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Locals want to keep Brooklyn Friends out of Boerum Hill

By on September 25, 2009 in Downtown Brooklyn, Real Estate

Enrollment at Brooklyn Friends School is at an all-time high, leading the school to look for a new location for their preschool and lower school building outside of their current Pearl Street campus in Downtown Brooklyn. A site being considered at the corner of State and Hoyt Streets has angered a local homeowners group called ”Keep State Street Residential,” who fears that the school would bring more traffic and lower property values.

Brooklyn Eagle: According to a release sent out by the dozen or so homeowners, “IBEC said they’d [build townhouses] and won the project-88,000 square feet of prime New York City real estate for just $3.5 million. They signed a contract specifying an apartment building with a quota of affordable housing on Schermerhorn and townhouses on State. Now they want to flip the property and reverse the thoughtful course set by the community.”

The group acknowledges the excellent reputation of Brooklyn Friends School (BFS) – with its International Baccalaureate Diploma program and emphasis on Quaker values – but just want it to build elsewhere.

“Now, BFS is a fine school, currently undertaking an ambitious improvement plan. We wish BFS success, but think their new school will find a more appropriate home at one of the other nearby sites they’re considering.”

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9/11, eight years later

By on September 11, 2009 in Downtown Brooklyn, Events, History

Amongst the many 9/11 remembrance events going on around the world today, Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz and Borough Hall will host a free concert featuring the Brooklyn Symphony Quartet. The concert will take place from noon to 1pm at Brooklyn Borough Hall (209 Joralemon Street). Additionally, the 76th Precinct will conduct a brief memorial service commermorating the eighth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks beginning at 8:30 am in front of the 76th Precinct Stationhouse (191 Union Street).

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Brooklyn Book Festival

By on September 10, 2009 in Arts and Entertainment, Boerum Hill, Carroll Gardens, Downtown Brooklyn, Events

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The fourth annual Brooklyn Book Festival will be held this Sunday, September 13, at locations throughout downtown Brooklyn (including Borough Hall, St. Francis, and the Brooklyn Historical Society). Amongst the authors participating in the festival are Russell Banks, Jonathan Lethem, Anne Carson, Paul Auster, Claire Messud, Colson Whitehead, and David Cross. All events are free, but those taking places at Borough Hall and St. Francis require tickets, which will be available one hour before the program starts on Plaza and Montague Street. For a complete schedule click here, and for a festival map click here.

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Paterson announces state grant saving LICH in-school clinics.

By on September 1, 2009 in Downtown Brooklyn, Government, Health

Read about it in BHB.

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Brooklyn Councilwoman wants MJ plaque in Hoyt-Schermerhorn station

By on September 1, 2009 in Arts and Entertainment, Downtown Brooklyn

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According to an Examiner article, Brooklyn Councilwoman Tish James wants the MTA to put a commemorative plaque in the Hoyt-Schermerhorn subway station, where Michael Jackson’s video for “Bad” was filmed in 1987. The screenshot above shows a clip of the video, directed by Martin Scorsese. James has had trouble with getting the plaque put up because the MTA has a rule against them.

On the phone from her Brooklyn office, Councilwoman James told me that the idea was originally to have Jackson’s name added to the station in downtown Brooklyn, but according to Crain’s New York, that is unlikely to happen. “The MTA had taken some money from Barclays in anticipation of the Atlantic Yards project, which I oppose.” So the least they could do is name another station after Jackson.

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F. Martinella … Effed

By on July 14, 2009 in Boerum Hill, Downtown Brooklyn, Food

From Brooklyn Heights Blog:

Two BHB tipsters have alerted us that F. Martinella, the “old style New York deli”  from Boar’s Head [119 Court Street]  is down and out for the count.  Read more.

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Marty Slams LICH School Clinic Closures

By on July 8, 2009 in Downtown Brooklyn, Government, Health, News

Read about it in BHB.

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Atlantic Ave ArtWalk this weekend

By on June 5, 2009 in Arts and Entertainment, Boerum Hill, Carroll Gardens, Downtown Brooklyn, Events

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This weekend marks the sixth annual Atlantic Avenue ArtWalk, a self-guided tour of open artist studios and area exhibitions, public art projects, and special events (all events are free and open to the public). A list of the weekend’s events and restaurants offering a discount can be found here.

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Open Book Cafe at BPL Central Branch

By on May 28, 2009 in Downtown Brooklyn, Food

Open Book Cafe by Mambo opened at the plaza in front of Brooklyn Public Library’s Central Branch at Grand Army Plaza.

Brooklyn Paper: Spencer Rothschild, the man behind much-loved Park Slope restaurants Barrio, Playa and Cabana Bar, is now serving his Latino-influenced beach cuisine on the plaza in front of the central branch of America’s fifth-largest public library.

“This is a chance to do real food, not just a hot dog, and give people a great new gathering place,” said Rothschild, who cut the ribbon on Open Book Cafe by Mambo with Borough President Markowitz this morning.

The concept is classic Rothschild: breakfast, beginning at 8:30 to serve incoming library workers and some commuters, will consist of homemade granola, espresso drinks, muffins and croissants.

At 11 am, the menu expands to include lobster salad sliders (a bargain at three for $8.75), mini pulled pork sandwiches (three for $5.95), chips and guacamole, tacos, quesadillas and salads.

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Parking passes for Brooklyn residents

By on May 19, 2009 in Boerum Hill, Carroll Gardens, Downtown Brooklyn, DUMBO, Transportation

Senator Daniel Squadron and Assemblywoman Joan Millman have drafted a bill that would require car owners to buy permits to legally park in Brooklyn Heights, Cobble Hill, Carroll Gardens, and Boerum Hill. The proposal would allow the city to sell the residential parking permits to drivers, but would keep commercial streets open for metered parking. This would benefit residents downtown Brooklyn communities, which are popular places for commuters from further into Brooklyn to park their cars during the workday to have a shorter subway trip into Manhattan. The money raised from the permits would be transferred to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to use on subway and bus improvements. Continue Reading →

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