Open Thread Wednesday

By on October 22, 2024 10:56 pm in open thread

What’s on your mind? Comment away!

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  • Pineapple Street

    Can anyone tell me more history regarding 194 Columbie Heights? I know its current owner is Dr. Austin Moore, but I'm so supprised that it has been abandoned for so long. Is there any lawsuits filed?

  • Peter Scott-Thomas

    The building – truly a blight on one of the nicest streets in NYC – gets noticed and questioned (as you've done) periodically on this blog. Here's a recent instance:

    http://brooklynheightsblog.com/archives/97558

    Your question is so very reasonable! I think it's proof that "private property rights" – even if it seems like our City bests even places like Berkeley in passing laws governing EVERY aspect of life – are inviolable.

    That is, you may not be able to replace awful windows with energy efficient ones … if they "don't fit in," but you can effectively abandon your property, provided only that you keep paying City taxes.

    How does this make sense? I'm sure BHts has fewer properties like 194 than most neighborhoods. You'd think that the City Council – unanimous in its favoring more housing – would pass a law or 2 that reduces the risk of fires, rat-bites, collapses, crack houses, etc. by empowering building inspectors to put the public's interest ahead of those of the property owners.

    When a person poses a danger to himself or others, s/he can be taken off the streets. It doesn't happen often, but NEVER seems to be the mot juste when it comes to City-ordered demolition of buildings like 194.

  • Peter Scott-Thomas

    Clark St. subway station – Was it this filthy even in the bad old days around 1980?

    Has it been 5 years – 10 even? – since both doors facing Henry Street had handles and could be closed?

    Who is responsible for this "public space?" I'm told that a building owner can be ticketed if leaves accumulate on the sidewalk in front of a private home. NYC Transit employs thousands of "cleaners." Did the Clark St. station get an exemption?

    And does every mentally ill unhoused person have an absolute right to sleep or loiter wherever s/he likes? Yes, the problem goes way beyond "optics," but many tourists walk or ferry to Brooklyn and return to Manhattan via the Clark St. station. Do they have to see someone lying on the once beautiful floor where the elevators take them down to? I'm sure Calcutta is worse, even places in Seattle and San Francisco, but is NYC's Government keeping thousands of token booth clerks employed and air-conditioned while all but abandoning portions of its infrastructure?

  • Pineapple Street

    Very interesting. I would think that neighbors could file suit for some kind of saftey reasons (fire, homless squaters or building infrastructure issues).

  • Pineapple Street

    Completely agree. I was taking the elevator last week and when the doors opened there was a homeless man laying on the ground and smoking cigarettes! Station is gross. And what is with the vendors having air conditioners running with the back facing inside the station!! Isn't that toxic??

  • Banet

    All other concerns aside, the only thing that comes out the back of an air conditioner is warm air. Nothing else.

  • gc

    Regarding 194 Columbia Heights. I have lived in this street almost 49 years and that place still looks the same as in 1976.

  • MaggieO

    for extra fun, the expediter who filed the only job on the DOB record for this building (reduce from 6 family to 3 family) was Scott Schnall…
    there are several open liens on the property for unpaid violation penalties. What kind of lawsuits were you thinking would be filed?

  • Pineapple Street

    If the structure of the building was impeding/causing an unsafe situation for neighboring buildings. Or if tresspassing was happing and fires/damages could be made.

  • Jorale-man

    The story that went around here years ago was that the owner is a crazy psychiatrist who acquired the townhouse in a divorce settlement and wants to get back at his ex-wife, so he decided to let the place decay and become a public nuisance. Quiet a neighbor, eh?

    I think everyone would like to see a successful suit ordering the place be shored up and saved before it's too late.

  • MaggieO

    Many complaints have been filed with DOB about the building over the years, hence the liens for unpayed penalties, but it seems like the owner is doing the absolute bare minimum to keep out squatters and keep the building from falling down.

  • Red Leader

    Speaking of filthy things – our sidewalks are notably disgusting given our lack of rain. Particularly of note- Montague St, especially in front of Key Foods. Our feet were sticking to the sidewalk. Aren't they supposed to hose it down or something? Unbelievably gross.

  • Jorale-man

    This drives me nuts. We claim to be so proud of our historic district and beautiful homes but people can't seem to be bothered to hose down the sidewalks when they clearly need it. Also, the plants and shrubbery in front of many houses desperately need watering too. Some front gardens are all decked out with Halloween decorations right next to brown or drooping plants.

  • Nosey Neighbor

    The Bossert sidewalk is disgusting. It is stained with dog urine and dog feces. The smell is getting unbearable. Broken glass and garbage is often strewn on the Hicks and Remsen sides. Rain won’t even help because it is covered with a scaffolding. I keep putting off reporting to 311 because I think unless there’s piles of litter, Sanitation won’t write a ticket.

  • AEB

    The NYC subway system houses many homeless people. This should not be–that is, no one should (have to) live in a subway station. But it is so. In my experience the Clark St. station is better than many others regarding its homeless population–that is, there are relatively few homeless people in it. (See the West 4th St, station for an example of flagrant homeless habitation.)

    We, who live in one of the city's most beautiful (and tidy) neighborhoods, as well as one of its most costly, would do well to take the long view regarding the (few) homeless among us. I'm advocating compassion rather than condescension and quick judgement. There but for the grace of god…you know?

  • DS

    Does anyone on here use or visit BBP Pier 5? The turf was replaced in 2020. It failed immediately and the plastic "grass" fibers – not just the fill pebbles – are going everywhere including into the Harbor. Any observations or expertise appreciated.

  • MaggieO

    Sanitation will write a ticket for a few tissues and a coffee cup in front of a building.

  • Andrew Porter

    There was a sidewalk shed in front of it recently, and the vines covering the Promenade side have been removed. But the broken windows on that side are still there.

    I understand when the house next door was for sale, it took forever to sell because of the mystery house literally a brick away.

    Here's the 1940 tax photo of the buildings there:
    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/12084938770e333c73ba3f8364cf6e6b80d0ed3e42ee765dc88818fb3ece9b6f.png

  • Andrew Porter
  • Andrew Porter

    The arcade is the property of the owners of the St. George, not the MTA. They have an office on the ground floor of Pineapple Street, just east of Henry.

    Here's a diagram of the subway, and elevator:
    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/ef5e24d0761e1de0a2dc36239cb04961c8db6ac4efda75ba25bf74b719df440f.jpg

  • MaggieO

    interesting to note that the property definitely doesn't seem to be up to date on taxes…
    https://a836-pts-access.nyc.gov/care/datalets/datalet.aspx?mode=acc_hist_summ&sIndex=0&idx=1&LMparent=20

  • MaggieO

    and water!

  • Nosey Neighbor

    Used to play soccer there. If it had just rained, the little plastic beads would stick all over you. Toddlers playing would get them all over their face and in their mouth

  • Effective Presenter

    Lawyers do NOT work for free they want money $$$ a retainer and after that they bill by the hour.

    Neighbors would be required to write checks $$$ to sue Dr. Moore.

    Neighbors on Columbia Heights should be able to work with community, government, politicians, etc however the world has changed the system to be worked is no longer available.

    Dr. Moore is not getting any younger eventually his house will be sold by his estate.

  • Peter Scott-Thomas

    What does compassion mean? Seriously! … I don't think there's enough money in the world – much less any chance that it would be spent wisely – to make a dent in the homeless problem in NYC. It's getting worse. I think we were just "lucky" that it hit some W. coast cities earlier & harder. WE have a fairly robust "safety net" in place – does any other city guarantee a roof over one's head, and it's clear that resources like police are being directed to – but seldom making stops or arrests – "near the turnstiles." When was the last time YOU saw a cop on a train?

    It's probably an abuse of 3-1-1, but shouldn't something like that be an option? (Either to get these people help … or simply to get them removed. I grew up with a play/musical called "Subways Aren't for Sleeping." It was at a time when that wasn't edgy – it was a laugh line.

    Now – as they say – not so much. (I.e., nobody's laughing or smiling.) Obviously Adams has bigger problems, but our "fun mayor," the one who recommends enjoying what NYC has to offer, has obviously given up on our City's subways & buses. Didn't he start his career as a "transit cop?"

  • AEB

    Actually, the musical is called Subways Are for Sleeping–but yes, a different time when the issue could be looked at comically/sentimenally.

    What "compassion" means to me is landing on the human distress that engenders the problem (and it IS a problem) rather than jumping to "these people–I can't stand seeing them!".

  • meschwar

    Ok then Peter. What do YOU think should be done with the homeless people you see on the subway and stations?

  • Nosey Neighbor

    Not Peter, but one important thing is to reform the city’s shelters which are currently run by Eric Adams’s cronies who are enjoying their lavish city contracts and kickbacks while decreasing the number of beds and letting the facilities deteriorate

    Voting out Eric Adams would also help

  • Andrew Porter

    I spoke to the manager of the Montague Key Food on Friday, and he told me they wash down the sidewalk every morning.

  • Andrew Porter

    In latest scaffolding news, they're erecting a sidewalk shed around the former TD Bank building. Guess the demolition should start any day now.

    Also, amazingly, the sidewalk shed around 100 Clark Street—on Henry, Pineapple Walk, CadPlW, presumably Clark, too—is coming down. All the wood was gone Friday afternoon, and I guess the metal supports will be, soon.

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