[Photo courtesy of weenieart/GL Flickr Pool]

Of course, one assumes “it” is parking. But “it” could always be any number of things or, at least, we’d like to think so.

Looks like the big Gene Kaufman-designed hotel and apartment complex being built between N. 12 and N. 11 Streets and Bedford Ave. and Berry Street in Williamsburg has been hitting some bumps in the road. The development consists of a seven-story hotel and a six-story residential building whose official address is 135 N. 11 Street. The project has been hit with three separate Stop Work Orders this summer, the most recent of which came on August 11 for excavation work not conforming to approved plans. Meanwhile, the project has already attracted 17 complaints, the most recent of which was for, well, working in violation of the Stop Work Order. The DOB didn’t find any evidence of that when it dropped in a few hours later.

See the Gene Kaufman Stop Work Order Collection, Ahead.

Sit down, because this may come as a shock: Park Slopers really love their strollers high-end sex toys. Uh huh. A check-in with Babeland, which opened to some prudish consternation, finds that business is booming. “We’re doubling our sales projections,” says Claire Cavanah, one of Babeland’s owners. “We were conservative about how the sales volume would be, but it’s almost been effortless.” Cavanah says the chainlet’s “meat-and-potato” items like the Magic Wand and Rabbit vibrators are top sellers in the Slope, and the store has surprised her by selling a lot of luxury toys priced at more than $100 and “designed for a lifestyle crowd.” We now return to our regular programming.–The Real Estate

Yesterday, we had the story from a Park Slope Parents email of the Chicken Parmigiana a la Cockroach at the Slope’s Tutta Pasta. The story made the jump over to Brooklynian and, as such tales always do, brought out other gross-out stories. Like this one from an unnamed Second Street restaurant:

…this reminds me of the time, a couple of years ago, when i was sitting at the bar of a certain restaurant that is still open on 2nd street, when my companion looked at me and recoiled in horror (more so than usual) at almost the exact same moment that i felt an itchy feeling on my right cheek. a woman sitting next to my companion gasped loudly, and i wiped my face, and then looked down to see that i’d brushed-off a waterbug, an inch-and-a-half long, off my face. much ee-yew’ing ensued. we all told the bartender what’d happened, and the woman sitting nearby suggested, loudly, that he should at least give me a free drink. he gave her a condescending look, and said ‘are you kidding?’ the bug was bad enough, but his reaction to what seemed like a reasonable suggestion was the greater insult. i’ve never been back to that place.

Given the fact that Second Street Cafe no long exists, process of elimination leads us to the only restaurant on Second Street. All we’ll say is that it serves pizza. We haven’t seen any waterbugs there, but have seen evidence of a mouse infestation of Biblical Proportions. We haven’t set foot in the place in over a year either after watching Multiple Mickeys and Minnies run wild on multiple visits, scurrying between the tables and booths. So, perhaps, both the Monster Cockroach and Mouse Olympics problems have been solved. Or not. (The last inspection shown a year ago yielded 21 points and evidence of mice, a prior inspection about a year ago to the day came up with a stomach churning 55 points.)

A special GL Correspondent hit us off with this image with the excellent message “Colonize the Slope.” We are not certain who or what wishes to colonize the Slope, but we certainly will be interested to find out.

Here’s one of our weekly features from the Center for the Urban Environment (CUE). This week’s interview is with Green Spa NY Blog and The Spa co-owner Maria Ingardia. CUE found her through the Sustainable Business Network NYC, a network of businesses dedicated to building a vibrant, diverse and responsible local living economy in New York City. For more information on SBNYC check out www.sbnnyc.org.

Q: Where are you from originally?

A: I am originally from Bay Ridge Brooklyn where The Spa & Wellness Center & Green Spa NY.com is located.

Q: When did the Green Spa NY open and what lead you to start up the venture?

A: Green Spa New York aka “The Spa & Wellness Center” celebrated its grand re-opening on April 22, 2008 (Earth Day) after ten years in the spa business. We transformed one floor of the day spa into a three floor Green Wellness Center during a two year renovation—teaming up with great partners and putting together an entire Wellness Center block by block. We constantly evolve the business by staying on top of industry trends—and, in some cases, creating some of them.

Read more of the interview, right ahead.

We’re excited about Flatbush Vegan, a new blog coming out of (surprise) Flatbush that promises coverage of that neighborhood, Ditmas Park, Midwood and others. The introductory post says:

We plan to use this blog as a place to discuss happenings in the neighborhood, highlight places we like, and occasionally give you a glimpse into the wonderful, albeit selective, vegan and vegetarian options around here. For those of you who have no interest in the vegetarian lifestyle, don’t worry- we’ll do our best to cover just as much neighborhood news as we will vegan issues. We’ll be focusing most of our attention on the area known as Ditmas Park, but we’ll also take a look at greater Flatbush and Midwood from time to time. Feel free to leave comments and suggestions and come back often!

Check out their post about the Gossip Girl shoot in the neighborhood. It’s excellent. Here’s hoping they stay at it.

There’s a screening of Hairspray and fireworks in the Long Meadow in Prospect Park on Wednesday (8/20) at 8:00 P.M. Per a press release from Borough President Marty Markowitz’s office:

On Wednesday, August 20, Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz will present a free screening of the hit movie Hairspray and fireworks at the Long Meadow in Prospect Park. The musical, with its themes of acceptance and diversity, is being shown as part of “Summer 2008 Respect,” an initiative of the Borough President’s Office designed to champion a message of respect and bring Brooklynites together in celebrating the borough’s diversity.

The weather for Wednesday evening looks good, too.

Jean Weinberg, the personable and hard working Communications Director for City Council Member Bill de Blasio is leaving town to go to Missouri to work for Sen. Barack Obama’s Presidential campaign. Ms. Weinberg is both the City Council Member’s spokesperson and a valuable contact for those of us who cover Brooklyn. If she’s as tireless working for the presumptive Democratic nominee as she has been working for the Mr. de Blasio, reporters in the Show Me State will be shown a thing or two. We wish Jean well and will simply add that she promised us she would work her heart out for the Illinois Senator.

The Drama Cafe on Fifth Avenue in Park Slope has been shuttered a lot longer than it was ever opened and in the process engendered a lot more hostility than the average spot because its owner is a less than beloved figure as Brooklyn landlords go. (Hint: google Sonia Santos landlord.) In any case, the closure isn’t the news, as that happened so long ago that we forget. The property has been put on the market, however, either for sale or for rent. Perhaps the new venture will have a longer, happier life. Or not.

We checked in on 95 Bedford Avenue over the weekened, the big empty lot that will be the future site of a very large building designed by Karl Fischer. The reason for our interest isn’t so much to plot the progress of excavation work as to see what kind of environmental remediation is being done on the parcel, which used to be the site of a paint factory and is the source of much fear an concern in the neighborhood. In the past, we’ve found soil being removed only party covered by tarps, and on windy days, dust blowing all over the neighborhood. More dirt is covered, but there’s still a tremendous amount exposed and more being excavated.

Another shot of the Toxic Karl Site ahead.

[Photo courtesy of Adrian Kinloch/Brit in Brooklyn]

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

· Security Video Show Attack on Senior in Flatbush [NYT]
· Man in Vid Wanted in 12 Similar Brooklyn Robberies [Sun]
· Joy on Coney Island Ave. Over Musharraf Resignation [NYDN]
· Artists Finding a Place in Sunset Park [TRE]
· Eye on the Stuy [Bed-Stuy Blog]
· Habitat NYC Builds Largest NYC Project on Atlantic Avenue [NYDN]
· Gin Martinis and Brooklyn Sunsets [66 Square Feet]
· Tomatoes in Brooklyn [Brooklyn Based]
· Real World Cast Invades Infamous Royal Oak in Burg [Gawker]
· Flatbush Bike Ride to Summer Streets [Sustainable Flatbush]
· Night Games in Prospect Park [A Year in the Park]
· Coney Film Fest Poster Design [Kinetic Carnival]

The two-headed turtle that was in the news yesterday has beens stolen from the Sean Casey Animal Rescue Shelter in Kensington. “Anyone with information on the turtle’s whereabouts is asked to call 917-734-0442…”–NY1

The Bailey Fountain at Grand Army Plaza was a little sudsy yesterday morning after a detergent attack by an unknown culprit or culprits. The reader who sent us the photos wrote, “Some one must have poured detergent into the water last night. It was quite a sight. By the time we got out this morning to take the pictures, the parks department had already started cleaning up.” Reports that it was a dress rehearsal for a special event next week called the Summer of Suds in which every fountain in the borough will bubble to life are complete fabrications, and Mr. Bubbles has denied culpability.

So many “end of summer” things are coming that they’re bumming us out. Here’s the conclusion of the Carroll Park Concert Series on Wednesday. Per an email:

We’re sorry to see summer 2008 come to an end, but let’s sing and dance once last time as The Carroll Park Concert Series concludes with BariKoral FamilyBand on Wednesday, August 20th at 4 pm!…The fun starts at 3pm with face painting provided by Giggles & Green and food provided by The Moxie Spot. All proceeds benefit The Committee to Improve Carroll Park. We ask for a nominal donation, if possible, to help cover costs. The concert will be held, weather permitting, at: CarrollPark , President Street at Smith Street in Carroll Gardens. Enormous thanks to our local sponsors. Please check our website for more information on these generous folks, and how you can help. Please support the people who support our community.

More info here.

[Photo courtesy of mugsniffer/GL Flickr Pool]

Well, it has quickly become the most well known attraction in Coney Island this summer, clearly doing better than Shoot the Freak in terms of getting press attention. Our photographer writes, “Two boys wait in line for the Spongebob Squarepants Waterboard Thrill Ride at Coney Island.” But, can they really see inside?

Outside the Brooklyn Weather Observatory it’s already looking like it’s cooking. Today’s forecast calls for clouds and sunshine with a shower or thunderstorm around. It will be 88. Tonight will be mainly clear with a low of 61.–Accuweather

A number of these stencils have popped up around Williamsburg of this kind of Big Bad Wolf with Wings thing. We’re not sure of the identity of the artist, so if you know, do kindly inform in the comments section.

The development of the former Robeling Oil Field, which brought us Warehouse 11 springing from its cleaned and capped hole, has begun anew. After some demolition work, land is already cleared for Phase II, on the Driggs Avenue side of the property, which will also be a Karl Fischer work (and we assume on that is architecturally similar to the one that is already up). The name of the new project on the sign is Driggs Place, but it’s an extension of the Warehouse 11 franchise. The New Karl will be 70 feet tall and have 54 units.

[Photo courtesy of Miss Heather]

Our friend Miss Heather, who is among other things, the Queen of the Street Couch, captured this beauty on Green Street (and there are more to come this week). She calls it “The Alistair Cooke of Couches on Green Street.” Got to love the plumbing truck behind it too.

Hip chainlet Oak may be doing okay on Bond Street in Manhattan and in Williamsburg but they are doneski on Fifth Avenue in Park Slope. Per a GL Correspondent, the store at President Street, which switched over to accessories mode earlier this year is no longer. Whether this says more about Oak or about Park Slope, we don’t know, but it was a pretty short experiment.

Looks like an old Coney tradition–stealing someone’s shit on the beach–is alive and well. “During the three-week period ending July 13, the 60th precinct — which serves Coney Island, Brighton Beach and Bensonhurst — saw a 44.1 percent increase in grand larcenies and 17.8 increase in robberies, compared to the same period last year. Most of the grand larcenies –– there were 24 of them in the second week of July alone — took place on the beach, precinct officials told The Coney Island News. The crime being reported most frequently was the theft of wallets, handbags and other valuables left unattended while their owners were taking a dip in the ocean.”–Coney News on Kinetic Carnival

[Photo courtesy of 66 Square Feet]

The Gowanus sunflowers are looking great these days. This image comes from 66 Square Feet blogger Marie Viljoen. She writes: “My favourite (and everyone’s?) garden on Union at the Gowanus Canal. I have photographed it in the spring but have never seen the legendary sunflowers until now…I give a talk on New York Gardens in Cape Town in the (NY) winter, and this garden ranks above any other in my telling.”

Today’s Times takes a look at Diana Carlin’s wonderful Dreamland Roller Rink in the historic Childs Building in Coney Island. “The rink is scheduled to open every weekend until October, at least. Longtime roller skaters who showed up at Dreamland on Saturday night said they had yet to find a new home since the Roxy and the Empire roller-skating rink in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, closed within a month of each other last year (a third rink, Skate Key in the Bronx, closed in 2006). Some make their way to rinks in New Jersey and on Long Island and Staten Island. Some skate on the weekends in Central Park, though several said they avoided outdoor skating because they did not like rolling on asphalt.”–NYT

[Nethermead Image courtesy Bird in Hand Yard/flickr]

We realize that off-leash practices at the Nethermead in Prospect Park are a hot button issue, but yesterday, we witnessed an NYC Park Police vehicle drive up and its officers start to randomly enforce the law. Specifically, they targeted one woman while watching at least a half dozen other continue to run around leash free. When the woman balked at producing ID they threatened to take her to the 78th Precinct. The officers even tried to ask a companion who had nothing to do with the dog for ID. The offending dog, at the time, was sitting in the grass next to its owner, even as other dogs ran all over the place. All for the “crime” of participating in a ritual at the Nethermead which is admittedly against the law, but which is a favorite among dog owners after 5PM. Off-leash hours in the park are from 9PM-9AM. Prospect Park has always had an unofficial off-leash policy starting at 5 p.m. on weekdays in the Nethermead and the evening dog run is popular among dog owners. The off-leash hours were created by Tupper Thomas, who is now the head of the Prospect Park Alliance, more than a decade ago. An off-leash violation is $100, which is the cost of the summons we watched the officer painstakingly write, while in the distance, dogs scampered off their leashes. When asked about the random enforcement, the officer responded that he couldn’t go after all the dogs running around. The summons noted that the dog in question was a “Rock Wilder” and that she was “unleashed and uncontrolled on parks property.” Half asleep at the foot of its owner, that is. Rock on, Rock Wilder.

GL Analysis:
While we recognize that many will cheer enforcement of off-leash regulations, what we are questioning is the random and almost vindictive enforcement that we witnessed. The officer was rude, vaguely threatening and dismissive of attempts to note that other dogs were running all over the place. (We believe the number of the vehicle number was 434 should anyone in the Park Department wish to commend its employees for their superior conduct and their courteous dealings with members of the park-going public.) To us, it was a ridiculous exercise of authority by ill-mannered employees of the Parks Department who threatened a young woman with a trip to the Precinct for, in effect, questioning what they were doing. Shame on the Parks Department for setting loose these rude public employees to target a single person out of dozens. If the law is to be enforced, it should be enforced uniformly and fairly. To do otherwise is to make a farce of the regulations and to undermine respect for the Parks Department. Frankly, we were utterly disgusted by what we saw.