Twitter user @txl201 caught a man on a unicycle walking his dog down Atlantic Avenue in Boerum Hill this afternoon.
Sure we’ve seen dog walkers of all shapes and sizes — even one on a scooter. But a unicycle? Heck, the only cool person we know of who rides one is Adam Carolla. But that’s another story.

So, what do you think? Is it crazy or awesome? You decide.

Yup a guy on a unicycle walking his dog… #brooklynheights #notnormal #dogwasembarrassed http://t.co/9slKp1j9H3

— ?TR?V? (@TXL201) October 3, 2013

Source: Cobble Hill Blog
http://cobblehillblog.com/archives/9124

Pithy comedy troupe Dinner For One—which in January filmed a “Girls” robot parody on the Brooklyn Heights Promenade—is hosting a Brooklyn TV Teen Workshop this summer at PS 261 in Boerum Hill, looking to involve some 45 area teens interested in theater.

The group is in the midst of raising funds via Mobcaster.com for its spec pilot of “Life Sucks,” an original comedy that looks back on middle school. Group member Allyson Condrath tells BHB that among its contributors & supporters is the Heights’ own Paul Giamatti. “Paul loved the idea and wanted to help out in any way,” she tells BHB. “He has donated and is allowing us to publicize his involvement.”

There are nine days left for dfor1′s fundraising campaign. More info? Producer Kyle Miller = 774-277-0232 or dinnerforonecomedy@gmail.com.

More on Brooklyn Heights Blog.

Source: Cobble Hill Blog
http://cobblehillblog.com/archives/8598

The Brooklyn Community Pride Center, located in Boerum Hill at 310 Atlantic Avenue, is hosting its Founders Ball on Thursday, April 4 from 6-9 p.m. at Dumbo Loft, 155 Water Street. The Ball is the organization’s major, annual fundraising event commemorating its 2008 launch and Fifth Anniversary.

This year’s event includes a two-hour cocktail reception with hors d’oeuvres, a silent auction and the first ever Founders Ball Awards honoring Tom Smith, Reg Flowers and Suzanne St. Pierre. Preceding the event is a VIP cocktail hour with celebrity guests; and following is the Junior Board’s after party.

The Brooklyn Community Pride Center is the only community center in Brooklyn dedicated to the LGBTQ+ community, with a mission to provide support & services to the borough via original programming and partnerships with like-minded organizations.

For information about the Founders Ball, contact Development Director Todd W. Fliedner at 347-889-7719 or tfliedner@lgbtbrooklyn.org. Tickets may be purchased online. General admission is $125.

Source: Brooklyn Heights Blog
http://brooklynheightsblog.com/archives/56336

New York City Marathon officials continue to check damage caused by Hurricane Sandy before deciding what impact the storm will have on the race, scheduled this Sunday, November 4.

Mayor Bloomberg said Tuesday the race will “go on as normal, as of now,” although he will continue to discuss logistics with city and marathon officials before a final decision. According to the Marathon website, “NYRR continues to move ahead with its planning and preparation. We will keep all options open with regard to making adjustments necessary to race day and race weekend events. We will provide an update and more detail as information becomes available.”

The 26.2-mile course begins in Fort Wadsworth, Staten Island and passes through Park Slope, Carroll Gardens, Prospect Heights and Boerum Hill, and into Manhattan over the Queensboro Bridge, finishing in Central Park. See the course route here.

Source: Cobble Hill Blog
http://cobblehillblog.com/archives/7991

A classic Boerum Hill townhouse at 179 Bergen Street was on the market for only one day before entering contract, after being listed by Corcoran on September 8 for $2,950,000. By October 5, Brownstoner reports it was in the midst of changing hands after a September 9 sale. It last sold in 2009 for $2,150,000.

The listing describes it as a “lovely two family townhouse. Owner’s upper triplex and garden level floor-through. Restored details throughout include original molding and plaster medallions, pocket doors and wood burning fireplaces with marble mantles. Located on a quaint, tree-lined street. The configuration makes for an easy conversion to a one family home. The building has mechanical and structural upgrades from top to bottom.” (Photo: Corcoran)

Source: Cobble Hill Blog
http://cobblehillblog.com/archives/7962

Gwyneth Paltrow’s GOOP blog, in which the actress oozes opinions about lifestyle & culture, offers a post on Brooklyn, in which she espouses: “Brooklyn has changed so much since I was a kid, and parts of it are probably unrecognizable from when my dad was born at Brooklyn Jewish hospital in 1943. A lot of this has been good change in the form of art, culture, neighborhood-defining restaurants, shops and more.”

Paltrow includes hot spots in Park Slope, Carroll Gardens, Cobble Hill, Boerum Hill and Gowanus. Read her reviews below.

Park Slope’s Al di Là, 248 5th Avenue
“A homey and casual neighborhood trattoria so popular it has Manhattanites lining out the door (reservations aren’t taken, but you can wait in their charming wine bar next door). The menu hasn’t changed much since opening in 1998, because it’s pretty much perfect Venetian fare, with particularly excellent pastas.”

Prospect Heights’ Franny’s, 295 Flatbush Avenue
“Franny’s churns out some of the best pizza and locally-sourced food in Brooklyn, maybe even NYC. Hit the original location while you can, as they will be moving to a larger space by the end of the year, keeping the old space for a new restaurant, Marco’s, to open in the spring of 2013.

Prospect Heights’ Ample Hills Creamery, 623 Vanderbilt Avenue
“Handcrafted ice cream and sorbet made in small batches, Ample Hills gets its cream and eggs from local farms upstate for the freshest (and most sustainable) product possible, in 24 flavors that change with the seasons. They also do really delicious and beautiful custom ice cream cakes, for any occasion.”

Cobble Hill’s Henry Public, 329 Henry Street
“This handsome, old-timey Brooklyn saloon, with a limited “Bill of Fare” of simple and homey food, including a great burger, is perfect for a late supper and whiskey cocktails with friends.”

Cobble Hill’s Pok Pok, 127 Columbia Street
“People are crazy for this Thai via Portland import to the BK, for good reason – the fresh takes on Thai classics are seriously good (and run on the hot side), from the signature charcoal roasted hen with lemongrass to the sweet, spicy salads and more, plus an awesome Thai-inspired cocktail menu (the Pok Pok Bloody Mary with Thai chilies is a serious kick in the ass.)”

Carroll Gardens’ The Grocery, 329 Henry Street
“Quality ingredients, imaginatively prepared from this superb market-driven menu keeps this tiny place on the top of the borough’s fine dining list year after year. It’s pricey, but for one of the best bargains in the borough, try the Green Plate Special – $40 for the four-course veggie tasting menu.”

Boerum Hill’s Mile End, 97A Hoyt Street
“Hearty, meaty sandwiches and Montreal-style deli food (think house-smoked meats, poutine, brisket and more) served deluxe. Make sure to get a pickle on the side and wash it all down with a good glass of wine.”

Gowanus’ The Pines, 284 3rd Avenue
“While this highly-anticipated Gowanus opening keeps the atmosphere casual, with an artfully shabby, worn in dining room and larger garden in the back, the menu is decidedly ambitious with an Italian bent (think cavatelli with duck heart) with lots of interesting seasonal salads and antipasti.”

Source: Cobble Hill Blog
http://cobblehillblog.com/archives/7941

Ready to get geared up for next weekend? On Sunday, October 21, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., PS 29 will host its Fall Earth Day Recycling Event, in association with the Cobble Hill Association, featuring electronics, textiles, document and hard drive shredding. Also: a clothing rummage sale, with proceeds to help out the school. It all takes place at the PS 29 schoolyard at 425 Henry Street (Baltic Street between Henry and Clinton streets).

All items collected during the day will be recycled according to the highest environmental standards. Specifically, old computers and electronics will be collected by Lower East Side Ecology Center, in conjunction with CHA. Acceptable items include: computers, monitors, printers, scanners, fax machines, copiers, network devices, keyboards, mice, cables, hard drives, CD-roms, circuit boards, VHS & DVD players, radios & stereos, phones, answering machines, pagers, batteries and the like. See the complete list here.

Textile collection is sponsored by Wearable Collections. Acceptable items include clothing, hats, belts, bags, handbags, matched shoes, curtains, linens, towels, pillows, stuffed animals and Halloween costumes. Stained & ripped clothing and other textiles are welcome. See the complete list here.

For more info: PS29RECYCLES@gmail.com.

Source: Cobble Hill Blog
http://cobblehillblog.com/archives/7899

High-end residential brokerage Stribling & Associates is opening its first office in Brooklyn—just a few blocks from the newly opened Barclays Center. The Wall Street Journal reports that the firm is ramping up its activity in the borough with a 3,500sf office at 384 Atlantic Avenue, which will house up to 50 brokers. “Brooklyn is the hottest place to be right now,” says Elizabeth Ann Kivlan, a Stribling EVP.

Stribling has three Manhattan offices employing more than 250 agents and has been involved with such Brooklyn projects as One Hanson Place, a landmarked loft conversion at the former Williamsburgh Savings Bank building, and One Brooklyn Bridge Park in Brooklyn Heights, where Elizabeth Stribling, the company’s founder and president, lives in a multimillion dollar penthouse.

Source: Cobble Hill Blog
http://cobblehillblog.com/archives/7867

Cobble Hill Blog reader Ericka delivers this tip: “I passed by the restaurant that has been under construction (for years) on the corner of Henry and Baltic. I peaked inside and spoke to one of the workers. Inside was very quaint and nearly completed. They were just doing the wiring the computer system. The worker told me that it was slated to open in early October as an Argentine steakhouse.

Has anyone else heard details about the new eatery? Please email: tips@cobblehillblog.com.

Source: Cobble Hill Blog
http://cobblehillblog.com/archives/7862

Despite an early afternoon shower and cool temps, Brooklynites came out in force Sunday for the 38th-annual Atlantic Antic, which spans one mile along Atlantic Avenue, from Hicks Street to Fourth Avenue. Check out many more pics on our sister Brooklyn Heights Blog here. (Photos: Chuck Taylor)

Source: Cobble Hill Blog
http://cobblehillblog.com/archives/7848

New York magazine and design periodical Dwell are co-sponsoring the City Modern Brooklyn Home Tour, with five renovated homes in Boerum Hill and Brooklyn Heights, on Sunday, October 7. The starting point is modular design retailer Module R, 141 Atlantic Avenue (between Clinton and Henry).

For more information, see the Brooklyn Heights Blog here. (Photo: Peter Aaron/OTTO)

Source: Cobble Hill Blog
http://cobblehillblog.com/archives/7836

The ever-entertaining end-of-summer Atlantic Antic—which brings madness, music and playful mayhem to a 10-block stretch of Atlantic Avenue, bordering Brooklyn Heights and Cobble Hill—will convene Sunday, September 30, noon to 6 p.m.

Sponsored by the Atlantic Avenue Local Development Corporation, it offers 500+ retailers and pop-up shops pawning goodies, food, dancing, family fun and more, between Hicks Street & Fourth Avenue. Read all about it on the Brooklyn Heights Blog here.
(Photos: Chuck Taylor)

Source: Cobble Hill Blog
http://cobblehillblog.com/archives/7801

The adult child inside me has always believed that Legos are the coolest toy ever invented, allowing limitless imagination… as long as those pesky kits are avoided. That was the idea behind New York artist and sculptor Jonathan Lopes’ recreation of his Boerum Hill neighborhood as a small-scale replica using nothing but Legos, which is featured on Apartment Therapy. Cool!

This isn’t Lopes’ first Lego replica. The New York Daily News profiled the guy last year after he spent four years and used about half a million bricks to build a detailed train scene that takes up 400 square feet of his living room. He also built a replica of the Williamsburg Savings Bank, 4 feet tall, out of 12,000 Lego bricks.

His Boerum Hill neighborhood comprises buildings that Lopes passes every day, including a flower shop on Hoyt Street and Firehouse Engine 226 on State Street. Every detail of his Lego-land is made entirely with the bricks, including storfront signs. He doesn’t cut or paint the blocks, instead relying on ingenuity to create effects like cracked and peeling paint using blocks with subtly different tones. See his portfolio here.

Source: Cobble Hill Blog
http://cobblehillblog.com/archives/7793

The Brooklyn Book Festival has announced its comprehensive lineup for the first-ever weeklong series of “Bookend Events” that will take place at venues throughout the borough from September 17 through September 23. The seventh-annual event is presented by Brooklyn Tourism and the Brooklyn Literary Council, initiatives of Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz, with support from AT&T.

It’s billed as the largest free literary gathering in New York City, with numerous events taking place in Boerum Hill, Cobble Hill, Carroll Gardens, Fort Greene and Park Slope. See the full schedule here.

Markowitz commented, “Brooklyn has more writers per square inch than almost anywhere else in the country, all contributing to our growing reputation as the epicenter of the literary universe—where authors from across the globe gather each fall for the Brooklyn Book Festival, one of the world’s most prestigious free literary festivals. This year, the Festival expands from four days to an entire week of diverse literary offerings.”

Source: Cobble Hill Blog
http://cobblehillblog.com/archives/7785

The Atlantic Avenue BID is applying for a city grant with the intention to make the underpass beneath the Brooklyn Queens Expressway more inviting to pedestrians—and to drive more foot traffic between the businesses along Atlantic Avenue and Brooklyn Bridge Park.

According to DNAInfo.com,
the BQE currently creates a divide between Brooklyn Bridge Park and the shopping strip on Atlantic Avenue. Josef Szende, executive director of the Atlantic Avenue BID believes that because of a lack of signage, pedestrians at either location have little knowledge “that there are opportunities on either side of the tunnel.”

Szende adds, “The underside of the BQE is an unpleasant place to be or to walk through. We want pedestrians to feel there’s something interesting or interactive all the way down Atlantic Avenue to Brooklyn Bridge Park.”

To gain funding and support, the Atlantic Avenue BID is applying for an NYC Department of Small Business Services BID Challenge Grant, which would provide $75,000 toward the project. Earlier this month, the BID met with urban designers of Planning Corps, a volunteer group helping non-profits plan and resolve design issues, and to brainstorm ways to make the tunnel under the BQE more interactive, appealing and useful to pedestrians passing through.

Read more here.

Source: Cobble Hill Blog
http://cobblehillblog.com/archives/7777

Streetwear sneaker brand and skate shoes retailer Supra has leased a shop at 288 Atlantic Avenue near Smith Street in Boerum Hill, according to real estate firm CPEX, which rented the space. Brownstoner reports that the store The Southern Cali-based company also has a store at 4 Prince Street in SoHo. The store flanks nearby Lululemon Athletica, Brooklyn Industries, Brooklyn Tattoo and Brooklyn Heights Bike Shoppe.

Source: Cobble Hill Blog
http://cobblehillblog.com/archives/7758

Boerum Hill has gotten its own outpost of Park Slope denim destination Rivet, which has opened its new store in a two-room space at 115 Smith Street at the corner of Bergen. The hours are 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Racked reported earlier this month that the vibe is all-American, with exposed brick walls and vintage design objects. Jeans for men and women hang on racks, and are also stored in a shelving unit made up of wooden boxes and accessible by ladder, like a denim library.

The new store carries most of the same labels as the 7th Avenue location: J.Brand, AG, American Vintage, Ben Sherman and LA Made. But, as Racked points out, because it’s twice as big, there’s space for more jewelry (including geometric pieces from In God We Trust) and shoes, leather goods, bags, candles and antiques.

Its Park Slope stores are at 103 7th Ave. and 203 Garfield Place (as Warp and Weft).

Source: Cobble Hill Blog
http://cobblehillblog.com/archives/7747

A 27,582-square-foot parking lot at 71 Smith Street in Boerum Hill is on the market for a whopping $40 million, according to a story in the New York Observer. The property, between Schermerhorn and State streets, is primed for development, legally permitted to accommodate 206,530sf of residential space and 105,271sf of commercial space.

Nat Rockett, an EVP with Cushman & Wakefield’s Capital Markets Group, which is marketing the property with JRT Realty Group, believes it could be converted into a residential building, hotel or school. He says, “Boerum Hill is one of Brooklyn’s most exciting neighborhoods, and a development at this site is positioned to capitalize on its access to its countless amenities, superior access to transportation and rising population of young professionals.”

The Observer says that according to Streeteasy, comparables in the area for new townhouse and residential space range from $810-$860 per square foot. Rockett expects the land to trade for about $130 per square foot, which would translate into about $40 million.

(Photo: Brownstoner)

Source: Cobble Hill Blog
http://cobblehillblog.com/archives/7696

Out of the Closet Thrift Store has opened its newest location in Boerum Hill, at 475 Atlantic Avenue. The destination benefits the AIDS Healthcare Foundation. Regional Director Adam Ouderkirk tells DNAInfo.com that the shop will work in the community with other AIDS agencies to provide testing, information and treatment in the borough.

The AIDS Healthcare Foundation was founded in 1987 by a group of men in Los Angeles who saw their friends dying of AIDS in the streets and in the hallways of hospitals. They wanted to provide a place to die with dignity and sponsored California legislation that enabled creation of the first licensed HIV/AIDS facility for the terminally ill in that state. Today the Foundation is the largest provider of HIV/AIDS medication in the U.S., according to their website. They also provide medicine and advocacy to people in 22 countries.

Out of the Closet was created to benefit the foundation. Community members donate clothing and accessories and for every item sold, 96 cents of each dollar benefits AIDS prevention and advocacy programs and services. There are several branches in San Francisco and Los Angeles, plus stores in Miami, Amsterdam… and now Brooklyn.

Ouderkirk tells DNAInfo, “We want the Brooklyn community to really own the store and feel that its theirs.” There will be free and confidential HIV testing every day in the store, plus a pharmacy that provides HIV medications.

According to Ouderkirk, while the Brooklyn borough has the third-highest AIDS/HIV rates after Manhattan and the Bronx, it also offers the fewest amount of services.
“Brooklyn was an important place for us to be. And being near the Atlantic Terminal, hopefully people from all over Brooklyn will have access to the store and its services.”

The store’s manager is Carlos Cartayas, who is known as “Peanut.” He says, “We have had several boxes of clothes donated from L.A. but none so far from the Brooklyn. I don’t think people know we’re here yet.” To donate, call 718-614-5949 or drop off clothes any weekday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m at 475 Atlantic Avenue.

Source: Cobble Hill Blog
http://cobblehillblog.com/archives/7638

New York’s City’s highly touted bike share program that included 600 locations in Brooklyn—but blew off Cobble Hill until at least Spring 2013—has been delayed because of what Mayor Bloomberg blames on a computer software glitch.

Boerum Hill was granted one of the CitiBike’s docks, on Fourth Avenue and Dean Street, with accommodations for 27 bikes, which was supposed to be installed in late July. But now the entire project has been stalled because “its software isn’t working yet,” Bloomie told the New York Times City Room blog. In typical flippant fashion, he added, “It’s fascinating. The people who did not want bicycle lanes at all are now screaming, ‘Well, where are they? Where are they? I want them quickly.’”

It’s unclear when the software issues will be resolved; the program’s website assures a start date sometime before the end of the summer. The bike share kiosks, most of which will be based in Fort Greene, Clinton Hill, Boerum Hill, Downtown Brooklyn and Brooklyn Heights, include touchscreen monitors allowing riders to pay with credit or debit cards.

Aside from Boerum Hill, the closest bike share locations in the borough are in Brooklyn Heights, Downtown Brooklyn, Williamsburg, Fort Greene, Clinton Hill and Bed-Stuy.

Source: Cobble Hill Blog
http://cobblehillblog.com/archives/7612

State Assemblywoman Joan Millman has started a petition drive on the website Change.org to restore service on the B71 bus along Union Street. She notes that this bus has been a valuable transportation resource for residents of the Columbia Street Waterfont District, Carroll Gardens, and Boerum Hill. She will be testifying at an MTA board meeting next week, and needs as many signatures as possible before next Tuesday, July 24. You can sign the petition here.

Source: Cobble Hill Blog
http://cobblehillblog.com/archives/7606

Pier 1 Imports has signed a lease for a space just beyond Brooklyn Heights at 252 Atlantic Avenue and Boerum Place, a block past Court Street. The home furnishings chain will set up shop in a new two-story commercial building called Atlantic Galleria, along with gym chain Retro Fitness. It’s the retailer’s first location in Brooklyn. Read more on the Cobble Hill blog here.

Source: Brooklyn Heights Blog
http://brooklynheightsblog.com/archives/44331

Pier 1 Imports has signed a lease for a to-be-developed space at the corner of Atlantic Avenue and Boerum Place. The home furnishings chain will be setting up shop at 252 Atlantic Avenue, along with gym chain Retro Fitness, in a new two-story commercial building called Atlantic Galleria.

Brownstoner reports that an application for a building permit was filed last week and is awaiting review. Pier 1 currently has five stores in the other boroughs, but this will be its first in Brooklyn. Retro Fitness has one location in Williamsburg and one in Brownsville.

Source: Cobble Hill Blog
http://cobblehillblog.com/archives/7597

The Boerum Hill neighborhood is about to slow down. Last week, the Department of Transportation signed off on a measure to reduce the speed limit from 30 to 20 miles per hour in the largely residential area bounded by Smith Street, and Union, Third and Atlantic avenues. The “slow zone” approval—which, perhaps not ironically comes two months before the Barclays Center arena opens nearby—is meant to deter drivers from using the neighborhood as a short cut to and from the East River bridges.

According to The Brooklyn Paper, the Boerum Hill Association formed a task force to put the new law in place. “It’s an important safety issue. There’s been a significant amount of cut-through traffic here,” says BHA President Howard Kolins.

The zone will be marked with blue signs at all streets entering the area, while the city will paint the new speed limit across the roadway and use speed bumps to encourage motorists to lay off the gas, according to the city.

Source: Cobble Hill Blog
http://cobblehillblog.com/archives/7593

In the Sunday New York Times Metropolitan section, Kevin Baker remembers his friend of many years, Dennis Holt, who died last month. Baker paints a colorful portrait of Holt as “a classic New York eccentric” who once chased an intruder from his Boerum Hill townhouse while brandishing a Civil War era dress sword.

Baker also discloses that, as a student government leader at the University of Alabama in 1956, Holt faced down thugs who rioted when an African American woman, Autherine Lucy, attempted to enroll there. He later sponsored a resolution “that mob violence be denounced at the University of Alabama and that means be found to protect the future personal safety of the students, white or Negro — and the faculty and the reputation of the university.” He was also a national collegiate debating champion. Who knew?

Source: Brooklyn Heights Blog
http://brooklynheightsblog.com/archives/43894

The 150-year-old Episcopal Church of the Redeemer, a gothic revival building in Boerum Hill at Fourth Avenue and Pacific Street in a severe state of disrepair, is slated to be demolished in the next year, according to Rev. Christopher Ballard of the Church of St. Luke and St. Matthew, who is in charge of the site.

Ballard shared the news at a Boerum Hill Association general meeting on Thursday evening, as reported by DNAInfo.com. The structure was partially damaged by rumblings from subways that run beside it and because there has been little effort to maintain it over the last five-plus decades years, Ballard said.

It would cost the Episcopal Diocese of Long Island, which owns the building, at least $8 million to repair the church enough for it to be inhabitable, and nearly $20 million to make it usable, Ballard said. The reverend admitted that the church has made no effort to raise money to make the repairs: “Our focus and attention has long been on keeping the walls up as opposed to serving humanity.”

In the face of declining membership and a crumbling building, the church closed down and the congregation has since begun worshipping at the Church of St. Luke and St. Matthew, at 520 Clinton Street. Meanwhile, the Church of the Redeemer building has suffered an overgrown lawn and a leaking roof.

The Diocese did not believe the church was worth repairing because the congregation has dwindled over several decades, from a congregation of about 1,500 to about 200, Ballard added. Over the next 20 months, the church will be demolished to make way for a mixed-use building, he said, with residential, commercial and religious purposes.

Read more here.

Source: Cobble Hill Blog
http://cobblehillblog.com/archives/7480

Festivities will include a ribbon cutting ceremony led by the Brooklyn Steppers Marching Band on the sidewalk in front of the Atlantic Avenue BID office in Cobble Hill at 340 Atlantic Avenue, between Smith and Hoyt Streets, a sidewalk parade and the “Sanitation Dance,” a choreographed piece by the Modern Dance Awareness Society.

Other performers include stilt walkers, acrobats, the Bindlestiff Cavalcade of Youth All-Stars, the Balkan sounds of Raya Bass Band, an all-female percussion band, and Underground Horns. Artists from Brooklyn Waterfront Artists Coalition (BWAC) will also participate.

Businesses along Atlantic Avenue will also host special events and tastings throughout the day. The Extravaganza is sponsored by the Atlantic Ave. Business Improvement District. See all the details here.

Source: Cobble Hill Blog
http://cobblehillblog.com/archives/7355

The New Jersey native told The News that his Brooklyn excursion was prompted by cooks he’s met from across the globe raving about its eating scene: “Brooklyn is the nexus where everything is going on right now. Brooklyn is a melting pot. There are traditional Jewish delis. Caribbeans are a huge part of the culture.”

Among his other stops: Jay & Lloyds Kosher Delicatessen on Avenue U and Randazzo’s Clam Bar on Emmons Avenue in Sheepshead Bay; and Gloria’s West Indian Restaurant on Nostrand Avenue in Crown Heights.

Regarding Chef’s Table, Bourdain said that the restaurant’s serving syle is being copied in fine dining restaurants in Paris and Australia: “It is do-it-yourself. There is little overhead.” He called his Chef’s Table meal the “best that I’ve had in New York in a long time.”

His week-long borough excursion will be featured this fall on Bourdain’s Travel Channel series “No Reservations.”

Read the full NY Daily News story here.

(Photo: New York Daily News)

Source: Cobble Hill Blog
http://cobblehillblog.com/archives/7335

The development is also in the vicinity of a Whole Foods market recently approved at Third Street and Third Avenue, next to the Gowanus Canal; and within walking distance to the 585-acre Prospect Park, with access to numerous subway stations and a five-minute walk from Atlantic Terminal.

“We are delighted to invest in this high-quality, well-located site to develop a luxury rental property in Brooklyn,” said AEW Director Anthony Crooks. “We believe the property will attract young professionals and families looking for affordable, quality housing, good amenities and access to public transportation.”

Residential brokerage aptsandlofts.com is expected to begin marketing the units in Summer 2013.

Naftali Group is also building a 104-unit luxury residential property at 267 Sixth Street, at the corner of Fourth Avenue. That project is also expected to come online next year. The firm currently owns 100 apartments and 20,000 square feet of retail space in Brooklyn.

Source: Cobble Hill Blog
http://cobblehillblog.com/archives/7161

Encompassing 416 square feet, the outdoor space has seating capacity for 30 patrons. Current hours of operation are from 4 p.m. to 1 a.m., with food served until 11 p.m. Though it has yet to be officially named, the new establishment is already serving up a menu of tapas devised by Chef Jehangir Mehta, owner of Manhattan eateries Graffiti and Mehtaphor. Offerings include braised pineapple, lamb and pork belly buns and mustard seed shrimp with cucumber and yogurt sauce. A full lunch and dinner menu will be available later this month.

“We’re extremely thrilled to have one of the largest sidewalk cafés in Downtown Brooklyn opened for business and look forward to becoming a neighborhood destination spot,” NU Hotel General Manager Javier Egipciaco told us.

In addition to light fare, the sidewalk café also features an extensive selection of cocktails, thanks to the concurrent reopening of the hotel’s revamped bar space. The drink menu will vary by season, with original cocktail recipes concocted by Master Mixologist Milos Zica, principal bartender at Manhattan restaurant Employees Only.

A drink naming contest is currently being held to coincide with the opening of the café. A tequila-based signature cocktail is the focus of the competition, with a $100 bar tab to be awarded as the prize for the winning drink moniker. More details can be found on NU Hotel’s Facebook page.

NU Hotel Brooklyn is located at 85 Smith Street, on the corner of Atlantic Avenue.

Source: Cobble Hill Blog
http://cobblehillblog.com/archives/7109