Police have arrested Paul Wint in connection with Monday’s shooting at the DeLux Gallery & Salon on Fulton Street. He is suspected to have been the driver of the Chevy Tahoe. NYPD is still looking for his accomplice. See NYT article here…
Courtesy of The Daily News
Here’s an article from the Brooklyn Eagle discussing Carlton Mews, a project on Carlton between Dekalb & Willoughby. The $35 million dollar project includes the conversion of the old St. Michael’s Church and the construction of 45 new luxury townhouses. I was wondering how a project of this magnitude could get off the ground in the current economic environment, especially given the abundance of empty condos in the immediate vicinity (The Clermont, Clermont Greene, Forte, Verdi, Oro, etc.). Now I know how…
The Brooklyn Cohousing group has chosen the site for its residential complex. Basically the developer has already sold all the units. Clearly that makes financing much easier. This group consists of “a group of families starved for a small-town community in the big city”. The complex will be “a luxe, dorm-like condominium, complete with a common dining room, a mail room, a gym, an underground garage and even a wine cellar”. This is not a commune created to save money or live a simpler life. These are market rate luxury units. Here’s an article from the Daily News with more details.
Sounds like the pinnacle of gentrification to me… This is the first gated community in the neighborhood. In my opinion you don’t need a private compound to have a community. All you have to do is introduce yourself to your neighbors, participate in local groups such as block associations and civic organizations such as the Pratt Area Community Council and/or the Fort Greene Association. Creating your own gated compound allows you to control who your neighbors are and sequester yourself from the community you actually reside in.
The main argument seems to be that NYC has a very transient population where no one gets to know their neighbors. I think if this group had taken the time to really investigate the neighborhood they would find this not to be the case. While there are always those looking for change (this is a city), Fort Greene has many long-term residents who are multi-generational families. Many newcomers are families with children that are not planning to move anytime soon. This group could add to the community but they choose to create their own.
From www.cohousing.org…” Cohousing residents generally aspire to “improve the world, one neighborhood at a time.” I’m not sure how this improves the neighborhood or anything else beyond the gates of the compound so I’m really not excited to see this happening in the hood… There’s a city within Oakland, CA called Piedmont which decided to segregate itself from the surrounding area. Although the city was incorporated in 1907 throughout the years it’s maintained a fairly homogenous population relative to the diverse city surrounding it. While dependent on the services of the city of Oakland, they have the ability to basically keep their community closed to outsiders and their property taxes support schools in the immediate vicinity. Luckily this is NYC and this city loves its tax dollars to much to let anyone escape their grasp (i.e. Staten Island) but this really reminds me of the city within a city that is Piedmont.
Image courtesy of The Brooklyn Paper
Other than the shooting at DeLux Gallery it seemed to be a rather slow week in neighborhood crime… Although I haven’t seen any updates on the hunt for the perpetrators here’s an interesting comment from the NYT article (obviously I can’t confirm it’s veracity)…
“The victim, Lee Garcia, known on the street as “50″ because he survived multiple gun shot wounds and attempts on his life much like the rapper 50 cent, was a small time thug from the Franklin/Fulton area of bed stuy. The last time I saw Lee was in front of the 79pct desk after his last arrest for robbery in early February. Why was he back on the streets? Thank the NYS court system. Mr. Garcia, or any person does not deserve such a violent death, but when dealing in guns and drugs, a tragic end often awaits. I remember my first day on patrol was a footpost on his grandmother’s block on Lefferts place. I was told by at least 3 different cops driving by in unmarked and marked vehicles”be careful he’s known to carry a gun.” It’s very sad that innocent bystanders had to pay for this individuals misdeeds. Lee was a bad guy, and he paid for it.”
Here’s this week’s Police Blotter from The Brooklyn News.
Friendly reminder… Limit the use of iPods, iPhones, etc. when walking down the street. I know it seems overly cautious but these things are expensive status symbols that kids want and may not be able to afford. So they just might take yours if you’re not paying attention or mindful of your surroundings.
Hakeem Jeffries (D. – Fort Greene) is introducing legislation that states that any changes to term limits should be voted on in public referendum. I fully agree with this. Bloomberg and City Council shamed themselves by passing an term limit extension. With the exception of the rampant development he let take place which led to increased socioeconomic polarization, I would rate Bloomberg’s overall performance positively. This blatant, backroom power grab really rubs me the wrong way. Just because you can’t figure out what to do in retirement and you’re too egotistical to work for anyone else (i.e. Obama or McCain) doesn’t mean you can just change the laws of the land as you see fit. By pressuring City Council as well as organizations he donates money to Bloomberg has tainted his legacy. I hope he does a good job in his third term but I’ve lost some respect for the man. That being said, relative to Giuliani I love him. At least he’s not an out and out racist,liar, adulterer, crazy Republican attack dog, etc.
I don’t have any details from official news sources but my friend who lives across the street tells me there was a shooting in the new beauty salon that took over the 4W Circle of Art space on Fulton. He says four people were shot and one died. I’ll provide more information as I get it…
More on the history of 4W Circle of Art & Enterprise can be found in this old post.
Courtesy of Gothamist
One of my favorite annual events happened in Fort Greene Park over the weekend… The 10th Annual Great Pupkin Dog Costume Contest (sponsored by Fort Greene PUPS). My 5 year old niece was in town last year so it was a little more exciting but I always enjoy seeing how creative area dog owners can be. Here are some pics courtesy of Gothamist.
Image courtesy of The Brooklyn Paper
Here’s todays Police Blotter from The Brooklyn Paper… The fake cops one is slightly amusing. First make sure they have an actual charge, make sure to ask for their name and precinct and give them your license… Not your wallet.
Here’s a great post from Jeremiah’s Vanishing New York, one of my favorite non-Brooklyn blogs. It discusses Bloomberg’s governing style and the results. While I think overall Bloomberg has been a great mayor, his fervor for real estate development has transformed the city. In some cases the development has been an improvement but in most cases it has been left unchecked. Frequent “upzoning” and lax construction regulation from the DoB has changed the character of many neighborhoods (for better or worse depending on your perspective) and led to many dangerous construction sites and shoddy buildings. In my opinion, it has created an environment in which socioeconomic polarization has accelerated and it has become a city for the rich leaving little room for those who don’t make a six figure salary.
I’m going to try to be measured in my review of this restaurant but in one word I would say… Ehh. They are trying too hard. Maybe I shouldn’t read reviews prior to going… The glowing reviews of No. 7 seemed made me overestimate the culinary prowess of their menu. In order highlight the positive and negative points, I’ll address each element of the experience.
Ambiance
The space is nice. I’ve seen it during the day and the dim lighting does wonders in hiding many of the space’s imperfections. I like the way the seating is laid out as well. Didn’t have a chance to see their back yard although I’m not sure it’s open yet. I did see a roach on the wall but as a seasoned New Yorker that didn’t really faze me. Luckily my dining companion was facing the other way. They are on top of a subway station which is good for foot traffic but horrible when it comes to pests and rodents. Believe me. I used to live at 9 Greene.
Service
The service was for the most part excellent although I think my server left out one key piece of information regarding the entree special.
Food
Appetizers – As I mentioned, I was accompanied by a lovely, beautiful dining companion. We shared our meals so I’ll cover both. The appetizers were good, especially the tomato soup which was excellent. I had the seared tuna that everyone keeps mentioning. It was good but nothing to write home about. Mixing in the asian pear with the tuna was a good idea but it could be improved with some type of light seasoning to give it a little more character (ginger soy?). Check out the Chino Latino at Luz for a great tuna appetizer.
Entrees – I had the fried rabbit special. It came with mashed potatoes and some type of greens (not like collard greens but I don’t remember the exact plant). The breading on the rabbit was hard as a rock and tasteless. Even after trying to smother it in gravy it was still not very good. I scraped off the breading which helped immensely. The mashed potatoes were overcooked. The greens were good though. Overall I give my entree a 4 out of 10. Maybe it’s my knowledge of what good fried chicken tastes like that made this so bad. The breading was really atrocious.
My companion had the vegetable lasagna. It was decent but nothing to write home about. The frisee it came with was great though. I give it a 6 out of 10 since it was at least edible.
Dessert/Wine/Beer – We had the oatmeal cookie dessert special. It was interesting as they put bacon in the cookie. It came with a little mini milkshake. It was pretty good. Very rich but I guess desserts are supposed to be rich. Good wine list, great beers. I love Hop Obama from SixPoint.
The Verdict
6 out of 10 overall. Not all it’s hyped up to be. My main course was not very good and the kicker… It was $35 which is almost double the price of the most expensive entree on the menu ($20). You would think the server would at least mention the price since it’s so much more but alas no. So I left pissed off. $35 for a crappy meal. Ruined any positive aspects of the experience which is why I didn’t write this last night… It would have been an angry diatribe. It’s funny the NYT review is titled $25 and Under. It’s also cash only. I understand a coffee shop or bodega being cash only, but when you’re selling $35 entrees it’s a little ridiculous. Maybe I’ll try again but that one issue (crappy $35 entree) leaves me sour on No. 7.
Is the sputtering economy causing a rise in crime in the neighborhood? Has the socioeconomic polarization caused by rapid gentrification created an environment ripe for crime? Has the use of personal electronic devices created a bunch of walking targets?
According to Compstat’s latest report overall crime is down 3.76% but property crimes such as robbery and burglary are up 7.6% and 18.6%. The murder rate is down over 71% but yesterday’s gruesome discovery of a body on Washington Park does not bode well.
Here’s an article from The Brooklyn Paper discussing the situation…
Rather than go crime crazy with multiple posts I’ll also link this week’s Police Blotter here…
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