Open Thread Wednesday 10/26/11

I wish I could feel something positive about the [new] owners of the Heights Cinema, but living on Orange Street, I have to say that the are just as bad as the previous owner and the least civic-minded people of any establishment in the area. To the best of my knowledge, they have never even swept their sidewalks. After the hurricane in August, the twigs on the sidewalk on the Orange side if the theater remained for weeks – I know because I saw them. Eventually, they just broke down after weeks and weeks and the rains washed them away. You would think that they would want to present a decent appearance, but apparently they don’t care. Look at three pits near the theater on Orange – never once cleaned out or weeded and the front on Henry isn’t much better.

Honestly, how much money and effort does it take to sweep!

How can SENDER and GUDER continue to tag the neighborhood? I thought they were caught and put out of “business”?

I hate the black bench they put outside on Hicks Street. Looks like some junk from someone’s basement or something. If they want to put benches out how about some nice ones? They are not expensive.

GHB, someone else mentioned this a while back. It’s kind of sad, It’s the mark of someone powerless in the world saying, “Pay attention to me!”

David, I’m seeing the tags every time I go for a walk. Mailboxes, fire/police alarms, signs, etc. Really annoying!

ilike, How does showing a good mix of films exonerate the BH cinema from having to cleaning their sidewalk? It is the law, all property owners are responsible for the cleaning and maintenance of their sidewalk.

Yes, but the city does not clean or repair the sidewalks.

Who actually HATES a bench? Come on! Life is too short to be hating anything, let alone a bench.

This place is great, with a fantastic mix of movies.

Can we just call this forum “Whiney Wednesdays” from now on?

perhaps the last of the small one/two screen movie theatres in NYC that don’t show the usual brain-dead movies and all people here do is bitch & moan. I bet the complainers never go there. BH residents have a moral obligation to support this place.

Arch Stanton has a point, though. Is it that much to ask for an establishment (or a homeowner, for that matter) to abide by the law? This is just an example of the larger issue in our society whereby people are applauded for lackluster performance. “Oh, your son is failing his math class? Well at least he isn’t failing science, too!” Um…how about just be responsible, be a law-abiding citizen, and don’t be a jerk? The country has become a nation of mediocrity and settling.

Here’s a novel idea, BHC: continue to do what you’re doing in terms of great programming, but also sweep your sidewalks, since a) it’s considerate to your clientele and neighborhood, and b) it’s the law. You have to do it. If not, I’ll just bring my dog into your establishment and have it do its business all over your lobby–if you can break laws, anyone else can as well–and then you just have a disgusting and deplorable situation.

(I don’t actually have a dog, but I’m just trying to make a point about lawlessness and laziness.)

You can still not be full of yourself, appreciate where you live and how damn lucky you are while also appreciating if people just did what they were supposed to do. And that’s coming from a native who comes from several generations of natives. Perhaps it’s the people (likely non-natives) who refuse to acknowledge laws and to be considerate who are ruining Brooklyn and wherever else.

Is that really why there are those no parking signs there?

There is no Hudson County upstate.

1. Brooklyn isn’t being ruined. By anybody. In fact, it’s going in the opposite direction, last time I looked.

2. As Wrennie says, you can love a place but STILL want to make it better. BH is small; its residents are thus particularly attuned to matters of its upkeep. Such awareness is a sign of caring, not of small-mindedness.

3. Among the several purposes of the BHB is to provide a venting place, especially in the Wednesday open thread. To bitch is not only human–it’s divine.

@LG
I quick look through the archive of this site will prove that I am an outspoken opponent of giving religious organization special parking privileges (or any preferential treatment by the state). However, based on the location and appearance of the signs you mentioned I’m not sure they have anything to do with the Church. There is no mention of the church, and based on the location (Remsen b/w Montague and Joralemon) I think it is more likely something to do with the construction at the Apartment building with the scaffolding on the SE corner or Remsen + Henry. I bet there are getting some construction materials delivered on Sunday and need the space to unload tractor trailers with a crane. You can get a permit for that, and it seems to me they often schedule those on Sunday to minimize traffic disruption. We’ll know for sure on Sunday. If there are cars parked there with signs saying they are attending church services, I’ll be the first to contact 311 to ask why neighborhood residents cars are being displaced to make room for church attendees from outside the neighborhood..