Neighborhood blogger Katia Kelly says there's plenty to explore in Carroll Gardens, but don't say you "discovered" it

… which are so pretty no matter the season I would tell newcomers to Carroll Gardens to take time to meet their … allowed … Any real estaterelated controversy brewing or currently happening in the neighborhood … The biggest controversy in the immediate area involves the current push to rezone Gowanus which neighbors Carroll Gardens …

By Virginia K. Smith |December 15, 2016 - 9:59AM
Ridgewood is in the midst of a boom, but it's most definitely not "the next Bushwick"

… Community Board and why the area really truly is  not  the next Bushwick … What would you tell someone moving in … … Ridgewood natives and their homes have been passed down for generations They take really good care of their buildings … five years Any projections on how it will change in the next five … What frightens me is the possibility of the …

By Virginia K. Smith |May 25, 2016 - 1:30PM
The Bed-Stuy Blog: Why the neighborhood needs better bagels, but will never be "the next Williamsburg"

… to get a feel for a place is by reading a neighborhoods blog In our  Confessions of a Neighborhood Blogger  series we speak to the writers who chronicle the … up to an occasional community board meeting visit the local businesses and talk to people about the neighborhood … Where …

By Virginia K. Smith |April 21, 2015 - 11:59AM
Come to the Rockaways for affordable apartments and hyper-local eateries, but beware of free-floating sand

… both the hipster small business boom hello Rockaway Taco and Rippers and the longterm destruction wrought by … gems are in the older smaller coops west of Beach 117 th Street Many of these buildings front the beach and have … row These new additions include wine bars Sayras The Rock NYC Rockaways first proper Mexican restaurant Pico RBNY and …

By Virginia K. Smith |March 25, 2015 - 8:59AM