Now that Carroll Gardens' Momofuku Milk Bar Is Gone, What Would You Like To See In Its Place?

There was general excitement and quite a bit of press coverage when Momofuku opened a Milk Bar at 360 Smith Street, near 2nd Place in Carroll Gardens in the spring of 2012. The location on the ground floor of a newly constructed building over the F and G train at the Carroll Street station seemed perfect for an outpost of the popular bakery, with its famous Crack Pies and Cereal Milk soft
serve ice cream. Besides, it was a convenient coffee spot for commuters.

In August, we received several messages from readers letting us know that Milk Bar was officially closing at that location.  It came as quite a surprise.

A note in the window explained that after 7 years, the company was moving the staff from Carroll Gardens to its new flagship store at 29th and Broadway in Manhattan, which is slated to open this fall.

The retail space now stands empty, but perhaps not for long since this is such a high traffic corner of the neighborhood. The space is rather small, however, limiting the type of business that can thrive here.

What would you like to see at this corner?  What sort of business would do well and would be useful to local residents?  Would love to hear your thoughts.

Here is a blast from the past, before the building at 360 Smith Street was built. Who remembers the newsstand that stood at the location once occupied by this retail spot?

The corner of Smith Street and Second Place before 360 Smith Street was constructed.

 The former newsstand next to the subway station.

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Upcoming Residency Unlimited Event: A (Carroll Gardens) Treasure Hunt Performed by Artist Bruno Silva

image courtesy of Bruno Silva

Artist Bruno Silva will be performing his project “Unnamed_0.2.1.1 ” on Monday February 24, 2014 at 4 PM. The event is free and open to the public. It consists of Silva providing a map to participants so that they may find and bring back hidden objects throughout Carroll Gardens.
The departure point for the hunt is Residency Unlimited (RU) at 360 Court Street at the corner of President Street.

Silva is currently an artist in residence at RU, a not-for-profit artist-centered organization housed on the ground floor of the former South Congregational Church. RU is "committed to promoting multidisciplinary practices and to building lasting connections between residents and the broader arts community locally and globally".

According to RU's web site:
"Bruno Silva’s art process is about gathering information, objects and experiences. In his project 'Unnamed_0.2.1.1', Silva seeks to bring together lost, found, roundabout images. The world keeps producing an infinite number of images that end up being forgotten in time. Once they are found, they build a world ; a gallery of memoirs of the memory ; a dust¬bin of « non-images » of the world.
Unnamed_0.2.1.1 is a « non-place » where history, time and space are all mixed up."

Silva's residency is supported by Artistes en residence, in partnership with the Communauté d’agglomération de Clermont-Ferrand with funding from DRAC Auvergne, Région Auvergne, Conseil général du Puy de Dôme, the City of Clermont-Ferrand and E.S.A.C.M.

RU EVENT: A Treasure hunt performed by Bruno Silva

Monday Feb 24, 2014 

Departing point: Residency Unlimited 

From 4:00-6:00pm- Free and open to the public

Residency Unlimited 

360 Court Street #4 (big green doors) 

Brooklyn, NY 11231

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Could Lee Brothers Garage On Smith Street Become The Next Carroll Gardens Development Site?

Corner of Smith Street and Third Street, looking North

Lee Brothers Garage at 375 Smith Street

New development at 360 Smith Street, which is located directly across the street from Lee Brothers Garage

***UPDATE***

Thursday, January 30th

I am happy to report that I just received an email from a reader indicating that Lee Brothers at 375 Smith Street is open this morning.  That's great news and hopefully an indication that the garage was only temporarily closed.  That's great news.

Yesterday morning, I received the following message from ChickenUnderwear at http://whatyourdonotknowbecauseyouarenotme.blogspot.com/:
"What's up with Mr Lee Auto Repair on Smith and 3rd [Street]? The sign on the gate says closed indefinitely . I gotta get my car inspected before the end of the month."

I grabbed my camera and walked over to Lee Brothers Auto & Body Repair garage at 375 Smith Street, and sure enough, a notice has been taped to the door, informing that the shop will be closed until further notice.
Of course, there could be many reasons for the closure. Let us hope that the Lees will re-open soon.

But one has to wonder if this may have to do with the fact that the garage sits on one of the most desirable lots in one of the most coveted neighborhoods of Brooklyn.
Perhaps, a developer has made the Lee Brothers, who own the site, an offer that they could not refuse? Maybe the brothers will develop it themselves, as they indicated a few years back.

According to the Carroll Gardens contextual rezoning, which was approved in 2009, the site is in an R6B zone, with a height limit of 50 feet and a commercial overlay fronting Smith Street
The Carroll Gardens community pushed for the contextual re-zoning and height limit in part because of the opposition to 360 Smith Street, the 70 feet building right across the street.

Though the Lee's building is rather run down, it was once the Court Theatre, a neighborhood movie theatre. Some details of its past are still visible on parts of the façade. Here is a link to an old tax photo from 1928 that shows the theatre.
Sometime in the 1940, the structure was changed into a gas station. In the 1980's the pumps were taken out, but the repair garage remained.
More on the building's history can be found here.

For those who need their car inspected or repaired in the meantime, ChickenUnderwear reports back that he took his car to Mr. Nam on Baltic Street and was very satisfied.

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Disgusting Sight On 2nd Place: Raw Sewage Flowing Onto Sidewalk

Just got these rather discussing photos from a reader who reports: "Massive amounts of raw sewage being dumped onto the street from the building on the corner of Smith and 2nd Place. Kids and parents are walking through it. Totally disgusting. And a mystery."
Pretty horrific, for sure.
Usually, we see sewage being dumped into the Gowanus Canal. But on 2nd Place?

Another eyewitness reports that the sewage seems to be coming out of the big garage door at 360 Smith Street, the brand new rental building.
I wonder if this little sewer problem is related to Hurricane Sandy, or just your run-of-the-mill plumbing problem.

If that is not enough of a yuck factor, CORD has some additional photos here.


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Does 360 Smith Street Have A Leakage Problem Already?

If you are the lucky renter who lives in the penthouse of the brand new 360 Smith Street building at the intersection of Second Place, you have spectacular 360 degree views of the surrounding neighborhood. But you may also have a bit of a leakage problem.
For the last few days, workers have been busy digging out and repairing a section of the façade over a window on the 7th floor.
And its not the first time crews have had to come back according to neighbors.  "Every time after a heavy rain, they have to do more work on that place" one of them told me yesterday.  Someone else saw workers re-plastering the ceiling in one of the top units.
How terribly annoying for the residents, especially given the exorbitant rents in that building.
Does anyone know someone who lives there? Read more

Come On Already! Opening Of The F/G Train Station At 2nd Place Delayed Once Again

Pardon me for asking, but wtf? Plywood is still blocking the entrance of the F/G station on 2nd Place underneath the newly constructed apartment building at 360 Smith Street here in Carroll Gardens.

It had been announced that the entrance would re-open on Friday, June 17th. But no such luck. Instead, Andrew Ingelsby of the Metropolitan Transit Authority, send the following to Community Board 6:

From: "Inglesby, Andrew"

Sent: Thursday, June 16, 2011 10:01 AM

Subject: Carroll Street F G station 2nd Place entrance reopening

Unfortunately, the reopening of the Carroll Street F G station 2nd Place entrance has been delayed until the first week of July (most likely a July 1 safety inspection and then immediate opening if they pass inspection). The problem was in the ordering of the proper staircase treads and their installation by the building contractor; NYC Transit will not allow the entrance to be reopened until the building contractor of 360 Smith Street installs treads which will not compromise the safety of our customers and your community's residents.

Please also note, as I have indicated before, that once the 2nd Place plaza entrance is reopened, the building at 360 Smith Street will be responsible for the daily maintenance of it.

Thanks again for your patience,

Andy

In the meanwhile, Carroll Gardens' commuters continue to be inconvenienced. Unbelievable,isn't it?

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For Real Now? New Date Set For Re-Opening Of F Train Station Entrance At Second Place

First the Second Place F/G subway entrance in Carroll Gardens was supposed to re-open in February, then it was delayed till April and now that it is June, it s still closed. So what's up?

Apparently, about 60% of the stair treads leading down into the station have failed the initial safety inspection by the Metropolitan Transit Authority. Before the station opens, the problem needs to be fixed and the stair treads need to be brought into compliance.

The new date for the re-opening has been scheduled for June 17th. I know many neighborhood commuters have been dying to find out. Lets hope that date will not come and go like the others.

The F train subway plaza and the staircase leading to the station at Second Place were blocked off during construction of the new building at 360 Smith Street back in the fall of 2010 . Since then, riders have been forced to use the smaller, narrower entrance at the corner of Second Street.

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Spiffy Brochure, 360 Degree Views And Steep Rental Prices At 360 Smith Street

Brochure images and renderings via 360 Smith Street

360 Smith Street +70 feet= 360 degree views. Get it?

Someone forwarded me the entire rental brochure for 360 Smith Street, the almost completed, quite controversial 70 foot building at the corner of 2nd Place and Smith Street.

According to an agent, there are no rental fees, the first month is free and utilities, except for electricity, are free as well.

Sounds good, but the rental fees are rather steep.

*Apartment G, a1,092 sf two bedroom, two bath apartment facing Smith Street goes for about $3,800 on the second floor to about $4,150 on the fourth floor.

*Apartment type A, also two-bedroom, 2-bath, is slightly bigger at 1,105 sf. It faces Second Place and costs $3,995 for the 2 second floor and $4,200 for the third floor.

*The J line penthouse at 1613 sf facing 2nd Place will rent from$5, 750 on the second floor to $6,050 on the third floor.

The rest of the brochure offers some photos of the area, some exaggerated renderings of the front of the building and of the rooftop, as well as some platitudes about our neighborhood, including this gem:"A close-knit community of long-time Carroll Gardens residents who warmly greet you from their 19th century garden brownstones."
One neighborhood friend chuckled when I read this last part of the brochure out loud. "Yeah!" she said "We have a special greeting here in the neighborhood. But it takes two hands..." (It's also called the Italian salute)

And one more thing....An eagle-eyed reader spotted someone who looked suspiciously like Bill Stein, the original developer of 360 Smith Street, standing in front of the site. It had been rumored that Stein was out of this deal, but he may still be involved.

Stein once told the Carroll Gardens community that he would occupy the penthouse apartment of 360 Smith Street because his wife "loved" the neighborhood.

Well, if that is still the case and he is moving in, lets all remember to greet him warmly (not) from our brownstones. Remember! Use two hands...

Is this Bill Stein (gray hair) standing in front of 360 Smith Street?

******UPDATE*****

Just got some additional plans and details for 360 Smith Street from a PMFA reader.

He writes:

Here are the renderings for the penthouses. They are all priced north of $7m per month.
The apartments are nice but not too well thought out. The bedrooms are on the smallish size (with the last bedrrom begin tiny) and there is an oversize a/c unit that takes up a lot of space. I did not think they were nice enough for the rents that they are asking. It will be very interesting to see if the Carroll Gardens residents will be willing to pony up these kind of $’s.

There are storage units on each floor. They are ridiculously priced @ $200 per month
There is indoor parking available, which is a pretty awesome feature

The roof deck has stellar view. Literally 360 views that take your breath away. However, the idea of a playground up there is probably not too well thought out.

Brochure images and renderings via 360 Smith Street

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Exaggerate Much? Rendering On 360 Smith Street's Brochure Not Quite Reality

Take a look at the huge front garden depicted on the brochure for the controversial 360 Smith Street, the new 70' apartment building at the corner of 2nd Place here in Carroll Gardens. Someone forwarded it to me and commented on the fact that the rendering bears little resemblance to reality.

Though the area in front of the building was planted late last week, it sure doesn't look like the huge park depicted in print, now does it?

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