Open Thread Wednesday 6/26/13

By on June 26, 2013 12:36 am in Brooklyn Heights

What’s on your mind? Comment away!

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  • Joe A

    Bike Share Update

    Trips 5 pm – 5 pm current day: 30,427
    Trips since launch: 446,495

    Miles traveled since launch: 1,131,003 miles

    Annual Members: 46,840 total Annual Members

    So, in less than a month, over 1 million miles have been traveled by bike share members. That is pretty impressive.

  • Alex Flores

    I’m not entirely sure of the rules for Open Thread Wednesday, but here goes… the scaffolding on Montague St., in front of Cohen’s Optical across the street from the Archstone and Garden of Eden… how can we get that removed? It’s been up since 2010 and no work has been done on that building in 3 years.

  • PB

    A few things to note:

    First, those stats at already 2.5 days old so the numbers are even bigger now.

    Second, and far more important, those million+ miles have been ridden without any major accidents. (There have been 2 accidents reported in the press, both relatively minor.)

  • Joe A

    Good point. Could you imagine 1 million miles of automobile use without a serious accident?

  • Alec

    Welcome to scaffold purgatory- i had the same problem on my block forever – your best bet is to annoy the good folks at Councilman Steven Levin’s office. They were very receptive and whether it was pure coincidence or not, Pierrepont street is now scaffold-free.

  • petercow

    No one keeps shedding (that’s the actual term) up longer than they need to. You pay rent on it.

    However, if you take it down, you may have to wait to get it back (it’s in demand), and various work, Local Law 11, etc.. can be done while it’s up.

    I live on Pierrepont, We kept ours up not one second longer than we needed.

  • GHB

    What about the corner of Pierrepont and Willow?

  • MartinLBrooklyn

    Here’s some news about the derelict wreck on the corner of Clark and Monroe. It’s been said that the owner has submitted plans to Landmarks which is good but, no dates and no schedule for approval on this five year old eyesore. IOn the other hand, I just learned the time table of a recent submission to the LPC which is scheduled to go in in early July and a hearing that will be held one month later, in August. Seems like an efficient and reasonable turn-around time. But, so far, only silence and no details about our moldering eyesore on the corner. To
    the BHA, I would quote Tom Friedman, “I you break it, you own it.” Thisis now the BHA’s eyesore and they should be own up to it and let the neighborhood in on what it knows and what’s actually happening.

  • marshasrimler

    The BPL Library destruction plan is still on my mind. I do not believe them in terms of what the community will get back. The City has a record of helping private developers and shortchanging the public. Read Juan Gonzalez”s opinion piece in todays Daily News . Gonzalez states only 107
    of the 200 M promised by Mayor Bloomberg has been spent on Bronx Parks and Playgrounds while the price of the water filtration plant in Van Cortland Park estimated to cost 1.2 Billion has ballooned to 3.5 Billion.
    What will happen here is that the cost of relocating the Business library to the Central Branch will eat up the supposed money to be used for Capital Improvements . The developer will make out like a bandit and the community will get nothing. Tell the BPL to sell Bonds to fund capital improvements and stop giving away public assets.

  • Anonymouse

    Does anyone know what’s going on on the corner of Atlantic and Henry? In that place that looks like it was once a diner or bar? Seems there’s work being done.

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

    Actually, the death rate for automobiles is about 1.1 (in 2009) per one hundred million miles. Of course a “serious accident” doesn’t always mean death, but the stat does give some sense of the risk.

    http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/2012/tables/12s1103.pdf

  • Jorale-man

    I noticed that the closed Italian restaurant storefront on Atlantic near Sahadi’s has a new tenant moving in soon. It appears to be a shop selling upscale meat and salami products. I couldn’t tell much more about it, though I think there’s a website posted on the window there. It could be a nice addition to the block – we’ll see.

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

    Yes The sidewalk shed is there to protect pedestrians from falling debris, whether it be form work being done or pieces in danger of breaking off the building. Remediation for building facades can be very expensive and take a lot of time to get approved by LPC, DoB, etc. People who think they can complain and get “it” removed are not aware that “it” is there for their safety. Clearly, if one of these complainers was hit in the head by a falling brick there wouldn’t be much of a mess to clean up.

  • Remsen Rogue

    Don’t buy pre grated parmigiano reggiano cheese from Garden of Eden. It’s not the real thing! They’re selling an inferior product for $19.99 a pound. $19.99 is pretty standard for grated Parmigianno Reggiano provided it’s the real thing but what they’re grating isn’t the real deal at all. In fact, it’s not even close! I used to buy it there regularly without any problems…….maybe once or twice a year it wouldn’t be the real thing and I’d let it slide as an honest mistake. Sadly, that’s no longer the case and I’ve come to the conclusion they’re doing it on purpose to increase their margins. This last time, I took it back and demanded they grate me the real thing. The guy behind the cheese counter help up a chunk of real Parmigianno reggiano and said “that’s all I grate” so I challenged him to grate the real thing and grate the stuff they’re claiming to be the real thing and try both. He didn’t do that but reluctantly agreed to take back what I bought originally pull out the electric grater and grate me what I should have received originally. If they think their consumers won’t notice the difference they’re wrong!

  • north heights res

    Not necessarily BH related, but…WNYC has become unbearable to listen to lately. During the NPR flagship programs, Morning Edition and All Things Considered, it regularly–multiple times an hour–replaces segments of those national programs with local “news” (a generous term) and features. It feels like it’s become a self-indulgent, navel-gazing, pretentious, smug local news station.

  • HenryLoL

    It is going to be amazing. Cant wait to get rid of that pee-stained dump and bring some life to CPW!

  • HenryLoL

    The famous Long Island Restaurant? It is being revovated and will open as a new restaurant. They are keeping the sign.

  • HenryLoL

    Agreed.

  • Joe A

    Pretty cheesy behavior.

  • peahyphenelle

    I currently have only two problems with the Citibikes:

    1) The City (and maybe the Citi) didn’t go through full disclosure about placement of the bike racks probably because it was faster and cheaper for them to just respond to the few law suits and complaints rather than open up the decision making to stakeholders who share public sidewalk space. The apartment building that piled “garbage” on the bike racks wasn’t being unfair. It was clean recycled paper products! If the Sanitation Department can’t pick up bagged items at the curb because the curb is filled with a bike rack, where can the building place its garbage or recyclables?

    2) Why aren’t helmets mandated? Is this another instance of the City or the CIti saying it’s cheaper to pay a settlement for the first brain injured Citibike rider than to include mandatory–and expensive and easily stolen–helmets in the rental.

    Onward.

  • E

    Apologies if these have been written about and I missed it, but:
    Read in the NY Post yesterday: the commercial space in the municipal building will be a “women’s power center” anchored by Sephora:

    http://www.nypost.com/p/news/business/realestate/commercial/sephora_klyn_foundation_store_3jZvC1H998hgo78nMNjSfO.

    and: at the risk of raising more h@#! about the bike-share, does anyone know if the station at the corner of Hicks and Montague is coming back? Thanks —

  • Greg

    Hi peahy,

    With regards to 1), what disclosure did you see as missing? I remember the announcements and planning meetings they conduced with the community to determine the station locations many months before rollout (for example, I remember how there was initially a station planned for Clinton & State, but this was moved by community input; same story for Joralemon & Henry). So the existence of this station was known for quite some time; do you mean the exact orientation on the block?

    Regarding 2), my understanding is that precedent in other cities shows bike share increases safety because of increased awareness and “safety in numbers” and that mandated helmet use decreases adoption to the point where it completely negates those safety effects. So, apparently (and counterintuitively), encouraging but not requiring helmets generates a safer outcome than requiring them. I admit it does sit a bit uneasy, but that’s apparently what experience shows.

  • HeatherQuinlan

    Here’s a little more info, they should be opening any day now. http://brooklynheightsblog.com/archives/59962

  • Joe A

    So it was ok for the apartment building to place garbage on the bikes? Would you feel the same way if they had placed garbage on your car if it were parked there? I advised the buildings management that if they did that again I would fling their garbage into their lobby.

    Your response tells me all I need to know about your “objectivity” and your other “points” were answered by Greg quite succinctly.

  • MonroeOrange

    And the fact that you wrote ‘i would fling their garbage into their lobby’ tells us all we need to know about your ‘objectivity’. To threaten to fling garbage into a lobby of residents, many of whom, have indicated on this blog that they were against the building actions shows how little you care about your neighbors…Keep up the good work Mr. Crusty, you’re a real addition to humanity.

  • Jorale-man

    Thanks for the heads up! I was on vacation when your post ran originally. That could be quite the gourmet strip soon.

  • Joe A

    Well if the residents felt that way they should have removed the garbage from the bikes. It was the building’s garbage. They put their garbage on the private property of the bike share program but you find fault with me for wanting to remove the garbage and return it to it’s rightful owners? How special of you.

    Of course my threat was to make a point with the building’s management. It suggested that people were upset with their obnoxious selfish actions against their fellow New Yorkers. And while I don’t take personal credit it should be noted that they did not repeat their repugnant behavior. I’m sure that disappoints you.

  • MonroeOrange

    Mr. Crusty…the only thing that disappoints me is your unrelenting and tiring attitude.

    YOU made a threat to throw garbage in a building as a protest (not ME, YOU made that threat and you proudly admit it). Their are much more effective ways to address the situation. I would think, someone of your age, should know how to act like an adult. You are foolish to think your actions of a ‘threat’ had anything to do with them stopping. Im sure they bowed to internal pressure or from the fear of being fined.

    When you are ready to be a responsible member of society who can accomplish their goals without resorting to threats, society will be a better place…good luck on your quest to be a better person (it really sounds like you need all the luck you can get in accomplishing that).

  • ab_bklyn

    I’ve listened to WNYC daily for years and haven’t noticed a difference – they have inserted local news stories consistently the whole time I’ve been listening. I find them interesting.. To each his own?

  • Joe A

    This coming from someone who repeatedly said he/she/it would have his dog urinate on buildings, cars and or people he disagrees with. Here is responsible MonroeOrange

    MonroeOrange • 3 months ago
    love that spring is upon is…bc my dog and i enjoy walking up and down hick st, peeing on every tree…he enjoys it, almost as much as i do…ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh…relief

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