Open Thread Wednesday

By on January 3, 2017 11:13 pm in open thread

Happy New Year! What’s on your mind? Comment away!

Image:(c) Can Stock Photo / vencavolrab

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  • Teresa

    I’ll miss it too, Mary. A great spot to stop in before getting on the A or walking over the bridge; reasonable prices; good quality. I hate this.

  • Bongo

    I was wondering what all the new cabling in the Clark Street station was about.

  • Banet

    Indeed private, but a preschool not a daycare. And an excellent one from what I hear from our good friend.

  • ColumbiaHeightster

    Oh yes, I know all about that. They did, however, learn from their mistakes…they have been VERY clear with this year’s parents that enrollment in the 3’s program is not a guaranty of placement in pre-k (just puts you at the highest possible priority level).

  • MaryT

    Indeed, so sad that another neighborhood staple is going, going.. I’ll miss the homegrown vibe, and the best black-and-whites in town!

  • neighboronhicks

    We went to VERG (the Cobble Hill location) for cancer treatment for our Tibetan Terrier. We saw their oncologist, Dr. Cohen, I think. She was very caring and kind and our little guy’s cancer went into remission after treatment with her.

  • Curious Parent

    Thanks All,
    I had heard that Imagine and NYKC were not real possibilities unless you are currently in the program. I also have heard of The Green School which is new this year but haven’t heard any reviews of it. I was just hoping to find something within walking distance. So any opinions of UPK or even private preschools near the area are most welcome.

  • Andrew Porter

    I spoke with him. He’s Really Unhappy that this has leaked out, but OTOH, any assumption that this would remain secret in this digital age was highly unlikely. He said he’s 69, and although he owns the building, apparently wants to cut back on his work load.

    He hadn’t even told the people who work for him that their jobs might be coming to an end. Unfortunate situation.

  • David on Middagh

    Muffins, scones, bread pudding…

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

    Ah I see, it’s the carbohydrates…

  • Peter Darrow

    Does anyone know what the police/ambulance activity was last night at 3am on top of the BBP berm?

  • Andrew Porter

    Thought you were talking about Clark itself; the cables are for the “can you hear me now?” crowd.

  • Bongo

    Obviously.

  • Syd Black

    Hello all — I don’t know if this is the forum for this announcement (please don’t troll me if this is NOT). But I’m seeking a tennis partner to play when the weather warms up. I’m a late 30’s rusty intermediate. In USTA’s terms — a “30.” I used to take lessons at the heights casino as a kid (yes, I’m a native native of the heights) but have played sporadically ever since. I’m looking for a partner in that approximate range who views tennis, as I do, as something fun, a competition with one self and good exercise. I envision that we can play on Tribeca’s and Red hook’s free courts unless you have better ideas. Any age and sex, but please bring a similar attitude about tennis to 347-228-3371. It’s a cell phone so please text. Thanks!

  • StudioBrooklyn

    We saw some people sledding there yesterday evening during the heavy snowfall…they had a young kid with them. I hope it wasn’t the kid!

  • ColumbiaHeightster

    Apparently Clark was the last station to get it, and allegedly that was supposed to happen as of this morning.

  • StudioBrooklyn

    I’ve toured the following UPK and private programs, and included off-the-top-of-my-head ratings:
    -Imagine Brooklyn Heights: 9/10
    -Imagine Dumbo: 8/10
    -NYKC: 7/10
    -Brooklyn Explorers (in the Quaker Church at Schermerhorn and Boerum Pl): 8/10
    -Our Children’s Center (CityTech campus): 2/10
    -Plymouth Church School 4’s: 9/10

    If you’d like to know more about how I arrived at these ratings please ask specifics about each program but what I looked for was the following, in no particular order:
    -attentiveness of teachers, both in terms of individuals and overall pattern
    -do they employ a sensible, rational curriculum that accords with what we currently know about how children that age develop? emphasis on early life (social, intellectual) skills over “academics”
    -maximal outdoor time/unstructured play without helicoptering
    -cost (if private) per the above
    -quality of facilities/amenities
    -commute distance (obviously subjective)

    I’d also be curious to know how people are liking Dock Street. At the time they weren’t even finished with construction so everything about it was a mystery.

  • Henry VonCadman

    ANyone know a good apple experts who gets paid by the hour and will come to the home?Thanks

  • ColumbiaHeightster

    Sorry to bore everyone else, but curious to know why you settled on “only” a 7 for Kids Club. That is our first choice for next year, and am wondering if we are missing/overlooking something. The current pre-k class is their first UPK class, so they might still be ironing out some kinks.

  • Andrew Porter

    I presume you’re talking Apple Macintosh, not eating apples. If the former, Kenn Lowy is a good bet, if he’s still doing that.

  • StudioBrooklyn

    It might be highly subjective, so I’m hoping my 7 is a high enough score to not be a deterrent, but on a few occasions I witnessed less than attentive behavior by some of the teachers. Also, and perhaps as importantly for me, I have really come to dislike the corporate-ish, sanitized, overly branded feel of NYKC; makes it feel more like a Chuck-E-Cheese than a place of early learning and growth. I’m not sure how much this protrudes into their UPK, but I can only imagine there’s some osmosis there. I also hold them accountable for their negligent misrepresentation of UPK placement last year. That said, I have also witnessed extremely attentive UPK teachers there, and as sanitized as they may be they do have clean, bright facilities, for whatever it’s worth, and they’re about as centrally located in the neighborhood as you can get.

  • ColumbiaHeightster

    Thank you. That’s an interesting take, and I appreciate hearing those opinions. And yes, anyone’s analysis like this is, of course, highly subjective. I would be remiss though, if I didn’t offer that my son is currently in their 3’s program, and my description is quite different than yours. Their class is broken down into 4 groups of 5 children with one teacher, so that one teacher is highly attentive. We get an email at the end of every day, with pictures, describing the day (what they did, what they read, what sign-language they practiced, etc.) so we can discuss and build upon the day’s learning at home. So far, my son’s experience has been highly enriching and (IMHO) most importantly for a 3 year old, engaging.

    There’s no getting around last year’s UPK admission issue. Can’t imagine the fury I’d feel if we were in that boat.

    Sorry, not looking to start a rift, just felt obligated to provide different feedback based on my experience.

  • StudioBrooklyn

    I should have prefaced my remarks by saying that my experience has been limited to sporadic classes my kid took there before pre-k age and what I’ve heard from others. No rift detected whatsoever! Just happy to contribute to and glean from our collective pile of information. :)

  • ldny

    Hi Henry. If I can be of assistance, please get in touch. Details and contact into at http://www.macsamurai.com

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