Open Thread Wednesday

By on May 27, 2015 12:03 am in open thread

What’s on your mind? Comment away!

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  • Willow Street Watch

    I met a friend I’ve known for years and he was bitterly complaining over fortis and the new high rise plans around the heights. I told him that all the critics are either without any understanding, do not want direct personal involvement in something that will halt or greatly impare tulip craze development but may blow back on them or they want to complain, but do not want to fund anything themselves.

    Its very simple, I told him: if you want to stop this toxic wave, YOU have to reach in your pocket and find a serious legal action in Federal court.
    Because when there is a seriously written RJI backed by a really qualified..and “unreachable” legal team, then and only then will you see the leading development figures..or the BBP execs and principals loose their arrogant/condescending smirks and have to behave. But people have to either step up (and have some real world smarts in doing this) or they need to resign themselves to the alien “modifying” the Heights as they will….

  • A Neighbor

    Would that it were so easy. You assume that there is always a legal basis for opposing these projects. With the horse-trading that goes on between the mayor’s office and developers, that is not necessarily the case.

  • Jorale-man

    I think it all comes down to stricter zoning laws, which seem to be completely absent from Brooklyn outside of the BH Historic District. You go to major cities in Europe – London, Paris, Madrid, etc. – and developers there can’t simply drop 40-story glass towers in the middle of low-rise historic neighborhoods. There are laws that ensure contextual architecture and urban planning.

    Such laws seem practically nonexistent here, but it’s time lawmakers make this a priority given what’s happening more and more around the city. I don’t know where to start as a citizen but I suspect zoning is something that would have a lot of popular support.

  • LDS

    What are the emergency room options in Bk Hts these days? I’d used LICH several times over the years (totally good experiences) and now have no idea where I would go if I needed to. I’m talking walk-in, not wherever an ambulance might choose to bring you.

  • gormley

    I wonder when they are going to put the “No Smoking” signs backup on the Promenade (that most likely a smoker or smokers ripped down).

  • MaryT

    It’s almost always best to use the emergency room at a hospital where your doctors have privileges. That said, I’ve had emergency care twice in recent years: NY Methodist in Park Slope (admitted) and Downtown in lower Manhattan (out-patient). They’re about the same distance from the Heights, and both experiences went well, though I give Methodist a slight edge. I miss LICH, too. My daughter’s doctor was there, and she had good care.

  • MaryT

    BTW: That’s a lovely photo, Claude. A slew of great sunsets lately.

  • LDS

    Thanks Mary. I’ll ask my PCP next time I see her. Of course a walkable option would be best.

  • District 13 parent

    Had a decent experience recently at Methodist. Not a terrible wait and good care on a weekday morning. I’m sure the wait is much longer evenings and weekends. Bottom line: we need more emergency care options.

  • Lori

    Had a TERRIBLE experience at Methodist – broken arm – four hours in a BED in the ER -they wanted to do x-rays of knee, hip, pelvis, shoulder plus MRI and CAT scan. Did not have an ortho to set the arm, so wanted to keep me overnight – who is going to pay for all of that. Left, went to my own orthopedist the next day; x-rayed and set within a short time. When I broke my leg three years ago, it was well taken care of at LICH within 4 hours. I MISS LICH.

  • Lori

    When is someone going to take care of moving “The Anchor” Before it quietly disappears in the middle of the night? We can’t expect the new restaurant to leave it there not take care of moving it.

  • Lori

    While strolling along the promenade this past Sunday, I chanced to see a young boy (about 7) playing with his little cars INSIDE the gated area of the promenade gardens near the Montague Street entrance. How did he get inside there? When I lingered nearby, wondering how he got in and how he would get out, a young woman (his mother?) appeared and encouraged him to crawl back out thru a space in the bars. What’s wrong with using one of the playgrounds instead?

  • http://selfabsorbedboomer.blogspot.com ClaudeScales

    It’s been moved and, we hope, will return to a new location soon: http://www.brooklyneagle.com/articles/2015/5/26/montague-street-anchor-away-maybe-not-long

  • Joe

    I wonder if the mom knew that entire area is routinely baited for rats and sprayed for who knows what else

  • Willow Street Watch

    There certainly is legal grounds for stopping or greatly slowing out of control development due to the nature of what is being Constructed. First were all told that there is a constant terrorist threat and we have to give up a huge amount of privacy and basic constitutional rights. Then were told that its just OK to do things like cut TA cops and clerks, and cut key emergency medical facilities etc. NOW were being told that its just fine to erect towetrs that anyone can easily arson or topple. These buildings aren’t the Empire State Building which basically laughed off a hit by a WWII Bomber. As noted elsewhere, these buildings are built to cost NOT Safety. These have poor or far short of what’s possible floor to floor control. There full of toxic materials…NOW is it clear what some of the behavior which should be brought before a FEDERAL magistrate? All you naysaying types can continue to prattle, but unless you decide to put Your money and Your personal name behind a serious legal effort AND a WELL RUN, PERSISTENT public protest, well, all else is worthless PRATTLE and you’re going to lose your neighborhood. This will be the former Brooklyn Heights. By the way,. The BHA ALWAYS openly has $400K in the bank…

  • Willow Street Watch

    Well the heights already has two good neighborhood hospitals already serving the majority of Heights residents…Langone and Weill Cornell….

  • Brixtony

    A friend’s adult son had appendicitis and went to the new NY ER at the old LICH site and was very favorably pleased. He was taken by ambulance (no charge) to NYU/Langone in Manhattan after it was determined that he needed surgery. They both are recommend the new place enthusiastically.

  • Willow Street Watch

    On the subject of the promenade, first we should all be concerned with stopping the behavior in and around BBP from transferring to the promenade. The only thing that does that is police presence and arrests/ticketing for serious infractions. Right now, we have next to no enforcement. Few nights ago one in wood type was riding his superbike on the promenade, the cops are called, the bike was parked when they arrived. Of course that was because everyone saw the cops coming from a distance with their lights and quickly decided, as they always do, to be suddenly sell behaved…so the cops just told the owner to park his bike off the promenade, didn’t wait to see he did it, and left…what a effective, sobering message to questionable types who may be attracted to the Heights…..
    ‘ve all seen this before: low/no enforcement and an explosion of things like drug use, public urination fights.

  • Teresa

    People have ridden their bikes on the Promenade since I moved here 18 years ago. And as someone who regularly frequents the Park and the Promenade, I see people enjoying two terrific public spaces…that are not the sole purview of people who live here.

    Out of curiosity: What does a “questionable type” look like?

  • GHB

    Need you ask?

  • bkheightsapt

    I’m looking for an affordable room or studio in the Brooklyn Heights neighborhood and wondering if anyone has any suggestions.

    I can’t pay much more than $1,000 a month so I haven’t had much luck with traditional avenues like Craigslist, StreetEasy or using a broker. Has anybody heard of people renting out rooms in their private homes? I feel like there must be families or tenants who have been there for years and could use the extra money.

    I lived in Paris for a year after school and stayed in “chambre de bonne” which are the old servants rooms located on the top floor of a building. It’s basically a tiny studio with a shared bathroom in the hallway. My rent was free in exchange for babysitting the family’s children in the evenings. Do the old buildings in BK heights have anything like this?

    I know I would be a perfect tenant…I am quiet, clean, honest, respectful, and gainfully employed. Does anyone have any suggestions?

    Thanks in advance.

  • Guest

    Try posting on the Brooklyn Heights Parents Yahoo group, maybe somebody there could offer you something similar to the arrangement you had in Paris.

  • TeresaClark

    There is the Mt Sinai Urgent care at 300 Cadman Plaza (walk-in) that’s open until 9pm.

    Or there is a City MD on Atlantic and one on Court Street that is as Urgent Care facility. I think they’re open until 8pm.

    I wouldn’t go to them for anything life threatening but maybe something that can’t wait for a doctor’s appointment

  • Teresa

    Better than guessing.

  • ShinyNewHandle

    Off topic, but there was a fascinating piece in the NYT a few days ago on first trying antibiotics for appendicitis:

    http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/19/health/antibiotics-resurface-as-alternative-to-removing-appendix.html

  • bkheightsapt

    Thank you! I’ll try that.

  • RJG

    Many thanks to curbed.com for this tip.

    NYC proposed zoning for Brooklyn Community District 2.

    The ULURP process for the proposal is expected to begin in September.

    http://www.nyc.gov/html/dcp/pdf/zoning-qa/profiles/bk02.pdf

  • William Gilbert

    Sorry Teresa, but I disagree with you and I have been here twice as long as you have. I never did and still don’t like when bikes are used on the Promenade. IT is for pedestrians. A “promenade” is meant to WALK upon and not to ride on. We have streets and bicycle paths for two and four wheeled vehicles.

  • mlcraryville

    Let’s keep the focus on the inelffeicient and dumb way the 84th pct deploys its resources. Let’s let them know, in case it’s gone over their heads, that aside from Coney Island, the Heights gets more outside visitors from all over Brooklyn and the world than anyone else in the Boro. Duhhhh! How about assigning some foot soldiers here to establish a presence?? They are known as ‘Beat Cops” or patrolmen..

  • Eddyde

    “promenade is meant to WALK upon and not to ride on” you are not necessarily correct, as most other “promenades” around the city do allow bicycles.

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