Open Thread Wednesday

Is anyone else affected by the blinding reflected sunlight from “One Manhattan Square”? (aka 225 Cherry Street, the looming monstrosity located on the East River just past the Manhattan Bridge on the Lower East Side. You know, the condo that has inserted itself into Manhattan and bridge views from just about everywhere in this part of Brooklyn.)

For the past few weeks, there is a 30 min interval in late afternoon on sunny days when I can’t look out my north-facing windows for fear of being blinded by the entire upper portion of the all-glass building reflecting the full brunt of the sun.

I’d like to know where else the effect is visible in the neighborhood…it seems the owner should tone down the reflectivity.

Here’s a picture from Hicks Street at Orange. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/470709a0b8025acb979156d667dae89cc416a194e507f0a9192e1388799ed320.jpg

A worker died after falling off 1 Pierrepont Street on Wednesday, Patch reported:

http://tinyurl.com/y5o9at5v

The NY Times’s Michael Kimmelman weighs in on the BQE overhaul. On the BIG plan: “The BQP sets a bar at least, which is worth pursuing.”
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/10/arts/design/bqe-construction-nyc.html

Everyone should post a comment. Many nyt commenters thus far are of the “do whatever it takes” mindset regardless of the impact on Brooklyn communities.

Mr. Kimmelman clearly has enormous respect in the architectural community, but he was VERY short on recommendations in what was basically a review of the “state of play,” plus some context. (Other articles of his are much more like “reviews,” where he dishes out praise or the opposite.)

I guess I’m not surprised (I know I shouldn’t be) when he says that the BIG plan had been circulating for weeks before surfacing. Not sure why, really, since community support has got to be critical if it’s to move forward. (Someone skeptical might say that since there ARE weak points, serious ones – MK enumerates them, albeit “gently” – the 11th hour release had that in mind. That also makes clear how/why City Hall was able to announce their “experts” response in a mere hour or 2.)

Mr. Kimmelman calls for inter-agency co-operation… and coordination among the 3 tiers of government. He says that urban design has been too low a priority for City Govt for MANY years. He says “traffic engineers should NOT be making decisions of this magnitude,” and that the 2 DOT proposals are all but dead. (It’s a close call in my head, but I think he’s right – shuttering Harlem Hospital many, many years back [all but telling 100,000 NYers, “Suck it up” really IS “20th century.”])

Last 2 – he DOES agree with some who’ve posted here that “drivers adapt” – his sentence exactly…. And he says that while BIG didn’t trumpet it, the BBP model is commercial-supports-park, and he speculated that the otherwise captivating design might “necessitate” the construction of “a brand-new 300,000 square foot condo.”

“SilverShoes” (below) is right – and I’ll see if I can post something … briefly there!

I just made several comments there (posting as “Andrew Porter”). I see that local BH resident Ed Townes, former editor/publisher of The Brooklyn Paper, just posted a comment.

Permits filed for replacement of 192 Montague Street, sez NY YIMBY:

http://tinyurl.com/y3xwsk9l

How so? the exhaust gases have to go somewhere, vents will simply release them back into the surrounding atmosphere.

Twasn’t me! I’ve never eaten there. The only place I ever eat out at in the Heights is Teresa’s, and there only a couple of times a year.

I survived cancer in 2007, but as I tell people, my plumbing doesn’t work as well as it used to. Eating out is not just a job, it’s (alas) an adventure…

Ah I see. Sorry to hear about that, and glad you survived. So I guess there’s a guy in the neighborhood who maybe kinda resembles the photos of you I’ve seen online.