Open Thread Wednesday

I’ll start the discussion by picking up on something reader “Pierrepont” noted in last week’s OTW conversation. Those of us living in the vicinity of 2 Pierrepont Street, which includes those on Pierrepont west of Hicks, the southern ends of Columbia Heights and Willow Street, Pierrepont Place, Montague Street near the Promenade entrance, and Montague Terrace perhaps as far as Remsen, have noticed an annoying noise that begins each weekday morning early and continues for several hours. It sounds like a burglar alarm bell, but as my wife learned after speaking to a construction supervisor on the site, it is actually the sound of grinding machinery being used to remove adhesive material from the building’s floors as it is being converted from a dormitory for Brooklyn Law School to luxury apartments.The supervisor told my wife he would find the sound annoying if he lived nearby, but that it was necessary to make the “historic building” marketable. He said the noise has been “fully permitted,” and would continue for at least another month.

Yeah it’s called “cutback adhesive” used to install the old Asphalt Asbestos floor tiles… Nasty stuff to remove, solvents can only get some of it off, diamond grinding is the only way to get rid of it completely. The contractor would have had to file for an Asbestos abatement if those tiles were present and removed. You can look it up on the Department of Buildings “BIS” Building Information System.

I see The Bossert has a crew out with ladders and a cherry picker washing all the windows on the first floor. It seems as if a grand opening may be imminent. Only 8.5 months after their October 1st projected opening. :-)

Thanks, good to know. Has anyone tried the new Honeygrow stir fry place on Joralemon yet? I miss the days when Karl Junkersfeld had his regular restaurant reviews on the BHB. I felt like I was much more plugged in to the food scene around here.

What does everyone think should go into the old Starbucks on Montague Street?

Dream on. Property owners believe it’s worthwhile to allow space to lie fallow for years, waiting for that “premium” (i.e. national chain, bank, etc.) tenant. A few weeks ago I saw someone taking cartons of food from Lassen & Hennigs next door into the space. I asked if L&H was taking over the space for expansion, and was told that they just are using it for storage. The owner is thus getting some income while he waits for his dream tenant.

Honeygrow is very good for what it is. The ability to customize your dish via touchscreen, while lacking the human touch, really lets you land on exactly what you want.

BeBop!

Amen! There is so much construction noise, now and into the future. Why contractors aren’t seriously abating is beyond me. And if an asbestos source has integrity, isn’t it recommended to cover it than remove?

Having lived through the reconstruction of the St. George Tower, 60 Pineapple Street and other maddening work, I feel your pain. Earplugs and white noise generators are called for.

Hey, boys, girls, and kitties, time for more Olde BH Postcards. Did I already run this photo postcard of the Crescent Club, back before it became St. Ann’s School?

https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/5d729b5093424af29007b499183ab84f52bdc941a6a214a670e1c4b5a9196cf8.jpg

I bought a new bed and need to put out my (bug free) mattress and box spring to be thrown on. Besides wrapping both in plastic, is there anything I need to do? Has anyone ever had issues with garbage collectors refusing to take such bulk items?

That was one of the reasons. Also, the space up the block became available, which is a better location.

Excuse me: not a tuxedo. Don’t know what I was thinking when I typed that.

http://www1.nyc.gov/nyc-resources/service/1038/bulk-item-disposal