This is the former site of the International Longshoreman’s Association Building (aka 340 Court) at Court and Union that has been the subject of much contention and bitterness in the neighborhood. There’s nothing left of the old structure but a lot of rubble and a hole where the building’s basement used to be. A couple of days ago large drilling and concrete crushing machines were brought on site to advance the demolition and foundation creation cause. The developer, the Clarett Group, has told neighbors there won’t be any pile driving done for construction and that alternate techniques will be used.

Here’s a fascinating post about a new Williamsburg venue courtesy of Nicole Davis, who produces the superb Brooklyn Based:

There was talk of Brooklyn Bowl coming — the 20,000-square-foot music venue and bowling alley owned by Peter Shapiro (right) and Charley Ryan (left), former owner and general manager, respectively, of the legendary music club Wetlands. But who knew it would be so close to Gutter? Set to open “before the end of the year, hopefully by the fall” says Shapiro, it will be at 61 Wythe Ave. in Williamsburg, behind Brooklyn Brewery, and two blocks from The Gutter, in an 1880s ironworks foundry.

The two knew they “wanted to meld bowling and a live music experience” for their next venture together, says Shapiro, because “we just think bowling and rock ‘n’ roll go well together.” They looked first in Manhattan, then tried Brooklyn, and found the Williamsburg space in 2006. (The period between Wetlands’ closing in 2001 and opening a new venue, explains Shapiro, was filled with his various production ventures like the Green Apple Festival, the U23D film, and the Jammys.) Shapiro knew Gutter was in the works when they signed the lease, but felt the two could coexist. “Most bowling alleys have 30 lanes — Gutter has 8, we have 16.”

In addition to the 600-capacity music venue and the lanes, Shapiro said there will be a “major food component” — one he wasn’t at liberty to disclose just yet, but — hint, hint — it’s a respected restaurant with one foot in Brooklyn already.

Click here for a lot more detail on Brooklyn Bowl.

The Crown Heightser, which stop posting last year, is back in business. Or, at least, it appears to be with a few new posts this month. We’ve always advocated for more neighborhood-based blogs in “underblogged” parts of the borough. One of the neighborhoods we always include on the list is Crown Heights. Here’s hoping they stick around.

We found this bike parked in a small community garden/park in Red Hook off Columbia Street. It’s got that perfect combination of “no bike” message plus bike that always makes for the perfect photo. In defense of the bike, it was parked inside the fence and we believe the sign applied to chaining bike on the outside of the fence. We think.

[Photo courtesy of vaduzuvunt/GL Flick Pool]

It looks like the Red Hook Ikea Annex, (aka the sign painted on the vacant building a block from the Ikea on Van Dyke Street), has gained an added element. About a year and a half ago, the same art appeared in a bunch of places on the fence around the Ikea construction site before it was all painted over.

The Carroll Gardens group called CORD, which formed around the contentious issue of the design of 360 Smith Street (now known as the Oliver House Condos) and went on to push for a broader downzoning of the neighborhood, must be in a good mood. Late yesterday, the group started circulating a “thank you” email for the relatively fast action on the Carroll Gardens Narrow Streets Zoning Text Amendment, which was recently approved by the City Planning Commission by a unanimous vote. It’s now due for a City Council committee hearing on July 21 and a vote before the full Council on July 23. Given the wide support the amendment has, it’s virtually assured of easy passage. Of the amendment, the group writes: “It is by no means the cure all. It does not institute an overall height limit, but it does, at least, correctly designate the fifteen blocks covered in this amendment as the ‘narrow’ side streets they truly are, rather than the boulevards some developers have succeeded in misusing them as. For that, we are truly grateful.” The group expresses its “gratitude to all of our Elected Officials who have helped us get this far.”

The full text of the CORD thank you letter by clicking here.

[Photo courtesy of Scott/Coney Island Message Board]

It’s looking like that July 19 opening date for the Dreamland Roller Rink in the Childs Building on the Boardwalk in Coney Island is a pretty sure thing. It was first reported by Kinetic Carnival on Tuesday.

One of the areas that will be part of a new city test of increasing parking meter rates at peak times is Midwood. “The program’s goal is to increase turnover in curbside parking spaces in the test areas — a section of Greenwich Village in Manhattan and a stretch of Kings Highway and adjacent streets in the Midwood neighborhood of Brooklyn — so that drivers will spend less time cruising in search of an open space, according to the transportation commissioner, Janette Sadik-Khan.”–NYT

Wondering if you can convert your house to solar? Come to the…Neighborhood Solar Forum for single family homes sponsored by Sustainable Flatbush…Peter Landy will speak about his experience converting his house to solar power. Chris Neidl of Solar One will speak about current legislation and initiatives to make residential solar power affordable. RSVP requested (but not required) to anne@sustainableflatbush.org..The next Solar Forum will focus on multi-family apartment buildings, including co-ops.

It takes place on July 16th @ 8pm at the Ditmas Workspace, 535 East 17th Street (corner of Ditmas). More info by clicking here.

The new TKTS Booth in Downtown Brooklyn is opening today at 11AM and will have the requisite ribbon cutting ceremony beforehand. It’s located at 1 Metrotech Center at the corner of Jay Street and Myrtle Avenue. Per the email we received:

TKTS Downtown Brooklyn will offer Broadway, Off Broadway, music, dance and Brooklyn performing arts events at discounted prices to Brooklyn residents and visitors. TKTS Downtown Brooklyn will be located on the ground floor of 1 MetroTech Center at the corner of Jay Street and Myrtle Avenue. TKTS offers same-day evening and next-day matinee tickets at discounts of up to 50% off. TKTS Downtown Brooklyn will be open Monday – Friday from 11am to 6pm. TKTS will sell tickets to same-day evening performances and next-day matinee
performances. It is located right outside of the Jay Street-Borough Hall station of the A, C and F trains and near the Court Street – Borough Hall station of the M, R, 2, 3, 4, 5 trains and the Lawrence Street
station of the M, and R trains.

Once again, opening this morning.

“Rep. Ed Towns has shuttered his Bedford-Stuyvesant district office in the midst of a hotly contested congressional race – because of a rodent problem…The 13-term congressman, who represents Canarsie, Brownsville and Cypress Hills, among other areas, was forced to consolidate his staff into district offices in East New York and downtown Brooklyn. ‘Yes, there was a rodent problem,’ said spokeswoman Shrita Sterlin of the shuttered Fulton St. office, which closed July 1 following the discovery of rodent infestation and water leakage problems.” If he can’t get a problem like that fixed fast, no one can.–NYDN

If the details in this post on the Park Slope Forum of Brooklynian are accurate, the incident related from Second Street is utterly vile. The key part is where some people tell a woman of Caribbean heritage who lives on Second Street in the Slope to “go back to your own neighborhood.” It doesn’t involve violence, but rather words and utterly foul attitudes. We’re just going to go to the copy & paste and let the original poster do the talking:

So my wife was walking our two dogs back to our apartment on 2nd Street between PPW and 8th. Three people were walking abreast toward her on the same side of the street. My wife stopped and they continued, refusing to move. One of the women bumped my wife and stepped on my dog’s paw. When my wife confronted her about the rude behavior, the woman replied laughing , “Oh, I’m sooo sorry.” When my wife said she would appreciate it if they didn’t take up the whole sidewalk, the woman said, and I have a neighbor who confirms this, “Then maybe you should go back to your own neighborhood.”

Now, the fucked thing about this is that my wife is black, from Barbados, and this white woman told her she should go back to her “own” neighborhood, assuming what gawd only knows. Our neighbor called the woman out for her racist comments and told her that maybe she should leave the neighborhood if that’s her attitude toward people of color. If I had a gun I would have shot the asshole.

This women lives on the south side of 2nd Street, about 1/3rd of the way down from PPW, in a brownstone with rental units.

If it’s an accurate recounting of events, everything about the story is despicable.

Housing sales are falling in Brooklyn, per the new Prudential Douglas Elliman Brooklyn Market Overview, but prices haven’t taken a beating yet. Overall, median sale prices fell 1.9% to $525,000, but the average sale price increased 2.4%. The number of sales, however, took a nose dive of 43.6% in this quarter compared to the same quarter last year. New developments are still propping up the Brooklyn market, making up 51% of all condo sales and selling on average for $649 a square foot, which is up 27.5%. Right now, North Brooklyn is holding up best, with media prices up 9%. Brownstone Brooklyn held its own with a 7.5% increase. In South Brooklyn, the increase is 2%. In Eastern Brooklyn, where the sub-prime problems are serious, the media sale price was down 10.9%. The bottom line of the mass of statistic produced by Miller Samuel is that things are holding steady in some respects, but that there are rumblings of future problems starting to appear. There’s a story in the Sun about the report and a post on Brownstoner and there’s one on Curbed too.

Brooklinks is a daily selection of Brooklyn-related information and images:

· Nets Say “Brooklyn is Happening” for 2010-2011 Season [AYR]
· Dave Chappelle is No Show at Brooklyn Political Fundraiser [NYDN]
· Here’s a Possible Identity Thief at Work in Brookyn Heights [BHB]
· Wednesday Food & Drink Roundup [Brownstoner]
· Musical, Magical Mayhem is Big Hit in Sunset Park [BVIB]
· Coney Sand Sculpting Contest [Kinetic Carnival]
· Alter #2, on Franklin Street [Greenpointers]
· Rats on President Street [OTBKB]
· Fulton Mall Sidewalk Sale Days [Bed-Stuy Blog]
· Green Grape Baiting and Switching? [Easy Being Greene]
· Awesome Weekend Happenings [Brooklyn Skeptic]
· Ah, the Junior’s Sign [Lost City]

The most likely seriously accurate rumor broke yesterday that the Top Chef contestants in the new episodes will be living in Williamsburg. On Karl Fischer Row, no less, at 20 Bayard Street.–Eater

There’s a “Town Hall Meeting on School Governance” coming up next week on Wednesday, July 16. An email we received says:

Please Join Councilmember Bill de Blasio, elected Officials and Education Advocates for an informational town hall session on Mayoral Control. Come share your opinions and learn how to continue to have your voice heard as the City Council prepares to discuss the reauthorization of Mayoral Control…Parents, teachers, students and others in attendance will be asked to share their experiences and ideas, ask questions, and voice concerns about the current system of school governance. Elected Officials and Education Advocates will be on hand to answer questions and present information on Mayoral Control, Parental Involvement, and other crucial issues. Questionnaires will be available so that every voice can be presented to all city and state elected officials.

The meeting is from 6:30 PM-8:00 PM at the Brooklyn Borough Hall Community Room, 209 Joralemon Street (between Court and Adams Streets).

[Photo courtesy of GerritsenBeach.Net/Flickr]

This comes from Gerritsen Beach in Southern Brooklyn where there is much water to be found and was put in our GL Photo Pool by GerritsenBeach.Net who produces the GerritesenBeach.Net blog.

“I was a kid in the neighborhood in the late 30’s and shined shoes in front of Diamonds with my Friend who would become my Brother in law after the war. I remember a Packard touring car pulling up to the curb and several men in long coats got out and went into the bar and shot up the place. We ran across the street and ran down the Subway stairs I lived on 12th st at the time and went to PS 39 on 6th ave and 8th st. near the library. I have many fond memories of the Park slope and South Brooklyn Area. My wife and I were Married in Holy Name on 9th Ave and Prospect in 1952. It was a good spot for a shoe shine boy in 1935. I remember a tough Cop named Dutch Holland who would beat the crap out of you if he caught you. Those were the good old days.”–Urban Environmentalist NYC: Park Slope History Revealed

[Photo courtesy of Josh Derr/GL Photo Pool]

The message in this photo contributed to our GL Photo Pool by Josh Derr couldn’t be more clear or more poignant in its own peculiar way.

Outside the Brooklyn Weather Observatory, the sky is a little more blue than it has been. Today’s forecast, for the first time in a while, does not include thunderstorms. It calls for it to be hot and mostly sunny, but less humid, with a high of 86. Tonight will be clear with a low of 69.–Accuweather

Today is the Park Slope Parents Sixth anniversary and they are celebrating and also pointing to a PSP thread from several years ago about swinging. Meanwhile, earlier today, Racked had an angry rant from a Sloper who took a $14 cab ride and found the Red Hook Ikea to be out of the crib she wanted, saying “big. f*cking. whoop.” to the manager’s offer to call when they’re back in stock. The angry mom writes, in part:

So, one $14 cab ride later, not only is the crib not in stock, it’s not in stock in the entire tri-state area. Nor were almost all the other cribs. And you can’t order or reserve one, you have to just come back in two weeks and try your luck. I complained to the manager, who said all he could offer to do would be to call me when they come in (big. f*cking. whoop.). Their customer service is crap, but that’s one way to keep prices low I suppose!

A responding email suggested “if there is a next time, instead of taking a $14 cab ride, they do have a free shuttle bus that will take you to their store” and continued that “I think the manager offering to call you when it does come in was very nice and don’t see the reason for your “big f…… whoop” comment…” So, was it a Hack, a Gulliver or a Leksvik?

The 2008 edition of the grandest Brooklyn street fair of them all, the Atlantic Antic, has been scheduled for October 5, per an initial report on the Brooklyn Heights Blog. The 34th annual edition will be happening on Sunday, 10/5 from 10 AM – 6PM and it will take place along with the New York Transit Museum’s 15th Annual Bus Festival. While it pains us to talk about events in October when it’s still early July, full info about the Antic can be found here.

[Photo courtesy of Deborah Matlack]

Given that the weekend now ended wasn’t an ideal beach weekend, GL Contributor Deborah Matlack says that she and her camera were diverted to the Brooklyn Botanic Garden for some shooting of photos. This lovely pic of a lotus at the BBG is one of the results.

Yes, the 121st Annual Feast at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, aka the Giglio, starts today. It runs through July 20. While the feast itself involves a lot of street food, games and rides, the highlight are the two Sunday “dances” of the incredible Giglio statue. They take place on Sunday, July 13 and 20. (There’s also a Night Dance on Thurday, July 17. The Capo Parade is the morning of the 13th.

Today’s New York Times profile of eatery entrepreneur Jim Mamary and his partners delves into the topic of the controversial Hoyt Street oyster bar which was the subject of an epic and bitter struggle with the community. On the one hand, they say the hassle cost them money and was very personal and they’d never do it again. On the other hand, they joke that as “revenge” they should keep chickens in the back yard and have “a petting zoo.” Here’s the key passage:

The oyster bar struggle involves decades-old zoning and dueling predictions over whether it will attract a few discreet slurpers of Sancerre and Wellfleets or hordes of smoking and retching yobbos to a quiet street.

Delays and legal fees have cost $20,000. Community board hearings have been nasty. And the partners have been soured by rants on Carroll Gardens blogs, particularly one calling Jim Mamary an “opportunistic idiot” and “slob” who “ruined my neighborhood.” Even if he gets a liquor license, Mr. Mamary said, “I’d never open another place on Hoyt.” Mr. Harding, more blunt about the complaints, wants to see if he can seek revenge by keeping chickens in the wine bar’s yard. “We’ll give eggs to orphans,” he said. “We’ll have a petting zoo.” More conciliatory, Mr. Mamary waves his hand as if to calm down his friend and cautions, “I’m not sure we want to say that.”

Uh, too late, he sort of said it in the Times.