VIDEO: "Scenes from Smith Street, including a birthday party at Carroll Park, a sidewalk sale, Momofuku Milk Bar and the Gowanus Yacht Club."

"The pen may be mightier than the sword — but it’s not always faster than a real-estate developer with a concrete truck. The city is aiming to use a stroke of a pen to limit the size of new buildings...

"Despite some criticism, Stein was received far more warmly than the last time he met with the neighborhood group. In that meeting, last summer, residents berated Stein and his overly large, funky Scarano design. This time, residents said their muted...