The Brooklyn Flea will be making its regular appearance this holiday weekend both in Fort Greene this Saturday and at Skylight One Hanson, across from the Flatbush Ave. Target, on Sunday. Check out some of the food vendors profiled in The New Brooklyn Cookbook or try your hand at the Scavenger Hunt this weekend and win a free t-shirt or potpourri. The flea is from 10am to 5pm and it's free. Map and directions are here.

The BOTD is a no-frills look at interesting structures of all types and from all neighborhoods. There will be old, new, important, forgotten, public, private, good and bad. Whatever strikes our fancy. We hope you enjoy.

Address: 555 Prospect Place, corner of Classon Ave.
Name: Brooklyn Jewish Hospital
Neighborhood: Crow Hill, part of Crown Heights North
Year Built: 1901-1927 (other parts added later)
Architectural Style: Renaissance Revival
Architects: Main building: George Morse
Landmarked: No

Why chosen: The Brooklyn Jewish Hospital was incorporated in 1901, and was dedicated in 1903. By the beginning of the 1950's, it had grown to be one of the largest and best hospital complexes in Brooklyn. In addition to the main building, which faced Classon Avenue, the hospital had a nurses complex and residence, built in 1927, and several adjoining pavilions, wings and clinics, the last of which seem to date from the 1950's. Albert Einstein was a surgery patient here in the 1950's. By 1979, unfortunately, at a time when almost all city hospitals were failing, the hospital had filed for bankruptcy, and would merge with St. John's Hospital, creating Interfaith Hospital, which is now located in Bedford Stuyvesant. By 2000, the huge complex was abandoned and could have gone the way of so many large, and now, unwanted institutions, but was taken over and redeveloped into rental housing, beginning a few years later. The reviews of the success of the project are mixed, as some of the six buildings, which are run separately, have had some persistent problems with getting their C of O's, and getting needed repairs, but the result has still been a new village of people, spurring new retail traffic on Classon and Franklin Avenues. The oldest, and most beautiful buildings were repurposed first, and now, some of the newer buildings are also being renovated, and plans for a supermarket are once more being entertained.

777 Driggs, between South 3rd and 4th Streets, is moving towards completion. We don't know how long the building has actually been in construction but the new building permit was filed back in 2008. The project will have eight units when all is said and done. What do you think of it? GMAPP*SharkDOB

The Cafe at Sam's Bakery opened earlier this month in Bay Ridge, but Sam (short for Samia) has been shipping her famous baklava all over the world via SamsBakery.com for a while now. We heard that Sam was giving out free baklava with the purchase of any coffee or espresso drink, and we headed down to 94th Street over the weekend to check it out. Unfortunately, the shop was unexpectedly closed for a family emergency on Saturday afternoon. We're told that the cafe also serves Lebanese specialties like spinach pies, lamb pies, "bold and garlicky hommous," and "smokey eggplant babaghannouj," and the sign in the window says they've got tres leches cake, too. Plus, Sam's has free wifi and "2 electrical outlets for every 1.5 seats." Sounds like a great local spot, and hours are posted as 7am to 7pm on weekdays and 7am to 11pm on weekends, but we'd recommend calling ahead before making a long trip there. GMAP

The selection of open houses this holiday weekend is so woefully slim that it's not even worth trying to come up with some picks this week. If there's anything you think's worth checking out, feel free to post links in the comments.

Comment: Not so bad.
Open House Picks 3/5/10 [Brownstoner]
Previous Six Months Later Posts [Brownstoner]

Over the weekend, a New Orleans-style brass band marched down Union Street, followed by a well-dressed young man — possibly a groom — on a white, wooden, four-wheeled horse, who was being pushed down the sidewalk by a parade of masquerading revelers in formalwear. Pumping fistfuls of confetti into the air, they danced toward that big green industrial building on the corner of Smith and Hoyt.

The Green Building on Union, as it now calls itself, has been seeing a lot of activity this summer. Back in July, it hosted the Siren Fest pre-party, featuring Tel Aviv's wild and primal Monotonix, and it suddenly seems to have formally-dressed folks — wedding guests, we presume — standing around its doors every weekend. According to the photos on its website, the interior looks very raw and industrial, though, thankfully, not garishly green like its outer walls. Has anybody been to a party here yet? GMAP

For many of us, staycations are this year's vacations. Instead of the cottages and castles of the Continent, visit one of New York's fascinating house museums. Each week, for the entire summer, we'll alternate between a site in New York City, or one in greater New York State. Many of these houses are in danger of closing if we don't patronize them. Check them out, and go visit! If you've been, please leave comments and suggestions, including dining or any other amenities.

Name: Bannerman Castle/ Bannerman Island Arsenal
Location: Pollepel Island, between Beacon and Newburgh, NY
Address: Hudson Highlands State Park, Route 9D, Beacon, NY 10512
Hours: May to October, call for reservations
Admission: $30 adult, includes boat ride and guided tour
Children: $25, 11 years and younger
Website: bannermancastle.org
Directions: See website

Details: Every summer staycation should include a ruined castle, and this one is close enough for jaded New Yorkers to take in. The tale of the castles' origin, and its fate today, are all tied up appropriately, by the success of a Brooklyn entrepreneur.

Here's another angle on the rooftop action at 25 Washington in Dumbo, which will consist of penthouse apartments and cabanas. In related news, 25 Washington is also on the September 7th LPC agenda ?to establish a master plan governing the future installation of windows,? writes Dumbo NYC.
25 Washington Rooftop Addition in View [Brownstoner] GMAP

If you haven't checked out the latestlistings in the Brownstoner Marketplace, now would be a great time to do so!