110 Livingston News & Blog

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The facade you see above at 161 Livingston (at Smith St.) is right now completely covered in plywood–the New Apollo Restaurant is getting a total makeover, as described in inimitable buildings-speak in the DOB filings:

RENOVATE EXISTING RESTAURANT W/ SEATING LAYOUT,INTERIOR FINSHES,CEILING AND INTERIOR PARTITIONS.

INTERIOR DEMO OF NON LOAD BEARING WALLS, CEILINGS, FLOORING FINISHED, GYPSUM BOARD, FURNITURE, BOOTHS AND SEATING. REMOVAL OF EXTERIOR STORE FRONT, DOORS AND ROOLDOWN GATES.

We hope that if there’s a new sign, it’s at least as cool as the old one.

• New Apollo Restaurant on UrbanSpoon, MenuPages, Yelp
• Complete DOB application

Photo by hugemanatees

• img_2813-medium.jpgArmando’s is Closing (Lost City)
• Bach’s St. Matthew Passion at Church of St. Ann today (Gowanus Lounge)
• Sad Goodbye to Magnetic Field (Brooklyn Heights Blog)
• Update on the Brooklyn Greenway (Green Brooklyn)
• Nine more townhomes for State St., Schermerhorn House gets skin (Brownstoner)
• No Congestion Pricing without Permit Parking (BDE, Dennis Holt)
• Brooklyn’s creative neighborhoods threatened? (NYO)
• NYU Lands in Bklyn (Brooklyn Paper)
• Dumbo Then & Now: Jay & Front Sts. (DumboNYC)
• Where art thou Amy Ruth’s? (Lost City)
• Cute Seal Visits Red Hook (Brownstoner)
• Walentas Building Illegal Cabanas on Atlantic Ave.? (Brooklyn Paper)

Photo courtesy Joel

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According to the Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy, construction (in the form of demolition) has begun on the roughly 80-acre waterfront park. The conservancy calls this the “first major site work on the Piers section of the future Brooklyn Bridge Park.” Along with the planned Willoughby Square park, the area will be getting some welcome additional green space.

See more on the park plan from the conservancy.

• Park Construction Begins (BBPC.org)

Belltel Lofts

The Belltel Lofts building at 365 Bridge Street is a designated landmark and one of Downtown Brooklyn’s architectural jewels–it was built by renowned architect Ralph Walker, a pioneer in Art Deco skyscraper design whose other works including the imposing Barclay-Vesey Building and the elegant One Wall Street. The tower first served as the headquarters for operations of the New York Telephone Co. on Long Island. The building has been converted from office space for Verizon into luxury residential condominiums, which are currently on sale.

A tipster sent us the below shots of some of the details inside Belltel Lofts–many of the original fixtures appear still untouched.

It remains to be seen what the final plans are for the lobby–hopefully most of this character can be preserved. More photos (including the cool retro “cloak room” door) after the jump.

• Belltel Lofts blog
• Belltel Lofts (developer’s site)

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The preliminary work is done, the sidewalks widened, trees have been cut down, and now the long-promised (re)greening of Boerum Place is actually happening.

The above photo shows what appears to be a significant widening of the median between Joralemon/Fulton Streets and Livingston, and the work looks like it’s proceeding quickly.

• More on the plans from the DOT’s Greater Downtown Brooklyn Transportation Improvements