Italian Heritage Celebrated at Borough Hall with Food, Frenetic Dancing

Thursday night at Brooklyn Borough Hall, BP Marty Markowitz hosted a gala to celebrate Italian-American Heritage Month. The music and dancing filled the Rotunda, and the food, provided by local Italian restaurants, was mouth-watering. There was one dish where the chef dropped hot oiled noodles onto the middle of a huge round of Parmesan cheese. The cheese melted and coated the noodles -- delicious. (I think Marco Polo was the restaurant behind that one.)

The Borough President honored Robert Catell, Chairman of (what used to be called KeySpan) National Grid US; RoseAnn C. Branda, President of the Brooklyn Bar Association; and Lella De Angelis and the Gargiulo Restaurant Family, among others.

A group of traditionally costumed ladies danced the tarantella -- which, according to Wikipedia, is associated with the large "tarantula" spider, whose bite was allegedly deadly and could be cured only by frenetic dancing. One variation of the legend said the dancer must dance the most joyous dance of her life or she would die.

UPDATE: More photos here.

Photos by MK Metz

Brooklyn Home Prices Up, Except Where They're Not

Crain's NY Business reports that the market for residential real estate in Brooklyn remained strong in the third quarter.

Brooklyn single family home prices rose 20.1% to $723,000 from a year-ago, while four-family home prices climbed 19.1% to $1.2 million. Co-op prices rose 32.3% to $557,000 during the quarter, while condo prices dropped 2.9% from $616,000 to $598,000.

Sales dropped 36 percent, pointing to an "unwillingness on the part of sellers to drop prices, combined with buyers willing to wait for better deals."

Important to note: "Bedford-Stuyvesant, East New York and Brownsville were not among the sixteen neighborhoods included in the study, primarily to keep those neighborhoods’ large number of foreclosures from skewing results."

More here.

Bank of America at Court and Atlantic

A single sign announces that a Bank of America ATM facility is coming to the boarded-up corner of Court and Atlantic in Cobble Hill, across the street from the future Trader Joe's. Many signs announce that the movie "Nicky Barnes, Mr. Untouchable," will open October 26.

Photo by MK Metz

Five Story Condo Site at 47 Dean Causing Problems With Boerum Hill Neighbors

A partial stop work order is in effect at this site at 47-49 Dean Street near Smith in Boerum Hill. Apparently the excavation was undermining neighboring homes. One comment at the DOB web site says neighbors complained about things shaking: "Thinks (sic) are being knocked off the shelves."

Another complaint said that construction was "contrary" to approved plans. In July a 12-car parking lot was denied. Anyone have any updates?

The man working here Wednesday morning (next to car) said that a five story condo was being built on the very deep lot. "It going to be very big," he said.

Photo by MK Metz

Go to Smith Street, Take Exit9

Just in time for the holidays, trendy Exit9 Gift Emporium has opened at 127 Smith Street (near Dean). Exit9, which also has an outpost on Avenue A in Manhattan, says its mission is "to provide creative and inspirational gifts to a world that is quickly becoming a department store."

Gift items include magic wallets; a spy pen ("send notes without being caught by the teacher"); beanbag chairs; and a key chain that counts the days till Bush leaves office.

The shop replaces Winston's Upholstery.

Photo by MK Metz

Oh, Oh: 'Coordinated Street Furniture' Newsstands Arrive in Brooklyn

As part of the Department of Transportation's twenty-year street furniture franchise with Cemusa, Inc., 330 familiar old green newsstands are being replaced with new snazzy stainless-steel numbers. This one (pictured above) is being installed on Court Street near Livingston in Brooklyn Heights (technically Downtown Brooklyn).

According to NYC.gov, the franchisee will be able to sell advertising space on the newsstand (seems to be room for a nice, big ad). The city is also replacing all 3,300 bus shelters, and will install 20 public toilets. The street furniture was designed by Grimshaw Industrial Design.

More at NYC.gov.

Photo by MK Metz

Sacre Bleu! The French Are Coming! (To Brooklyn!)

To honor the 250th anniversary of the birth of the Marquis de Lafayette, a group of French-Americans, with the support of the Consulate General of France, raised funds for the restoration of the Lafayette Monument in Prospect Park, Brooklyn.

This Thursday, October 11 at 11 a.m., an assemblée (bunch) of dignitaries including NYC Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe; the Consul General of France in New York Francois Delattre; that old French fox B.P. Marty Markowitz; the Prospect Park Alliance and more will celebrate the restauration of the monument at the 9^th Street and Prospect Park West entrance to the Park.

It should be a jolly célébration!

Duffield Street Underground RR, Norman Mailer and More Brooklyn in Brief, Tuesday

- The city last week withdrew eminent domain findings concerning three blocks in Downtown Brooklyn, which include homes allegedly once involved in the Underground Railroad, a financial firm with 150 employees, a rent-stabilized apartment building that houses 40 families, a handful of parking lots and an arts venue. The question is -- why? Brooklyn Eagle

- Norman Mailer has written thirteen novels, nineteen works of nonfiction, two poetry collections, and one play... In a new book, On God, he lays out his personal vision of what the universe’s higher truths might look like ... New York Magazine

- Why does "Gossip Girl" film in Brooklyn, pretend it's the upper East Side, then put down Brooklyn as a lower class suburb? Brooklyn Enthusiast

- Still no takers for Gage & Tollner space. (Or should we move to Portland and open a restaurant?) Brownstoner

- BARC’s Dog Parade is next weekend! NewYorkShitty

- Brooklyn Heights was the scene of a terrible tragedy on Saturday night, when the shooting of the new Coen brothers movie with George Clooney and Brad Pitt at Clinton and State streets somehow took out the cable T.V. in local buildings ... Gawker

Brooklyn's Polish -- and Patient Bird --Celebrate Pulaski Day

So a patient and apparently untethered gray bird (see man in skirt, right) seemed content to perch solidly on its "owner's" hat as he pirouetted, marched and strutted his green beard during Sunday's Pulaski Day Parade on Manhattan's Fifth Avenue. (click on photo for enlargement)

The Brooklyn presence was strong, with marching bands, schools and churches well represented.

Photos by MK Metz

The Brooklyn Headhunter: Find a Job in Brooklyn

From time to time, McBrooklyn puts on its Headhunting gear and scouts out a handful of Brooklyn employment opportunities.

Here are today's listings:

- Sovereign Bank is holding a job fair October 18 for personal banking reps and tellers. Montague Street, Brooklyn Heights. Career Builder

- Acme Smoked Fish needs a quality assurance assistant manager. $40,000 - $60,000 NY Times & Monster

- Gardener needed at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. BBG

- HUGE needs a web project manager. NY Times & Monster

- T-shirt designer wanted. Craigslist

- Housekeeping Manager at the Marriott in Brooklyn. HCareers.com

- Nurse Practitioner or Physician Assistant. $40-$50/hr. Career Builder

- Flatbush Development Corporation seeks "a dynamic, visionary Executive Director." Craigslist

- Allstate is still looking for paralegals to assist attorneys in the defense of lawsuits. $35,360 - $37,700. Job.com

- A Brooklyn lab needs a part time driver/courier. NY Times & Monster

- Licensed bouncer wanted for Friday and Saturday nights. Check ID's and weapons. Craigslist

- Dangerous job preparing reports in a Brooklyn Courthouse. Must be under the age of 37 and drug-free. $36,888 - $70,134. NY Times & Monster

- Web developer for the Brooklyn Public Library. Career Builder

- Full or part time dog walkers in Park Slope. Craigslist

- Assistant store manager at Starbucks. NY Times & Monster

- Friendly real estate office looking for a team player. Craigslist

- Brooklyn College needs dozens of assistant professors and and other support personnel. BC

- Advertising Salesperson needed for Focus Magazine. NY Times & Monster

- Online resume reviewers. $10/hr. Craigslist

- Mammoth Advertising in Dumbo needs a highly organized Senior Project Manager/Web Producer. $65,000 - $85,000. NY Times & Monster

- Part time HR assistant at the Mercy Home. $11/hr. Craigslist


Previous job postings here.

Photo by MikeColvin82, Creative Commons license.