(Photo from Grubstreet)

(Photo from Gothamist)

Shake Shack, the popular burger stand that opened in 2004 in Madison Square Park in NYC by Danny Meyer opened its first Brooklyn location in December 2011 and its seventh in NYC. But there’s a little bit of Brooklyn in every location. CounterEvolution, the Dumbo Broolyn based growing business uses reclaimed wood to create one-of-a-kind handmade tables and seating for Shake Shack. CounterEvolution owner Jim Malone created the tables and one wall at the Brooklyn Shake Shack using reclaimed wood from bowling lanes.

According to the CounterEvolution website, CounterEvolution began in 2007 when Jim, a life-long musician and songwriter who was at the time producing cartoons for children’s television, needed to make a change. (He was also the original director of the English-language version of Pokemon.). We’ve admired his tables since we saw them at the first Brooklyn Flea and at BKLYN Designs. CounterEvolution has been at 10 Jay Street in Dumbo for three years, but is moving near the Navy Yards in Brooklyn later next month. We caught up with Jim.

Q: Can you give us a short description of counterevolution’s philosophy?

A: We strive to elevate the artistic possibilities of reclaimed wood and other materials through unique designs and quality craftsmanship.

Q: How did it get started and how long have you been in Dumbo?

A: We started with a few postings on Craigslist then began showing at the Brooklyn Flea just as they were getting started. We had a lot of support from design blogs early on and that really helped get the word out. We’ve had a showroom in Dumbo for 3 years.

Q: How did your partnership with Shake Shack start?

A: They found us through our work at Starbucks and Sweetgreen. Our first location was Miami Beach and we’ve been fortunate to partner with them through their expansion. Our most recent Shake Shack was downtown Brooklyn where we did the tables and a large wall installation.

Q: What were some challenges you faced early on? Current challenges?

A: We started just as the banks stopped lending in late 2007. So, financing was an early obstacle and remains a challenge as we seek to expand our retail sales in a slow economic climate.

(Photo of Jim Malone. Photo credit: Sandra Kress)

Thanks Jim and looking forward to seeing your beautiful pieces in upcoming locations soon.

CounterEvolution (counterev.com)

Conde Nast Traveler magazine has a feature article about Brooklyn’s literary scene: “All great cities have their defining tribes, whose mores and tastes permeate the urban landscape. Los Angeles has its movie people, Paris has its fashion designers–and New York Has always had its writers. Boris Kachka maps their new stomping ground.”

In a related feature of the article, there’s a slideshow of “Brooklyn Writers’ Favorite Local Haunts“. A few of Dumbo’s bookstores pictured – powerhouse Books (37 Main St), P.S. Bookshop (76 Front St), and Melville House (145 Plymouth St).

On Dumbo, Author Boris Kachka writes:

“The death of publishing is lamented right alongside the death of the literary party, and in that arena, too, Brooklyn (particularly DUMBO, the neighborhood just east of the Brooklyn Bridge) is proving the naysayers wrong. A couple of upstart book publishers have bookstores at ground level—in the tradition of bygone spots like Scribner’s in Manhattan. PowerHouse Arena is a lofty and beautiful gallery/bookstore as well as a publisher (37 Main St.; 718-666-3049), and tiny Melville House has a little storefront—possibly the only shop in New York devoted exclusively to independent presses (145 Plymouth St.; 718-722-9204). P.S. Bookshop isn’t affiliated with a publisher but offers one of the borough’s most comprehensive selections of used books—in a new, larger location—and is definitely worth a lengthy browse (76 Front St.; 718-222-3340).”

Check out the article for more on the literary scene in Brooklyn.

[UPDATE: There was a private opening party last night, and a sign on the door says the store will open next week.]

The paper on the windows of the One Girl Cookies – Dumbo location was removed this morning (at the 1 Main Street building). Peeking inside, the space is looking great with high loft ceilings and open counters.

From the Time Out NY listing:
“Turning Dumbo’s Water Street into Sugar Row, this 32-seat bakeshop—a spin-off of the Cobble Hill original—joins pastry standouts Almondine and Jacques Torres on the block. Wife-and-husband team Dawn Casale and David Crofton turn out homestyle treats, like whoopie pies, cupcakes and sandwich cookies.”

One Girl Cookies (onegirlcookies.com/dumbo)
33 Main St (at Water St) Dumbo, Brooklyn NY 11201
Mon–Fri 7am–6pm; Sat, Sun 9am–6pm

Previously: {One Girl Cookies Opening in Dumbo, 02Sep2011}

Are you tired of lugging your laundry to the cleaners, especially during the cold and wet winters and muggy summers? This was the thought that SpotlessCity co-founder Sonny Bajwa had before thinking that there must be an easier way to take care of his laundry errands. So he created SpotlessCity.

SpotlessCity lets people find every dry cleaner and laundromat in their area, and schedule pickups & deliveries from the cleaner of their choice directly through the site. The pickups and deliveries are absolutely free, so customers always pay the same exact amount that they would if they dropped their clothes off at the store themselves. It’s sort of a GrubHub.com or SeamlessWeb.com for your laundry and dry cleaning.

They launched the site a few weeks ago in Dumbo, Brooklyn Heights and Downtown Brooklyn and planning to expand to more neighborhoods throughout NYC soon. We caught up with Sonny recently:

Q: Why did you decide to start in Dumbo/BK Heights?

A: Our company is based in Downtown Brooklyn and our entire team lives in Brooklyn, so we always knew we wanted to launch the service here first. When it came to choosing neighborhoods to start in, Dumbo and Brooklyn Heights were natural choices. Even aside from being the two residential neighborhoods closest to our office, which made them convenient, a number of reasons make them a great launching pad for SpotlessCity.

Dumbo is a very entrepreneurial neighborhood that is full of professionals, which means that there are many residents who need their dry cleaning and laundry done and who are willing to try out new services online. In fact, it’s not only the residents who are entrepreneurial; we found one of our first partner dry cleaners in Dumbo — a very savvy and forward looking cleaner that was excited about being part of something new.

Brooklyn Heights is another great neighborhood with a large number of professionals, but none of the people living in those beautiful brownstones and townhouses have doormen, so they could definitely use our service.

We’re planning to expand further in these neighborhoods and then throughout NYC.

Q: How did SpotlessCity begin?

A: I came up with the idea for SpotlessCity late last year after my wife and I divided up our errands and I got stuck with taking care of the dry cleaning. I noticed pretty quickly that while I was out lugging laundry down the street in the snow, she was able to handle all of her errands — like getting the groceries and ordering dinner — by curling up with her laptop and placing orders online. Naturally, I tried to trade chores, but when she wouldn’t let me, I just kept thinking, “why can’t I do this errand online too?”

I ran the idea by some friends, started doing research and talking to dry cleaners. Pretty soon, we got a team together and raised some seed money. Now we’re proud to welcome everyone to SpotlessCity!

Q: What are the challenges you are or will face in growing SpotlessCity?

A: When trying to launch a lean startup, every day brings new challenges that we have to figure out how to tackle! I’ll share a couple –

First: getting our message across to customers effectively. Explaining our concept has been a little trickier than we thought, perhaps because it’s new. Some people confuse us with “Internet dry cleaners” — companies that have swapped a brick-and-mortar storefront for a website. They’re essentially dry cleaners on the Internet competing with local dry cleaners.

We don’t compete with local dry cleaners, we partner with them. In fact, we don’t actually do any dry cleaning or laundry. We’re more of a SeamlessWeb of dry cleaning and laundry. Our mission is to help local dry cleaners connect with their customers online, and let people choose a dry cleaner and schedule their pickup and delivery online.

Second: communicating with some dry cleaners. Earlier this year, we hit the streets and started talking to dry cleaners to get feedback on our idea and whether it was something they’d be interested in signing up for. We learned pretty quickly that a huge number of New York dry cleaners are originally from Korea and weren’t interested in talking to what they perceived to be door-to-door salesmen (I guess that’s what we looked like!).

After getting the cold shoulder a few times, we stopped and recruited a Korean-American friend to come out with us on our research trip. Before we knew it, he was chatting it up with the dry cleaners in Korean, shaking hands with them, and we got all the feedback we wanted.

Congrats to Sonny and SpotlessCity on their launch. If you want to try out their service, you can get 10% off their dry cleaning and laundry with this code: DumboNYCReaders (valid until 1/31/2012 + pickups & deliveries are ALWAYS free). Also see BrooklynHeightsBlog’s article about them.

All Photos by Jane Kratochvil (janekratochvil.com)

Though not a secret for Dumbo locals, AlMar has been quietly serving great Italian food since the summer (July/Aug 2011). The owners of AlMar acquired the restaurant space, formerly Dumbo General Store, owned by Anna Castellani, and have been working hard to tailor a menu that customers have grown to love (including us). A few of our favorites include braised boneless beef short rib (moist and melts in your mouth), linguine with mussels, clams, shrimp & cherry tomato (or with lobster when they have it), spinach fettuccine alla bolognese (the meat sauce is full of rich flavors), or any of the roasted fish dishes.

But don’t take our word for it. We asked a few diners there for their favorite dishes. Here’s what they had to say:

• “My favorite dish…it HAS to be Alfredo’s MEATBALLS !! I don’t know what to say except that when I walk into AlMar, I always have to start my meal with an order of the famous meatballs. They are absolutely delicious.”
• “I love the short ribs and polenta. And their crostinis are delicious – one of them has a buffalo ricotta that is out of this world.”
• “I had the duck with cranberry and wine reduction sauce and pureed yams – with a fabulous rosé. Very tasty!”

The name AlMar is derived from a combination of the two owner’s names, Alfredo and Marcello. They come from Noodle Pudding in Brooklyn Heights and were very familiar with the area and had many fans before they moved to Dumbo. We spoke with Marcello:

How did Almar get started?

We had talked about opening up a restaurant for years. Unfortunately, the first opportunity that came up wasn’t successful so when we heard about the space in Dumbo we wanted to make sure we didn’t lose it. From then on we’ve just been working to make AlMar a place where customers feel at home and a place they can come to unwind after a hard day at work or bring their families for brunch on the weekend. After coming up with lots of different names, we finally agreed on just putting our two names together: Alfredo and Marcello. It seems a bit silly, but somehow it just really fits.. a labor of love for the both of us.

How would you describe your cuisine?

It’s definitely straight forward Italian food. We felt Dumbo didn’t really have a place that embodied the idea of fresh ingredients, comfortable environment, and just good solid food.

Now that you’ve taken over the space for several months, how have customers reacted to your food?

For the most part the reactions have been extremely positive. We have people say, “I hope you guys don’t leave” and “Dumbo really needed a place like this.” And of course those comments mean a great deal to us.

What do you like about Dumbo?

The locals by far. This neighborhood is filled with wonderful people who work hard and enjoy spending time with their family and friends.

AlMar also provides a full catering service to businesses and homes in the area and their dining area can be rented for events. Check it out and tell Marcello DumboNYC sent you!

All Photos by Jane Kratochvil (janekratochvil.com).

Hours:
Mon-Thu 8:00am-10:30pm
Fri 8:00am-11:00pm
Sat 9:00am-11:00pm
Sun 10:00am-5:00pm

AlMar (almardumbo.com)
111 Front Street, Brooklyn NY 11201
Tel: 718-855-5288
Email: almardumbo@gmail.com

The following is a guest post by NYU Business and Economic Reporting Graduate student Yuyu Chen on Dumbo’s history and the current food and restaurant market. It was originally posted on her blog:

A woman from New Jersey was crying outside 25 Jay Street, Dumbo. “My grandfather used to work for Arbuckle Coffee Traders. I feel as if he came back when I saw you roasting coffee here” she sobbed in front of Michael Pollack, partner and home coffee roaster of Brooklyn Roasting Company (BRC) located at the ground floor of the former Arbuckle Building. For the woman, BRC feels like a connection to her grandfather and a way to keep his memory alive. For Pollack, it is a beautiful coincidence.

“We chose [the location] due to the cheap 5-story space, but we didn’t realize it was Arbuckle Brothers Company, the largest coffee manufacturer in the U.S. during 1890s.” Pollack laughed, taking three Arbuckle Brothers antique coffee cans out of the shelf.

Vintage coffee and sugar bottles can be found in many buildings in DUMBO, reflecting its history as the home of New York City’s largest coffee maker, sugar refinery and other manufacturing businesses in the early 20th century.

“Next on the river front are store yards, Arbuckle’s immense coffee and spices warehouses, and behind them, Taylor’s founding and engine works. Bliss’ immense press and die works…” L.P. Brockett wrote in the book History of Kings County and the City of Brooklyn. Located “Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass”, the pier offers beautiful skyline of Manhattan and is very accessible to the heart of New York City.

DUMBO’s industrial prominence and waterfront location drew David Walentas, the founder and principal of Two Trees Management Co. LLC (Two Trees) to buy two million square feet in 1980s, at a price of about $6 a square foot. In respose to Brooklyn’s transformation, Two Trees, who owns a majority of property in DUMBO has converted some of old factories and warehouses into modern offices, luxurious condos and lofts. The neighborhood’s spectacular views, the large spaces and favorable rental rates have drawn hoards of young entrepreneurs and artists. With the influx of creative spirits, DUMBO is recognized as a paradise of creativity.

However, DUMBO is mediocre when it comes to food. “Given the number of people here, DUMBO needs more food options.” Pollack said. Nevertheless his “coffee lab” is a success there.

“When I want something to eat in the daytime, I have to go outside of my neighborhood to get something interesting.” Brad Macdonald who has been living in DUMBO for more than two years said with a disappointed frown. Unsatisfied with plain food, this Executive Chef of Colonie plans to set up another business in DUMBO.

Like Chef Macdonald, restaurateurs are encouraged by the emerging community’s lack of culinary delights, squeezing into this compact neighborhood with a hope to fill the void in dining.

“The retail market in DUMBO is in high demand. We probably receive three to four interests a day, the majority of who are restaurateurs.” Alexander Bos said, Leasing Department Assistant from Two Trees Management Co. LLC.

Read the rest of this entry »

We received the below update from Chris Havens, Chief Executive at Creative Real Estate Group, a local commercial real estate business on the Dumbo Retail Report for January 2012:

“We now track retail activity closely, as you can see from the attached report, the first of many to come. Note that Superfine is on the cover, my favorite watering hole in all of BKLYN. Without Superfine, Dumbo would not be Dumbo.”

Inventory

One hundred and twenty-nine storefronts currently utilized as retail, restaurant, office and studio space comprise the area market, totaling 316,474 SF.

Four distinct mini sub-markets outline what is now called DUMBO: Fulton Landing/Old Fulton Street; Between the Bridges/Central DUMBO; DUMBO east of the Manhattan Bridge (John to York, Jay to Pearl); Vinegar Hill (east of Jay to Hudson Avenue/Navy Yard overlook).

Spaces range from 50SF to 6000SF, which most availability above 3000SF. Demand for stores under 1000 sf exceeds supply by a wide margin. Yet larger sizes languish. Bars, food tenants, restaurants home goods and apparel comprise much of the demand. DUMBO nightlife is growing, with the addition of Rebar, the expansion of 68 Jay bar and increased tourist traffic. However, the area doesn’t yet compare to Smith Street or 5th Avenue in Brooklyn. That being said, the area hosts a soon to be famous pizza block bounded by Old Fulton, Front, Dock and Water boasting Ignazio’s, Grimaldi and soon to be Julianna’s.

Vacancy Rate

The area-wide vacancy rate is 11.5 %.

Eleven storefronts and retail sites are currently offered, with nine sized 2000SF and above. All but one of these large spaces are on Fulton Street or in Vinegar Hill, not the center of DUMBO. The one large space Between the Bridges, 6600SF at 81 Front, is now Leases Out after receiving multiple offers last fall. Small Space – at the time of this writing, only mini-spaces at the Shops at 145 Front are available and an office-oriented space on Bridge.

Asking Rents/Taking Rents

Asking rents range from $40 to $75 per foot, based on size and location. The high end of the range are spaces under 500 SF.
Recent taking rents include last year’s relocation of P.S. Books from 147 Front Street to 2138SF at 76 Front for $37 a foot in late 2010. One Girl Cookies took 1457SF at One Main for $42 a foot in October 2011. The 1250 SF space at 57 Front was leased in December 2011 to a spa for $40 a foot.

Spaces that may become available in 2012 under 2000SF on prime streets, which are Front, Washington and Jay, would be worth a minimum of $60 a foot.

The Brooklyn retail market has accelerated this year, trending upward in both price and velocity.

Previously:
{Dumbo Retail Report (Dec 2011)}
{Dumbo Commercial Real Estate Update (Nov 2011)}

DUMBO Startup Lab (not to be confused with the Dumbo Incubator) launched for business last month. DUMBO Startup Lab is a an affordable, flexible and convenient communal work space for entrepreneurs, freelancers and startup companies. Similar to other co-working spaces such as Loosecubes, the goal is to create a synergetic atmosphere for innovative thinkers and developers. As Dumbo becomes the base for more and more startups, the DUMBO Startup Lab fosters the entrepreneur, freelancer, and designer collaboration. They also host community meetups, networking events, panel discussions and creative workshops.

DUMBO Startup Lab’s rates are lower than similar co-working spaces found throughout New York City. Portable desk rates start at $200/month and stationary desks start at $300/month. There’s no deposit or binding time commitment. Another great option for co-working space in Dumbo.

DUMBO Startup Lab (dumbostartuplab.com)
68 Jay st. #415 Brooklyn, NY 11201

(Photo: Emily Berl for The New York Times)

Two Trees Management principal Jed Walentas was featured in The New York Times Sunday Real Estate. At 37, he looks “more Silicon Valley entrepreneur than big-city real estate tycoon”, but runs the real estate management firm his father built by buying two million square feet of former factory and warehouse space between the Manhattan and Brooklyn Bridges in 1981 (for $12 million) and creating the most expensive neighborhood in Brooklyn. Mr. Walentas tells the NYTimes that he wants “to find ways to better connect Downtown Brooklyn with the thriving neighborhoods that ring it. With so many college-age students attending classes — but often not living — in that section of Brooklyn, he said it mystified him that more hadn’t been done to keep them there.”

He not only has influence on Dumbo, but neighborhoods stretching from the West Side of Manhattan to Fort Greene, Brooklyn. He also supports entrepreneurs and the tech community, when he helped present the Dumbo incubator last summer. He also contributed a piece on Brooklyn Eagle on how AT&T, an international corporate entity is supporting the local community.

Bruce Ratner, the president of the Forest City Ratner Companies, which is developing the Atlantic Yards in Brooklyn said

“Battery Park City is a great place, but it does not have the same sense of character as Dumbo. Rockefeller Center, on the other hand, has a definitive sense of character, because “the Rockefellers had some idea of what they wanted that place to be.”

In Dumbo, he said, the guiding vision was to retain the area’s industrial flavor (without the industry), while providing a street-level experience both diverse and interesting — even if it means subsidizing rents for small-business owners and declining the high rents offered by big-box stores, or selling off properties and cashing out.

“Jed holds firm to the vision,” Mr. Ratner said. “And that is not a minor comment.”

High praise from one of the more well known develpers. However, Judy Stanton, the executive director of the Brooklyn Heights Association has been a critic has battled with both David and Jed Walentas over numerous projects, including the controversial Dock Street project.

Read the article to find out why attracting diversity is important for NYC, why real estate prices are so high, and how he and Donald Trump differ in their styles.

Pete’s Downtown restaurant at 2 Water Street (next to Ignazio’s Pizza and across The River Cafe) has closed, according to a worker who has emailed us. Brooklyn Eagle first reported that the restaurant is not only closed, but it has cleared its space, after being open since the 1980s. It’s too bad for a restaurant that has been a fixture in the neighborhood for a long time. Pete’s served Italian food with popular dishes like penne vodka, baked ravioli, veal parmigiana, and shrimp scampi, according to online review websites.

Calls were not returned, and there are no updates on its Twitter (@petesdowntown) or Facebook pages, and their website, petesdowntown.com is offline.

According to a Fulton Ferry resident, Pete Thristino the owner has told patrons that the lease was not renewed, and the landlord is seeking a high end restaurant to take over the space. The location is a prime space, given the view of the Brooklyn Bridge and the Manhattan skyline, and would attract a higher lease. A restaurant there would make a lot of ‘friends’ from residents in the area if the food quality is high, but is also a destination location for outer borough visitors.

The Brooklyn Eagle writes: “Pete’s was one of the first businesses to move into the area after it began to be redeveloped. The first signs of this redevelopment came in 1977, when BargeMusic and the River Café opened. Pete Thristino, owner of the restaurant, told this reporter in a 2008 interview that even in the early 1980s, “This was known as an area that when it snowed, there were no footprints…The building, on the corner of Water Street, was known as the Franklin House Hotel in the mid-1800s. It was an important hotel and restaurant in the days before the construction of the Brooklyn Bridge, when the ferry area was the gateway to Manhattan and visiting merchants, clerks, seamen and farmers needed someplace to stay.”

Pete’s Downtown (Closed as of Dec 29, 2011)
2 Water Street (at Old Fulton Street), Brooklyn, NY 11201