(ñ Soho, photo by Konstantin Sergeyev)

Ñ, the tapas restaurant in Soho has opened a Dumbo location, according to Grub Street. They are holding an opening celebration tomorrow, Thursday, from 7 to 11pm and will have a live salsa band, free tapas, and sangria. Sadly, they replace one of our favorite bars, Speak Low, underneath Rice.

The official name for the new tapas restaurant is ñ/BK and will open 7 days a week, 5pm until midnight from Sunday through Thursday, and until 2am Friday and Saturday.

Per Grub Street:

“David Selig, who is an owner of both ñ and Rice, tells us the move brings him full-circle in a way — after enjoying pitchers of sangria at ñ back in 1999, developer Jed Walentas left a scribbled note on a napkin asking Selig if he’d be interested in opening a similar restaurant in Dumbo…Selig says the menu will initially be the same as the Soho location’s; this summer some “culinary nerds” from the Basque country (where Selig has spent time surfing) will help him retool it.”

ñ/BK
81 Washington Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201

The Dumbo Improvement District (BID) has emailed a thorough update on the street reconstruction project on Water Street from Adams Street to Old Fulton Street and Washington Street from York Street to Plymouth Street. We took the above photos to document the process.

While the street work is being done, the Belgian blocks are being taken away and being stored in a secure location until they are reinstalled in the roadbed. The BID has been very involved with monitoring and ensuring the work is being done according to plans.

After the jump, read the New York City Department of Design and Construction (NYCDDC) and Dumbo Improvement District’s report on the work in progress, work completed, and what’s coming ahead in 2010. The project commenced in the Summer of 2009 and is scheduled to be completed in the Summer of 2011.

Information about the project can be found on the NYC.gov DDC site: (PDF download)

{Belgian Block Reconstruction to Begin, 04May2009}
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From Brooklyn Independent Television (BIT), “Brooklyn’s world-wide marketplace: where do thousands of artisans and craftspeople from around the globe sell their handmade wares? Through the online company Etsy.com, which is based in Dumbo Brooklyn.” According to the BIT segment, there are 4.7 million items for sale on Etsy ($160million of items sold this year). Etsy is a great place to search for unique handmade gifts that you can’t find in any mainstream store. They moved to their current location in September.

Also every Mondays at 5pm at the Etsy Labs in Dumbo, and online, they hold a Craft Night. They host a live how-to that you can craft along with, or bring your own project to work on. The The free live demo in the Virtual Labs starts at 5 p.m. etsy.com/virtual_labs.php. If you’re in the NYC area, come by their Dumbo Brooklyn offices, the Etsy Labs, from 4 – 8 p.m.

Etsy, Inc.
55 Washington Street, Suite 512, Brooklyn, NY 11201

Video from From Sector B, Episode 32 (11/20/2009) on Brooklyn Independent Television (TimeWarner 56, RCN 84, Cablevision 70, Verizon 44).

Previously:
{Craft Night at Etsy with AMH Design, 09Nov2009}
{Brooklyn-based Etsy Raises $27 Million in Fourth Round, 31Jan2008}

It’s been known that the Two Trees’ building at 25 Washington Street is being converted to condos, which has/will displace the 100+ small businesses that are leasing space there. Lease holders were notified in October that their leases are expiring on November 30 and Two Trees will commence demolition December 1st and convert the building into residential apartments. According to a Curbed post, there is an application on file “for a two-story extension to the building (with “accessory cabana spaces” on the roof) in 2007. It was approved back then, but the DOB issued a permit for the job only this past February. The architect on the application is Jared Della Valle of the firm Della Valle + Bernheimer.”

Many of the businesses have moved out of the building, including a large tenant, Securitas, who moved to downtown Brooklyn, or to other office space in the neighborhood. Two Trees have offered offices at 55 Washington Street, but according to a few who have emailed us, they are looking for specific requirements (please contact TT for details no longer have any vacancies (according to a few who emailed us).) A few are still scrambling to find office space and need help from the community to find adequate space. There are offices located in 68 Jay Street, 10 Jay Street, 20 Jay Street, 155 Water Street (“Greendesk”), but some need enclosed spaces (not open cubicles). If you are a landlord or know of a location for small businesses, please help them by emailing us a contact asap or post a comment below. We hate to see good businesses leaving the area.

After the jump, we’ve also posted an ad from Craigslist for an office share at 68 Jay Street if anyone is looking.

{Luxury conversion has DUMBO upset at the Walentases, 29Sept2009, Brooklyn Paper}
{25 Washington Conversion Confirmed, 30Sept2009, Brownstoner}
{Is Dumbo’s 25 Washington Going Residential?, 26Aug2009, Brownstoner}
{Dumbo’s Next Blockbuster Conversion, 25Aug2009, Curbed}
{BIS record for 25 Washington St}

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Filming today in Dumbo is The Beaver, a film due for release in 2011 directed by Jodie Foster (who also plays the role of Meredith Black), and stars Mel Gibson. According to the IMDB, the film is about “a guy walks around with a puppet of a beaver on his hand and treats it like a living creature.”

Filming will take place between 6am – 11pm on Washington Street between Plymouth and York Street, and on Front Street between York and Washington Street.

We posted on our Twitter page last week that the retail space on 76 Front Street is being prepared for two retail spaces. As of yesterday, the leases were signed to two business familiar to those who live in Dumbo:

• 72 Front Street (2,000sqft) – Journey Home is relocating from 166 Water St.
• 76 front Street (2,200sqft) – PS Bookshop is relocating from 145A Front St.

Both businesses are located in the 68 Jay Street building, and the new Front Street location will probably give them more foot traffic on the corner of Washington and Front. According to the leasing director we spoke to, Journey home should be ready for move-in around November and PS Bookshop will be ready in December. Other recent 68 Jay Street retail level changes include Egg Baby signing a lease on the corner of Jay and Front St and NOS Boutique opening up a store on Jay St. Wonk, which is located at 68 Jay St is moving to its Williamsburg location on October 1.

 1938

 September, 2009

In this series of “Dumbo Streetscapes Then and Now”, a 1938 photograph by photographer P.L. Sperr is looking down Front Street from what used to be known as Garrison Street (renamed York Street since the addition of the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway). The building on the right is 70 Washington Street, and the center/left building is 45 Main Street. The far building in the center is the existing 55 Washington Street.

The original caption in the back of the photo reads: “Front Street, east from Garrison Street. April 4, 1938″

Today’s view, 71 years later, is pretty similar to the 1938 photo at first glance. The building structures are pretty much in tact, and the lot in front of 70 Washington was used as parking, just as it is now. The parking lot is owned by the Jehovah’s Witness (aka The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society). Because the Landmarks Preservation Commission granted landmark status to these buildings in Dumbo, the building exterior won’t change much in the future as well. However, the parking lot sits outside of the LPC boundaries for the Dumbo Historic District, which means the land owners may be allowed to build something on that plot someday.

One observation is the advertising for lofts on top of the 45 Main Street building in 1938 is similar to what it is today. in 1938, the ad space states: “Realty Corp. Lofts to-let”. Today, the building owner, Two Trees Management, has a sign that states: “Live. Work. Play. DUMBO” (Flickr photo)

{New York Public Library photo of Front Street – Garrison Street (1938)}
{Dumbo Then and Now, series, DumboNYC}
{Google Street View, from York St}

We love heading to Speak Low for its chill candlelit lounge (we wrote about it before). They serve the best mixed drinks in the area. Yesterday, the people at Speak Low opened their outdoor patio bar, called Speak Up in the courtyard space next to Rice Restaurant. The outdoor lounge has lots of tables and couches for alfresco lounging. They are serving draft beer, wine, liquor, and their famous cocktails, including their new Speak Up Punch. Along with drinks, they are serving hot dogs and veggie dogs everyday, and on Thursdays and Fridays will have a limited supply of fresh lobster rolls.

Speak Up (patio bar)
75 Washington Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201
(between York and Front Street)
7 days a week; open at 5pm

Speak Low
81 Washington Street, Brooklyn, NY; (718) 222-1LOW
Happy Hour 5pm – 7pm

The Department of Transportation sent us a notice regarding the Washington Street underpass construction that has been going on since last weekend. They are adding a “protective coating of Brooklyn-Queens Expressway Bridges”:

The New York City Department of Transportaion Division of Bridges will commence protective coating operations on the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway (BQE) Bridges over Washington Street. The existing protective coating will be cleaned and/or removed through abrasive blasting techniques. A new, epoxy-zinc protective coating system will be applied to all steel superstructures.

The contractor will close the northbound lane of Washington Street at the BQE, along with the adjacent sidewalk, from 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. daily for approximately two weeks. The portion of the bike-lane in the vicinity of the bridge will also be closed. Two-way traffic will be maintained one lane in each direction, utilizing flaggers. At the end of each shift, the street will be restored to two way operation. The southbound lane and the sidewalk will remain open. After completion of the work on the northbound lane, the contactor will switch to the southbound lane. Concrete barriers, appropriate advanced signs and pavement markings will be installed to maintain the safe flow of traffic in the vicinity of the work area. Work on the BQE Bridge over Washington Street is expected to be completed on or before August 31st.

Throughout this phase of work, the contractor may also close one lane on the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway in either direction, to permit the installation of paint containment units while maintaining the remaining lanes of traffic at all times. These lanes closures will occur only between the hours of 12:01 AM and 5:00 AM.

In July 2007, a new noise code went into effect in New York City. The new law establishes important rules, guidelines and standards for governing noise in NYC which include construction activities. To limit construction noise, all construction activity will be undertaken in accordance with the noise mitigation plan for this project. Additional information regarding this and any other part of this project is available by contacting Community Liaison Fred Herschkowitz at 212-839- 6307. You may also visit the NYCDOT website at www.nyc.gov/dot. You also may request information by calling the New York City Government Services and Information Hotline at 311.

On Washington Street between Front and Water Street in Dumbo Brooklyn. [UPDATE: Filming for this production is occurring on almost every street in Dumbo.]

Aug 2 (Prep) and August 3-5., 5am-11pm.

According to a Twitter post, the filming is a SpikeDDB (55 Washington St) commercial for Rocawear…Starring Jay Z presumably.

For pics, see our post here.