The line of residential towers envisioned for Flatbush Avenue just off the Manhattan Bridge is materializing before our very eyes.   Oro I is fully decked out, and the Toren Condos at 150 Myrtle Ave. are rising to their 38 stories quickly.  Also, below, the first glimpse of Toren’s cladding peeks through–looks nice at this early stage from the shot below from the WiredNY forums. Full rendering of Toren here.

The Downtown Brooklyn Partnership has prepared a cool little animation of how Flatbush is changing – this is one of those planning visions which is actually happening, refreshing.  Check it out here.

Toren’s new cladding.

A quick search on Massey Knakal’s listings site (say that five times fast) revealed several large parcels up for sale around Downtown Brooklyn.  One parcel is four (count ‘em) buildings at 123-129 Livingston Street, yours for only $20 million–pictured above.  The bail bonds and “psychic studio” are not included–the buildings “will be delivered vacant.”  This could be the perfect location for a community center, arts studios, or heck, tear them down and build a park.

If you prefer you could be the proud landlord of Downtown Brooklyn’s Dallas BBQ at 180 Livingston–for only $40 million!  If you were holding out for 300 Schermerhorn, though, you missed your chance, that one’s already sold, you’ll have to make do with buying some air (rights)–up to 150,000 square feet are available floating around CB2, apparantly.  Happy shopping!

It’s official — Downtown Brooklyn is the latest outpost in NYU’s violet empire.  NYU had shuttered its engineering school in the early 70’s but has been looking to get back in the game. The state has now signed off on the schools’ plans to merge, the last hurdle in the legal process.

Technically, this means the Board of Regents of the State Department of Education has approved a plan for “affiliation” whereby Poly will become the “Polytechnic Institute of NYU.”  Within three to five years, it is expected, the schools will consolidate.  Skeptics have said it’s not only Poly’s tech prowess NYU covets, but its $213 million of real estate (according to a 2005 appraisal), including a good deal of air rights.

Welcome to Brooklyn, NYU!

• NYU Poly merger approved (The Real Deal)
• Amendment of the Polytechnic University Charter – Background Information

After a tasteful renovation combining the original tin ceilings with clean, modern fixtures, Monty’s Pizza has opened for business at 90 Livingston St., between Boerum Place and Court Street. The pizza is tasty, they offer delivery, and also offer a variety of sandwiches and salads. Our experience with the staff was very friendly and welcoming — stop by and pay them a visit or call for a pie at (718) 855-0110.

• Brick Oven Pizza Coming to Downtown Brooklyn 

The new condo tower at 200 Livingston under construction by Procida is taking on its final look. The grey tower, also known as Be@Schermerhorn, is almost fully enclosed. The new residents will be a welcome addition to the burgeoning Livingston corridor.

• Livingston Corridor Developing Quickly
• The Future of Livingston Street is Green

It’s been over a year since litter and cracked pavement were the norm along the Boerum Place median. As of today, shrubs and trees will green the street. The workers installing the greenery said that the trees going in include cherry trees, along with the shrubs and evergreens above. The streetlamps you see above are almost all in, adding more of a “boulevard” feel to Brooklyn Bridge Boulevard. Definitely a major improvement.

• Turtle attacked at construction site doing better (GL)
• Trader Joe’s work continues, behind paper (Lost City)
• Open studios in DUMBO, May 15 (Dumbo NYC)
• Green Brooklyn getting into videos (Green Bklyn)
• Bklyn Int’l Film Festival on the Way (GL)
• Red Hook Ikea openig June 18, ferry too (Post)

The blue pig is a native Brooklyn species, generally known to inhabit the wilds of Brooklyn Heights, specifically the Henry Street ecosystem. It now seems to be carving out a new niche in its habitat along Court Street–the above specimen was spotted outside the Busy Chef at 111 Court Street this past weekend. Our research suggests that conditions are good for this pig’s survival–he likes to feed on ice cream, and it is rumored that 18 flavors will be available at this location.

• Map to 111 Court St., Busy Chef

While overshadowed by the House of D (at least for now), we’re happy to see a permit issued on the site at Atlantic and Boerum Place for a 7-story building with 66 residential units (the site is also a.k.a. 97 Boerum Place). The last rendering we could find is below–anyone have more recent info? Meanwhile across Boerum Place at the former BP station, foundations are in place, and the building looks to be coming along nicely.

• Atlantic & Boerum Development Update
• 252 Atlantic Map

Downtown Brooklyn is full of interesting historic architecture, but to many the neighborhood is still unknown, relative to say Brooklyn Heights or Fort Greene. The folks over at the Fulton Mall Improvement Association and Metrotech BID have created an easy guide to check out the area’s better known sites in the form of a walking tour and podcast.

The tour covers the sites of the neighborhood, from Gage & Tollner to Junior’s, and passes through Metrotech. One interesting tidbit is that according to the tour, “the urban department store was invented on Fulton St.”–the south side of the street was protected from the afternoon sun and allowed for viewing the goods easily. Albee Square is also named after Edward Albee’s father, huh. The best line though is where the distinguished historian narrator says in a rich baritone, “the Albee Square Mall was a major staple for urban culture in the 1970s and 80s, and is the topic of a song by old-school rapper, Biz Markie.” Overall, the tour’s theme is that “Downtown Brooklyn has a rich past that you can experience, if you know where to look.” It’s narrated by John Manbeck, editor of the book The Neighborhoods of Brooklyn. Check it out at FMIA’s site.

• Fulton Mall Improvement Association
• More on Downtown Brooklyn’s historic architecture