Here’s a short vid taken out the window of the F Train as it goes from Smith-9th Street to Fourth Avenue, on the new flickr video.

The saga of the decrepit Coney Island boardwalk has just gotten curiouser. Rather than make emergency repairs on dangerously sagging and deteriorated portions of the boardwalk before the summer season, the Parks Department has put up a big fence, right in front of a number of Coney Island businesses including the Lola Staar Boutique and Ruby’s Bar and Grill. Merchants, in turn, are now saying “Free the Boardwalk!” and suggesting they’re make repairs themselves if thee city can’t or won’t. While a small fence has been up near the Staar Boutique since last fall, the new fence is much larger. Curiously, very dangerous parts of the boardwalk elsewhere–through which people will likely fall this summer or become seriously injured–are not fenced off. (In truth, making the boardwalk safe without repairs would involve closing off a huge chunk if the city doesn’t repair the worst boards before Memorial Day.)

In any case, this led to an email blast yesterday from Dianna Carlin (aka Lola), who has shown she knows how to make a racket to get attention for the Coney cause. Here are parts of the email:

The condition of the Coney Island Boardwalk has declined into state of tremendous disrepair. The perilous neglect of the Boardwalk has resulted in many injuries, millions of dollars in lawsuits and now it is causing the loss of business for many of the Coney Island boardwalk businesses. Yesterday, without warning, the Parks Department erected an ominous fence which is obstructing the entrances to an entire block of businesses on the boardwalk between 12th Street and Stilwell Ave. Ruby’s Bar and Grill, the Lola Staar Souvenir Boutique, Gyro Corner and the Coney Island Souvenir shop are currently obstructed by this five ft tall, wire and wood fence.

These businesses were told by the Parks Department that this barricade would be obstructing the entrances of their businesses for the entire summer. They stated that the fence was necessary because this section of the boardwalk is a hazard to public safety. This will result in tens of thousands of dollars in lost revenue. These businesses are already struggling to survive the transitional period of redevelopment in Coney Island.

Businesses are rumored to be taking matters into their own hands. “If the Parks Department dose not fix the boardwalk we will get wire clippers, hammer, nails and plywood. We will remove the fence and fix the boardwalk ourselves!” one business owner said.

We know there is more to come on this issue.

GL Analysis
We have said it so many time that we’re growing weary of it, but the city has allowed the boardwalk–which is used by millions of people–to deteriorate into a shameful state. The appropriate course of action is to make quick, emergency repairs to prevent injuries this summer. (To see some of our past coverage click here, we’ve done about 20 posts on the topic since June, 2006.) It is wrong to add insult to injury by pursuing a (at best) ridiculous strategy of putting a fence around a small part of the problem or (at worst) vindictive strategy of “addressing” the problem in a way that hurts small businesses. We hope that the city is embarrassed into making the needed repairs rather than ruining the summer for these businesses and for the people that will still be injured on the parts of the boardwalk that aren’t fenced off.

There were many comments left yesterday on our post about the parking sign outside PS 38 in Boerum Hill that was mysteriously altered to expand the parking off-limits to residents during school hours. Residents say a school employee tampered with the sign to reserve an entire block for school employees and, then, said that those who were towed deserved it. The school’s principal, at first, denied it had anything to do with the school and, then, started “investigating.” Meanwhile, people contacted the Dept. of Transportation. They don’t know who altered the sign, but they’re replacing it so that the parking spaces are returned to public use. An email from Christopher Hrones, the Downtown Brooklyn Transportation Coordinator of DOT says:

Our Borough Engineer investigated this and issued a repair order, which means that the tampered parking signs will be replaced ASAP. For ticket issues residents should contact the Borough Engineer directly.

So, the mystery remains: If it wasn’t a school employee, did residents alter the signs? Was it a teen prank? Did the signs alter themselves? Residents claim to have heard an employee bragging about making the change.

The previous news that developer Joe Sitt would be having rides and games on the big parcel of land that he cleared last year is partially true. The developer announced yesterday that carnival rides will be set up on the property from May 22 to June 1, although there is no indication whether he plans to make use of any of the land during the rest of the summer. The carnival operator will be Reithoffer Shows, which runs bigs shows and fairs on the East Coast. Someone on the Coney Island Message Board immediately posted information that, last year, OSHA cited the company for alleged safety and health violations at two Pennsylvania carnival sites, with proposed fines totaling $62,000, including one incident in which an employee fell from the top of a ride.

Here’s another adoptable pet of the week from the Brooklyn Animal Rescource Coalition (BARC) shelter in Williamsburg.

This is Marley, who is a year old, and is a recent arrival at the BARC Shelter in Williamsburg. Here’s some info about him from the wonderful Lisa at BARC:

He’s a little nervous in his new surroundings, but has a wonderful goofy personality that will serve him well at the shelter. Marley also loves to eat and can be easily distracted from the hard life in a cage with treats! He’s just over a year old, but still has a kittens curiosity and playfulness.

Get over to BARC and snag this cutie for yourself while he’s still there. For info on BARC click here.

Shakespeare’s Sister, the ecclectic shop at 270 Court Street is closing. (Its the shop with paintings of Gowanus by Regina Perlin.) Here’s the email with the news:

After almost 15 years on Court Street, Shakespeare’s Sister will be closing. We are sad to leave, especially when it means saying goodbye to so many loyal Brooklynites who have been there since the beginning in 1994. Everything in the store will be on sale for the next few weeks, so stop by for some bargains or just say hi and let us say thank you!

So, what will come next?

Brooklinks is a daily selection of Brooklyn-related information and images.

Pics:

• Revs Over Greenpoint [Blue Jake]
• Spring Colours in Prospect Park [Brit in Brooklyn]
• Brooklyn Botanic [melann2/flickr]
• Daffodil Hill 2008 [Atomische]
• Old Gowanus, Sea Level [Treetop Mom/flickr]

Words & Pics:

• Fix the Atlantic Yards Housing Page, Apts. Won’t Be Ready in 2010 [AYR]
• Brooklyn Flea in Words and Pictures [NYT]
• Flatbush Side Streets Rising [Brooklyn Junction]
• South Slope Rental Scam [Brownstoner]
• Burg Before & After: Sofia Lofts [Curbed]
• It Came from the Blogosphere [No Land Grab]
• Weekly Dumbo Links [Dumbo NYC]
• Help a Baby Get a Good Start in Life [OTBKB]
• Help Me Live to Age 35, Please [Erica’s Blog]
• A Message from the Sanitation Dept. [Bed-Stuy Banana]
• Kif on Dekalb [Clinton Hill Blog]

Want to make a brownstone green? Well, the New York City College of Technology Division of Continuing Education is presenting “Anatomy of a Brownstone: Green Roofs, Green Homes.” It will take place on Saturday, April 26, in the Atrium Amphitheatre at 300 Jay Street. There are two sessions, (morning and afternoon). The 10AM-Noon session is at 300 Jay in Downtown Brooklyn. The 2PM-4PM session is at 93 Nevins in Boerum Hill. The cost is $40. Per an email: “Learn about green roofs, energy audits, whole house design, and sustainable building products from experts and professionals in the green design and build community. Discover how to save energy, reduce waste, and increase the overall comfort of your home.”

Round Two of Brooklyn Flea is coming up this Sunday from 10AM-5PM. It takes place at Bishop Loughlin Memorial High School in Fort Greene, Brooklyn, on Lafayette Avenue between Clermont and Vanderbilt Avenues. Vendors change from week to week, selling everything from vintage furniture, clothing and antiques to new designs by local makers of everything from jewelry to textiles.–Brownstoner

[Photo courtesy of Anna Lewis]

This photo from Gowanus, which epitomizes multitasking, comes from GL Correspondent Anna Lewis. It would appear to have a close relative on the streets of Bed-Stuy, except that instead of doing the laundry, one can get something to eat.

Check out the Green Oaks Citizens Club on Green Street in this very cool “then and now” shot from 30 years ago and today. The only thing that has change, really, is the people.–New York Shitty

There is progress being made again on the Metropolitan Cinema & Apts. in Williamsburg after a long delay. This is the indie movie theater with condos on top begin built on Metropolitan Ave. between Berry and Wythe in Williamsburg. It was under a Stop Work Order for quite a while.–Curbed

Cubby is on the loose somewhere in North Brooklyn. Miss Heather, who sent us the photo, also wrote: “I cannot tell you how many lost dog fliers I have seen over the last three days. All are for ‘toy’ and/or purebreds.” She has posted a different one on New York Shitty, as well.

It looks like the fog is slowly lifting outside our Brooklyn Weather Observatory leading to forecast for a very spring-like day with unsettled conditions. The forecast calls for “Warmer with a shower or t-storm; cloudy this morning, then times of clouds and sun this afternoon.” The high will be 72. Tonight will be partly cloudy with a low of 49.–Accuweather

From Seventh Avenue in Park Slope, near Fifth Avenue, where many things are blooming in a magnificent way.

Here’s one way to alter parking regulations without going through the cumbersome Dept. of Transportation procedure: change the signs yourself. This, apparently, is what an enterprise staff member at PS 38 in Boerum Hill has done, at least, according to some Boerum Hill residents. Per the Boerum Hill email list:

Arrived home tonight to discover that my car which was parked on the south side of Pacific between 3rd & Nevins in front of the PS 38 playground had been towed. The NO PARKING SCHOOL ZONE sign which previously pointed one way, towards the school had very obviously been altered to point both ways, rendering all of the south side of Pacific Street a school only parking block. According to neighbors, a custodian at the school had altered the sign. When they confronted him, they were told the school needs the whole block for teachers’ parking. I plan on calling DOT tomorrow and Yassky’s office and on fighting the ticket. You can clearly see that the sign had been altered. In the unlikely event this is legit, shouldn’t the block have been given some sort of notice?

There is also this follow up this morning:

Neighbors tell me the custodian at PS 38 came out while my car was being towed and said “You believe these people have the nerve to park here.” Further informed them that the school needed all of the block for parking and once I was towed said “great, now I have a parking spot.” Neighbors have also observed people parking with the school permits and then heading not for the school but the subway, another clear abuse of parking permits by city employees.

Personal initiative at its finest!

UPDATE: A reader writes to say that school’s Principal is looking into the matter but “denied that it could have been her staff.” He writes: “I spoke with the principal at PS 38 and she said she did not know about this and is looking in to it. She asked if I saw the person who changed the sign (I had not). She added that I was the first person to contact her about the sign, and denied that it could have been her staff.

The school needs to address the issue, and it would be good if the people who saw what happened would get facts to the principal. It it is true it is very bad; if it is false, this is a PR issue the school has to address. I hope people who are concerned, saw what happened, or had been towed would call the principal of the school. (718-330-9305)”

Many things float around in the hyper-active Carroll Gardens rumor mill. We take most of them with a very large grain of salt, yet one of the most interesting rumors (repeat: this is only a rumor) that we’ve come across recently is that some residents are considering filing a lawsuit over the contentious issue of ownership of the plaza in front of the Carroll Gardens subway station entrance. The controversial 360 Smith building would take about one-third of the plaza’s area, but some residents strongly believe that the entire plaza is public property. Others believe that developer Billy Stein actually owns the one-third that would be part of his development. (The absurdity of the situation is illustrated by the fact that the ownership of the plaza is actually the subject of debate.) We have sat through long meetings in which the ownership of the plaza has been debated and it would appear there are sufficient issues to, at least, sustain the filing of a suit over the property. (The issue itself is a very complicated one relying on historic city records; the city believes the portion of the plaza that is at issue is actually private property.) As we noted earlier this week, there have been “private” meetings between the developer, some residents and staff members of elected officials in recent weeks that have included discussion of the plaza, but the issue continues to cause significant bitterness in the neighborhood. Litigation has become a powerful tool wielded by opponents of developments in Brooklyn in recent years and it has become even sharper as delays threaten to push projects deeper into the credit crisis and a sagging real estate market, raising the possibility of cancellation or stalling.

Studio B in Greenpoint continues to win the hearts and minds of its neighbors. Renowned for the rowdy late scenes, public vomiting, screaming and shouting at 5 AM, the club was the scene of a brawl between skinheads last weekend. Also, there is springtime joy in the form of its new rooftop garden. The legality of said green space is unclear, but clarity may be forthcoming soon, as Miss Heather is on the case.–New York Shitty

Opponents of the recently enacted Grand Street rezoning, which would limit buildings in a 12-block area around Grand Street in Williamsburg to 40 and 50 feet, have filed a lawsuit challenging the plan. The more low-tech approach to the battle is illustrated here via photos sent along by Miss Heather. One alleges that there would be no nursery school in a recent development because of the elimination of a community facility bonus (that has been widely opposed because things like art galleries have been defined as “community facilities” and allowed developers significant zoning bonuses). The other says that if a building at the corner of Bedford Avenue and Grand Street burned down, the top floor could not be rebuilt (it could, although street frontage in new buildings would be limited to forty feet, with another story that could be added after a setback). We’d love to see the TV ad version of the anti-downzoning campaign.

[Photos courtesy of Miss Heather]

On can remember when people welcomed Fujiya, the Court Street sushi spot near Third Place. Now it’s served its last California Roll and is being replaced by a gourmet grocery. “Anybody on the south side of Carroll Gardens has certainly noticed the sushi restaurant space formerly known as Fujiya is undergoing some major renovations. According to a guy on site, it’s going to be a gourmet grocery store, with involvement by the people who owned the Key Foods.”–ABL

We can say one thing unequivocally about Barrio, the new Mexican restaurant that will be opening soon on Seventh Avenue at Third Street in Park Slope: it will be colorful. Here’s a look inside the unfinished restaurant from yesterday afternoon which shows that all the major work has been done. We got our photos the old fashioned way: by finding gaps in the paper covering the windows and hoping for the best. (UPDATE: OTBKB sets the opening date as April 21.)

The shuttered Spirito on Ninth Street in Park Slope is coming back as a Peruvian restaurant called Aji Lounge. The owner writes, “It’s going to be peruvian food presented in small dishes (tapas) and most of the dishes are going to be under $10.00… of course we are going to have entrees but as special… different specials everyday. We are going to have brunch (normal brunch food) on the weekends so you can enjoy the weather in our rooftop or patio. For the moment we are going to be open just for dinner but thinking in expand to lunch and breakfast for the summer.”–Park Slope Forum/Brooklynian

One knows that warm weather is coming when more details start trickling out about Celebrate Brooklyn’s schedule and start being posted on its website. The 30th Anniversary season kicks off with a performance by Isaac Hayes and wraps up with a Hal Willner tribute to Bill Withers (the Willner shows are usually an absolute season highlight). Here’s what’s known so far:

June 12 – Isaac Hayes (first show of the season)
June 14 – Miriam Makeba
June 19 – Medeski Martin and Wood, Marc Ribot’s Ceramic Dog
June 22 – Salif Keita
June 24 – Gilberto Gil (Tickets Required)
June 26 – Carolina Chocolate Drops, Dixie Hummingbirds
June 27 – Cold War Kids
June 28 – Lyricist Lounge: Crooklyn Dodgers Reunion (info)
July 09 – Feist (Ticket Required)
July 11 – Brazilian Girls
July 12 – Beth Orton, Matt Munisteri
July 17 – Jerry Douglas Band, The Holmes Brothers
July 18 – Deerhoof, Metropolis Ensemble
July 19 – Enter The Dragon (movie) with Karsh Kale
July 25 – Philip Glass, Marta Topferova
August 01 – The Knights, Christina Courtin
August 02 – The Sippy Cups, Ariane Bass Bass Bass
August 03 – Daby Toure
August 09 – Hal Willner’s Bill Wither’s Project

More details as they’re revealed.

Actually, the good coffee is in Brooklyn. The crappy coffee is in London. The good stuff is at 3B, the new cafe at Carroll Street and Third Avenue and comes out of an $11,000 Clover coffee maker. “I have to say it tasted very good — strong yet light…” The crappy stuff costs $640 per kilo and comes from beans eaten and crapped out by Asian palm civets. We imagine the cost is due to the amount of beany turds that must be collected. And you think your job sucks.–Brit in Brooklyn