While the developer at 1508 Avenue Z was prepping their lot for a nine-story building yesterday, these guys were straightening up the long bedraggled property across the street.
Bought in 2005 for almost $7.6 million, this barren piece of crap has sat and done nothing since then. Word is, he’s trying to sell it with plans to build a 14-story building, but we’re told that’s unlikely to ever unfold.
To its credit, the owner – registered as 16 Ave Z LLC – does a fair job keeping the property trimmed and clean. But it’s still blight.
We’re also told efforts to buy the property, or to lease the lot for summery activities like a flea market, have been shot down. The owner apparently wants what can only be described as a shit ton of money.
And for his greed, we all suffer.
A family of stray cats are staking a claim to the garage and attached lot on the corner of Avenue Z and East 16th Street. A group with similar patterns have been seen stalking the grounds, poking through garbage for scraps, and sitting in the sun.
We caught these photos on Tuesday. They’re of two separate cats. They’re pretty handsome, but that doesn’t mean they’re exactly welcome in the neighborhood.
As for the lot – a former garage – it’s been closed for years. It’s a pretty large stretch of space, but we’ve heard whispers that the landlord wants an absurd amount of cash. On top of that, underground fuel tanks have leaked, we’re told, requiring the next owner to clean up before building.
It’s a shame. A bookstore or other business would find that spot purrrfect.
Yeah… I said it.
Too often when we talk about Sheepshead Bay’s gourmet markets, we talk about Cherry Hill Gourmet. That’s too bad, ’cause it means we’ve been ignoring one of our local faves – Sheepshead Bay Gourmet Market on Avenue Z.
Until last week, the business had two locations – a fruit and vegetable market on East 18th Street (also called Sheepshead Bay Fruit & Vegetables Market), and the hot food market at East 16th Street.
The latter has closed for good, workers have confirmed.
It’s too bad, because we never got to extol the virtues of this spot, where you could grab one of the better cups of coffee in the Bay, or pick up a fresh spinach pie in the morning. Sure, you may still be able to grab these items at the back of the fruit and veggie market, but the East 16th Street location had something more going for it: excellent service.
The pair of workers behind the counter – whose names I regret never asking – were always kind and friendly, and always remembered my order. I don’t know if they’ll continue on at the East 18th Street location, but I wish them luck, and thanks for always remembering the hazelnut.
Chrysler L300 on East 16 St.; three tickets & two flat tires, later: still shiny & clean
This post started as just another musing about something seen now and then: a car parked and unmoved for an extended period of time on a public street. It quickly morphed into a series of questions for which I have no real answers.
The car we’re speaking of is a black, luxury sedan, Chrysler L300, with Maryland plates. It has two rear flat tires and it’s on East 16 Street and Avenue Y, parked very close to a hydrant and a sign that says “No Parking Wednesday 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.” for, what seems like, more than a month. Continue Reading »
Last week, when the identity of lower Manhattan’s Sad Panda was revealed in documentarian Michelle Tay’s video, it reminded us of hungry pandas and our local panda food supply. Most of you may know that the black-and-white bears like to eat the shoots, leaves, and crunchy stalks of bamboo plants and in Sheepshead Bay, we appear to have our very own supply.
It’s not the first time that we’ve been reminded of pandas and bamboo. This January, the Smithsonian’s National Zoo in Washington. D.C. said that their resident pandas’ food supply of fresh bamboo was dangerously low, and they issued a request for bamboo from private supplies. At the time, we almost called the zoo to alert them to all the bamboo at the intersection of Avenue X and East 16th Street. Continue Reading »
All around New England, the season has changed and the colors have peaked even “better than ever” (thanks to a wet summer). Leaves turned spectacular deep browns, bright reds, and sharp yellows.
Here, on this dead end street in Sheepshead Bay, my life feels like it’s at a dead end, and the only colors I see are the rusty browns of these garbage can covers and bricks, the bright red of this garage door, and the neon yellow of this old Daffy’s shopping bag. And, oh yeah, the blues of the plastic garbage cans are more Mediterranean, not Northeastern United States fall foliage. Come to think of it, that’s a lot of color.
These people, here, on East 16 Street (near Avenue W) felt I was a flight risk, so they locked me up to this gate. I’m just wondering if they take me for a garbage can — not that there’s anything wrong with garbage cans. Just that I’m not one.
When this Sheepshead Bites journalist came up to me and asked me to pose for a picture, I was very glad to do so. Having snapped “me” in front of the Sheepshead Bay Gourmet Market, I asked for another showing the street in the background.
That’s when my owner walked up and angrily stopped my first photo session. It’s a good thing he didn’t know this picture was already snapped, or he might have grabbed the camera and smashed it. As far as I’m concerned, I don’t mind it if anyone takes my picture, especially since I’m on a public street.
I don’t even know why I stick with this guy. He’s probably not even homeless. He doesn’t tell me much about his life. All I know is he carries a large bunch of keys and dresses not so shabbily. Me? He piles me up with all this stuff and doesn’t even utter a word of thanks. This is not the life I imagined for myself.
Those other shopping carts just down the avenue at the Sheepshead Bay Fruits & Vegetables Market (1717 Avenue Z) are living it up. I just get pushed around with all these bags of unknown stuff. Well, at least I got my portrait taken. Too bad no one can really see me under all that stuff.
The New York Post has reported that the man who was found dead at East 18 Street and Avenue Z was a Gokce Kurckco, a Sheepshead Bay family man of Turkish descent. Little is known about the nature of the killing, but the businessman was known to carry large amounts of cash leading police to consider this to be a murder committed during a robbery.
Here is the information reported by Matt Richardson and Larry Celona:
Dad Slain on Street
A Brooklyn father was killed early yesterday in a brutal and mysterious stabbing attack as he returned home from work, police said.
Gokce Kurkco, 32, was stabbed more than 10 times in the chest, according to authorities.
The Turkish native owned a souvenir shop and kiosk at the South Street Seaport, and he would often carry thousands of dollars in cash after his day’s work.
Cops found no money on his body, which was discovered by a passer-by in an alleyway of a bagel shop near his home.
Authorities said he was attacked after he parked his car and started walking to the nearby apartment building where he lived with his wife and young child.
It appears he ran down the street, possibly pursued by his attackers, before collapsing in a pool of blood.
(Photo courtesy of Brooklyn View)
(Updated 4:11 pm [and again at 4:35])
From the Brooklyn View:
A 32-year-old white man was stabbed to death at 3:30 a.m. on Oct. 21, in Sheepshead Bay. The murder took place on the corner of Ave. Z and E. 17th St.
According to police at the scene, the man was stabbed repeatedly in the stomach, and crawled to the corner of E. 16th and Ave. Z where he succumbed to the injury. There was a blood trail that stretched a block. He was found by a woman lying dead early this morning.
Original Post:
There has been a stabbing death in the area of East 16th street and Avenue Z. A reader wrote in that “A huge portion of Avenue Z, around Bagel Boy and the Sheepshead market, and 16th street to Ave Y was taped off with cops and investigators standing around inside.”
We do not have any more information on this incident, or any photos other than the one above, which we’re not even sure is related to the incident. If you have any more information, please leave it in the comments area or email it to nberke@sheepsheadbites.com. Please send any available photos of the scene. We’ll update readers as we learn more.
