March 14th, 2007 · Comments Off on GL’s Construction Site Du Jour: 164 Norman
For our crappy construction site of the day we nominate the above speciment at 164 Norman Avenue in Greenpoint, the neighborhood so full of such spots that it keeps on giving and giving and giving. The photos were submitted by our tireless Greenpoint correspondent, who simply wrote “You’ll LOVE this.” Indeed, we do. Particularly, the photo below, showing that the site complies with OSHA guidelines and listing directions to the hospital. We have to say that in all our wanderings around Brooklyn and scanning of permits outside of construction sites, we’ve never seen such a sign posted, let alone one outside a site with one of those easy access gates.
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We’ve got yet another new Brooklyn blog to report after the blogger emailed us yesterday. This one is produced by soon-to-be residents at the 110 Livingston development. It’s called 110 Livingston News & Blog and it looks like it will be covering its neighborhood broadly and adding to the pool of daily Brooklyn information. For instance, we have this post on why “The Park Avenue of Brooklyn” isn’t quite that just yet:
The plans for improving the streetscape in DUMBO and along Flatbush have gotten a lot of attention recently, but there has been no apparent progress on the promised improvements along the Boerum Place corridor (also known as Brooklyn Bridge Boulevard, right), the street which welcomes visitors crossing the Brooklyn Bridge to Brooklyn. City DOT has plans for excellent improvements: green plantings in the median (à la Park Ave.), bike lanes, safer pedestrian crossings, wider sidewalks, and better turning lanes. All of these would no doubt improve the area’s safety and appearance. In fact, City Planning has said that a “poor streetscape experience” (code for crappy-looking streets) is a major obstacle to downtown Brooklyn’s growth.
City DOT said back in July that the project “plans to break ground in Summer or Fall 2006.” So where are the improvements? We’ll be calling the City Economic Development Corporation this week to find out.
We certainly hope that when the bloggers find out about this butt ugly stretch of road–one among a great many in Brooklyn–that they’ll let us know what’s up with the touted improvement plans.
March 14th, 2007 · Comments Off on "Cleaning Up Coney Island"
This is a vid that’s been around for a bit, but that we just came across from band/puppet group Jollyship the Whiz-Bang. They bill themselves as a “pyrate puppet rock opera consortium.” The vid is s called “Cleaning Up Coney Island,” which is very topical given everything that’s going on. The backdrop is, of course, Coney. Worth it if you’ve got a few minutes on your hands.
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March 14th, 2007 · Comments Off on Will Mr. Sitt Cart This Away in a Dumpster?
Whether you think this is worth preserving, we suppose, depends on your taste in boardwalk kitsch and artwork. This is the ticket booth for one of the Go-Kart Tracks that Thor Equities is demolishing. We happen to think it’s a little taste of Coney Island worth saving–at least, that the Go-Kart artwork is. Which brings us back to a question we raised several weeks ago: Is anyone going to save the unique signage and artwork that defines what Coney Island is today, as Thor demolishes things? Or are developer Joe Sitt’s demolition crews simply going to toss everything into dumpsters and haul it away to landfills?
We’re returning to the topic of Coney Island demolition to provide a sense of the scope and scale of the demolition being done by Thor Equities. The photo above shows the parcels on the left and on the right, along with renditions of the buildings that Thor might want to build there. The renderings were mistakenly posted last summer, then hastily pulled down. They are interesting in that they’re one of the few illustrations of the height of the buildings that Thor might build. (This assumes that they will build anything at all rather than leaving Coney Island as a devastated wasteland of demolished acreage if they are denied the residential zoning which they are seeking in the amusement district.) The map below outlines the parcels that are being demolished.
One of the many parcels of land that is available in Coney Island has been sold. Two parcels, at 805 and 825 Surf Avenue have been sold for $3.45 million to a group called Surf Avenue LLC. The property totals 15,700 square feet and is adjacent to the W. 8th Street subway stop and across the street from the Cyclone and New York Aquarium. The sale was reported by Stephen Witt in the Bay News. He writes:
The properties are currently zoned C-7, for an outdoor amusement area, and is across Surf Avenue from Astroland, also zoned C-7, and bought a few months ago by Thor Equities. Both properties are within the area that the city’s Economic Development Corporation (EDC) and Coney Island Development Corporation (CIDC) are planning to rezone as per the Coney Island Strategic Plan.
Possible future of the land is “a national restaurant chain” on one parcel and a parking lot on the other, possibly with a lounge or bar. “Something in the Coney Island spirit,” the agent that sold the land said. The buyer’s real identity isn’t clear, but there is some sense that it could be Taconic Investments, which already has signficant Coney Island land holdings.
So, we were walking in Gowanus after shooting photos of the last few standing remnants of Red Hook’s Revere Dome and of the thunderous process of tossing its remain in dumpsters. We had watched truck after truck drive off dumpsters full of metal, wondering where they were taking the dome, which is being demolished by Thor Equities. We looked up, recalling there is a scrap metal yard on the Gowanus, only to see a Breeze Demolition truck pulling out. Lo and behold, we found where the Revere Dome parts have been going: to a scrap yard on the Gowanus, where they are eventually put into a barge and floated away. So, if you’re at the Smith-9th Station and standing on the Coney Island-bound side, look down. That big mountain of scrap metal you see? Part of it is the former Revere Dome.
We knew that these flyers had gone up in Smith Street and elsewhere a couple of weeks ago, around the time that some emails went out about a website called shayaiscoming.org. The flyers came down pretty quickly (although the website most certainly didn’t). We captured this pic way down Smith Street near the Gowanus Expressway, where the flyers have survived. As for the website, well, it declares that “Shaya Boymelgreen’s irresponsible development of Brooklyn must be stopped” and includes an online petition calling for higher wages, more affordable housing, etc. It comes from the Laborers Eastern Region Organizing Fund:
Boymelgreen’s projects are manned by underpaid workers laboring in dangerous conditions…His pricy apartments displace the local low- and moderate-income families and destroy the unique character of Brooklyn.
We’re not sure about the Boymelgreen “is coming” angle, as it would seem to us that came a looong time ago, but there’s much more over at the website.
March 13th, 2007 · Comments Off on Park Slope Neighbors Say "No Way" to One Way Streets
Park Slope Neighbors, which is working to convince Whole Foods to make its Gowanus store more environmentally friendly and sensitive to community needs, has launched a petition drive to oppose the plan to make Seventh Avenue and Sixth Avenue one-way streets. The development is reported by Streets Blog. Among other things, the petition argues that “One-way avenues are unfriendly to neighborhood life” and that “changes like these should only be considered as part of a comprehensive, multi-modal, area-wide transportation plan.” The full petition can be viewed online and signed here. Volunteers have also been out in Park Slope gathering signatures.
March 13th, 2007 · Comments Off on New Blog Alert #2: Coney Island Reporter
There is a new Coney Island blog on the block call the Coney Island Reporter. We came upon it thanks to the always roving eyes of Kinetic Carnival, which is a superb Coney Island blog and one of our favorite Brooklyn blogs. Coney Island Reporter describes itself as “One lonely grad student has set out to learn everything there is to know about this bizzare stretch of beach.” The blogger describes himself thus:
Brian Childs is a fiction and freelance reporter. Currently, he is pursuing a masters degree in magazine journalism at New York University. He is author of The Evening Rolled on like a Tank Being Driven by a Zombie: Short Stories by Brian Childs and The Coney Island Reporter, a blog and research resource on Coney Island.
Excellent to have more Coney Island coverage!
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March 13th, 2007 · Comments Off on New Blog Alert #1: Bed-Stuy Blog!
We got an e-mail yesterday from one of the people behind the new BedStuy Blog. It’s only a couple of posts old, but we’d like to be among the first to welcome it to the Brooklyn blogsphere. In the introductory entry, the blogger writes:
I moved to Bedford-Stuyvesant in August of 2005, so I’ve only been in the neighborhood for a short period of time, but in the time that I’ve been here I’ve seen lots of change and I’ve met a lot of interesting people. One of the things that helped me to decide to settle here was the Brooklyn blogging community. These blogs with their microneighborhood coverage (where else can you find out that there is a day spa over by the BQE?) gave me so much information on local businesses, artists, and community challenges in each specific neighborhood. Being a blog reader gave me a taste of Brooklyn life, and I liked what I saw and read so I decided to move to the borough. But despite the number of Brooklyn blogs out there, few are dedicated to life in Bed-Stuy. Surprising, given the size of this neighborhood! Luckily, bloggers from nearby neighborhoods have had interest in Bed-Stuy and have featured some of our businesses, developments, and residents on their blogs, but a blog that focuses mostly on life in this neighborhood has been noticeably absent—until now. I hope that the Bed-Stuy Blog can be half as helpful (and interesting) to current and prospective Bed-stuy residents as other Brooklyn blogs have been to me. Wish me luck.
We look forward to reading.
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March 13th, 2007 · Comments Off on Greenpoint Gets Craned
Williamsburg gets a lot of attention, but heavy duty construction work is clearly going on in Greenpoint too (although it’s a couple of years behind the Billyburg curve). This latest image comes from our friend Miss Heather, who does an admirable job of tracking development in Greenpoint when she’s not busy covering, you know, her beat.
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First, the good news: The Brooklyn Record reports that the Gowanus Nursery, the cool little spot for backyard and windowbox greenery that was located on Third Street in Carroll Gardens/Gowanus has a new home. The bad news: It’s basically in Red Hook. (No, it’s not “bad news,” per se, as we love Red Hook too. We just especially loved their former location. Something about a nursery in Gowanus spoke to the human drive to overcome any circumstance that comes your way.) Regardless, the nursery, which lost its home because of future real estate development in the hood, will reemerge on March 31 at 45 Summit Street, which is between Columbia and Van Brunt Streets near the entrance to the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel. It’s on the street whose direction was changed when some of the traffic patterns were changed because of the endless construction on Columbia Street.
We wandered down to Coney Island this weekend to shoot some up-to-date photos on the state of demolition work. It did not disappoint. More than an entire city block is in the process of being demolished by developer Joe Sitt and his firm Thor Equities and looks like a tornado hit it. Added to the Go-Kart tracks and Batting Cage is the Mini-Golf Course, which has been destroyed. It looks like the developer is planning to throw up a big fence around the sites. The emptiness will likely create a public safety nightmare this summer on one of the streets that is a prime thoroughfare for pedestrians arriving at the Stillwell Avenue subway station. We wonder how long it will be before someone is assaulted or hurt in the frightening corridor of blight that Thor will have ready in time for the summer season. You can view our small Coney Island demolition porn flickr album here.
March 12th, 2007 · Comments Off on MTA Still Working Out Glitches on L Train Signage
Looks like the MTA is still working out some of the kinks on that new subway signage on the L Train that tells riders when the next full train is arriving. We’re confident, though, that they will iron out the glitches and move from Beta to Final Release long before they add trains to handle the ridership, which is increasing every day as new apartments and condos come on line.
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March 12th, 2007 · Comments Off on Has Thor Smoked Coney’s Grill House?
Coney Island’s boardwalk Grill House, noteworthy for its colorful artwork and the locals that hang out there in the summer months, may become the latest victim of a Coney Island eviction by Thor Equities. Apparently, the developer has (thus far) not extended the Grill House’s lease for the 2007 season. While the business has not been evicted, it still does not have a lease and we were told that a Thor executive told the owner the firm won’t extend a lease for the summer. The miniature golf course directly behind the Grill House has already been evicted and the course has been demolished. “What a horrible nightmare for Coney Island,” an emailer writes. “It gets worse and worse by the day.”
If you’re looking for another contentious Brooklyn issue, look no further than parking permits. The Boerum Hill Association and groups from Brooklyn Heights and Fort Greene are currently running an online survey to gauge resident opinion on the subject. The group writes:
A study released by the NYCDOT reveals that these three neighborhoods meet the criteria for a resident permit program, but the DOT has taken no action. The DOT needs to hear from the public. We know resident permits do not guarantee everyone a parking space, but they would reduce car congestion and improve pedestrian safety, with fewer cars circling our streets in search of parking.
This is our community’s conception of how the program might work. Read with an open mind, understanding that it is subject to revision. Residential parking permits would be required for parking in designated areas during non-holiday weekdays from 7am to 7pm. Because there are more cars than parking spaces, the permit would not entitle the bearer to a guaranteed parking spot, but residents would have priority over non-residents and those without permits. Permits would only be available for cars that are registered in the designated area. For a Boerum Hill permit, the car would have to be registered in Boerum Hill. Annual permit cost for the first car per household would be nominal, about $30. Each additional permit per household would be higher. Short term visitors would use metered spaces or any other available space for two hours or less. For workmen and overnight guests, visitors’ permits for up to 2 weeks would be available.
March 12th, 2007 · Comments Off on The Revere Dome’s Final Days
There is very little left to say about the destruction of Red Hook’s Revere Dome by Thor Equities. A New York Times story about Red Hook this weekend noted that “All along the waterfront are reminders, functioning and not, of Red Hook’s industrial past. One recently dismantled, to the anger of preservationists fighting a development, was the former Revere Sugar Plant’s silo. A sunken lightship, its masts stretching above water near the silo for decades, was also removed.” For the record, “preservationists” are not “fighting a development,” as no development has been announced, although many people are saddened and angered by Revere’s slow death. For now, the Red Hook is just another Thor Equities demolition long in advance of any proposals, approvals or construction.
March 12th, 2007 · Comments Off on Williamsburg’s 55 Berry Still Tagged Up
We would have thought that Williamsburg’s 55 Berry–which has had more than its share of challenges to face–would have been cleaned of the tagging that appeared last week. But we were wrong. The tags were still around for Williamsburg Sunday Open House Day, meaning that someone either thought they’d add some cred to the building or that a little tagging, even on a building where some apartments are priced at more than a million dollars, is no big thing.
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March 11th, 2007 · Comments Off on Downsizing of Sunset Park Tower Formalized
There was a meeting and press conference at St. Michael’s Roman Catholic Church in Sunset Park yesterday to formalize the agreement cutting a controversial proposed new 12-story building on 42nd Street in half. The developer signed a commitment memo and also agreed to consult with the community on future projects. The press conference was hosted by Council Member Sara M. González, who helped broker the deal.
“I am pleased to see that this developer listened to that message and brought down the size of this building – proving that responsible development can also be profitable,” says Randy Peers, chair of Community Board 7. “But we all this is but one battle in a war to prevent out-of-context development in Sunset Park. The community board is pleased to see that a group of neighbors is coalescing around this important issue, much the way groups came together in other parts of our community district.”
In the audience were members of the Sunset Park Alliance of Neighbors (SPAN) whose planned demonstration against the new project on Sunday has been transformed into a celebration where they will formally welcome the group. SPAN’s march and rally tomorrow (Sunday) starting at 12:30pm tomorrow at 420 42nd St, site of the NOW 6 story building.
It’s very likely that the debate over the development and the success in downsizing it, will lead to a broader move to downzone Sunset Park as has happened in neighboring communities.
It’s Sunday, which means it’s time to scan the all the ships that have passed in the Brooklyn night this week and have posted about it on Craigslist Missed Connections. This week’s Number One selection raises the question: If you fart when you’re near someone, does it automatically cause them to lose interest in meeting you:
while I bent down for the Stewed Tomatoes (I had to be near you). I think we’ve “met” before. I nervous farted. You commented: “Oh My!” and I said “That wasn’t me!” and you walked away chuckling. I wish I got your number ~ again! I think there’s something special between us! Please, what is your name!?
We always value a Missed Connection that involves farting.
March 11th, 2007 · Comments Off on Brooklyn Back in the Day: Coney Island
We return to our Brooklyn Back in the Day series of photos with this shot of the Bowery in Coney Island from 1911. The caption that comes with it says, “Section of Coney Island amusement area known as Bowery that extended from Steeplechase Park to Feltman’s Restaurant; many pedestrians and large sign over street (“Stauch’s”).” It comes from the Brooklyn Public Library’s wonderful collection of historic photos.
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