Hidden Treasures at Lockaway

Friends of mine in BK Hts are moving, and enlisted my help in driving them to a storage place to purchase boxes. They told me there was a box place in Ft. Greene, so I pocked them up at the G train and drove up to Carlton and Flushing to visit Lockaway Storage. This is what it looks like on a sunny day (aka sketchy), so you can imagine what it looked like after dark:

We had to head around back to get inside, and were greeted by a tranquil fountain by the door! Inside, things got even better. The place is gorgeous inside, done up like an antique post office. It was inviting and cozy (you know, the opposite of the REAL post offices in the neighborhood). If they served beer or food, it might be a nice date place.

And, you can even have your fortune told inside (not sure if this machine is in working order):

How weird is it that all this stuff is tucked inside a shady-looking storage facility?

Manhole Explosion?!

Holy crap- Brooklyn Record reports that a manhole cover exploded on Clinton and Greene last night. I actually did hear it happen.  I was sitting at my kitchen table, and the noise made me jump from my chair.  It set off all the car alarms on Waverly Ave.  I can only see the Waverly-Greene intersection though from my window, but I kept looking out to see what might have happened.

It's a post-9-11 reaction.  Every time I hear a loud noise, I get nervous.  Hopefully everyone is OK.

Bar on Waverly: More Info

Months ago, we discovered something that looked like a new bar on Waverly between Fulton and Atlantic. I recently found someone inside, who gave me this promo card:

"Who Knew." Argh! Despite this list of events being alphabetical, it's kind of odd that baby showers would be listed first. I'm not sure what a Preemie Martini is, but I hope it's not referring to babies born early. Anyhow, the inside does, in fact, look pretty cool, so maybe someone out there in CH wants to host their baby shower there and report back? And of course, their website is not up yet.

Jelani Lounge 507 Waverly Avenue (bt Fulton and Atlantic) 718-230-JBAR www.jelanilounge.com

One more comment on the phone number. For those of us who have BlackBerries, we cannot dial-by-letter. Please, just tell me what the actual number is.

Poo Avenue

I know I've written about how much crap sits on the sidewalks of Clinton Hill (literally and figuratively), but I think Waverly Avenue takes the cake. I'm not sure what it is about it that makes pet owners completely ignore their dogs crapping and walk on without picking it up. Last week, I counted 25 separate piles of shit on Waverly between Myrtle and Lafayette! 25!!! I'm sure I could have doubled that total by walking all the way down to Atlantic. Seriously, what's going on here?

What's This?

Saw this new building on Steuben Classon, just north of Myrtle. It doesn't really look like apartments, so what is it? It's becoming very difficult to keep up with new construction in the neighborhood.

Fulton Thai

Is this place related to Myrtle Thai? Because they have almost exactly the same sign (same font, different color awning) and a similar naming scheme. Or is this just a default generic Thai food restaurant sign? (Fulton at Vanderbilt)

Sharon's Dance Theater

This place was operational for awhile, but has been available for rent for several months now. I know someone who's looked at it and says it's huge inside! Wonder what it'll become.

Intriguing Bakery

I can't believe no one's written about this yet, but it appears there's already a new business ready to open in the old Blimpie's location. (LaFu, Lafayette and S. Elliott. And while I'm at it, I am NOT using the term LaFu to describe a trendy mini-nabe. I KNOW this is Fort Greene. But the streets here DO create an interesting triangle and a lot has been going on there. So I am using "LaFu" to denote the location. I would not say this is "in" LaFu, but rather "AT" LaFu, before more people get annoyed. Just saying.) So, anyway, there's a new place that looks kind of like a bakery (a chain bakery??)

I'm confused by this. Since there's a sign inside that says "pan plus," I assumed "pan" referred to the Spanish word for bread, which would make sense if the sign outside said "PAN & MAS (bread & more)," but it says PAM & MAS.

What is going on here?

construction

i know i should be immune to all of the ugly/shoddy buildings going up in our neighborhood, but this latest one intrigues me:

it's on greene avenue, between grand ave. and classon ave., closer to classon, on the south side of the street.

it caught my interest because it looks like it might not be residential. and what exactly is going on with the opening (window?) on the bottom right? it looks like it spans two floors...

...but what would be the purpose of that? and if it's not residential, what is it?

anybody know anything about this?

(UPDATE: The following photos are from commenter David6of7, taken on his block on Waverly showing very similar construction:)

What Happened to Cellars?

I'll be honest. I never once went into Cellars, the dive-ish bar on DeKalb across from Tillie's. Yet all of a sudden, I've noticed it's closed!

I'm pretty sure the place has some interesting history, at least among neighborhood locals. In fact, my neighbor met his (now ex-) wife here for the first time, back in the day. (I wanted to insert a photo of them on the night they met, but the neighbor still hasn't given it to me to scan.) Anyone know what's to become of this place?

Mystery of the Missing Plants

Brooklyn Record recently posted a story about landscaping in Clinton Hill being stolen. I hadn't heard about this before, but regular commenter 'houseowax' confirmed that he, too, has been a victim: SOMEONE actually STOLE the tree out of our planter yesterday afternoon! While we were home and in broad daylight!! Apparently ( according to my neighbor) there was a rash of flora pilfering a few years back; people were reluctant to plant anything! GRRRRRR. If you see our tree, a topiary cypress around 4 ft tall- gimme a shout. Someone needs an asskicking!

WTF?

BTW, according to Google Images, a topiary cypress could look something like this Here is an actual photo of the stolen tree:

Mysterious Apartments

I don't usually give much thought to the high-rise apartments on St. James and Lafayette, but they are kind of mysterious. You'll never see a sales listing OR a rental listing for this place! Via Google, I found out the buildings were completed in 1963, and that the buildings are grouped into the "University Towers."

A ha! Looks like these are Mitchell-Lama co-op apartments. I figured they might be owned, since some tenants have "spruced up" their balconies.

NY's "Other" Park Avenue

Park Avenue in Clinton Hill runs along, and under, the BQE. It looks like it's been abandoned for 50 years or more, with all of the trash, fenced up lots and crumbling buildings. No one walks along the sidewalks there. No one except ClintonHillBlog, that is.

I couldn't believe this gorgeous renovation on the corner of Steuben and Park!

Anyone know what this is used for? I want to live in here. Seriously.

Around the corner, a lone chair sits outside a scraggly building that looks like it might have life inside.

The most intriguing find? This interesting structure made out of an abandoned street sign post.

I wonder who made this, and how many people have come across it? It's hidden secrets like this that make me love exploring the less beaten paths in the neighborhood.

The obvious drawback to this area is the lack of transportation. With all the new developments going up nearby, I wonder how all the new residents will get around. Maybe they can all hop on the B61, which runs down Park, and ride over to Red Hook, another area with no transportation.

"Boiling Kettle, LLC"

I heard the Gardens on Myrtle between Hall and Ryerson was a pretty cool dive bar, but I never paid it a visit. And now it's closed. Opening in its place is something called Boiling Kettle. A kind reader sent me these photos:

Intriguing garden statue...

Anyone have more information?  I swore I was going to spend all week scoping the 'hood, but laziness and a cold have impeded my goals...

Merry Christmas...

...Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanza, Happy Winter Solstice. I noticed yesterday morning that someone hung up several origami ornaments on the trees of St. James Place. Most of them looked like this:

Pratt student?  Religious group?  Random neighbor? No matter -- I really like them.  Thanks to whoever hung these beauties.

I'll be posting this week, though on a lighter schedule.

Hope whatever you're celebrating is merry.

xoxo, CHB

Inside Body By Brooklyn

Body by Brooklyn opened months ago, and I still haven't been. I had planned on it, but I just keep forgetting it's there. I did take a tour once, and the facilities seemed amazing. Yet it does seem a bit mysterious and those who have gone say a few things seem a little "off." Thankfully, reader mizbrooklyn gives us the DL on what goes on inside:

BODY BY BROOKLYN. 275 Park Avenue

It's not that every neighorhood NEEDS a place to get a massage, but since even the pets in Clinton Hill have a spa, I was excited to notice Body By Brooklyn's ambitious opening last spring. Truth was, I missed having a local place to go when my back felt crunched-up, and if a spa can make a go of it in a building overlooking the BQE...well, it can probably make it anywhere. I've been to BBB a number of times by now, more out of neighborhood loyalty than anything else -- but I'm still convincing myself to like the place.

First, the concept. If you've ever been to a really high-end spa -- think "Ten Thousand Waves" in Santa Fe, NM or even "Juvenex" in Koreatown -- the idea behind BBB will be familiar: you're supposed to spend a couple of hours here, having a drink or a snack, getting a massage, maybe plunging in their pools or sitting in their sauna. There's a big room filled with magazines -- and a bar! -- just for lounging. If you're there for a "spa day", you're supposed to use the locker room to strip down, and pad around the building in a robe and slippers. (If you're there for just, say, a waxing, they'll show you right back to your room.) In Santa Fe, I found this idea kind of novel and fun -- in Brooklyn, I have to say, I found it a bit...weird.

It didn't help that the whole place is eerily quiet and empty, even on weekends. With every room appointed in couches and poofs from West Elm, it's a bit like being in a furniture showroom after midnight. Mostly naked.

So far I've gone for a waxing and a massage. The good news is that this place is spotlessly clean. Having gotten manicures and at places I cringe to remember, there's something great about walking into a truly pristine space in the middle of the city. Service has always been fairly friendly (spas not being known for their warmth), and the rates are reasonable. But there is definitely something a bit fishy going on that's hard to put my finger on. Despite the prominently posted signs asking patrons to keep their bathing suits on (which really make you wonder why they're there in the first place), the one time I wandered into the bath area, I was greeted by a pair of naked (male) buttcheeks. I quickly fled, not knowing if this was a cultural miscommunication -- BBB is a Russian-style spa -- or a health code violation. The naked guys definitely seemed to have more run of the place than I did.

The massage wasn't bad but definitely wasn't like any other massage I've had, featuring an unexpected neck-cracking session and lots of limb-pulling: you shouldn't go in expecting Swedish Massage, even if you say you're there for deep tissue work, like I did. Then again, the first time I went to a Korean spa and had a body-scrubbing, I was pretty weirded out, too.

Mostly, the owners of BBB seem to be just figuring out how to market themselves and get customers in -- in a way, they seem to still be figuring out what customers they WANT to get in. Are they going super-high end? For the first few months there was a whopping cover charge levied just for entering the place -- suggesting they were going for the (maybe non-existent) high-luxury client. It seems like that charge has been dropped since the summer -- but BBB is still figuring out how to get things done.

I think what this place needs, more than anything, is more local patrons to make it their own: it seems more like one person's vision of a spa than a reflection of the neighborhood growing up around it. But I may go back with friends -- there is something irresistible about having a massage - or waxing - within 10 minutes' walk.

Jewelry on Myrtle

A few weeks ago, I noticed this storefront on Myrtle. Now it's a jewelry shop! I took a peek in the window and was surprised to find the space shockingly small. What are they doing with the rest of the space?

Could this be a front for something?

Update on Myrtle Storefront

Last week, I posted about a mysterious storefront. Many of you said you'd heard it would either be a hair salon or an Italian Restaurant. I have the answer! While walking by, the door opened and I got a peek and spoke with the owners. The space will be a high-end hair salon, called either Jonathan Adler Hair, or Jonathan Taylor Hair (I can't remember which). No fear, ladies and gents- this is going to be a modern, stylish place and not another repeat of what's already there. The space looks amazing- gold patterned wallpaper, dark wood-framed mirrors in the West Elm vein and pretty chandeliers. They hope to be open by the end of the month!

They suspect the Italian restaurant might be opening next door, in one of the two empty storefronts there:

????

What's This?

Not sure if this is the spot Jay posted about a few weeks ago, but it looks intriguing. It's on Myrtle between Washington and Hall.

Liquors Syndrome at Washington and Myrtle

Received this request for info from one of our readers:

Do you guys have any info at all about the ongoing condo development on Washington and Hall, just north of Myrtle (behind Kum Kau)? I'm a neighbor on Hall Street, and I have been watching the site with concern. It was presented to me as a 40-unit luxury condo project comprised of 2 towers around four to five stories tall. But since the old warehouse that used to be there was torn down in the spring of 2005, there hasn't been much action at all. Any clues?

Maybe there was a delay in development approval? This is not my forte, per say, but one of you out there may know who's behind this alleged development and its delay. (Again, why must everything be so pokey around here? Maybe this building's delay is for the best, but no one likes gazing at an empty lot!)