Gowanus Lounge is entering its third year today and we’re celebrating with a new design and some other changes. In our first two years, we’ve posted more than 7,000 items and covered an awful lot of territory. When we put up our inaugural post on April 27, 2006, there was still very little development on the Williamsburg waterfront, the Atlantic Yards development hadn’t been approved, demolition was just getting underway for the Ikea on the Red Hook waterfront, the Coney Island drama hadn’t yet unfolded and the real estate market in Brooklyn was exploding. We didn’t know we’d end up writing as much as we have about quality of life and safety issues related to new construction or things like the Roebling Oil Field. News has taken us in many directions that we never anticipated.

We’re grateful to a lot of people for their help and support in our first two years. Curbed founder Lockhart Steele encouraged us to start blogging in the first place and has been a big supporter. We started contributing to Curbed a couple of weeks after starting GL and today we blog full time there. We’ve learned an incredible amount about blogging from Lockhart and from our Curbed colleague Joey Arak. Brownstoner’s Jonathan Butler has been generous with links and support and we count everyone on the Brownstoner team as a friend. Gothamist‘s Jake Dobkin has always been encouraging and given us valuable advice, while Jen Chung, Dave Hogarty, Jen Carlson and the rest of the staff have sent us tens of thousands of readers with links. The crew at New York Magazine’s Daily Intelligencer has always been more than cool with links that make us smile as have the good people at CityRoom.

When we started blogging, there were “blogs” and “bloggers” and everyone seemed to fit under that one umbrella. Today, the genre has developed so much that those labels have been rendered almost meaningless. Some of us practice online journalism and others do very personal blogs. There are news blogs, neighborhood blogs, advocacy blogs and so many others. Like “newspapers” or “television” or “indie rock,” the word “blog” isn’t even adequate to characterize the profession any longer. And, it is now a profession for some of us. In these last two years, blogging has changed the way that news and information are disseminated and, in the process, has begun to shape and influence public policy here in Brooklyn. In early 2006, a development like 360 Smith Street in Carroll Gardens would have gotten little coverage. Today, it is sometimes covered every day. It is one of hundreds of developments, projects, issues and policies that are never noted by the big daily papers and only covered weekly by Brooklyn print media. GL and other blogs can cover Brooklyn news within minutes or hours an, in the process, give voice to hundreds of citizen journalists who function as our eyes and ears.

We’ll save our full reflections about Brooklyn blogging for another time. In the meantime, we want to say a huge thank you to the readers that have sent us tips (who we can’t identify, but they know who they are) and to those that have contributed to GL. We’re now identifying our contributors on the right, but we want to say a special thank you to Miss Heather, who has literally supplied us with hundreds of posts and to our Carroll Gardens Correspondent, F. Jasmin Adams, who has been generous with both information and images. We also want to acknowledge Louise Crawford of OTBKB who is so supportive of Brooklyn bloggers in general.

We’ll be adjusting our posting schedule somewhat, putting up more items throughout the day rather than front loading everything in the morning. In some cases, this might mean that posts on topics that get swarm coverage by a number of blogs might appear after coverage has come elsewhere, but we think there are more benefits to spreading out content a bit more. Also, we’re getting used to a new platform, so the volume of posts might be somewhat diminished for a day or two as software issues consume more of our attention than usual.

Most of all, thanks to all of you for readings and for your comments and feedback. Onward with our third year.

Our Carroll Gardens Correspondent stopped into Williamsburg’s Church of the Transfiguration, the Russian Orthodox church on Driggs Avenue between N. 11 & N. 12 Street over the weekend and sent along some lovely photos of the interior, which we’ve never seen. The church is a dominant element on the skyline near McCarren Park or, at least, it was before the buildings on Karl Fischer Row (Bayard Street) went up.

See More Pics, Ahead.

Demolition is underway on the site of a new hotel planned for Third Avenue between Douglass and Butler Streets. As reported by Brownstoner a couple of weeks ago, the hotel will be a Fairfield Inn. DOB records show that it will be a nine-story building with 134 rooms. The interesting thing is that when we stopped to take photos, we were accosted by a worker who demanded to know what were photographing and why. At first, we thought it might have been that they were doing weekend work without a permit, but when we checked the Department of Buildings record we found another issue: at least one of the addresses that is part of the project was hit with a Stop Work Order on April 21 for unsafe conditions and mechanical demolition without a permit. We could be wrong, but it’s very possible that we were seeing work going on in violation of a Stop Work Order, which might have explained why the worker was so testy when he saw us photographing the building and the permits (because we simply thought it was interesting that demolition was already underway for the project).

The GL reader who sent us this photo of the David Walentas building going up on Atlantic Avenue near Court Street (next to the old bank building that will house the Trader Joe’s) called it “Brooklyn Growth.” He wrote, “Even with the construction going on the Walentas residential property next to the upcomign trader joes… trees are still blooming and proving they’re stronger than any development or over-development in our great borough.” Two trees saved, so to speak.

Want to take a GreenWalk? There’s a chance on Thursday. Per an email about the event that came to our inbox:

Join us on Thursday, May 1, 2008, from 12:30 to 2:00 p.m. New York City College of Technology, CUNY (City Tech) students will lead GreenWalk, a walking tour of Downtown Brooklyn and DUMBO, on Thursday, May 1, 2008, from 12:30 to 2:00 p.m. We will explore urban environmental challenges and sustainable solutions. The public is invited to this free tour. The tour will offer a range of perspectives on environmental concerns in areas immediately surrounding the college…We will gather between 12:15 and 12:30 p.m. at the southeast corner of Jay Street and Tillary. The walk will proceed down Jay Street into DUMBO and the waterfront, then follow Washington Street up to Cadman Plaza East to the Columbus Park Green Market and conclude at City ech with a reception from 2 to 2:30 p.m. The rain date is May 9th.

You know, if you’ve got a long lunch. In the meantime, for more info, click here.

Many works by Dain were wheatpasted up in Williamsburg recently, like this Jackie O and this JFK. This is one that has been up for a bit, we think, but that we came across yesterday and hadn’t posted. It’s on N. 9 Street.

Quality renderings of the Lakeside Center in Prospect Park were released late Friday afternoon and we posted them on Saturday morning. If you missed them, they are worth checking out as they provide some detail about the preliminary ideas for the new showcase facility.

This “No Right Turn” comes from Noble Street in Greenpoint. It is next to a putrid-smelling chicken factory, which is, of course, on the left of the sign.

There’s a meeting about co-housing coming up on Friday, May 9. Per an email we got:

Come hear national expert and co-author of “The Cohousing Handbook: Building a Place for Community“, Chris ScottHanson, give a free talk and slideshow about Cohousing communities on Friday May 9th at 6:30 pm at the Brooklyn Friends Meeting House, 110 Schermerhorn Street near Borough Hall. Sponsored by the Brooklyn Cohousing Group, www.brooklyncohousing.org, which is building an urban Cohousing community in the Prospect Park area of Brooklyn. If you are interested in a more community-oriented way of living while still having privacy and owning your own home, then you may be interested in Cohousing. The idea of Cohousing is not new. It has been around since the 60’s and is more popular in Europe, but there are many Cohousing groups in the US.

True affordable, cooperative housing.

This is Union Street in Gowanus at the foot of the Union Street Bridge where there is always a garden. Come summer, there will be sunflowers here.

For the first time in a long while, the view from the Brooklyn Weather Observatory is gray and wet, with promises of much more to come during the day. The forecast calls for “Rain, some heavy, and a thunderstorm; there can be flooding in low lying and poor drainage areas” with a high of 56. Tonight, there will be rain and a thunderstorm with a low of 48.

[Photo courtesy of Deborah Matlack/Matlack Photography]

Did anyone say orange? Here are some of the tulips that are in bloom at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. The Magnolias are sort of doneski, but the Cherry Blossoms remain as do an astounding number of tulips and other flower.

These fliers have been up all over Park Slope for a few days.  The missing cat in question vanished on Garfield Street between Eighth Avenue and Prospect Park West. If you’ve found a lost tabby, you know what to do.

Just a reminder that we’ll be debuting the new look Gowanus Lounge on Monday to celebrate our second birthday. We’ll have a new design (ta-ta black background) and will be residing on our own URL, www.gowanuslounge.com. We hope you’ll change your bookmarks (you can do it now, as it will redirect you back here until Sunday night) and that–most important–you’ll update your RSS feed on Monday. The site will have (gasp) jumps inside so readers don’t have to scroll forever, a font that’s easier on the eyes, a nicer look and should load a lot faster. Today is actually our second birthday–the anniversary of the day we put up our first post in 2006 without knowing exactly what we were getting ourselves into–but we’ll have more to say about our first two years (and a lot of thank yous to those who have contributed and been supportive) tomorrow. In the meantime, you have our heartfelt thanks for reading. Please stay with us as we start our third year and get ready to do another few thousand posts.

This is not the standard Missed Connection, that much is clear, but in perusing the listings for our weekly Sunday Craiglist Missed Connection we came across this interesting specimen from Crown Heights. We don’t know what it, but do know it’s worth featuring:

who put the dead bird in my mailbox? – w4m – 27 (crown heights)
a) how did you get into my mailbox in the first place, it is locked
b) did you kill the bird
c) it died horribly, that much was clear
d) you’re psycho
e) do I know you
f) if I do know you I don’t want to know you
g) if I don’t know you, what did I do to inspire you to put a dead bird in my mailbox

“This is so f*ing psycho…,” ahead.

There something about miniature models, especially really nicely done ones, that is compelling. We photographed the model of the Edge in Williamsburg, a waterfront development that has one with incredible detail. Check out a small selection of photos and do pay attention to the action figures herein.

Every Sunday, we like to take a look back at a few comments left on GL during the previous seven days. Here’s a random sampling from this week:

PM Update: Boerum Hill “Asian Garbage Bag Thief”. “This happens all over the city. What makes you feel like your trash is any better than anyone else?” [Anonymous]

PM Update: Boerum Hill “Asian Garbage Bag Thief”. “As you said that you are not heartless, there are several levels of actions you could take on.
Of the highest, you would show up at her arrival, speak to her regardless of her understanding English. Offer her what she needs next to your trash bag and basically convey in your imaginative ways to her that you want to help, but with your household, she needs not to open the trash bag.
Remember, even though her browsing is pesky and bordering unlawful, your generosity is beyond the legal or cultural realm. Put it this way, she is still a human being in desperate needs, but not a raccoon in the burb. Give her a break and continue to leave her needs next to your bag if you can’t seem to confront her with your generosity.” [Jason]

Bolt of Enlightenment: Gowanus Bunker is “Satori”!!! “Satori is phonetically identical to “Satory” , a military compound in France.
I understand now why this building looks like a bunker.” [Jacques Clouseau]

Brooklyn Nibbles, Special: Five Guys Burgers Coming to Slope. “You thought D’Agostino’s stunk of bad food and rotten produce? Wait until you get a whiff of this greasy spoon. Too slow for NY.
And if you have a coronary … there’s Methodist across the street … on second thought …” [Anonymous]

It’s been a while since we offered up some Park Slope vids on a Sunday, so here are few, newer and older.

Brooklinks is a selection of Brooklyn related information and images:

• Notorious Greenpoint Building Served with Court Summons [New York Shitty]
• Remember When Atlantic Yards Was Supposed to be Done in 2011? [AYR]
• Car Kills Teen in Marine Park [NYP]
• Three Running for Recchia’s City Council Seat [NYDN]
• Ultimate Street Couch, Louis XX Edition [Brooklyn Bachelor]
• Duane Reade Gets Some Bike Racks [Streets Blog]
• Community Murals, Sowing Seeds [Bed-Stuy Banana]
• Coffee and Flower Shop? [lornagrl]
• Smartmom Wishes to Cook [OTBKB]
• Just Packaging, Greenpoint [Fading Ad Blog]
• Dumbo Weekly Links [Dumbo NYC]

So, there’s a snake at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. It is a sculpture. There is also a cherry vandal. He is seen here snapping cherry blossom branches off the trees and giving them to a female. Nice.–Flatbush Gardener

Seen an interesting FSBO (For Sale by Owner) posted somewhere? Send a photo and any relevant info along to us at thegowanuslounge (at) gmail (dot) com. Everyone loves a nicely taped up FSBO.

This FSBO flier comes to us from Flatbush Avenue (and from Prospect Park West) where this $495K 2BR number on Prospect Park SW, facing the park, was being shown around in advance of today’s open house.

Have some electronic devices that need to be disposed? The Third Annual E-Recycling Days at the First Unitarian Chapel in Brooklyn Heights (at Pierrepont St.between Clinton and Henry Sts.) are coming up on Saturday, May 3rd and Sunday, May 4th from 9AM-4PM on Saturday and Noon-2PM on Sunday. It’s sponsored by Denominational Action and the Green Team. They’re accepting air conditioners, answering machines, batteries (including household batteries, but not car batteries), cables and wiring, CD players, cell phones, copiers (floor and desk models), DVD players, electric typewriters, fax machines, hard drives, laptops, desktops, modems, pagers, monitors, keyboards (and other peripherals), printers, circuit boards, radios, remote controls, scanners, mainframes and servers.