Open Thread Wednesday: June 27, 2012

By on June 27, 2012 1:01 am in open thread

Well, hot dog! It’s another Open Thread Wednesday. What’s cooking in your mind that you can’t wait to share with your Brooklyn Heights Blog brothers and sisters? (Photo: Chuck Taylor)

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  • ColumbiaHeightster

    KCB, what street do you live on? Columbia Heights was all ripped up yesterday, and I believe the equipment trucks said “Water and Sewer” on them. That might have something to do with it (hopefully not though).

  • North heights res

    Just drove back from out of town business to observe two things:

    1) It is a gorgeous day and our neighborhood is stunning. The sky, the buildings, the trees, the water–a perfect day in a perfect place.

    2) A perfection utterly ruined by the disaster that is parking in the neighborhood today. Columbia Heights between Pierrepont and Clark is blocked off in order for some private Columbia Heights resident to get some private work done: a big truck is parked there and it’s impassable, and there are cones blocking off the street near the playground.

    A couple of other blocks are completely ripped up, losing parking spaces and slowing traffic.

    The aforementioned movie shoot is its usual, clusterf(&(*ing self, impeding traffic and sidewalks.

    And: a whole bunch of other streets will be inaccessible on Friday because of yet another (or maybe the same) movie shoot, so if a normal person (like most of us) wanted to park a car there and not move it until next week, we couldn’t.

    I know: they are public streets and not my personal parking space. I know. I understand. But for better or worse, it is the practice of those of us who own cars (and I use mine only for grocery shopping, weekends away, or, most frequently, out of town business) to park on the street, and days such as today, when permits are given out in such a way that the entire neighborhood is affected for days on end, and compounded by someone deciding that it’s OK to seal off an entire block because he/she wants to…”buzzkill” doesn’t begin to cover it.

  • AEB

    KCB, had this problem last week. Always think of it as a summer thing….

  • GHB

    @North heights res, that work being done on Columbia Heights may just prevent some kind of sinkhole disaster since water has been coming up through the street for weeks now. It’s not “private work”, it’s necessary work. Maybe it will also take care of the rat problem…

  • ColumbiaHeightster

    @NorthHRes, this is PURE speculation, but I don’t think Columbia Heights btwn Pierrepont and Clark was blocked off because of work being done for a private resident. I live on that block, and can tell you that the pavement of the street was completely ripped out, and whatever is below street level was exposed and being worked on. Unless Mike Bloomberg just moved onto my block, I’d be surprised if that was for private purposes.

    But like I said, I’m just guessing. Would love to hear about it if someone knows otherwise!

  • mark

    @North heights res

    A Zipcar or rental car might be a lot easier for you then owning a car and paying insurance etc. If all you do is the occasional trip, why have a car all the time and have the pain of parking to deal with.

  • Hicks St Guy

    @NHR, not much sympathy in this neighborhood for drivers, period. when I first met my wife, she told me she lost more boyfriends because they couldn’t snag a spot in the neighborhood. things haven’t improved, obviously.

  • Winstion Smith

    KCB & AEB, its water backing up from renegade hotdog carts.

  • AnnOfOrange

    Dirty Water Dog? Portuguese Water Dog that needs a bath?

  • She’s Crafty

    @HSG that’s pretty sad but venture to say those guys weren’t what she was looking for in that case. I’m sure she appreciates your perseverance (or maybe you didn’t have a car when you met her). Having said all this my husband doesn’t really have such a problem finding a spot when we can’t park in our garage, but that could be b/c we are lower Heights.

  • ColumbiaBrights

    @NHR – private work for sure, Gerry was burying the hot dog cart and it’s owner…

  • Heights

    Michele – Did you lose a card?

  • BH Neighbor

    Hi Neighbors,
    I know that this has been brought up before but I’m finding it difficult to enjoy my walks through our beautiful neighbor hood due to the strong smell of pet urine everywhere. I honestly haven’t made it an entire block in the past few weeks without becoming nauseated by it. Do dog owners just not notice the scent because they are so used to it? Our hood smells worse than the streets of Manhattan in the heat. I also find it gross that I’m walking through pee on the sidewalks and promenade and then spread it around on the soles of my shoes. Maybe it would help if dog pee was contained in the dog park or on areas that are covered with soil so it can soak in (although I do recognize the acidity will kill many plantings). Perhaps if your dog pees on the sidewalk you could hose it off? Can a dog be potty trained like cats? Or maybe the city is just not the place to keep a dog. In any case, I hope a solution to this problem can be found. I feel like I’m living in the stairwell of the subway. Thank you for listening.

  • Neighbor Hood

    @BH Neighbor, I’m wondering if you smell it that strongly if it could be a certain type of tree? Years and years ago when I moved here my wife and I thought we smelled that when we were walking (at certain time of the early summer) and someone mentioned that there is a tree , I believe, that smells just like that at certain times. I just started noticing it in pockets when I walk the hood i the last few weeks. Crazy as it sounds!

  • WillowSt.Neighbor

    Neighbor Hood,
    No, it’s the smell of pee. I know the trees that you are talking about and it’s not the trees. I walk miles every day in the neighborhood and the smell of pee is overwhelming particularly on hot days.

  • Slide

    A hot dog cart would have nicely masked the pee smell.

  • Michele

    Heights:
    I did. Sorry for the delay in responding. I can give you details if you don’t mind emailing me: nyr2g2 gmail.com.
    Thanks so much!

  • Andrew Porter

    ICD: I stand corrected.

    Willow Street Neighbor: No, I said Clark, and I meant Clark. Guess I was wrong.

    But what about the idea that NYU might be interested in the massive Towers and other large buildings?

    Meanwhile, members’ night at the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens, and the bats, rabbits and especially fireflies were out in all their glory.

  • Prom Gal

    Re: smelly street.
    That is not pet urine you are smelling. It is human pee that has that strong, nauseating smell.
    Some people have taken to using our streets and hallways as public lavatories. What next!

  • Mr. Crusty

    Ahhhhh…. PromGal says quite definitively that it is human pee. In addition to her expertise in National Historical Landmark Designations she apparently is an expert in pee as well. Will wonders never cease?

    I just didn’t realize that there were that many incontinent members of the Casino walking around. Who knew?

  • marknheights

    …anyone else notice that the “hertz on demand” commercial shoot scheduled for tmrw in the North Heights is out of control already!! they have cones (many apparently appropriated from Con Ed!) up and down numerous blocks, including 2 more blocks that they do not have permits posted for…..

  • JoT

    Looong time lurker here…and I can’t believe I’m coming out of hiding to say that, indeed, PromGal may be correct in some respect: A few times, I’ve actually seen people around 11pm-ish urinating on the Promenade (specifically, at the Montague entrance by the benches, into the surrounding plants).

    Ah, a post about pee. What’s the neighborhood coming to? (I kid, I kid! ;))

    In other news – anyone know why Calexico isn’t at Pier 1 anymore? Related-ish – does the new Heights Cafe pizza place on Hicks have an opening date? Not-related-at-all – I’d also appreciate the recommendation of a good interior house painter or handyman who can do small jobs/light electrical work.

    Thanks neighbors!

  • Hicks St Guy

    @Crafty, I did have a car on the first date on a Saturday, snagged a spot good until Tuesday, told her, and she replied “you’re leaving tonight!”. she finally came around.

  • http://pistachiopony.com maria

    @Hicks St. Guy – at around 11 am the Donut cart leaves and the Hot Dog Cart arrives. Classic Dirty Water Dogs by the A/C entrance on Cadman Plaza West (Bet Middagh and Cranberry). Delicious! The vendor is very nice.

  • GHB

    @JoT – Maybe the solution to people urinating in the gardens is an electric fence. THAT would be a shocker! I’ve also noticed on several mornings that people have been taking dumps between parked cars throughout the North Heights. And it ain’t dogs!

  • Anon

    @GHB: Please say that is a joke. Please!

  • GHB

    Sorry… no joke

  • David on Middagh

    Perhaps the Heights needs a restroom kiosk or two. A few weeks ago I noticed one across from the main library at Grand Army Plaza. (It was out of order–accepting quarters but not unlocking.) But where would they go?

  • http://www.grumpybert.com grumpy bert

    I’d like to invite you all to my opening reception at my shop Grumpy Bert @ the DeKalb Market this Saturday (6-10pm) for my new exhibition, Plush Stories.

    I’ve chosen over 50 personal stories and photos about people’s plush toys. Some coming from as far as Scotland, Trinidad & Tobogo, United Kingdom and Australia. The stories range everything from heartbreaks to reunions.

    More info:
    http://www.grumpybert.com/blogs/blog/6152148-plush-stories-these-plush-of-mine-6-30-8-5-2012

  • CranberryDreams

    I know the fireworks are on the west side in the Hudson, but some people have told me that you can see some of the fireworks from some of the rooftops of the buildings in Brooklyn Heights… has anyone had any luck over the last couple of years seeing them from here? Just wondering, thanks.

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