Open Thread Wednesday 10/27/10

By on October 27, 2010 12:33 am in Brooklyn Heights

Flickr photo by Crown Heights North

What’s on your mind?  Let it out!
And congrats to last week’s OTW contest  winnerbklyn20 —  who will receive a Cortland Fruit Basket from Manhattan Fruitier  for penning the winning “fruit haiku”:

Placid pumpkins sit
on genteel stoops awaiting
illumination.

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  • davoyager

    you know you need a faster server right? I mean your site is so slow to respond compared to say the new york times and it’s been like that for quite a while now. Just thought I’d say.

  • Andrew Porter

    Was on the Promenade Tuesday enjoying the wierdly warm weather and saw an attractive blonde being photographed with still and video cameras. Then she pulled out a guitar and started to sing.

    It was Australian singer-songwriter Coby Grant, during a North American tour, part of a worldwide tour for her songs. She’s performing on the 28th at Rockwood Music Hall before departing for LA. You can download a free song by going to

    http://www.cobygrant.com/northamericantour2010

  • Andrew Porter

    Article in the Brooklyn Eagle on Fresh Cafe, a creperie which recently opened in the St. George subway arcade:

    http://tinyurl.com/24u2sr8

  • amk

    This will be my first Thanksgiving in the neighborhood – can anyone recommend a restaurant that might be open on Turkey Day? I have visitors coming to town and cooking is not my forte. My visitors like PLAIN PLAIN PLAIN food, so I’m looking for some place that serves a very traditional Thanksgiving meal, but very basic. Any suggestions in the Heights/Cobble Hill area? Doesn’t need to be fancy, at all.

  • Homer Fink

    @davoyager- on last week’s OT I mentioned we’re moving to a new host soon. Qfwfq is hard at work making that happen.

    @andrew – Coby was shooting the next in our Brooklyn Bugle Sessions series. Her performance will be up later this week.

  • beth

    Someone please shut that dog up on Cranberry street….

  • jim

    @ Beth – on my way to PS 8 this morning with my son (8:25ish) by Hicks and Cranberry there was frantic woman with a bleeding hand trying to recover her 2 dogs, apparently they had just been attacked nearby by a pit bull, sadly she feared one of her dogs was killed…..sad

  • cat

    @jim–that’s terrible. I hope they catch the pit bull, too. I don’t understand the fascination with owning dogs who can become deadly.

  • BigDave

    Haiku challenge win,
    a grasp beyond our reaching…
    Cheers, bklyn20!

  • John

    Most people own pit bulls because they feel weak an inferior,
    it makes them feel tough ! I love all dogs,but if raised the wrong way these dogs can be very menacing.

  • Montagueresident

    Is there anything we can do about the unregulated handicapped parking–especially on Pierpont. It took me 30 minutes to get one block this morning because the handicapped cars were parked at intervals all along that block and the garbage truck had TONS of stuff to load. I certainly don’t mean handicapped people should not get to park but doesn’t it make sense to have special parking areas at the ends of the block? That way cars (trying to get to work) won’t have to sit behind huge trucks the entire block to get around. Also if anyone is listening–with the limited parking spaces around Montague (and other streets) wouldn’t it make sense to paint parking lines on the pavement? Lately, the way people park has kept at least one or two cars from finding a space when there is clearly many less than car-length openings available.

  • beth

    Oh, no. Does anyone know anymore about the dog attack? That is horrible. I just saw a dog barking inside someone’s front gate and it was definitely usual. Ugh.

  • Monty

    I had a nutella crepe from Fresh Cafe Bar last week and it was top notch. The proprietress was not present, but one of her employees made it with aplomb. Reading that article makes me wish she would also serve up some blinis. Maybe with caviar, smoked salmon and creme fraiche. The perfect subway snack.

  • Seveth

    Has anyone else noticed the increasing number of homeless in BK Heights? Worrying as it seems to become more common each week, particularly on Henry Street.

  • Pierrepont

    To @Seveth’s point, my 7-year-old daughter came home from Cadman Plaza Park yesterday and told me she’d learned a new word. “What’s an EDP, Daddy?” When I was slow to answer, she chimed, “Emotionally disturbed person!” Now how many 7-year-olds in Greenwich know THAT, huh?

  • Mickey

    @Seveth: I was eating alone in Great Wall on Henry Street this past Saturday when a homeless person came in and sat across from me at the same table. After making brief conversation he said “I’m hungry. Can you feed me?” If that keeps up, it’s not going to be good for local businesses. Imagine the commotion it would cause on Montague with all the sidewalk seating still operational.

  • mike

    Jim, was she outside the vets office on Hicks and Cranberry or was she actually looking for her dogs? “Trying to recover” isnt clear.

    Did she make it seem like the incident happened in the neighborhood? Or was she just at the vet, possibly after her dogs were attacked somewhere else?

  • jim

    @Jim – Good questions, sorry I wasn’t clear. The poor woman was literally running around calling out the name of and looking for her dogs. (She came westbound on Cranberry from Henry St to Hicks). I was walking down the westside of the Hicks Street from Orange.

    One of her dogs had just previously run up Hicks Street from Cranberry (without leash) and the construction/delivery workers, passerbyers and I were all trying to get him/her for her. It clearly had just happened and I suspect nearby (maybe Cadman Plaza Park?) given she asked one of the others to carry the seemingly unharmed dog that we carrolled back to her place on Cranberry St.

    She was clearly injured (blood on hand) and even more so distraught saying she thought her other dog was killed by a pit bull that had attacked them (her account).

    I am only sorry I didn’t do more (although I am not sure what else I could have done with child in tow)

    Just terrible.

  • jim

    oops before the comments reign in – please note my previous post was supposed to be in response to Mike’s previous post not myself (guess it is hard for me to remember my alias is Jim I must be getting old!)

  • tb

    Oddly enough we were walking to PS8 at the exact same time and didn’t see a thing. The construction workers were all just sitting around as usual.

  • Andrew Porter

    amk:

    Many restaurants are closed on Thanksgiving, but perhaps Theresa’s on Montague will fill the bill. Their prices are reasonable; don’t know if they’re open all day on Thanksgiving. There’s always the Happy Days Diner. I’ve never eaten there, though.

  • Dogfight

    Jim and John,
    It was actually the Maltese that attacked the pit bull. Then when the owners tried to break them up, the Maltese bit both it’s owner and the pit bull’s owner and ran away The pit bull mix was yelping and had tried to get away from the vicious little Maltese. Get your facts straight before your prejudice-self posts errors on this blog. Is it because you feel “weak” and “inferior” that you feel the need to attack innocent pit bulls on a blog?

  • XYZ

    amk: Armando’s is usually open on TG.

  • jim

    @dogfight – For the record:

    1) my initial post stated it was the woman’s account that the pit bull attacked, I was not witness to the attack, just the aftermath, and

    2) I did not state the “weak” and inferior” rationale about why people own pitbulls, I agree many pitbulls I have known and my own dog has played with are very friendly and loving

  • larry

    Actually that is not correct the maltese could attack the pitbull. I saw the whole thing. Two dogs got carried away and into a fight the pitbull then chased the maltese out of the park.

  • Confused

    If it was the Maltese that bit the pitbull:
    Why was the Maltese the one squeeling, and its owner yelling “get your dog off my dog”? Why was the pitbull perfectly ok afterwards AND why was the pitbull’s owner apologizing?

  • larry

    ** correction** sorry – I meant to say it does not seem possible that small maltese could attack a pitbull and that the other dog did not react? I dont understand ‘dog fights’ post,which is completely blaming a small dog?

  • Arch Stanton

    Today, I heard an announcement on WFMU radio: “A huge shipment of Lady Gaga Halloween costumes is infested with bedbugs”
    I suspect all but a real raw meat costume could be at risk!

  • suzette

    Oh brother…while I deeply sympathize w/the Maltese and the dog owner because I have pets too, I am more concerned about the influx of homeless here. It’s terrible and heartbreaking to see more and more homeless, hungry people. The neighborhood is seeing more robberies, muggings, etc. due to the economic decline of the country. Until you have been a member of the subculture of joblessness, homelessness, city agencies, etc., you shouldn’t worry too much about having your outdoor cafe meal disrupted. A lot of people are hurting right now and the desperation is just going to get worse w/the holidays coming. And there is no end in sight. The job prognosis for 2011 is not looking any better.

  • nabeguy

    A “viscous” Maltese against a pit bull mix? You’re kidding, right? Given the reputation and breeding that the latter have, are you really expecting anyone to believe that they’d be cowed by a shag rug on miniature legs?
    As to the homeless situation, suzette is correct in her argument that it’s economically based. It’s led to an increased influx of individuals and families into a shelter system that is swamped. As a result, some of the more “hardcore” homeless appear to have been displaced. Anyone familiar with the Clark Street subway station has probably seen an elderly black gentleman who occupies the bench on the forward section of the platform. His name is Milton. Despite his appearance, he told me that he was only 52 years old. He clearly is not in command of all his senses, but when I asked him why he stayed in the subway all day. he said the shelters were too crowded and he felt safe in the station.
    I’m not suggesting that we all become Mother Theresa’s and try to solve the problems of the world, but let’s not lose sight of the fact that, regardless of their outward disposition, they’re human beings. And BTW, when I gave Milton $5 and told him not to spend it on liquor, his immediate response was “gave that up 10 years ago”. So much for pre-judging.

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