There is something about Peter Shelsky, owner of Shelsky's on Smith Street, that you may not know. Not only is he the best purveyor of smoked fish on this side of the Brooklyn Bridge, he is also a self proclaimed 'a cappella nerd'.
"As a student at Colgate University, I was in the Colgate 13 , the school’s all-male a cappella group. "It is something that I love and a tradition of which I am very proud to be a member," he wrote to me in a recent email.
As part of one of their frequent tours, the current members of the Colgate 13, the third oldest collegiate a cappella group in the country, are in New York this week-end. On Saturday afternoon, they stopped by Peter's shop at 251 Smith Street to sing a few songs for Shelsky's customers and passers-by.
Of course, Peter joined in. It was great fun listening to them. They are pretty amazing.
After lunch, the group was going to head to Carroll Park for a few more tunes.
And Peter, I am impressed!
***UPDATE***
The group never made it to Carroll Park after Peter plied them with platters of smoked fish at his house.
I can't say I blame them.
5 Şubat 2013 Salı
Colgate 13 A Cappella Group Visits Shelsky's On Smith Street
How One Block On Smith Street In Carroll Gardens Became Such An Eye Sore
Rite Aid at 320 Smith Street at President Street
"I want to suggest you do a post on the abandonded lot next to Rite Aid on Smith Street. I am shocked at how much garbage has accumulated there and how nobody seems to be raising a stink about how ugly this whole block looks. Does Rite Aid own this lot? If not who does and could you find out their contact information? They should just tear down that fence or market it to someone who could do something creative with the space (as long as they fix it up)."
Agreed. The block between President Street and Union Streets on Smith Street is a real disgrace. I had ment to write something about the situation for a while, but the email finally prompted me to take the photos above and to research the history of that particular block a bit further.
The way this block appeared in 1928
From the later part of the1800's to the 1930's this stretch of Smith Street between President and Court Street held a few two- and three- brownstones with storefronts on the ground floor, very much like the buildings that still exist across the street. Behind them, on President Street across Carroll Park was the old St. Marin Church. All the houses, including the church, were taken down when the subway tunnel was built underneath Smith Street in the '30's.
The resulting empty lot was used by La Scala Motors for decades. In 1998, the land was sold to a Mr. Robert Ull of Ulltra Car Park, Inc., who operated a parking lot on that spot for just a bit over a year.
Shortly afterwards, in 1999, the community was informed that Mr. Ull, together with John Genovese, was planning to build a Genovese drug store on that site. The architect for the project was Joel Miele.
Excavation work began in May 1999, before proper permits were in place . Almost immediately, a stop-work order was issued by the Metropolitan Transit Authority to give the MTA time to examine the developer's plans.
From a Community Notice circulated from that time:
"The original proposal was designed to rest over the MTA subway tunnel along Smith Street. It was to consist of a 10,000 square foot rental store for genovese Drugs and two or three much smaller stores occupying the narrow Union Street end. One proposal was to include two floors of rental units to be built over the Union Street portion.
The MTA rejected a proposal for cantilevering the structure over the subway tunnel. The developer Robert Ull, decided that the only cost-effective way of constructing the building was to move the front wall back from the subway easement along Smith Street. He reconfigured the floor plan to give Genovese the 10,000 square feet. He could not build the smaller stores on the Union Street end at all, since without the MTA easement he would have only ten feet from the building behind.
Instead, he added a second story to the main building to be used for five rental apartments, accessed from President Street.
Since the single lot at the corner of Union Street and Smith Street will not be built on, Mr. Ull is planning to find use for it as a garden nursery, or some other such commercial use as would not require the construction of a permanent building."
The Genovese store with 5 apartments was completed in 2001. Shortly afterwards, Genovese was sold to the Florida-based Eckerd Corporation, which in turn was sold to Rite Aid in 2007.
The narrow strip at Union and Smith Street was left untended. In the mid-2000, a few metal booths and a tent were placed at that corner. The Brooklyn Indie Market operated a week-end and holiday market there until 2010.
These days, Rite Aid seems to be using the ripped tent to store old shelving and empty cans.
The metal booths have slowly rusted away and have been graffitied. Trash has steadily accumulated along the entire strip, including in the tree pits in front of Rite Aid.
It is hard to determine who is to blame, the drug store or the owner(s) of the property. One thing is for sure: it would not take much to ameliorate the situation. The community should certainly push for the tent and the booths to be removed if they will no longer be used.
I love the original idea of having a nursery there. What about you?
Below are two proposals for the development from 1999, including the originally planned stores for the strip close to Union Street.
Poppy's Catering Coming To DeGraw Street Space Formerly Occupied By Sadie's Kitchen
Over the week-end, I received two separate emails from PMFA readers Abigail and Ariane letting me know that after months of inactivity, there seemed to be some movement at the former Sadie's Kitchen.
The cute 1950's style diner at 243 DeGraw Street between Clinton and Court Street closed its doors back in April 2012 for a 'spring remodel', but never re-opened. (Before that, it was the home of Chicory.)
I walked by the place yesterday and saw that the windows have been papered over. I almost missed a tiny little embossed label taped to one window, indication a web address: www.poppyscatering.com.
From Poppy's Catering & Events website:
"Jamie Schmones Erickson opened Poppy's in 2012 after working as City Bakery's Catering + Events manager. Over the last several years, Jamie has produced and catered for companies such as J.Crew, Gilt, Vanity Fair, and Coach, as well as numerous other corporate + private clients.
Poppy's Catering + Events believes in using the top quality, seasonal ingredients, local purveyors, and working with knowledgeable, reliable staff. Keeping things simple, rustic and delicious is our mission.
As a fourth generation New Yorker, Jamie named Poppy's after her Grandfather, Leo, who was a well known counterman at NYC's infamous B+H Dairy. Food and hospitality has always been in her blood and with Poppy's Jamie hopes to continue his legacy.
Poppy's is available for drop off catering in your home, office, or on set, as well as full service catering for corporate events, weddings, showers, etc. handling all details from the staffing to the decor."
The space on DeGraw Street seems ideal for a catering business. There is no indication yet on whether there will be food service to the general public in addition to catering. If not, that would be a real pity. The food offering looks great.
Best Comment Of the Day: Torn Retail Fabric
Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "How One Block On Smith Street In Carroll Gardens Became Such An Eye Sore":
The Smith St. storefronts being used as storage between Sackett and Union are a HUGE problem. While they may be a short term win for individual landlords, they are terrible for other landlords and business owners on the street. If I owned property or an operational storefront near that stretch, I'd grab a pitchfork and try to run those bum landlords out of town. These empty storefronts are crushing the ability of local business owners to be their most successful.
It's simple: retail works best when it's around other retail. To the extent the retail fabric is torn -- either through vacant lots or empty storefronts -- than retail will be less successful. That's what's happening here. (There's a clear counterfactual: three blocks north on Smith St., retail is thriving.)
As long as demand for retail is depressed (and as long as depressed rents fail to attract developers) than the empty lots will remain, the crappy tents on Union and Smith won't go anywhere, and storeowners and landlords on this stretch of Smith will suffer.
So, again, get to it CB6.
Charlotte Carowinds Hiring 2100 Workers
Candidates can submit online applications at www.jobs4fun.com or apply in person at the Carowinds Employment Office on Catawba Trade near Carowinds Blvd. The employment office is open 7 days a week.
Carowinds Employment Office Hours
Monday – Saturday: 9am to 5pm
Sundays: 10am to 5pm
Jobs are available in admissions, aquatics, cash services, entertainment, food and beverage, games, guest services, merchandise, marketing, rides, security, and warehouse positions.
3 Ocak 2013 Perşembe
Don't Miss "A Christmas Carol", A Radio Play By Smith Street Stage
Want to do something truly wonderful and festive for the Holidays right here in Carroll Gardens?
Then get your tickets for "A Christmas Carol", currently being performed at the Robert Acido Park House in Carroll Park.
Smith Street Stage, a theatre group based in Carroll Gardens, has adapted Charles Dickens' perennial classic into a live radio play set in the 1930's and have transformed the park house into an intimate little playhouse, complete with period decor, christmas lights and sparkling tree. Seven actors slip effortlessly into the roles of thirty-four characters and take turns creating special sound effects to accentuate the tale.
The actors are superb. Patrick McCarthy plays mean-spirited miser Ebenezer Scrooge who amends his avaricious ways to perfection. Charlie Kravits is a wonderful Tiny Tim and Jonathan Hopkins' portrayal of kind-hearted over-worked, under appreciated clerk Bob Cratchit is just right.
In the past, Smith Street Stage has brought 'Romeo and Juliet', 'Macbeth' and "Twelfth Night" to Carroll Park.
Smith Street Stage Presents: Charles Dickens' "Christmas Carol" at the Robert Acito park house in Carroll ParkCorner of President Street and Smith Street
Starring: Patrick McCarthy, Susanna Baddiel, Jessica Weiss, Charlie Kravits, Pete Mc Elligott, Sam Rosenberg and Jonathan Hopkins
December 14th, 7:00 p.m.December 15th, 5:00 and 7:00 p.m.December 16th, 5:00 p.m
Tickets are $10 for adults, $8 for children.
To buy your tickets, click here http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/289393
In PMFA's Mailbox: Stockpiling Mail
A Carroll Gardens reader contacted me to find out if others in the neighborhood have had trouble receiving their mail in the last few weeks. She writes:
"There was a lot of talk at our book club about the mail problems post-Sandy. We are not getting a good deal of our mail, especially magazines. And a number of us have had problems mailing out checks but the recipients still not receiving them weeks later.What's up with the post office? Where are they stockpiling all this mail? Should we be hand delivering our Christmas cards?"The Red Hook post office at 615 Clinton Street was closed for a while after the storm, which certainly delayed some mail delivery.
I have been trying to contact the post office to make sure that they are back to normal, but have only gotten a busy signal.
Has anyone else had issues with mail delivery lately?