Open Thread Wednesday

By on November 27, 2018 11:09 pm in open thread

What’s on your mind? Comment away!

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  • Banet

    Sigh. You forgot to mention the bookstores.

    (In fairness though, I actually prefer the new library to the old one and have high hopes for the still being built library after this one. And we lost the small theater but gained a multiplex on Court and while that kind of sucks in quality, the Alamo in Downtown Brooklyn is AWESOME.)

  • Nomcebo Manzini

    THANKS SO VERY MUCH for that link. Just to save anyone else a wasted jump or 2, there is NOTHING new in the article … and what may be some misinformation – the writer says or implies at one point that the proposed route is “not in the park.” I wish that were the case, but the article was clearly poorly (if at all) edited, and that’s more than likely “fake news.”

    But Andrew – you who seem to have x-ray vision or just use your eyes exceedingly well – do you know of any drawing or other graphic in connection with the “BHA alternative?” TIA.

  • StevoNYC

    The Brooklyn Cat Cafe has moved to 76 Montague Street which is the old Design within reach/Friend of a Farmer building.

  • MaggieO

    the one that was on Atlantic?

  • StevoNYC

    Yes, they are moving from Atlantic to Montague. Should be open tomorrow.

  • Brixtony

    One of my dog walking friends saw it a couple of days ago by the Chapin playground.

  • Eddyde

    I agree with you on the article, it’s a “nothing burger”. To be clear, My argument is not against a through the park plan, Its just I don’t think it will ultimately get approved by the powers that be. Basically, I think people who believe in this plan are betting on the wrong horse. And there is only one chance at getting the innovative or traditional plans derailed.

  • Local_Montague_Man

    oh no…this is a joke, right?

  • StevoNYC

    Not a joke and it will bring some much needed foot traffic to Montague street. Want to know what a joke is? The old Starbucks being empty for eight years, the Bossert Hotel coming spring of 2015.

  • Local_Montague_Man

    Gallito’s doesnt have a liquor license….no margs there unfortunately

  • Poplar

    The temporary library was designed by an expert in library design. Unfortunately while it has been said the new one would be as well, I’ve heard they ended up just using the architect for the whole building and the design suffers for it.

  • Banet

    My understanding is that the Condo tomer will deliver an empty box of space for the library to build out as they see fit. There’s also been a push to keep the temporary space as a children’s only space.

  • SongBirdNYC

    Admittedly I’m a cat person and have two rescues. But I agree the Cat Cafe will be great for foot traffic AND especially good or Sammy’s pet shop which is much beloved in the neighborhood. Not to mention, cute kitties are good for morale. Organizations like the Cat Cafe do hard work to keep stray and feral cat populations at a minimum by performing TNR (trap, neuter and release). And in facilitating adoption they make people and cats happy. Also, especially during the dark winter months, animals of all sorts are shown to help stave off the winter blues. The cafe really does perform a public service. If you don’t like cats, I understand they have rats and guinea pigs too. ;)

  • Poplar

    Unfortunately that is not the case. The library design has already been created and while Friends of the Brooklyn Heights library were quite disappointed by the design and the fact that a library architect was not involved (as had been promised) they were told it could not be changed at this point. I don’t know all the concerns, but definitely issues with the acoustics, the “teen” spaces, and the fact that a lot of the library is below ground and only one elevator is planned which leaves those with strollers, wheelchairs etc. in trouble if it breaks.

  • Eddyde

    Yeah, they only have a wine and beer (Yawn)

  • gc

    Sounds sadly familiar (hospital,library, Pierhouse,
    Pier 6, Promenade) …….
    obfuscate, obfuscate,obfuscate,
    stick it down their throats.

  • Andrew Porter

    There was no BQE nor Promenade then, so in place of the Fruit Street Sitting Area, there would have been a bunch of brownstones and other houses.

  • Andrew Porter
  • Andrew Porter

    I was told that the space was to be occupied by the school that is already on the second floor of the building at the corner. Perhaps the cat café will only occupy the first floor?

    Here’s the announcement:

    https://twitter.com/catcafebk?lang=en

  • Michael Rock

    Does anyone know what is going into the little space beside heights falafel?

  • http://www.yotamzohar.com StudioBrooklyn

    What issue could you possibly have with this? Genuinely curious.

  • http://www.yotamzohar.com StudioBrooklyn

    I overheard a worker telling an inquisitive passerby that the new location would have something to do with sandwiches.

    On an related note, I also heard there’s a taco place moving into the space where Vegetarian Ginger used to be, above Pinto. Welcome news, especially since I’m presently very worried for the future of Gallito’s—not that the food was excellent, but they were always nice and the food was reliable, for a while anyway. Lately they seem to be struggling.

  • Michael Rock

    Thanks for the info. I hope it’s a good sandwich shop. #CaptainObvious

  • Banet

    Yep. Otto’s Tacos. A small chain from Manhattan. It’s discussed further down in these comments.

  • Nomcebo Manzini

    I’ve read some of your other posts and you seem like a smart person. AND I think you’re right that a clock is ticking loudly … and short of civil disobedience (an awfully long shot in our community), only a pretty compelling alternative may “save the day.”

    You once asked ME for specifics – what’s YOUR “hail Mary?” Gotta be a tunnel … or I’ll eat my hat, and that seems like an even LONGER shot than nibbling at the park.

    And “the powers that be” have been known to blink – just look at the BQE near Union St. and near Montague St. for the most compelling case in point one could possibly find.

    Councilman Levin HAS said some half-way encouraging things about using the berm-space; so has Mayor diBlasio! I’d say that gives it a fighting chance … where (a) the DOT plan (still/always) looks horrendous; and (b) I just can’t see “finding” enough money to go offshore!

    VERY LAST, in one of the many articles where someone got the BHA’s Peter Bray to comment, he said that the BHA “wasn’t quite ready” to share any drawings it has with … among others … the Brooklyn Heights community it ostensibly serves. I find that very sad, troubling, etc.

  • Remsen Street Dweller

    Does anyone know why police were called to Hunts Lane last night (Sunday) at about 9:30 PM or so? Lots of noise coming from there and heard that police had guns drawn.

  • Michael Rock

    I noticed a small sign in the window with an Instagram address. Apparently, at the moment it’s a pop-up art gallery called As Of Now Gallery.

  • Local_Montague_Man

    sorry for the late response. probably an overreaction on my part… my initial thought was this is just weird. im not a cat person. i get it that a lot of people are…all good. I also dont understand how they are going to afford the rent, but thats really none of my business. an animal cafe is a strange thing, right? are these people’s pets or just rando cats milling about and rubbing on you? i guess this is better than the space sitting empty, but i really hoped for something less cat. excited that it is not a dunkin donuts…it was rumored the old rickys was going that route. would have been really great to have a regular cafe like almondine…wow, that would have been great. this is good for the cat enthusiasts though. not really concerned about the cat people foot traffic. dont people who like cats already have cats? would people really go out of their way to see other cats over a cup of coffee? i probably just dont understand

  • http://www.yotamzohar.com StudioBrooklyn

    So, a few points:

    1. I’m also concerned about their rent payments but I’m with you: not our business. I hope they succeed in the new location. I think it’s a great choice; I buy my wine and do my laundry next door and will be stopping in to say hello, no doubt.
    2. My understanding is that a cat cafe is actually a cat adoption facility with a secondary front-end retail model built into it. In other words, their bread and butter is as a nonprofit finding homes for cats that have been born or abandoned, and as a bonus they make money selling coffee or whatever else (I’ve actually never patronized a cat cafe because—get this—I have three cats already).
    3. I agree that it’s better for the business district than many alternatives, notably international chains hawking mediocre products and worse services.
    4. Many people who like cats are contractually forbidden from owning them in their lease agreements, live with people who have allergies, travel too much to be good cat keepers, or are actually here from somewhere else where they miss their actual cats. I’m not sure how big of a proportion of cat-friendly people that is, but I believe children are also a target audience. (Most children are reasonably good with cats and can interact with them positively.)

  • Eddyde

    Yes I asked you for details, your silence proved you are blindly backing a vague theory, not a plan.
    The Tunnel is in my opinion the best alternative actually on the table.
    1. it has already had a feasibility study completed and the best of the designs has been determined feasible. This is a big bargaining point because the city cannot say “it isn’t possible” as they easily can do, and probably will do, with the hypothetical “park plan”. Yes it will cost more but it also has a lot more benefits in return.
    2. The “park plan” doesn’t really exist since no actual drawings or even a detailed written description has been presented (why has the BHA not shown anything yet? because there are huge problems with negotiating the physical realities of the proposed route.
    3. To build a temporary elevated highway over the berms will significantly increase the cost of the project, bringing it closer to the cost of the Tunnel, but not offering much in return. So if you are going to ask the governments to spend more money, why not ask for the most “bang for the buck”, the Tunnel.

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