Brooklyn Heights Blog

This week’s Brooklyn Paper sheds light on what can only be seen as a conspiracy against tradition:

Brooklyn Paper: Jarring Change…: Customers at Sahadi’s, Brooklyn’s primary stop on the Near Eastern spice route, are still fuming that the grocer has replaced the classic glass jars with generic plastic containers in the nuts, dried fruits and candies section.

“Everyone is talking about it,” said Charlie Sahadi, the second-generation owner. “No one likes change less than me,” but “my concern is about my customers, not about my jars.”

Flickr photo by Henry Pootel

The Heights Players' production of "The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial," a play by WWII veteran Herman Wouk, opens this Friday evening.  The play centers around the general court-martial of Navy Lieutenant Steven Maryk (Charles Hampton), the second-in-command of the (fictional) minesweeper U.S.S. Caine, and the relief of his commanding officer, Philip F. Queeg (Ed Healy) on the grounds that Queeg was exhibiting signs of mental illness.  

Prosecuting the case is Lt. Commander Jack Challee (Jeff Carpenter), whose defense counterpart is Lt. Barney Greenwald (Jon Girson), who is none-too-pleased at having the task of defending an act of mutiny. 

Production dates Fridays, November 30th, December 7th and 14th at 8 PM; Saturdays, December 1st, 8th and 15th at 8 PM and Sundays, December 2nd, 9th and 16th at 2 PM. Reservations may be made by calling 718‑237‑2752.  Visit the show's website for more information.

Photo: Ed Healy (l.) as LCDR. Philip F. Queeg is sworn in by Jeff Carpenter, portraying LCDR. Jack Challee.

This just in from the Brooklyn Eagle:

Brooklyn Eagle: Developer…: Regal Investments Inc., after several attempts to get its plans for the former 86th Police Precinct at 72 Poplar St. in Brooklyn Heights approved by the Landmarks Preservation Commission and the Department of Buildings (DOB), has abandoned efforts to convert the building to residential use.

Bill Punch, a partner with Maurice Laboz at Regal Investments Inc., the building’s owner, told the Eagle Wednesday that conversion is no longer economically feasible.

The scaffolding that has been up at the corner of Montague and Court Street came down yesterday.

This just in from the Brooklyn Downtown Star: 

Brooklyn Downtown Star: Task Force…: Standing in front of a recently robbed deli on 5th Avenue Sunday morning, community advocates in the Downtown Brooklyn and Park Slope area announced the formation of the Downtown Brooklyn Safety Task Force to keep the neighborhoods crime-free and local residents safe. The task force, similar to the Bed-Stuy Safety Task Force, will create strategies and initiatives to prevent crime in Brooklyn Heights, Boerum Hill, Cobble Hill, Park Slope, Fort Greene, Prospect Heights, and Clinton Hill. Though crime is reportedly down in the area, task force founder Tony Herbert feels that this is the right time get the community involved in safety issues.

Plenty to talk about this week:

Big Tent!

BHA wants less chains, more variety 

BBP Meeting gets people talkin'

135 Joralemon too pricey to sell? 

BHB Photo Club pic by fkuffel

The Brooklyn Women's Exchange, at 55 Pierrepont Street (between Hicks and Henry), will continue its "Holiday Thursdays" series of events starting this Thursday, November 29. From 1:00 to 5:00 p.m., children's authors Lewis Matheney, Marilyn Singer, Lauren Castillo and Emily Jenkins will read from and sign their books.  From 5:00 to 7:00 p.m., wine and cheese will be served, and you can meet Brooklyn authors Katha Pollitt, Francis Morrone and Elizabeth Nunez, who will also sign their books.

Details of future Holiday Thursday events will be given in later posts. 

BHB pal Sean T. Conrad wrote us earlier today with the noggin scratchin' question: "What's that big tent under the Promenade?"  Well, the newshounds at the Brooklyn Eagle have the answer:

Brooklyn Eagle: Shed Being Built…: The planned Brooklyn Bridge Park’s Pier 2 is about to host its first big party. Workers on Tuesday began building a tent that would hold some 3,000 people from the fundamentalist Jewish Hasidic sect, the Satmars, who will be celebrating the arrival of the European Jews at the end of World War II, according to A.J. Carter, a spokesman for the Empire State Development Corporation. [Full story]

Photo: Sean T. Conrad

The NY Daily News reports today that several chains including Starbucks and Duane Reade are looking for more locations in Brooklyn. The Brooklyn Heights Association points out that more chains could mean less variety:

NY Daily News: Starbucks and Other Brands…: But not everyone is onboard for more chains in Brooklyn. "We not getting any variety. You turn around, you get another real estate broker, another bank, another cell-phone store," said Irene Janner of the Brooklyn Heights Association.

"We certainly have enough drug stores to OD ourselves. Where's the butcher? Where's the baker? They're gone!"