Fort Greene House Tour: SUNDAY

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Each year, Clinton Hill and Fort Greene alternate to host a spectacular house tour. I haven't yet done the Fort Greene tour, but I'm planning on it this year! shedding trees

Tickets are available at several locations:

Advance Tickets $20* In Fort Greene (cash only) BAM Box Office, 30 Lafayette Ave. Yu Interiors, 15 Greene Ave. Gnarly Vines, 350 Myrtle Ave. The Green Market, Dekalb Ave. & Washington Park (Saturdays only, starting 4/5/08) Brooklyn Flea, Lafayette Ave. at Clermont (Sundays only, starting 4/6/08)

Day of Tour Tickets $25* In Fort Greene (cash only) BAM Garden, Fulton St. at Lafayette Ave. Brooklyn Flea, Lafayette Ave. at Clermont

Here's the info:

THE FORT GREENE HOUSE TOUR, MAY 4, 2008 This year’s 29th Fort Greene House Tour, which takes place on Sunday, May 4th, from noon to 5pm, is guaranteed to be one of the most memorable ever. Visitors will have the rare opportunity to view a spectacular modern studio, designed by superstar architect David Adjaye for two well-known artists. This building is his first and only completed work in New York to date.

Other interesting stops on this exciting tour, will include an art filled Italianate Brownstone, featuring an exuberant interpretation of Victorian “Bohemian/Orientalism” inspired by Frederick Church’s Olana, several striking townhouse renovations, deftly blending period details and modern design, a charming 1850’s wood frame house and several fresh and stylish takes on modern living in 19th century spaces. Another singular home on this tour is a newly constructed residence that began in concept as an artist’s studio to occupy the expansive garden next to the owner’s home and morphed into a unique and luxurious four family residence, spanning a double lot and sharing a lushly planted, multi-level garden.

In addition to these fine private homes there will be stops at significant architectural and cultural landmarks in Fort Greene, from MoCADA [the Museum of Contemporary African Diasporan Arts] to the 1907 Masonic Temple with its fine terracotta façade and six pipe organs inside. Finally, visitors will have the chance to take in stunning views of Brooklyn and much of Manhattan from the thirtieth floor roof deck of the newly constructed Forte Condominiums.

This year the tour will commence from two locations, the main one at the BAM Garden, Fulton and Lafayette Avenue and the other at the Brooklyn Flea a new outdoor market on Lafayette and Clermont Avenues. Spend a magical afternoon in Fort Greene; enjoy a peek into some special homes, walk our beautiful tree lined streets, stroll through Fort Greene Park. Find out why Fort Greene is one of Brownstone Brooklyn’s most interesting neighborhoods.

For further information, please contact Allen Hobbs: 718-875-4110 or Ursula Hegewisch: 718-875-1996

Brooklyn Was Mine

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In case you haven't heard, there's a new book of personal essays about our borough, called Brooklyn Was Mine. Lots of different areas are covered, but of note is an essay by Susan Choi about Clinton Hill's own Underwood Park (at the corner of Lafayette and Waverly), detailing both the park's history as well as Choi's discovery of it. bkmine.jpg

Choi is one of many renowned artists living in Clinton Hill.

Important Hearing on Admiral's Row

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(If anyone attends this meeting and wants to email me a report to post, that would be great.  This week I am buried in grad school paper writing.  Email reports to clintonhillblog-at-gmail-dot-com.) navyyard.jpg

(photo by bb2087)

The issue of what to do with the crumbling houses located in the Navy Yard has been a heated one.  Currently, they are slated to be removed and replaced with a giant grocery store.  The press release below is clearly in favor of the plan, although many feel differently.

I'm hoping to do several posts on the Navy Yard in the coming weeks, so stay tuned.  My general position is that the Row should be preserved, but that the Navy Yard in general should be open to the public and used as community space.

For additional info, check out this independent project regarding the history of Admiral's Row, run by a friend of mine.

December 7, 2007

PLEASE JOIN COUNCIL MEMBER LETITIA JAMES, WITH BOROUGH PRESIDENT MARTY MARKOWITZ; CONGRESSMAN ED TOWNS; STATE SENATOR VELMANETTE MONTGOMERY; ASSEMBLYMAN JOSEPH LENTOL; ASSEMBLYMAN HAKEEM JEFFRIES; COUNCIL MEMBER DAVID YAASKY; REV. MARK TAYLOR; COMMUNITY LEADERS AND RESIDENTS; FOR A PRESS CONFERENCE AND PUBLIC MEETING TO SUPPORT THE SUPERMARKET DEVELOPMENT PROPOSED BY THE BROOKLYN NAVY YARD DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION (BNYDC)

All are invited to a press conference and public meeting to support the transfer of property in the Navy Yard (Admiral's Row) from the Federal Government to the City of New York, who will lease the land to the BNYDC for development.  The event will take place on Tuesday, December 11th beginning at 6:15 PM.

For twenty years BNYDC has worked closely with the community to acquire Admiral's Row Houses, to then convert the deteriorated and unsafe buildings into a community asset, including a major supermarket and community retail stores.  The proposed supermarket development will provide fresh produce for an underserved community, over 500 new retail and industrial jobs (local hiring commitment), and an on-site BNYDC Employment Center for easy access to job placement opportunities.

The Economic Development Committee of Community Board 2, as well as elected officials at all levels of government support the Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation's re-development plan.  BNYDC has a strong track record of retaining the Yard's history, and is committed to historic preservation whenever possible.

WHAT:  BNYDC Public Meeting about the Transfer of Admiral's Row Houses

WHEN:  Tuesday, December 11th - Press Conference at 6:15 PM, Forum from 7 PM - 9 PM

WHERE:  Daniel Hale Williams Public School 307 - 209 York Street (near Gold Street)

Contact:  Ray Martin (Office of Council Member Letitia James) - (646) 942-3180, and Richard Drucker (Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation) - (718) 907-5936

History Shots

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Local photographer Geralyn Shukwit has been in the 'hood for awhile. Recently, she posted some "Then and Now" photos on her blog that really highlight the changes we've seen in the last decade: Cumberland at Myrtle: Then (1998)

cumberlandpharm1999-785545.jpg

Now:

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Candy Store on Myrtle near FG Park: Then (2000)

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Now:

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For more of Gerayn's photos, click here. Her professional website is www.eyemaze.net.

Clinton Hill Gentrification in 1987

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I came across this article in the Times from 1987 completely accidentally, while I was researching something else.  It details the rise of gentrification in the Hill, starting around 1981, and talks of the process of converting the Clinton Hill Apartments into Co-ops.  It's an interesting read to see how much has changed and how much had stayed the same all at the same time.  Diverse middle class?  Check.  Neighborly vibe?  Yup.  A one-bedroom rental for $550 a month?  HA! I can't believe my luck in finding this 20-year-old article!

CH History at Clinton Hill Art Gallery

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Yesterday, Clinton Hill Art Gallery sponsored a talk with Margaret and Joan Vincent, two sisters who have spent their entire lives living in Clinton Hill. I found out about it only minutes before it started -- the Brooklyn Paper sent me over to take some photos -- so I was able to run over and sit in for part of the talk. (They'll have a full article about the event in the next issue.)The sisters, who have lived in the nabe since the 1930s, talked about all the fun they had here as children. They frequented a movie theater on Myrtle Ave, which once stood near Connecticut Muffin, and ice skated in Fort Greene Park, on a rink that stood where the tennis courts are now. In the 1940s, they lamented the loss of the mansions and yards razed to build what would become the Clinton Hill Co-ops between Myrtle and Willoughby, as they used to sled and play there.

And guess what Clinton Hill had a lot of back then? Bakeries. Go figure.

Clinton Hill Art Gallery does a series of August parlor chats every year, and it looks like the Vincent Sisters may have been the last one. The gallery's owner, L.B. Brown, has been a true pioneer, opening an art and framing shop on Myrtle in 1991, and the gallery in 2004.

Clinton Hill Art Gallery 154A Vanderbilt (at Myrtle)