Open Thread Wednesday 1/11/12

What’s on your mind? Comment away!

BHB Photo Club pic by tscola via Flickr

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  • tb

    FIRST!

  • OrangeJulius

    Every winter I think: Why doesn’t Siggy’s get rid of that depressing -looking brown toilet in their outside eating area. I guess it is supposed to be a planter, but it just looks bad. Probably a violation too.

    Anybody with me? I mean, it’s a toilet. In a dining area.

  • GHB

    Probably not a violation unless it’s used for, well… you know. Otherwise, it’s an outdoor planter.

  • Bongo

    Have we all become so jaded on the “rotating door” restaurant line-up at 46 Henry (last incarnation: Seasons) to comment on what looks like yet another refit?

  • Cat

    I just read the article in NY Times about MTA shutting down the 4,5,6 subway lines from 10pm-5am this week, Mon.-Thurs. for repairs. Riders be aware.

    http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/11/nyregion/new-york-city-subway-closes-for-overnight-repairs.html?hpw

  • Heightster

    Anyone see the beloved Noodle Pudding with a “B”! Think it’s going to hurt business?

  • Wrennie

    I noticed Iris Cafe has a grade pending sign–I wonder what that’s about.

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

    “Grade pending” is what it is. Look for it to change to a letter grade soon.

  • EHinBH

    I wish:

    -Heights Car Service on Henry would be shut down;
    -The empty store on Henry near Cranberry would be given to SOMEONE — isnt some cheap rent better than no rent for 3 years?? Makes NO sense;
    -The dirt oval in Cadman Plaza park would be developed into something with grass;
    -The Love Lane CVS would get cited by corporate management for being THE WORST drug store in America;
    -People visiting could find a parking space;
    -People living here could find a monthly parking space for less than the cost of leasing the car!

  • AEB

    I believe the toilet belongs to the limo biz, not Siggy’s. Or are there two toilets on Henry?

  • here

    Is it true “Grade Pending” means they got a C and are asking for another review?

  • GHB

    EHinBH can you elaborate on problems with CVS? I get me prescriptions filled there.

  • Wrennie

    Right, I understand what the word pending means. =) I’ve always been pleased when I go in there…I suspect those types of places, which don’t have full kitchens, are maybe a little more difficult to inspect. I’m hoping they don’t secretly have a rodent problem or something else gross.

  • Gerry

    I love the door in this pic it is an art deco building on Henry near Joralemon most likely futuristic when it was put in in the 1950s I love the building

  • AEB

    And EH in BH, re your second point, I’m afraid the answer is no. Assuming that the landlord has sufficiently deep pockets, waiting for the “right” tenant is desirable as commercial leases stretch far into the future, and money loss would balloon exponentially.

  • AnnOfOrange

    Both Noodle Pudding and Jack the Horse are having problems with the NYC DOH inspections. Items below are pasted from DOH Restaurant website. At least no citation for vermin or roaches. From casual observation neither restaurant seems to be experiencing a decline in business.

    “Critical” violations are displayed in red.

    Noodle Pudding: Violation points: 16 (Grade B 10/7/11)

    Sanitary Violations
    1) Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked fish and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation.(red)
    2) Food worker does not use proper utensil to eliminate bare hand contact with food that will not receive adequate additional heat treatment. (red)
    3) Plumbing not properly installed or maintained; anti-siphonage or backflow prevention device not provided where required; equipment or floor not properly drained; sewage disposal system in disrepair or not functioning properly.

    Jack the Horse Violation points: 35 (Grade Pending 11/4/11)

    Sanitary Violations
    1) Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked fish and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation. (red)
    2) Food from unapproved or unknown source or home canned. Reduced oxygen packaged (ROP) fish not frozen before processing; or ROP foods prepared on premises transported to another site. (red)
    3) Food not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display or service. (red)
    4) Sanitized equipment or utensil, including in-use food dispensing utensil, improperly used or stored. (red)
    5) Other general violation.

  • http://AskMaryRD.com Mary Hartley

    Hi Everybody,
    I am looking for office space one day a week from a medical doctor in Brooklyn Heights. Do you have any leads for me? Hope so! Thanks.
    Mary

  • Topham Beauclerk

    @GHB

    Why would you go to CVS when you could patronize City Chemist, a mom and pop business especially since City Chemist is in every way pleasanter than any of the chains?

  • El

    Where could I go if I needed to get some wood countertop from Ikea cut down?

    Also, any recommendations for a reasonably priced handyman that could install a shelving unit and curtain rods on brick walls? I’d do it myself, but I tried that last time and everything ended up secured properly…at the expense of a few extra holes in the wall. Ah, the pitfalls of DIY.

  • WillowtownCop

    If we’re posting wishlists:

    -I wish someone would put a good German, French, or Spanish restaurant in the Envy Salon space
    -I wish Overtures wouldn’t close
    -I wish people would stop running over my scooter and leaving it in the street and driving away without consequences like their car blowing up (which is what they really deserve).

  • willowstneigh

    CVS sucks. I am in the process of removing all my prescriptions from there and transferring to city chemist. I told CVS a countless number of times to take me off of their ” auto refill”, yet I still get phone calls everyday to my house telling me a prescription is ready to be refilled. I also went there the other day to pick up photos I ordered online to be printed… I waited at the photo area for over 10 mins until I asked an employee who was fixing the shelves if they could help me. The reply I got was ” Is the woman in the white coat there?” I said ” no..” at this point I thought the employee would go find the person but instead he shrugged his shoulders and went back to working. It really is such a shame how down hill that place has gone. The only thing that really stops me from wanting to leave there is the fact that if I were in another state and forgot my medicine or needed a refill I am able to call any CVS. all in all that place sucks.

  • Jon

    I live in the area. I need a good suit tailor recommendation.

  • Monty

    The DOH letter grades are a little meaningless. Siggys got shut down by the DOH last year purely for paperwork violations while a place like Great Wall has been cited repeatedly for live roaches. You pretty much have to go to the DOH website and read the specific citations to know what you getting in to.

    And I personally enjoy the Love Ln CVS. The cashiers are super slow, but the self-checkout machines are fantastic.

  • MonroeOrange

    Does anyone know if MichaelTowne liquor is now under new management? The reason I ask is bc I can’t believe how terrible the new renovations and outside display windows are now. Is this temporary? For years, if not decades, they had beautiful displays (for a liquor store). Will certainly hurt business, I have stopped shopping there as all the liquor is behind the counter, making it impossible to see. And no I’m not a raging alcoholic, just dissapointed at the ‘improvements!’

  • willowstneigh

    monty- have you ever sat at a self-check out machine while the stupid alarm went off and the top was flashing and not one employee came over to help you ?

  • Knight

    I like the renovations that Michael Towne did. I didn’t like the former layout, where you had to walk through the entire store like a rat in a maze in order to get to the checkout counter. And not ALL of the liquor is behind the counter. A good portion is immediately to your left as soon as you walk in the door. The new design lets wine enthusiasts browse in the back without being in the way of “quick customers” who know what they want before they enter.

    I like CVS on Love Lane, too. I have no regular prescriptions so I rarely visit the pharmacy, but the rest of the store has a much better inventory and variety than City Chemist. I also find that if you smile at the people who work there rather than treating them like servants you always get what you need from them.

  • willowstneigh

    Knight- not sure how asking someone for help is treating them like a “slave”. The fact that you don’t go there for prescriptions is exactly why you like it. If I DIDN’T go there for meds then i’d probably like a lot more as well.

  • GHB

    Topham, I’ve considered switching to City Chemist, just that I’ve been going to CVS for a long time (way before CC opened) and haven’t yet done so. I hear nothing but good things about them, so I’ll be switching soon.

  • Soulman

    I really try to patronize local businesses and so we went to the Brooklyn Heights Cinema to see “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo”. Loved the film, but had a lot of trouble with the audio quality. My wife, who has hearing problems, said she understood about 1/3 of the dialog, but I too, had trouble with some of it. The whole sound spectrum seemed very limited, lacking in clarity and muffled.
    I should add that I have good hearing for an old musician and generally haven’t found this an issue in movies at all – having seen a few in recent weeks in Manhattan. Thoughts? Is it just this movie or the theater?

  • Hicks St Guy

    @Jon, go to the tailor next to the Henry St. subway entrance in the St George Hotel.