Manhattan borough president Gale Brewer is planning to introduce legislation that would require landmark review for any building over 50 years old that developers plan to demolish, Crain’s reports. The move, though understandably inspired in part by the pending demolition of Rizzoli bookstore, seems a bit an overreaction.
Barclays Arena will be getting a green roof, The Wall Street Journal reports. How very Brooklyn! But maybe Forest City Ratner ought to focus on those housing towers and the platform that are way behind schedule and hold off on such bells and whistles until later?
Mice love cronuts too! DNAinfo reports that Dominique Ansel’s cronut bakery has been shut down by the health department for a “rampant rodent problem.” The bakery claims that it was just the one mouse that was shown in an online video. Either way, might this mean the end of the cronut craze?
Speaking of things past their once-delightful prime: Brick Underground talks to Soho residents who basically confirm that besides being obscenely expensive, Soho is a miserable place to live: a place where you can’t sleep, buy groceries, get delivery, shop without encountering hordes of tourists. Basically, you know that you’re in trouble one of the best things about your neighborhood is the Chobani Greek yogurt store. “It’s all kind of scenery. You want to step away from this place to have a social life,” says one resident.
If you were wondering what that smoky smell was this morning, it’s a large brush fire at a New Jersey state park, Gothamist reports. The smoke has drifted north and east, blanketing areas of Staten Island and Brooklyn.
Long-time Italian enclave Bath Beach has seen a demographic shift in recent years, morphing into a Chinese neighborhood, Crain’s reports. “Today, it’s far easier to find a restaurant serving Peking duck than pizza and pasta.”
Also seeing change—the dining scene on 57th Street, where fancy eateries are moving to the street in anticipation of the impending billionaire boom, according to the Daily News. We guess no one told them that those new residents don’t actually plan to live in their fancy condos?
Speaking of restaurants, opponents of the tony eatery cleared to open in Union Square Park are still trying to stop the plan, according to the Post, despite having lost their legal battle. Their latest move? Delivering a petition to Bill de Blasio. Mayor de Blasio has bigger problems to worry about: i.e., the fact that in order to meet his affordable housing goals he will have to build or preserve 55 units a day for the next ten years, according to The Wall Street Journal—a number that he is already behind on.
For the history buffs: Atlantic Cities has photos that show what Richmond looked like after Confederate troops burned the city down to keep the Union Army out.
