More News from the Fulton Front

Archive | May, 2007

More News from the Fulton Front

By fishermb on May 25, 2007 9:35 am in Development, Government, News

According to an article in this morning's Metro, the city of Brooklyn is looking to sell the land under the former Albee Square Mall for "$100 million less than they reportedly paid to lease it this winter." In 2001, developer Joseph Sitt bought the long-term lease and promised to turn into an "Italian palazzo…complete with tuxedoed greeters and national chain stores." This plan (obviously) never came into fruition, and in 2004 the city rezoned the area to accommodate the potential for greater commercial development.

Sitt recently sold the lease to Albee Development LLC for $120 million, and future plans call for a "high-rise housing, hotel, retail and office complex" – of which 20% will include affordable housing.

Several have already reacted negatively to the loss of city land and the surge in real estate prices. Do you think these plans will come into fruition? What do you think Downtown Brooklyn could benefit most from?

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Brooklyn Bridge Celebrates 124th.

By Claude Scales on May 24, 2007 7:39 pm in Events, History

Our beloved Bridge is 124 years old this month. In honor of the occasion, South Street Seaport Museum has organized a walking tour of the Bridge and the seaport district this Saturday, May 26, beginning at 12 Fulton Street, Manhattan at 1:00 P.M., and ending on the Brooklyn side. The fee is $12 for adults, $8 for children, with Seaport Museum members getting a $4 discount. Reservations are required: please call 212-748-8757

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Heights Residents Honored by Red Cross

By Claude Scales on May 24, 2007 4:09 pm in Celebrity Residents, Events, News

Heights residents Elisabeth Lindenmayer (photo) and Mildred Onken were among those honored by the American Red Cross in Greater New York at its Brooklyn Spring Benefit, held yesterday evening at the Palm House of the Brooklyn Botanic Garden.

Ms. Lindenmayer is a former Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations, and now teaches at the School for International Affairs at Columbia University. She is a French citizen and holds the Legion d'Honneur, that nation's highest civilian award. She spoke of her childhood as the daughter of an army officer, parts of which were spent in various places in Africa (where she was born) and in Vietnam (then part of French Indo-China). Her exposure to the poverty and violence found in these places inspired her to devote her life to the cause of peace and the alleviation of human suffering.

Ms. Onken was first exposed to the work of the Red Cross through her mother, who was active in the Clara Barton Chapter, the first Red Cross chapter in New York State, in her native Rochester. She has been active in the Greater New York chapter for many years, and has served on its Brooklyn advisory board. Ms. Onken taught modern languages and served as an acting dean at Juniata College, in Pennsylvania.

Other honorees were the City Tech President, Dr. Russell K. Hotzler, and The Hon. Alice Fisher Rubin, Judge of the New York City Civil Court.

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What’s Up at Heights Cafe?

By Homer Fink on May 23, 2007 10:40 pm in Food, Health, News

BHB newshound Randi sent in this photo of a “we’re closed” notice posted at the Heights Cafe on Wednesday afternoon. Reports are that the restaurant has reopened.

The restaurant’s most recent DOH inspection slapped the eatery with a whopping 43 violation points — far beyond the 28 points or less it takes to keep from getting shut down. This follows an April inspection which racked up 54 violation reports for the cafe.

Earlier, BHB reader Rusty sent in this photo and comment:

See that yellow sign on the window? It’s a “Closed By Commissioner of Health” notice dated today 5/23/2007. There’s another one on the front door. And see those people inside sitting at tables? Yes, they’re in there munching fries and other standard issue faire at the serially mediocre Heights Cafe on Montague. Seriously, at the bar and dining tables, it seems to be business as usual in there, despite the conspicuously posted health notices. Frankly, I am not sure I would eat at Heights if the Health Commissioner himself invited me for dinner, but out of curiosity, what do these people know that I don’t? Anyone?

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Open Thread Wednesday

By Homer Fink on May 23, 2007 8:39 am in Brooklyn Heights

Some items up for discussion this week:

Big truck flips on Cadman, surprised this is not happening more often? How about that crane work happening on Henry Street.. only a matter of time before a mishap?

Fulton Mall — renovate or obliterate?

Mailer!

YouTube real estate listings. Video your home and sell it the 21st Century way. (You may want to have the place cleaned up first however)

DWI busts up. Really?

So, when are you visting our pal Suerte to get your house tattooed on you?

The next "dark cloud"? Toll Brothers bidding on JW properties.

Plus, anything else you'd like to talk about!

BHB Photo Club pic by fkuffel via Flickr

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Sell Your Home! On the Internet!!

By Homer Fink on May 22, 2007 9:20 pm in Uncategorized

[video]http://youtube.com/watch?v=WA_6XRjbz6Q[/video]

We have a hunch that this "internet" thing is starting to catch on. As a matter of fact, some folks in Brooklyn Heights are using something called "YouTube" to show off their homes. Ah! The immediacy of 21st Century technology and good old fashioned commerce. But something tells us that awesome wipes and cool jazz music is not enough to sell real estate in this town. Take for example this video above posted last week pitching 75 Henry Street #18D.

The user, "ReelProperties", who posted that video also posted this one and apt 22L in the same building:

[video]http://youtube.com/watch?v=Xs-Erirzdnk[/video]

What do you think of this approach?

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Breaking News: Overturned Truck at Cadman Plaza

By Homer Fink on May 22, 2007 10:12 am in News

Nabe blogger TwoFones sent in this photo of an overturned tractor trailer on Cadman Plaza this morning. As of 10AM traffic on the street was "at a standstill."

More photos by dietrich in the BHB Photo Club.

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DWR Highlights Winning Students

By Homer Fink on May 22, 2007 9:26 am in Arts and Entertainment, News

Brooklyn Eagle: Names Four…: Four Pratt Institute students from the Department of Industrial Design have received recognition for their designs as part of a competition sponsored by Design Within Reach (DWR) and conducted in conjunction with the fifth annual BKLYN DESIGNS show.
The first-place student design award went to Liz Kinnmark, a 2007 graduate from Evanston, Ill. Honorable mentions went to runners up Martin Konrad Gloeckle, a second-year graduate student in industrial design from Germany; Luis Quehl, a 2007 graduate from Gilroy, Calif.; and Judy Hoysak from Brooklyn. All four of the winners’ work are on display in the DWR Brooklyn Heights showroom located at 76 Montague St. though Thursday, June 14. A closing reception will be held on June 14 from 7 p.m. until 9:30 p.m.

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$15M Facelift for Fulton

By fishermb on May 21, 2007 3:36 pm in News, Tourism

Fulton Rendering According to an article in the New York Post, the Bloomberg administration will be providing $15 million "as part of an overhaul that will include modernized bus shelters, benches and other contemporary street furniture, with more lighting and trees."

Other noted improvements include $3-4M set aside to create 10,000 square ft of green space at the former Albee Square mall, as well as extending a continuous planted median from the Brooklyn Bridge to Atlantic Avenue.

Fulton Mall is definitely in need of being updated, but will new bus shelters and more trees create a better, more attractive shopping environment?

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Love Lane

By Homer Fink on May 21, 2007 8:00 am in Brooklyn Heights

BHB Photo Club pic by BurnedCity via Flickr

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Wedding March Ends in Nabe

By Homer Fink on May 20, 2007 11:11 pm in News

McBrooklyn has photos of Saturday's "The Wedding March" an event staged by Marriage Equality New York to support gay marriage legislation in New York and the rest of the United States. The "march" began on the Manhattan side of the Brooklyn Bridge and ended in Cadman Plaza Park.

McBrooklyn: A gay pep rally for equal marriage rights, with entertainment by groups like the simply fabulous Gender Offenders (Sassy and Candy Samples, shown above; their friend Chic is also in the group), was held on the new synthetic turf at Cadman Plaza Park Saturday.

Though thousands were predicted, just a couple of hundred, armed with synchronized rainbow-hued umbrellas, braved the wisps of rain to march over the Brooklyn Bridge from Foley Square in Manhattan as part of the annual Wedding March.

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Mailer’s Movie

By Homer Fink on May 20, 2007 9:26 am in Arts and Entertainment, Celebrity Residents

The New Yorker has a story this week about nabe legend Norman Mailer and his brush with the movie business:

The New Yorker: Tough Guy: Late on a recent Saturday afternoon, Norman Mailer, equipped with two canes, willed his eighty-four-year-old hips and knees up three flights of stairs in his Brooklyn Heights brownstone. He’d just flown down from Provincetown, and within the hour about fifty people were due for a cocktail party. A tactical error, Mailer realized. He should have travelled a day earlier. Given more time, he said, “I could have studied a list of names of everyone who’s coming,” but he was too immersed in the research for his next novel. Continue Reading →

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Sunday’s Open House

By Homer Fink on May 20, 2007 9:18 am in Uncategorized

12 Willow Place (map)
Townhouse
$3.6 Million
Open House Sunday 2:30PM – 4PM
Broker: Corcoran Agent: Christine Brandle Dugan

Welcome Home!!! Stunningly elegant brick Greek Revival 5 story townhouse with income! The owner's quadraplex offers 4 Bedrooms,a family room and an amazing top floor converted attic with sunroom facing lower Manhattan. The details have been meticulously restored…from the wide plank floors, wedding cake plasterwork, plaster ceiling medallions and 4 fireplaces to the working original pocket doors…all are magnificent. The parlor floor has the ideal set-up for entertaining… living room, dining room, kitchen and powder room with a deck leading to the garden.This quiet tree-lined street is nestled near shopping and transportation.

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Grace Church Presents Mendelssohn’s “Elijah”

By Claude Scales on May 18, 2007 12:08 pm in Arts and Entertainment, Events

This Sunday, May 20, at 5:00 P.M., Grace Church (254 Hicks Street at Grace Court) will present Felix Mendelssohn's oratorio Elijah, performed by the Grace Church Choir under the direction of Paul Olson. The title part will be sung by bass Don Yule, a member of the New York City Opera company, whose many roles there have included being (appropriately) one of the "Dons" in Leonard Bernstein's Candide. Also appearing as a soloist will be the accomplished soprano Heidi Sauser. Accompanying the choir will be organist Robert Poovey, formerly Music Director of St. Luke's Episcopal Church, Atlanta and now Project Director for the renowned pipe organ makers Casavant Freres of St-Hyacinthe, Quebec.

All are invited to this free performance, and to the reception afterwards in the Church's Guild Hall.

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