[Photo for GL courtesy of Max Casey]

There is good news, we suppose, for those in need of a tattoo on Smith Street or those looking for more options in the Greater Gowanus-Carroll Gardens Metroplex. This is a newly open tattoo place on Smith Street called the Smith Street Tattoo Parlor. It’s on a rather, shall we say, quiet stretch of the street near Fourth Street.

The Brooklyn Paper confirms what a neighborhood source told us earlier this week: The old Tea Lounge Space on Seventh Avenue in the Slope is becoming a Vietnamese sandwich shop. Sarah Portlock reports that “the beloved Vietnamese sandwich shop Hanco’s” is opening in the space. The popular Carroll Gardens spot will open within the next two months bringing a much needed fresh option to the nabe. “After looking at that the area, [we saw that] there is no Vietnamese food over there and we just want to bring something to the neighborhood,” manager Michael Ting says.–Brooklyn Paper

Rudy Giuliani may have cleaned the subway cars of the monumental graffiti years ago, but he sure didn’t put a stop to the international street art wave that grew from it. The Train Car Project is presently showing at Papa B Studios in Bushwick (or are we now calling it East Williamsburg these days?) until October 22nd. Sixty artists from around the world are on display showing their concepts and style of their very own box car. Who’s showing? Go here to find out. Papa B is at 907 Broadway.
—Vaduz Uvunt

If you’re bike disappeared on Fifth Avenue between 10th and 11th Streets, we believe we came upon a strong indication of where it might be. Call the 78th Precinct, or so the sign says.

In recent months Bay Ridge has seen two new Middle Eastern grilled fish restaurants open up… both within one block of the Bay Ridge institution that is El Bahary Fish Market. While El Bahary was once the go-to place for grilled fish in Bay Ridge, it now has competition from Asmak Taama (on the same block) and Samakmak, on 4th Ave between Bay Ridge Ave and Ovington. We watched the two new joints during their late summer build-ins with much puzzlement. Can the area support THREE grilled fish restaurants? Is a nasty fish-smear campaign in our future? Below find our reviews of two of the three grilled fish joints. We need a few days away from grilled fish before we tackle the remaining restaurant, Asmak Taama, so look for that review in the near future.
—Vanessa Raymond

The reviews, fish lovers, are right this way

A GL reader writes with a scream of pain about an awful ruckus caused by the city or Con Ed at Hicks and Kane Street in the middle of the night. We have no idea what it was about (other than the fact that it would seem to obscene barring some sort of absolute emergency), but perhaps someone does. Here’s the email we got:

Do you happen to know what is going on with the street work at hicks and kane. Last night, they had stadium lights shining through our window, then at roughly 1:30am turned on some drilling/air machine that sounded like a bomb and shook our whole apartment. Seems incredibly intrusive and horribly loud for 1:30 in the morning. It set off every car alarm within 4 blocks and I’m sure woke the whole neighborhood. If this is the city, can they do this kind of loud work at that hour without it being an emergency?

Sounds like a fun night.

[All photos for GL courtesy of E.C. Stephens]

Gowanus has another eatery to add to its growing repertoire. Dawg Shack on Union Street and 3rd Street has set up shop on this quiet corner for over a month now. Serving the neighborhood’s frankfurter needs, it also provides cheap eats like burgers, sandwiches, breakfast and anything else that the owner/cook gets the urge to dish up. The Brooklyn Paper interviewed the owner Jose M., who declined to reveal his last name. “I’m a little spontaneous about what goes on the menu,” he admitted. “Yesterday, I made brisket. Today, I made chicken cutlet. I’m trying to think of what I’m gonna make tomorrow.”

A mystery man with mystery specials, color us intrigued. We made it over the other day to check it out for ourselves and found out that the elusive Jose’s full name was Jose Maldonado. He confirmed that the shack would have weekly specials like brisket and chicken cutlet, along with Boars Head’s meats, heroes (like Italian sausage with peppers) and of course their signature dawgs. A NY dog has sauerkraut and onion ($2), Chicago has onion, lettuce, tomato with pickle ($3), California comes with onion, mustard, ketchup and jalapeno ($3), Texas has bacon, cheese, mushroom and BBQ sauce ($3), and finally there is the staple chili-cheese dog ($2.75). We ordered a chili cheese dog with an order of fries and to our delight he grabbed a fresh potato and sliced up a new batch. It turns out Mr. Maldonado is an enthusiastic cook. Not only are the fries made from fresh potatoes, but his chili is homemade with green peppers and ground beef. Everything else is also made to order so don’t expect fast-food. Dawg Shack will start delivery, so this may be the best option for the impatient. Welcome to the Gowanus, Jose! (Call 718-855-0757 for delivery.)
—E.C. Stephens

A couple of more pics of our Dawg Shack right here.

Brooklinks is a daily selection of Brookyn-related information and images.

City Wants to Expand Beds at a Bed-Stuy Homeless Shelter [Brownstoner]
Person Found Dead in Ft. Greene Park Was Stabbed to Death [Eagle]
Sleeping Bags at the Ready: Hearings on Term Limits Begin Today [NY Times]
Cops Stop Drunken Revelers From Drowning in the Coney Drink [NYDN]
A Greenpoint Bodega, 340 Days Later [Kristy May Blog]
The Prospect Park Dog Wars Continue [Gothamist]
A Photo Tour of the Navy Yard [Clinton Hill Blog]
Stray Cats Are Menacing Ditmas Park [DP Blog]
Surprise! No Takers For Carroll Gardens’ Hunchback Building [PMFA]
Pics of TVOTR’s First Night at the Masoncic Temple [Brooklyn Vegan]

[Photo courtesy of June Carter Cash Peep/GL Flickr Pool]

We are certain there is a fascinating back story to this banner hung from a building on Dean Street in what appears to be Prospect Heights. The photographer writes: “As the occupants of this apartment inform us, little kids throwing apples at the law and fire department can be hazardous to their family’s health. Of course, there should be nothing wrong with pelting the president, Wall Street and all the greedy bastards who’ve gotten us into our financial mess with rotten fruit. They deserve it.” Such exciting times in which we’re living!

The bombshell dropped late yesterday morning in a press release from the New York City Economic Development Corporation: the city had bought a key parcel of land held by the Ward Family Trust for $11 million. The property is the front part of Deno’s Wonder Wheel Park and it brings the total of city owned land in its downsized amusement district to four of nine acres. A gentleman by the name of Joe Sitt controls some of that other land. The irony is that Mr. Sitt was said to be in contract for the same Wonder Wheel Park land with the Ward Trust for $11M last year. We talked to a city official yesterday who was quite happy about the purchase. In reality it throws the proverbial monkey wrench in the developer’s plan to control 11 acres of land in the heart of the amusement district. Let’s say he owns the head (Astroland) and the rear end (huge lots on Stillwell Avenue and beyond), but is now missing the torso. Today’s post reports that (for reasons we are unable to fathom) that Mr. Sitt let the contract on the land “lapse” and someone opined that the developer is likely “fuming right now.” That would be understandable. (In fact, one imagines the person responsible for the screw up being blindfolded and taken out and shot on the roof of Thor corporate headquarters. “Oh, please, Mr. Sitt, I thought the deadline was November 10, not October 10. It said so right in the email….” Sound of fire squad cocking weapons and Mr. Sitt screaming, “Shoot the son of a bitch now, before I strangle all of you.”) And so, the city scooped it up. We think the Ward Trust might have seen the light and decided that the city’s plan to keep an amusement park on the land might be a good direction in which to go. In any case, the current tenant Deno’s, has a lease that runs through 2020, although the owners could certainly have sold if they wanted.

So, is this a good thing, a bad thing or indifferent? We think that, on the whole, it’s a good thing, although we continue to harbor deep reservations about parts of the rezoning plan for the heart of the amusement district. We were very disappointed in the city’s decision to reduce the planned amusement park from 16 acres down to 9 mainly so that it could mollify Mr. Sitt and his political allies that have the clout to block or delay the Bloomberg plan beyond the end of the current administration.* (*Mayor for Life Factor not included.) We still think that too many towers that could be converted to condos are allowed on Surf Avenue for Mr. Sitt’s benefit and we still believe it would be more appropriate for Mr. Sitt to do most of his development work on land west of KeySpan Park where high rise buildings would be more contextual and not interfere with amusements.

Actually, what we really need is a plan to ride out the financial crash.

This is the new entrance to the LIRR station at the Atlantic Center. It’s a replacement for the facility that was destroyed in the late 1980s for the development that ultimately became Bruce Ratner’s megaplex that includes Target. That mall was built in 2004. The station’s been under construction for a looooong time and one wonders what, exactly, is taking so long. Earlier this year, glass was installed causing a great deal of excitement that the building might actually be finished before 2050. Alas, there is little visible progress and, in fact, the situation for pedestrians, many of whom now circumvent the construction barricade at one of Brooklyn’s most dangerous intersections and walk in the street, has gotten worse. It is surprising no one has been run down and killed yet because of the work. There may be one developer in Brooklyn, however, thrilled by the slow pace of the LIRR/Ratner project: Shaya Boymelgreen, who is notorious for both the slow rate at which his buildings have gone up and for the festering neighborhood issue in Park Slope that we call the Boymelpark. Compared to this project, Mr. Boymelgreen’s works is like watching something move at the speed of light. If anyone knows why this job looks like the Boondoggle from Hell, do fill us in. In the meantime, try not get killed getting around it.

[Photo courtesy of Rubys Host/GL Flickr Pool]

This dark and not-very-happy scene comes from Surf Avenue in Coney Island courtesy of Rubys Host.

This is Dusty, who disappeared on Bergen Street in the Slope on October 9. We found the flier on a tree and, as is our habit, figured we’d try to help.

From Park Slope comes this blood curdling report of monster moths: “[The moths are] goldeny and when you smoosh them they’re chalky…i found a mitten i’d left in a bag in my closet. (i’d been wondering why they kept flying out from the closet!) said mitten was missing a giant chunk. i’m not talking about a hole, i mean a quarter of the top of the mitten was gone, like a human had taken a bite from it.” Can the Slope be saved from this winged menace?–Daily Slope

[Photo courtesy of Caryn Rose/GL Flickr Pool]

The L Train does bring much joy, at least, visually. In reality, it can be hellish, but that’s a different topic. In any case, we really dig the juxtaposition of images here of musician and hipster scene. Cool stuff.

[Photo for GL courtesy of Max Casey]

We’re not sure what gets our juices flowing more about this sign: the message itself (which has an odd tone and the obligatory threat) or the scrawled response “I got away.” We’re rather partial to both. It comes from a development on Fourth Avenue about which we’ve written before, like on Friday.

[Photo for GL by E.C. Stephens]

GL Correspondent E.C. Stephens, who came across this massacre scene on Fifth Avenue in Park Slope in front of Southpaw writes: “Oh the humanity! Devoted GL viewers may want to divert their eyes from this horror.” We agree. It’s pretty gruesome compared to the beauties we usually feature.

This is the Karl Fischer building rising at Union Avenue and Ainslie Street in Williamsburg, whose actual address is 405 Union. This particular Hot Karl, which is centrally located right behind a Getty Gas Station and with a heartburn distance of the soon to re-open Kellogg’s Diner, not to mention the Gateway to Williamsburg, will have 47 Burg condos when it’s done. Although, who knows? By the time it’s finished next year, it could be, you know, a rental.

“Do you guys have any info on the shoot out that happened on columbia and west 9th (red hook) friday night? Still can’t seem to get the same answer from anyone. Always a different story.” [GL Inbox]

Huge news today from Coney Island. The city has purchased an acre of Wonder Wheel Park for $11 million that Thor Equities was said last year to be “in contract” to buy for the same price. The news came from the New York City Economic Development Corporation that it had a deal with Ward Realty Corp. to buy the land. The current tenant, Deno’s Wonder Wheel Park has a lease on the property through 2020. From the press release:

The deal is the first of what NYCEDC expects to be a series of land acquisitions in the coming months as the City proceeds with its vision to create a 21st century entertainment destination and protect Coney Island’s amusement legacy in perpetuity. The current tenant, Wonder Wheel Park maintains a lease to operate on the property for a term of 12 years, through 2020.

In terms of the maneuvering to shape Coney Island’s future, it is a HUGE development. It is unclear if the Ward Trust sold to the city because it chose to or because Thor Equities was unable to finance the deal. City sources tell us they are very pleased with the purchased.

The rest of the press release after the jump.

We mentioned food donations a little earlier, now it’s time to talk about coats. When you’re done in your pantry, head on over to your closet and start pulling out your so last season’s winter coat. Yes, we want you to give more! Brooklyn Industries is throwing it’s First Annual Coat Drive on October 23rd at all of their locations to benefit Care For The Homeless. And… to reward you with such generosity, they’ll knock off $10 from the purchase of one of their winter coats from their 2008 collection. Come on… This is the year to be fashionably generous.
—Vaduz Uvunt

[Photo for GL courtesy of Max Casey]

The work on J.J. Byrne Park in Park Slope–specifically, the big project to replace a big stretch of asphalt with turf–continues. (The adjacent Terrapin Playground, well, it may open in November or December or January or…) Looks like the work has stirred up a bit of a rat problem. We do enjoy our parks with skulls and crossbones.

It’s very hard to explain what’s going on here under the BQE. All we can say is click and watch.

One of our GL readers hit us off with an alarming email this morning about one of those late night urban experiences that gets the juices flowing:

Hey…so i was walking home tonight and i had to be escorted by police because there was a corpse found in a cardboard box!!! Outside roughly the entrance of Fort Greene Park. Police quote: “we found some thing we should not have.”

Uh, here’s a bit more about what they found that they “should not have” as per Newsday. Well, at least it was boxed up nicely. Ugh.

Brooklinks is a daily selection of Brookyn-related information and images.

New Campaign to Lure N.J., Manhattan Biz to Downtown Bklyn [NYP]
Is it Too Soon to Call Atlantic Yards Doomed? [AY Report]
Opposition to LICH Downsizing Appears to be Growing [Eagle]
Check Out Prospect Park’s Boathouse, Back in the Day [A Year In the Park]
An Urban Outfitters Offshoot is Opening on Smith St. [Brownstoner]
Is AY’s Landscape Architect Off the Job or ‘On Sabbatical’? [TRE]
Will Sunset Park be Considered ‘Wilderness’ Very Soon? [Gawker]
The Humboldt Hurler Makes a Triumphant Return [NY Shitty]
Details Emerge About ‘The Real World’ Red Hook Cast [Gothamist]
A Look Inside Dumbo’s Dilapidated Empire Stores Warehouse [McBrooklyn]