Open Thread Wednesday

By on June 4, 2024 11:29 pm in open thread

What’s on your mind? Comment away!

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  • Jorale-man

    A promising opening to Foodtown this morning. It seems like a really solid selection given the space and the prices were nothing outrageous on first glance. There's a small deli in the back and a nice variety of produce up front. The cashier I went to was friendly and best of all, the place looks clean. Hope they do well there.

  • Andrew Porter

    The windows have been papered over for months.

    Here's what it looked like in 1940. Nice awning:
    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/d9f7ccaca9e191873c5b198205c5bf65c45f1b49047cb7daa0f730e72b1be878.png

  • Andrew Porter

    Upzoning there would mean violating the Landmarks laws; not going to happen. Building a 50-foot high building is possible, through. The former 1-story mattress store on Montague had a building placed on top of it.

  • Heights

    Anyone know of anywhere in the area that is excepting old eye glasses?

  • Banet

    Came here to make exactly the same two points.

    First, Landmarks laws take precedence over any new zoning Adams proposes.

    Second, Landmarks doesn’t prevent someone building up to the max of 50’ if someone comes up with a design Landmarks approves.

    this is exactly what happened on Montague where Mattress Firm was until recently. 20 years ago that was a single story liquor store. It then closed and was built up to the current 4 stories and a Cosi sandwich shop moved in, which then became Mattress Firm.

  • Banet

    I bet they put the sales office in there for their new condo tower.

  • clarknt67
  • clarknt67

    The guy who owned it was getting very old. I marveled that he still came in to work. Hope he is enjoying retirement.

  • Peter Scott-Thomas

    Housing Works on Montague (between Clinton & Henry) always has glasses in a display case, but it may be that they are there just waiting for someone to love the frames enough to buy them.

    So, I dug deeper. Costco does; so does Warby-Parker (location on Bergen near Smith.) And if you work in or travel to midtown, this might work: "Grand Central Optical in Grand Central Terminal collects them for the Lions, and maybe an optician around the neighborhood would know or have a collection point." (Wish I knew for sure which of the 5 or so in the Heights did, but if you use one, it's worth a call. I'm almost sure any one that doesn't would know which one does. I'm sure it's a FAQ.)

  • Peter Scott-Thomas

    This is just a req. for information. Really.

    Could Fascati's or – if it ever happens – a new owner change its facade? Could any or all of those 3 (assuming they're wide enough, if there is such a requirement) tear down and build a 4-story building with almost no fuss?

    Last, was the big building at Cranberry and Henry pre-Landmarks … or are there some places in the Heights where taller buildings are legal?

    I don't mean to stir anything up, but if "Landmarks" is a major obstacle to adequate affordable housing in NYC, I can see it winding up on the same chopping block as certain high schools by exam only.

  • Jorale-man

    Yes, that had to be the loudest grocery store opening I've heard in some time. I wonder if it helped drum up customers.

  • Andrew Porter

    Anyone noticed that there are a lot of really loud crows in the Heights lately? Saw one duking it out with a smaller bird on Henry Street near Pierrepont today.

  • Andrew Porter

    I can't see anyone getting rid of the Landmarking law: there'd be thousands of buildings and many neighborhoods at risk. Political suicide.

    Single story "taxpayer" buildings might be replaced, but I'm sure many are owned by their tenants, or under long leases.

    Here's a 1940 photo of those buildings:
    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/2a5f9826366908656b435316a1a7118d410eafcb3b7ccc0c163b05b514f86a0a.png

  • Banet

    …with “no fuss”?

    No chance.

    Yes, these 1 story buildings can be replaced with buildings up to 50 feet tall. But whatever is built has to get past the Landmarks commission, which can take a long time and many costly revisions.

    It’s likely economically worth it if you can build a decent sized building – as happened when the Heights Cinema got replaced. Or the building on the corner of Middagh and Henry – but for a standard 25’ wide lot the economics are touch and go. But it happen, as I mentioned above, on Montague so it could happen with Fascati or or Fortune House or some such.

  • Mark C

    Anything there we can't get at Key or Fresh Start? Is there a butcher? Better fish counter? Prices any better?

  • Jorale-man

    I've only shopped there once so far but the prices seem comparable to Key Food. There is a small deli in the back but no fish counter. It may come down to convenience for a lot of people. This is closer to me than the other stores in the area now.

  • Banet

    The prices seemed 10% lower than Key Food on the few items I knew the price of well. Big sales on a few useful items to my household (Tide was half-price, Ben and Jerry’s was 2/$10).

    Maybe I’ll do a 10 item comparison later in the week and post results.

  • Peter Scott-Thomas

    There's also – well, I think it will still happen – the project between Key & Sahadi's on Atlantic, although I don't think landmarks figures in that one. Whether Fascati & the others own their bldgs or not, it's hard to see how this isn't "leaving money – lots of it – on the table." (Especially if 2 or all 3 went in together.) They'd actually have a park view.

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