We found this announcement in a Park Slope Parents email for a new group that could be quite interesting in its own way:

I’ve started a group called Brooklyn vs Burbs and Beyond, for people living in Brooklyn who are being priced or driven out of neighborhoods such as Park Slope in search of good, accessible schools and space, as we are. I’ve seen a few posts by others in this
situation, so I hope you’ll consider joining. My thought is that we can create a forum to exchange ideas, thoughts on possible solutions, and share our findings about towns, other cities, or other
neighborhoods in Brooklyn and NYC that might work better for our families. A must is being part of a great community like this one. Here’s to hoping we can find – or create – another!

The group can be found here. Speaking of Park Slope Parents we had a long and very enjoyable meeting with PSP founder Susan Fox yesterday. We found her to be brilliant, charismatic, creative, funny and devoted to her community and her organization. We’ve had some fun at Dr. Fox’s expense over the years, but thought we’d make amends by noting how much respect we have for her work and what a truly wonderful person she is. Ms. Fox is one of those unstoppable forces we respect–a determined individual who works and work and work until she achieves what she set out to do. She is a true asset to Park Slope, to parents and to Brooklyn as a whole.

There’s an important meeting tonight at 6:00 PM about the proposed rezoning of Gowanus that could seriously change the face of about 25 blocks of the neighborhood. The Community Board 6 Landmarks and Land Use Commmittee will be reviewing the city’s proposal. The meeting takes place at Long Island College Hospital, 339 Hicks Street (Conference Rms A+B). Officially it is described like this: “Review and discussion of proposed draft scope of work for an environmental impact statement for proposed Gowanus Rezoning and related actions.” The big–yet utterly critical–documents that only a planning masochist could love can be found by clicking here. The rezoning could potentially add 3,200 units of housing to Gowanus.

[Image via flickr]

Before she moved to Brooklyn in 2007, Carrie Rodriguez was already singing about Brooklyn, or at least the Brooklyn Bridge.  But perhaps we should start at the beginning.  Carrie Rodriguez grew up in Austin, Texas, the daughter of a musician father and artist (and opera buff) mother.  Classically trained as a violinist, she changed direction when a friend of her father’s, Lyle Lovitt, asked her to sit in with his band a couple of times. Soon Carrie was a fiddle for hire, and at one performance at the South By Southwest music festival in Austin in 2001, she was spotted by Chip Taylor.  Chip,who has written a string of hits going back to the 60s, including Wild Thing and Angel in the Morning, hired Carrie to play fiddle in his band.  The two of them played together for about five years.Then with Chip’s help and encouragement, Carrie went solo in 2006 putting out “Seven Angels on a Bicycle,” whose title track includes a mention of the Brooklyn Bridge.  In 2007, Carrie and her band all move to Greenpoint.  In 2008, Carrie puts out her second solo album,” She Ain’t Me,” one of our top albums from last year.

Carrie’s music is rock alt country and even traditional country. Besides the fiddle, Carrie plays a number of four stringed instruments including tenor guitar and a small electric instrument whose name has eluded me but which I’ve dubbed the Stradivarius Stratocaster.  She likes atmospheric sounds and is not afraid of using pedals.  Her lead guitarist, Hans Holzer is quite good. But back to Brooklyn.  In the song “El Dorado” on , Carrie sings about her move and and asks about her new home “is it El Dorado?”  Greenpoint, the city of gold!  Who knew?
—Eliot Wagner

[Commandant’s House in snow in 1914]

One of the great things about doing tours around the city is the unexpected treasures that you come upon. One of these lies at the edge of Vinegar Hill and end of Evans Street. Traveling the streets of Vinegar Hill is a joy in itself, the cobblestones and old brick & frame buildings bring one back to an older time in this hectic city. Passing Hudson Avenue on Evans, you come upon a huge wrought-iron gate marking the border of the Brooklyn Navy Yard. Looking inside, you can spy a beautiful big Federal-style white house—one of the most striking in the city—looking as if it belonged on a landed estate somewhere, certainly not Brooklyn. This is Quarters A, the Commandant’s House and the yard’s oldest surviving structure. It is a national landmark. Sold into private ownership in 1971, the three-story house can only be glimpsed in small bits—though the fence, from certain areas of the Navy Yard and, most completely from the East River where its broad lawn overlooking the river gives you an idea of what it once was. The land for what was originally called the New York Navy Yard was purchased in 1801. The house was built from 1805-1806. It is not known if the officer in charge of the yard, Jonathan Thorne, was there during this time.

Read more of Ruth Edebohl’s wonderful history and see more photos.

Even though some high-end stores in the South Slope are dropping like fies, it’s encouraging to see new shops opening anywhere on Seventh Avenue. This is the new Cohen’s Fashion Optical, which is having its grand opening at 298 Seventh Avenue, between Eighth and Ninth Streets. We fear for the fate of a lot of local businesses in this depression-like recession, so it’s encouraging to see new businesses opening. If we’re remembering correctly it replaces a place that used to give massages, do collagen injections and similar body- and appearance-related things.

We were recently introduced to a new form of irony: cards. Oh this goes beyond the irony of SomeCards. Artist, Igor Kopelnitsky has created a series of 8 societal images that would certainly aim to tick off any right wing and/or evangelical, or give a giggle to any open-minded liberal.

Each of Igor’s designs are an unique and amusing commentary on issues ranging from energy independence to the evolution debate with themes and titles including “Play Date With The Devil”, “Bright Idea”, “Heavy Thoughts”, “Don’t Be Shy”, “Balancing Act”, “Peace Out”, “Drill Baby Drill”, and “So Evolved”.

Igor’s card set is on sale now at Park Slope’s Lion in the Sun Paperie (232 7th Avenue & 4th St) as well as online at Sparked. A “Play Date with the Devil” card? Hell yes. Love ’em.
—Vaduzuvunt

· Man Arrested in Brutal Murder of Equadorean Immigrant [NYT]
· Time Equities Backs Out of Huge Sunset Park Warterfront Project [TRD]
· Oh Crap: Scarano’s 133 Water St. Files for Bankruptcy [Dumbo NYC]
· Bullshit Slope Food Coop Ban Story Was…Bullshit [Brooklyn Paper]
· Why Atlantic Yards Tax Revenue Projections Might be Bogus [AYR]
· Could This Be the Coolest Apartment in Brooklyn? [Brownstoner]
· Divine Dogshit Intervention [New York Shitty]
· Classic Cars on Franklin Ave. [I Love Frankin Ave.]
· “Backing Up-Zone” in Gowanus…Sort of [PMFA]
· Changes Start at Coumbia Heights Horror House [BHB]
· Online Resources for Brookyn Parents [Clinton Hill Blog]

[Photo courtesy of Mugsniffer/GL Photo Pool]

Well, the rotting hulk of a building atop which Robert Scarano was planning luxe penthouses in Williamsburg, has seen some action: the addition of grafitti that says “Hipsters Suck.” The project was the Wythe Avenue Lofts, an old industrial building at Wythe Avenue and N. 9 in Williamsburg on which work was proceeding at such a fast and furious pace at one point that there appeared to be alleged illegal after-hours and weekend work going on. And, then, suddenly, everything came to a grinding halt and a Stop Work Order has been in place for more than two years. Trees started growing out the windows (which have since been cut) and the scaffolding has been in danger of collapsing and killing someone for a long time. The Hipsters Suck Building is back on the market.

The Fourth Avenue Starbucks Dream is dead. Yesterday, we ran a photo of the awful blight at the corner of Fourth Avenue and Third Street where a building was planned that would have housed among ohter things, a Starbucks. Uh, cancel that soy grande latte, please. Not only is the Bucks dead, the entire project, as we suspected, is as dead as resisdents of Green-Wood Cemetery. Per our tipster: “Starbucks backed out of the deal, so the new owner is now f***d and trying to sell it.” The land sold for $3.25 million, but is now on the market for $3.2 million (WARNING: PDF) and will likely sell for considerably less. How low will they go? Only time will tell. Could you make that a Venti?

Toren, one of the new buildings going up in the Flatbush Avenue corridor is really taking shape, although the base, which will really define the look of the building has yet to be installed. The building was designed by SOM and is definitey one of the most distinctive new towers to go up in Brookyn so far. When all is said and done, the buiding will have 240 units. It is directly across Myrtle Avenue from the fast-rising Avalon Bay Fort Greene. We had a big photo gallery of that one last week.

[Photo for GL courtesy of Deborah Matlack]

The industrial beauty of this shot under the (soon to be repaired) Culver Viaduct in Gowanus on Ninth Street. We’ve always felt that as grungy as it is, there is an oddly compelling beauty to the thing above and to a scene such as this.

[Photo courtesy of Jennifer Dunne/GL Flickr Pool]

Wonder why she named this shot from Prospect Park “hanging on”?

We found this on Seventh Avenue in Park Slope yesterday, although there weren’t that many of them around. If you know anything about this girl, please call one of the numbers above. There’s very little info on the notice itself. Not even a name.

On Thursday, 2/26, there’s going to be a fundraiser for the Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, a nonprofit environmental organization that runs environmental science lessons for elementary school kids aboard a big wooden boat. It’s be docked in Red Hook in the future. The takes place the Brookyn Brewery at 79 North 11th Street (between Wythe and Berry) from 7-9:30PM and costs 20 bucks. Here’s a bit from the email:

During the 1960s, the Hudson River was incredibly polluted. Folk singer / activist Pete Seeger decided to solve the problem by building a large wooden boat. The idea: the Hudson is everyone’s river; if people have access, they’ll care about the river, and will work to prevent industry from filling it with crap. So Pete founded Clearwater and built the boat, which has sailed up and down the Hudson for 30 years, conducting on-board environmental education for children and adults. The organization also promotes sound environmental policy in the watershed, and fights polluters like GE, Entergy, ARCO, etc. Thanks in large part to Clearwater’s efforts, the Hudson is now clean enough for swimming, fishing, and emergency airplane landings. We’ve always offered educational sails not only for schools in wealthy suburbs, but also for those in underserved and/or urban communities; this year, we finally gained access to a dock in Brooklyn, which dramatically increases our ability to serve students in NYC. To celebrate (and raise much-needed funds to support our programs), we’re having a party at the Brooklyn Brewery. There’ll be food, live music by Chris Cubeta and the Liars Club & Medicine Woman, and various salty crew members from the boat. We’re asking for a $20 donation, which includes (limited) free beer courtesy of the Brooklyn Brewery.

Eat. Drink. Be merry. Feel socially good about yourself.

[Photo courtesy of Miss Heather]

Miss Heather, who discovered this masterpiece on Green Street, called it “Dead Chairs Wear Plaid.” Us, we’re speechless when we look at it.

[Photo courtesy of Deborah Matlack]

We hit the new Magic Bowling in early February when we noticed the signage going up and our devoted contributor Deborah Matlack passed by the other day and documented some progress. It was once the home of the B&B Carousell and its sign was painted over because there was apparently no way to remove from the building (to which we would answer: leave it there and figure out a creative solution). In any case, a GL Reader named Electricia fleshed out the story back then: “I think the sign was painted over awhile ago by the building owner, not the owner of this new business. Last week I talked with Alex, the owner of Surf Ave’s Magic Jungle, which is for kids birthday parties, to find out what’s planned for Magic Bowling since everyone was so curious since the sign went up. Alex says Magic Bowling will be a private party place for older kids, and yes there will be bowling among other activities. But it is not a bowling alley and not for grown ups. He said it would be completed in about a month and welcomed us to stop by and have a look then.”

[Photo courtesy KellsNYC/Yelp]

Prospect Height’s dining staple Beast is celebrating its 4th year anniversary today. Come celebrate Beast’s anniversary with delicious eats, drinks and all-around good times. Today starting at 6pm. Complimentary Hors d’oeuvres & drink-specials! Special Festivities begin at @9pm! Wonder what those will be?
—E.C. Stephens

Milton is the name of both the band and its leader, a long time performer at both Pete’s Candy Store and The Living Room. The latter is where the band plays the last show in its February residency tonight at 9. Milton has lived all over the place including Westchester, Chicago, Buenos Aires and Manhattan, but his move to our fair borough is imminent. Night Driving is the first song off of Milton’s last CD, Grand Hotel, one of our favorite albums from 2008.
—Eliot Wagner

As we were shooting these photos of the wretched conditions at the corner of Fourth Avenue and Third Street a little African-American boy stopped and asked us, “Mister. Do you know what is going to go here?” We answered, “It’s supposed to be a Starbucks.” This child, who was probably nine and on his way home from school said, “It looks nasty. Been nasty forever.” Even grade school children understand Developer Blight and the crap it inflicts on their environment. This is the former site of Parkside Auto, which was later said to be the site of a future Starbucks. There is still a retail space for lease sign up and if we were to wager, the developer won’t do anything else with the mess he has created on Brooklyn’s new “Park Avenue.” (There is also a Stop Work Order, but we don’t think work would start if it went away.) There is some irony in that Ken Freeman of Massey Knakal had a role in selling the property in 2007 for about $3.25 million. Mr. Freeman is chair of the Park Slope Civic Council which we suspect would be raising holy hell if this was on Seventh Avenue rather than on the Gowanus side of Fourth Avenue. We respect and like Mr. Freeman. Our only point is that everyone seems to have a hand in conditions that are creating the developer blight with which we be forced to deal with for years and years.

The Park Slope Civic Council has been pushing to greatly expand the Park Slope Historic District (which is a lot smaller than a lot of people think it is. Along thos lines, it’ll be holding its annual community forum on Thursday, March 5, 2009 at 7:00 pm at the Old First Church, 7th Avenue and Carroll Street in Park Slope on “A Question of Character: Expanding the Park Slope Historic District.” Stop yawning. This is important stuff as are all historic district proposals and expansions. The meeting, per a press release:

will review the Civic Council’s project, underway for several years, to widen the boundaries of the Park Slope historic district. The boundaries of the historic district were drawn in 1973; these boundaries were not meant to be permanent and leave more than 75% of the neighborhood vulnerable. The Civic Council is working to finish the job and welcomes the public to join in the discussion (admission is free). Speakers will include Francis Morrone, noted architectural historian and author of the Park Slope Architectural History Guide, as well as representatives of the Historic Districts Council and the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission. For further information click here:

There is both support and opposition to the idea.

The flyer is ahead.

· Weekly Satisfying Spanking: Big Ass Brooklyn Sales [Brownstoner]
· Sales Down, Rentals Up [TRD]
· Former ESDC Head Proposes “Transparent” Commercial Fund? [AYR]
· More on the Bedbug Plan [CityRoom]
· The MTA is Going to Rebuild Culver Viaduct After All. Huh? [NYDN]
· Attempted Explanation of Public Place Warhouse Demo [PMFA]
· Leave the Freaking Kumquats Alone [Ideas]
· Subway Vid: The G Train Strut [New York Shitty]
· Three Ways to Say No Parking [BVIB]
· The Westchester People in Carroll Gardens [PMFA]
· WaMooving on Montague [BHB]

This opinion about the Big Guy Upstairs comes from Fourth Avenue. Does anyone want to guess whether it’s from the Gowanus or Park Slope side? If you said “Gowanus,” you win. There was a church van parked about 20 feet away.

The moment has arrived! Luxury rentals are now here in Robert Scarano’s latest Fourth Avenue masterpiece is on the market. We referred to it as as a “monster” and the KFC Building because it overlooks the Colonel. Nothing like luxury and the smell of chicken frying. It’s officially 110 Fourth Avenue and has 49 units. It comes from the same developer as Hotel Le Bleu. Maybe if the rental market softens more for new “luxury” construction they’ll throw in a few buckets for signing the lease or give you six free buckets a month or something.

In case you’ve forgotten, see the full KFC Building, here.