33rd District Council Forum

07/27/2009 | Comment

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Tomorrow night, NAG will host a forum for the candidates for the 33rd Council District seat. You can submit your own questions for the candidates here. Come out tomorrow and hear what those would succeed CM Yassky have to say for themselves.

When: Tuesday, July 28, 2009, 7:00-9:00 pm
Where: Willamsburg Northside Preschool
152 N 5th Street between Bedford and Driggs



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Bonita to Close

07/24/2009 | Comment

Via Brooklyn Based, word that Bonita on Bedford Avenue is closing on August 15. According to BB, the Diner crew has always had a contentious relationship with their landlord, and has been hampered by the fact that they can’t get a full liquor license for the space (its next to a church).

I lived on that block of Bedford all through the 90s, moving out a few months before Bonita opened. Bonita was one of the early new Southside establishments, and definitely one of the restaurants that supports my theory on the general superiority of the Southside dining experience.

No word on whether Mark and Andrew plan to reopen Bonita in a new location – I certainly hope so.

On the good news side – BB also reports that Pies ‘n’ Thighs is finally set to begin construction on their new Driggs and South 4th location, and that the founding chef of Diner and Marlow & Sons is teaming up with the chef at Egg to open a new restaurant in the former Cheeks bakery on Metropolitan and Havemeyer.



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De Blasio Removed from Ballot

Bill de Blasio was removed from the ballot for telling the city Board of Elections officials he had 131 pages of petitions, instead of the 132 pages he actually filed.

NYC (and NYS) have the dumbest election laws in the country. They are designed for two things – keeping people from running for office and keeping people from voting.

And kudos to Norm Siegel (one of de Blasio’s opponents):

‘De Blasio should be on the ballot. Technicalities should not prevent a candidate from being on the ballot.’ [Siegel said]

I assume Eric Gioia and Mark Green will follow suit.

44 Charged by U.S. in New Jersey Corruption Sweep

New Jersey reasserts its dominance as the center of political corruption in the universe. Sure, Illinois got a lot of attention last year. And South Carolina made a run for the title last month. Even Nevada has been doing its part – both locally and in Washington.

But c’mon – three mayors? Two State assemblymen? And five rabbis? That’s hitting for the cycle, Jersey style, baby. Out-scamming Abscam? It doesn’t get any better than that.

Broadway Triangle: Next Steps

The Post reports that BTCC “is planning a two-pronged strategy to delay or derail the plan as it moves forward”. One of those prongs focuses on court challenges – a much better venue than the ULURP process for challenging the process of awarding development and housing.

Council Race Preview

Last year was taken up with fundraising and calling in favors. The winter was filled with bland meet-and-greets. June was wasted collecting petition signatures to get on the ballot. But now, with just two months to go before the Sept. 15 Democratic primary election — tantamount to victory in most Brooklyn neighborhoods — the race for key City Council seats in [Brooklyn] are about to go into hyperdrive.

The Brooklyn Paper has district by district rundown of the council race.

Distressed Commercial Property Market Heating Up

Developers who are in trouble are looking for ways to stay afloat. Stephan Butler was brought in to consult on a few projects that are not yet finished and heading for potential foreclosure—many are in Williamsburg.

Certainly in dollar value, commercial (development) foreclosures will far outstrip residential foreclosures in much of Brooklyn.