[Photo courtesy of Lost City] This impressive street couch, which still might have many good years of service ahead of it were it not for the fact that it’s been tossed out on the street, comes from President Street in Carroll Gardens, a neighborhood from which we don’t often get street sofas. It was found […]

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Ode to a Developer Jesus never walked so tall,Nor I so infinitesimally smallNext to you, My dear. The oceans never waved so high,Nor seagulls touched the starlit skyAs high as you, My dear. Thunder never rang so loud,Nor lightning struck upon the crowdLike you upon me, My dear. My dear, You are earthly supremacy,Peacock and […]

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Of all the issues revolving around the controversial development at 360 Smith Street in Carroll Gardens, one of the most contentious–and confusing–has been that of the small plaza at the entrance to the Carroll Street subway station. Residents, who wait there for trains going to Manhattan, because they can see them coming, are attached to […]

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The liquor license for the Hoyt Street oyster bar being opened by Jim Mamary that has drawn significant neighborhood opposition is up for a vote tonight in front of Community Board 6. The Hoyt Street Alliance writes in an email: For the past three months, the Hoyt Street Alliance has gathered petitions, and publicized our […]

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We always thought that the International Longshoreman’s Association building at 340 Court Street had a sort of Eastern or Central European look to it. Now, with the building coming down, it has temporarily taken on the very spooky look of Sarajevo in the mid-90s. Demolition is moving quickly and, last week, the Clarrett Group said […]

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“…it was hardly surprising, last week, when a Presidential-calibre motorcade pulled up out front. Beyoncé Knowles and Jay-Z emerged, and were quickly ushered to a table near the chef. Their bodyguard, a man roughly the size of the three-hundred-and-fifty-thousand-dollar Maybach sedan idling at the curb, settled into a chair on the sidewalk, where he enjoyed […]

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Of all the odd zoning quirks in New York City, one of the strangest is the definition of some of the very narrow streets in Carroll Gardens as being “wide.” This is because the gardens in front of the homes are counted as part of the street for zoning purposes. And so, streets barely wide […]

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Good Morning Rat Race (Carroll Gardens Version) Good Morning.The BQE is closed.Due to flooding. Stay in bed where it’s dry. There’s an accident on Smith Street, but the medivac unitJust arrived. The cars are huffing and puffing up the ramp, Past the garbage left by yesterday’s bulldozer.Across the F train dangles a girder That stood […]

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The word “trust” came up repeatedly in a session between angry Carroll Gardens residents on Thursday night and members of the Clarett Group team developing a new building at 340 Court Street. Residents have been deeply upset about the way early work has been carried out the site and a lack of communication about the […]

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The development team behind the building at 340 Court Street came to Carroll Gardens last night and faced a fairly hostile and skeptical neighborhood crowd as they explained their plans for a 70-foot tall building that will include 14 townhouses on Union Street and on Sackett Street. Apartments will range from studios to four bedrooms […]

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The Clarett Group’s Daniel Hollander visited Carroll Gardens last night along with architect Robert Rogers of Rogers Marvel and members of their construction team to present their plans for a building at 340 Court Street that has been the subject of much discussion. We will have much coverage today. Here we will say that it […]

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Nothing says spring quite like twisted metal from a building being demolished and the bright early blossoms of a yellow forsythia. The scene is from Carroll Gardens. Superb!

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Tonight is the fourth of four recent reveals of big and potentially neighborhood-changing projects in Carroll Gardens and Gowanus since the beginning of the year. The Clarett Group will be showing plans for a seven-story condo designed by Rogers Marvel for 340 Court Street. While demolition prep work has been underway at the former International […]

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The daffodils are in bloom in Carroll Park as per this photo filed by our Carroll Gardens correspondent. Very yellow.

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The formerly backless and currently topless brownstone at 126 First Place in Carroll Gardens in growing again. The brownstone lost its head thanks to an ongoing project that will add three stories. The interesting thing is that Department of Buildings records show that there is a partial Stop Work Order on the building limiting it […]

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The city has responded to concerns about work underway at the Public Place site in a letter sent to City Council Member Bill de Blasio saying that the current preliminary work doesn’t pose a threat, but that a water truck and other steps will be taken to contain “fugitive dust” when concrete removal gets underway. […]

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Last week, a team from the Toll Brothers came to Carroll Gardens to present the developer’s plans for a big development on the shores of the Gowanus Canal. This week it’s the Clarett Group’s turn as they come to the neighborhood to show plans for the controversial building at 340 Court Street on the site […]

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Preliminary work is underway at the Public Place site between Smith Street and the Gowanus Canal, with residents already expressing concern about safety precautions during the cleanup of the highly contaminated site. On March 31, representatives from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Mayor’s Office of Environmental Coordination and KeySpan/National Grid will make […]

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While preliminary work on the Public Place site between Smith Street and the Gowanus Canal only started last week, work crews have already denuded the site of trees and vegetation and it would appear that some digging has started. Neighbors have been concerned about whether the site will be monitored for any possible airborne contaminants, […]

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From Smith Street in Carroll Gardens. There is nothing we can add with words to this photo.

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One of the things that has riled up Carroll Gardens residents as much as the design and height of the building that is planned for 360 Smith Street is the loss of part of the plaza in front of the Carroll Street subway station and the trees that have been planted there. Several trees on […]

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Are the skateboarders in front of Homage on Smith Street a menace and does skatboarding on Bergen Street make driving a nightmare? Or, is the real nuisance the parade of strollers and the mindboggling jam in front of the Tea Lounge on Court Street? There are many opinions, including nearly 80 comments.–Curbed

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Is there a miniature game of Beat the Clock underway with the controversial building at 360 Smith Street and others in Carroll Gardens? A text amendment to city zoning that would change an odd city definition that has defined a number of very narrow street in Carroll Gardens as being wide (allowing taller buildings) is […]

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We write about the area around Carroll and Bond Street a lot, but usually in the context of development issues. Yesterday, around noon, a reader sent us a photo of a police investigation related to a death at 326 Carroll and said that foul play was being investigated. As it turns out, someone living in […]

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Olive Vine, which has two Park Slope branches, is opening up a new location on Court Street. “All I got on this one at 316 Court Street at Degraw Street is what the sign says–fine Middleastern [sic] Food coming soon with the name of Olive Vine Cafe. Hey, if it means a secondary spot for […]

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