One Business Closing And One Re-opening On Court Street

A sad sign appeared in the window of the Brooklyn Artisan Gallery at 221 A Court Street at the corner of Warren Street. After 14 years, the gallery will close on January 31th. It appears that it has been hard to make a go of it for a while. The current economy certainly will not be kind to places such as these. So sad!
But, here is a bit of good news:








Signs of life at former restaurant Caffé Carciofo at 248 Court Street. Currently, a restaurant/ wine liquor license has been applied for by a certain 'Bread and Butter Development Group, LLC'.
Does anyone know anything more?



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A Moment In Time: Patience Is A Virtue

Keeping his eyes locked
On the entrance of Winn Discount,
On Court Street
He patiently waited for his owner to re-emerge.

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Tim Robbins' "Possible Side Effects" to Film On Court Street In Early December

Possible Side Effects, Tim Robbins' Showtime project to film on Court Street

According to those yellow 'No Parking' fliers that went up on Court Street between Sackett and President Street just recently, Possible Productions, Inc. will be shooting there on December 4th.
A quick search on the internet revealed that this project is written and directed by Tim Robbins. It is about a powerful, dysfunctional family running a pharmaceutical company. Ellen Burstyn is to play the matriarch of the Hunt Family, Josh Lucas plays son Max.

I wonder how this would relate to our little neighborhood, but I guess we will have to wait and see.

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Moment In Time: Afternoon Chat

In the late afternoon,
On Court Street
The barber stepped out
Of his shop
Onto the sidewalk
For a quick little chat.

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The Space Once Occupied By Trusting Cleaners Still Empty

Letting go of the bird in the hand hoping to catch two in the bush

Trusting Dry Cleaners at 232 Court Street was once included on the list of best neighborhood cleaners by New York Magazine. The Ohs, the lovely Korean couple who ran the business for 25 years, were beloved by the entire neighborhood and were such an integral part of it that residents were taken by surprise when news spread that the Ohs were closing their dooru on April 1, 2008.
One would have been happy for them if they had decided to retire. But there was a more distressing reason for the permanent closure of Trusting Cleaners. The new owner of the building had jacked the Ohs rent up from $2,500 to $6,500.
Since then, the old sign above the storefront has been removed and the locale has been gutted and stands empty.
So far, no new tenant has been found.
One has to wonder if the new economic reality will catch up to those landlords who preferred to lose long term tenants in exchange for possible gains.

Vespa Properties, a real estate office on Court Street has the listing.

Related Reading:

Adieu To Trusting Cleaners on Court

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A Postcard From Brooklyn: Thrifty Beverage Center Circa 1960's

Look at what I found ! An old postcard of the Thrifty Beverage Center on Court Street, circa 1960's.
Back then, the telephone number was the same, but without area code.
The address was 252 instead of today's 256, but then of course, the store was still in the old building on the same site.
The selection of beer was as impressive as today.
And the prices? Hmmmm, they were a lot lower though I had a hard time deciphering the signs in the postcard photo.

Can you?

* Post update

I am just sitting here with my blogger friend Lisanne of Found In Brooklyn. She just told me that she posted the exact postcard on her blog a while back. She found it with her grandmother's possessions when she had to empty her apartment.
Here is her post. Check it out here.

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