December 2009
34 posts
4 tags
Breaking News: Whole Foods to Begin Brownfield...
Breaking News: The proposed Carroll Gardens / Gowanus / Park Slope Whole Foods is proceeding with Environmental Remediation efforts. Letters such as the one scanned below have gone out to various stakeholders and community groups, detailing (somewhat) the efforts being made to participate in New York’s Brownfield Cleanup Program. According to the letters, mailed from mega-law firm...
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Staples: How is this Legal?
Everyone knows the Staples on Third Street and Fourth Avenue. Seems like any other Staples ever, no? Shared parking lot (which is VERY tight), rude managers, long lines - it has it all. But, there is something subtle that makes this Staples even worse than the average one. Take a look at this picture: Notice anything? How about now? That’s right. Staples hates you. Or, more accurately,...
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Is the Gowanus Canal Sponge-Worthy?
From the Boerum Hill Blog:
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This New Fire Commissioner Sounds Like a Real Guy
Carroll Gardens’ own Salvatore Cassano, the new FDNY Commissioner, has been giving some interviews lately where he details his early life, before he made the (regrettable) decision to move to Staten Island. From the New York Times: Born on Jan. 22, 1945, as the second son in an Italian-American family, he was named after the father of his mother, Madeline. The Cassanos lived in South...
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Third and Bond: Not That Bad?
Large developments seem to take a lot of flack in this neighborhood, and, rightfully so. For the most part, large developments need to maximize square footage to make their investors happy and keep the books in the black, and the built environments in Brownstone Brooklyn are altered by these glass and steel monsters. Basically, you can’t make much money building brownstones or row houses...
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I Guess Its Really Gone
Saw the last remnants of Harding’s Patois being painted over on Smith Street this weekend…
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Proposed Expansion of Carroll Gardens Historic...
A very slow-moving application seeking to expand the tiny Carroll Gardens Historic District has been making its way through the Landmarks Preservation Commission and Carroll Gardens Neighborhood Association since 2007. As with any landmarking movement, there are two main sides (Glenn Kelly did an excellent job at a recent CGNA meeting of eloquently stating that most people are somewhere in the...
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Pepaw?
Walking by the Shreeji bodega yesterday morning, I saw that the sign fronting on 1st Place was down and an outline of an old sign was visible. Anyone got any idea what “Pepaw” is? A family name, perhaps?
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What does it mean do be a Sal?
Nice little post over at the NY Times City Blog, about the pride in the name Sal, Salvatore and Salvador. The post was spurred by the recent naming of Carroll Garden’s own Sal Cassano as the newest FDNY Commissioner. Local pizzeria owner Giovanni Esposito commented on the name: “[Mr. Esposito] is called John but is both the father and son of Sals, said he felt a slight thrill upon...
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Merry Christmas!
Wishing a Merry Christmas and a Happy Feast of the Seven Fishes to all the Italians out there! - Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
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Ode to the G Train
Pretty funny post over at Scallywag & Vagabond entitled “Observations on the G Train”. The relevant parts for Carroll Gardens are: “The platform sign in front of me says Carroll Gardens and by the sight of the slightly vexed yuppies (vexed because they are yuppies supposedly forced to live in this part of town…) I can tell that everyone manages to take showers before they set...
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Scrooge Visits Brooklyn
For a good laugh, head on over to the Daily News for a really funny Denis Hamill envisioning of Scrooge in Modern Brooklyn. The relevant parts are: “Scrooge marries Mrs. Dilber because she’s with his child. When the baby’s born, Ebenezer names him after his old partner, Jacob. Then Jake Scrooge 1st has a son, Jake 2nd, who starts working in the old man’s shop. Jake Scrooge...
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Brownstoner Reviews Frank's
Head on over to Brownstoner for a review of a somewhat surprising Carroll Gardens institution: Frank’s Luncheonette. I think they nailed it: “Five bucks goes a long way here. You can spend it on two eggs, sausage, toast and home fries; a plate of homemade pancakes with ham on the side; a chicken parm hero; or a deluxe burger with bacon (add cheese for another fifty cents). For no...
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Recycle Your Christmas Tree at Cobble Hill Park
Form the Parks and Recreation Department comes good news for those looking to keep their thumbs green during the holiday season - Mulchfest!: Saturday, January 9 and Sunday, January 10, 10 am – 2 pm. Wreaths and garlands cannot be accepted. Please remove lights and decorations. No artificial trees! Cobble Hill Park: Clinton...
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State Court Deals a Blow to Atlantic Yards...
News of another legal hurdle cleared by the Atlantic Yards/Ratner Development. Looks like clearing and Eminent Domain will start fairly soon. From the Brooklyn Paper: “The suit, filed by panoply of elected officials and opposition groups, claimed that the Metropolitan Transportation Authority broke a state law that was passed in the wake of Atlantic Yards to curb abuses by state authorities...
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303 Bond Street Theater Putting on an Interesting...
A relatively newer performance space in the neighborhood, at 303 Bond Street, and, aptly named, The 303 Bond Street Theater, is putting on an interesting sounding show for the Holiday Season. According to Short and Sweet NYC: Sex and decadence abound in Brooklyn’s Le Serpent Rouge!, a wonderfully theatrical and somewhat sensational retelling of the story of Adam & Eve through dance by Company...
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Red Hook is Solar Car Ground Zero
Brought to you in an old shipping container in Red Hook comes New York’s first electric vehicle (EV) charging station, and this one uses a battery bank that stores solar energy to charge the cars. From In Habitat: Located on an industrial lot near the Beautiful Earth’s headquarters overlooking downtown Manhattan, the off-grid, modular station is constructed of recycled steel shipping...
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Carroll Gardens Native Named New Fire Commisioner
According to both the Daily News and the Village Voice, Carroll Gardens native Sal Cassano (not to be confused with Antonio Cassano, the world-class Barese soccer player) has been named the FDNY’s newest Commissioner. Although obviously lacking in housing choices (Commissioner Cassano now resides in Staten Island), he does have an impressive record as the FDNY’s Chief of Department....
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Snowpacalypse In Brooklyn Heights
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Shocking! Marty Markowitz Comes to Defense of...
This is going to be hard to process, so hold on to your seats. According to the Brooklyn Eagle, Borough President (and new homeowner) Marty Markowitz has weighed in on the MTA’s proposed service cuts, which are necessary to close a $400 million budget gap: “In Brooklyn, the elimination of the Z subway service [forcing the J line to run local], the closing of the Lawrence Street station...
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CGNA General Meeting - Monday, December 21st...
From the Carroll Gardens Neighborhood Association: 7:00pm-9:00pm Hannah Senesh Community Day School Gym 324 Smith St Agenda: Dr. Peter Wood, LICH ED Director, Update from 76th Precinct, Updates from local elected officials/representatives Reports from CGNA Committees: Land Use/Landmarks, Transportation, Health and Hospitals, Parks
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Brooklyn Snow Time Lapse Video
HT to the Brooklyn Bugle.
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Third Street Block Association Holiday Caroling
Every year, the Third Street Block Association (from Smith Street to the Canal) gets together and sings Christmas/Chanukah/Kwanza/Non-Denominational carols for all on the block. Here is an interesting composition called “Matzah Balls”.
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UPDATE: Union Market at Old Blockbuster on Court...
According to the Cobble Hill Blog, Union Market will be (finally) opening their newest location at 288 Court Street this Monday. Although it is sad to see another competitor to local shops such as Caputo’s, Esposito’s, the Carroll Garden Fish Market and even Good Foods, it is encouraging to see that more options are coming into the neighborhood. Additionally, the vacant (huge)...
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Ironic Ping Pong in Gowanus!
Stop the presses! Ironic sports in a hipster haven! From the Huffington Post: “On Monday night the Bellhouse in Gowanus is hosting their semi-annual ping pong tournament. The competition is sure to be fierce, but the attitude is definitely all South Brooklyn.” If by South Brooklyn they mean skinny jeans, flannel shirts with ironic Ts underneath and lots of broke-ass imitations of...
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Amazingly Well Done Video on Brooklyn Heights
Be sure to head on over to the Brooklyn Heights Blog and check out a really well done video that chronicles the history of the Heights, Cadman Plaza, and much more. We will be trying to put together some videos shortly.
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Cuts to Community Board Funding Possible?
New York City Community Boards do play an important role in local governance. Although not vested with any real authority, they do allow for concerns of residents to be at least aired. Community Boards do tend to generally be anti-development and don’t really follow adopted rules and laws for ULURP proceedings, but providing a voice for community members is a valuable service, as well as...
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Express F Train Service...but not in Carroll...
Well, mixed news for all those in Carroll Gardens who are concerned about the F train service in Carroll Gardens. Although the MTA is currently studying the feasibility of reimplementing express service along the Culver Line, the main beneficiaries would be those in Southern Brooklyn (NOT South Brooklyn) who have extensive commuting times. According to Courier Life: ““F express is good for...
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Ratner Raises Some Serious Cash - 500 Large!
Downtown developer Bruce Ratner, whose projects have and will continue to reshape the face of downtown Brooklyn, raised over $500 million two days ago for his controversial Atlantic Yards project. From the New York Times: The $1 billion basketball arena at the intersection of Flatbush and Atlantic Avenues is the centerpiece for the 22-acre Atlantic Yards development, which is to include more than...
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Murder on 4th Street
Sad news for the safety of all in Carroll Gardeners. In what police are terming a home invasion, a 29-year old 4th Street resident was found dead from a gunshot. From the Daily News: A young rock musician was found dead in his apartment on a quiet Brooklyn street - with a bullet in his heart, cops said Friday. No one has been arrested in the killing of drummer Troy Young, 29, and the motive for...
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A Familiar Tune from a New Politician
It never ceases to amaze how constituents think that a new politician will change things. In the latest example, New York City Councilman-elect Brad Lander (who I voted for, in the interests of full disclosure) came out with a classic non-statement in the egregious case of the Hannah Senesh’s land grab. For more on the background of the case, check out Katia Kelly’s Pardon Me For...
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Responsible Development in CB6
Community Board Six recently (finally) passed it’s long-awaited responsible development policy. According to the Courier-Life papers: “Under the policy, all new construction, substantial renovations or additions totalling 10,000 square feet that come before the board for review would be subject to a series of actions called the “large project review process,” which asks applicants...
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Gowanus Canal Superfund me now!
To start out, here is the link to the EPA’s Gowanus Canal site: http://www.epa.gov/region02/superfund/npl/gowanus/ Also, check out the Coalition for Responsible Development’s site, which has some good info on local thoughts on Superfund Status. http://carrollgardenspetition.blogspot.com/
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Hello World
Hello World (and Carroll Gardens!). This blog is intended to provide a forum for the discussion and dissemination of information regarding Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn, and the immediate surrounding area. Occasionally, there will be original content and opinion, but I will attempt to stick to newsworthy items and allow for useful discussion.