With a focus on Boerum Hill Brooklyn, the neighborhood, architecture, urbanity and community
Thursday, August 17, 2006
Apologies...
We apologize for not updating the site recently, we've gone through our wonderful wedding and honeymoon and finishing a great little Boerum Hill house project, and well, we haven't had time to update. We will, however, be back. Soon. We suspect mid to late September is a reasonable timeframe, but I wouldn't be surprised to see some posts prior to then. See you soon.
It seems a stop work order has been posted at this Pacific Street/Boerum Hill address (# to follow) -- can't think why. The DoB permit posted says something about removing non-structural walls and various plumbing. But if you look closely at these photos, you can see through the windows to... the sky. And the other photo indicates that the backside of this former brownstone is... missing. Anyone know the story here?
Aha! 252 Atlantic Avenue is on the move! Property Shark has the owners listed as Boerum Place, LLC. Does anyone know if the owners are still planning on building the eight story mixed use retail residential structure we heard about early last year?
The former Board of Eduction building at 110 Livingston Street, a McKim Mead & White structure, which was sold at the end of 2003 and will be developed by Two Trees has been making progress in its journey to becoming residential condominiums. There will ultimately be approximately 225 units in the building on the corner of Boerum Place, which was built in 1925. The Boerum Place corridor from Joralemon to Atlantic Avenue is becoming a sort of condo strip, which seems like a good thing. While there are gaps, and the boulevard is not that attractive, maybe the influx of condos will change that.
We missed blogging for the past month and a half. With a wedding coming up in June and a job change for one of us and a house reno beginning (see Boerum Brownstone link at right), well, the plate has been too full to properly service your need for intel. Well, we're back. I'm sure you're relieved.
The intrepid folks at The Real Deal and Curbed.com (as well as Wired NY and likely others) have posted on this previously, but here's a little update on the Lookout Hill condos going up at 199 State Street, just near the BHoD. That less than loved structure does not seem to have given pause to developers in the area, as these condos are targeted at high end customers.
Here are the basics on the development: studios at 677sf from $470,000, 1 bedrooms at 913sf from $625,000, 2 bedrooms at 1074sf from $815,000, and 3 bedrooms at 1629sf from $985,000. Features include "oversize windows, terraces, common garden, oak floors, Poggen Pohl cabinetry, Viking appliances, Kohler fixtures."
You can find the developer's site here: http://www.lookouthillcondo.com/
Speaking of brunch... Cafe LuLuc had quite a crowd waiting to sit this past Sunday. We were walking by and were impressed. In fact, they seemed to have the biggest grouping that we saw that day, but what do others have to say about local brunch spots? Who else throws together a good one?
Right next door to our new national chain apparel store is one of the early entrants to the Smith Street Brooklyn restaurant stretch -- Banania Cafe. However, they have scratched the name off and posted the following note:
"Neighbors, we will be closing until April, when we'll reopen with a new name, a new dinner menu, and a whole new look, but we'll be offering the same Banania Brunch. Hope to see you then!"
We look forward to it. Any knowledge or thoughts on the upcoming changes?
We don't think so, yet anyway. But its a slippery slope.
As our first post regarding our new neighborhood we wanted to take a moment and reflect on the nature of the local businesses in the area. Boerum Hill, and we would argue many of the other neighborhoods nearby, have been dominated almost exclusively by 'mom and pop' and similar establishments.
That changed dramatically recently. In our view at least. While the type of clothing they sell might be seen as fitting into the somewhat hipster-ish culture along Smith Street (its pretty yuppified if you ask me), the fact that LA-based American Apparel, a national (nay, international) chain has entered the neighborhood is significant. We sense that the dramatic and booming development the area has sustained recently with Atlantic Avenue complexes going up almost every block may be a connected phenomenon. We're not going to pass judgement too quickly, but we're not thrilled with national chains. On the other hand, perhaps they bring options to the neighborhood, and fill up some of those empty storefronts?
We started with a renovation blog, a link to which you'll see on the sidebar, and this running commentary on community, real estate, architecture, and urbanity seemed a natural outgrowth. We'll say though that while at some point we'll be quite active in the observing and posting business, right now it will be difficult with a pending wedding and renovation, just to mention two. That said, we are excited to be engaging just that incremental step more with our community and neighbors. Looking forward to it.
It seems a stop work order has been posted at this Pacific Street/Boerum Hill address (# to follow) -- can't think why. The DoB permit posted says something about removing non-structural walls and various plumbing. But if you look closely at these photos, you can see through the windows to... the sky. And the other photo indicates that the backside of this former brownstone is... missing. Anyone know the story here?
The intrepid folks at The Real Deal and Curbed.com (as well as Wired NY and likely others) have posted on this previously, but here's a little update on the Lookout Hill condos going up at 199 State Street, just near the BHoD. That less than loved structure does not seem to have given pause to developers in the area, as these condos are targeted at high end customers.
Speaking of brunch... Cafe LuLuc had quite a crowd waiting to sit this past Sunday. We were walking by and were impressed. In fact, they seemed to have the biggest grouping that we saw that day, but what do others have to say about local brunch spots? Who else throws together a good one?
Right next door to our new national chain apparel store is one of the early entrants to the Smith Street Brooklyn restaurant stretch -- Banania Cafe. However, they have scratched the name off and posted the following note:
