In June we reported the opening of the Brooklyn Heights Community Fridge, located at 124 Henry Street, next to the First Presbyterian Church, between Clark and Pierrepont. Tomorrow – Sunday, October 3 – at 12:30 PM there will be a “Plug In” event for the newly decorated (see photo) fridge. The brownstone themed decor is by Denton Burrows and Jonathan Neville of Dripped On Productions, and the fridge continues to inhabit the shelter designed by Brooklyn architect James Koster. Rev. Adriene Thorne, Senior Minister of the First Presbyterian Church said:At the heart of my ministry is the creation of spaces where all are loved and fed. The Brooklyn Heights Community Fridge fills stomachs, but …
DOT Will Present BQE Plan at On Line Meeting Tuesday Evening
Our friends at the Brooklyn Heights Association have alerted us that on this Tuesday, September 14, starting at 6:00 PM, staff from the City’s Department of Transportation will present their plan for the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway to a meeting of the Transportation Committee of Community Board 2. The meeting will be held on line; to log on to the meeting go to CB 2’s calendar page and click on Tuesday, September 14 where it says “6pm …
Latest Montague Restaurant Rumblings
The scuttlebutt is that the Teresa’s site, which has been vacant since before the pandemic, will become a Korean restaurant. If so, I welcome it. My limited experiences of Korean cuisine to date have been pleasing. I’ve yet to try kimchi, which I suspect is somewhere in my wheelhouse of spicy and sour. If I do my wife, who has a very sensitive nose, may take exception. I saw lights on in the restaurant space on Friday, which indicates something may be going on, if not just a fire inspection.Giulia has closed, but there are no signs of transition…
Le French Tart Deli To Open in Brooklyn Heights
Le French Tart Deli, a Franco-focused bakery/bodega, will open at 44 Henry St. next month, taking over the space vacated by Cardinal Mkt which opened and quickly closed during the pandemic. The deli promises to offer French imported products, fresh baked goods, fromage, and charcuterie.This is owner Laurent Chavenet’s third French Tart in Brooklyn, the first two locations having opened in Park Slope and Carroll Gardens. According to a piece in Frenchly (a blog for Francophiles), Chavenet, the grandson of a French grocer, was the chef at Montrachet restaurant in Manhattan before opening his first French Tart on Staten
Farewell to Jack the Horse Tavern: An Interview with Tim Oltmans and Micki Schubert
On 6/6/2006, at 66 Hicks St., a new restaurant opened in Brooklyn Heights. Jack the Horse Tavern was its name. Tim Oltmans was its chef and owner, along with his wife and business partner Micki Schubert. Soon after opening, locals crowded the bar at happy hour and sipped cocktails called long bottom bramble and behind the knees. Sunday brunch became legendary and always packed, with the celebrated eggs orleans and the famous grilled JtH burger on the menu.It was a place for first dates. It was where you took your parents visiting from out-of-town. It was for weeknight dinners and celebrations. It was casual, classic, …
St. Francis College Leaving Brooklyn Heights for Downtown
The Brooklyn Daily Eagle reports that St. Francis College, a four year liberal arts institution that has made its home in Brooklyn Heights since 1963, will be moving to new, smaller quarters in a high rise building being built above the Macy’s store on Fulton Street in Downtown Brooklyn. Although St. Francis plans to expand its student population from its present 2,700 or so to 3,500 by 2026, the Eagle story quotes a representative of the school as saying that while the present building at 180 Remsen Street (photo by C. Scales for BHB) wasn’t “designed specifically to be a campus” the new space is, and …
Ferry crashes into barge at Brooklyn Bridge Park
A city ferry crashed into a docked barge while carrying over two dozen passengers at Brooklyn Bridge Park’s Pier 6 on Thursday night. The NYC Ferry smashed into the vessel as the transit boat was attempting to dock at the berth near Atlantic Avenue at 8:35 pm, shattering the ferry’s side windows, according to US Coast Guard Petty Officer John Hightower. #NYCFerry issues life jackets after appearing to get pinned against a moored barge in the east river while leaving the Brooklyn Bridge Park Pier 6 / Atlantic Ave dock in Brooklyn. The boat was able to safely return to the dock after a few minutes. pic.twitter.com/Ld483SVYeV — Daniel (@djbeadle) May 14, 2021 Luckily…
Brooklyn Heights Wine Bar Reopens!
Brooklyn Heights Wine Bar reopened today after a hiatus during the frigid months. Early in the evening, the sun was shining and sidewalk seats were bustling. Inside, a few tables were occupied by patrons who all happened to be silver foxes with their silver-locked dates. Fully vaxxed life is good!The Wine Bar’s hours will be Tuesday to Friday – 3:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. and Saturday to Sunday – noon to midnight.Meanwhile, a few doors down, Cardinal Mkt has raised the white flag, undone by an unfortunate March 2020 open date which was delayed to the summer. Cardinal Mkt opened for a few …
Poplar Street Community Garden Open Again
The Poplar Street Community Garden, at Poplar and Hicks streets, has re-opened after being closed for a year because of COVID-19. The Garden is open for visitors Saturdays and Sundays from 9:00 a.m. until noon, and Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Masks and social distancing are required.This coming Saturday, April 10 from 9:00 to noon, there will be a workday to which all are invited. Itwill be a happy reunion with all that’s living in the Garden and with each other. Please join us! Our plan is to give the Garden’s roses and raspberries their annual spring pruning and to do a bit more raking and weed removal (it’s a workday after …
Brooklyn Women’s Exchange Now Open Sundays
The Brooklyn Women’s Exchange (photo), which has been open Thursdays through Saturdays as well as taking orders on line (and you may still do so) has now opened for in person shopping from 12:00 noon to 4:00 p.m. Thursday through Sunday. If you shop on line, you may now pick up your purchases curbside Tuesday through Sunday from noon to 4:00 p.m. During the Thursday through Sunday in-store shopping hours you may now come in (mask required, and limited number of customers allowed inside at any time) and browse their extensive collections of crafted items, many by local artisans. These include, among others, housewares, jewelry, kids’ and dolls’ clothes, toys and games, greeting cards, and delicacies, as well as books of local…
Reminder: BHA Annual Meeting Tonight
The Annual Meeting of the Brooklyn Heights Association will be held this evening by Zoom, beginning at 7:00 p.m. At least eight of the nine announced candidates for City Council from District 33, which includes Brooklyn Heights, will be present on line and available to answer questions. Incumbent Council Member Steve Levin is term limited. You do not need to be a BHA member to attend, and admission is free, but to get the Zoom link you must register here.
Brooklyn Heights Association’s Survey for the Future of Montague Street
Dear Neighbors – Two things you need to do this weekend:1. Fill out Brooklyn Heights Association’s community survey to add your voice for the future of Montague Street.2. Read Mary Frost’s (as always) rich and fascinating report in the Eagle on the history of Montague Street retail, and the many reasons for its past and current struggles. Mary digs deep to uncover the issues that go far beyond the obvious, and interviews longtime retailers who offer their frank assessments. A notable quote from Tony Bates, owner of Bentley’s Shoes: “Shopping online …
Reckless Driver Terrorizes Pedestrians on Promenade
Just before 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday the usual tranquility of the Brooklyn Heights Promenade was shattered when an auto entered and was driven up and down its length at speeds estimated as high as fifty miles per hour, causing pedestrians to scatter. Fortunately, there were no injuries. Gothamist has full details, and a video taken at the scene. The 33 year old driver, Eric James, is suspected of having been drunk at the time, and faces a number of charges.Were any readers at or near the Promenade when this happened? If so, please let us know.
B’Heights library delayed until summer ’21 and other area library updates
The long-awaited new Brooklyn Heights public library branch at Cadman Plaza W. won’t open until next summer, a year later than originally scheduled, due to delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the borough lenders. “The finalization of the design and the complexity of the project added some time to the schedule as did delays due to the pandemic,” said Brooklyn Public Library spokeswoman Fritzi Bodenheimer in a statement Thursday. “This included the initial stoppage of work along with delays when the work resumed (for example having fewer workers on site due to social distancing or waiting for manufacturers/supplies…
Opening of New Brooklyn Heights Public Library Delayed Until Summer ’21
According to a detailed report by Kevin Duggan at the Brooklyn Paper, the opening of the new Brooklyn Heights branch of the Brooklyn Public Library is delayed until Summer 2021. The one-year delay from the original target opening date is due to stalled and slowed construction caused by the pandemic. When all done, the library will feature:A main hall stretching through the length of the ground floor from Cadman Plaza West to Clinton St.A “teen space” and conference rooms on the mezzanine floor.A children’s space on the basement level.A reading circle, built as a casual space for working, reading, and socializing.There will also be a…
Bluegrass and Books on Line from Brooklyn Bridge Park
This Sunday, September 13 from 3:00 to 8:00 p.m., the Brooklyn Americana Music Festival, in conjunction with Brooklyn Bridge Park, will present on line the “Women’s Stage” portion of its 2020 “Long Distance” festival, featuring a diverse group of women musicians with styles “spanning traditional and modern Country, Folk, Blues, Old Time, Bluegrass, and Jazz.” The opening act will be Nora Brown, a young Brooklynite who is a stellar banjo artist, having been taught by the late Shlomo Pestcoe. The photo, which I took at the 2018 Brooklyn Folk Festival, shows her at age twelve. The Festival is free; there’s more information here.Another of Brooklyn Bridge Park’s traditional outdoor…
Montague BID Head Tapped to Lead Atlantic Avenue BID; Will Have Both Roles
The Eagle has reported that Kate Chura has been named the new Executive Director of the Atlantic Avenue Business Improvement District (“BID”), of which she has been serving as interim Executive Director for some time. She has also served as Executive Director of the Montague Street BID for almost five years, and will continue to hold that post concurrently with that at Atlantic Avenue.The Eagle story quotes Greg Markman, board chair of the Montague Street BID, praising Ms. Chura for her “marketing efforts”; her help in getting a “greenest commercial block” award, and her promotion of “events that brought foot traffic to Montague Street ….” He added that“Over the past six months, the efforts of Kate …
Join TMH For Its Annual 4th Window Concert! Sunday, May 17th at 4pm
Nothing will stop one of Brooklyn Heights’ favorite annual events, the 4th Window Concert! A message from The Music House:Hello Everybody,We just wanted to let you know that The Music House will be going virtual this year for the 11th Annual 4th Window Concert on Sunday, May 17th at 4PM.We’ll be Announcing the concert Live on Instagram @TMHBrooklyn on Sunday the 17th at 4:00PM – Follow us there.Then Watch the 4th Window Concert on YouTube. Search for ‘The 4th Window Concert 2020″ immediately after the Live announcement.Take a selfie watching the 4th Window Concert on YouTube and post to Instagram #4thWindowConcert.It will be great to see you all. We miss you.Blessings, Bill and EllenHere, the …
FDNY Honors Ladder 118’s Robert Thomas and His Three Sons
In celebration of Black History Month, the FDNY is honoring Robert Thomas of Ladder 118/Engine 205, and his sons Nathan, Jason, and Stephen. Robert is a 38-year veteran of the department who raised not one, not two, but three brave men who followed in his footsteps to become firefighting heroes.The Thomas brothers, from left, Nathan, Jason, and Stephen, with their dad Robert, center. (All photos courtesy Instagram @joinfdny.)It’s an incredible feeling as a parent to have something like this happen and I never anticipated this, because I always encouraged them to make their own choices in life, but I’m glad they are all working here now. Through the years, I always told them how much l love this career…
We’re Number 2! “Most Livable Areas in NYC”
According to a study by RentHop.com, as reported by am New York, Brooklyn Heights-Cobble Hill is the second most “livable area” in the city, based on “neighborhood safety, quietness, transportation, greenness and overall quality of life during the first quarter of 2020.” The rankings were based on a score of 100. Brooklyn Heights-Cobble Hill with a score of 83.7 was bested by Battery Park-Lower Manhattan which scored 88. Upper East Side-Carnegie Hill and the West Village, tied for the third and fourth most livable, and Manhattan’s Lincoln Square came in fifth. Click the am New York link above for a nifty map with all of the…
Bargemusic Presents New Year’s Eve and Day Celebrations
Bargemusic will not have its usual concert schedule this weekend, although there will be a free “Music in Motion” concert at 4:00 p.m. Saturday, December 28 – doors open at 3:45; first come, first served. On New Year’s Eve, Tuesday evening, December 31 at 7:00 there will be a New Year’s Eve Celebration, and on New Year’s Day, January 1, 2020 at 3:00 p.m. there will be a New Year’s Day Celebration. Both will feature members of the Semplice Players along with Bargemusic’s Artistic Director Mark Peskanov (photo) on violin. There’s more information and ticket availability at the first two links above.The following weekend Bargemusic will present a
Wendy Richman and SOB at St. Ann’s Church Saturday Evening
On Saturday evening, November 23, at 8:00, at St. Ann & the Holy Trinity Church, Clinton and Montague streets, acclaimed violist Wendy Richman (photo) will, along with the String Orchestra of Brooklyn (yes, they delight in their acronym), perform Rebecca Clarke’s Viola Sonata. The SOB will also perform Samuel Barber’s “Overture to the School of Scandal” and William Grant Still’s “Afro-American Symphony”.Admission is $16, or $11 for students or seniors. You may purchase tickets here.
Cafe From Master Pastry Chef François Payard Opens at Pier 5 & Other Foodie News
Eater reports the James Beard award winning pastry chef, Francois Payard has opened a cafe, Ebb & Flow at 12 Joralemon Street (across from Pier 5). “The Brooklyn Heights bakery serves grab-and-go pastries, including savory and sweet selections. These include sandwiches, salads, egg and cheese croissants, as well as a series of special layer cakes from Payard” along with coffee, tea and juices. Cake flavors include a white-chocolate strawberry cake topped with Fruit Loops. According to The Post, a cake made for the age of Instagram. YUM! Payard will also serve as Culinary Director to a larger dining experience at One°15 Brooklyn Marina.Ebb & Flow hours of operation are 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, on Saturdays from 9 a….
Scissura to Community Groups: “Very Little Chance” of Promenade Highway
The Brooklyn Heights Association has reported that, in his strongest statement yet on the Brooklyn Queens Expressway reconstruction plans, Carlo Scissura, chair of the panel studying the issue, said the Department of Transportation’s “innovative” proposal to build a temporary six lane highway in the location of the Brooklyn Heights Promenade “has very little chance of being approved.” According to the BHA, he also made it clear that “any temporary alternatives encroaching on Brooklyn Bridge Park would face similar obstacles and would not be approved, thus removing the temporary parallel bypass at the eastern edge of the park – the BHA/Wouters alternative – from consideration.”The BHA release also includes a link to the BQE Panel Update dated June…