Fierce Animal

Originally uploaded by frogarythm

Looks like the neighborhood dog population is increasing - so much so that the dogs are turning on each other during off-leash hours. One resident reports that her dog was left with serious wounds after a pit bull attack this morning. The President of the park’s pets society sent an email to members saying that this kind of attack is on the increase on account of overcrowding. Meanwhile, the owner of “Bonnie Dolnick” wants to know which dog attacked hers (presumably so she can send the $200 vet bill).

The Onion alerts us to an alarming trend: the aristocratization of the neighborhood. As Fort Greene resident Neil Getz tells the paper:

“Around here, you used to be able to get a Fair-Trade latte and a chocolate-chip croissant for only eight bucks,” said Getz, who is planning to move back in with his parents after being forced out of the lease on his organic grocery store by a harpsichord purveyor. “Now it’s all tearooms and private salon gatherings catered with champagne and suckling pig. Who can afford that

How have you noticed aristocratization changing your block? Any new opera houses or horse drawn carriages or servant’s quarters you’ve noticed recently?

The Brooklyn Flea begins today and is bustling as I type. Not the best day for it—unlike yesterday it’s frosty and gray outside. Lots of purple lips and red noses. The hot waffles stand from Wafels & Dinges was by far the hot spot with a steady line curling down one aisle of the Flea. Have to say: I was slightly underwhelmed by the wares on sale. But let me not focus on the negative so early in the life of the Flea. There were some pretty great jewelry stalls (I was eyeing a few YOVA Design pieces) and a few ladies and lads from Beaver St. Bikes were busy doing repairs. And amid all the hatted browsers and strapped-in babies, the highlight of my day: a number of adorable dogs in bags. Everywhere we turned there was a dog in a bag. Leather totes and canvas “I Am Not a Plastic Bag” bags were sprouting an ear here, a snout there. So we started snapping as stealthily as we could because we realized these people were not just keeping their hounds warm but avoiding retribution from “the authorities” standing at the entrance “enforcing” a scrappy sign on the fence declaring “No Dogs”! We’re pretty sure one young lady carrying her dog with her bare hands got a talking to, but for the most part the “guards” seemed more occupied with analysis of people’s purchases—we overheard one saying, “did you see that dresser? That was ugly.” We got a few good shots though and will be back for more next week. As far as we can tell, the rule of thumb is: No Dogs (Except for Dogs In Bags)

The small book store at the corner of S Oxford and Fulton is closing and the managers are stating a reason: lack of appreciation. Do they mean there was animosity from the neighbors, or is it just about poor sales? The space is owned by the tire shop next door and someone there told us that it fetches $2,200 a month. Wonder if the next business will feel appreciated.

So the space that used to be a Citibank mortgage center on Lafayette and Fulton is set to become a Connecticut Muffin — a new place in the hood to get coffee, though perhaps not a great one, according to the comments in our recent survey. I snapped this on the way to work this morning so didn’t have time to look more closely. Anyone know when it’s slated to open?

Culture critic - and Fort Greene resident - Touré writes an essay in today’s Times about his experience renting an apartment directly across from what he deduced was a crack house on S Oxford St. He noticed that when people passed dollar bills through a window of the house, a bag “filled with something white” soon landed on the sidewalk. Touré writes about his ambivalence about calling the cops. But he made up his made when he moved out and bought an apartment a few blocks away. The cops’ response about this complaint from a concerned homeowner? Email the commissioner. Touré says the crack house is still “chugging along.” Maybe the commissioner will be reading the New York Times.

We’ve always had mixed feelings about Gardel’s Garden: On the one hand, it always had great variety, a lot of charm and was incredibly handy when we needed a new pot or some soil. On the other, the prices tended towards the frustratingly high end. But we’re sad to hear the news that Gardel has sold his place, and that the quirky garden store is going to be turned into residences. (via One Hanson Place)

Update: As DK points out in the comments, Gardel’s closing looks to be only temporary. In his recent ad in the Fort Greene/Clinton Hill/Wallabout journal The Hill, it looks like he will be reopening on the ground floor of the new building:

There’s word that Fort Greene will play host to new independent films again this year as the Sundance film festival comes to BAM. It’s the third time for the festival to come our way with a sample of the films seen publicly only in the mountains of Utah. It opens May 29 with a documentary about American teenagers in Indiana. We’re just wondering one thing: If Sundance is at BAM, where should Slamdance be? Cobble Hill Cinemas?

In what we hope will become a semi-regular feature here, we present our first Fort Greene Guide, a view of the cafes in the hood and their prices. We focused on the three items we figure most people are likely to get: a small coffee, a medium cappuccino or a baked good of some kind. Not every place we went to offers all three — Smooch, for instance, only does Americanos, and the type of available baked good varied widely, from croissants to lemon bars. When possible, though, we asked about that cafe staple, the muffin. Our results are below, but we’ve also made a handy Google Map if you’d prefer the geographic view. [View a Map]

Are you a regular at any of these spots? Leave your feedback in the comments! And if you know of a place we missed, send in your own data and we’ll try to add it to the chart above.

Our area is known for its high concentration of artists. Now the Brooklyn museum is trying to harness the creativity of the borough by holding what it’s calling a “crowd-curated exhibition.” The museum is looking for submissions from anyone who calls themselves an artist (but they won’t be looking for credentials). The one stipulation: submissions should capture “the changing faces of Brooklyn.” They’re taking submissions until the end of March. We’ve high hopes for this experiment in crowdsourced art.