Herman Behr Mansion Sells For $11M: Brooklyn Heights

The landmark Herman Behr Mansion at Henry and Pierrepont streets in Brooklyn Heights has sold for $10,980,000, according to the Brooklyn Eagle.

The new owners plan to renovate the units and keep them as rentals.

This property has a fascinating history as a high-society mansion -- the owner's son was saved from the sinking of the Titanic (see here) -- as well as a house of prostitution and the Franciscan House of Studies and Residence, though local rumors state that it was a place for the monks to “dry out" (see here).

Herman Behr Mansion in Brookyn Heights Sells for $11 Million Brooklyn Eagle

- Brooklyn Heights Herman Behr Mansion for Sale
- Mansion With Checkered Past on Market With $12M Offering Price: Brooklyn Eagle
- McBrooklyn: Herman Behr Residence in Brooklyn Heights

Photo by MK Metz

View From Demolished Pier 1 in Brooklyn Not Exactly Breathtaking, But It Will Do

The New York Times reported Monday that "For the first time in decades, visitors to the north side of Brooklyn’s Pier 1 can see something breathtaking." They were referring to the skyline view that appeared after the demolition of the pier, preparatory to the construction of Brooklyn Bridge Park.

McBrooklyn couldn't wait to see the breathtaking view so we rushed right down to the foot of Fulton Ferry Landing. Here's what we saw (above).

Okay, maybe it's not exactly breathtaking, but you can see a bunch of buildings you couldn't see before, because Pier 1 (emblazoned with the motto "Brooklyn Works"), as of last week, was in the way.

Still, you have to have a pretty good imagination to picture the verdant meadows and playing fields that may someday take the place of the old industrial pier buildings.

The Times says that the first two piers should be completed by next year.

Photo by MK Metz
Draft courtesy of Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy

Brooklyn Stonehenge

During the spring and autumn equinox the shadow of the J Condo falls directly between the wooden slats.

Shot near Prospect and Washington Streets in Dumbo.

Photo by MK Metz

The Running of the Eggs at Brooklyn Bridge Park

There was an audible rumble in Dumbo Saturday morning when thousands of kids and their supervisors stampeded through the Main Street gates of Brooklyn Bridge Park.

It was the fourth annual Spring Fling Egg Hunt and the Conservancy really got the publicity out this year -- families from all over Brooklyn (and probably Manhattan as well) lined up for miles (well, it looked liked miles -- see below) well before the 11:15 a.m. opening.

We're told that volunteers hid over 15,000 eggs. McBrooklyn saw one of the ten special golden eggs (finders got a gift basket from Jacques Torres), but we left it for one of the chocolate-covered little ones to find. This year Half Pint Citizens hid special gift eggs as well.

All 15,000 eggs were wiped out within 15 minutes of the start. Above you can see the first wave of kids stockpiling eggs while the bulk of the crowd hasn't yet made it through the gate.


Band AudraRox (Audra Tsanos) rocked the kids, and National Grid gave away hundreds of those little rainbow-colored kites that everyone was flying up on the hill near the beach.


The crowd (note the one child, below, getting crushed up front) went wild for the free Frisbees and mini-beach balls given away by Equinox.


Lots of other organizations did other nice things -- see the BBPC Web site for all the details.


UPDATE: The Brooklyn Eagle reports that the event drew more than 10,000 participants! Brooklyn Eagle

Photos by MK Metz

Busy Weekend for Brooklyn Bridge

Two marches took place over the Brooklyn Bridge this weekend.

The first took place Good Friday morning, with the Way of the Cross over the Brooklyn Bridge (photo above). Participants gathered at St. James Cathedral around 10 a.m., prayed the Stations of the Cross, then crossed the bridge stopping in City Hall Park and near Ground Zero.

Then, on Saturday, a mystery march took place. Hundreds of people waving a few signs crossed from Brooklyn to Manhattan but we can't figure out who they were. Anybody?

UPDATE: Mystery solved. See comments.

Photos by MK Metz

Video Poker at Brooklyn Borough Hall

We were surprised to see people playing video slots last week in the plaza at Borough Hall.

Turns out they were filming some sort of promotion for a casino called Empire City at Yonkers Raceway. It seems that there's 5,500 (and more to come) of these un-armed bandits at the casino there, legal only because of some technicality about the way they're hooked up to the state lottery system's computers.

A correspondent says the slots have been seen in other places around Brooklyn as well, including Fulton Ferry Landing.

Photos by MK Metz

Coney Island Rowdies!

Pardon Me For Asking blog has an interesting posting about a "rowdy" Mardi Gras celebration held yearly at Coney Island from 1903 - 1954 (way before the Mermaid Parade). Check out the 1911 NYT newspaper clipping: 500,000 people partying on the beach, and the police were overwhelmed by "boisterous horse-play."

Straw hats were a special target of the rowdies. All up and down Surf Avenue after 8 p.m., hats could be seen flying up into the air, only to be stomped on and crushed upon landing. Gangs of "rushers" would hurry through restaurants, knocking over tables, sweeping glasses to the floor and upsetting chairs.

Gangs would also stuff confetti into ladies' mouths and otherwise "manhandle them."

This went on for 50 years? Ah, the good old days...

Those Rowdies in Coney Island ... 1911 PMFA

Photo by Jeff Pearce, Creative Commons license

Just Another Morning on Smith Street

About 9 a.m., getting ready for the crowds that will come to Bar Tabac later in the day.

Photo by MK Metz

The Same Nice People Are Coming to 103 Bond Street

At various times Mother Earth Gifts, Butter, Michelle New York, and a car service, something new is coming to 103 Bond Street in Boerum Hill. Get a sort of Greek feeling, based on the lettering. Seem to be nice people, though...

Photo by MK Metz

Return Laptop, Get Reward: A Brooklyn Lament

The laptop was taken from someone's apartment around Atlantic and Hoyt. $2000 reward, no questions asked.

Sadly, the computer contains all of the owner's work and is more important than money.

Photo by MK Metz (click to enlarge)