Old Artistry Project to become Animal Loving Care!

Animal Loving Care will open it's doors in the next 2 weeks in the former Artistry Project.
ALC will offer do and cat sitting,home boarding at their home or yours!, certified grooming and they insured and bonded!
Seems like this is one industry that is still bustling in these times with pet owners working late someone needs to walk Fido.
I talked to the guys doing the renovations but they wouldn't let me take a picture of the inside. I got this one of the outside:

Hopefully they will open their doors soon!
Welcome to the hood!

Brooklyn Bretta closes it's doors!

The owner of Brooklyn Bretta just couldn't take the hard times anymore it sounds like.
I hear a rumor he was leaving NY all together and going to Vermont?
It is really sad to see this happen as they were an active member of the community.
At least they are throwing their business to the recently "under new ownership" Scooter Bodega.

http://www.brooklynbretta.com/


"We have moved our service staff to 65 Union Street in Carroll Gardens where Robbie at Scooter Bottega continues our tradition of providing the best service in NYC for modern and vintage Vespas, Buddys, Stellas, etc. You can reach them at 718.858.4667 or on the web at scooterbottega.com

"

Mucho Gusto closes it doors and Iro Sushi opens in it's place!

One of the best Dominican restaurants in the area has closed it's doors only for another sushi place to open up.
Mucho Gusto was always busy for lunch with delivery orders and it took me 45 minutes to get anything eat at that time. The food was really good! and i am really sad that they are gone cause Columbia street needs more food!
I feel that the location probably was the the real killer for this place.
Has anyone eaten at the new iro sushi?
I am not too excited about as Kotobuki is really good but not the cheapest.

Smith Street Tattoo - on the dead side of Smith Street but will have a long life there

I got my first large tattoo this weekend at Smith Street Tattoo.

I had the appointment for over a month and spoke with Eli Quinters twice about what I was hoping to get.

He made sure I felt totally comfortable with my decision and his skills.

I had more then 5 people recommend the artists there and got rave reviews as well as examples of the stuff they got.

I am so happy with not only the ink but how awesome Steve and Eli were.

Steve a Carroll Gardens resident for over 10 years did a walk in piece for my friend while she was sitting around waiting for me. Eli spent more the 3 hours on my shoulder piece and the hour before fine tuning exactly what I wanted.

It was more like friends sitting around BS'ing and having fun. There is such a great vibe I have found myself just hanging out there cause it feels more like the local bar then a tattoo parlor. But I guess that's what you want in someone that is going to put something on your body that will be there for the rest of your life.

They have been open for over 6 months now and they have said that business has only picked up during the economic crisis. They are the perfect addition to Carroll Gardens and their old school style and attitude fit perfectly into the neighborhood.

I would recommend these guys to anyone that is looking for a talented tatto artist right in the neighborhood!

Recession Specials! on Columbia Street

Recession Specials! from Margaret Palca!
Fill your to go cup with coffee for $1!
and all baked good half price after 4 pm!
Looks like i am having baked goods for dinner!

Old Brooklyn Collective has a new tenant!

But who?!!!!! Its all nicely painted but no one seems to know what is going on in there.
Let me call the landlord and see what the story is!

I am so disappointed! this is going to be a dispatch office for a black limousine company.
Is this a sign that the neighborhood is going back to the times of motherless Brooklyn?

Don't let the door hit you on the a...

The New York Times reports that recession pricing and lenient landlords are drawing former Brooklynites back to Manhattan. One newly minted Manhattanite claims to have sacrificed half his living space and the luxury of a sink in the bathroom. "Concessions must be made," he says. 

Let's hope the next round of concessions come from Brooklyn landlords. While I don't mind losing the folks who would rather be in Manhattan anyway (all joking aside, I'm happy for them), I certainly don't want those of us who aren't interested in trading our monthly Metrocards for a 300sf studio to feel like suckers. Can I get a no fee rental and a free month's rent, Carroll Gardens landlords? You know who you are...

Is Carroll Gardens West "brokerspeak" for Red Hook?

This came up on the streeteasy.com forum today. I think we all could use a little clarification.

First of all: don't blame the brokers - blame Robert Moses!

Carroll Gardens, Red Hook, and Cobble Hill were once referred to collectively as "South Brooklyn". When the BQE/Gowanus Expy/Brooklyn Battery Tunnel severed Red Hook from the rest of the land mass, the adjoining neighborhoods took on their new identities. But what to call the lil' strip of Columbia Street and its appendages, cut off from its host body? Not Columbia Heights - that's an actual street in Brooklyn Heights. The CG/CH West denominations are helpful if you're looking for school zones - part of the strip is in PS29 (like Cobble Hill), the other is in PS58 (like Carroll Gardens). "Columbia Street Waterfront District" is what the business owners call it, and while it's clunky at least it's accurate. Of course, the waterfront itself is occupied by American Stevedoring, but that's another matter.

For those of us who live in and love this neighborhood, being on the "wrong" side of the BQE is a plus. Better parking (yes, we have cars), better access to recreation/biking, water views, big container ships unloading their freight at night by the twinkling lights of the cranes. Same schools, lower prices. Good unpretentious food - Margaret Palca's rugulach, House of Pizza's deep fried calzones, DubPies' meat pastries, Pit Stop's kid-friendly garden with petanque courts - nice people, and not as hard to get to as people think.

BQE car accident!

Two weeks ago I got in a car on the BQE. I got to see  NYC finest in action. Not only did they not give the other driver a breathalyzer, they took 8 days to get me a police report. The only reason I got the police report is a friend of mine works at the 76th precinct on Union Street. 

The accident happened right at the Atlantic avenue exit but the 84th precinct responded. I can not believe that every accident/ incident that happened over the last 2 weeks was held up because the person who handles the reports was out sick. Why is only one person allowed to touch these things!? Anyway i closed the whole BQE for about 40 minutes , sucked to be behind me. The cop were nice enough and the EMT but they didn't really investigate what happened. 

My beautiful car is now sitting in a garage waiting to get inspected by the insurance claim and the other guy is saying i hit him even though i was at a dead stop in park with my hazards on. 

It's always something!

Reasons to Love Red Hook #3: The best gangsters

Freebird Books on Columbia Street is sponsoring a "Crazy Joe Gallo Walking Tour" of Red Hook and environs. It has inspired some carping about who's the best Red Hook gangster among the posters at Brownstoner.com. Nothing like a little friendly rivalry about unfriendly rivalries to make you glow with neighborhood pride!

Other May events include a photo exhibit of Joe Gallo and company at Work, and a screening of The Gang that Couldn't Shoot Straight at Jalopy. And you can pick up a copy of Tom Folsom's book, The Mad Ones, at Freebird. Support your local bookseller, or we will send you "to the mattresses."

Go to http://www.freebirdbooks.com/events.html

for the full schedule.