291 Kent Avenue

06/08/2009 | Comment

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291 Kent Avenue, 20 May
South 3rd Street building


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291 Kent Avenue (S. 2nd Street building in background)
Photo: Brownstoner

Brownstoner asked what’s up with 291 Kent – here’s what I know. This site is actually three buildings – the small commercial piece on Kent (seen in Brownstoner’s photo), and two four-story residential buildings on South 2nd and South 3rd respectively. The project was the subject of a somewhat contentious variance fight a few years ago (before blogs, apparently – I can’t find any links). The owner originally came in with a proposal for a 16-story building. The owner claimed they couldn’t possibly make a profit at anything less than 16 stories. The community board rejected the application and the neighbors fought it every step of the way. When the City refused to approve the variance, the owner came back with a slightly lower plan. The absolute minimum, and all that. Again, no CB approval and strong community opposition. That too was rejected by the city, and ultimately the owner came back with a variance application for four-story buildings on the side streets. That was approved [danger – pdf].

Something to remember when Domino tells you they absolutely, positively must have 14-stories on the block to the south in order to make their project work.

And I have no idea what the retail space will be used for. Sorry, Jon.



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‘Net’ Loss is Devastating

So sad. So irreversible. And so inevitable… Sure, Ratner says he still plans to build. Yippie! The new arena design now on the table bears as much resemblance to Gehry’s as a Dumpster does to his Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao.

The Post’s Steve Cuozzo is clearly not impressed with Ratner’s AY bait and switch (“there’s no way to sugar-coat the calamity”). Instead of great architecture that celebrates Brooklyn, we’re now faced with “Atlantic Terminal North”. In other words, yet another value-engineered shopping center from the folks that brought you Metro Tech. (Clearly I’m on a different page from Marty on this switch.)

A Sensible Parking Solution

06/07/2009 | Comment

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Photo: cactusthesaint on flickr


Want to reduce congestion in New York? What you see above is about 75 to 100 fewer cars on the streets of San Francisco. NYC can’t even design a Muni Meter that works for bikes, let alone create moto-dedicated parking.

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Photo: cactusthesaint on flickr




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Giants Win the Superbowl!

06/06/2009 | Comment


A year and a half later, still an amazing catch
(Video via Aaron Short)


Greg Hanlon quit his job at the Williamsburg Courier this week. That’s a shame, because he is a good reporter. He spent a lot of time learning about Williasmburg, worked hard at getting the story, and usually got it right. Its encouraging that the Greenpoint Gazette has picked up the slack as Courier/Life has beat a slow retreat from North Brooklyn, but we would benefit from more competition and more points of view.

Happily, Courier/Life has finally updated its web site – it’s still a navigational nightmare, and looks as though it was designed in 1997 (you’re still using tables, aren’t you?), but at least it includes actual articles. Written this week. That wasn’t always the case.



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Weekend Update Update

06/05/2009 | Comment

The Renegade Craft Fair is so renegade, they send press releases the night before the big event. (They probably sent one weeks ago, but I just missed it.) So, to add the itinerary this weekend, here is

The Renegade Craft Fair

The flowers are blooming once again, and that can only mean one thing….tis the season of the CRAFT FAIR! Coming up this weekend, June 6 & 7th, 11-7, in McCarren Park (not the pool this year, cuz the’re turning it into an actual pool! for swimming and diving and cool water and stuff! yay!)…it’s coming THIS WEEKEND!, so be prepared! we’re trying to be!! 😉



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Save the IRT Powerhouse

The BRT powerhouse is pretty much toast by now, but the IRT powerhouse on West 58th Street in Manhattan is slated to go before the Landmarks Commission for a designation hearing in July. The IRT plant was designed by McKim, Mead & White, and has already been heard by LPC twice (first in the 1970s, then in the 1980s) – in both cases, LPC took no action. Its an incredible building (as was the BRT plant) – if you agree, sign the petition.

Brooklyn Papers: Re”cycling” the News

Yesterday’s Brooklyn Paper piece on the Kent Avenue bike lane greenway controversy (linked on Brownstoner) seemed awfully familiar to me. After a bit of Googling, I figured out why – they ran the exact same story last week.

Its a good article, possibly worth reading twice. But let’s not make a weekly habit of it (even if there is a certain ground-hog day quality to Kent Avenue at this point).