Unwelcome: Jane’s Carousel?

Archive | February, 2010

Unwelcome: Jane’s Carousel?

By Claude Scales on February 22, 2010 11:14 pm in DUMBO

Photo by Kaitlin Foley

“Jane’s Carousel”, the 1920s vintage merry-go-round restored under the auspices of Jane Walentas, wife of developer David Walentas, and now housed in a building on Water Street in DUMBO, is slated to be moved across the street and into what is now Empire-Fulton Ferry State Park, itself to be incorporated into Brooklyn Bridge Park, sometime within the next year. The carousel is to be covered by an enclosure designed by Jean Nouvel, the cost of which will be paid by Walentas. However, not everyone is happy with this arrangement, as this story on the New York Post’s Brooklyn Blog reports: Continue Reading →

Read full story · Comments { 34 }

BHS Presents Brooklyn Poetry Slam for Haiti

By Claude Scales on February 22, 2010 2:31 pm in Arts and Entertainment, charity, Events

This Sunday, February 28, the Brooklyn Historical Society, 128 Pierrepont Street (corner of Clinton) will host a Brooklyn Poetry Slam for Haiti. The event will begin with a reception starting at 2:30 p.m., followed by performances from 3:00 to 4:30 p.m. From BHS: Continue Reading →

Read full story · Comments { 3 }

Brooklyn Heights Biker Racing in Europe

By Homer Fink on February 22, 2010 11:32 am in Celebrity Residents

Brooklyn Heights resident Joao Correia who is an associate publisher of Bicycling Magazine and a racer is now in Europe competing as a member of the Cervélo Test Team.

Slowtwitch.com interviews him about his career and living in Brooklyn Heights: Continue Reading →

Read full story · Comments { 0 }

Miss Brooklyn Invites You to Celebrate Women’s History Month

By Claude Scales on February 21, 2010 11:28 pm in Arts and Entertainment, Cobble Hill, DUMBO, Events, History

March is Women’s History Month, and Keelie Sheridan, the reigning Miss Brooklyn, wants you to know that there are events scheduled here in the Borough to mark the occasion. Specifically, there will be a series of exhibitions, readings and discussions of artwork and writing by Brooklyn based women artists and authors. This will start with a reception, featuring artwork by several illustrators, at the restaurant Superfine, located at 126 Front Street in DUMBO, on Thursday, March 4, from 6-8 p.m. The artwork will be on display from Tuesday, March 2 through Sunday, March 14. Other events in the local area include: a panel discussion featuring several author/illustrators at BookCourt, 163 Court Street, on Sunday, March 14 starting at 11:00 a.m.; and a group story time, featuring the same group of author/illustrators, at P.S. Bookshop, 147A Front Street, DUMBO, on Sunday, March 21, from 4-6 p.m. For more details, see Miss Brooklyn’s website.

Read full story · Comments { 4 }

VP Biden and Wife Dine at River Cafe

By Claude Scales on February 21, 2010 8:06 am in DUMBO, Food, News

Photo by M. Hermann/BHB

Yesterday, Vice President Joe Biden and his wife enjoyd a delayed Valentine’s Day celebratory luncheon at the River Cafe.

New York Daily News: Vice President Biden swooped into the city yesterday and treated his wife, Jill, to a belated Valentine’s Day meal in Brooklyn.

Trailed by a phalanx of Secret Service agents, the Bidens swept into the trendy River Cafe, overlooking the East River, about 1 p.m. They sat at a corner table in the dining room.

According to the Daily News report, the Veep had sirloin steak, while his wife chose bass. Jill Biden is said to regard River Cafe as her favorite restaurant. Update: Jonny Diamond in The L Magazine has some questions for the Secret Service agents who got pizza at Grimaldi’s while the Bidens enjoyed their romantic meal.

Read full story · Comments { 18 }

Brooklyn Independent TV Samples Noodle Pudding

By Claude Scales on February 19, 2010 12:20 am in Food

This is another in Brooklyn Independent Television’s series of short pieces about Heights people, institutions, and businesses. This one takes us into the popular Henry Street restaurant Noodle Pudding, where we meet owner Antonio Migliaccio and some diners, then to the kitchen, where chef Alfredo Musico Miccoli shows us how he prepares some dishes from his native Bari.

Read full story · Comments { 13 }

No Parking on Willow Place

By Thomas on February 19, 2010 12:06 am in Brooklyn Heights, Transportation

BHB commenter bklyn20 issued this warning about the new temporary parking regulations on Willow Place that start immediately.

Attention anyone who’s parked on Willow Place: The MTA has put “All Cars Will Be Towed” signs up and down the block starting 2/18 — which I believe is today. Don’t know hour when towing begins. I will try to take a photo of the signs and email it in. MTA is digging test pits — related to 1/18 explosions– and the northern end of the block is now a capacious pit of dirt and pipes.

The regulations will be in effect for the next 10 days, through Feb. 28.

Read full story · Comments { 2 }

Toll Brothers to Build in DUMBO?

By Claude Scales on February 18, 2010 11:43 pm in Development, DUMBO

Toll Brothers, whose plans for development along the Gowanus Canal may be stymied if the Canal is declared a superfund site, has purchased a vacant lot bounded by Water, Jay, Bridge and Plymouth streets, in DUMBO, and may seek to build a high rise residential building there.

The Brooklyn Paper: The mammoth suburban developers — fresh from a bruising withdrawal from the toxic Gowanus Canal — says it may seek to build as high as the law allows in the famously hot neighborhood between the Manhattan and Brooklyn bridges.

That would mean a 120-foot tower at 205 Water St. between Jay and Bridge streets.

Twelve stories is the maximum height allowed under the zoning rules for the area. In any event, Toll Brothers must secure Landmarks Preservation Commission approval for any structure it proposes to build there.

Read full story · Comments { 4 }

BHS to Exhibit Historic Prints of Heights

By Claude Scales on February 18, 2010 12:08 pm in Arts and Entertainment, Events, History

This event is STILL ON for tonight!

From Saturday, February 27 through Sunday, March 14, the Brooklyn Historical Society, 128 Pierrepont Street (corner of Clinton) will exhibit historic prints depicting Brooklyn Heights and nearby areas. The exhibit is co-sponsored by the Brooklyn Heights Association, as part of BHA’s centennial celebration, and is curated by the Old Print Shop, of Manhattan. The exhibit can be previewed on-line at the Old Print Shop’s website. Prints will be on sale at BHS; all proceeds will go to BHS and BHA.

There will be an opening reception and gallery talk on Friday, February 26 at BHS, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Admission is $15 ($10 for BHS and for BHA members). RSVP by calling 718-222-4111 or e-mail vservice@brooklynhistory.org

Read full story · Comments { 3 }

Rabid Raccoon Is “Isolated Incident”

By Thomas on February 18, 2010 11:48 am in Nature

The Courier Life reports that Brooklyn’s first rabid raccoon incident occurred last week near the corner of State and Nevins streets.

The Health Department caught and euthanized the raccoon on February 12 after it had displayed odd behavior by interacting with someone’s dog.

The agency is planning to enhance its raccoon surveillance in Brooklyn, looking for additional animals that appear sick or dead, and determine the full extent of the problem. “Right now, it’s an isolated incident,” Slavinski said, adding that the agency does not yet know if the disease is persistent in the borough’s raccoon population.

The diseased raccoon is the first found in Brooklyn since raccoon rabies, a variant of the rabies virus, first appeared in the city in 1992, the doctor said.

Watch BHB publisher Homer Fink’s brush with a crazy raccoon.

Read full story · Comments { 3 }

Meeting Tuesday to Discuss Atlantic Avenue BID

By Claude Scales on February 18, 2010 10:43 am in Commercial Real Estate, Events, Government

The Atlantic Avenue BID Steering Committee has scheduled a community meeting next Tuesday evening, February 23, to discuss the proposal to create a Business Improvement District for Atlantic Avenue. The BID would seek to improve conditions for businesses on the Avenue through, among other things, preservation of historic lights, marketing and promotion, streetscape improvements and beautification projects, and increased access to funding and small business services. The meeting will begin at 7:00 p.m. at St. Cyril Belarusian Church, 401 Atlantic Avenue (corner of Bond Street). Refreshments will be served. All are invited. For further information, please contact Ariana K. MacPherson, Steering Committee Project Manager, at aabidsteeringcommittee@gmail.com

Read full story · Comments { 2 }

Choice Market Opens in DUMBO

By Thomas on February 18, 2010 5:00 am in DUMBO, Food

DUMBONYC photo

Beginning this morning, a new restaurant in DUMBO will be serving up breakfast and lunch right next to the York Street F station. Choice Market, located at 108 Jay Street, opens at 6 a.m. and stays open until lunch before expanding into dinner service in about two weeks. The space features a ceiling decorated by several local DUMBO artists.

DUMBONYC visited the market this morning and offers a full report including the fact that Choice offers Stumptown Coffee!

Read full story · Comments { 9 }

Stanzione: LICH Adding Services; to Expand Further After Merger

By Claude Scales on February 18, 2010 12:52 am in Cobble Hill, Government, Health

Andy Campbell of The Brooklyn Paper this week interviewed representatives of three Brooklyn hospitals, including Long Island College Hospital along with Maimonides Medical Center and Methodist Hospital. Asked what LICH was doing to stand out among other hospitals, interim president Dominick Stanzione said:

It’s important that LICH remain a full-service hospital, serving the community. The merger [a pending one with SUNY Downstate] provides an opportunity to expand that service, rather than consolidate it. Even before that happens, we’re in the process of adding additional services.

Stanzione also described the healthcare system as “broken”, and said it “needs to be fixed”, but thinks the plan currently proposed “would not be particularly helpful to New York.”

Read full story · Comments { 3 }

Eagle: Cutting Den Dudes Give Thumbs Down to Play Based on Shop

By Homer Fink on February 17, 2010 5:42 pm in Brooklyn Heights

Tommy and Rocky of the Cutting Den in the Hotel St. George subway station are giving a play based on their shop a big thumbs down, according to the Brooklyn Eagle.

The Cutting Den, now playing at the Soho Playhouse and written by long time Brooklyn Heights resident and former NYS Athletic Commission honcho Ron Scott Stevens, re-imagines the the barbershop as a mob run bookie operation. Continue Reading →

Read full story · Comments { 0 }