Open Thread Wednesday, August 8, 2012

By on August 8, 2012 12:05 am in Brooklyn Heights, open thread

On August 8, 2007, an EF2 tornado—strong enough to foster winds of 111-135 mph—touched down in Kings County, New York, the most powerful tornado in New York to date and the first in Brooklyn since 1889. What’s putting the wind in your sails on this Open Thread Wednesday?
(Photo: Chuck Taylor)

Share this Story:
← 
Newer Comments  →
  • Mr. Crusty

    Are you suggesting that there might be some blowhard comments in today’s open thread?

  • 5thfloorwalkuper

    More likely a puff piece.

  • AnnOfOrange

    Had dinner at Bevacco last night – first time. Delicious from appetizer of calamari and artichoke hearts to the freshest pasta ever and a wonderful dessert of wine poached pear with mascarpone. Highly recommend.

  • AL

    Can anyone recommend a silver and/or gold smelter? Have some scrap of each that want to sell without going thru a middleman.

  • GHB

    Anybody here live at 135 Willow Street? There’s a guy who sits outside your building morning, evening, night, chain smoking and throwing his butts into the street. The front of your building looks like an ashtray!

  • SmokeyJoe

    Yeah, that guy is a bit of a jerk. He also doesn’t pick up after his dog. Not as bad as the old lady who has been confined to a scooter and still smokes. I’m always surprised to see anybody still smoking in 2012.

  • Still Here

    AL

    Ross, 47 w 47st.

    You need a firm that melts your stuff down into a ingot, assays it and then prices it. They were very clear on how the do this and the price you get varies with the quantity.

  • WillowSt.Neighbor

    SmokeyJoe,
    He doesn’t even own a dog.

  • WillowL

    GHB & Smokey Joe- I live @ 135 and the man you are talking about does chain smoke, but he doesn’t own a dog. As for the ” old lady” , her name is dorothy and she has been confined to a scooter because she had a stroke that has rendered the left side of her body useless, as sad as it is to see her smoking, she always has.. and always will.

  • WillowL

    On a different note, I was at pierpont park with the child I babysit for and as we entered the playground an older gentleman was leaving the bathroom and then left the park. This was around 3:30. Then when we left around 5 I noticed that he was back, and again was exiting the bathroom and then left the park by himself. It did not appear that he was there with anyone. I also didn’t see him interacting with people. It clearly says on the gate that you may not enter without a child. I am not sure if it’s suspicious or not.. but I figured it was worth posting so that people can be vigilant. I did manage to get a picture of him from the back on my phone. He is white haired, light white skin, large, tall with a bit of a hunched back.

  • PBL

    Had no idea that Marky Ramone (Bell), drummer and last living member of the Ramones, not only lives in Brooklyn Heights but lives in my building! For his privacy, I will not divulge the address, but I have seen him twice in two days (and my neighbor swears that he is a great guy). Very cool piece of NYC music history, living right above me!

  • AL

    Still Here – Thanks

  • DrewB

    I’ve seen Marky a few times. The funniest was riding up the elevator at the clark street station. Packed car and in walks Marky Ramone. Pretty hard not to recognize him. He looks like a Ramone! There is a picture of him up in the deli on State and Henry, so I always assumed he lived somewhere near there.

  • Promenade Princess

    WillowL, it’s one thing to be vigilant, but if this guy simply needed to use the bathroom, wouldn’t you rather him break the golden rule meant to safeguard those precious overprotected children and dare to enter the park solo than to relieve himself on the street? How do you know he’s not a neighborhood worker with an outdoors job who doesn’t have access to an indoor bathroom?

    Not everyone that walks past the nanny gates into a kid’s park is a perv. Nature sometimes calls. Relax…

  • Willowl

    He wasn’t a city worker. He was in regular clothing. And the reason I brought it up was because earlier this year there was an incident with a male trying to lure children out of the Playground. I clearly said I didn’t know if it was cause for concern. Excuse me for caring. It is my job to Make Sure the child under my care is protected. His behavior of entering the park several Times solo seemed Odd. It blows my mind how Rude people are on this Blog. I posted so others could be aware. Your name surely suits you. ” princess”.

  • Mr. Cad

    I agree with Willowl. She is being responsible far from rash. What a poor attitude Princess

  • WillowSt.Neighbor

    WillowL,
    I totally agree with you. Better safe than sorry. You did mention that the man used the restroom twice in a rather short period of time and since he was not with a child you were correct in raising a red flag. And yes,some people are very rude on this blog but they do not represent most of the wonderful people that I’ve met in the past seven years living here.

  • http://www.shootlikeagirlphotography.com Lauren

    As an adult student, I’ve been taking a course this summer called “The Nature of NY.” For one of my final projects, I chose to photograph the flowers, trees and plants in Brooklyn Bridge Park. I had visited the park numerous times for pleasure, but approaching it from a more academic mindset allowed me to appreciate more fully the thought that went into the variety of things that were planted there. http://natureofbrooklyn.wordpress.com

  • MonroeOrange

    While your vigilance is appreciated, the man in question, doesn’t seem to have exhibited any suspicious behavior except use the bathroom. You do not mention that he lingers in the bathroom or that he interacts with anyone. And given the time frame of holim using the bathroom 2 hours apart, it would appear he maybe had some coffee and sat on the promenade and then used the bathroom again, which hardly seems suspicious. If the man interacted with a child or some other type of behavior, your concern would seem more justified.

    And being how people on this blog get upset when a dog pees on a tree, let’s not start taking pics of people for using indoor bathrooms instead of trees.

    And before the backlash starts, I’m not saying you can’t be vigilant, but it would prob be better to have more proof than peeing twice in a two hour period.

  • Willowl

    Well I apologize for finding the behavior weird.

  • PJL

    Some folks need to use the bathroom more often as they get older, and unfortunately, NYC is lacking in public restrooms… so perhaps not weird, though I agree we all should be aware of our surroundings….

    We should be more concerned about the many nannies in the neighborhood that pay more attention to their phones than the children….

  • David on Middagh

    Lauren,

    Thank you for the link to your BBP pics. The common names, scientific names, and lore for each plant are a nice resource for people like me who feel inadequately informed whenever we’re down there appreciating the shrubbery.

  • bronxkid

    Lauren – great pictures! Thank you for sharing the link!

  • http://brooklynheightsblog.com/archives/author/homer-fink Homer Fink

    old men pee often. get used to it.

  • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UlsiLOnWCoI Arch Stanton

    Pee now or forever hold your bladder.

  • WillowSt.Neighbor

    Very true about the lack of public restrooms. Many tourists come to the Promenade and it is likely alot of them are looking for restrooms. Still, it pays to be vigilant when children are concerned.

  • willowl

    Oy gavolt ! I ONLY mentioned the whole thing because of what I said , there was an incident a few months back at the same playground where an older gentlemen was trying to ask kids to leave the park with him. But honestly if I saw an old man walking in using the bathroom and leaving i’d understand. but I saw him walk up toward montague street AND THEN come back, he didn’t appear homeless and surely he lives in the neighborhood.. maybe he really loves the facilities at pierpont playground. think what you want. It was a warning to parents and fellow care takers. THAT IS ALL.

  • willowl
  • hicksanthrope

    I’m looking for a person to replaster/paint our bathroom and possibly
    do some re-grouting as well. Can anyone here recommend a person or small company? Thanks!

  • Mr. Crusty

    willowl be vigilant but lets not jump to conclusions with such incredibly flimsy evidence. If I recall correctly there was a lot of debate about whether that prior “incident” was as suspicious as the poster suggested when one really examined what supposedly occurred and there is no way you can proclaim he was trying to “lure” children from the park.

    An old man using the public bathrooms in the park a couple of times without any additional evidence that he is trying to interact with the children or that he lingers in the area is not weird to me. Not everyone reads the signs prohibiting the 632 activities not allowed in the park and for some of us older folk it is a bit strange that a public bathroom in a public park is off limits unless you are accompanied by a child. Quite frankly I find it weird that you find it weird.

←  
Newer Comments  →