On Friday, we posted several year-end wrap ups. We’d love for you to check them out if you already haven’t, so we’re (again) including links in an item at the top of today’s posts in case you don’t feel like scrolling down. We thank you for reading during GL’s first year of life. We have big plans for 2007 and promise you that we’ll have a lot more, much bigger and way better as we close in on the ripe old age of one. A huge and heartfelt thank you to all who read, leave comments, send emails and provide encouragement. And, of course, to all the bloggers who link to our items and help get the word out. I can’t list you all, but special thanks to Curbed, Gothamist, Brownstoner, Brooklyn Record, Daily Intel, OTBKB, Sunset Parker, Kinetic Carnival and Z. Madison to name a few. If we left you off the list, please don’t take umbrage!

Oh, yeah, the links to the year-end items:

• GL’s Best & Worst of 2006
• GL’s 2007 Brooklyn Coming Attractions
• Top Ten Brooklyn Stories of 2006: The Year We Changed Forever

It’s Sunday and New Year’s Eve, which means our last Brooklyn Missed Connection of 2006. So many more ships to pass in the Brooklyn night in 2007, though. For the last Missed Connection of 2006, we turn again to the G Train.

G-train, 530 last night, the tall pretty textile designer, reading mag – m4w – 30

I noticed you on the platform because you were tall….and cute. When the G finally arrived I got on with you and sat next to you, not really on purpose but more just becuase the seat was open and I had the opportunity. Next, was attempt to make some conversation…which I did. It was the weakest conversation, and you probably noticed a slight dampness to my brow and upper lip. “Where is that house?”, I said retardedly as you turned the page past the English castle. Surprisingly, you didnt quickly move away, but politley responded. And chatted a little before you got off at Bedford.
I kept trying to see if you were wearing a ring, but couldnt tell with the magazine in the way. But you were tall, like about 6’+ with those cute boots on. Blondish brown hair, a very noble nose and face, jeans, greyish leather jacket, and bouret sort of hat that I didnt really like. Seriously, frame that striking face with something else….go see eugenia kim. it can be our first date.

Youll never see this because youre too busy deigning textiles for furniture and interior things, and youre probably married or with b/f anyway. But I recently had a friend post on here and they ended up meeting and really getting along well, so just maybe….tell me something i said to you, or was wearing, and your first drink will be on me.

Just one free drink? Dude.

Honorable Mention:
to the girl in williamsburg whose hair I untangled from the tree

• The Old Prospect Heights and the New [NYT]
• Times Suggests We Know Cost of Atlantic Yards and Who Will Pay [AYR]
• ‘Remarkably Pungent’ Year-End Interview with Markowitz [No Land Grab]
• Wal-Mart Still Eyeing Brooklyn [Courier-Life]
• Sunrise, Mini-Market on 9th Street [seiously excited!]
• The Year in Review [Brooklyn Mama]
• 30 Seconds of Darkness in Red Hook [Callalillie]
• “Brooklyn Matters” Screening on Jan. 4 [Daily Gotham]
• Crappy Workspace [Erica’s Blog]
• No Words_Daily Pix [No Words_Daily Pix/Hugh Crawford/OTBKB]
• Revere Sugar Demolition Panorama [burnsienna]
• Wig Shop on Fulton Street [seriously excited!]

Yesterday, we posted several year-end wrap ups. We’d love for you to check them out if you already haven’t, so we’re including links here in case you don’t feel like scrolling down. We thank you for reading during GL’s first year of life and promise you that we’ll have more, bigger and better in 2007 as we close in on the ripe old age of one, which is, like, six or seven in internet years.

• GL’s Best & Worst of 2006
• GL’s 2007 Brooklyn Coming Attractions
• Top Ten Brooklyn Stories of 2006: The Year We Changed Forever

Photos:

• Best of 2006 [bluejake]
• Holga Cyclone Panorama [OuroborosX/flickr]
• Holga Beach Birds [OuroborosX/flickr]
• Beaming on Seventh Avenue [Park Slope Street Photography]
• Can You Hear Me Now? [Atomische]
• F Train Platform, 4th Avenue and 9th Street [seriously excited!]
• Sugar Flower [Lex’s Folly]
• Columbia Street Morning [keylimesteve/flickr]
• Dumbo Double Dipping [jUSTINYC]

Words:

• More from the Revealing Brooklyn Papers Markowitz Q&A [AYR]
• PLG Blogger Ticked Off at Creepy Spam Comments [Across the Park]
• Blogger Rethinks the Whole Blog Thing, Vows Change [Random Brooklyn]
• Life in the Brooklyn War of the Roses House [NYDN]
• We’re Not in Brooklyn Anymore [Brooklyn Record]
• Is Sunset Park a Hidden Gem? [Sunset Parker]
• Year End Hoopla [Kinetic Carnival]
• End of Year Review [My Brooklyn Year]

In the spirit of looking back at the year that was, we present a very selective and subjective list of some of what we identify as the best and worst of 2006:

The Gowanus Lounge Top Bottom Ten
1) Bruce Ratner. Speaks for itself.
2) Joe Sitt/Thor Equities. Wouldn’t have even made the list in May, but closed out the year very, very, very, very, very strong. Could dethrone Mr. Ratner next year.
3) Josh Guttman. The guy is so hot it’s not funny.
4) Isaac Katan. The developer behind a lot of controversial buildings and the Domino Sugar plant. Joke in the South Slope is “Katan is Satan,” which is not a ringing endorsement.
5) Robert Scarano. The poster boy for everything that’s wrong with new Brooklyn developments.
6) Ikea. The Swedish retailer makes the list as much for their demolition of the Todd Shipyards in Red Hook as for being so arrogant about it. They make #1 look like a Civic Spirit Award contender.
7) Steiner Equities. Killed the Old Dutch Mustard Building in Williamsburg. We consider it an act of vandalism.
8) Frank Gehry. Miss Brooklyn wouldn’t be a bad building in Manhattan. Mr. Gehry shouldn’t have tarnished his reputation with Atlantic Yards.
9) Shaya Boymelgreen. He’s here largely because of Beacon Tower and the big rat outside 75 Smith.
10) Quadriad Development. They could be a top contender in 2007 based on their insane, cracked-out proposals for Williamsburg.

Gowanus Lounge Top Five:
1. Carolina Salguero. Runs a cool organization and stands up for the Red Hook waterfront.
2. Daniel Goldstein. Has stood his ground where others would have folded.
3. Letitia James. She is right on the money on a whole lot of community issues.
4. Norman Oder. If they gave Pulitzers to bloggers, he’d get one. Mr. Oder ran circles around other local reporters and performed an invaluable community service via information.
5. Philip DePaolo. Defines community activism in North Brooklyn.

Ugly Ass Building Award:
1) Northside Piers. Offensive in terms of scale and sales pitch. Bite me, is all we can say.
2) J Condo. Some like it and it’s been selling, but it’s the wrong building in the wrong place.
3) Finger Building. There are many fingers in North Brooklyn, but this is the original Finger.
4) Novo Park Slope aka Park Slope Tower. What were they thinking?
5) 133 Water. Looks like a Sub-Zero appliance next to the Manhattan Bridge.

Now We’re Talking Award:
1) On Prospect Park. Pretentious and expensive, but respects the hood.
2) Mill Building. Nice example of how renovation beats demolition.
3) 55 Berry. The building gets kicked around, but another nice renovation.
4) Manhattan Park. By all rights, we should dislike this Greenpoint building, but we dig it.

Williamsburg Overdevelopment Award:
The South Slope. Forget where you are, and 16th Street looks like N. 8th Street.

Best New Ideas & New Things:
1) Brooklyn Greenway. We’re rooting for it.
2) Gowanus Comprehensive Plan. Excellent idea. We await further action.
3) Bushwick Inlet Park. Will be very, very cool.
4) Red Hook Beach. Part of an appealing overall RedHook Piers plan.
5) East River State Park. Still awaiting the opening.
6) Lighting the Parachute Jump. Subtle, but we love it.
7) Prospect Park in Lights. Totally, totally rocks. Best idea ever.
8) Brooklyn Trolleys. Anyplace in the borough–we’d love them.
9) Coney Island Aquarium Makeover. Some excellent visions. Let’s get on with it.

Top New Brooklyn Blogs (in alphabetical order) of 2006:
1) Brooklyn Record.
2) Clinton Hill Blog.
3) Dumbo NYC.
4) Kinetic Carnival.
5) Runs Brooklyn.
6) Sunset Parker.

What good is a look back without a look to the future. So, here are a few things to keep your eyes on in 2007:

Top 2007 Brooklyn Development Battles:
1) Coney Island. Will Mr. Sitt get his way? Or will the community have a say? Stay tuned.
2) Red Hook Piers. A battle royale for the future of the land around the Atlantic Basin.
3) Revere Sugar Site. Thor was hoping for a quiet project; we think otherwise.
4) Admiral’s Row. Things could get ugly if plans to demolish these buildings go forward.
5) Greenpoint Waterfront Projects. Empty land awaits highrises and community input.
6) Domino Sugar Plant Site. Demolition or preservation? Could heat up in ’07.
7) Atlantic Yards. It ain’t over until the judges say so.
8) Gowanus. Zoning changes needed for luxury developments to go forward, and Gowanus overall. It could be a nasty fight.

Most Threatened Brooklyn Landmarks:
1) Admiral’s Row. Demolition plan announced so supermarket can be built.
2) Domino Sugar Plant. Landmark push under way, but will it succeed?
3) Broken Angel. City still threatening a tear down, and now up for sale.
4) Remaining Greenpoint Terminal Market Buildings. Will they be landmarked or demolished?
5) Red Hook Graving Dock. Ikea ready to fill it. Will a lawsuit save it?
6) Wonder Wheel. Protected in theory, but a sneak attack by Thor Equities is not out of the question.

Could Make GL’s 2007 Top Bottom List:
1) Douglaston Development. Next to Battery Park-ify the Williamsburg Waterfront.
2) Rafael Viñoly. Three words–Domino Sugar site. Let’s hope he’s got more up his sleeve than tall buildings.
3) Karl Fischer. The impact of all his buildings remains to be seen.

When a future generation of historians looks back at Brooklyn from the vantage point of the 2020s or 2030s, 2006 will stand as a watershed year. Symbolically, it will be as important as 1957, the year that the Dodgers played their last game at Ebbets field, precipitating a tailspin–at least in terms of self-esteem, if not reality–that lasted for decades. The story of 2006, of course, isn’t deterioration and loss of institutions and industry. It’s one of of a real estate and development boom of historic proportions. Yet, the prevailing 2006 theme is still one of loss–of landmarks and of character and of things that make Brooklyn, well, Brooklyn.

This is the year that Brooklyn started to change forever. It seemed that hardly a week went by when a building wasn’t being demolished or the columns of a new one weren’t starting to poke into the sky. As surely as the decline of the late 1950s started to make Brooklyn what it would be in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, the boom of 2006–and some critical decisions that were made this year–will define what Brooklyn will become in the 2010s, 2020s and beyond. Some say it’s a great thing. Other, a lot less so.

In either case, we’d suggest that 2006 was a seminal year for our borough, and these are a few of the stories that made it so (knowing we’ve left out some significant ones):

1) Atlantic Yards. After an approval process that was not noted for its inclusiveness nor for being especially responsive to community concerns, the mega-project that will forever change the intersection of Flatbush and Atlantic Avenues–along with Propsect Heights, Park Slope, Fort Greene and Boerum Hill–was approved. The lawsuits are still to be decided, of course, and could turn out to be one of the big stories of 2007. Or not.

2) Greenpoint Terminal Market Fire. One of the biggest fires that Brooklyn has seen in recent decades is said to have been started by a drunk scavanging for copper wire. We’re still a little dubious, but all we know is that structures that might have been landmarked were turned to rubble instead.

4) Todd Shipyard Demolition. Ikea’s big blue box on the Red Hook waterfront–a project that will add up to 10,000 cars a day to the neighborhood–moved into the construction phase in 2006 with the demolition of the vast Todd Shipyard, including a large number of historic buildings. The Graving Dock–a Brooklyn waterfront asset–remains but is threatened with being filled for use as Ikea parking. Lawsuit is pending.

5) Start of Williamsburg Waterfront Construction. The fate of a huge stretch of waterfront in Williamsburg and Greenpoint was actually determined with an historic rezoning in 2005, but 2006 saw the start of the first major project to result from the change. Called Northside Piers, the first 29-story Toll Brothers tower is now rising on Kent Avenue. Construction of The Edge, another highrise project to the north, should start next year.

6) Brooklyn Bridge Park. The courts cleared the way for construction of Brooklyn Bridge Park, which will be financed with luxury highrise housing and hotel development. The project will open the waterfront to the public, but also change significantly change it by adding a number of very tall buildings.

7) Coney Island Plan/Sale of Astroland. Developer Joe Sitt‘s plans for Coney Island continued to develop with a number of iterations making the rounds in 2006. Most significantly, Mr. Sitt purchased Astroland, which will close at the end of the 2007 season, and began the process of evicting tenants on land he’s already bought, making 2006 the last year before a long period of demolition, emptiness and construction. It remained very difficult to know what to make of the Coney plan, although Thor is best known as a developer of urban shopping centers and its Coney plan includes up to four 40-story highrises along the boardwalk.

8) Williamsburg as a Demolition Zone/Construction Site. 2006 was the year that Williamsburg became a largescale demolition and construction zone. Buildings seemed to be going down and foundations dug on every block. 2007 will the year that the changes in the landscape–and in the neighborhood’s character–become apparent.

9) South Slope Development Fights. Beat the downzone was the name of the game in one of Brooklyn’s hottest development zones. There were multiple smackdowns at the Department of Buildings.

10) Revere Sugar Demolition. The Red Hook waterfront lost one of its icons–a development deeply mourned by some and less so by others–at the hands of developer Joe Sitt and his firm Thor Equities, which became of the more controversial presences on the Brooklyn scene in 2006. As the year comes to an end, so does the Revere Dome. The developer had originally said he might preserve the dome, but demolition went ahead without any community notification or any zoning changes needed or approved plans.

A day after the Post reported that historic Gargiulo’s Restaurant in Coney Island was being purchased by developer Joe Sitt and Thor Equities–and a source told us it wasn’t so–the Post has an update: The owners of Gargiulo’s aren’t selling to the firm that is buying up vast areas of Coney Island. The Post writes:

A developer’s bid to buy a famous Coney Island Italian restaurant and convert the site into luxury housing appears to be toast. Nino Russo, co-owner of Gargiulo’s Restaurant, a neighborhood institution, told The Post yesterday he plans to reject Thor Equities’ offer.

“We are going to be celebrating our 100th anniversary in 2007, so we have no intention of selling yet,” he said.

We note the word “yet” appended to the sentence. We’re certain there are significant Coney land deals to come in 2007.

Two new very important developments to relay on the Broken Angel front if you haven’t seen them. First, the Brooklyn Papers is reporting that the house has been saved, “as the as long as its owners chop off the top floors, do structural work on the lower floors, reconstruct the central stairwell, and stay off the premises until the work is complete.” The deal was worked out by owner Arthur Wood and his lawyer, City Councilwoman Letitia James (D-Prospect Heights). Ms. James represented him pro bono. A group of Pratt Institute engineers and students are volunteering to help save the structure. No word on how the extensive renovations will be funded.

The other story, however, is that Broken Angel is up for sale. Brownstoner is reporting:

the Broken Angel and an adjacent lot has been being stealthily marketed for sale by Massey Knakal’s Michael Annunziata. As a result, the listing is not up on the web but we’ve seen the tear sheets on the prop. The Angel itself is at 4-6 Downing Street and sits on a 40-by-100-foot lot zoned for R6. At 13,000 square feet, the current building is actually overbuilt by about 4,000 square feet. The empty lot next door at 8 Downing is 20-by-100-feet.

All very interesting. No emails recently from Chris Wood, who has periodically provided updates. We’re going to assume one will be forthcoming soon, given all this.

• Illuminating Markowitz Q&A [Brooklyn Papers]
• Broken Angel Up for Sale [Brownstoner]
• 2006 Year in Review [Brooklyn Papers]
• 421-a Solution That Came Too Late [Atlantic Yards Report]
• Fort Greene Blimpie Go Bye Bye [Brooklyn Record]
• Pizza Mail in Red Hook [Callalillie]
• Gowanus Verizon Workers Upset About Toxic Underground Plume [Brooklyn Papers]
• New Years in Brooklyn [A Brooklyn Life]
• Dumbo New Year’s Eve Parties [Dumbo NYC]

Bonus Question: Which of Mr. Sitt’s development sites will remain empty longer before approvals are forthcoming: the Revere parcel in Red Hook or the vast tract of land Thor will clear in Coney Island?

If you’ve been following the entire Atlantic Yards process, you will recall that the Council of Brooklyn Neighborhoods was picked to coordinate the “community expert review” of the huge Atlantic Yards Environmental Impact Statement. We were skeptical at first, figuring that the same people that were guiding Atlantic Yards through the approval process had handpicked a fox to check out the quality of the poultry in the hen house. We were wrong. The Council of Brooklyn Neighborhoods did an incredible job of keeping watch over the process, becoming one of the most vocal critics of the process and the hasty way the review was conducted.

Now, it turns out that the group, which was supposed to get $100,000 from the New York State Assembly to cover the cost of hiring experts and doing oversight, hasn’t been paid. The write:

Based on these assurances CBN contracted a large team of environmental consultants and produced a highly praised independent analysis that is being used by officials in evaluating the Atlantic Yards proposal. One problem…the Assembly money has “disappeared.”

What happened?

Outgoing Assemblyman and early Atlantic Yards supporter Roger Green twice blocked the money, and twice after meeting with CBN members who addressed his concerns he agreed to remove his freeze. CBN would really like an accounting of where that money has gone and why.

“Public money was promised three times for a community review of this EIS. The community deserves to know what happened to that money. We hope the media and all government officials will insure these questions are answered. We aren’t going to let this drop without an accounting,” said James Vogel, spokesman for CBN.

It’s just so easy to skip paying bills during the holidays, especially if you’re the government!

There is a cautionary tale here for community organizations messing with big projects that come with government (or developer) money, and we’re not entirely convinced this is the last cry of “we’ve been stiffed” that we will hear, given all the groups that have gotten and will get Forest City Ratner money from the process. That having been said, this smacks of dirty, lowdown politics at its finest. First you hire a group and hope they’ll be pushovers. Then, when they turn out to do excellent work, you simply try to screw them by not paying, in turn, stiffing all the consultants they hired to analyze the huge Atlantic Yards documents. Let’s hope it’s just a itty-bitty check processing boo boo. But, given the rank ugliness of the Atlantic Yards process, we’re thinking more than honest paperwork error.

Controversial Brooklyn developer Joe Sitt and his company Thor Equities continue snapping up property in Coney Island. Today, the New York Post is reporting that the company is going to buy a well-known local Italian restaurant, Gargiulo’s. The site will be used for luxury housing. Gargiulo’s has been open since 1903 and might be moved to the new boardwalk project if and when it is built. Thor is planning a $1.5 billion Coney redevelopement and last month bought Astroland. Its plans for Coney include highrise luxury housing, some of it on the boardwalk.

UPDATE: A source tells us the original story was wrong. Gargiulo’s apparently hasn’t been sold and, in fact, was never up for sale. There will, no doubt, be more information tomorrow on whether Thor will dine Italian or not.

Food:

• Le Petite Marche is Open [Brooklyn Heights Blog]
• Nice Buns in Sunset Park Chinatown [PAL/Chowhound]
• Park Slope Gains Bakery Thanks to Divorce [Brooklyn Record]
• La Guera in Sunset Park Has Great Tamales [Bookistan/Chowhound]
• Octopus Salad at Stone Park Cafe [Park Slope Gastronome]
• Wednesday Food and Drink Roundup [Brooklyn Record]
• Atlantic Avenue Temple Morphing into Wine Bar [Eater]
• Downtown Atlantic is Better Than Most Places on Smith Street [Steve R/Chowhound]

Not Food:

• Gargano Era Ends with Opacity on Atlantic Yards [AYR]
• New Atlantic Yards Documentary to Debut [OTBKB]
• Brooklyn Year in Review [NYDN]
• Much Ado on Formerly Dead Stretch of Grand [Brownstoner]
• Human Kindness: Brooklyn Cabbie Visits Baby in Pakistan, Loses License [NYDN]
• Holiday Highlights [Brooklyn Masala]
• Brooklyn Kwanzaa Celebrations [About Brooklyn]
• Before and After Thanks to Aerial Maps [Set Speed]

I live right around the corner from there and called 311 to complain about the stink. A couple days later an inspector showed up, went to my next-door neighbor’s building (just a normal building) and said that I had called in about a smell coming from THAT building! There is a stinky cabbage processing plant on one corner and that oil-filled field on the other and the inspector was such an incompetent moron (with no sense of smell) that he just picked a random building and questioned them about their odor. Of course I wasn’t home and they never contacted me again.

Our own impression has been that there is no oversight of the cleanup of this nasty and toxic horror excellent real estate opportunity. The image of a city inspector unable to spot the overpowering smell coming from the site and picking a building at random is as priceless in an oddly comic as it is scary.

Oh well. Thank you for calling 311, and have a nice day.