(Photo by lmichalos)

The Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy announced the Movies With A View lineup for the 14th year. This will be Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy’s sixth year partnering with Syfy to present Syfy Movies With A View. The free, outdoor film series will take place on Pier 1 in Brooklyn Bridge Park and will feature films from different cities around the globe.

The first film in the park kicks off on Thursday, July 11, 2013 and runs weekly through Thursday, August 29, 2013. The audience will be taken on a journey each week with feature films that take place in cities such as Chicago (Ferris Bueller’s Day Off), Hong Kong (Enter the Dragon), London (Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory), Rome (Roman Holiday), Detroit (8 Mile), Philadelphia (Rocky), San Francisco (Vertigo), and a location that the public will choose later in the summer.

In line with the “With Love From…” theme, DJs from Brooklyn Radio will feature pre-movie music from the films’ locations. BAMcinématek will continue to curate short films to be shown before the feature each week.

The Conservancy is also excited to welcome back community partners Astronomers Association of New York, who will be on hand to help stargazers scan the skies with telescopes provided by Syfy, and Transportation Alternatives, who provide free bike valet parking. Also highlighting the series are returning media sponsors Time Out New York and Brownstoner. DUMBO-based publication, Gothamist, will be joining the team as a media sponsor for the first time.

Music starts at 6:00 pm, and the films begin at sundown. Park concessionaires Blue Marble Ice Cream, Luke’s Lobster, No. 7 Subs, Lizzmonade Brooklyn, and the Brooklyn Bridge Wine Bar will be offering food and drink for purchase.

FREE! On the Harbor View Lawn of Pier 1 in Brooklyn Bridge Park. (directions)

See www.brooklynbridgepark.org for full press release and more information.

Note: capacity is limited and lawn seating is first come, first served.

Full movie lineup after the jump:
Read the rest of this entry »

Keep Your Child’s Brain Working Over the Summer

The DUMBO Einsteins program is a Pre K alternative, set in a small school environment. The ‘Einsteins’ receive direct instruction around, literacy, math, chess, art, music, theater, and yoga. See what parents are saying here.

1) Summer Handwriting Class – This is a great way to help out young students with their handwriting. Over fifteen 45 minute sessions, Traci Timmons and Rachel Rath will guide 5 and 6 year old students through practical steps and skills that enable proper handwriting. This five week course, set in a small group, is appropriate for beginning writers and those who need a little extra help with their printing.

2) Private Chess – Rachel Rath, one of the DUMBO Einstein instructors, guides students through the beginning steps of becoming a great chess player. Private chess 45 minute chess sessions are available for kids ages 4-6 at $60/session or $550 for 10. All packages must be used up by September 15th.

3) Tutoring over the summer is a great idea whether your child is behind or ahead in reading. Without the stress and fatigue of school, Traci Timmons and Liz Frank create personalized one-on-one lesson plans that help the regular school year go by so much easier. At Abundant Learning, they see students who are very advanced and somewhat behind. They have a great deal of experience with children who suffer from dyslexia and use multi-sensory techniques to help students achieve their goals. $125/session. Email to inquire about scheduling.

All classes and sessions are held at Abundant Learning, in Dumbo, Brooklyn at 68 Jay Street, room 513. Space is very limited. Email Liz@abundantlearning.org to sign up.

Abundant Learning
68 Jay Street, Suite #513
Brooklyn, NY 11201
917-727-8839

Animal Rescue is filming in Dumbo Brooklyn on Friday, April 26, 2013. According to IMBD, Animal Rescue is “a crime-drama centered around a lost pit bull, a wannabe scam artist, and a killing.” The FOX Searchlight crime/drama stars Tom Hardy, Noomi Rapace, and James Gandolfini.

The following streets will be affected:

• Anchorage Place (bet Plymouth and Water Streets)
• Pearl Street (bet Water and Plymouth Streets)
• Adams Street (bet Front and John Streets)
• Plymouth Street (bet Adams and Pearl Streets)

All filming posts are tagged here: DumboNYC.com/tag/filming

New York City’s bike share program, called Citibike is expected to launch in May. The program will allow members to use one of 6000 bikes from 330 stations in Midtown, Lower Manhattan and parts of Brooklyn. The bike stations have been installed in the following locations in and around Dumbo:

• North side of Old Fulton Street near Water Street – 41 bike docks
• North side of Front Street near Washington Street – 30 bike docks
• West side of Pearl Street near Water Street – 24 bike docks
• South side of York Street near Jay Street – 27 bike docks
• South side of Front Street near Gold Street – 23 bike docks
• North side of Sands Street near Gold Street – 19 bike docks
• East side of Cadman Plaza East near Red Cross Place – 27 bike docks
• West side of Cadman Plaza West near Middagh Street – 23 bike docks

The bike program has had some delay and some controversy surrounding the bike racks with advertising in Historic Landmark locations (such as in Dumbo, Vinegar Hill, and Fulton Ferry Landing). Gothamist spoke with the LPC:

“Landmarks Preservation Commission says that the stations are just fine, since the landmarks law generally allows advertising in historic districts—including on street fixtures like bus shelters, pay toilets and newsstands. “We approved the plan for the installation of bike share stations in historic districts throughout the city because they have no effect on the historic fabric of those neighborhoods,” said Elisabeth de Bourbon, the commission’s communications director”

In a Brooklyn Eagle article, store owners on Front Street in Dumbo said they were not notified or consulted with before the bike stations were installed. Doreen Gallo of the preservation group DUMBO Neighborhood Alliance (DNA) said in the article, “DOT never contacted us and never brought it through Landmarks. It’s more visual clutter in the wrong spot. That’s a great open space and it should be an open piazza; but they keep adding more and more crap. It’s an inappropriate use of this great municipal space.”

The Front Street location (top photo) seems to be a tight fit for the traffic that goes by in the busy intersection where delivery trucks pass. Thoughts?

For bike station listing, go to citibikenyc.com/stations

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

• Searching for Trophy Apartments (incl 1 Main), 18Apr2013, NYT
• New Architect for St. Ann’s Warehouse, 18Apr2013, Brownstoner
• New Food Truck Lot Coming To DUMBO, 17Apr2013, NY Street Food
• DUMBO a “golden child of NYC renaissance”, 17Apr2013, The Nation
• 85 Adams Street #12B, 779sf, $725k, 17Apr2013, Brownstoner
• Fans Hope Barclays Center Will Revive Brooklyn Boxing, 20Apr2013, NYT
• St. Ann’s Warehouse Again Seeking Approval to Build in Tobacco Warehouse, 18Apr2013, BHB
• Seven Brooklyn Images, 17Apr2013, DNAinfo
• Gleason’s Gym, 16Apr2013, NYT
• NYU Opens Urban Tech School Downtown, 15Apr2013, Brownstoner
• DUMBO Food Trucks Rent Parking Lot, 19Apr2013, DNAinfo
• Green Market Planned for Brooklyn Bridge Park, 12Apr2013, Brownstoner
• Proposals for Historic Empire Stores Are Online, 12Apr2013, Brownstoner
• City Bike Sharing Program Ready To Ride Next Month, 15Apr2013, NY1
• David Cross: My New York, 13Apr2013, NYP
• Williamsburg and DUMBO to Connect Through Brooklyn Navy Yard Bus Route, 15Apr2013, DNAinfo

The increase in food trucks in NYC is a great thing for those looking for lunch and dinner options. High quality food being served in neighborhoods that need options is welcome. However in some cases, that has led to turf wars to get prime parking spots. Dumbo has been lucky to get a steady strem of great trucks, but they risk being ticketed or sent away by transit police. The trucks have to park in Dumbo starting at 7am to get prime spots.

But Thomas Yang and his partners at food trucks Bian Dang, Fun Buns, and Fishing Shrimp saw this as an opportunity to make a positive out of a negative. They formed a coop to lease the parking lot on the corner of Jay and Water Street in Dumbo for a food truck lot. We spoke with Thomas about it:

Which food trucks will be in the lot? Will there be other ones that may rotate there?

We will have a variety of food trucks that will rotate in the space. A sample of them will be, Bian Dang, Fun Buns, and Fishing Shrimp, Domo Taco, Mike N’ Willie’s, Big D’s Grub Truck, Korilla BBQ, Milk Truck, Wafels & Dinges, Cool Haus, Palenque, Carl’s Steaks, and Food Freaks.

What prompted you to lease the space?

We like the community and vibe down here. We know people want food trucks, but it seems that there are some people that don’t want us here and the police have been shooing us away. This lot will allow us to be there to provide good food.

What will the hours be there?

We are looking to set up from 11am to 3pm [weekdays]. Also we’re asking [Dumbo] to see if there is interest for dinners from 4/5pm – 8/9pm. Some vendors are looking for a long term strategy to really create a nice space. We’d love to hear from the neighborhood!

Please comment and let them know what you’d like to see in that space. Is there an interst in dinner service there? They also talked about hosting events. If so, let them know in the comments.

Location:
Parking lot at 56 Jay Street, Brooklyn NY 11201
Corner of Jay and Water Street in Dumbo

Previously:
{2012 Summer Season for Food Trucks in Dumbo Brooklyn, 13Jun2012}
{Shorty’s on Wheels Food Truck Coming to Dumbo, 09Jun2012}
{New Food Truck Alert in Dumbo: Real Good Truck, 13Dec2011}
{New Food Truck Option in Dumbo, 08Mar2010}
{Food Truck Monday in Dumbo, 19Jul2010}
{Munch Truck in Dumbo, 10Aug2010}
{Wafels & Dinges in Dumbo, 08Dec2009}
{Taiwanese Cravings Truck Visits Dumbo, 12Aug2009}
{Schnitzel Fridays in Dumbo, 07Aug2009}
{Schnitzel & Things Truck Lands in Dumbo, 27Jul2009}
{Rickshaw Dumpling Truck in Dumbo, 16Mar2009}
{Ice Cream Trucks in Dumbo, 12Jun2008}
{Treats Truck at Pearl St. Triangle, 19Jul2007}

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MNS, the Brooklyn real estate firm published their first quarter 2013 Brooklyn New Development Market Report (pdf). MNS’ New Development Market Report tracks the market trends with a quarter-over-quarter and year-over-year comparison throughout Brooklyn on both a citywide and neighborhood basis. New development data was compiled from the Automated City Register Information System (ACRIS) for sponsor sales that traded during the First Quarter of 2013 (01/01/13 – 03/31/13). All data summarized is on a median basis.

Included in this research are walk-up and elevator new development condominium buildings, as well as new conversion condominiums if the sales were applicable sponsor transactions. Excluded from the report are all cooperative sales.

Some highlights of the Brooklyn report include the following:

• Low inventory continues to influence the market, Brooklyn new development sales were down 98.86% from last quarter.
• Low inventory translated to higher prices per square foot; PPSF prices rose 8.0%, from $684 ppsf during the past quarter to $739 during the current quarter.

Brooklyn Neighborhood Highlights

• Brooklyn Heights has the highest inventory in Brooklyn at 38%.
• Clinton Hill had a majority of units trading over the $600K price range – considerably higher than the $505,000 median sales price during 4Q12
• Downtown Brooklyn was able to generate a median sales price increase of 21% since the previous quarter. More specifically, the BellTel Lofts at 365 Bridge Street closed the quarter with total new development sales just under $8 million, representing 8.6% of all sponsor sales throughout Brooklyn.

MNS states, “Continuing the negative trend from the previous quarter, total volume of new development sales in the Brooklyn market decreased from $146 million to $83 million. In addition, a total of 88 transactions closed during the current quarter, as compared with 175 during the previous quarter. Low inventory continues to influence the market, especially in boroughs such as Bay Ridge, Fort Greene, Gowanus and Kensington where no new development sales occurred”

According to the US Census Bureau, and as mentioned by the Bloomberg Administration, “more people are moving into NYC than are moving out for the first time since 1950”. Furthermore, “the largest percentage change occurred in Brooklyn, where the population grew by 2.4%”, representing a total of 60,900 people. In addition, the availability of low interest rates, strong rental market, and inexpensive land prices as compared to Manhattan, over 70% of all new developments in NYC are scheduled to enter the Brooklyn market.”

Dumbo continues its very low inventory (especially new development) and had 3% of total new development sales in Brooklyn in Q1 2013. However it had the highest median sales price at $1,065,000. As the larger condo units are sold later this year at 185 Plymouth and Dumbo Townhouses, the median prices and price per square feet will increase.

For the full report, go to MNS.

Ironside, an NBC TV drama is being filmed in Dumbo Brooklyn today, April 18, 2013. According to IMDB, Ironside “centers on Robert T. Ironside, a tough, sexy and acerbic police detective relegated to a wheelchair after a shooting who is hardly limited by his disability as he pushes and prods his hand-picked team to solve the most difficult cases.” The cast includes actors Brent Sexton, Spencer Grammer, Blair Underwood, Pablo Schreiber, and Kenneth Choi.

Ironside was previously filmed in Dumbo on April 2 and 5.

All filming posts are tagged here: DumboNYC.com/tag/filming

Looks like the diggers have dug two floors below grade so far at the Dock Street Dumbo project (aka 60 Water Street). The buildings were demolished in July to prepare for the 18 story development.

More on Dock Street.