Open Thread Wednesday 6/5/13

What’s on your mind? Comment away!

Photo: C. Scales

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  • gc

    Looks like there are two new buoys out in the harbor. There’s a green one off South Ferry and a red one a little further out into the harbor. Are they new or have I just missed seeing them before?

  • petercow

    FYI, great Citibike site for Citibike stats here:

    https://sites.google.com/site/citibikestats/

    Approx. 1,400 people a day are signing up for annual memberships. Over 30,000 to-date, and climbing. Cool!

  • Dave

    We’re
    moving away and our nanny, Althea, who has been with us since our
    18-month-old was just four months old, will be available to work either
    full time or part time for another family starting
    on July 8th.

    Our daughter has become such a delightful, energetic, smart and happy
    child, and we owe much of that to Althea. Althea came highly recommended
    to us and her previous work as a baby nurse gave us confidence that she
    would not only be a nanny, but also have some
    wisdom for us since it was our first child. Althea has been
    instrumental in helping Bea through many milestones, from transitioning
    from the bottle to solid foods to getting on a great nap schedule. She
    was integral to Bea’s learning how to crawl, walk, talk,
    interact and understand. With 15 years baby nursing experience and
    many more years babysitting/nannying in both Brooklyn and Manhattan, she
    certainly has the know-how to help raise a child.

    Althea has been particularly great with fostering Bea’s love of books,
    and through reading to her daily, little Bea now has the vocabulary of a
    three-year-old. Althea also took the time to get to know the other
    nannies in our building so if she ever wanted
    a playdate, she could just make a few calls. She has given us many
    helpful tips and really shaped Bea into a social, smart child. Feel
    free to contact her at 917-226-6843 or me at acedmb at hotmail dot com

  • ColumbiaHeightster

    Dave, we will be in the nanny market well after she gets scooped up, I’m sure (October due date), but if you don’t mind, can I ask what the general price range is in the area for fully time nanny care? Glad you guys had such a great experience with her – sounds like she won’t be without work for long.

  • Dave

    Typically in the area id say the average is $15 an hour for full time work. i hope that helps!

  • ColumbiaHeightster

    Thanks.

  • Alec

    I have been riding to work in the city and they are pretty good – a bit too slow though compared to my own bike, but I guess the trade off is worth the peace of mind that my bike won’t get stolen when it’s locked up outside my office all day (3 times to date!). I am also only patronizing the citibike stations that did not steal alternate side parking spots as my form of resistance. Hopefully if enough people to do that, the stations with the worst usage stats will be moved elsewhere.

  • petercow

    I believe there is work going on there. I saw a work barge there yesterday morning, and also saw the S.I. Ferry going around Governors Island on the BK side.

  • HenryAndHicks

    Can anyone recommend a groomer in the area who does hand-stripping for dogs with double coats?

  • neighboronhicks

    not sure about hand-stripping but i’ve got a tibetan terrier and have had good experiences with rocco and jezebel on pineapple walk (by gristedes and the all in one market)

  • HenryAndHicks

    Good to know – thanks!

  • MonroeOrange

    Oh Peter give it a rest already…….At least Alec below had some insight to offer about his actual experience using the bike, not just inane stats…and futhermore..im sure Homer appreciates you including a link that sends people off of BHB and thereby costing him potential revenue.

  • Joe A

    Yes because anecdotal information is always more informative than actual facts and statistics.

  • Joe A

    Great link, thanks. All kinds of interesting graphs like this one showing the growing number of annual memberships.

  • PB

    Peter, Joe… contrary to MonroeOrange above I appreciate the links to the stats — keep them coming. (BTW, those graphs are put together by a neighborhood resident — Greg. Thanks Greg!)

  • PB

    Alec, I’m curious — without Citibike how would you get to work? Your own bike? Subway? Car?

  • Alec

    I had been using my own bike to midtown save for January. But I can’t bring it in to my office building and had to lock it up outside. When the handlebars got stolen (yes handlebars- who knew?) I decided to give Citibike a spin (pun intended).

  • Ann B Chapin

    I am shocked that $15 an hour is all that is being paid!? when this person cares for your child!? Cleaning people get paid more than that!

  • Ann B Chapin

    Friends of mine love the people on corner of Hicks St and Pineapple!

  • MonroeOrange

    I was also thinking $15 per hour was quite low….

  • Dave

    like i said, it’s about average

    http://www.nanny.org/document.doc?id=80

  • Heightsman

    When we had a full time nanny we never did hourly. Agreed on a weekly rate but when you’re full time you also get paid when we go on vacation or holidays.

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

    Oh no That’s terrible. How dare they ruin our beautiful historical harbor without any notice or community input.

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

    How desperate you are.

  • Greg

    Thank you. :) I’m sorry you posting this was a source of controversy.

    If anyone has any questions about the graph methodologies, please let me know.

  • Joe A

    But. . . but . . . but MonroeOrange said that nobody that has a bike would use the bike share program! He just can’t understand why they would want to.

  • Bearcat

    Height’s cafe Changes

    I have been a big fan of the Heights Cafe
    on Montague Street ever since it opened. The chef there makes the best
    seafood dishes around. However, lately I have been very disappointed
    with changes in the restaurant:

    1. They have eliminated a
    specials card in the menu window outside. I already know what is on
    their regular menu, and it was often the specials menu posted outside
    that drew me into the restaurant on a particular evening, Now there is
    no way to know if any of the nightly specials will appeal to you until
    you are already seated, and it is too late to get up and leave if you
    don’t want their regular fare.

    2. They have pretty much cut their
    menu in half and eliminated some good stuff, including all pizzas. My
    only guess would be that they did not want to compete with their sister
    restaurant around the corner, and strangely enough their pizza was
    better and less expensive.

    While I still like the cafe, now I go
    in only when I want something from the reduced menu rather than whenever
    a posted specials list entices me on the spur of the moment.

  • HenryAndHicks

    And it looks like they do hand-stripping. Thanks!

  • Alec

    Heights Cafe is the prototypical lackluster Bk Heights restaurant – if you thought it was good, try… anything else.

  • Andrew Porter

    So people who have kitchens never go to restaurants, right?