Curbed called J Condo “The Shining Star of Dumbo” for it’s reflective properties. But at night, the ‘beacon of lights’ are lit from 85 Adams Street, aka Beacon Tower, so we can identify Dumbo from afar. But I can’t help but wonder how incredibly annoying it would be for the residents-to-be on floors 18 to 23 A-lines, where the up-lights shine directly into the southern facing windows (living room and kitchen) or the B-lines’ western facing windows (master bedroom windows). If you look at the below night shot of Beacon Tower, you’ll notice the glow out these windows from the up-lights (the interior lights were off). Too bad the owner of unit 18A (with the terrace where the lights are located) won’t have a switch to turn them off. I’m all for up-lights but I don’t see the terrace beacon staying lit if the lights are so bright that it drives residents mad.

{J Condo, the Shining Star, DumboNYC.com}

ModernTots officially opened (1st day was on Jan 3) their new kid’s store in on 53 Pearl Street, Dumbo Brooklyn last week. They carry modern children’s furniture, clothing, toys, and home decor. They join Pomme and Half Pint in Dumbo where there are increasing number of young families. Welcome to the neighborhood Sarah, Bruce, and ModernTots staff!

ModernTots
53 Pearl St., Ground Floor
Brooklyn, NY 11201
{www.moderntots.com}

I snapped a few pictures today of the new trees planted at Bar and Grill Park in Dumbo (“that empty patch on York Street along the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway where the Between the Bridges Pub used to be before Shaya Boymelgreen put up the Beacon Tower”) and on Front Street that The Brooklyn Papers featured today. Full BP article after the jump.

Front Street between Washington and Adams Street:

{DUMBO gets trees, lighting, Brooklyn Papers, 1/6/07}
Read the rest of this entry »

J Condo is getting the Curbed.com treatment, being the focus of two posts in 3 days. On Jan 3, Curbed posted Dumbo’s Dose of Brick and Glass with some nice photos of J Condo and Beacon Tower. The commenters discuss the increase in condo inventory in the neighborhood, proximity to Manhattan Bridge, and pricing. While Dumbo condo prices approach the $1000/square feet range, there are some who believe it is worth the price (either because of proximity to Manhattan or cool neighborhood vibe) and others who say that anyone who purchased in Dumbo are idiots and will not be able to sell later at their purchase price.

Today’s (Jan 5) posting gives J Condo the distinction of “The Shining Star of Dumbo” because of the reflection from the sun in the afternoon and late afternoon on the glass side of the building. My take is that although the building is proportionally large, at least on the street side, the brick facade is more consistent with the old brick buildings of the area. The glass side brings more light to buildings on Adams and Washington Streets in the afternoons. If the J Condo is the “Shining Star”, does that mean that Beacon Tower is the shining moonlight, named for its ‘beacon’ of light at night? (I’ll post a pic of the Beacon at night when I get around to snapping a night shot this weekend).

{Dumbo’s Dose of Brick and Glass, curbed.com, 1/3/07}
{The Shining Star of Dumbo, curbed.com, 1/5/07}

Greenpoint Brooklyn construction (Image courtesy of Curbed.com)

Dubai construction (Image courtesy of Boudders)

According to a New York Daily News article yesterday, Brooklyn’s real estate is holding up:

The median sale price for an apartment in the northern part of the borough was up 22% in the last three months of 2006 compared with the corresponding period in 2005, according to the Corcoran Group.

And the average price of an apartment in Park Slope and Brooklyn Heights was up 3% in the same period, according to a separate report by the real estate firm Brown Harris Stevens.

But the increases in sale price is lower in 2006 compared to 2005. “During 2005, Corcoran reported a 14% increase in the median price of Brooklyn co-ops and a 12% increase for condos. In 2006, those numbers shrank to 7% for co-ops and 8% for condos. And the median sale prices for co-ops actually declined 4% in the last quarter of 2006.”

The article quotes developer Jed Walentas, a principal at Two Trees Management, who is “cautiously optimistic” about the Brooklyn real estate market.

“I don’t think it’s the seller’s market you had 18 months ago,” he conceded. But he noted that his company’s current downtown Brooklyn project at 110 Livingston St. was selling well.

Two Trees is converting the former headquarters of the Board of Education into luxury condos at 110 Livingston in downtown Brooklyn. Walentas said at least 160 of 300 units have been sold.

Gowanus Lounge predicts that late 2007 and 2008 in Brooklyn will see price cuts and unsold inventory especially in Williamsburg and Greenpoint where construction is almost as prevalent as in Dubai. (ok, not quite, but those images of the Dubai construction cranes are unbelievable).

{Home is where B’klyn bucks are, reports show, New York Daily News, 1/3/07}
{ Brooklyn Real Estate Prices Going Down or Staying Up?, Gowanus Lounge}

Residents and people who work in Dumbo Brooklyn are used to seeing photographers for photo shoots, movie shoots, fashion shoots, and individual photographers on the streets, buildings, and waterfront. We’ve seen a lot of Dumbo in popular magazines as well. Last year, we saw Dumbo as a backdrop in a Vanity Fair shoot and in Vogue. I know there are other magazines that had Dumbo or Brooklyn featured (and by the way, if you happen to spot any of them, please let me know).

During my travels through various airports this holiday, I saw a few other Dumbo pics and shoots. One of them in Empire-Fulton Ferry State Park for Ford’s Edge in New York Magazine and the other as a streetscape backdrop for the Jan/Feb 2007 issue of Men’s Health Magazine. Click on the photos below for the full size viewing:

click for detailed photos. One of them in front of 50 Bridge Street building.

I’m wondering if we’ll be seeing more big companies such as Ford using Dumbo as a backdrop. It’s no longer just the creative photographers.

Event: Underbridge Pictures reception for Clinton Irving Jones: New York in Winter. Early 20th Century Photographs
Time/Date: Thursday, January 4, 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Location: Underbridge Pictures, 111 Front Street Gallery 202 DUMBO Brooklyn

CLINTON IRVING JONES’ images and story was published by the New York Times this past Sunday. “NEW YORK IN WINTER is the latest exhibition of photographs by Clinton Irving Jones at Underbridge Pictures. In addition to Jones’ early 20th Century images of Dutch domestic and agricultural architecture, shown this fall in BROOKLYN IN 1900, he created a series of winter scenes in Prospect Park, Brooklyn after a spectacular ice storm in January 1909. He also made a portfolio of wonderful photographs in Mamaroneck, NY, where his wife’s family lived.”

The exhibition runs through Sunday January 28, 2007. For more information, go to Underbridge Pictures.

{Long-Ago Snow, New York Times, 12/31/2006}

I’m honored to be included as one of the Top New Brooklyn Blogs of 2006 by Gowanus Lounge. There are many others who deserve to get recognition. I wholeheartedly agree with Gary of Brooklyn Runs blog that GL is too humble to include itself on such a list. Of the hundreds of Brooklyn based blogs, GL is one of my favorite blogs and on my daily read and a must read for those who are interested about life and real estate in Brooklyn. There are so many events and real estate developments in Brooklyn, I don’t know how GL does it. Keeping up with the small area of Dumbo is challenging enough. GL brought attention to real estate development in Dumbo and got DumboNYC on Curbed (with 17 mentions on Curbed in 2006).

Happy 2007! I hope you had a wonderful new year’s celebration over the weekend. We were not in Dumbo for the holidays, but happy to be back in Dumbo. We’re also back at work today, but our minds are still on champagne, food, friends, and family, so excuse my incoherence for the next day or so.

In the meantime, read the Dumbo top 10 recap of 2006, or submit a story or event about Dumbo.

What are your new year’s resolutions? You can get buff with some boxing lessons at Gleason’s Gym, get in shape at The Fitness Guru, or harmonize your body and mind at Bridge Pilates or Noodle Yoga. Mine are to cut down on sweets, so I’ll be in shape for my snowboarding trip this winter and summer beach visits. That’s a tough resolution especially since Almondine Bakery, Jacques Torres Chocolates, and Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory are just around the corner. Cheers!