Nostrand Park – in collaboration with VAMOS Architects, Masai Marketing, NYC Dept of Small Business Services, and desigNYC – is excited to announce the launch of its new pilot program, Destination Nostrand, intended to beautify, promote, enliven, and enhance Nostrand Avenue:

If you are interested in participating, showing off your artwork, opening up your commercial space, have a business idea that you would like to test out, or if you just want to help make sure that Nostrand looks great on the day of, just let us know: http://nostrandpark.com/destination-nostrand/

Special thank you to DANIEL GERGLEY, NICOLE MACIAS, JENNIFER MACCHIARELLI, and GroundUp Designers for their tremendous marketing and promotional assistance!

To view some of the design concepts for DN, check out our gallery below. Since the project is in its pilot phase, we will only be launching 3 of the concepts, but feel free to let us know which ones you like best:

All those with the urge to start a food business – here’s your chance!

As some of you may have read a few months ago if you are on our e-blast list, or if you follow the I Love Franklin Ave blog, NYC Economic Development Corporation is looking to have a food incubator hosted in Crown Heights.

Well, a local group called CREATE – a collaborative effort between a local Brooklyn attorney, architect, and marketing company all with ties to Prospect Heights and Crown Heights – is looking to “bring quality shared work and event space to the neighborhood. ”

They’ve sent us a short survey for folks to fill out: <a href=”http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/QZ25CNT“>Click here to take survey.</a>  Pass it along if you know of anyone who might be interested.  The pictures are renderings of their vision of what the space would/could/should look like.  Nice!

Looks like St. Lucia’s tourist board is doing fun promo events in Crown Heights.  Got the word about this event from a friend, and figure we’d pass it along.  The pics from last year’s version of this event look nice.  Anyone attend?

We’re blogged quite a few times about Bob & Betty’s Food Market – formerly Fisher’s Supermarket pending Grand Opening.

Well, as of this Friday, they’re finally OPEN!!!!!

What are your thoughts and comments on the renovations, food selection, prices etc.?

Hey NP friends, if you are tired of the anonymity of lurking the blogs,  and want to meet some of your fellow Crown Heightsters you can, of course, try the old fashioned method of going next door and asking to borrow some sugar, but another route to sociability would be to hit up a local happy hour/ bar hop / meet up organized by some good people over at Brooklynian (FYI – we know one of the organizers and can vouch that these are good people).   Festivities take place on Friday, April 15th at 8:00 pm.  Check out the thread on Brooklynian for details and updates.

Let’s begin this adventure at 8:00 at Washington Commons.

Newbies who have never met any of us should look for:

1. Incredibly good looking people
2. This wood sign

 

 

We will stay there until at least 9:00.
After 9:00 PM, we will be either:

a. still at Washington Commons, OR

b. At Minor Archanna (Sp?), OR

c. at Way Station

d. at Franklin Park

 

Newbies who have never met any of us should look for:

1. Incredibly good looking people
2. This wood sign

http://brooklynian.com/forum/the-lounge-random-stuff/happy-hour-2#post-729111

Crown Heights – Brownstones East Of Nostrand Ave. cica 2010 – Abeni Garrett

Curbed recently wrote an article about the Prospect Heights Condo Boom Swallowing Up Crown Heights and it’s in article renaming parts of “desirable” Crown Heights as “ProCro”.

And generally, Crown Heights was given a quite unflattering portrayal in the Curbed article. Sources in it quoted:

“creaky, rent-controlled buildings and graffiti-pocked bodegas.”
“a new neighborhood where’s there’s nothing going on.”
“Crown Heights is not as fashionable. The building stock isn’t as nice…”

Quite a few people were not happy with this over generalization of the community of Crown Heights.

Capt. Planet said (on www.brooklynian.com):

“The real deal is that the properties between Nostrand and Albany on average are far superior to those between Washington and Nostrand.

I once asked a well-known architectural historian about this seeming anomaly and was told that:

prime areas tended to separated from other prime areas by less expensive rental properties where the “support staff” for the wealthy folks lived.”

Apparently the area between Washington Ave. and Nostrand Ave. was one of those “non-prime” areas.”

That was exactly one of my main points about Franklin Ave. in the post: Fisher’s Supermarket – Revamped & Restocked – A Changing Store In An Ever Changing Community

So what are your thoughts of Realtors once again trying to rename Crown Heights or change Crown Height’s borders to make a more affluent – usually people not of color – feel safer to move into the community?

Because, times have changed and generally speaking, many of owners of the grand mansions could not afford to maintain the expensive upkeep on those enormous homes. So, usually because of years of neglect, they sadly began to deteriorate and then were auctioned off or sold and then sub-divided into apts at best or SRO’s at worst.

Immediately East Of Nostrand Ave. used to house many more grand mansions and semi-mansions, than the beautiful brownstones of today, pictured below. As many of the present day, grand brownstones – immediately East Of Nostrand Ave. – were built AFTER the original mansions of the St. Marks District and/or Bedford District – older names of Crown Heights – were torn down around 1900 – 1920′s.

Usually 2 – 3 semi-mansions, at most, were on a street and those semi-mansions depth usually stretched a city block from from St. Marks to Bergen – as one example.

Homes of that scale took a team “of help” to maintain.

The Washington Ave. to Franklin Ave. area – was – cheaper to buy the smaller properties, and as more middle-class, primarily whites, were priced out of Park Slope and moved into Prospects Heights – PH’s reputation began to become more “desirable”.

Then, Realtors tried to name any property usually up to a block at most- immediately east of Washington Ave., where Crown Heights officially begins – as Prospect Heights.

But trying to push “Prospects Heights” as far East as Franklin Ave. – and trying to command those ridiculous prices for the quickly slapped together condos – i.e 1.3 Million Dollars for a 2 bedroom – has proved much more difficult than they and the developers initially speculated.

So that’s where Pro-Cro comes into play.

It’s a matter of semantics and economics, which does unfortunately include a large elements of class and race “fears”, which many, but not all, people want to tip toe around.

Present day Crown Heights name has a “stigma” compulsively attached and associated to it, justifiably or not.

Now ProCro comes in to use when – realtors consciously use it to quickly circumvent any stigma attached to Crown Heights area – as they to try and obtain the the highest price possible for a particular property – that is actual geographically located in Crown Heights!

Imagined Conversation between Realtor and perspective client:

Pro-Cro – Client – “Sounds interesting, tell me more about this delightful up and coming sounding neighborhood.

Crown Heights – “Good God! You must be joking?! I said I wanted to live there, this is not an investment property.

(Client’s Inner Dialogue) “Is this guy crazy? Don’t they shoot white people there! How long before the neighborhood’s racial balance turns over? There’s just no way, no way, just no way I can do it, I’m not racist but.., there’s just no way. Crown Height – Good God No!

But still, given all the changes – good and/or bad – Crown Heights has gone through over the years, does ANYONE have the right to try and change the name of Crown Heights and/or it’s borders to make a more affluent – usually people not of color – feel safer to move into the community?

It seems like ages ago when we first broke the story that actor Anthony Mackie would be opening a restaurant on Nostrand Avenue.   Well the awning is finally up.  And there are pictures on NoBar’s new Facebook page (not sure how the pool table fits into the profile of a French Bistro tapas bar, but I guess we will find out).  Word is that it will be opening any day now.

This is just one of many changes that has taken place on Nostrand Avenue of late.

Of course, the most exciting developments for us at NP is to see the flowers that we helped plant on Nostrand begin to bloom.

But in addition, there is a new real estate office (actually it is an office that relocated from Pacific Street); the grimy bodega that is on the corner of Pacific Street and Nostrand just overhauled its store front, adding new awning, new windows, new lighting, and some other improvements; the Best Western Hotel has now been upgraded to a Best Western Plus; there is a newly revamped laundromat on St. John’s near Nostrand; there’s a new Trinidadian bakery that has opened on Nostrand near President Street; and there’s a new apartment complex opening on Nostrand and Sullivan.

Are all these  changes in line with, out pacing, or driving broader neighborhood change?  Only time will tell.

This past Saturday, my good friend Lady Miss Kier invited me to the Shanghai Mermaid Party!

Shanghai Mermaid is a highly secretive, very underground, prohibition era themed, rotating Burlesque extravaganza – evoking the 1920′s – 1930′s Gilded Age of Cabaret & Speak-Easy’s – that is held in a variety of undisclosed, rotating locations throughout Brooklyn.

The gracious host and organizer JC has given me permission to blog, just once, about our incredible experience!

As our cab made its way down the cities post-industrial landscape, passing the cities abandoned factories and shipyards, I wonder what Prohibition era, New York night life was like?

I didn’t have to wait long! Once we entered the venue, it was as if we entered a Shanghai themed speak -easy, circa 1920′s. The entire space was covered with red, Asian inspired fabrics and prints. Cigarette “girls” with feathered period costumes circulated through out the audience as attentive waitresses, also in period costumes, made sure every cocktail order was filled to perfection.

Then the show started. There were rag time acts, period – era blues, jazz, a fire dancer, a ballerina and of course the marvelous Burlesque acts. We were thoroughly mesmerized and entertained with over 2 hours of wonderful performances!

If you’re lucky enough to find out the location of the next event, expect to come outfitted in fringe dresses, feather or spats, wingtip shoes, vests, or a zoot suits. Because, not only are the performers dressed in period era costumes – but the audience is also expected to come dressed in prohibition era attire – like the couple below – or there’s a strong possibility of not being granted admission.

Tickets are around $25.00 per person.

Being that this is quite a sexy Burlesque show, Lady Kier has posted the more deliciously, decadent, risque pictures that she took of the various performances on her tumblr page.

Chavella, the wildly popular Mexican restaurant on Classon Ave., has a new restaurant – Chavella’s on Franklin Ave. – which is almost ready for it’s Grand Opening!

I passed by yesterday and spoke with one of the workers who said Chavella’s – Franklin Ave should be opening in approximately 2 weeks! Exciting news for the community!

And from the looks of the picture above, besides rehabilitating the original, gorgeous, kick ass, tin ceiling, Chavella’s on Franklin will also have a bar! I wonder how this will affect Franklin Park’s business with two bar/restaurants in such close proximity?

For those in the community who wanted more choices, there are now a number of “sit-down”, dine in restaurant’s to choose from on Franklin Ave.

Sweet Basil, Island Thyme, Keslo, Dutch Boy (though I consider that more of a specialized burger diner than restaurant).., and soon Chavella’s!

I wish them better luck than the short lived Oaxaca a few blocks North on Prospect Pl off of Franklin Ave.

But this begs the question: with all the “changes”/ commercial development taking place recently.., - ILFA did a wonderful in depth write up about this - is the “authentic” flavor of Franklin Ave. being irrevocably changed?