Author Archives: dailyheights

What's the Deal With: 67/69 Underhill Ave

69underhillEXCLUSIVE! Quig investigates: "At first glance, 69 Underhill looks like a example of cardboard, spit & hope urban renewal. where glass should be. Where once this building and its sister (67) were the typical example of the post-Robert Moses, present-crack urban blight, they are now standing out for their as-yet unrealized potential." 

"According to ACRIS, these buildings are owned by the same person, Hubert S. Drew. If you Google that name, a person (maybe not him) comes up as a board member of Community Board 9."

"In any other market, excuses could be made about how money can not be found to renovate or sell this property. Seeing that Drew bought these properties in in 1983 (probably for the price of a Delorean) he could pony up at least a can of paint to cover up the graffiti."

"My guess is that he’s waiting for the right developer to come along at the right time with the right truckload of money. In the meantime, we are treated to these buildings as a canvas for the local graffiti artists."

MORE WEEKEND PLANS: Oscars at Soda

Is it already that time of year again? Tamara the Friendly Bartender says Soda will host a big-screen Oscar party Sunday night. If Oscars, celebrity wine tastings, and tapas bar openings aren’t enough, you might want to check out DH’s garish but functional post-your-own-event calendar.

If Friday afternoon work avoidance is your plan, then go create some controversy in the forums. But don’t make me delete you.

$564/sq. ft. on Park Place

222parkYesterday’s New York Times: Aguayo & Huebener just sold a 2-bedroom, 925 sq. ft. condo in Park Place Towers (222 Park Place) for the asking price of $521,675. The condo, 10 weeks on the market has a $283 common charge (taxes not yet assessed).

As set speed points out, that’s $564 per sq. ft., or quite a premium over new condo developments in more "edgy" quarters of Prospect Heights.

Daily Heights says THANK YOU to Stunner Donation

James_dean_hell_bank_noteStacey on Underhill shocked and stunned us with a substantial donation of money made though the PayPal link (over there on the right). Let’s hope this is part of a continuing trend (hint, hint). Stacey, your donation kicks off the campaign for the first-ever DH Prospect Heights get-together, location TBA, date TBA, event TBA (though it’s pretty clear the East Coast could use its own competitive Rock, Paper, Scissors league).

Speaking of get-togethers, Stacey wants to plan a meet-the-neighbors Block Party, maybe sometime in the middle to end of June, and she’s already got Salsa band lined up! If you want to help Stacey plan for a block party, maybe you can go start a topic on the ProHo message boards.

PS. Thanks to NUMBER ONE MONEY MAN for the James Dean Hell Bank Note.

EXCLUSIVE: Olympic Rings to be Draped in Construction-Site Orange

Humanity_will_shineDaily Heights sat down (asynchronously) with the merry pranksters behind 2012landgrabs.net, originators of the "NYC20$12Billion" fake advertising campaign. Please read the exclusive interview.

The Olympics will bring us prestige, glory, post-9/11 rebirth, flowers and kittens. Why do you hate our freedoms?

The Freedom to be kicked around by a latter-day Robert Moses and a

CEO-mayor is a freedom we can all do without.

Who are you/you guys? Only graphic designers would post EPS files

for download.
Bingo.

Are you buying any "official" advertising space, or is this purely a stealth campaign?

NYC2012 and Danny D grabbed all the ad space. Otherwise we’d be above ground.

Be honest. Some of those examples on the "spoofs" page are photoshops, right?

Honesty counts. Yes. But do you have any idea what it takes to get the New York Times interested? It takes Photoshop! Seriously.

Why 2012landgrabs.net? Aren’t you afraid the IOC or Bloomberg (or me) will grab the 2012landgrabs.com domain and dilute your message?

That is a very good question. ".net" is of the people. ".com" is of the board room. Having said that, I’ll race you to register.com.

Do you think New York has a chance of getting the Olympics in 2012?

Zero.

What do people of New York actually think of the Olympic bid, anyway?

I think they could care less. Honestly. Though if the Olympic Rings could be draped in construction-site orange, well then, maybe.

Have you seen any polls or anything?

63% are in favor, down from 67% in June. Supposedly Bush won Ohio too. But 57% or so are against the West Side Stadium. Those numbers might seem contradictory on their face, but New Yorkers realize that the Stadium is a sure way to kill any chances the City has to win the Olympic Bid.

What’s the best method for affixing these signs to a flat surface–keeping in mind, of course, that one won’t be vandalizing, or affixing the sign to a surface that one has no permission to affix something to?

Wheatpaste works. Many copy shops can print on stickers. Or one can buy Avery letter-size labels. That works well. A flat, smooth surface is best.

Why should people of Prospect Heights, Brooklyn care about all this?

The Ratner arena and the massive amount of shit that goes with it is a scam land grab. The Olympics are being used to slam it down your throat. Resistance is mandatory.

Anything else?

It is every New Yorker’s duty to download the EPS files, learn how to use Illustrator, print the files and affix everywhere and anywhere.

Filmmakers: Get shown at Soda

Film_cameraman_1Stargirl writes: "I’m trying to help Soda coordinate this film night (it will probably be on a Tuesday night, beginning in mid-March) and am looking for interested parties to submit films to show (i.e. films you’ve made) – so… I’m looking for FILMMAKERS new and old to submit stuff … if anyone is an aspiring filmmaker (or knows of one) and would like to potentially get your stuff shown at Soda for the brand-spankin’ new Soda film night (movies should be in VHS or on DVD) you can contact me at [email protected]." Maybe PHer Seith Mann can show one of his films?

Lil' Red Terror: "I can take down a girl twice my size"

Image30Kelly Kwedar of Prospect
Heights "runs a cancer clinic at Memorial Sloan-Kettering
Cancer Center, but at night the petite redhead trades her slacks for
fishnets and skates with painted fire decals," says the Daily News.

"’I was never one of those people to push in the subway, but now I’m
willing to take charge …I can take down a girl twice my size and have her make a really terrible noise.‘"

"The fearsome ladies, reviving a sport [roller derby] that last flourished in the city
in the 1950s, are gearing up to do it again when the league kicks off
its season in April."

Follow this link to a slideshow courtesy of Ortgeist courtesy of Ortgeist.

ATTENTION NEW MOMMIES (AND DADDIES)

Ack_my_hatHilary would like to know: "Is there a new mothers/parents group in Prospect Heights that meets
on a regular basis?…. If not, are there any new parents out there interested in forming a group?"

"I am the new mother of a one-month-old daughter and on maternity leave through May. Would appreciate sharing experiences and having my daughter meet other children her age." [Photo: Not Hilary’s kid.]