Digital Dumbo #12 at Galapagos (Photo by Kelly Samardak for Just An Online Minute)

The following are selected links from this past week on blogs and websites with discussion about Dumbo (and its neighboring areas):

• Save The Little Room in BH, 24Jan10, TLR
• Stew is ‘Making It’ in Brooklyn, 27Jan10, NYP
• Trolleys: Our Past; Our Future?, 28Jan10, BHB
• McDonald’s on Tillary Closes, 29Jan10, Brownstoner
• DUMBO Named New York’s Digital District, 29Jan10, NBC
• DigitalDUMBO One Year Anniversary, 28Jan10, MediaPost
• Brooklyn Says “Silicon Alley is Dead”, 29Jan10, Mediabistro
• We’re Moving This B*tch to Brooklyn, 28Jan10, Mediabistro
• Verizon to Rollout FiOS TV in Dumbo, 28Jan10, PRNewswire
• Brooklyn Food News, 28Jan10, BK Eagle
• Carrot’s Germano: DUMBO is NYC’s ‘Digital District’, 29Jan10, NYC Convergence
• 10 Best Reasons to Visit Brooklyn, NYC, 26Jan10, NYC10Best
• Can Feds Jump-Start Trolleys in BK?, 26Jan10, BK Eagle
• NYC’s 10 hottest tech startups, 25Jan10, AMNY
• DUMBO gets sweeter, thanks to Dewey’s, 25Jan10, BK Paper
• DUMBO is saying hooray for ñ, 26Jan10, BK Paper
• Green Desk Expanding to Downtown Brooklyn, 28Jan10, Brownstoner
• Hiring for All Positions at Choice Market Dumbo, 30Jan10, Craigslist

Real estate is focused on location, views, and amenities- all of which Dumbo offers with proximity to Manhattan, Brooklyn culture, parks, and galleries, waterfront views, and neighborhood events, shops, and eats. Despite the real estate bubble bursting since 2008, the cost of living in the neighborhood has not significantly decreased. While a few newer built buildings that don’t have the views or have low build quality have seen prices decline, the historic lofts that have been converted to loft apartments have held steady or in some cases have sold for higher than purchase prices (post 2008).

Streeteasy.com, which lists all real estate sales currently has 90 listings for Dumbo with a median price of $734,000 (median size 1,040 sq.ft.) and a median price per sq.ft of $859. Below are the top 5 high and top 5 low price listings. It’s interesting to note that 19 of the top 20 are in 3 buildings: 1 Main (8 units), 30 Main (4 units), and 70 Washington (7 units).

High:

1. 1 Main St, #16, $25,000,000, 3 bed, 3 bath, 7000sqft ($3,571/sqft)
2. 1 Main St, #14, $8,500,000, 3 bed, 2.5 bath, 3,208sqft ($2,649/sqft)
3. 1 Main St, #5D, $4,200,000, 2 bed, 2.5 bath, 2,477sqft ($1,695/sqft)
4. 1 Main St, #6G/H, $3,300,000, 3 bed, 3.5 bath, 3,300sqft ($1,000/sqft)
5. 30 Main Street #8G, $2,675,000, 3 bed, 2.5 bath, 2,474sqft ($1,081/sqft)

Low:

1. 100 Gold Street #1F, $445,000, studio, 1 bath, 807sqft ($551/sqft)
2. 206 Front Street #2E, $445,000, studio, 1 bath, 540sqft ($824/sqft)
3. 100 Gold Street #2F, $450,000, 1 bed, 1 bath, 700sqft ($642/sqft)
4. 206 Front Street #2D, $465,000, 1 bed, 1 bath, 540sqft ($861/sqft)
5. 100 Gold Street #3R, $485,000, 1 bed, 1 bath, 702sqft ($690/sqft)

Carrot Creative and the Digital Dumbo team would like to extend a special invitation to come celebrate the one year anniversary of Digital Dumbo!

It seems like just yesterday we we’re crammed into the tiny room at Rebar for Digital Dumbo #1 catching up with friends and industry contacts over delicious beverages. This year we are kicking off 2010 by showcasing some of the cool stuff Carrot Creative has been working on and what to expect from us in the future.

We have some exciting announcements to make and even more exciting performances….let’s just say, BE THERE! 6:30-9pm

Galapagos Art Space
16 Main Street, Brooklyn, NY

Digital DUMBO was created to bring together the digital minds of DUMBO and the greater NYC area to network, showcase local talent, educate, and facilitate idea exchange. New to Digital DUMBO? Follow them on Twitter @digitaldumbo for the latest updates.

Long time Dumbo resident Ilene Richardson launched her new business this month, Furnish-d. Furnish-d is an online marketplace for high-end custom and designer furniture. They feature showroom floor models and gently used items in all categories. Ilene, an award winning multimedia producer who spent over two decades working with leading entertainment industry talent, saw an opportunity to bring truly well made furniture to the public at prices that rival those of chain stores.

Furnish-d is also offering workshops, in conjunction with Furniture Masters, an upholstery workshop. For the first time ever, the state of the art Furniture Masters workshop in Long Island City will open its doors to eager enthusiasts who have longed to master the craft of upholstery. This 5-week series will teach you how to upholster a chair similar to the one pictured above. As an added bonus, each student will take home his or her finished upholstered chair. The class starts on March 6, 2010 (for more information, go to furnish-d.com/blogs/news/1376182-upholstery-workshop.) Registration deadline is at the end of the week, so contact them here.

Check out their inventory and examples of what they are offering in their showroom page. Congrats to Ilene and contact them to sell or purchase quality furniture.

Manhattan as seen from Fulton Ferry Landing. (Photo by Josh Derr)

When Green Desk opened their 155 Water Street location in May 2008, it provided short term desk and office space for small businesses on the 5th floor. Since then, they have acquired several additional floors at 155 Water Street and space at the 68 Jay Street building. The retail space (formerly occupied by the furniture retailer Prague Kolektiv) is being converted to SHOP @ Green Desk, which is a space to allow small retailers and businesses to have a retail space with other like minded retailers. We recently toured the space and spoke with Evan Hershenson, of Green Desk.

What is SHOP @ Green Desk?
SHOP @ Green Desk will allow small businesses to have a combination office / retail space. Utilities will be shared to keep costs extremely affordable. Local designers who are looking for retail exposure without having to spend a lot of money on a storefront space will immensely benefit from SHOP @ Green Desk. SHOP @ Green Desk will have a wide variety of vendors which should help maintain a steady flow of foot traffic. One example of a company who has already committed is an organic crepary! There is currently only enough space to accommodate 20 different local / green / organic vendors.

What are some examples of businesses that are planning to open at SHOP @ Green Desk?
Jewelry designer Andrea Lucille Shin is one of the businesses that will be at SHOP @ Green Desk. Drawing her inspiration from natural and organic forms, Andrea has developed and continues to work with three primary design concepts. She blends hand fabrication and casting to create these unique designs. In her work, Andrea combines polished and distinctively textured surfaces rendered in eighteen karat gold and sterling silver with classically beautiful stones and pearls.

Another is Ogata, a Japanese furniture craftsman/designer by Kin ichi Ogata, available for the first time in the USA. Ogata’s work, handcrafted in Sendai, Japan, from wood, metal, and uniquely tanned leathers, is strongly reminiscent of the Arte Povera movement, yet manages to be quirky and contemporary at the same time.

The organic crepe shop mentioned earlier is called Golden Pan. It will be at the street level (next to PS Bookshop) on 143 Front Street.

When will it open?
We are targeting a mid-February opening. Spaces are filling fast. For more information, please email shop@greendesk.com.

Previously:
{155 Water Street Building to be a ‘Green’ Office, 14May2008}
{Green Desk Open House, 18Nvo2008}
{NY Times Visits Dock Street and Green Desk in Dumbo, 21Jan2009}
{NY Mag Best of NY 2009: Dumbo, 06Mar2009}

The following are selected links from this past week on blogs and websites with discussion about Dumbo (and its neighboring areas):

• Living In: Brooklyn Heights, 21Jan10, NY Times
• New Artist In Town: TrustoCorp, 18Jan10, The Anchorage
• NFT Guide to Dumbo, 17Jan10, NFT
• Clocktower Draws Celebrities, 21Jan10, NY Post
• Tapas for Dumbo, 20Jan10, Brownstoner
• De Niro Does Dumbo, 15Jan10, Curbed
• Brooklyn Heights Association, 20Jan10, BK Eagle
• Galapagos channels the 1940s w/ Speak Easy, 22Jan10, NY Post
• Interview with David C. Walentas, 21Jan10, NY Times
• Bar of the Week: Ñ, 22Jan10, Paper Mag
• Workers tear up history on Old Fulton St, 22Jan10, BK Paper
• Vinegar Hill House: Local, Seasonal, But How’s The Food?, 19Jan10, Serious Eats

As mentioned in early January, Stewart/Stand‘s relocation is complete. They are now open at their new location at 165 Front Street (on the corner of Pearl Street).

Stewart/Stand (stewartstand.com)
165 Front Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201

Previously:
{Stewart/Stand Store Relocating to Front/Pearl Street, 06Jan2010}
{Stewart/Stand Store Open on Front Street, 01Apr2007}
{Stewart/Stand Store Opening Party, 10May2007}
{Stewart/Stand Stainless Steel Wallets, 19Jul2007}

45 Main Street, photo by mopostal in the DumboNYC Flickr group.

Bake sale at Imagine, tomorrow at 8-10am to benefit Haiti. Please stop by on your way to work to help fundraise for the people in Haiti. From our friends at Imagine Early Learning Center:

“Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Our bake sale to raise money for Imagine’s Kids for Kids (who will in turn donate all of the money to Partners in Health) was a huge success! Imagine DUMBO raised $447 this morning. We couldn’t have done this without our teachers and children working so hard to cook, our neighbors donating some necessary extras, AND you stopping by for some breakfast goodies and giving so generously to this worthy cause.

Since some teachers have volunteeered to cook more and La Bagel Delight has offered to donate bagels tomorrow as well, we’ve decided to extend the bake sale to tomorrow. We hope you’ll drop by again or be able to stop by if you couldn’t make it today. Feel free to invite family, friends, neighbors and co-workers.

Thanks again from the bottom of our hearts. It really feels good to be able to help and to teach our kids about helping others.”

IMAGINE Early Learning Center (www.imagineelc.com)
85 Adams Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201
718-522-2263