If you thought that the proposal by Quadriad Development to build highrises in low-rise neighborhoods–including ones that have been downzoned–was so far fetched that it was a non-starter, think again. The 24-story tower proposed at the corner of N. 3rd and Berry in Williamsburg took a small step forward with a vote in its favor […]

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The Park Slope Civic Council voted unanimously last night to endorse Mayor Bloomberg’s groundbreaking–and controversial–congestion pricing plan. The civic group added its voice of support on the same day that the plan to charge a fee for driving into the most congested parts of Manhattan during peak weekday hours was endorsed by Gov. Eliot Spitzer […]

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The Park Slope Civic Council honored blogger and journalist Norman Oder last night with a Lovgren Volunteer Award. Mr. Oder is the founder and writer of Atlantic Yards Report, which he has developed as New York City’s most authoritative source of Atlantic Yards reporting, information and analysis. Just this week, Mr. Oder combed through documents […]

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Our beloved Red Hook food vendors have heard your support and that of readers at many other blogs. We found a note from Cesar Fuentes, who is Executive Director of the Food Vendors Committee of Red Hook Park Inc. He writes: Dear Friends, Thanks so much for your concerns & support for our current situation […]

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Participatory democracy is a great thing. We prepared this post a long time ago and have left it sitting in our holding pattern. Two stories in the last two weeks–the Battle of 360 Smith Street and the threatened eviction of the Latino Food Vendors in Red Hook–reminded us of the need to sometimes get in […]

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We’ve read several times this week that Astroland‘s rides are no longer up for sale at that carnival ride auction site. Yet, lo and behold, when you click over to ITAL Intl., you still find all the rides available for purchase, just like they were last week when we first found them. The Astroland tale–the […]

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Brooklinks is a daily selection of Brooklyn-related information and images. News:Is Downzoning Always a Good Thing? [AYR]Congestion Pricing Endorsed by Spitzer, Gains Bush Admin Support [NYT]Congestion Relief [I’m Seeing Green]Oh, That Sinking Feeling [Lost City]New on Seventh Avenue in Sunset Park [Brownstoner]View of Oro Condos from Vinegar Hill [Dumbo NYC]Well, at Least It’s a Backyard […]

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Behold 69 Maspeth Avenue in Williamsburg. (The building on the right.) It is not ornate like some of the other crappy Brooklyn buildings that we have previously showcased as exemplary specimens. No, 69 Maspeth stops you in your tracks because it is so utilitarian and without pretense. This is a building that screams, “I don’t […]

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[Photo courtesy of BK 11201] Red Hook’s Liberty Heights Tap Room Has Great Pizza (above) [BK 11201] Try Cafe Kashkar on Brighton Beach Avenue–Food from East Turkestan [Chowhound] New Taft Vegetarian in Greenpoint Needs to Work out Kinks [11222] Cortelyou Greenmarket Opening Sunday, July 1 [Flatbush Gardener] Photos of A Taste of Poland [A Test […]

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Coney blogger Kinetic Carnival attended the Municipal Art Society panel discussion on Coney Island on Wednesday night and reports back with news that Taconic Investment Partners, which holds a lease on the landmark, is bringing the building back to life this summer. We’ve previously noted the massive scale of the development that Taconic is hatching […]

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The Crown Heights North Historical District was designated by the Landmarks Preservation Commission on April 24. On Sunday (6/10), the Crown Heights North Association, (CHNA), which led the landmarking drive, will hold the first annual Crown Heights North Walking Tour. It will include, in the word’s of the group’s press release, “some of the fine […]

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Some Carroll Gardens residents say they are disapppointed that yesterday’s rally on Smith Street was more about architect Robert Scarano than about the building he is designing in their neighborhood. One resident wrote to say: There was both some gratitude that [City Council Member Bill] de Blasio wants to point his finger at Scarano (who […]

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Yesterday, a Federal Judge dismissed the eminent domain lawsuit that had been filed to block the taking of property for the Atlantic Yards developments in Prospect Heights. He did not do so on the grounds that a magistrate had suggested–that the suit belonged in New York state courts–but because he found the central part of […]

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Here are links related to yesterday’s Atlantic Yards court decision: Judge Dismisses Federal Eminent Domain Lawsuit; Appeal Planned [AYR] Judge Rejects Main Argument of Effort to Stop Atlantic Yards Project [NYT] Judge delivers setback to Brooklyn arena foes [Newsday] Federal Judge Clears Obstacle from Path of Atlantic Yards [Sun] Atlantic Yards Suit Dismissed [Metro] Atlantic […]

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We don’t know if this is going to be an ongoing blog–we hope that it is–or just something with one or two entries, but the awful Parks Department threat to the beloved Red Hook Soccer Fields food vendors has even spawned a blog called Save Soccer Tacos. It has contact information for Parks Commissioner Adrian […]

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Here’s some Brooklyn food news from the last week: 1) Doña Zita, Coney Island. Doña Zita, a small and great Mexican food stand has survived the closings and demolitions in Coney Island to live another season. Several years ago, there were a number of Mexican food stands that had set up in Coney. Now, Doña […]

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Brooklinks is a selection of Brooklyn-related information and images: Livingston Corridor Suddenly a Hot Neighborhood [BDE via 110 Livingston] Thor Snubbed by Coney Roundtable Discussion [TRE] More About Ratner’s $2 Billion Subsidy [NYP] Detail About the Latest Gowanus Hotel [Brownstoner] Kent Avenue Now Has 20 Percent Less Trees Because of The Edge [INSIJS] Bloomberg Visits […]

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[Photo courtesy f.trainer/The Food of the Future] So, it turns out that some interesting things have gone on in the last week or so, Williamsburg Domino Plant-wise besides growing momentum for landmarking the building and the Don’t Demo Domino Concert that took place on Sunday. Several intrepid photographers and photobloggers–who have been responsible for giving […]

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We were sniffing for oil…well, actually we were taking note of how quickly the building we call the Roebling Oil Field is rising at N. 11th Street and Roebling in Williamsburg. Then, we looked up and saw that they’d decapitated a stop sign and turned it into another one of those that more suited to […]

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Have you seen the Atlantic Yards documentary Brooklyn Matters yet? If not, there are multiple opportunities coming up in the next two weeks, including one on June 21 that will include an interesting panel discussion afterward. You can always check the Brooklyn Matters website for up-to-date information. Here are some of the screenings: Friday, June […]

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A Federal judge has dismissed the eminent domain lawsuit brought against Atlantic Yards. Residents and businesses that refused to sell their businesses or leases to Forest City Ratner had filed the suit to stop the taking of property for the project. The judge ruled that the suit belongs in Federal court but said that the […]

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More than once, we’ve looked at the Red Hook Ballfields and wondered how long the food scene and vendors would be able to survive, especially with the behemoth Ikea opening next year. They may only last until September, according to the depressing news first conveyed by Grub Street: The Red Hook ball fields, home to […]

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Significant news on the 360 Smith Street front after some residents met with the developer, William Stein. If you’ve been following the story, the neighborhood has been in a mini-revolt for nearly two weeks about a building designed by Robert Scarano that would go at Second Place and Smith Street. GL first reported the story […]

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We’re not sure whether the problem with the fence at 171-179 Diamond Street is one of aesthetics or if the darned thing might actually fall over and hit someone. In any case, our Greenpoint correspondent describes herself as “a big fan” of this one, based on that clear sense of cruddy cheapness that it conveys. […]

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Even though the city is thinking about throwing out the Red Hook Ballfield vendors, there’s good news about another group of Latino merchants that were facing city eviction at Williamsburg’s Moore Street Market, which is called La Marqueta. The Daily News reports: A group of Hispanic merchants facing a city order to vacate Brooklyn’s last […]

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