Brooklyn Abandoned!

1) What does it take to lure a diehard Brooklynite back to the land of taxis, Times Square and tourists? A slight drop in rents! "Newly minted Manhattanites range from 30-somethings seeking a professional edge through a shorter commute, to out-of-work recent graduates who think they can get a better deal on the Upper East Side than in the usual post-college enclaves of Williamsburg and Fort Greene," writes Michael Grynbaum. Says an ex-Bushwickite, "When you go to Manhattan, there's an air of selling out. I've accepted that." ['Manhattan Calling']

2) After tripping over a sidewalk wheelchair ramp cut into the cobblestone courtyard of One Beacon Court (right), breaking her wrist, a woman and her husband (they've since sold their apartment in the building and purchased a $7.9 million penthouse in the Brompton) filed a $1 million lawsuit. They allege that "Steven Roth, the chairman of Vornado Realty Trust, personally selected the paving stones and intentionally put the architect's vision and aesthetics ahead of safety." [Big Deal/'Twists and Turns']

3) A follow-up to the missed deadline and buyers backing out situation at Linden78 on the Upper West Side. Josh Barbanel reports that the developer was required to close on at least one unit by April 1, and they tried to sneak one in, closing the day before the deadline. But the building had no temporary certificate of occupancy, so it didn't count. Naughty naughty! ['Big Deal/Domino Effect']

4) Freshly rentable One Brooklyn Bridge Park is holding an art show in its lobby and four unoccupied units, called, heh, "spctclr vws." One of the artists exhibiting (all the work is for sale, with 100% going to the artist) is OBBP's broker, Mary Mihelic, who says, "Artists have a mixed relationship with real estate." Can repeatedly getting priced out of neighborhoods they make real-estate friendly really be called a "mixed" relationship? [Posting/'Like Art? You’ll Love Our Condos']

5) Hotel developer Sam Chang's plan to demolish the White House hotel and build something new at 338 Bowery is still being considered by the Landmarks Preservation Commission, and three tenants in one of the last Skid Row flophouses have recently taken buyouts. Still, 18 tenants remain, and they're something of a zoo exhibit. [The City/'A Living Museum of Sad Stories']

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