Author Archives: dailyheights

Crown Heights is a "Crown Jewel"

408-stone_houses.JPG*Cringe*… who came up with that headline? The Daily News, that’s who. Today in the Daily News: “For many years, what came to New Yorkers’ minds if you mentioned ‘Crown Heights’ were riots and racial strife… But these days, New Yorkers have something altogether different in mind … and that’s real estate.”

“With demand surging, a two-family limestone at 1266 Carroll St. recently commanded a $740,000 sale price, though kitchen and bathroom renovations are needed. Two years ago, similar houses went for $400,000 to $450,000. Eight years ago, the prices were $200,000 to $225,000.”

“‘people used to have to wait 30 years for this type of appreciation,’ said Camille Logan of the real estate firm Fillmore, who brokered the sale. The houses are spacious and full of original architectural details …”

“Crown Heights wouldn’t be a hot real estate market if it had continued to be torn apart by racial strife. But the neighborhood has mended – thanks to efforts by religious leaders, civic coalitions and even a group of Jewish, African-American and Caribbean-American women called Mothers to Mothers…”

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FOUND: "How to Be Safe in Your Home"

how to be safe-tn.jpgPublished by the Amy Vanderbilt Success Program for Women, the pamphlet “How to be Safe in Your Home” (1963) warns housewives that “many of your food supplies are packed in all-too-breakable glass containers or in cans that will have jagged edges when opened.”

This is one of several books FOUND in a blue plastic tub on Sterling Pl. (btw Washington and Underhill). Also found was the mysterious 1907 tome “Aquarian Gospel of Jesus the Christ by LEVI,” 1972 printing, was purchased in 1974 from Flying Saucer News on 359 West 54th St. in Manhattan. The book is a record of “the intimate details of Christ’s life” from the “‘lost’ eighteen years so strangely silent in the New Testament … written from the original authentic ‘Akashic Records’ by a student who devoted forty years to preparation for the task.”

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MOVIES: "Crash" and Racism in the City

crash.jpg“Crash” [Trailers]: Saw this at the AMC on Times Square. I went in very skeptical, but this film is totally engrossing. I don’t want to give anything away, but the film is more about challenging expectations, rather than being preachy about race relations. I wouldn’t say it’s “required viewing,” but it was a great feeling to walk out of the theater and feel like you didn’t just waste the last 2 hours of your life. In fact, we spent about an hour afterwards just talking about the issues it raised.

There were some cringe-worthy moments – some extremely artificial melodrama, and this whole recent trend of injecting “smart and witty” dialogue into scenes that don’t need it, not to mention the inclusion of Sandra Bullock, whose acting style may be even more wooden and forced than Julia Roberts. However, there were some amazing plot twists, and a scene where Ludacris, playing a carjacker, goes on an anti-rap tirade (could have been funnier if he played it better).

We actually skipped “The Aristocrats” to go see this. Reading the Village Voice review pretty much steered me away from it… I was already afraid the film had a bit of a weak premise. However, now I’m intrigued again, after reading Douglas’s review of it: “it was possibly the most shocking and revolting exposition i have witnessed in any medium in recent memory. in other words, near-euphoria. oh, and it’s a relief to discover that i can still be shocked.”

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Moped Stolen on Vanderbilt

Captain M writes: “At around 9:15 last night, the Hing Lung Restaurant (Vanderbilt and Park Pl.) had their moped stolen … it was yellow with red flames and a shiny but fake exhaust pipe. It had skinny wheels compared to most of the other delivery bikes. There was some talk that it was stolen by two kids … (Read more)

The Garden Sculpture on Prospect Pl. and Flatbush

headsculpture.jpgFrom An Englishman in New York: I came across this great garden sculpture on Sunday evening a couple of blocks from our apartment in Brooklyn. It looks to have been made from an old clothes horse, some old wire and a couple of pieces of plastic or glass. (Corner of Prospect Pl and Flatbush for anyone in the neighborhood who wants to see for themselves.)

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SORREL: First Words on the "New American" Restaurant

sorrel-tn.jpgCarnivore writes: “My wife and I tried it Friday night. The place is called Sorrel. The menu is all prix fixe- 3 courses for $25. Mostly inexpensive but fresh seasonal ingredients. My wife got the spaetzle with snails appetizer and a chicken with Israeli couscous main dish. I got the cold mussel soup with saffron appetizer and the roast cod with potato entree. We both had the orange-rosemary pannacotta for dessert.”

“Most of the dishes were undersalted, especially the mashed potatoes (obviously not the desserts). The mussel soup needed more saffron. The skin on the cod could have been crisper. But overall, very good for $25. They definitely have potential, and I plan to give them another try when the kitchen has had longer to iron things out. The snails/spaetzle dish was the best thing we tried. The pannacotta was richer than I usually expect from that dish, but that wasn’t a bad thing- very tasty actually.

READ MORE: Restaurant Open at Carlton and St. Marks [Prospect Heights message boards]

Sale/Swap/Free – Stuff within walking distance of you

1. Let everybody know about your stoop sale: email [email protected].

2. What are people selling within walking distance of you? The feed below automatically picks up stuff for sale in Prospect Heights from Craigslist.

3. List an item for sale in Prospect Heights: If you upload an item for sale at Craigslist, it will end up at the top of this pile. No need to reinvent the wheel, eh?

 

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GIGS – Within walking distance of you

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G.A.P. Fountain – Where's the Water?

baileyfountain-tn.jpgSo now that summer is almost over, what’s the deal with the fountain at Grand Army Plaza (Bailey Fountain) that stilll hasn’t been turned on? queen_of_pies reports on the Prospect Heights message board… “Here’s what Prospect Park Commissioner Tupper Thomas wrote to me when I inquired about why it was dry: ‘We hope to have the fountain running by Labor Day, but it could be as late as Sept. 15th. The engineering sub-consultant has taken responsibility for the problem and the new pump has been ordered. Installation will begin as soon as the new mechanical device arrives…'”

Read more on the Prospect Heights message board.
IMAGE SOURCE: Bridge and Tunnel Club