Category: Linked

Image: Bon Appetit

In its May issue, Bon Appetit travels to “N.Y.’s Foodie Mecca”, Williamsburg. The article calls Williamsburg a “legitimate culinary hotbed”, and cites as evidence a pretty nice cross section of the neighborhoods dining experience. On the new side, there are write ups of Diner, Marlow & Sons, Bonita, Fette Sau, Egg and Dressler (briefly); on the old side, there are Bamonte’s, Peter Luger and Raymunds. For drinks, there is Spuyten Duyvil, and for shopping there is Marlow & Daughters and Bedford Cheese Shop (and non-food establishments Spoonbill & Sugartown, Brooklyn Industries and Earwax.

They left plenty of places out, but what they included makes a pretty strong case for culinary hotbed status.

165 Havemeyer Street

A lot of ugly buildings have been built during the past few years, and Williamsburg certainly has more than its share. But few buildings transcend ugliness in the way that 165 Havemeyer Street does. This soul-sucking beauty comes to us from the atelier of Philip Toscano Architects*.

For the record, the building will have 9 apartments and stores on the ground floor. The DOB permit doesn’t specifically say that there is a hellmouth below the cellar, but I have my suspicions.

*2009, and still no website.

The Daily News “has learned” that Williamsburg Walks will return this Summer. They report that merchant’s on Montague Street (which had a similar car-free street program last year) reported a rise in sales. (At this week’s CB1 meeting, one local merchant stood up to complain that WW had lowered her sales.)

In the processing of reviewing (and very much liking) Walter Foods, the New Yorker remembers Oznot’s Dish and Planet Thailand (presumably the original on Bedford Avenue, not the ersatz disaster on Berry, which lately looks like it should just be put out of its misery).

The new weapon of choice. One kid was arrested last week brandishing a machete in a bodega on South 4th.

City Hall News has a detailed rundown of the six-way race to replace David Yassky, complete with some odds making.

Grand Ferry Park is featured as the “Place of the Week” at Place Matters. You can see the listing here (warning, Flash-based site – long load times & poor direct links, but worth the wait.)

Fascinating – in 1988, a group of abstract murals were discovered in the basement of the Williamsburg Houses. The murals, which “are thought to be the first and among the most important abstract wall paintings in the United States”) according to this Times article), had been painted over numerous times and were being used as bulletin boards. In 1990, the murals were rescued and restored and put on display at the Brooklyn Museum of Art. BMA has just moved the murals to a new location on the first floor of the museum.

The murals themselves were painted as part of a WPA project by Ilya Bolotowsky, Paul Kelpe, Albert Swinden and Balcomb Greene – all of whom were founding members of American Abstract Artists. Williamsburg Houses is (are?) a New York City Landmark.

Bulletin boards!

Apparently a well-designed loft conversion with realistic (i.e., post-August 2008) pricing is still in demand.

Williamsburg Walks in the Brooklyn Papers.