Brownstoner told me the storefront on Greene and Grand was already rented, and hinted that it would become something very cool. But the rental signage is still up, and now the laundromat next door has also closed and is available for rent! I'm surprised this hasn't been jumped on yet. Such an interesting corner (in a good way) for new businesses...
Looks like the Rastafarian shop/hangout on Vanderbilt just north of DeKalb has closed its doors for good. I never stopped in, but the friend I was walking with immediately started lamenting the difficulty he will experience finding sugarcane. I'm definitely intrigued. If this place provides good brow threading, it'll be a godsend.
I just called the phone number, and it sounds like a man's voicemail... weird.
Wonder what it will be... Work permits say it's going to be a restaurant.
Every now and then, I check back on my favorite "coming soon" establishment, Mirror's on Grand. Nothing's ever changed. Thankfully, a neighbor noticed something veeeeery intriguing, and sent me this note:
I was walking by "Mirror's on Grand" today and noticed a sign in their window that says they are going before CB2 tonight as part of the process for getting a liquor (beer/wine) license for a bar/restaurant. This place has had me intrigued for the last year or so that it's been "coming soon" but I had noticed a little more activity in there recently. I guess it's not going to be a mirror store though, assuming they get the license! I'm imagining a sort of ghetto-glamorous night spot now, haha. It still seems a little dusty and unfinished in there for now, so who knows how much longer we will be on the edge of our seats in anticipation!
Liquor license! The plot thickens. Maybe I was wrong about the grammatical inaccuracies, and it's going to be a person named Mirror's restaurant/bar.
Anyone ever eaten here?
I'm intrigued by the fact that it's a restaurant in a trailer!
What in the world is this building used for? Looks like a greenhouse, but made of metal.
It's on Emerson between Myrtle and Park.
UPDATE: Might be a Quonset hut.
I wonder what this building used to be (or is):
It's on Greene at Classon. I'm intrigued by the skinny little windows.
June has always been a bit of a mystery to me. I've eaten there a few times and the food has always been tasty, but it's never crowded like the other restaurants on DeKalb. It was the same with the restaurant that proceeded it, Sol. I always wonder why it's never quite taken off.
On Saturday, I noticed this:
Eek!
Two years ago, on my way to the Q train one morning, I passed by June and saw a mouse on the inside of the window sill. Just saying.
Anyone know what's up?
Saw this construction site over the weekend on Lexington between Grand and Classon, but the work permits just say it's going to be a "new building. Anyone know what's up?
Who knew Waverly Ave between Fulton and Atlantic was such a hotbed of intrigue! The filming of TV shows (Hammered for HGTV, Cover Shot for TLC), the Preemie Martini, etc. My latest discovery: A BREWERY!
Reader houseowax tipped me off to this place, and after a whole lot of Googling, I made contact with the brewers. A few Fridays ago during the ice storm, houseowax and I set off for a tour (and tasting). Their building on Waverly used to be a dairy:
The brewery is called Greenpoint Beer Works, as Kelly Taylor (who built the facility and manages operations) makes Greenpoint his home. Inside, GPW brews all of Heartland Brewery's beers (where Taylor got his start) as well as their own new brand, Kelso of Brooklyn.
Right now, they're only set up to brew kegs, but Kelly tells me bottling for Kelso is in the works. It's the next step in the business plan.
Used barley is occasionally used for bread by the employees or given to local community gardens for compost, but most often is given to farmers to use as pig slop.
We tried the Barlywine (10% alcohol = fast buzz!) and Scotch Ale- a smooth ale with very little hops and a nice roasted barley flavor. Both were delicious!
They also make natural sodas:
Taylor does offer special tours here and there, but the brewery is not yet equipped for regular visitors. He mentioned potentially looking into opening some sort of summer beer garden situation, but was unsure if people would come. Houseowax and I were thrilled with the idea, so if you think you'd patronize, give a shout-out here so we can tell him how awesome business would be. I also mentioned having a CHB 1-year Anniversary party there, to which he seemed receptive (July-ish. Be There).
For now, you can enjoy Kelso's brews on tap at 67 Burger in Ft. Greene and Soda in Prospect Hts, and at other semi-nearby bars and restaurants. For more info, check out their site.
(I am tagging this under "nightlife," in the hopes that there will be a beer garden.)
Nothing's really changed at the haunted church on Clinton between Greene and Gates. There's still trash everywhere, and the building sits in disrepair. BUT, I did notice recently that the gate on the right side of the building had been forced open, and it's been hanging open for weeks now. I am positive that there are junkies and/or ghosts inside. Does anyone know for sure if anyone's hiding out in there?
(Lexington near Grand)
Back in August, I came across this strange building on Steuben. All that blue is a bunch of words made with tape (props for creativity and resourcefulness). It's called Brooklyn's Other Museum of Brooklyn.
The website lists this house as the museum's headquarters, so it sent me on a bit of a wild goose chase.
I finally visited the museum a few months ago, but never got around to posting about it. Here's what I wrote:
Spent any time in northern Clinton Hill/Wallabout? Then you may have seen a plethora of political rants spelled out in blue painter's tape at various locales. Beginning with a small section of the brick wall in front of the Navy Yard's Admiral's Row, the taped words now cover two entire townhouses on Steuben Street, admonishing the Mayor and government.
The building is labeled "Brooklyn's Other Museum of Brooklyn," and the rants focus on promoting preservation of Admiral’s Row. Inside, a rickety set of stairs leads to owner Scott Witter, who waits in a chilly second-floor space for visitors.
An ancient bomb hangs overhead not far from the second floor museum entrance, and the sight of it finally makes sense of the museum’s name – B.O.M.B.
As it turns out, B.O.M.B. is dedicated to Witter’s efforts and publicity in preserving Admiral’s Row. The space is filled to the brim with binders full of copied letters written to local and national politicians (No, Laura Bush did not write back), photos and documents. Beautiful renderings of homes on Admiral row from their glory days line the walls in the back room, as does an impressive illustration of the olden days at Wallabout Market.
Witter is a man passionate about his surroundings. He even did a day of jail time for his original protest graffiti, in the old-school medium of spray paint. Having spent the last 40 years of his life as a Clinton Hill resident, Witter is a true historian. Need information on what’s gone on here in the last several years? He’s your man. He’s also on a committee that aims to turn Wallabout into a historic landmarked district.
One of the most fascinating aspects of his collection is his archive of The Hill, a local quarterly paper that I can never seem to find aside from the waiting room of the Brooklyn Veterinary Hospital. Scattered across a pool table at B.O.M.B. are several issues from the 1980s, many of them detailing the same issues Clinton Hill faces today.
Oddly enough, there’s not a single item in the “museum” from the Brooklyn Navy Yard or Admiral’s Row. One would hope that Witter had obtained some intriguing artifacts to promote his cause, but instead the museum is more of a collection of “old stuff” – a cluttered table full of statues, ashtrays and broken china, broken chairs, mannequins and the like.
Witter owns several buildings in the area, including 111 Hall Street (a white house with strange windows), which is listed incorrectly as the museum’s headquarters on its website. Turns out he plans to keep the museum moving around while he renovates his properties. Seems like he’s good at keeping people on their toes.
The former Karrot's locale on Grand Ave has yet to be filled. Too bad, since it's located right in the cool hubbub of Grand, near Choice, Grand 275 and Dakar. A friend and neighbor of mine has big dreams of turning the space into a gallery and/or an artist' market, where local artists can rent tables to sell paintings, jewelry, clothing, etc. I think that sounds great. Anyone else have similar thoughts?
Plus, won't it be "nice" to be right across the street from "Mirror's on Grand?" (Which, btw, is still sitting dormant.)
A neighbor tipped me off to a massive film crew setting up last night on St. James and Washington, saying, "Probably just Law and Order, but it looks to be bigger than that." So I checked it out. Sure enough, there were countless trailers, equipment, etc on Lafayette, Washington, Clifton and St. James this morning.
This flier was taped to neighbors' doors:
Regency Television Productions, Inc. is currently in production of a FOX Television pilot titled New Amsterdam, starring Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (Firewall, Kingdon of Heaven and Wimbledon) and directed by Lasse Hallstrom (An Unfinished Life, Cider House Rules, Chocolat). This project is the first venture into American television for the Oscar-nominated director. The series, written by Allan Loeb and Christian Taylor, centers on John Amsterdam, a man cursed with immortality who works as a homicide detective in New York.
Sounds like a mix of L&O and Heroes, which is fine by me. Plus, if it's filmed in CH, I will watch.
I think this house on Washington is being used as the set, inside and out:
Buzz and reviews sound good so far. Here's more info on the show:
I've noticed 13 Lexington (between Grand and Classon) a few times, and I can't seem to figure out what it is. Apartments? Artist space? It looks simultaneously nice and sketchy.
Remember that bodega on the southwest corner of Waverly and Greene? The one with the green storefront that closed down and emptied out when the building went up for sale? Looks like a restaurant is in the works, AND they've applied for a liquor license. Is this allowed, being so close to the school? I guess it is if they've applied. Wonder what kind of cuisine this will be, and what the clientèle will be. Students getting sandwiches after school? Or a place for nice dinners?
I originally fantasized about this decrepit storefront turning into something interesting, so I may *almost* get my wish. We shall see...
Looks like someone's neon sign got fucked up. PAN y Mas opens tomorrow morning, and is offering cheap coffee:
If you go, please report back.
UPDATE: I walked by this morning and they were definitely NOT ready for opening. Employees were inside, but all the cases were empty and it looked like they were cleaning.
I came across a new vintage-ish clothing store last weekend, though they claim to have been open since Thanksgiving. I see how that's possible- this place is on that teeny stretch of S. Portland between Fulton and Hanson, and I'd have no reason to walk there.
The gold mannequins are a little creepy.
It's owned by the same people who own Habana Outpost, and I believe one of Habana's owners is the clothing designer at The Stroll. It appears he takes vintage items and remakes them. Some of the stuff was really out there, but there were a few things I would have definitely worn.
There's a really cool mural painted on the ceiling:
They offered me a free glass of wine, and they also offer carious crafting nights:
The Stroll
109 South Portland St. Ave.
www.recycledrejectshop.com
What's this sign all about?
Clinton Hill Blog published from 2006 - 2010. Please enjoy these archives - a love letter to the neighborhood.
