Fort Greene

June 17, 2014

Growth Spurt: Brooklyn’s Tallest Tower at 333 Schermerhorn Will Soar Even Higher Than Expected

Construction filings from the Department of Buildings have revealed that Douglas Steiner's mixed use tower at 333 Schermerhorn Street, dubbed the Hub, will soar 30 feet higher than previously reported; making it the top contender for Brooklyn's tallest building at 607-feet. For more than 80 years, the title of Brooklyn's tallest belonged to the 512-foot Williamsburg Savings Bank tower at 1 Hanson Place. With its beloved 4-sided clock tower and its majestic banking hall, the tower has stood in relative isolation since its construction in 1929. Bruce Ratner's Atlantic Yards centerpiece building nicknamed "Miss Brooklyn," was the first to challenge the tower's dominance and was slated to soar more than 100-feet above the bank building's dome. The proposal incited uproar from Brooklynites, leading to its eventual downsizing in 2006 to 511-feet, just one foot shorter than the neighboring bank building.
More about The Hub and Brooklyn's tallest this way
June 9, 2014

Brooklyn Navy Yard Gears Up for Expansion, 1.8 Million Square Feet to be Added

Over the years, the Brooklyn Navy Yard has become a modern manufacturing pole, and it has grown to host spaces for everyone from furniture makers to photographers to even financial services companies. Demand for space has grown tremendously, and in response, the Navy Yard has announced plans to create another 1.8 million square feet of space for both future and current tenants looking to grow their businesses.
More of what's in store this way
May 20, 2014

Catsimatidis’s 30 Year Development Plan on Myrtle Avenue is Finally Underway

Patience is a virtue; one that billionaire tycoon and former mayoral candidate John Catsimatidis clearly has in droves. Cats demonstrated this when he had the foresight to purchase a block of land on Myrtle Avenue in Fort Greene, over 30 years ago, back when the street was appropriately nicknamed Murder Avenue. Not many people would have seen the value in property in an area where Cats jokes that he had to carry two guns “just in case one of the guns runs out of bullets”. However, Cats saw it as a worthy investment. And boy was he right. A few decades and a change of zoning laws have allowed Cats to turn this once terrifying spot into the building site of 4 residential skyscrapers with retail stores on the ground floor. Not a bad deal for a piece of property purchased for under a million dollars says the understatement of the century.
Learn more about Catsimatidis' development project here
May 20, 2014

10 New York Neighborhoods for Artists Now

It’s become all too common in New York City — artists move into a neighborhood, make it trendy and culturally vibrant, and then are forced out by rising rents. It happened in Greenwich Village, Soho, the East Village, DUMBO, and Williamsburg. Do not be disheartened, though, there are still plenty of artist enclaves with thriving creative communities. Ahead are our ten current frontrunners — some may surprise you!
Where the artists are flocking
May 13, 2014

Works Commence on the BAM North and South Towers in Fort Greene

It's going to be a noisy summer for those living in the BAM Cultural District. Works have started on not one, but two of the glassy towers planned for the area. The two towers will be located at 286 Ashland Place and 590 Fulton Street, and are designed by Ten Arquitectos and FXFOWLE, respectively. Heavy machinery was recently delivered to the sites and excavation has begun. The two projects are part of a major re-haul of the area around BAM into a new cultural hub for Brooklyn.
More on the two towers here
April 29, 2014

Explore the Homes of Brooklyn’s Most Interesting Residents on This Year’s Fort Greene House Tour

Fort Greene is easily one of the most beautiful neighborhoods in all of Brooklyn. With tree-lined streets and plenty of historic homes and churches throughout, just strolling its blocks will usually send you into a state of architectural splendor. This weekend is your chance to take a look inside these incredible spaces. Sponsored by the Fort Greene Association, this ambitious self-guided walking tour offers unique insights into the neighborhood's thriving new cultural district, as well as its coveted homes. See an assortment of townhouses and private residences, including a quirky brownstone featured in an episode of HBO’s hit series Girls!
Find out where to get tickets here