Author Archives: dailyheights

What a Joy to Pose (and Eat) with Marty

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whatajoy-tn.jpgThe stoic pride of Mr. Mohammed and Chef Bashar is eclipsed by Borough President Marty Markowitz’s “thumbs up” enthusiasm in this detail from a fawning advertorial (click for larger image) posted in the window of Joy Indian Restaurant on Flatbush Avenue.

This week, the Joy/Marty connection continues as part of Dine in Brooklyn, now through Apr. 20, during which participating Brooklyn restaurants will offer special 1- or 2-person meals for $19.55 (“In the spirit of the World Champion Brooklyn Dodgers”).

You can see Marty’s website for the full list of participating restaurants (along with subway directions). Here’s the PH contingent:

Aliseo (Dinner); 665 Vanderbilt Ave. 718-783-3400
Gen (Lunch/Dinner) 659 Washington Ave. 718-398-3550
Hibiscus Café (Lunch) (2 for $19.55) 564 Vanderbilt Ave. 718-638-6850
Joy Indian Restaurant (Lunch/Dinner)(2 for $19.55) 301 Flatbush Ave. 718-230-1165
JRG Restaurant Bar & Fashion Café (Dinner) 177 Flatbush Ave. 718-399-7079
Kombit Restaurant (Dinner) 279 Flatbush Ave. 718-399-2000
Tavern on Dean (Dinner) 755 Dean St. 718-638-3326

Categories: Flatbush Ave., Food and Drink (incl. Restaurants)

Wild in the Streets: TWO Shootings on Washington Saturday Night

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washington and st johns.jpgAccording to DH reader “hi”, one shooting took place on the corner of St. Johns Pl. and Washington Avenue (PICTURED). The other one took place at Po’K Knockers, a club on Atlantic Ave. near Washington–a neighborhood that the New York Post describes as Prospect Heights, but the New York Times describes as Clinton Hill (speculate on that one for a while). Looks like sje‘s predicted powderkeg summer is getting off to an early start. Details of both shootings in this message board thread.

Categories: Crime, Mischief, and Tomfoolery, Washington Ave.

Union Temple Condo Update: Shifting Story? Stories? (Ha, Ha. Get it?)

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[UPDATED]
Will the Union Temple Condo be 16-18 stories? 30 stories? 15? Both Curbed and Brownstoner picked up on Quig’s coffee-spitting moment yesterday when a New York Times reporter blithely alluded to a (ho, hum) 30-story condo to be developed on the Union Temple’s parking lot on Grand Army Plaza. Reliable sources had led us to believe that the project was going to be only 16-18 stories.

Is it possible the NYT simply got it wrong? If so, it will be another great excuse to haughtily smirk and wryly refer to that paper, with a nudge-and-a-wink, as “The Gray Lady”–which, if you’re an editorialist at a competing paper, is shorthand for “I’m intensely jealous that THEY get all the readers and that they rejected all my freelance queries.”

Now, our favorite ProHo reporter DEBORAH KOLBEN–who is always right there on the stories we care about (and who has never publicly referred to the Times in a pejorative, ageist manner), has done her own piece on the Temple Tower, which pegs its height at a more reasonable 15 stories.

Catering to the Rich: Did we call it? We called it. Developers originally and laughably sold this condo project to us as “not luxury.” However, Deb’s conversation yesterday with a “boasting” spokesperson for Richard Meier revealed that “It will be the most luxurious building in Brooklyn.” Local agents speculate a 2-bedroom unit will go for about $1 million.

So what’s the real story? 15 stories? 30? The real story is that a developer has been planning for years to put a very large, very exclusive condo in your neighborhood, and you probably didn’t find out about it until very recently.

[UPDATE TO UPDATE] Thank you, dear guest: “The NYTimes has confirmed that (the condo) is NOT in fact 30 stories. They were working from old info and will run a correction shortly. The building will be 150 feet tall, and roughly 16-18 stories.”

Categories: Grand Army Plaza, Real Estate

iPod Mugging: Friday, Underhill and Prospect, in Broad Daylight

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underhill and prospect.jpgLizzie on Underhill writes: “Just wanted to alert everyone to a mugging that took place last Friday afternoon, around 3:45pm, on Underhill Ave. and Prospect Pl. My neighbor was the victim, and he wrote a rather humorous account of the situation below. Tell everyone to watch those little iPods!”

THE STORY: “It was a bright and sunny Friday afternoon at about 3:45 in the P.M. Walking up Underhill Avenue from the Clinton Washington stop on the C train (I usually take the more reliable and trustier B train but it was out of commission as a result of a fire), I was enjoying a particularly heady live version of Scarlet Begonias by the Grateful Dead (a 1978 recording, very nice) when I noticed a group of about 7 or 8 young men hanging out outside their building (this was right between Prospect and Park on Underhill). As a teacher, large groups of 15 year old kids usually do not faze me in the least, so I continued walking, optimistic and confident.”

“As soon as a I got close to them, several of them got behind me (I saw one walking behind me with a large metal pole, which I assume he was planning on using to hit me on the head should the mugging not go according to plan) and one got in front of me and pushed me. He put his hand under his shirt and told me he wanted my iPod. Having heard of hustles much like this from my students, and having been in much stickier situations as a high schooler growing up in the third world myself, I assumed he did not have a weapon so I told him “I don’t think so” and pushed past him. He got back in front of me, pushed me, and pulled out a box cutter which he pressed against my stomach.”

“He then repeated his demand for my iPod, I considered my options, and then decided it was not worth getting sliced up for. I called him an asshole, and handed it over. As I walked away, I heard them laugh and then run down the block. On my way back to my apartment, I stopped by the deli and picked up a nice 40 ounce bottle of Bud Light (on account of me being on a diet), thankful they took neither my wallet or my watch. I called some friends, had a few beers, and mourned the loss of my sweet little silver mini iPod.”

Categories: Crime, Mischief, and Tomfoolery

"Shameful" Eastern Parkway Median: Will it Ever Get Fixed?

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eastern parkway median.jpgThis is just one obstacle on that treacherous stretch of pavement bisecting Eastern Parkway near the Brooklyn Museum. A few weeks ago, Robert Witherwax wrote: “Those of us who traverse this god-forsaken path every day, on foot, by wheel, or with paws, know that it is in DESPERATE need of repair between Washington and Plaza … the intersection at Washington is DANGEROUS, and that the median is a shameful welcome mat to put out for the millions of guests coming to our neighborhood, and our cultural institutions.”

Now Robert reports that representatives of the Eastern Parkway Cultural Row Neighborhood Association just met with the Brooklyn Delegation of the City Council to seek funding for the renovation of the Median between Washington Avenue and Plaza Street East: “We emphasized the need for a safe, accessable, and passable median; for improvements to the traffic flow at Washington and Eastern Parkway; for better access to the subway entrance; and for a space that acts as both a welcome mat for those visiting the institutions of the neighborhood, and a front stoop for the residents of the neighborhood.”

Now we wait on the Council – we will forward news of our budget allocation (if any!) as soon as we hear it … Thanks to everyone who came out … Here’s fingers crossed for Fiscal Year 2006!

To stay updated on the project, e-mail [email protected].

Categories: Eastern Parkway

"Help Me Out" Guy Hits Fort Greene

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Unbelievable. Two more reports of the infamous “Panhandler With the Mother Who Has Wrecked Her Car” have surfaced at set speed. Both were originally reported on the Fort Greene Kids Yahoo! Group. The first was “an attempt was trying to con a parent and his/her wailing toddler out of money for the LIRR train home.” The second victim called 911, and “this resulted in about 10 swarming police cars at Waverly and Gates.” Be sure to read the comments for a remarkable discussion on “gaffling.”

Links:
Con Man Says Supersize Me [set speed]
The Panhandler with the Mother who has wrecked her car [Susan in the Daily Heights Forum]
Reward for Photographic Evidence of the Panhandler [Daily Heights]

Categories: Beyond the Heights, Crime, Mischief, and Tomfoolery

PH Comedy Makes "Time Out"

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karithfoster_crowd.jpgCongratulations to Ed Sullivan on Acid and Brooklyn Comedy Company, Prospect Heights’s two regular comedy shows. Both got a decent write-up in Rachel Kramer Bussel’s article, “Kings County of Comedy,” which appears in the April 7-13 edition of Time Out New York.

Elon James White writes: “I don’t think it’s online, but I’m vain enough that I typed up the only part that has something to do with us…”

“As the scene grows, one can’t help but wonder how long it will remain casual. One person upping the ante is Elon James White of the Brooklyn Comedy Company (BcCo) who produces a weekly stand-up show in Prospect Heights and hopes to soon – gasp! – pay his headliners. ‘We’re probably the only independent comedy show holding auditions,’ He says. ‘We’re making it cool to do Brooklyn.'”

BONUS quote from honorary ProHo’er Josh, who hooked up with TONY writer Rachel through the Daily Heights message boards: “Everyone isn’t angling to get on The Late Late Show [with Craig Ferguson], which is nice … I prefer going to places without drink minimums that don’t have autographed pictures of Jerry Seinfeld on the walls.”

[PICTURED: Karith Foster at Brooklyn Comedy Company at last week’s “Ladies First” comedy night]

Categories: Bars/Nightlife, Cartoons Comics and Animation

Keeping an Eye Out: Big Bikes and Scaffolds

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From the Daily Heights Camphone Patrol:
UpScaffold-tn.jpgLucas writes: Did you see the tall bicyclists yesterday? A group of about 5-6 people riding six-foot-tall bicycles up Vanderbilt. Hilarious. Tried to get a shot, but they were too far away for my wee camphone. I can’t wait until US cell manufacturers start providing multi-megapixel cameras. Sheesh.”

Lucas also spotted these unsavory characters, clearly up to no good (check out the scowl on Rope Guy as he gets camphoned): “Not sure what they’re doing up there, but it looks like they’re cleaning the exterior of the dry cleaning building. Maybe not. They weren’t thrilled to be captured on film. (‘On disk’? What will people say now that film is being phased out?)”

Categories: Vanderbilt Ave.