Half...hmmm

prospectplacegirl

did anyone else walk past Half this evening? they had the light on, and it looks like someone is about to clean it up and such. what was wierd was that all of the wine bottles were still on the wall. a fully stocked looking bar.

when the closed, they left their wine! whats gonna happen with that space now.

jack krohn

A while back there were some rumors circulating that Half was going to be a Southern restaurant and then a Caribbean restaurant. I haven't heard anything since, but I hope that something goes there soon. The neighborhood could always use more places to go out.

prospectplacegirl

i wouldnt mind if another wine bar went there.... with wifi. id love to have a place to go with my laptop or a book with a glass of wine. which is what i missed out on before i moved here, because half closed like a month before i came! doh!

emily

ProspectPlaceGirl wrote: i wouldnt mind if another wine bar went there.... with wifi. id love to have a place to go with my laptop or a book with a glass of wine. which is what i missed out on before i moved here, because half closed like a month before i came! doh!

I don't know that you were missing much. The few times I made the mistake of trying to read there, one of the owners kept trying to turn the lights down to set the proper "mood," even though I was the only person in the back room and obviously trying to read. :roll:

idlewild

If there is any justice in the world a fried clam shack will occupy the space. And I'm talking the kind they serve in Maine. Whole bellies. That or a Gray's Papaya. Can someone call Nick Gray please?

ben

I just drove by there, a sign is up that says: "Wine Bar for Sale" - Prospect Height Realty.

alafairnadia

I sincerely doubt they kept that wine at proper temperature over the summer. someone should go and insert the word "corked" before "wine bar for sale"

I wonder if they still want $250k for it.

squeegee beckenheim

I'm hoping for a Cici's Pizza Buffet. Those commercials intrigue me. Someone franchise here, please.

alafairnadia

I just got an update on this situation:

some guy bought the wine bar and lease off of max and patty last year and was planning to open a caribbean restaurant. that fell through. now he's trying to unload the space - it's got a few years left on the lease. source confirms that the wine has not been kept at temperature and has been stored for the last year standing up, so it's total crapola at this point. I can't figure out why the leaseholder isn't renting the place for private parties.

veggiequeen

all that poor wine what a waste...

alafairnadia

VeggieQueen wrote: all that poor wine what a waste...

seriously. they should have had a wine sale before they closed the joint. they had this fantastic brut rose that I was in love with. blargh.

prospectplacegirl

VeggieQueen wrote: all that poor wine what a waste...

yea really! and it's a huge tease walking home everynight. theyre wasting electricity by keeping the lights on in there 24/7 (or is it just to show off at night for potential buyers?).... but all of those bottles. what a shame!

alafairnadia

ProspectPlaceGirl wrote: [quote=VeggieQueen]all that poor wine what a waste...

theyre wasting electricity by keeping the lights on in there 24/7 (or is it just to show off at night for potential buyers?)

you got it in one!

alafairnadia

oh, and I forgot to mention - have y'all seen that they knocked out the walls that made up the "store" area of half? I looked in and thought it was genius. that stupid lifestyle store was probably one of the major reasons they went under. whenever half got busy, there was this dead space that no one could sit in, and no place for large parties.

pensodyssey

alafairnadia wrote: oh, and I forgot to mention - have y'all seen that they knocked out the walls that made up the "store" area of half? I looked in and thought it was genius. that stupid lifestyle store was probably one of the major reasons they went under. whenever half got busy, there was this dead space that no one could sit in, and no place for large parties.

And, alafair, let's not forget how much that store sucked in its own right. If there hadn't also been alcohol available on premises, that place would have been torched within its first week of existence.


*cue posts defending the 'really cute thank you cards' formerly available in Half's shop*

prospectplacegirl

And, alafair, let's not forget how much that store sucked in its own right.

i've mentioned before that i used to come to half before i lived here, so it's not like i'd been there more than three times.

i do remember loving the little store that was back there. was also a fan of the bathroom reader book that was always in the bathroom. overall... having a cutesy shop like that is a nice idea when it's well executed.

the back room was nice with the shelves... and the back-back room was cute too (the garden part)

dougheights

alafairnada "the wine has not been kept at temperature and has been stored for the last year standing up, so it's total crapola at this point."

This certainly true for some of the wine but, if the bottles haven’t been opened they are probably still drinkable. When I began buying
wines very few stores kept them on there sides and at constant “cellar” temperature. This is still true for many bottles at most stores in this area. I’ve purchased many bottles (thousands) and rarely gotten a bad one. And when bad, I have always gotten a replacement.

alafairnadia

dougheights wrote: alafairnada "the wine has not been kept at temperature and has been stored for the last year standing up, so it's total crapola at this point."

This certainly true for some of the wine but, if the bottles haven’t been opened they are probably still drinkable. When I began buying
wines very few stores kept them on there sides and at constant “cellar” temperature. This is still true for many bottles at most stores in this area. I’ve purchased many bottles (thousands) and rarely gotten a bad one. And when bad, I have always gotten a replacement.

they could be okay, I agree. but I'm not sure I'd pay for them ...
and honestly, the longer they sit there, the worse their chances are.

it's a tragedy.

alafairnadia

just saw this article in the Brooklyn Paper:

http://www.brooklynpaper.com/stories/30/6/30_06half.html

Glass is fully empty at ‘Half’
By Lilo H. Stainton

Apparently, the perfect Prospect Heights dream of one ambitious couple wasn’t all they imagined.

The popular wine bar, Half, on Vanderbilt Avenue near Prospect Place, has been closed for months, but now there’s a sign on the outside saying that the shop — lock, stock, and plenty of barrels — is up for grabs.

“Wine bar for sale,” it reads, ruefully.

Running such a gin joint might just well be every Yuppie’s dream. And for just $100,000 and a monthly rent of $2,600, it could become every Yuppie’s nightmare — just like it became for Patty and Max Jerome.

“It just proved to be too much for them, with everything else going on in their lives,” explained Steve Commender, a leader in the local merchant’s association who owns a flower and gift shop, the Forest Floor, across the avenue.

The Jeromes still live nearby, but they did not return calls for comment.

Like many Brooklyn entrepreneurs, the Jeromes crafted their business as a place they would like to hang out themselves, Commender said.

For a while, the place was exactly that. The Jeromes even ran a special, “Tots and Tonic,” that brought in some moms groups in the late afternoons.

But like so many things, the dream didn’t live up to reality. Patty Jerome had a baby, Max Jerome pursued art projects, and eventually the bar closed.

Whoever buys the location doesn’t have to keep it as a wine bar, of course, but the neighborhood is hoping to lure another young professional with big dreams who will keep the vino flowing.

“Lots of people are hoping a wine bar opens up again,” said Jan McGill, one of the owners of Fermented Grapes, a two-year-old retail wine shop across the street.

©2007 The Brooklyn Paper

quig

That was just a mean and lazy article.

rbenghiat

and, not to be picky but they didn't *run* tots 'n tonic - my friend did. Half was just one of the site. TNT is on hiatus for a bit, but it was very cool, and in locations in manhattan and brooklyn http://www.totsandtonicny.com/

alafairnadia

according to neighbors of the space formerly known as half, the space will become a bar with pub food in a few months. anyone have any other details?

gypsy

I was in Fermented grapes last week when two very energetic men in suits came in and told the owner that that they just bought Half across the st. They said it was going to be a wine bar.
Also, this morning the gate was open and it looked like they were stating to work on it.

robdesign13

It'd be nice to see another wine/beer bar open up in it's spot.
I submit the name: SECOND HALF

poppy13

Oh please let them open something up soon... I remember that Half has a nice backyard, right? And it would be nice to use this summer!

thecolonel

How about a KFC. Mmmmmmmm Chicken.

poppy13

Will there be outdoor seating to munch on the crispy FRIED chicken?

thecolonel

poppy13 wrote: Will there be outdoor seating to munch on the crispy FRIED chicken?

Of course! From what I'm told. The good people of PH love to eat thier chicken out on the sidewalks. Nothin better then fried chicken and fresh air! Mmmmmmmmmm good. /

erikka

TheColonel wrote: [quote=poppy13]Will there be outdoor seating to munch on the crispy FRIED chicken?

Of course! From what I'm told. The good people of PH love to eat thier chicken out on the sidewalks. Nothin better then fried chicken and fresh air! Mmmmmmmmmm good. /

milkcrates and a folding card table

brookfetish

As long as they throw away all of that wine that remained from Half, I'm all for a wine bar opening there.

easternpkwy

AT the last Community Board 8 meeting, there was a request for a full liquor license for a "Plan B" restaurant at Half's old address....surely that's the corporation/partnership's name, and denotes the second try at making something of this space!

Do not recall if they mentioned the cuisine, but it was called a 'family style' restaurant...