Open Thread Wednesday

By on August 15, 2017 11:55 pm in open thread

What’s on your mind? Comment away!

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  • StudioBrooklyn

    To whomever released the M-Audio synthesizer to the curb on Hunts Lane at some point in the last two weeks: does it work? Do you happen to possess the power assembly? Asking for a friend.

  • Andrew Porter

    I tried to comment earlier, but Disqus wouldn’t load.

    Here’s a VOGUE article about the Heights:

    http://tinyurl.com/y7z6cqzo

    Meanwhile, it’s time for another BH postcard. The more of these I post, the more unsure I become that I haven’t already posted these. Anyway, here’s the Garfield Building, Court and Remsen Streets. I’m sure it’s not there any more:

    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/a17f285109824165cbd48129b40887c03a3a0210cc06faf56d6fdbae4d9a9f42.jpg

  • Reggie

    From the Borough Hall Skyscraper Historic District designation report, “The first of the 1920s skyscrapers to be completed was the Court and Remsen Building at 26 Court Street, which replaced the Garfield Building. It was built in 1925-26 to the designs of Schwartz & Gross, and at 30 stories and approximately 350 feet high it was for a brief time the tallest building in Brooklyn….” (Emphasis added.)

  • Jorale-man

    The bottom portion looks similar to the art deco one that’s there now (where the NY Sports Club is) but the rest is different. That tower was something.

    Speaking of that block, I can never understand why the building next to Hale & Hearty on Remsen has remained vacant and boarded up all of these years. The owners must be sitting on a goldmine that goes unused.

  • RandomPoster
  • http://selfabsorbedboomer.blogspot.com/ Claude Scales

    Has HelloFresh been engaging in aggressive sales tactics in the Heights?

  • RandomPoster

    I live on Montague and have been dealing with them all Summer. I have seen them get pretty aggressive with people.

  • http://selfabsorbedboomer.blogspot.com/ Claude Scales

    I also live on Montague, but haven’t been bothered. Maybe it’s because I’m an old guy.

  • Remsen St Strollin

    PS 8 still has not made a decision on how many kindergarten classes they will have (considering adding a sixth) and as such whether they will admit any children off the waitlist with 2.5 weeks left to go before school starts. For those on the waiting list or those who want to help, calls to the parent coordinator, principal, and district office would be appreciated by those of us still in limbo (or any other ideas on how to push this)!

  • AnonyMom

    I’m so sorry you are going through this, i know it is stressful. Wait lists at PS8 are the new normal-the rezoning did not fix the existing over crowding. It was quiet last year since there wasnt a wait list to speak of. But anecdotally, I suspect there have been some Dumbo families who were renting who are now buying in the Heights over the last year. This is on top of the general trend of more families moving into the zone.

    Here’s what I know and I hope it helps paint a bigger picture. The decision to officially add a sixth class is made by the Superintendent, not the school. Yes, itis made with input from the Principal but the final say is the Superintendent’s. But officially adding a sixth class will not necessarily result in moving or clearing the waitlist.

    The school is over enrolled. In April, the DOE miscalculated and in my opinion, made too many offers and more than 125 families registered their kids. Once registered, the school must give them a spot. The wait list will only move if families inform the school their child will not be attending and the numbers dip below 125 as PS8’s official Kindegarten capacity is 5 classes.

    Families are notorious for not telling the school until days before school starts or even AFTER school starts. I can assure you that he parent coordinator is following up as best they can. But families who registered in Aptil need to be courteous and let the school know if their plans have changed and their kids are going elsewhere.

    My advice is for now is to rely on your back up plan. If your child does not get a spot for Kindergarten, there is usually attrition for first grade. Their spot in the waitlist will serve as a placeholder in order of priority if spots for 1st grade become available.

  • meschwar

    I’ve definitely found them annoying, but not aggressive. But maybe they leave me alone easier because I am usually pushing a toddler in a stroller.

  • Andrew Porter

    A guide to all of NYC’s street trees, and detailed info on what’s in front of your house:

    https://tree-map.nycgovparks.org

  • Andrew Porter

    Thanks! Replaced a gorgeously detailed older building, alas.

  • JLLewis

    In answer to an inquiry; the history of Hot Rod Lincoln is pretty well given on Wikipedia. BTW at one point, classic car engines like the Lincoln V-12 we’re a briefly a source for engine swaps. You could go to junkyard in the 50’s and buy a V-12 or a Cadillac for your rod. One guy around ’56 was running a Dusenburg 8 (!!!). No lie….BTW Johnny Bong is famous for encouraging Elvis to drop any idea of singing…..

  • Andrew Porter

    The Witnesses sold 97 and 119 Columbia Heights. You can read the details on the Brooklyn Eagle and TheRealDeal sites; I made comments and posted images on the latter:

    http://tinyurl.com/yc75skbs

    http://tinyurl.com/yca6zfyh

  • Remsen St Strollin

    Thanks so much for the lengthy post and feedback. We have a good backup plan but still very disappointed.

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

    Off your meds again Jeffery?

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

    Yeah, I walked right past one of them the other day, she then accosted a woman who was walking behind me.

  • DIBS

    Nothing beats a flathead Ford though. I had an incredible one for a ’31 roadster I once owned.

  • Banet

    Keep hanging in there. If they add a 6th class almost all of the wait list should get in.

    I understood the waitlist to be 22 students. Originally. I would imagine a good number of the students have since made other plans or only applied to the school as a back up plan in the first place.

    Any word as to how many students remain on the waitlist?

  • Remsen St Strollin

    There are now more on the waitlist (like 24-25) than when we started with new people who’ve moved into the neighborhood. I was told by someone in the PS 8 office today that it was “highly unlikely” they’d be adding a sixth class (even though they seem to have space with fewer K classes). We’ve reached out to Steve Levin’s office to see if they can help with a final round of lobbying.

  • You know who this is…..

    How many great guys made
    High compression heads for Flatheads: Evans, Kogel, Edelbrock, Weiand, Offy, remember Kong and Joe hunt ignitions? Belanger pipes? Hey, the importer of Italemecca blowers lived in the Heights! Remember Frenzel supercharger? And, of course the ultimate…Ardun heads!!!!!

  • http://selfabsorbedboomer.blogspot.com/ Claude Scales

    The “inquiry” Jeff refers to is one I made when we encountered each other at Key Food and got into a conversation about old rockabilly and R&B, perhaps the only topic on which we agree. Cars might be another, but I’m not nearly as knowledgeable about them as he is.

  • DIBS
  • DIBS
  • SongBirdNYC

    There are two different kinds of wait lists. The first is the Zoned Capped Wait List. This is for zoned students who applied during the K Admissions period and were given alternate placements. The DOE assigns a student’s position on this wait list and this position is communicated to the zoned school. The school has NO authority to jump the line. If spaces become available, the school must offer them in order of the zoned capped wait list. Your child’s position on this wait list will also give them their order of priority for first grade if they do not attend their zoned school for Kindergarten.

    The OTHER wait list is for people out of zone, those that applied late and that list is separate from the Zoned Capped Wait List and IS administered by the school. But, the school must offer seats to the students on the Zoned Capped Wait List ahead of these children. Joyce Szuflita of NYC School Help has a helpful blog post about this: http://www.nycschoolhelp.com/blog/2017/3/14/tale-of-two-wait-lists-2017

    As for available space in the school, I can tell you from my experience helping to advocate for wait listed families two years ago, that at the time it, from the outside, it seemed to our group that there was space to add a sixth class. But in reality, even with gaining back two cluster rooms-which is really what the re-zoning accomplished- (one for art, the other for music) kids who need special services STILL receive them in the hallway.

    The DOE Office of District Planning has expressed many times that there IS capacity within our district (at 307, 287) and that until that capacity is fully utilized, they won’t consider building any schools in North Brooklyn. A couple of great resources to understanding the big picture are the D13 CEC and Downtown Brooklyn School Solutions.

  • Clay Smith Cams

    Gawd you got a LOT chrome on that mill…triple carbs on a flathead? must have been a big bore job. Crank driven ignition OK. Yeah, a lot of flathead could move. Remember the fad for GMC 6 cyl engines running butane around ’53 to ’55? Great memories….

  • DIBS

    And those carbs are actually replicas that are fuel injected.

    http://www.hotrod.com/articles/electronic-fuel-injection/

  • Banet

    So while the original waitlist of 22 has likely winnowed quite a bit, and those who moved to the neighborhood after the regular enrollment period did NOT add to the list, unless they add a 6th class no one on the wait list will get in.

    But what about the 15 or so who were admitted as part of the original 165 who are above the 125 student capacity of the 5 classes? Will they create kindergarten classes of 27 or 28? After all, they can’t turn those people away — they already accepted them.

  • Lauren Gill

    hi, I’m a reporter for the Brooklyn Paper. Would you be willing to talk about this? My # is 718 260 2511. Hope to hear from you soon.
    Best, Lauren