IKEA is about to realize its dream of building its first store in New York City next to the loading docks of Red Hook, Brooklyn. Last week, the Swedish furniture manufacturer and its brokers announced that IKEA has purchased a 48-acre Brooklyn waterfront site from U.S. Dredging Corp. for $31.25 million. The retail giant plans to build a 346,000 s/f store and 1,400 parking spaces on the land, in addition to creating a waterfront esplanade and providing ferry service to and from Manhattan.   "IKEA Red Hook is poised to become one of the most important economic development projects in Brooklyn in decades, and we can't wait to invest in the borough, its residents and its future," proclaims the promo on the company's official Red Hook website. But while IKEA executives must be overjoyed to f... 04/15/2007

Sheepshead Bay, named for the fish that used to be abundant there, has been occupied by Europeans since the 1640s when English noblewoman Lady Deborah Moody planned the village of Gravesend which borders it. Sheepshead Bay is a bay separating the mainland of Brooklyn, New York City from the eastern portion of Coney Island, the latter originally a barrier island but now effectively an extension of the mainland with peninsulas both east and west. Sheepshead Bay is located at 40°15′N, 72°57′W. The bay itself was originally the easterly entrance to Coney Island Creek but filling of the central part of this waterway during the 1930s in conjunction with construction of the Shore Parkway portion of the Belt Parkway eliminated access to the creek. At the same time the bay was widened at its wes... 04/15/2007

"By the end of 2008, 6,100 families in Brooklyn could be at risk of losing their homes" The next two years could leave thousands of Brooklynites homeless, as the aftermath spawned by a "rogue" industry comes to light, a federal lawmaker recently warned. A rash of foreclosures fueled by subprime mortgages is the cause, according to Senator Charles Schumer. And for many, the future could be grim. Schumer's analysis showed that in the next two years, 91,000 families will be at risk of foreclosure because of these lending practices. In the New York Metropolitan area alone, an estimated 53,000 families will see their mortgages reset to onerous rates, he said. "The bottom line here is that the subprime bust is leading us right into a foreclosure boom, and thousands of Brooklyn residents will ... 04/14/2007

On Sunday, BrooklynSpeaks, the milder of two coalitions fighting Atlantic Yards, will rally to stop what it says will be a repeat of history: premature clearing of the area around Atlantic and Flatbush avenues. Above is the picture they are sending out on postcards showing the area just north of the site, which was flattened in the 1980's and stayed that way for several years. Forest City Ratner is getting ready to demolish buildings on two blocks to make way for parking lots that construction workers working on other parts of the Atlantic Yards project could use. Eventually, those lots will be turned into apartment buildings, but it could take 10 to 20 years. I find this a gross misuse of the quality land down in that area.     Luke Constantino Commercial | ResidentialRE/MAX at THE SLO... 04/14/2007

For 125 years, Holy Name Church has stood sentinel over Windsor Terrace, Brooklyn as the community has grown from a poor hillside community dotted with farms and orchards, stables and small frame houses to the thriving and desirable residential neighborhood of 16,000 we know today.  (Holy Name Church: 245 Prospect Park West)   This part of New York has a very long history. What is now Windsor Terrace came into existence some 12,000 years ago, at the end of the last ice age. During the Pleistocene era 1.5 million years ago, a great iceberg called the Wisconsin ice sheet covered all of New York City. During its formation, this ice sheet pushed along rocks and boulders, forming a high ridge where it stopped advancing. This ridge is called a terminal moraine, and it forms the backbone of Lo... 04/09/2007

Gravesend (pronounced "GRAVES end", not "grave SEND") is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Brooklyn, USA. It is bordered by Bensonhurst, Sheepshead Bay, and Coney Island. The name is derived from the Dutch "grafe ende," which means "the end of the grove." However, many speculate that the namesake of Gravesend comes from many roads that intersect the Washington Cemetery located in the area, between 65th Street, Bay Parkway and Ocean Parkway. Gravesend was one of the original towns in the Dutch colony of New Netherland and became one of the six original towns of Kings County in colonial New York. It was the only English chartered town in what became Kings County and was designated the "Shire Town" when the English assumed control, as it was the only one where records could be... 04/09/2007

Brooklyn (named after the Dutch city Breukelen) is one of the five boroughs of New York City. An independent city until its consolidation into New York in 1898, Brooklyn is New York's most populous borough, with nearly 2.5 million residents.[1] If all five boroughs were independent cities, Brooklyn would rank as the third most populous city in the United States, behind Los Angeles and Chicago. Brooklyn is coterminous with Kings County, which is the most populous county in New York State, and the second most densely populated county in the United States[2] (after New York County, which is coterminous with Manhattan).   (If you know Brooklyn, you know where this is. Need a hint? Near "The River Café".)     Though a part of New York City, Brooklyn maintains a distinct character of its own.... 04/08/2007

Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass - DUMBO for short - is coming of age.   Some say it has already made it, eclipsing many of Brooklyn's premier neighborhoods. The days of cheap artist lofts and workspaces are fading fast, with multi-million dollar condos and coops sprouting all over the gritty cobblestoned landscape. When Starbucks arrived, the locals knew the neighborhood was in for a roller coaster ride.    Onto the scene, a newcomer has arrived to try to bring some order into the wave of businesses and the problems associated with unbridled growth. The formation of the DUMBO Improvement District is seen by many as a major step forward in the development of DUMBO.   Tucker Reed, the Improvement District's inaugural Executive Director, comes from a small business background, hav... 04/02/2007

  A lot of people ask me "Why should I come to Brooklyn, Luke?" My answer to them is "Why shouldn't you?" There are a lot of things to do here! Here are a few:   Brooklyn Museum of Art Located in central Brooklyn, the second-largest art museum in New York City, and one of the largest in the United States, it houses a prestigious collection of work from ancient Egyptian masterpieces to contemporary art covering almost every culture an art lover could dream of.   http://www.brooklynmuseum.org/     Brooklyn Botanic Garden A hot spot for proposals and weddings, the gardens are 52 acres of magnificent flora and fauna provide the perfect romantic background.  In late spring, the well-known Cranford Rose Garden features tens of thousands of roses flowing down arches, climbing up lattices and s... 04/01/2007

I try to keep as up to date on all the curent issues going on in my home.  Here is a pretty accurate update on what's going on in our Borough of Brooklyn. You know that Brooklyn has truly become cool when it rates a Trader Joe's. The chic grocery, which draws repeat customers who are addicted to its exclusive foodstuffs at reasonable prices, is likely to be opening in Brooklyn sometime soon, according to Borough President Marty Markowitz, who updated residents of southwestern Brooklyn on changes in the borough during a joint meeting of the 62nd and 68th Precincts' community councils. "What I believe is that Trader Joe's will be in Brooklyn shortly," Markowitz said, addressing the enthusiastic crowd gathered at St. Frances Cabrini, 86th Street and 16th Avenue. He would not, however, say ... 04/01/2007

In the beginning of May last year there was a very large fire in the Greenpoint section of Brooklyn: http://www.gothamist.com/2006/05/03/greenpoint_term.php They say Leszek Kuczera started the fire when he was clearing brush at a campground more than 80 miles northwest of New York City when the 10-alarm fire broke out at the former Greenpoint Terminal Market in Brooklyn on May 2. http://www.1010wins.com/pages/47508.php?contentType=4&contentId=159247 "I never told them I did it," Kuczera, 59, said through a translator. "They must have misunderstood." Alot of landmarked buildings were destroyed. If you have ever been in this area of Brooklyn and saw the view from here : It is amazing. Now this is what's going up in it's place: http://www.curbed.com/archives/2006/05/30/greenpoint_after_the... 04/01/2007

How many poor suckers fell for that years ago? Well... (Sucker!!!) IT"S NOT FOR SALE!!! But it is a beautiful bridge with a lot of history and a beautiful view of Manhattan as well as Brooklyn. The Brooklyn Bridge It is Roebling's 1840 patent for the in-situ spinning of wire rope that has to be recognized as one of the decisive breakthroughs in modern suspension bridge technology. This patent brought John Roebling a commission to build a cable-suspended, wooden aqueduct over the Allegheny River in 1845. Roebling built a number of such aqueducts before receiving two major bridge commissions in his mid-career: his 821-foot-span Niagara rail bridge of 1841-55 and his 1,000-foot span Cincinnati Bridge of 1856-67; both of which were prototypes for the 1,600 foot Brooklyn Bridge, whose constr... 04/01/2007

1. Garden Cafe 620 Vanderbilt Ave, Prospect Heights, NY 11238 · 718-857-8863 Avg. Entrée:  $$$16 - $30  Reservations:  Recommended Dress:  BCBC: Business Casual   BROOKLYN. Sometimes - in the pursuit of good food - it's worth venturing out a bit. That's certainly the case with Prospect Heights' Garden Cafe. Not at all caught up in the hubbub of the Manhattan dining scene, this cozy corner spot marches to its own beat (skillfully led by owner-chef John Policastro) and goes about the business of serving New American dishes that earn resounding approval from regulars and newbies alike. Best of all, the prices are more than reasonable, easily making this one of the borough's best deals.   2. River Café 1 Water St, Brooklyn Bridge, Brooklyn, NY 11201 · 718-522-5200 Avg. Entrée:  $$$$$50+  Re... 03/29/2007

It's been a long debated issue ...   (One of the wild Brooklyn Parrots eating pizza... Yes, we really have wild parrots here in this concrete jungle!)   Who has the best pizza in NYC?   Good guess... Yes, Brooklyn!   Now the hardest task of them all: Which one is number one? I have a few places which I've been to that will be my top 4 Pizza joints in America! (Yes, I have been to almost all the pizza joints in NYC and the famous ones all over the country, even Chicago :-P)     L&B Spumoni Gardens in Bensonhurst:   http://www.spumonigardens.com/     Totonno's in Coney Island: http://www.number1innewyork.com/Dining/Totonnos_Pizza.asp     Di Fara's Pizza in Midwood http://www.sliceny.com/archives/2004/01/di_fara.php     Grimaldi's Pizza Under The Brooklyn Bridge (The one in Hoboken, N.J. i... 03/28/2007

Dyker Heights is a neighborhood in the southwestern part of the borough of Brooklyn in New York City, USA. It is sandwiched between Bay Ridge, Bensonhurst, and Gravesend Bay (Lower New York Bay). Dyker Heights is bounded to the west by 7th Avenue, to the north by 65th Street, to the east by 14th Avenue, and to the south by Gravesend Bay. The Dyker Beach Golf Course extends to the Belt Parkway. Dyker Park Its population is comprised mostly of Italian-Americans and, most recently, Asian-Americans (largely Chinese). Its main commercial street is 13th Avenue (also known as "Dyker Heights Boulevard"), consisting mainly of gourmet food shops. The neighborhood is best known for the extravagant Christmas decorations erected by its residents each year. Although not all residents can be labeled w... 03/27/2007

I Have this linked to about 3-4 of my sites. Many of you in real estate know these things so this is mainly for the consumer: 7 COSTLY MISTAKES To Avoid When Selling Your Home If you're deciding to sell your home, chances are you're caught up in a host of emotions. You may be looking forward to moving into another house or maybe you're encountering some financial difficulties. Maybe you're just heading out of the neighborhood. No matter what your circumstances, there are some definite practical matters that you need to address during this time. Being prepared for the process of selling your home is extremely important and being aware of the pitfalls during this time will help you make the process smoother. The first decision to keep in mind is whether you'll sell your house yourself (ca... 03/26/2007

Sunset Park is a neighborhood in the southern Brooklyn section of Brooklyn, New York, USA. The neighborhood is located south of Park Slope and Windsor Terrace, separated by Green-Wood Cemetery and the Prospect Expressway/NY-27, while 65th Street and the Gowanus Expressway/I-278 mark the end of the community before Bay Ridge further south. The community extends westward from Borough Park at 9th Avenue, all the way to the piers of Brooklyn's waterfront and the Brooklyn Army Terminal. There is a namesake city park within the neighborhood, located between 41st and 44th Streets and 5th and 7th Avenues, which is the second highest point in Brooklyn. The hilly terrain of the park affords visitors magnificent views of Downtown Brooklyn and the Brooklyn Bridge, Lower Manhattan and the Statue of ... 03/26/2007

The busiest street in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn is 18th Avenue.  There is everything you would need here stretching from 60th all the way to Bath Avenue.  My picks for the 2 best Asian food places are:  Hand Pull Noodle and Dumpling House - 7201 18th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11204 (718) 232-6191 If you stop by, tell them I sent you. Get the house special bowl!!   World Tong  - 6202 18th Avenue Brooklyn NY 11204 - (718)236-8118 This is one of the best Dim Sum places in NYC! In Bensonhurst? Yes! If you are going Sunday morning get there early (10 AM). The place gets busy quick, but I feel it's part of World Tong's Sunday morning charm.   Italian food?  Where do I start? Let me keep it simple by giving the 2 best restaurants and pizza places: Gino's Focacceria - (718)-232-9073,  7118 18th Ave., Brook... 03/26/2007

Brooklyn Heights is a neighborhood within the New York City borough of Brooklyn; originally designated through popular reference as 'Brooklyn Village', it has, since 1834, become a prevalent area of the Brooklyn borough. As of 2000, the Brooklyn Heights sustained a population of 22,493 people. The neighborhood is part of Brooklyn Community Board 2.     Brooklyn Heights stretches from Fulton Street near the Brooklyn Bridge south to Atlantic Avenue and from the East River east to Court Street and Cadman Plaza. Adjacent neighborhoods are : DUMBO, Downtown Brooklyn, Cobble Hill and Boerum Hill. It is the part of Brooklyn closest to Lower Manhattan[citation needed], directly across the East River, and easily accessible via the Downtown and multiple subway lines. The area was heavily fortifie... 03/22/2007

A view of the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge (Brooklyn College)Bensonhurst derives its name from Arthur W. Benson, the former president of Brooklyn Gas, who in 1835 began buying farmland that formerly belonged to the Polhemuses family. Between 1835 and 1850 Benson divided the farmland into lots that were sold in the following decades as part of the newly created suburb of Bensonhurst[1].   In the early 1900s, many Jews and Italians moved into the neighborhood, and prior to World War II the neighborhood was about equally Jewish and Italian. In the 1950s, there was an influx of immigrants from southern Italy and most of the Jewish population left the neighborhood, leaving the area predominantly Italian. In the 1990s, many Chinese and Russian immigrants began to arrive. Today, the Italian Americ... 03/22/2007