Brooklyn Heights Blog

Perfect Paws and the Friends of Hillside Dog Park held their annual Howl-o-Ween Doggie Parade today (10/25) on the Brooklyn Heights Promenade. BHB publisher Homer “Shaky Cam” Fink was there and caught the parade on video. The Phantom of the Opera was today’s overall winner and Giuseppe the airplane (and his pilot Matthew) won for best group.

We’re sure Hillside’s Matthew Parker will have more details here soon as well.

Proceeds of the parade go the the following charities:
• Friends of Hillside Dog Park
• Animal Kind, a no-kill cat shelter
• Blue Rider Stables, a therapy horse stable
• Brooklyn Animal Foster Network

More info at the Perfect Paws website.

Full list of winners at the Brooklyn Eagle.

During the “neckdown” construction project on Henry Street,  Karl “Add Urban Archeologist to my Resume” Junkersfeld caught a glimpse of  old timey cobblestones that have been hidden under asphalt at Henry and Cranberry for decades.

Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz took to the steps of Borough Hall to announced that a total of $2 million has been secure to fund Brooklyn’s first gay center, the Brooklyn Community Pride Center. Read more »

The Center for Architecture presents Context/Contrast an exhibit highlighting new buildings in historic districts approved by the LPC since 1967.  Brownstoner reports that it features the craptastic 322 Hicks Street and the controversial 125 Joralemon .

The Beatles never got back together.  The Dodgers haven’t come back to Brooklyn (yet).  But today a true miracle happened in Brooklyn Heights –  the Armando’s Lobster sign returned to its home on Montague Street.   Brooklyn Bugle/BHB publisher Homer Fink waged a campaign to save the sign, a fixture in the neighborhood for decades,  back in 2008 when the original incarnation of the eatery closed its doors.  Today, like manna from heaven, the sign rose like a phoenix from the ashes (or Mr. Byros’ storage facility) and once again graces Montague Street.  So, the circle is now complete - the lobster is back and the restaurant is great!

Thanks to BHB Newshound “robr” for the pic and to Karl Junkersfeld for the original tip.

A BHB tipster sends in this photo taken this morning at 20 Henry Street.   Construction has been halted at the site and a giant hole in the roof was recently repaired.

We’re looking into this developing story.  Anyone have details?

The Brooklyn Heights Association announced in the its latest membership newsletter that early 20th century “bishop’s crook” style lamposts will be installed at 229 locations around Brooklyn Heights.

The Brooklyn Heights Press reports in today’s edition that $650K in City and federal dollars are being spent to launch Phase 1 of the Historic Lighting Project which is  “advocated” by the BHA.  A total of $2.7 million is needed for completion.

The government funding is made up of $400K in federal Transportation, Housing and Urban Development dollars along with $250K from the NYC DOT.  That will allow for an initial 65 lampposts to be replaced.

Montague Street is currently lined with similar fixtures.  That project was funded by a grant obtained by Montague BID.

Updated Thursday at 4:50 pm

BHB just got word that the state Division of Housing & Community Renewal has rejected the landlord’s proposal to build a garage at the Riverside Apartments at the westernmost end of Joralemon Street.

Ken Fisher, the attorney for landlord Pinnacle Group, told BHB, “While we are disappointed, this is only the first level of administrative review at DHCR and we are confident that eventually our Landmarks Commission-approved project will move forward and will meet the needs of both area residents for parking as well as the tenants.”

The Pinnacle Group will file an appeal with the state “shortly,” Fisher said.

We now have the state’s full decision, Read more »

A BHB tipster sent us this photo of a notice posted at Riverside Apartments. It suggests that the landlord’s proposed garage project is dead. DEVELOPING….

Hey! I can sorta see my house from here!

We made it out to Governors Island yesterday via the free ferry from Fulton Landing.   We stumbled upon Creative Times “This World & Nearer Ones” art exhibit which is taking the island by storm this weekend.   Mrs. Fink and I were amused by Nils Norman’s tent installation by Castle William as well as the many exhibits in the island’s abandoned residences.  We hope that whatever the future holds for the Island, which is now under NY State control, includes preserving the intimate feeling and historic landmarks that it offers.

You can read up on and participate in future park plans via The Park at the Center of the World and stay up to date on park events via the Governors Island blog.

Hey Island historians — while we suspect that Poppa Fink spent some time at Castle William after being picked up for being AWOL (hey it was to see Charlie Parker, we think) from the Army in Times Square right after WWII, was it more likely he cooled his heels at Fort Jay?