Rendering courtesy of Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates

Plans to build a public plaza under the Brooklyn Bridge that will connect the Brooklyn Heights and Dumbo sections of the waterfront park are moving forward. The Landmarks Preservation Commission last week approved designs from the Brooklyn Bridge Park Corporation and Micahel Van Valkenburgh Associates to transform a currently fenced-off lot into a two-acre civic space. The project is the final section of the park; construction began in 2008 and has been opening in phases over the last decade.

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 90 Sands Street from Brooklyn Bridge; Courtesy of Breaking Ground

The New York City Council last week voted to approve plans to convert a Brooklyn hotel formerly owned by the Jehovah’s Witnesses into an affordable housing complex with 508 units. Developed by nonprofit Breaking Ground, the project at 90 Sands Street in Dumbo sets aside 305 apartments for formerly homeless New Yorkers, with the remaining 203 rentals priced below market-rate. Breaking Ground plans to renovate the existing 29-story building and add a public plaza along Jay Street.

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Photo: Time Out/Ali Garber

Ever since Instagram made popular Midtown bar 230 Fifth’s rooftop “igloos” an international sensation, other drinking and dining establishments have been hopping on the dome train, too. The latest comes from Dumbo’s Time Out Market food hall, where guests can enjoy a special wintery cocktail menu in an enclosed bubble overlooking the Manhattan Bridge and skyline. Called the Rooftop Iglounge, the three domes are available on a first-come basis and can each accommodate eight guests.

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Photo credit: Nico Schinco courtesy of Soho House Dumbo House.

The ever-expanding Soho House brand added a Dumbo, Brooklyn “house” to its collection of exclusive, design-savvy members’ club locations in 2018. As Dezeen reports, this summer the hospitality hotspot heats up even more with a new rooftop lounge that features a pop-up taco eatery, Siete. A laid-back retro feel to the decor complements the location’s jaw-dropping river and bridge views with bright tropical hues like those used by celebrated Mexican architect Luis Barragán.

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Rendering by Edward M. Weinstein Architecture + Planning, courtesy of the LPC

Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory will open a new stand in Dumbo, just steps from its former home at Fulton Ferry Landing. After 17 years of operation in the landmarked Marine Fire Boat Station, the ice cream shop was not chosen by the Brooklyn Bridge Park during last year’s request for proposals process. Instead, the organization went with Ample Hills Creamery as the building’s new tenant. But according to Brooklyn Eagle, Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory filed plans with the Landmarks Preservation Commission to open a new stand across the street from its old home.

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All map images courtesy of Macy’s

The talented folks behind the hotly anticipated Macy’s Fourth of July live fireworks spectacular happening next Thursday evening have provided a detailed guide to the prime Manhattan spots for watching the night sky light up. Read on to get the scoop on official viewing points–and some unofficial favorites–and use the interactive map to make sure you’re in the right place when the pyrotechnics start at the Brooklyn Bridge.

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The Brooklyn Flea under the Archway. Photo: Noemie Trusty, courtesy of Dumbo Improvement District.

On Friday, June 21, Brooklyn’s Dumbo neighborhood will be celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Archway under the Manhattan Bridge–the “UMBO” of Dumbo (Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass), so to speak. The Archway–one of the only covered outdoor spaces in New York City—has for the past decade served as the neighborhood’s town square, giving hundreds of thousands of residents and visitors a prime public place for large-scale events, community gatherings, film shoots, art exhibitions and local start-up events. In celebration, expect food, music and visual arts exhibitions befitting a neighborhood with Dumbo’s unique creative history.

Ahead, a transformation

Originally a warehouse building run by Kirkman & Son Soap Company, 50 Bridge Street in Dumbo was converted into loft condos in 2004 but retained much of its historic character. Those details are on full display in this south-facing loft, featuring two full walls of exposed brick and original columns. Currently configured as an open layout studio filled with rustic, western decor, the space measures just over 1,000 square feet and could easily be converted into a one-bedroom by its new owners. The square footage combined with a coveted location in the landmarked district of Dumbo earns this unit it’s $1,250,000 asking price.

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Rendering by Starling Architecture

The Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) on Tuesday gave mixed reviews for a proposed new concession pavilion outside of the landmarked fireboat station at the Fulton Ferry Landing. The proposal, chosen last December by the Brooklyn Bridge Park (BBP), includes constructing an outdoor restaurant and bar that would connect to an adjacent utility shed and sit in front of the two-story fireboat station, previously home to the Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory. While Alex and Miles Pincus, the operators of the proposed space, designed the outdoor concession to be simple and airy, some LPC commissioners expressed concern over the structure possibly blocking views of Manhattan and the need to keep the space as open as possible.

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