Open Thread Wednesday

By on July 1, 2015 12:26 am in open thread

What’s on your mind? Comment away!

Share this Story:

  • ShinyNewHandle

    Was PS 8 just robbed, or is that bell & those flashing lights a false alarm? It’s 2 AM, and the Hicks St. gate is wide open.

  • Roberto Gautier

    Councilman Steve Levin is on the subcommittee on landmarks. The subcommittee voted to allow the sale of air rights over landmarked buildings anywhere in East Midtown Manhattan. How does this impact the future of our neighborhood? Go figure.
    Zoning changes are what’s behind increased density and deep assaults to community identity.
    If you’re interested, see WNYC’s Newsletter of June 30, 2015.

  • e

    Levin is wrong on lots of stuff these days. His bill capping the number of Uber drivers is protectionism (of the taxi industry) at its finest.

    On the sale of air rights, there is simply too much development going on in this city. It should be slowed down until we’re confident that the subways, school system, etc., can handle it. It’s kind of ironic, when you think about it, that Levin is promoting the sale of air rights that will bring more development, but opposing the Uber drivers who would help ferry those additional residents from place to place.

  • e

    I saw that the developer for Pier 6 was announced.
    Does anyone know if their proposal includes additional monthly parking?

  • BrooklynCoffeeLover

    The alarm goes off almost every night. I was actually walking my dog around the school last night and heard it as well. The cops came, checked it out for 3 hot minutes and then got back in their car. I said to them that it happens all the time. He agreed, laughed and seemed to more so be annoyed that they got called, again, for the alarm.

  • Willow Street Watch

    PS 8 and all of us, WERE robbed the moment we allowed 40-50 story tower condos without FIRST insisting on all the sane support infer
    structure which should prior exist.

    But no tulip craze works like that….

  • Willow Street Watch

    I think I’ll have some posters and bumper stickers made up showing the pier six site. Buyers willl have two alternative phrases available:

    Paging, Howard Roark…and “Howard Roark please call us ASAP!…”

  • ShinyNewHandle

    Ah! BCL, I don’t know if you were here in the ’90s, but some years B.C.P. (before current principal), and before WACs (window air conditioners), the upper windows of PS 8 upper would be left open overnight. If it was windy, papers would blow around, setting off a motion detector and the building alarm, whose exterior horn would wake up the neighborhood. I called the police all the time in those days, trying to get some relief. In the end, the super overheard me complaining to the principal (who was giving me nothing but arguments), and found a way to halt the false alarms. I am still grateful to him for that!

  • ShinyNewHandle

    WSW, while I agree with you politically on this issue, I object to your using my post as a soap box. I’m sure we value your insider reports from the meetings, but if there is no new information to convey, perhaps less would be more? Just a suggestion.

  • Remsen St Strollin

    Two items:
    1. Anyone have an update on what’s going on with the Bossert Hotel? We live across the street and based on the progress I see (a) it looks like it will be ready in 2020 at earliest and (b) it doesn’t look like they are taking especially great care with what used to be a really beautiful lobby/interior.
    2. I hadn’t seen a lot of press, but Emack and Bolio’s ice cream and froyo shop is opening up in the old Connecticut Muffin space. That will be a really great addition to the neighborhood together with Friend of a Farmer (which I poked my head into last weekend and looks amazing!). Some competition for Haagen Daaz will be good as they are over priced and have poor service IMO…

  • gatornyc

    It does not.

  • JoT

    I live and work across from the Bossert, too – maybe part of the reason construction’s taking so long is because they only use ONE trash truck for the entire interior demolition? (I’m kidding, of course – the noise of that one constantly running truck [starting at 7am!] is slowly driving me insane; I can’t imagine 3 or 4 more of them parked on Hicks…I might run amok…)

  • Jorale-man

    That’s a real shame about the Bossert. I noticed it looked like they’d stripped out the Remsen side of the lobby to the studs. It’s hard to see in the front part – they’ve covered it up, probably for the very reason we’re discussing here. The JW’s did such a good job too at maintaining its historic character.

  • Willow Street Watch

    We had a BIG issue with delivery trucks at Love Lane when D’Agostino was there and at two construction sites. I rented a sound meter from a lab instrument co. I made sure it was recently properly calibrated, then did a walk around of the running tucks over a week time. We made videos of our tests. It was easier than we thought. There ARE definite. legal limits to how loud and what kind of noise trucks can emit and when. After that, I and two of my neighbors sat down with two key elected officials and the DEP. Faced with the videos and “attention” of pols, city inspectors were promptly dispatched and the merchants and contractors involved were read the riot act. The noise gteatly abaited.
    But the manager at one store hated the sight of us from that point on…..

    Thr moral is, want a problem solved? You have to take action yourself.

  • Banet

    Just parking for the residents.

  • Willow Street Watch

    The question is, how long are the JW’s going to own the Bossert…with the general move out, are they staying in the place or not?.. If not, WHO and what will shortly own/manage this landmark…?
    Given the other new owners in recent years there’s plenty to be concerned about…

  • Eddyde

    LOL, for such a bigmouth know it all, I’m surprised you didn’t get the memo: The JoHo’s sold the Bossert a couple of years ago, it is going to be a boutique hotel.

  • Willow Street Watch

    I heard something, but the question is what the eventual ownership/
    Management will be. Its like, well, the GBS bldn., yes the historic building was sold (what an outrage) then news arrived from all those who confidently “knew” what was happening that the building was simply then resold. So, I would warn, that once the JW’s are fully divested, who the end user will be. By the way, the problem is
    how little I (or any of us) do know; that’s because in an increasingly BANK/NGO directed scene, the least possible important information is conveyed about final plans/form to the taxpaying subjects.

    I find I have to make the observation, that rock throwing is not being
    contributive….

  • e

    Parking for residents, is a plus in my view, given that the residents of these towers will thus provide somewhat less competition for street parking and other parking-lot parking in the neighborhood. Obviously it would be better if they provided more parking for ppl who use the park as well.

    Where do you see that there will be parking for residents? thanks —

  • Andrew Porter

    I spoke to a worker there and he said the Bossert was going to be finished in 2016, not this year at all, alas.

  • Andrew Porter

    I also spoke to a JW who told me that the new digs in upstate NY will be finished by 2017, at which time they will depart this world, uh, be out of BH once and for all.

    I’m waiting to see what price will be put on the Leverich Towers site, and the big buildings on Columbia Heights and Orange Streets.

  • Eddyde

    The Towers and the Columbia Heights buildings are all linked together by underground tunnels. From what I recall, the JoHo’s are trying to sell those buildings as a package.

  • Willow Street Watch

    But the question of who will be the final/long term owners/management of the Bossert is less than resolved. The direction and type of marketing the new management will use and the nature of clientele the hotel or ? will attract and of course, the basic question of the overall effect on the Heights remains open.That’s the terms you have to address any in-pro gress development…that is if your serious object is to protect the trea sure the Heights represents.

    By the way, in dealing with a JW I always ask whether he or she is one of the “annointed” or are they on the “other sheep” level. (There used to be two Heights residents who were reputed to be members of the JW’s all powerful governing body)

  • marcbolansghost

    Anyone know why the FBI was canvassing the neighborhood today? Going door to door on Joralemon. I declined, now I’m curious.