Parker

    +1 for Jok at New Excel. My car is there right now; limped in with a flat tire this morning and Jok took me first thing. Excellent service, fair dealings and prices.

  • ColumbiaHeightster

    Wrennie, yes, the name is offensively bad, but we do go to places called Noodle Pudding and Jack the Horse (and use blog names like “Wrennie”).

  • Elmer Fudd

    New Condos = no new taxes. Bloomberg lets them slide with tax-breaks for 10-years or more. It must be nice to be a developer, and get a big free ride at other’s expense.

  • Jorale-man

    To the point about the cell phone gabbers on stairways, I too am dismayed by the MTA’s decision to let these people on to train platforms. The money that cost could have funded an overhaul of the Clark Street, High Street and possibly Borough Hall stops combined (all of which are in varying states of disrepair).

    On a happier note, I can’t rave enough about River Deli these days. Had a great meal there on Saturday night with out of town guests.

  • WillowtownCop

    I guess the MTA doesn’t care about how many more of its customers are going to be robbed in the subway.

    Talking/playing with expensive gadgets and not being aware of your surroundings makes you a target. Please don’t be stupid about using the new service.

  • Pierrepont Joan

    @nabeguy
    The Cadman Plaza complex was built as government subsidized housing. The architecture is hideous, built on the cheap, and the rules for standards of low & middle income were illegally subverted.
    They remain an eyesore, totally out of keeping with Historic Brooklyn Heights.
    The new Condos are outside of the Historic Brooklyn Heights district, and have brought many young families into the surrounding area.
    I don’t see the problem. I may think it is an unwise financial move in this economy to pay $1-2 million for that kind of housing, but this is no longer your parents or grandparents Brooklyn Heights.

  • Karl Junkersfeld

    It is incredible the prices they are getting for the new condo’s on Water Street. For example, the Kirkland Lofts are adjacent to the power station in DUMBO. The area is terrible today though it will be much improved in a year or so. But next to a power station? Here is the current price structure and they are 55% sold. Incredible.

    Elmer Fudd, you obviously haven’t purchased an expensive condo recently, there are major taxes you pay at closing to the city and state upon a purchase of a new development.

    1) Mansion Tax”: New York State’s tax upon buyers for 1% of entire purchase price when the residential property costs $1,000,000 or more.

    2) New York City Real Property Transfer Tax (Note: Buyer pays this only if the unit is purchased directly from the developer):
    1% of purchase price up to $500,000
    1.425% of purchase price over $500,000

    3) New York State Transfer Tax (Note: Buyer pays this only if the unit is purchased directly from the developer):
    $4 per $1,000 of purchase price

  • Karl Junkersfeld

    Almost forgot, here are the apartments available at the Kirkland Lofts and their costs. Incredible, next to a power station. DUMBO got a major rep I guess.

    http://www.halstead.com/developments_other?numb=66357

  • http://www.grumpybert.com grumpy bert

    I saw a jack russell type dog off leash bolt down Remsen towards the Promenade around 5:30-ish. Wondering he got back home safely?

  • Cat

    @Pierrepont Joan: what all those “many young families” will soon find is that the city is not putting in the infrastructure to go along with all these wonderful new condos. Specifically, schools for their children.

  • Cathy

    http://newyork.craigslist.org/brk/pet/2622941709.html

    Somebody has the Jack Russell terrier. Hopefully the owner will see this.

    BTW, nobody returned my cat.

  • Teddy

    @Cat

    Exactly, these young families are moving here on the promise that things will improve. I have a feeling that these condos will turn into rentals someday, maybe even affordable ones, with many of these families relocated in the suburbs.

  • Bongo

    Anyone know what these new installations on the sidewalk are? They’re currently “protected” by little orange cones.

  • Jorale-man

    Bongo- I think the cones mark the muni-meters that are replacing the parking meters. There was a story in the Times the other day about how they’re phasing out the meters finally.

  • Brooklyn Boondoggle

    Why is it that I always see so many side view mirrors on the cars pushed in? I often come back to my car to find the street-side mirror has been pushed in. Who is doing this?? Why?? Is it something traffic cops do to “mark” certain cars?

  • Wrennie

    Ew, CH, are you actually mocking someone’s blog name? Grow up. Seriously.

  • Heightsing

    @ grumpy burt,

    I saw what I believe to be the very same dog running along with traffic on the Brooklyn Bridge roadway yesterday, at about 5:15 pm! He/she was running eastbound from Manhattan to Brooklyn. It looked surreal! Cars were slowing down & honking their horns, but the Jack Russell just kept going.

    I myself was walking home from Manhattan. I hurried off the Bridge at the first exit, but the dog was long gone by then. Glad someone else at least saw it.

  • gc

    @ Brooklyn Boondogle Street side car mirrors pushed in so passing cars or trucks don’t break them off . I often see passing truck drivers reach out and push back the mirrors if the street looks too tight to get by.

  • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UlsiLOnWCoI Arch Stanton

    Brooklyn Boondoggle,
    Most people push their mirrors in when they park, to avoid having them broken by a passing vehicle squeezing by the likely double-parker on the opposite side of the street. The rest are pushed in by the rare courteous drivers of said vehicles trying to squeeze by.

    Why do you use Brooklyn in your name when it is clear you are not from around here?

  • ColumbiaHeighster

    Wrennie, sorry to offend. It was a joke about names – nothing personal. So no, I was not actually mocking anyone.

  • Brooklyn Boondoggle

    @Arch Stanton You’re just jealous! I’m gonna be the bigger person here and not stoop down to your level

  • Pierrepont Poopster

    “Arch Stanton is a jackass” – Thurgood Marshall

  • Wrennie

    Ah, sorry for the misunderstanding–I’m still waiting for the world to create a sarcasm font. In any case–touche on your point about Noodle Pudding and Jack the Horse.

  • Janeonorange

    @Karl-
    Holy macaroni. Those are some pretty ugly condos and incredibly pricey. I am surprised you say they are 55% sold. Plus they try to sell it as being right by DUMBO, but the photos themselves show how far from the Manhattan Bridge they are. Can’t imagine who is buying them…

  • Wallard
  • Karl Junkersfeld

    JaneonOrange,

    I’m only the messenger on the 55% sold Kirkman Lofts figure:

    http://www.brownstoner.com/blog/2011/09/55-of-dumbos-kirkman-lofts-in-contract/

    I agree. Incredible.

  • Pierrepont Joan

    @Karl Junkersfeld & Cat
        The Condo buildings were built with shabby construction in a boom market that went bust. Sales have slowed dramatically, and many now have rentals. Those suffering “buyer’s remorse” have been unable to sell. We recently had dinner in a two BR in the Click Tower bldg. They paid $1.8 M Very small rooms, kitchen in living/dining area. The view was spectacular, but due to noise from the Bridge, windows could never be opened.  But it’s hip, trendy, and IMO is changing the character & quality of life here. 
         People paying $2 million for an apartment are not looking for public schools. In fact, the influx of these families with school age children has put a strain on private schools in the area, with at least 5-10 qualified applicants for every available place. 
      

  • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UlsiLOnWCoI Arch Stanton

    Brooklyn Boondoggle, What could I possibly be jealous of, someone who’s not form Brooklyn and couldn’t figure out something so simple?

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