Author: Halden

Oh Look, @archdaily Fell for the Oppenheim Hotel

12/15/2011 | Comment

It looks like Oppenheim Architecture + Design has been sending out more press releases about the “international competition” to design the hotel for the vacant site next to the Williamsburgh Savings Bank. In the past few days, ArchDaily and other sites have suddenly picked up on this month-old “story”.

Like I said before, the design is gorgeous, but it’s probably not getting built. It’s probably not getting built because a hotel with a 16′-deep footprint rising up for 120′ is economically unbuildable. It’s probably not getting built because it’s probably not as of right and would require a host of public reviews before a height-averse community.

But mainly, it’s probably not getting built because the owner says it’s probably not getting built: “our architect did a design on spec” (that doesn’t sound like a “competition”, international or otherwise).

As for the press release article, it’s worth a read just for sentences like this:

Williamsburg, Brooklyn is one of the most interesting and cutting edge [sic] neighborhoods in the world. It is a soulful, culinary and style epicenter that is raw, edgy, and visceral. A place that attracts intellectual cognisanti [sic] in search of “the real”.

or this:

The three towers engage and dialogue with the distinctive scales and character of the context, with the lowest volume [about 16 stories tall?] relating directly to the surrounding neighborhood in both scale and material, the middle one [about 32 stories tall?] to the adjacent iconic Williamsburg Bank [sic], and the third volume [about 44 stories tall] extends to the sky in direct dialogue with the bridge [which is 335′ tall].

If all this sounds like senseless archibabble, it is – straight from the architect. Other sites have reprinted this press release in the past few days, and at least one of them was honest enough to credit it properly: “Article source: Oppenheim architecture + design”.

Williamsburg’s Rife With New Buildings Again

In case you haven’t noticed, development is booming (again) in Williamsburg. The Post has the details on over 1,300 new units that will (supposedly) hit the market by the end of 2014 (most of them rentals, but condos seem poised for a rise from the ashes too). As Brownstoner points out, it’s pretty clear the Post hasn’t even scratched the surface – anecdotally, it seems as though the majority of the formerly-stalled sites in the area are back in action, and there are a lot of development sites that the article misses. To Brownstoner’s list (11 Broadway and 65 Hope), I’d add South 6th and Wythe (pouring foundations), North 6th & Wythe (almost topped out), South 1st near Kent (back in action), Grand & Driggs (closed in) and about a dozen small sites between Broadway and McCarren that are actively under construction.

As the Post says, “Think the L train is crowded now? Brace yourself.”. Indeed.

Restaurant Neighborhood of the Year: Williamsburg

Unlike Bloomberg, Zagat has been to actual new restaurants in the outer boroughs. They are impressed enough with Williamsburg’s latest crop (Allswell, Brooklyn Star, Cafe de la Esquina, Forcella, Isa, Mable’s, Maison Premiere, Masten Lake, Meatball Shop and Pillar & Plough) that they’ve anointed it restaurant neighborhood of the year.

(It’s nice to see that the Northside sharing in the good eats action – the Southside has been kicking its ass in that category for years now.)

Surf’s Up at Slick’s

12/11/2011 | Comment

I tweeted a week or so ago about the transformation of Slick’s old place into the new home of Mollusk Surf Shop. Brownstoner has a another view of the cleaned up storefront here.

I can’t imagine a better store to replace Slick’s – hopefully they’ll be taking up all the street parking with used surfboards.

New CB1 Liquor License Rules

Aaron Short has the info on the new rules and guidelines that CB1 instituted for new liquor license applications. Most of the rules codify what CB1 has been looking for all along, and try to rein in the biggest sources of complaints, in particular outdoor areas – limiting hours of operation for outdoor spaces, etc. (the rules don’t require a full kitchen for bars with outdoor spaces, as reported, but they do require seated food service at all times). As Short notes, all talk of moratoriums and (worse) a ban on liquor licenses in “residentially-zoned” areas (which accounts for 90% of CB1) are off the table.

And for those concerned that the new rules will restrict nightlife, its worth noting that CB1 approved 9 (out of 11) new licenses this month, all of which voluntarily met the new rules (as have most of the applicants for the past year or more). The two rejections were no-shows.

Santorini: Pay What You Feel the Food Is Worth – Forever

What it boils down to is that people are inherently good, and when a decision like this is left up to them they’ll usually take the high road.

And with that, Santorini ends the experiment and makes it a permanent thing. At any price, the food is worth it.

Midnight Lick Leases Space in Williamsburg

This is an interesting development – Kalmon Dolgin/Midnight Lick is converting a number of buildings in industrial locations for creative-arts businesses. Yet another example of viable (and job-creating) uses for former manufacturing buildings that don’t involve condos, clubs or hotels. Encouraging.

Most Holy Trinity Church Holiday Tours

Urban Oyster is leading tours of Most Holy Trinity on Montrose Avenue on December 17 and January 7. The church in its current incarnation dates to 1885 (William Schickel, architect), but the congregation itself goes back to 1841, when it was founded by German immigrants. It was the second Catholic parish in Williamsburg, and Brooklyn first National parish.

Urban Oyster does some great tours – this one is also for a good cause, to raise money for “Trinity Human Service Center, a nondenominational food pantry and charity that operates in the church basement”.