Sent in by UnderTheHill: “There was a fire today at one of the blue buildings, not the one on the corner of Underhill and St. John’s. When I got home, the firefighters were leaving. Any more details?” More details on the Prospect Heights Message Boards
Freakonomics: Christie's Chicken Patty Edition
Muk, of The Muk Report, reports on the scene:
So, I’m sitting outside of Christie’s enjoying one our neighborhood’s indigenous “value meals” when it occurred to me how awesome I was because I actually remember when the chicken patties were $1.25 (now $1.85!).
Then it occurred to me that I have neighbors that are even more awesome than I because they may remember when Christie’s patties where even cheaper than THAT. And then I became sad.
So, how awesome are you? How much was a chicken patty when you first moved into the neighborhood?
Anyone that says they remember when patties were 7 cents and Ting rained down free from the heavens is officially MAYOR OF PROSPECT HEIGHTS (for a day).
Pull rank on Prospect Heights newbies on the Prospect Heights Message Board
Noise Blamed on Old, Young, Whites, Blacks, Gentrifiers, Locals, Buppies, Bohos, and Woman on Methadone
Who heard all that commotion on Washington Ave. this past weekend, trailing on to the wee hours of the morning?
RBG REPORTS: Â “I was at that party on Saturday night and it was OFF THE HOOK! We danced till about 3am. That said, I was struck by the incredible mix of people at the party–for the first time in a very long time, I was able to say that I was at a MIXED party. Basically, it was an afterparty for First Saturdays at the museum and the music was an incredible mix of hip-hop and house. Lots of white folks, plenty of brothas with hoodies and Hennessy, one woman who looked like she was methadone (and having a good time), Buppies, Yuppies, Bohos…”
“The guy I was with said, “The only bad thing about this party is they’re not searching people at the door.” And then he asked, “Am I wrong for thinking that?” The backstory is he’d been shot a few times in East NY years ago and was probably suffering some type of PTSD. We both thought the mixed crowed was interesting. There were even older people there (in their 50’s)… ”
“So, the blame for Saturday’s noise at Ripple can be blamed on EVERYONE…old people and new, young and old, black and white.”
un-USUAL:Greasy Spoon Goes Fancy-Dancy
Whoa… is this for real? Check out the “newest” new look for The Usual, the former greasy spoon on Vanderbilt Ave.:
The Usual’s redesign and reopening–long awaited and long anticipated–is the latest in an interesting Brooklyn trend: split-personality retail/food service. Why be the business at noon as you are in the evening, particularly with Brooklyn rents going through the roof?
According to reports on the Prospect Heights Message Board, the daytime menu is exactly the same as it was back in the lunch counter days (though slightly expanded). After 6 pm, they have a more proper/pricey dinner menu, according to Q:
“Mike and johnny have been joined by a third partner, the chef, who Mike has known for a loooong time. the food is reasonably priced (for fine dining) and absolutely delicious. our meal looked something like this:”
me:
house salad (mesculin, tomatoes) – 4.75
swordfish with tasy remoulade (potatoes and asparagus) – 15.95
snickers pie – 4.75
coffee – on the house (a welcome back gift from mike)
my better half:
tempura battered provelone (BRILLIANT, btw) with aioli – 4.75 (ish)
pork over spaetzel and spinach with mushroom sauce – 13.95
apple pie – ????
tea – again, on the house
“The food was DELICIOUS,” Q says. They have applied for a liquor license, but in the meantime, you can bring your own. The coffee is the same…
See you on Saturday morning as we fight for a table! Learn more on the Prospect Heights Message Board
Your Life or Your Leica
Rhodamine reports: “Yesterday, while snapping photos for my blog near the corner of Eastern Parkway and Bedford, I got jumped. I was forced into a shadowy area between a wall and a parked semi-truck.”
“The guy got me in a headlock from behind, pressed a screwdriver against the back of my neck and repeatedly demanded “Lemme get that camera, motherfucker, lemme get that camera” as I kept walking, struggling …”
“Instinct took over (hey, youre gonna need alot more than a screwdriver to get my Leica at 3pm on a Sunday afternoon, asshole) and I immediately clutched the camera to my chest and dove forward to break the choke-hold while simultaneously kicking my feet backwards, hoping to land a square blow to his nuts.”
“I ended up catching my balance with my left foot but landing a fortuitously solid kick to his right knee, which I could feel snap backwards/sideways from the force….”
“I really just wanted to post this little story to say that when bad things like this happen in our neighborhood, its not always cowering victims, fear, paranoia and the police blame-game…”
Holy Wow: Read the more knee-snappin’ goodness on the Prospect Heights Message Board
…More Dogs in Bad Places
crustythor writes: “there’s a pooch on the roof of the building across from my apartment, on Butler (not the building that went condo recently and has the fancy roof deck, but the one next to it). and this isn’t the first time i’ve seen a (this?) dog up here. and there are four or five piles of, um, dog-doo on the roof, leading me to believe he’s been up there for awhile (i just got back from being away for the weekend.)”
“I’m worried – did his owners up and leave him here? I don’t see any food….”
“Anyway, he’s black – seems like a lab mix, with white paws and a turquoise collar. does he belong to you?”
 
What is the New York Times Trying to Say…
… about Forest City Ratner, Atlantic Yards, and critics of the project?
No comment.Crying Pit Bull on a Fire Escape: Potential Puppy Neglect Investigated
PICTURED: Happy pit puppy
(NOT the sad one in question)
OWNER: angel21_es
About that pit bull puppy left on a fire escape over at 416-418 St. Marks Ave (near Grand), that can be heard crying and yelping helplessly on any given weeknight–
Based on multiple tips posted on the Brooklyn Pets board, Leozoeypiper was able to (finally, after multiple calls) provide ASPCA with enough information to trigger an investigation:
“The ASPCA investigated 416 and 418 today… Unfortunately, they found two pitbulls and two owners and of course, no would would confess to keeping their puppy out on the fire escape. They are going to pursue it further if we can provide them with more information. Please PM me ASAP if you have more information that I can give to them (color of puppy, approximate age of puppy, dates you have seen the puppy out there, description of owner, etc.). Any information would be appreciated. I do want the owner of the puppy to know that we are watching.
If you have any additional info on the puppy (pictures of the dog on the fire escape would be especially helpful), post them on the Brooklyn Pets board or send a private message directly to Leozoeypiper through her profile page.
499 Dean Street: Don't Brick Me In!!
Newbie EricD posts on the Prospect Heights Message Board:
“Does anyone know what’s going on with the building across from the fire station on Dean St. btw 6th and Carlton? They started closing up all of the windows (except for one apartment) with cinderblocks a couple of days ago. It appears that they are trying to get the last tenant to vacate, but this seems to be a pretty extreme way to go about it. Yesterday, there was a sign hanging out of the occupied apartment saying something like, “I live here, don’t close me in!”
Rumors on the board are that the landlord is trying to clear all the tenants out and sell the building, according to Chris:
“… the last tenant — who has been there since the 60s — does not want to move… Word is her hot water was turned off as well. Its a pretty ugly scene, and I have to wonder whether the Fire Dept. might get involved, seeing as having all the windows bricked up looks like a firefighting nightmare…”
Update: Looks like the owner is trying to get $1.6 million for the 8-unit building… more details on the boards.
Update 2: “Friend of DH” Jotham Sederstrom wrote a great an article on this in the Daily News today (LINK: Her Brick Prison)
Paging Mr. Livanos… LINK: Bricked Up Windows on Dean Street [Prospect Heights Message Board]
Why Are Brooklyn Chain Stores So Miserable? Here's Why
No wonder mom-and-pop shops do so well in Prospect Heights and beyond. Nobody can stand to shop at the Brooklyn branches of megachains such as Target (terrible service) or Costco (crowds from hell, service to match)! How could something so simple go so wrong? escap writes on the Prospect Heights Message Board:
“I’ve noticed that the quality of chains in NYC is horrid compared to its quality elsewhere in America… My guess is that it’s due to a combination of a poorly qualified workforce that lacks a culture and understanding of what good service really is, and a consumer body that is similarly undemanding, and in fact can provoke bad service by its own rudeness.”
“In addition, b/c there are so few large discount stores like Target, the ones that do make it in have very little competition and are therefore able to get away with such terrible service.”
doctorj adds: “I think the cost of retail space per sqft is a significant factor; trying to fit all that inventory into a fraction of the space without raising prices substantially leads to an overcrowded and chaotic chainstore shopping environment, as well as pressure to cut costs by cutting the number of workers per shopper.”
“I’ve seen this again and again comparing inner city vs. semi-rural stores in different countries. The higher the population density, the less space and service per shopper at a given price point.”
More random retail insights on the Prospect Heights Message Board