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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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
