Ideal Properties Group–Welcome to our Blog!

Thank you, Prospect Park Alliance volunteers and program coordinators, for making our dusk this Tuesday, July 28, a memorable one! First, we learn some trivia about invasive tree species, then we cool off by the Dog Beach, then we get served on a platter to the local (innumerable!) mosquito population, then we SEE BATS!!!

We learn that the bats we’re seeing are most likely of the little brown variety (Myotis lucifugus). Many a myth is dispelled. Bats are not blind. Bats see very well, day, or night. They don’t fly into your hair (unless on a quest for a mosquito hidden in your frizzy). They don’t drink your blood. They don’t turn into humanoid bloodthirsty creatures. They live up to 30 years! They can eat up to 1,000 mosquitoes (or other insects) in an hour! Nursing female bats may eat up to 110% of their body weight… each night. Roughly 25% of all mammal species on our planet are… really!?… bats (there are nearly 1,200 species of bats out there - that fact in itself a testimony to the crucially important role these little creatures play in our ecosystem!)

WATCHING bats fly is fascinating - they seem to constantly change their mind as to direction and speed. But HEARING bats is simply magical! Thanks to the Prospect Park Alliance and their volunteer tour guide Paul Keim, we get to hear the world of bats. Paul holds his bat detector (device that converts bats’ echolocation ultrasound signals to frequencies us humans can hear!) up in the air, his machine producing clicking sounds whenever a bat is near.

Apparently each and every bat has its own, unique ultrasonic call - and Paul seems to be able to explain a host of nuances in sounds we hear these lovely mammals produce… by way of Paul’s bat detector.

Paul also has a Beanie Baby-like bat toy (which he says was given to him by his daughter the first time he started doing the bat tours) that he uses to explain to the youngest in our group of bat watchers how bats hang upside down… Paul’s Q&A with the youngest in the group also produces a memorable “We (humans) can’t hang upside down for long because if we did our heads would explode.”

Paul’s machine clicks, and makes buzzing sounds every time a bat catches an insect. We all cheer for the bats - and we hear quite a few buzzes.

“An Evening with the Bats,” Prospect Park, July 28

Enter at 9th Street and Prospect Park West, 718.965.8965; save the (next) date: August 4. Free for Prospect Park Alliance members.

Café Regular du Nord

In my pursuit of neighborly destinations, I decide that getting to know my immediate neighbors might be just what the neighborhood doctor ordered. I walk straight into the new coffee shop that just opened in the building also occupied by Ideal Properties. Ideal is on the corner, and this little neighbor of theirs protrudes out of the building’s Berkeley Place facade.

Café Regular du Nord is the name. I’m not so sure, from the get-go, if anything is regular about this brand new – however mignon - addition to Park Slope’s enviable list of coffee shops. And I’m not sure if regular is what they hope each one of their patrons becomes. But I presume I’m sure about “du Nord” clearly drawing the passerby’s attention to the Café Regular’s presence in Park Slope North.

Either way, Café Regular’s original incarnation (du Sud?) is on Park Slope’s Eleventh Street. Having spotted the little store, just recently vacated by Zuzu Petals, Café Regular’s owner Richard realized that the area simply needed a new café.

It seems that the café’s miniature size works to its advantage, emphasizing its comfortable feel. Adequately scaled tables and chairs, carefully grouped outside the café, lend this place an almost Mediterranean sense of ease and a definite allusion to instant joie de vivre. Ah, I just know that Ideal’s agents would love nothing more than to have enough time during this crazy rental season to sit down and enjoy their coffee, simply taking delight in letting the time slowly pass them by on this oddly memorable, baronial, tree-lined street.

Richard tells me he knew he made the right choice, because the people in the neighborhood have been nothing but super friendly. I feel totally comfortable talking with Richard and his staff and I delight in the fact that I have found it!!!! I have found the place where I am going to be a regular (pun intended). This is where I’ll be buying my morning coffee, yeay!

Jackie the Intern Over and Out

That Beastly Bite…

Pet lover to the bone, and innately attracted to stores bearing curious names, I walk into Park Slope’s latest addition to retail establishments that cater to all things pet: Beastly Bite.

I learn that Beastly Bite opened its doors to the neighborhood’s pet-loving public 23 days ago. Despite the scary name evocative of mauling and gore, Beasty Bite is extremely unbeastly and wonderfully friendly in its behind-the-counter demeanor.

Predictably, the store carries endless pet paraphernalia, toys, food, and medicine for the majority of usual suspects in the local pet world. Beastly will also help pet owners with prescription diets, and the store prides itself in entertaining special orders.

The third in the line of Beastlies (the other two are at 140 Court Street and 490 Carroll Street), this Beastly Bite is also home to Smokey, possibly the cutest gray kitten around…

I meet Beastly Bite’s Cindy. Cindy lets me in on the fact that after following a lengthy period of research, the owners (Tim Miller) realized that Park Slope was one of Brooklyn’s supremely pet-friendly neighborhoods. The realization prompted them to open the store right here. Cindy was also excited to report that ever since the opening, the business has had a constant flow of customers. “There are so many pet owners in the area, and the people are very friendly,” Cindy is optimistic about the store’s future.

I wish Cindy well and promise her that I will be coming back as a customer. Almost instantly, in my mind’s eye I envision my beloved cats purr in gratitude.

I wonder about Cindy’s business. My immediate thought is that pets need love, care and attention despite their accompanying human’s economic hardships. I toss the thought aside as I’m not really sure how the pet business might be affected by a quirky economy, but I’m happy to learn that for Cindy, business is good.

Beastly Bite, 139 7th Avenue (between Carroll and Garfield), 718.399.3535.

Jackie the Intern Over and Out

The Neighborhood…

When I started my marketing internship with Ideal Properties, I decided to first explore the well-publicized neighborhood around the firm’s Seventh Ave office.

I admit. I’m one of those. I’m unfamiliar with Park Slope, and this office is where I’m supposed to start my professional career-to-be - so this haphazard and superficial exploration of my immediate surroundings kind of made sense to me. And besides, if you don’t know where you work, then how do you know where to buy your coffee when the going gets tough?

What I found was a neighborhood filled with very friendly, outgoing people – in complete contrast to its tarnished (stroller mafia? WHAT?) reputation.

As I walked along the streets of Park Slope I passed stranger after stranger, and most of them said hello to me (!)

What is this – Diaries of Ms. Alice in Wonderland!?

I walked from one store to another – and again, people were very friendly and had no problem speaking with me about their little geographic heaven of choice. Everyone (and I mean EVERYONE) I spoke with… loved living and working in Park Slope! Most labeled the neighborhood as a kid-friendly and pet-friendly community, the proof to which I found in countless happy-go-lucky kids and dogs I saw while walking around… sweating in the merciless July sun.

I spoke to many singles – and, in unison, they too all claim to love and take joy in living in the neighborhood. They attributed their love for Park Slope to its many cafes and its proximity to the majestic Prospect Park… Apparently, some of their love lives’ started thriving almost immediately following their move to the area. Okay, I get it. They really, really like living here.

I too start quickly believing that I am going to enjoy interning in Park Slope, not only because of the great community, but also because of where I am interning! Ideal Properties is a great place to work, everyone is surprisingly friendly and helpful. I feel comfortable and at ease the first day I start my internship with them…

Okay – you’re free to think whatever you want. This is Ideal’s blog, and I am writing it to post on their company’s blog. But what the heck, I can still tell the truth, right?

I admit to having expected worse – much worse. Sales environments are known for competitive, aggressive, arrogant people. Somehow this particular one seems immune to the stereotype. From the training I receive I understand why: assimilation into the existing collegial environment and positive, optimistic attitude is part of Ideal’s associates’ JOB description (!)

Who would have thought? Really? Really.

My foot hurts because I kind of broke one of my toes a few weeks ago so I have frequent coffee breaks. This gives me a good excuse, and a chance to slowly take in the ease of the sunny Slopian afternoon.

I quickly learn to love thy Slope.

And I love Ideal. They actually WANT ME to do this.

Jackie, the Intern

It is with great sadness that we learn that Tom’s Restaurant on Washington Avenue has changed hands. On the bright side, its long-term proprietor and neighborhood’s staple, Gus Vlahavas, finally gets to spend his days gardening and enjoying life outside of diner business.

As much a legend as the place itself, Gus is not only the one who brought us fancy pancakes (before his reign, during his father Tom’s time, the pancakes were simple and unadorned with blueberries, bananas, walnuts…), but he is the very reason this greasy spoon diner is a destination.

Tom’s is where most of the neighborhood gets their morning coffee, or enjoys a breakfast replete with morning newspapers. The diner’s claims to fame, besides Gus and his infectiously friendly personality, are wacky 1930’s approach to interior design, kitschy memorabilia, framed and autographed lyrics to Suzanne Vega’s “Tom’s Diner,” Gus’s mom Stella (the queen of the register, peppermints and lollipops), and free cookies, coffee, and wedges of oranges that you will be showered with by busboys while you wait on line to get in.

As we ponder the (bleak?) future of Tom’s without Gus, we get lost in predictions that the garden will be redone to accommodate additional tables, and we are convinced that the new owner will have Tom’s opened on Sundays. We can only hope that the new owner doesn’t put an end to egg creams, cherry lime Rickeys and flavorful pancakes.

Barely a Saturday goes by without a line winding out of Tom’s. We are used to seeing it and we hope to see it for as long as Tom’s is our reality.

No matter what the future may hold, the ring master will be dearly missed…

(New owner pictured above)

Fun, fun, fun!!! The time has come for this year’s celebration of Brooklyn’s LGBT community… We look forward to mingling with the colorful floats, bands, and marchers @ Brooklyn Pride 2009.

Saturday, June 13, 7:30 pm. Meet @

(Bartel Pritchard Circle), wrap-up at Lincoln Place and 7th Avenue.

Brooklyn Pride: 718.928.3320

See you there!

This four-year-old’s Slavic name may sound vaguely female, and even imply a fragile build (Kisa = Kitty) - but Kisa is definitely a tomcat. A pensive one, but nevertheless a tomcat.

His owner, the commander-in-chief of our Listing Department, Anna, describes Kisa as “very quiet and selfish.” In her infinite kindness (aren’t we, cat owners, just utterly naive in our exculpatory interpretation of the slippery feline character???), Anna ascribes Kisa uniquely human qualities and goes on to qualify his quietness as his inclination to thinking… over acting.

Trying to get Kisa to take part in any activity appears to be an exercise in futility. Anna: “Kisa likes to observe…” Curiously, for a cat for sure, Kisa doesn’t demand attention, he “prefers to be left alone to his own thoughts.”

Kisa’s complexity vanishes when it comes to self-expression. Although never demanding of attention, he will go out of his way to show disdain; when he decides he doesn’t like someone, he will exact his revenge without delay or pretense: he will spray (and on occasion even pee on (!)) the offending guest’s personal belongings.

The opinionated tomcat was a $30 find, his original home a zoo store in South Carolina. We wonder if Kisa is still a South Carolinian deep inside, his soul spending its quiet hours yearning, longing… He doesn’t seem to enjoy New York as much. No back yard of his own - means no cat love for the Big Apple!

It could be that we all just got him wrong. It is quite possible that Mr-Grand-Thinker-Kisa is simply working on developing a surrogate sense of humor… or pondering a feline alternative to zen… or just trying to figure out how to get into MIT next year…

Either way, one thing’s for sure: when wet, Kisa finds it easier to defy gravity, his body mass seemingly shrinking into a tiny, slick, wet version of himself.

Today’s Ideal Pet comes from Puerto Rico. Sure, Brooklyn is a far (however pleasant and homey) cry from lounging on the beaches… but this enchanting Boricua is a rescue dog who excitedly braved the cargo section of a United plane some four years ago.

Why all the nicknames, you ask? Bessie is a proud survivor of a car accident that cost her her tail (”Nubbie”). Never a stranger to danger, Bessie went on to fall from our 4-story apartment building: she got wheelchair bound, suffered a broken hip and her survival ability earned her a new nickname (”Catdog”). The vet is keeping the tab - he’s counted Bessie’s remaining lives down to 7.

“Messie Bess” dates back to when Kelli first brought Bessie home - her favorite pastime consisted of digging up all of our plants and hiding her bones and toys.

Bessie is the sweetest girl who enjoys lounging around the house, and pretty much anywhere she can catch a bit of sunlight. Catdog loves to snuggle up with anyone showing even remote interest! Most afternoons you’ll find her on our bed… under the covers, and with her head (of course, where else) on the pillows. Bessie’s favorite food items are Cheez-It’s, carrots and apples. But if you’re into her giving you the utmost love and attention - go with the occasional ear and tummy rub.

Gus is Mike’s final entry into the Ideal Pet hall of fame. Mike: “My roommate after college had this cat, so I can’t claim him. I just thought the way he sits is funny as hell.”

Nicely put. But we’ll let you be the judge: