Brooklyn Heights Blog

The hot mess that is One Front Street in DUMBO has lost its bid for a cabaret license, the Brooklyn Paper reports.   A Community Board 2 committee gave the application a big thumbs down last night.

Brooklyn Heights-DUMBO Brahmin/ Brooklyn Bridge Park Coalition board member/ former Fulton Ferry Landing Association president Gary van der Putten is quoted in the report saying, ““I have lived in the neighborhood for 25 years and I have never objected to any new restaurant or establishment … But what happens is that these kinds of places get cabaret licenses then, all of a sudden, they deteriorate into clubs.”

In a blog post prior to the CB2 meeting, the FFLA reports that “over this last weekend, local Fulton Ferry residents complained about booming vibrations and shouting in the street from what appeared to be two all-night events at One Front.”

One Front owner Marcelo Pevida claimed that dancing [for the community!] would only be offered on the second floor of the venue while the first would remain dedicated to dining. Upon hearing that one DUMBO resident in attendance shouted “we don’t want to dance!”

Bay Ridge congressman Rep. Mike McMahon got an earful on health care at a Town Hall meeting last night in his district.  Among those in attendance, Brooklyn Heights resident and former NYC Council Candidate Doug Biviano:

Brooklyn Paper: Perhaps the most climatic moment came when failed City Council candidate Doug Biviano — who recently lost his health insurance — begged McMahon to support a more expansive single-payer healthcare plan.
“If it’s happening to me, it’s happening to millions,” said Biviano, who handed the congressman 2,430 signatures of Brooklynites supporting a single-payer plan, which the Brooklyn Heights native dubbed “Medicare for All.”

Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz endorsed Michael Bloomberg for Mayor this morning.  Just a few months ago at the Brooklyn Hip Hop Festival, Marty was non-committal when asked about a possible third term for Bloomie.  However he was clear about running for mayor himself saying, “not this time”.

Get the full story on today’s endorsement at Cobble Hill Blog.

Queens Councilmember John Liu won the Democratic nomination for Comptroller, beating out Brooklyn Heights resident/our Councilmember David Yassky in a run-off election tonight.

With 99 percent of precincts reporting, Liu trumped Yassky, 56 to 44 percent. Only 227,489 votes were cast in the race, less than 10 percent of the city’s registered Democrats, according to the Associated Press. Read more »

City Hall reports on “40 Under 40: The Next Political Leaders of New York” in its latest issue.  Among them our new man in the NYC Council, 28 year old Steve Levin.  Sure, the election isn’t until November but his “opponent” - we think it’s Conservative Party candidate Elizabeth Tretter -  is nowhere to be found.

And as they say from the mouths of babes…: Read more »

In case you missed it last Spring, here’s a special edition of The Homer Fink Show taped at David Yassky’s Blogger Breakfast in May  (thanks to Michael DD White for the audio).  The NYC Comptroller Democratic run-off is tomorrow.

State Senator Daniel Squadron is hosting a conference call tonight, inviting all constituents of the 25th District to call in and participate tonight at 5:30 p.m.

On the agenda for the evening:

• Overview of topics from March’s Community Convention
• Buses, Subways, MTA Funding, and MTA Issues
• Pedestrian Safety, Street Changes, Bicycle Lanes, and Traffic Control
• Environmental Sustainability and Alternative Energy
• Parks and Open Space

To participate, you can call 712-432-3100, and use the access code 691380. Although this is an Iowa phone number, the call is free (the company that runs this service is based in the Hawkeye State).

Marc Hermann/BHB

He may have lost the Democratic primary in 33rd NYC Council District, but Doug Biviano’s campaign is still getting attention.  The New York Observer weighs in on the Brooklyn Heights resident’s outsider campaign this week where Biviano draws praise from an unlikely source: Read more »

Our man in the NYC Council /Democratic candidate for comptroller / Brooklyn Heights resident David Yassky comes out swinging against his run-off opponent John Liu in a new TV ad.  Amid concerns that the ethnic vote will be crucial in Tuesday’s election,  the Yassky team attempts to point out some alleged inconsistencies in Liu’s rhetoric.

The NY Daily News reports today that Flatbush residents have a huge hate-on for the old timey Bishop’s Crooks streetlamps that have been installed in the area in the last few months.   Montague Street is lined with the retro streetlamps and more are planned for Brooklyn Heights:

NY Daily News:  “It’s ridiculous,” said Kent Thomas, 24, of Flatbush. “The lights we have work fine. There are hungry people in this neighborhood who need help; we need shelters and soup kitchens.”

The antique lights, which are called bishop’s crooks, cost about $10,000 to purchase and install. Standard streetlights cost about $4,000.

About 250 of the 500 antique lights have been installed since this spring on Ditmas Ave., Westminster Road and Beverly Road.