Pediatric Dentist/ Orthodontist Coming to 131 Sixth Avenue

I've been keeping tabs on construction at 131 Sixth Avenue, between Sterling and Park Places, for about as long as this site has been in existence, and the end game is finally in sight. The building topped off last summer, and since then, while the exterior hasn't changed much, the exterior certainly has. The ground floor construction is nearing completion, and, as promised since before construction even started, a dentist will be moving in.

A pediatric dentist and orthodontist, to be exact, under the auspices of Drs. Alan Azrak and Daren King, according to temporary signage that's gone up in the front windows.

The website is already up and running, and a look at it reveals that the doctors expected to have moved in quite some time ago. Looks like they've been operating out of temporary offices on Eighth and Union in the meanwhile.

Starbucks Coming to Five Guys Space on Flatbush

It's been a month and a half since the Five Guys on Park Place between Seventh and Flatbush Avenues closed down after a year and four months in business, and yesterday the "For Rent" sign was taken down, construction paper went up, and the next tenant was confirmed: Starbucks.

The DOB permits for chains tend to be the ones that reveal actual tenants (as was the case with Five Guys), as opposed to the independent businesses, which tend to say ambiguous things like "coffee shop." That's also the case here, as the permit on the door makes it very clear who's rented out the space.

The double-wide storefront, which was the longtime home of Park Heights Stationers before Five Guys took it over, is in for some major changes. Permits also allow for new partitions, new cabinetry, a new ceiling and floor, and new plumbing. At also appears that the signage will be non-illuminated.

With rents so high that even a national chain like Five Guys couldn't turn a profit, it's not surprising that a behemoth like Starbucks ended up taking over the space. This space is big, and Five Guys certainly didn't make the best use out of it, so I'll be interested in seeing what Starbucks' interior architects have in store.

L'Albero dei Gelati Coming to El Sitio Borinquen Space on Fifth

A new gelato shop is in the works in the space last occupied by the quasi-mysterious El Sitio Borinquen, on Fifth Avenue between Fourth and Fifth Streets.

They have a website but it's all in Italian (a good sign when we're talking about gelato; here's the Brooklyn press release, for those who speak the language). From what I can gather, there are currently three locations in Italy, all in the Lombardy region.

This stretch of Fifth Avenue has a couple other high-quality frozen dairy offerings, namely Caramello and Culture, which is just a block away. This one is two storefronts wide, however, which should leave ample room for seating. My guess is that the menu will involve more than just gelato as well.

The space's previous tenant, restaurant El Sitio Borinquen, which has been officially closed for over a year (even though the doors were often locked during the several years before that when it was still supposedly open), was one of the neighborhood's head-scratchers when it came to what was actually going on in there. Hopefully with this new gelato shop those days will be long behind it.

Get Reel Closes, High-End Consignment Boutique Moving In

Get Reel, the 7 year old video store, closed as planned over the weekend on the corner of Fifth Avenue and St. Marks Place, and a new tenant has already been lined up for the space.

It'll be a location of the high-end Eleven Consignment Boutique, which has another location on First Avenue and Eleventh Street in Manhattan. Yelp reviews are largely mixed, and the focus is on the buying and selling of designer labels (their Twitter feed is advertising a pair of Louboutins for $350 and a Louis Vuitton belt for $125).

The north end of Fifth Avenue is one of the most competitive locations in the city when it comes to thrift and consignment stores, so these guys will have plenty of competition. If they could carve a niche out for themselves with their emphasis on high-end apparel, though, there's a good chance that they'll do well.

Dinosaur Barbecue to Open in May

Hot on the heels of the announcement that a Franklin BBQ vet will be opening a barbecue restaurant on Flatbush Avenue between Bergen and Dean Streets comes word that the most hotly anticipated barbecue joint in the area right now, Dinosaur, will be opening its long-in-the works Brooklyn outpost on Union Street just east of Fourth Avenue in just a couple short months.

"A lot of you have been wondering on the state of the new Dinosaurs in Brooklyn and Buffalo. Brooklyn is slated to open in mid-May," the restaurant, which also has a perpetually-packed Harlem location, posted on its Facebook page earlier this week. The gigantic space sustained major damage during Hurricane Sandy, but it looks like they didn't let it set them back too much.

Along with Fort Reno, Fletcher's (down on 3rd Avenue near 8th Street), and the one coming to Flatbush, I foresee a barbecue walking tour in the near future.