Park Progress Special: Pier 1 to Open Monday

By on March 18, 2010 1:24 pm in Brooklyn Heights, Events, News

BHB photo by C. Scales

BHB photo by C. Scales

It’s been sitting there–trees, grass, pathways, a pond, and, especially, those gorgeous steps custom-made for lounging and enjoying the view–beckoning to us from the Promenade or the Brooklyn Bridge. At last, word has come that our longing is to be requited. The Pier 1 portion of Brooklyn Bridge Park will be open to the public this coming Monday, March 22. There will be an official ribbon-cutting ceremony, at which planned attendees include Governor Paterson, Mayor Bloomberg, Borough President Markowitz, State Senator Squadron, Assemblymember Millman, and Councilmember Levin, at 9:30 a.m., after which, as the Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy loves to say, “It’s your park!”

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40 Responses to Park Progress Special: Pier 1 to Open Monday

  1. CharlieSahadi March 18, 2010 at 1:56 pm #

    Any rumors on a Pier 6 opening date?

  2. John Doe March 18, 2010 at 2:18 pm #

    Pier 6 is supposed to open no later than May 9. So only 6 or 7 weeks from now.

  3. C. March 18, 2010 at 5:33 pm #

    Anybody have any idea on when piers 2-5 are supposed to open? I think I saw 2012 or 13 somewhere but I can’t imagine how it could possibly take so long.

  4. Andrew Porter March 18, 2010 at 10:45 pm #

    Hey, be thankful for small favors, to coin a phrase. Too bad it couldn’t be open for this weekend’s gorgeous weather.

  5. Jose Uribe March 18, 2010 at 11:08 pm #

    You can’t imagine how it could possibly take so long? Are you serious? Do you think money for parks grows on trees?

  6. No One of Consequence March 19, 2010 at 3:32 am #

    I know I’ll catch hell for this, but please let it be dog-free.

  7. CharlieSahadi March 19, 2010 at 7:29 am #

    While Pier 6 will have a dedicated dog run, with transfer of control from the State to the City, it’s very likely that these parks will all be dog-friendly.

  8. AAR March 19, 2010 at 8:33 am #

    Alas….money does seem to grow on trees when it comes to rehabilitating Walt Whitman Park in front of the OEM office. As it has existed since the temporary parking lot was removed with the completion of the Federal Building, it has been fine for sitting, sunning or (most recently) playing in the snow (the deepest snow in the Heights) and now it is suddenly closed for approximately 2 years to be beautified! Why, why, why — when there is so much that should be done for Cadman Plaza Park — repairing the running/walking path, fixing the turf, improving the North end dust bowl/mud field?

  9. Matthew Parker March 19, 2010 at 8:38 am #

    @NOOC and Charlie:

    From what I’ve been told by the current park administrators, dogs will be allowed in BBP on paved paths only–not on grassy areas. The only exception will be off-leash at the dog run on Pier 6.

    I hope there will be strict enforcement of these rules so that responsible dog owners can walk through the park with their dogs, and other users can enjoy the grass areas without worry about irresponsible dog owners lack of courtesy.

  10. Matthew Parker March 19, 2010 at 8:58 am #

    My hope for strict enforcement of all rules in BBP might actually happen, since there will be 9 FT Parks Enforcement Police officers for Pier 1 alone. To put that into context, there are only 15 PEP officers now for ALL the parks in Bklyn:

    http://www.amny.com/urbanite-1.812039/advocates-say-all-parks-not-treated-equally-1.1816859

  11. jellen March 19, 2010 at 9:03 am #

    I am psyched about pier 6 but I am a little nervous about all the foot traffic in our quiet n’hood. I lived in another part of the Heights when the floating pool was here, now I am in Willowtown anyone remember if crime went up that summer?

  12. g-man March 19, 2010 at 9:04 am #

    AAR, the answer to your question is, Walt Whitman is moving ahead because federal funds–essentially rent for the parking lot during construction of the court house–are available for reconstruction.

    I believe, but I’m an optimist, that funds will be found soon for another phase of construction in Cadman Plaza Park.

  13. Monty March 19, 2010 at 9:14 am #

    @jellen, it’s a trade-off for sure, but it will hopefully rehabilitate those empty commercial spaces on Atlantic and Montague.

  14. Teddie Boy Eddie March 19, 2010 at 10:33 am #

    Yeah, I hope there are no dogs … or children, or soccer players, or anyone for that matter. Just me.

  15. Kat March 19, 2010 at 11:01 am #

    I, for one, feel so nature-starved after this winter that I’ll take any nice park Brooklyn can give me.

  16. doghater March 19, 2010 at 11:17 am #

    Amen on the no f’n dogs. Some of us would like to be able to walk on the grass or even have kids play on it without stepping in piss and shit (sorry for the language, but that’s what dogs produce… and a-hole dog owners leave behind). Now, if only cyclists could be banned…

  17. Hellyeah! March 19, 2010 at 12:10 pm #

    Agreed with TBE and DH -

    Dogs and children need to go!

  18. Teddie Boy Eddie March 19, 2010 at 12:14 pm #

    … yes, and cyclists! I don’t even care if they don’t have their bikes. Just keep the cyclists and their lycra out.

  19. David on Middagh March 19, 2010 at 12:39 pm #

    Hold on, now! Just hold on. >BRAINSTORM< What if the lycra-wearing cyclists agree to chase the pissing and shitting f’n dogs and their a-hole owners off the lawns?

  20. Hellyeah! March 19, 2010 at 1:26 pm #

    I’d rather watch them chase the small children

  21. doghater March 19, 2010 at 2:16 pm #

    I would make an exception for bicycle riding dogs. Or monkeys. Monkeys in diapers.

  22. my2cents March 19, 2010 at 2:53 pm #

    I don’t see why dogs should be allowed considering there is a dog park 2 blocks away. Let them pee and poo all over that one. It’s enough. I want to bike, skate, or run in this park without those retarded extend-o leashes going across my path

  23. my2cents March 19, 2010 at 2:56 pm #

    Also, to those who say no bikes, I say this is where bikes belong. Off the street, off the bridge, on a nice paved path in a park. You can’t bike on the promenade, so at least this park should definitely be bike-friendly. I worry they didn’t design it so that bike traffic can be separate enough from pedestrian traffic, but we shall see.

  24. Monty March 19, 2010 at 3:09 pm #

    I think there should not be any dogs or bikes on this blog.

  25. Billy Reno March 19, 2010 at 4:03 pm #

    Hopefully, there will be plenty of church parking.

  26. nabeguy March 19, 2010 at 9:30 pm #

    My2, I’d argue exactly the opposite. The streets and the bridges are thoroughfares for taking you from one point to another. This is a park. Get off your Schwinn, and soak it in. From what I saw today, it appears that there’s a double roadway winding through the site, so maybe there are already plans in place to accommodate both, although each of them seemed too narrow for either purpose. I guess we’ll all see soon enough.

  27. HelloBrooklyn March 19, 2010 at 9:39 pm #

    My money’s on banana-hammock guy making the lawn at Pier 1 his new home (especially since Empire Fulton Ferry is closed this year). Stark white buttocks for all!

  28. StephM March 19, 2010 at 10:20 pm #

    great to hear claude…can’t wait for the next trip down south!

  29. Claude Scales March 19, 2010 at 10:35 pm #

    Steph: the Missus and I look forward to your next visit.

    HelloBrooklyn: who is banana-hammock guy?

  30. No One of Consequence March 19, 2010 at 11:11 pm #

    Unbelievable, no flak for the anti-dog comment. In fact, more than anything, seems like there is support for limited canine access.
    I agree, take hillside park, snow and all, and freely crap all over it.

    Bikes should have their own bike path. If there isn’t one, it’s surely because not enough money was spent in planning and design.

    You really can’t ban kids/babies because to do so would be to discriminate based on age. Dogs are not privy to such human rights, for obvious reasons.

    Now, what can we do about keeping tourists out of our new park? When they ask us for directions, we could always send them toward Farragut housing.

    I’m also curious, will the park be gated such that it can be cleared and closed at night? Or will it be open 24/7?

    @Claude: Think about it, do you REALLY need to know more.

  31. my2cents March 19, 2010 at 11:43 pm #

    Nabeguy, to me biking is a great leisure activity to be enjoyed without fear of imminent death by cab. Therefore I strongly desire a good bike path in this park where I can ride and in doing so not threaten pedestrians with imminent injury.

  32. StephM March 20, 2010 at 9:15 am #

    @ nooneof consequence….not nice….I am a tourist and I love your neighbourhood as if I did live there….glad I don’t need directions anymore….;)

  33. nabeguy March 20, 2010 at 8:00 pm #

    My2, I hope the park accommodates your desires, and that their will be a dedicated bike path. But I think that even you would agree that it has to be done in such away that my 8-year old daughter on her Murray 24″ bike is not jockeying for position with someone who thinks they’re on the Tour de France. That’s all I was trying to get across.

  34. bklyn20 March 21, 2010 at 6:56 am #

    There are more PEP officers for this park than there are in all of Brooklyn. Don’t worry about dog leavings — the park is so “over-securitized” that no doubt any dog malfeasance will result in instant arrest. Now if only the litterers, cigarette-butt-droppers and negligent-parents-of-kids-in-delicate-plantings will get the same penalty…

    This park is full of delicate plantings and fenced-off areas — people will be contained on paved paths for much of the park. Beautiful, but too much botanical garden, not enough park.

  35. nabeguy March 21, 2010 at 11:01 am #

    What, no kids, no bikes, no dogs, no banana-hammock guy? What kind of park is that?
    Claude, take a trip to Fulton Ferry Park if you want to catch a glimpse of
    banana-hammock guy. Trust me, you’ll restrict your viewing to only a glimpse.

  36. BKHeightsGirl March 21, 2010 at 12:14 pm #

    Banana hammock guy is unbelievable. He’s one small strip of fabric away from being naked, and his body is flabby.

  37. Sticky March 21, 2010 at 3:25 pm #

    Bananaboy reminds me of the infamous UES jogger who runs in lingerie.

  38. nabeguy March 21, 2010 at 5:08 pm #

    BKHeightsGirl, thats not even fabric, it’s floss.

  39. hoppy March 21, 2010 at 7:06 pm #

    @Sticky

    Ahhh yes, I used to live on the UES some years ago and have crossed paths with “Elegant Elliott Offen”

    I for one cannot wait for the park to open so I can sprint up those steps and punch my fists in the air like Rocky!

  40. Andrew Porter March 22, 2010 at 12:12 am #

    What you call “banana-man”, the NY State park guys at Empire-Fulton Ferry State Park used to call “Thong Man.” And he is indeed very flabby and, despite all that sun-time, pasty white.

    Maybe he’s a zombie?