You Can’t Get There From Here

By on February 1, 2011 12:02 am in Tourism, Transportation

That’s what an unfortunate first time visitor to the neighborhood might conclude after trying to use this map, posted by the foot of the staircase (so that those consulting it are blocking the path of those entering or leaving the station) at the Cadman Plaza West entrance to the High Street A/C station.

In addition to large areas of the map being obscured by grime (possibly mold–thanks to reader Reggie for suggesting this), the red “you are here” marker shows the location as the other entrance to the station, on the east side of Cadman Plaza Park. so, someone going up the stairs and wanting to go to, say, Henry Street, and seeing the park to their left, might well think they have to cross the park to get there, and head off toward Concord Village.

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  • AEB

    So nu?

  • Bette

    Thanks for pointing this out! Sometimes I really think Brooklyn Heights is “the community that time forgot”. I recently got all psyched to go to the Brooklyn Historical Society (trying to learn about Brooklyn), and was disappointed to find a sad, tiny series of exhibits that look like they haven’t been changed, nor viewed, in 20 years. (changing the subject I know, but maybe not…)

  • Reggie

    Claude, I almost hate to ask, but is that dirt or mold?

  • http://selfabsorbedboomer.blogspot.com Claude Scales

    Reggie: good question. Given the dampness of the location, I’d guess mold is a possibility.

    Bette: I’m sorry to know of your disappointment with BHS. The exhibits are all of fairly recent origin. BHS was moribund for some time, but now has what I think is a very capable management and staff, led by Deborah Schwartz. I’m sure they would be grateful for any suggestions you could give them on how they could improve their presentations to the public. Let them know what you’d like to see there, and what about their present displays you think isn’t interesting.

  • David on Middagh

    @Reggie: Mold? Nah, it’s schmutz. Look at the soot on the leftward tiles. That map has too little trapped moisture and receives much too much air circulation for black mold to thrive.

  • Mao-Quest

    Claude,
    You should also include a photo of the old and relatively useless map immediately outside the High Street Station by Cadman Plaza. It is not at all helpful, and so much so that the blue local printed rag had a story about a woman who made her own signs so as to be helpful to the hapless tourists who exit the subway and get lost trying to find the Brooklyn Bridge entrance. I wrote to that paper, as well as to Marty Markowitz, asking for better signage, but got stonewalled by Markowitz and, despite repeated emails and some apparent interest, got nowhere with Gersh Kuntzman. I would’ve thought there would be some interest given the original article, but no followup (but lots of ink about his broken ankle and stolen bicycle(s)). Markowitz took lots of credit for new signage by Borough Hall itself, but then forgot about the areas where tourists actually go, i.e. in the North Heights. I see the folks exit the subway and they are lost. Very, very frustrating and I wish you better luck in trying to get better signs. You know, something like you are here, an arrow to point people in the correct direction, and maybe in a few languages.

  • AEB

    Actually, close examination (by me) has revealed the “black stuff” to be dust produced by the Edgeworth-Kuiper belt of our own solar system. So it’s cosmic.

    Totally.

  • Reggie

    Claude, thanks, and to you too David. This being Brooklyn, “schmutz” should have been my first guess.

    Mao, the map in front of Borough Hall is just the first of many to be installed around downtown Brooklyn and the surrounding neighborhoods.

  • WillowtownCop

    It’s actually a deliberate effort to keep annoying tourists out of our neighborhood- or even worse, the people who work here, clog up the trains, and shop at the horrible stores on Montague St built for them instead of us!

  • Andrew Porter

    There’s a tremendous blast of air up and down the staircase when trains approach and leave the station, so I think it’s a combo of dust and mold, because rain and snow also come down from the outside. There was also a deep pool of water from rainwater flowing down the steps until the drains were repaired.

    About the signs: those wonderful new signs that were posted outside the station lasted maybe a week, being on foam-core and not on metal or anything permanent. What was their point? I wonder how much that boondoggle cost?