It’s a good thing NBC’s hit series “Smash” has wrapped its first season. The city has imposed a two-month moratorium on film shoots in Brooklyn Heights and DUMBO—bringing a cease fire to movie-making in two of the borough’s most cinematic communities.

The Brooklyn Paper reports today that the clamp-down follows persistent complaints from neighbors about parking restrictions, lights, power cables and trailers.

“It is part of our office’s continuing efforts to weigh the needs and concerns of the community while supporting the jobs that come from film and television production in the city,” city film spokeswoman Marybeth Ihle said in the Brooklyn Paper.

Production companies have filmed few movies, TV shows or commercials since April 1, when the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment pulled the plug.

Mayor Bloomberg said on Tuesday that the film & TV industry has spent $60 billion in the city over the past decade, including $7.1 billion in 2011, while employing 130,000 people. But small businesses claim they’re not spending their money on local venues.

Read the full piece in Brooklyn Paper here.

Apparently, swiping iPhones from unsuspecting New Yorkers is sooo yesterday. The New York Post reports that Beats by Dr. Dre Headphones have become the du jour choice of NYC muggers. The high-tech noise-canceling headphones cost a risible $300-$500.

The Post says heists have been focused in uptown Manhattan, while in Brooklyn North—which includes Williamsburg—”there have been dozens of Beats heists over the past four months.” Word to the wise: The Heights has not been spared. According to the newspaper, “The thefts are going on even in trendy Brooklyn Heights, where a goon demanded a pair from a teenager after barking, ‘Give me your Beats!’ April 17. After the victim turned them over, he was punched in the face.”

The rapper’s branded headphones have become a status symbol, according to a police source, and are being nabbed from kiddies at an alarming rate since the latest model hit the market at Christmas. They’re typically snatched aboard subways or as teens walk to and from school. “If you are wearing those headphones, you might as well wear a sign that says, ‘Come and rob me,’” an investigator said.

Despite repeated calls to 311 since the beginning of March, a mangled street sign at the high-profile corner of Montague Street & Montague Terrace in Brooklyn Heights remains a disreputable eyesore.

Whether a keen example of psychokinesis (think spoon bending) or a careless truck turning the corner, this signage, which marks one of the Promenade’s grand entrances, merits repair. If anyone else cares to rally, I’d be thrilled for a 311 blitz from Heights’ residents. My attempts have obviously amounted to nothing. Power of the people!

(Photo: Chuck Taylor)

We have been contacted to assist in a search for Patti Ellen Rosen (photo is unfortunately the best available), a former resident of 40 Clinton Street, last seen in early 2010. Ms. Rosen would now be 57 years old (her hair would likely be grayer than in the photo), is a graduate of Hunter College, and she enjoyed feeding the birds in Cadman Plaza Park.

We have been assured, to our satisfaction, that this search is being conducted for a reason that would be beneficial to Ms. Rosen were she to be found. If you have any information that could be helpful, please contact Cynthia Webster at info@reynardgroup.com

Once again, Macy’s has decided that its annual 4th of July Fireworks spectacular will entertain viewers along the Hudson River facing New Jersey, rather than the West River toward the New York City borough of Brooklyn.

A public rally Monday from elected Kings County officials and neighborhood leaders from Brooklyn’s waterfront communities gathered a collective voice to show disdain over the NYC-based department store’s ongoing snub. In 2009, Macy’s relocated its Independence Day tradition to the Hudson to commemorate Henry Hudson’s exploration of the waterway 400 years ago—and has kept it there ever since.

State Sen. Daniel Squadron (D–Brooklyn Heights), declared, “The New York City firework show should be city-wide. Right now, New Jersey gets to enjoy the fireworks while Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx are left out of the party. That is simply unacceptable.”

As The Brooklyn Paper reports, “Brooklynites can’t fathom why a borough with a booming waterfront that could boast perfect views of rockets red glare from Red Hook to Greenpoint—not to mention acres of new parkland ideal for fireworks-gazing at Brooklyn Bridge Park—keeps seeing its July 4 dreams go up in smoke.”

Doreen Gallow, executive director of the DUMBO Neighborhood Alliance, added, “It is long overdue that the Fourth of July fireworks return home to the Brooklyn Bridge, an iconic setting that typifies the spirit of July 4 and represents the unity of NYC.”

Macy’s response is the same as last year: It says the current location isn’t set in stone. “Exclusively limiting the show to any particular area would greatly hinder the creative freedom that has made it the nation’s best and largest Independence Day display,” said spokesman Orlando Veras. “Macy’s Fireworks will continue to take place in and around all of New York City’s waterways, and will not be a permanent fixture in any one location.”

Boom… hiss…

Despite the fact that it’s based in neighboring DUMBO, bi-weekly arts & culture freebie The L Magazine apparently doesn’t think much of Brooklyn Heights. The pub ran a feature on “The 50 Best Blocks in Brooklyn,” including the likes of Best Secret Block, Best People Watching, Best Block for Brownstones, Reddest & Bluest Blocks, Best Blocks for Pretending It’s the 1970s & the 19th Century, and Most Literary Block.

While there’s a decidedly hipster demeanor to the piece, it’s surprising that with inclusion of most every nabe imaginable—from Fort Greene, Sunset Park and Bay Ridge to East New York, Cobble Hill and Park Slope—Brooklyn Heights merits not a single accolade in L’s top 45 tally. A second list to cap the top 50 offers the 5 Best Blocks To Live On, which does offer the Heights a shout-out. The block the L Word showcases is Cranberry Street, between Willow and Columbia Heights.

The descriptor: “At the conclusion of the Battle of Brooklyn, as British troops encircled the Continental Army’s encampments on the Heights, Washington and his men beat a daring retreat across the East River back to Manhattan, marking the last time anyone willingly vacated real estate in this neighborhood.”

Hmmm, if that’s the best they got, perhaps Brooklyn Heights was spared, not overlooked.

One nitwit driver, six fire engines… A motorist behind the wheel of a Dodge SUV apparently decided the 4 p.m. hour Tuesday would be an ideal occasion to drive over a median strip along Cadman Plaza West at the intersection of Pierrepont Street, snarling traffic just in time for the evening rush.

The female driver, who was by herself in the silver Dodge Journey, was making a left turn from Piereppont and drove clear over a triangular concrete median on Cadman Plaza West, which dismantled the majority of her front bumper and left the SUV lodged across the median. At least a half dozen fire engines responded, as the driver remained inside the car, unscathed, albeit perhaps in need of remedial driver training.

When BHB questioned a Fire Department crew member about what had gone down at the scene, adding, “Are you kidding me?” the officer’s response was, “You’re seeing the same thing we are,” accompanied by a dedicated smirk. That would be about the same time the word “nitwit” appeared in your reporter’s mind’s eye… recognizing that utilizing such language on the Brooklyn Heights Blog might be deemed editorializing… albeit the god’s honest truth, yes?

We have a message from Ramen Cromwell, owner of 1-1/2-year-old Shiba Inu Lili, who tells us she has been returned to her appreciative owner. Lili slipped from her collar Tuesday night, February 7, while out with her walker.

Ramen shares the tail, uh, tale, that led to Lili’s return: A couple saw her in the neighborhood and pursued the shy critter to come to them. They were unsure of the dog’s owner, since her collar was missing, and believed she might have been abandoned. Meanwhile, Ramen says, “ We spent two long nights putting up signs and registering with every dog finder site and organization we could find. A big tip came in when someone who saw a flyer reported he had seen a dog matching Lili’s description appear in his building.”

Ultimately, when the couple that had possession of Lili took her to One Love Animal Hospital—“now fully attached and hoping to clear her for themselves”—the vet discovered her chip, which led Lili back to her rightful owners.

Ramen offers to all: “Much thanks to everyone who helped and gave us their support and especially the couple who chased her down, which reunited us.”

This in from reader Kate, who has found a cat (not BeeBop):

For the past two nights, a large white and gray/black striped cat has visited our back yard (on Pierrepont, between Willow and Columbia Heights). S/he has dense, short hair and an unusually shaped face. We have given this sweet cat lots of food, but have been unable to capture him/her to being him/her inside. However, we managed to get the attached picture.

This cat definitely seems to us to be domesticated, and while s/he has no tags, we suspect that s/he could be lost. We expect that s/he will return for more food tomorrow evening, and we would love to help reunite this cat with his/her
family! Please let us know ((917) 628-9665) if you recognize this cat.

Thank you very much!

Mrs. Fink snapped this photo of a sign on Henry Street near Clark requesting that someone “fix or disconnect” their “alarm system” as it is “violating the peace and quiet of the neighborhood continuously.” No word on if this is a store, home or car alarm in question.

This just in from Notify NYC:

Tomorrow between 10AM-3PM, New York City OEM and the federal government (FEMA) will test the Wireless Emergency Alert System, a new system that allows authorized officials to send alerts to enabled mobile phones. Depending on the model of your phone and carrier you may receive TEST messages. These messages will look similar to a text message and be accompanied by audible alerts. For more info see attached, or contact your mobile service provider.

The attachment is here.

Notify NYC has given us the following alert, along with the helpful photo at left, in case you don’t know what a blimp looks like.

Weather permitting, the U.S. Navy and the FAA will conduct capabilities flights using a U.S. Navy MZ-3A Airship (a blimp) in and around NYC tomorrow, 11/09/11, from 9:00 AM-4:30 PM. The flights will be based out of Floyd Bennett Field, Brooklyn, and will operate at altitudes of 1,000 feet and below.

A clip of Captain Beefheart’s classic “The Blimp (Mousetrapreplica)” follows the jump.

Brooklyn Bugle contributor/Brooklyn Heights resident/Homer’s pal/ Celine Dion fan Chuck Taylor reports on his adventure today at the Montague Street Key Food.

Baby Fink and I were there earlier today, stocked up on our favorite Ella’s Kitchen baby food (hey, great for grownups too if the Endtimes come) and bought two loaves of bread. We may have also tried to dissuade folks from buying candles in lieu flashlights as a backup for blackout. You know, so first responders aren’t rushing to a fire some Glade candle caused. Just sayin’. And Chuck, sorry about the bread…

Smoking Nun: I stopped in figuring I’d make a big pot of chili to enjoy for the next couple days, easy enough to reheat on the gas stove in case there’s no power.

As I walked the aisles, there was not a single loaf of bread nor a carton of eggs to be found. No ground beef (so I bought turkey; healthier anyway). Every single checkout line was open—a first at the Key—while there was a staffer directing folks through the express line, which must have been 25 deep, as if I was shopping at Trader Joe’s.

Good lord, almighty, last winter a blizzard passed through New York, dumping a foot of snow along with 40 mph winds. Public transportation wasn’t fazed, life continued to move forward and New Yorkers acted like… New Yorkers, without so much as a blink.

Five years ago today, Brooklyn Heights Blog launched. Five thousand six hundred and seventy five posts later we’re still here.

Thanks for reading, commenting and contributing.

What would you like to see us do in the next year? Comment below!

Another feline friend has taken French leave.

We’ve just posted our latest Brooklyn Bugle Session with Locksley performing their new single “The Whip” and a surprise cover song. Check it out here.

While you’re at it, check out the entire Bugle music section with contributions from world renowned jazz writer Jim Macnie and our own Claude Scales.

Also set the discussion about Suleiman Osman’s controversial book The Invention of Brownstone Brooklyn off in the Brooklyn Bugle Book Club.

BHB tipster “Sara” sent us this photo of what appears to be “evidence” of two souls who were “called home” during today’s Rapture. As for the rest of us, we’re still here.

We are so on a roll with the lost and the found. Let’s see if we can reunite this Blackberry and its owner.

The photo comes courtesy of “PG” who found it and tells us:

I found a Blackberry Curve on State St. and Sidney Pl. earlier today. I brought it to the Sprint store and Radio Shack but was told the only way to find out who the owner is, was to wipe the memory. I thought I would try this first. Please call the phone if you lost one in the area so I can get it back to you.

Paul LaRosa thinks it is:

HuffPost NY: Laugh if you like, but I’ve been thinking more and more that Brooklyn, circa 2011, is very similar to what Paris was like nearly a century ago. Of course, I’m talking about the brownstone belt neighborhoods of Brooklyn Heights, Cobble Hill, Carroll Gardens, Park Slope, Fort Greene, but you can throw DUMBO, Williamsburg and Red Hook in there as well.

Well, I doubt that the Saint-Germain-des-Prés of the time, or even now, was or is dominated by cellphone stores, nail salons, opticians, and real estate offices. Still, I think the argument is worth discussion. Thanks to reader Monty for the tip.

Montague Street between Hicks Street and Montague Terrace, Sunday afternoon, March 13, 2011. (Photo by C. Scales for BHB.)

It’s one thing that anyone who lives in Brooklyn – home to some of the country’s best pizza – would order “corporate fun” pizza like Papa John’s. Sure, it’s okay for folks from Wisconsin but for New York natives “forget about it” as we believe is the vernacular.

So it’s particularly insulting when our wonderful neighborhood is inundated with fliers for said corporate pizza. Heck, in the commercials “Papa John” is just referred to as “the founder”. WTF? Is he in witness protection? One thing is for sure, Andrew Porter and David from Middagh will totally be collecting and trashing these tiny pieces of propaganda/garbage ASAP.

“Awesome Slut”, whose eponymous site won the “best sex blog” award from the Village Voice this year, tells all in her confessional “the mistakes we make” about an affair with Daniel Kaufman a/k/a Daniel Kay a/k/a Daniel Katze a/k/a the Busted Chef, whose true identity she discovered through a Google link to BHB.

Caveat: the language in Ms. Slut’s post is, in Homer’s words, “very Penthouse Forum.”

The Brooklyn Heights/DUMBO Cadman Plaza region is a tourist hot spot, and until now left with little direction. Good news, confused out-of-towners! When arriving in Brooklyn, you will be greeted by signs, pointing you to the Brooklyn Bridge, Dumbo, the Brooklyn Heights Promenade, and other landmarks. This sign is right outside the High Street station, but there are several scattered around the neighborhood.

High winds a few days ago blew the temporary canvas sign for the deli at the corner of Montague and Hicks away, uncovering Doug Biviano’s campaign headquarters sign, which remained underneath.

Update: The deli has a new, permanent sign (see photo after the jump).

BHB photo by C. Scales

Word on the street (in this case, Montague Terrace) is that one of the four Dawn Redwood trees in Brooklyn Heights was “removed” from the backyard of 2 Montague Terrace. BHB tipster Andrew Porter tell us it was cut down at the order of the co-op board, but we’re still investigating this claim. BHA Executive Director Judy Stanton has received inquiries from concerned Heights residents, and has “no idea” what led to the tree’s eradication. She’s on the case as well, but assured us that the Metasequoia Glyptostroboides, as Dawn Redwoods are officially known, in the front garden of 151 Willow Street is here to stay. Two others purportedly hold court on Pierrepont Street: one in the Monroe Place garden of the First Unitarian Church, the other in the Columbia Heights garden at 1 Pierrepont Street.

Is it possible, as this 2004 Brooklyn Daily Eagle article hints, that the tree came down because it obscured otherwise stellar views of the Manhattan skyline? What happened to the spirit of conservation, particularly in Brooklyn Heights, where that feeling was once so infectious it brought Robert Moses to his knees? I can see the Willow Street Dawn Redwood from the window of my apartment, and its towering, lush presence is a quiet sign that maybe the country isn’t so far away after all. That, and the chickens that crow each morning, are subtle reminders that nature and city life need not be mutually exclusive.

What do you think about the downed tree? Should the public have had a say before the Dawn Redwood was chopped? Is this a sign of things to come?

These days, cafes with free internet access in the Brooklyn Heights area are hard to find. Iris stopped offering it, and Tazza still doesn’t. Well web-browsing latte drinkers, you’re in luck. Archway Cafe at the Pearl Street Triangle posted signage claiming to offer food, coffee, AND Wi-Fi!

Reader Kylie sends us this photo of what appears to be Sad Panda suspended from a tree limb on Cadman Plaza West, near the High Street A/C subway entrance, taken this morning at around 7:00. Does anyone know anything about this?

Update: BHB tipster “REDACTED” sent us us a photo from another angle.  See it after the jump.

BHB reader “Rich” sends us this photo of a very special rearrangement of Cutting Den’s sign at the Clark Street station.  Guess the students are back and school’s back in session!

Flatbush Gardener photo

BHB contributor Claude Scales is celebrating 5 years of his own blog Self Absorbed Boomer today.   Claude’s been an essential cog in the BHB machinery and if you haven’t read his personal take on things Brooklyn and beyond now is a good time to check out SAB.

Four years ago, Qfwfq and I had the nutty idea to start Brooklyn Heights Blog.  I’d lived here for about a year and he’d soon follow.    We’d worked on other sites together at CBS and we thought it would be fun to create a neighborhood blog here since no one else had launched one.  My first post:

Welcome to brooklynheightsblog, the first “serious” blog from the geniuses at The Fink File.  While Brooklyn has its share of great bloggers,  we found precious little about our ‘hood in one centralized/not spam website.  So instead of whining (or not getting off the couch) we decided to launch this blog.

We’re actively looking for “real” folks from our nabe to blog here about a variety of different topics.  If you’re “that guy/gal” drop us an email (homer AT thefinkfile.com).

Onward and upward,

Homer Fink

Publisher, Altruist, BROOKLYNITE

We’ve met some great neighbors along the way and we look forward meeting more of you in the coming year.

This year,  we’ve been  quite fortunate to have been joined by new contributors Heather Quinlan, Julie Kanfer, Caitlin Heikkila as well as Cobble Hill Blog’s Jonah Eller-Isaacs and Jason Shaltz.

BHB wouldn’t have made it through 2007 without our “OGs” Marc Hermann and Claude Scales.  Mega-kudos as well to contirbutors Karl Junkersfeld and TK Small as well as Diana Rosenthal who helped us kickstart CHB last year.  And we’ll always be grateful to Sarah Portlock, Chief Correspondent Emeritus, for her contribution.

And also a big thanks to our many supporters in the community.  But the biggest round of applause goes to you, our readers and regular commenters.

Onward and Upward… for another year!

John “Homer Fink” Loscalzo