BHB contributor/filmmaker/Brooklyn Heights resident Heather Quinlan was a guest on CBS This Morning earlier this week discussing her upcoming documentary If These Knishes Could Talk. The package, as we say in the biz, ponders “are Americans losing their accents?” Watch the report after the jump.

Fox 5 NY’s Heather Brown filed a report this evening confirming that the NYC Parks Department is “looking into” naming a park after Beastie Boy/Brooklyn Heights native Adam “MCA” Yauch who died of cancer earlier this month.

Yesterday, we reported that the BHB community’s effort and Facebook page to rename Squibb Park after the musician and humanitarian was being refocused to support a plan by one of the surviving Beastie Boys, Adam Horovitz, to name the State Street basketball courts (and perhaps adjoining Palmetto Playground) after MCA. Yauch grew up a few blocks away from the park.

Watch the report after the jump.

Tomorrow evening (Thursday, May 24) starting at 7:00 les bons temps will rouler on Pier 1, Brooklyn Bridge Park as Terrance Simien & the Zydeco Experience (see video after the jump) and Jesse Lége & Bayou Brew provide the Louisiana sounds for the third and final in the BRIC Arts Media Brooklyn/Brooklyn Bridge Park series of free dance parties. For those unfamiliar with Cajun dance styles, folks from Red Hook’s Jalopy Theatre and School of Music will be there to teach you the steps.

Thanks to PatPeeve416 for the video.

According to NY1, the MTA is planning to expand its “Fast Track” program for right-of-way maintenance into Brooklyn next year. Under this program, entire sections of lines are shut down late on weeknights, usually from 10:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m., for one or two weeks, so that work can be done on an expedited schedule. This eliminates many of the weekend line closures and diversions that have been a nuisance, such as the shutdown of weekend service on the 4/5 line between Brooklyn and Manhattan that has disrupted travel plans for the past six weekends and is scheduled to last one more (check our Subway Service Alerts for the Memorial Day weekend and the week after, to post tomorrow).

The NY1 story says that Fast Track work planned for 2013 includes “work on E, F, M, R, Q and N lines in various parts of Queens and Brooklyn.” We’re guessing more will be added.

Photo courtesy of secondavenuesagas.com.

NYC Fleet Week, which takes place every Memorial Day Weekend, brings thousands of young men and women serving our and other nations’ navies to our fine city to visit tourist attractions and take part in numerous special events. It has been a tradition since 1935.

This year’s Fleet Week celebration is highlighted in Brooklyn by the previously reported 2012 Operation Sail Parade (OpSail) and Parade of Ships.

Feel like taking part? An event guide for the coming weekend is here.

(Photo: Chuck Taylor)

(Photo: NYC Vintage Images) Below, the Hotel Margaret…

May 23 is the 39th birthday of sensual R&B crooner Maxwell, born in Brooklyn in 1973. Best known for his top 5 single “Fortunate” in 1999, his 2001 album “Now” and 2009′s “BLACKsummers’night” both reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200.The latter album also won a Grammy for Best R&B Album and single “Pretty Wings” won for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance.

So now, BHB comrades, on this Open Thread Wednesday, spread your pretty wings and share what’s on your mind.

(Photo: Terry Seal/Flickr)

The new Starbucks location at 134 Montague Street, which opened May 12, was a concern for some residents because the new space was apparently so narrow that the mommy crowd was going to have difficulty pushing strollers to the back counter (opposing viewpoint: moms were going to be ramming strollers into customers on either side).

We took a peek inside the store earlier this week and while it is indeed deep and narrow—with limited light coming in—the new joint seems to have a wide enough public throughway to accommodate all. In fact, you’ll note a stroller parked to the right side.

(Photos: Chuck Taylor)

The Brooklyn Heights Blog community’s effort (ignited by “She’s Crafty”) to rename Squibb Park to Adam Yauch Park went viral today.

Our Facebook page now has more than 1,300 “Likes” and the idea has been covered by the Hollywood Reporter, Gothamist and 1010WINS Radio, to name a few. But a funny thing happened on the way to critical mass: We found out about an effort by Adam “AdRock” Horovitz and his wife Kathleen Hanna to fix up and rename the baseketball courts at State Street Park after Yauch.

Late this afternoon Ms. Hanna contacted us via Facebook, saying:

I just wanted to let you know that Adam “Adrock” Horovitz has already begun working with the Parks Commissioner to fix up and rename State Street Park where Yauch actually played as a kid to Adam Yauch Park. It would be great to get people behind THIS idea as it won’t hurt the Squibb family….Thanks, Kathleen Hanna

Since receiving that dispatch, we have confirmed with the Beastie Boys management and publicist that this plan is real and going forward. Right now the effort is focused on the basketball courts and not necessarily adjoining Palmetto Playground.

The Brooklyn Heights Blog community ENTHUSIASTICALLY supports this idea. We have updated the Facebook page* to reflect this and encourage all those who agree, their friends, family and friends of friends to continue to “Like” the page and share our strong desire to make Adam Yauch Park in Brooklyn Heights a reality.

*Note that Facebook does not allow users to change names of pages with 200+ likes. While the name of our page remains the same, we no longer advocate changing the name of Squibb Park. We are 100% committed to doing all we can to making Adam Yauch Park a reality on State Street.

HBO’s sad-sack series “Girls,” created, produced, directed, written by and starring Brooklyn Heights resident Lena Dunham, has been renewed for a 10-episode second season. The show revolves around the lives of four 20-somethings navigating love, life and careers in New York City post-college. Judd Apatow is an executive producer.

“Girls” debuted April 15 on the premium network, and has averaged 3.8 million viewers, per HBO.

Dunham grew up in and recently relocated back to Brooklyn Heights. As BHB reported in April, the 25 year old was raised in Soho, Brooklyn Heights and Tribeca, and attended St. Ann’s School in the Heights. Her mother is photographer and artist Laurie Simmons and her father is renowned painter Carroll Dunham.

Spring offers plenty of new vitality to the neighborhood from outdoor fairs to flowers to volleyball games at the Pier. It also means the addition of many new puppies to the neighborhood. As a dog owner, I have met a lot of new dog owners asking many questions, which I now turn over to Certified Professional Trainer, Robert Haussman, owner of DogBoy Inc.

Robert helped me become the alpha of my French Bulldog, he also helped train Mayor Bloomberg’s dogs Bonnie and Clyde, has been featured in The New York Times, USA Today, People’s Pet website peoplepets.com, and tonight will appear on Bravo’s show “Pregnant in Heels” training another French Bulldog.

1. Socialize with dogs, people, kids like crazy before 16 weeks. The sooner the better. It’s ok to meet dogs who are vaccinated and clean.

2. Get your new puppy or dog use to being handle and having human hands in and around their food. Teach your dog hands around food and treasured objects equals tasty treats and pleasant petting. Make sure to your dog associates having his paws, tail and ears handled as a fun,exciting event.

3. Bring your puppy to meet the vet and groomer regularly before they actually need to go. They should make a good association with these locations and people before they go there for vaccines or nail trimming.

These will prevent big issues down the road.

Q: How much space should be left between a collar or harness and my dog?

A:A dog’s exercise needs varies from breed, size and age.  Dogs require at least 1/2 hour of aerobic activity a day. That doesn’t mean running in little circles around the yard or fetching up and down the hall. More athletic breeds require more while giant breeds and older dogs need less. Also ask your vet if your dog is old enough for higher intensity exercise like long runs or an agility course before going forward. A well exercised dog is a happy dog who is easy to live with.

There’s truth to the well-traveled (har, har) belief that it can be a Herculean task convincing cabbies to bring passengers from Manhattan home to Brooklyn Heights late at night. I’ve experienced it myself, despite knowing the trick of taking a seat before announcing my destination.

Perhaps sulking over the April approval of livery cabs, taxi drivers are demanding a fare increase of up to 20%—which is supported by the Taxi and Limousine Commission. I think I’ll stick to the subway, thank you.

Fleet owners & drivers are asking for a fare increase of between 16% and 20%, saying that increasing gas prices eat into their bottom line. TLC Commissioner David Yassky deems the request “reasonable.” The limo-loving Bloomberg administration also says it will likely support the fare increase.

A hearing is scheduled at 11 a.m. May 31 at the commission’s 19th-floor headquarters at 33 Beaver Street, to discuss the first “official increase” since 2006—but that’s not quite true. In 2009, a 50-cent surcharge was added by the state Legislature to fund subway and bus service.

Currently, the base taxi fare is $2.50, plus $2 per mile. It’s unclear yet whether the base fare or the fare-rate would increase. The commission said the average fare in January was $11.82 for a 2.76-mile ride. A 20% increase would add $2.50 to that ride.

(Photo: Chuck Taylor/December 2010)

Last year, neighborhood and preservation organizations, including the Brooklyn Heights Association, prevailed in lawsuits in both federal and state courts in which they contested the actions of the National Park Service and the city and state governments to transfer the Tobacco Warehouse site from Brooklyn Bridge Park for use as a new home for St. Ann’s Warehouse Theater, as well as the Empire Stores building for possible commercial development. Following the court decisions, BHA and the other successful plaintiffs began negotiations with city and state officials to establish rules governing possible development of these sites. Yesterday, Mayor Bloomberg announced that an agreement had been made under which, among other things, additional land will be added to Brooklyn Bridge Park should the Tobacco Warehouse and Empire Stores be made available for non-park use.

According to BHA President Jane McGroarty, the principal provisions of the agreement are:

* There will be 38,000 square feet of new parkland in DUMBO for Brooklyn Bridge Park. This is significant since the initial attempt to develop the Tobacco Warehouse did not include any replacement parkland. If we do not believe that the substitute parkland is properly valued, we will have the right to submit an independent valuation to NPS during the conversion process.

* The agreement states that the National Park Service should decide the conversion issues on the merits, without political considerations.

* The BBPC must hold regular briefings for the community every two weeks during the conversion process, and place any correspondence about the conversion on its website. This is another major victory for us, as it ensures that any conversion process will be transparent.

* BBPC will keep the Tobacco Warehouse open to the public until any development takes place. Any construction plan will protect the historic character of the Tobacco Warehouse. The community will have a role in managing the use of the public space in the Tobacco Warehouse after any construction project is completed.

Ms. McGroarty expressed gratitude to the city and state officials who “graciously came to the table to partner with us.” She thanked Brooklyn Bridge Park Corporation President Regina Myer and BHA member Hank Gutman “for their very constructive roles during the negotiation process.” She said “State Senator Daniel Squadron and Senate Assembly Member Joan Millman were also extremely helpful to us in forging the right result.”

It is clear from Ms. McGroarty’s statement that the BHA will not oppose adaptive re-use of the Tobacco Warehouse site, including its use as a space for St. Ann’s Warehouse, provided that it is done within the rules established by the agreement.

Photo: DUMBO NYC.

Tomorrow morning (Wednesday, May 23), weather permitting, you may be able to view from the Brooklyn Heights Promenade a parade of ships proceeding from the harbor entrance up into the Hudson River. Leading the parade, and starting to pass the Statue of Liberty at about 8:15 a.m., will be a line of nine tall sailing ships from countries around the world, including our own USCG Eagle and Mexico’s Cuauhtemoc. Following the tall ships will be thirteen modern naval vessels from the U.S. and other countries, which will begin passing the Statue around 11:30 a.m.

From 11:15 to 12:15 there will be a flyover above the Hudson of nineteen fixed wing aircraft, including the U.S. Navy’s famous Blue Angels aerobatic team, and six helicopters. This all marks the beginning of Fleet Week, which continues with various events through Memorial Day weekend. Over the weekend a number of ships, including four tall ships, will be docked at piers 7 and 8, near the foot of Atlantic Avenue and Columbia Street, and will be open for visits by the public. More details are on Cobble Hill Blog.

Addendum: Carolina Salguero of PortSide NY has provided a guide to the ships that will be docked here in Brooklyn.

Our faithful videographer & correspondent Karl Junkersfeld was on the scene on the Brooklyn Heights/DUMBO border as a piece of the roof cornice at 7 Old Fulton Street—which houses a restaurant by the same name and has apartments above—collapsed onto the street, at 12:45 Monday afternoon. Fortunately, no one was injured. Karl notes that a similar incident recently took place at Grimaldi’s Pizza up the street. See his 1:21-minute report below.
YouTube link is here.
(Below: Before the incident. Photo from Flickr)

Controversial wellness chain Dahn Yoga & Health Centers has deemed its Brooklyn Heights studio the May Center of the Month, out of more than 115 locations nationwide and nearly two dozen in the New York metro.

The Heights Dahn center at 130 Clinton Street, between Joralemon and Livingston, was awarded kudos, according to its corporate press release, because it “features a number of creative, high-energy participants,” including Center manager Amy Long, who became a Dahn Yoga master after attending a Young Earth Human Alliance (YEHA) camp. She also worked as a public school teacher and attended Harvard Divinity School.

Dahn Yoga, as reported here in 2009, is considered a cult by many and has been accused of brainwashing.

The Heights location, for the past six years, has offered “ki” energy training classes utilizing meridian strething, Brain Wave Vibration, energy center breathing, meditation and Ki Gong/ Tai Chi. The chain opened its doors in 1996.

Apparently, Long is correct about folks in the community looking for a way to meditate: Yelp lists some 18 retailers that offer Yoga classes.

It appears that last Thursday’s story regarding 199 students having SAT scores invalidated at Packer Collegiate Institute in Brooklyn Heights is more serious than originally suspected. The New York Times reported then that the collegiate entrance exam results—including those for 63 enrolled at Packer—were nixed because proctors failed to set up students’ desks at least four feet apart.

However, the Wall Street Journal intimated that a surprise audit by the Educational Testing Service, which administers the SATs on behalf of the College Board, “revealed numerous infractions”—which now appears to be painfully true, with school head Bruce Dennis saying he was “blindsided.”

The Times reported today that over the weekend, an internal memo obtained by the newspaper reveals the proctoring problems were quite extensive:

Before the test began, proctors left booklets unattended in classrooms for approximately 15 minutes, and during the test [proctors] were ‘on cellphones, on laptops, reading books and reading test materials,’ all of which were prohibited. They also allowed students to select their own seats for the exam, a direct violation of a rule that calls for test supervisors to seat students randomly. And, as the students returned to their test rooms after breaks, the proctors failed to verify or ask for identification.

Packer officials at first accused ETA of overreacting, but on Friday expressed “surprise at the extent of the problems,” The Times reports. Packer was also to host another SAT exam in June, but it has been ruled out while the school makes “necessary adjustments,” according to the memo.

Bruce Dennis, head of Packer, said he “relieved the supervisor of her testing duties after the scores were thrown out,” and that he was “blindsided” to learn of the further grievances: “This is an extremely bad situation. They’ve taken what I thought was an overreaction and just made it worse.”

Read the New York Times article here.

A kids’ sack race was one of many activities at Saturday’s Willowtown fair, which was blessed by perfect weather. Video, photos, and more text after the jump.

Batman greeted children to the Jumpy Castle.

Iris Cafe offered a tempting array of salads, sandwiches, and sweets.

Maio, of Waterfront Wines & Spirits, prepares to pour some of Brooklyn Oenology’s 2010 Social Club White, made with chardonnay grapes from the North Fork of Long Island and the Finger Lakes region.

It was a great weekend to visit Brooklyn Bridge Park. We’ve compiled some photos of BBP from Twitter taken over the last couple of weeks. Check them out after the jump. (Photo: Peter W. Knox via Twitter)

Brooklyn Bridge Park

Storified by Brooklyn Bugle · Sun, May 20 2012 16:40:49

In recent times, the 15,000 folks that reside across the half-square mile of Brooklyn designated as “Downtown”—unfolding at the ends of the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges—have again earned the right to call their locale a “neighborhood.” With a massive influx of new residential projects, it is no longer merely “near Brooklyn Heights” or “on the edge of Boerum Hill,” says Nora McCauley, who has lived in the destination for six years. “I’ve started to say just that I live Downtown.”

That’s the calling card of a Thursday New York Times story titled “To the Heights and the Slope, Add ‘Downtown’.” The piece delves into the history of the area, recalling that the first land rush came in the early 1800s, after Robert Fulton’s ferry service eased the link to Manhattan. Country lanes were transformed into lively blocks of city dwellings.

But “a century and a half later, efforts at ‘slum clearance’ demolished many of those same buildings,” the Times reports. “In place [came] Cadman Plaza, a linked collection of three high-rise co-ops, with shops and parks. In the same spirit, the city in the 1990s closed streets near Flatbush Avenue for the creation of the 14-building MetroTech Center. Low-slung tenements were relegated to the wrecking ball in favor of hulking bank offices.”

McCauley once rented a two-bedroom apartment in Brooklyn Heights with access to a garden. In 2006, she paid $660,000 for a 2-bedroom Downtown condo that faces the “urban bustle” of Court Street. “We definitely sometimes miss sitting on a stoop,” she says in the NYT, but relishes the year-round farmer’s market in front of Borough Hall: “It’s hard to beat in terms of convenience.”

The Times adds, In February, Downtown officially became more similar to the Heights when the city approved the Borough Hall Skyscraper Historic District, which covers more than a dozen buildings. As well, the story reflects its rejuvenation as an active neighborhood: “Years ago [sidewalks] were empty on Saturdays and Sundays, after the courts adjourned. But shoppers, tourists and bicyclists now” pervade.

The New York Times also discusses the new high-rise residential developments changing the face of Downtown Brooklyn, along with current prices, the commute, what to do and more history. Read the story here.

(Photos: Top: Chuck Taylor; below: C.J. Hughes/NYT)
“A bluestone plaza in Columbus Park, seen from the steps of Borough Hall, is one of many magnetic spaces in Downtown Brooklyn, an oft-reinvented area that residents seem increasingly to see as special and worth preserving.”

Our friends at Theater 2020 are taking the weekend off, but they’ll be back next Thursday through Sunday and the following weekend with their production of Shakespeare’s Comedy of Errors. Bard buffs need not feel dismay, though, as Random Access Theater will present free performances of Twelfth Night at the Granite Prospect on Pier 1, Brooklyn Bridge Park starting at 7:00 p.m. Saturday, May 19 and Sunday, May 20. More details are here. And don’t forget the Willowtown Fair on Willow Place, Saturday from noon until 5:00.

Opera fans can delight in a performance of Pietro Mascagni’s Cavalleria Rusticana in the Plymouth Church sanctuary, 57 Orange Street, on Sunday beginning at 4:00 p.m. Admission is $25. The performance features Jason Stearns as Alfio.

There is a wealth of musical offerings this weekend. This evening (Friday, May 18), Grace and Spiritus Chorale will present “Brooklyn–a Garden of Song”, a concert of songs by composers either native to or at some time resident in Brooklyn, at St. Ann & the Holy Trinity Church, Clinton and Montague streets (enter from Clinton), starting at 7:00. Admission is $15; $12 for seniors or students. Also at St. Ann, on Saturday evening starting at 8:00, the Metro Chamber Orchestra will present “The Glory of Venice”, a concert featuring works by Offenbach, Salieri, Mozart, and Vivaldi. Tickets are $25; more details are here. Tonight at the First Unitarian Church, Pierrepont Street at Monroe Place, starting at 8:00, the Brooklyn Chamber Music Society will present a concert of works by Robert Fuchs, Beethoven, and Brahms. Admission is $30; or $20 for students.

Finally, I would be remiss not to mention that my building, 57 Montague Street (corner of Pierrepont Place) will hold a sidewalk sale on Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Trust me; these are always good. Come early for the best stuff.

Call it what you will… resurrection, revitalization, renaissance or even recovery. The Montague Street retail corridor is healthier than it has been since the economic collapse of 2009… Over the past year or so, a dozen or so new businesses have gained traction, including restaurants, spas, bodegas, bakeries and clothiers. Let’s take a walk up Montague, shall we?

* Around the corner from 84 Montague Street’s Heights Cafe, at 214 & 216 Hicks Street, Della Rocco’s of Brooklyn is coming in June, a brick-oven pizzeria and bar, operated by Brooklyn-bred brothers Greg and Glenn Markman and Joseph Secondino.

* Across the street, the three narrow retail spaces are all filled for the first time in years: At 89 Montague is bodega Heights Deli & Convenience, which opened in April 2010 in space that once housed an upscale clothing boutique and then temporarily served as a political office for Doug Biviano… At 91 Montague is Jeffrey Stein Concept Salon, which opened in January 2011 in the former space of Dimples Kids Spa… And at 93 Montague is February 2012 new kid on the block, VIP Nails & Salon.

* Crumbs Bake Shop rescued the space that was sadly vacated by beloved Heights Books—which departed in July 2008—opening in August 2010.

* Le Pain Quotidien at 121 Montague opened in mid-April 2012, after previous Jennifer Convertibles closed in April 2010, leaving the space empty for two years. Despite some complaints that sit-down service prices are steep, the joint is an instant hit.

* Women’s apparel boutique Ruby and Jenna opened this week at 130 Montague, above beauty salon Dashing Diva and previously occupied by Migita Sushi (see post below).

* Starbucks opened May 12, 2012, at 134 Montague in the former location of Nine West Shoes, which closed in July 2010—moving up the street from 112 Montague. That leaves a primary retail space at its shuttered locale, which at one point last decade was a swanky Italian restaurant.

* Irish pub Custom House will soon be opening at 139 Montague in the former space of La Traviata, which closed in November 2011.

* In September 2011, Indian restaurant Ghandi Palace opened at 140 Montague, in the previous space of same-cuisine Amin, which shuttered a month before.

* Oh My Pasta! opened in September 2011 at 142 Montague, site of the former Taze Turkish restaurant (and Kapadokya before that). The 100% local eatery is owned and operated by Marco Lasala, a Brooklyn Heights resident. Despite a lot of cat-calling from BHB readers about the restaurant’s name, it is thriving.

* Last week, Area Yoga & Spa Center‘s second location (the original is in Carroll Gardens) opened on the second floor of 144 Montague, above Bentley’s shoes, in the former location of Spring Thyme spa.

* Eight months ago Vietnamese “Bubble Tea & Vietnamese Sandwich” shop Hanco’s opened at 147 Montague. Not only is it a runaway favorite on Yelp, but the destination finally made good out of a retail space that was dark for more than a decade.

If you made it this far, perhaps it’s a perfect time to take the Montague Street Business Improvement District’s survey on what folks think about programs & services in the neighborhood. Access the questionnaire here. Cheers, BHB compatriots!

(Photo: Lumierefl/Flickr)

As we reported a month ago, women’s apparel boutique Ruby and Jenna has opened at 130 Montague Street, above beauty salon Dashing Diva. The store made its soft opening Thursday. Both owners were present, offering an amiable, “Come back and see us, darling.” Two fun chicks.

According to the store’s website, it offers “trendy, contemporary clothing reasonably priced, without sacrificing style.” Other locations are in Manhattan (a pop-up at 1282 Broadway & 33rd) and in Brooklyn at 1308 Kings Highway, as well as Plainview, N.Y., Greenwich, Conn., Hoboken and Westfield, N.J., with another opening this summer in Southampton.

As we noted in April, the building between Henry & Clinton streets at 130 Montague is also on the market for sale, with a price tag of $5.75 million. It offers the two retail units and nine residential apartments over five stories—all of which are all rent stabilized, averaging $1,200/unit per month. More detail is available from broker Massey Knakal here.

(Photos: Chuck Taylor)

It’s ba-a-a-a-ack: yet again, from 12:01 a.m. Saturday to 5 a.m. Monday, there will be no service in either direction on the 4/5 line at Borough Hall. The 2 and 3 will be running normally in both directions at Borough Hall and Clark Street, and 3 trains into Brooklyn will have their route extended to New Lots Avenue. 2 trains, however, will not run between Franklin and Flatbush Avenues; shuttle buses will provide alternative service.

There are no planned changes affecting service on the A, C, F, G, R or N trains at any stations in or near Brooklyn Heights. Those traveling from Manhattan to Brooklyn should know that Brooklyn-bound R and N trains will not be stopping at 28th, 23rd, 8th or Prince streets. You can catch a Manhattan/Queens bound train at one of those stations and change to a Brooklyn bound train at 14th or 34th Street.

The following week, the suspension of service on the 4/5 line will continue during the hours 12:01 a.m. to 5 a.m. Tuesday through Friday. 3 trains will be extended to New Lots during these times. Also, during the same hours and days, Brooklyn-bound A trains will be diverted over the F line from West 4th Street to Jay Street-Metro Tech. As the C train doesn’t run during these hours, this means no service from Manhattan to High Street. As an alternative, you can take an A or F to Jay Street and change for a Manhattan-bound A to get to High Street, or use the 2 or 3 to Clark Street or the N to Court Street.

After a push & pull tug of war throughout 2012, it appears the beloved Brooklyn Heights Cinema building at 70 Henry Street is about to meet the wrecking all, after all. But there’s hope: Plans call for a movie theater on the ground level.

BHB Top 10 2011 honoree and Cinema owner Ken Lowy—who wrote this guest post in January—said then that his lease runs until June 30. According to a Brownstoner post today, a new five-story rental will indeed replace the current building, which will result in shuttering of the theater in August.

SEE KEN LOWY’S COMMENT ON THIS POST AFTER THE JUMP…