Freed By U.S., Saudi Becomes a Qaeda Chief

A former terrorist released by President Obama is responsible for bombing the U.S. Embassy in Yemen.

Oh wait, sorry – the guy was released a year ago. By Bush.

Somehow the fact that W. screwed up everything he touched has become a reason for Barack not to try to get something right. Runs rings around you logically.

Obama Wants to Reopen Lady Liberty’s Crown

Another stupid Bush-era rule Obama is looking to overturn. Funny how Democrats are always accused of wanting to create a nanny state, when it was the Republicans who perfected the concept over the past eight years.

I haven’t been to “statue island” (as a certain 4-year-old I know calls it) since I was in 3rd or 4th grade, but I’d gladly go back if the crown was open.

Love Grows In Brooklyn

Somewhere, a publicist has earned his wings:

two of Brooklyn’s coolest hotels – hotel le jolie and hotel le bleu[…] are offering the ideal Valentine’s Day Packages for couples wishing to experience a romantic rendezvous in Brooklyn’s trendiest neighborhoods.

I mean really earned his wings:

Why It’s Dreamy: […]Nestled in Brooklyn’s trendy Williamsburg area, hotel le jolie offers comfortable rooms furnished with in-room amenities including

Whereby nestled, we mean cheek by jowl with BQE. Vroom, vroom – welcome to the neighborhood.

Change

This guy might be serious.

The new president effectively reversed a post-9/11 Bush administration policy making it easier for government agencies to deny requests for records under the Freedom of Information Act, and effectively repealed a Bush executive order that allowed former presidents or their heirs to claim executive privilege in an effort to keep records secret…

In what ethics-in-government advocates described as a particularly far-reaching move, Mr. Obama barred officials of his administration from lobbying their former colleagues “for as long as I am president.”

New Lease on Life for Finger Building

Via Brownstoner, things are looking up for Williamsburg’s overdevelopment poster child. Now that BSA has cleared the way, all that stands between the new owner and hefty profits is the economy.

The rendering makes the proportions of the building appear a lot more elegant than they look to be in real life.

Burg’s 44 Berry Reno Continues

Via Gowanus Lounge, an update on the rehab of 44 Berry (the former N.Y. Quinine Works).

Be not afraid [about Fedderization of the facade], the developer says the AC vents will be disguised so that we’ll hardly know the building has been altered.

I’ll go on the record as skeptical on this one.

Fillmore Place on LPC Calendar

Williamsburg’s first historic district takes its first steps.

(The Fillmore part is at the end of the article. I’m sure the Hubbard designation is a good thing as well.)

Brooklyn Housing Market Still Suffering

“This is the fifth consecutive quarter where the median sales price has declined in Brooklyn,” said Jonathan Miller, president of Miller Samuel…

Greenpoint and Williamsburg are considered the strongholds of the borough. The median sales price there rose to $596,125, up 3.7% compared to the last quarter of 2007. However, the number of sales plunged there as well, dropping 42% year-over-year to 142 transactions, according to the Prudential report.

I suspect that 42% drop is a lot more significant than the 3.7% median sales price increase. 142 transactions in a market that is slated to add hundreds of new units in the next year or two is not a healthy sign. All signs point to more rentals.