Open Thread Wednesday

Glad to see that Claude’s fine “Simon Says” piece drew some serious comments – and obviously, Ms. Simon heard from, I’m sure, some thoughtful BH residents. But anybody who focuses – as she does – on the Environmental Impact process – is either naive or scheming.

And there’s next to no doubt re Ms. Simon herself, who has both expertise & experience (most recently re “Atlantic Yards”). As she admits, in the absence of a “yeah, THAT’S the best way to fix the BQE” proposal, everybody (especially “electeds”) has to appraise complex pros & cons, inevitably ones which have a differential impact on different neighborhoods – and even to different portions of the one nabe this blog covers.

And Ms. Simon wouldn’t be human if she didn’t cut through these complexities to favor (in a close call situation) the neighborhood where SHE lives.

The BHA’s effort to rein in BBP is instructive. Each side presented $ numbers which – had they been conclusive – would have all but dictated the outcome. (Did the Park “need” the money 2 new towers would generate?) But – inevitably – there was murk and unpredictability – and politics/P.R. carried the day with the BHA on the losing end.

Environmental impact studies will be more of the same. Will asthma rates among Heights children soar? vs. What health impact would thousands of motorists idling on Atlantic, Clinton, etc. have? Battling reports=ignore them! When kicking the can down the road is no longer possible, politicians and bureaucrats team up to back “whatever it takes.”

Make no mistake – the BQE affects even more New Yorkers than the L train (those trucks keep food on supermarket shelves in 4 boros and Target et al in business.) It’s the equivalent of the dilemma: “What happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object?” with the BQE being the former and Brooklyn Heights being the latter.

Let’s keep it simple! There’s a reason that NYC’s infrastructure morphed from many elevated train lines to almost everything underground. Any kid walking to P.S. 8 if the DOT plan proceeds will either need a mask of some kind… or s/he will be at risk for (many will experience them) respiratory problems. The biggest highways – NJ’s pair, I-95, etc. – grind to a halt periodically – I’ll guess 40 minutes per day on average. With 6 lanes of traffic where the promenade is now, it would be like gassing our neighborhood daily for at least several years.

“Save the view” was – in the end – laughable and futile. “Save the berms” is more like obscene.

I still hear a low rumbling sound at Willow near Pierrepont that I commented about a month or so ago. I hear it now at 9:25 am on Wed. Does anyone else hear it? Otherwise, does anyone know a good ear doctor or noise detector specialist?

And here’s the building at the SE corner of Cranberry, torn down by the JWs. Cornice removed at some point. Notice frames on the roof for drying clothing:
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/e2dde5a4ff48d277a40bccaf49f818dbbfea78e99a3b2db36c031fd4740fb450.png

Most of the local politicians from Simon to DeBlasio will employ the usual plan:
obfuscate, obfuscate, obfuscate …………
cram it down their throats.

99.9% tourists and transplants eating mediocre pizza in a loud boorish atmosphere. Good riddance.

Oops…. Although I’d bet this squabble IS what lies behind the recent (current ??) closure! Yes, I could be doing the rapacious family a dis-service, but I’m guessing that G’s mgt subscribes to “the rubes are willing to queue up for a so-so pie at 10x a fair price – let’s move the dishwashers to the sub-sub basement.”

The NY Times has published renderings of the Better Way group’s alternative plan. It’s a promising approach. I’m curious why there isn’t ground-level traffic next to the berms but it’s nonetheless much more appealing than the “innovative” plan. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/24/nyregion/brooklyn-promenade-l-train.html

Agreed. Not sure why anyone would go there when they can get much better next door at Juliana’s (same tourist throngs but at least the pizza is more authentic)

Ah, thanks for clarifying. Yes, for all of the flack the BHA got over its inability to stop the condo construction in the park, this shows a way to at least move the discussion in a more positive direction.

This post is impressively obnoxious.

First, your research abilities aren’t very good (the date of the article you first linked was actually IN THE LINK).

You respond to the error with baseless accusations about the current sanitary conditions (their last rating from October was an A), and also for some unexplained reason accuse the owners of being “rapacious.”

You are a snob (“the rubes”).

And no, the pizzas are nowhere close to “10x a fair price.”

I haven’t been there for a while, mostly because of the lines, but last time I took some visiting “rubes” (from Paris, FWIW) who wanted to try it, it was pretty good, and the “rapacious” owner was very friendly.

Wow, some lowbrow host you are, taking your Parisian guests to that tourist trap, especially when “pretty good” is all you have to say about it.

I don’t think emissions zones are “pie in the sky” if they’ve already proven effective in many other major cities including London and Berlin. But although you’re right—this Mayor isn’t to be trusted with such a proposal—I think it would be a vital part of any long-term development, and directly affect any viable BQE solution (the BHA’s plan, by the way, is very problematic but still seems to be the best so far).

Other than Spectrum or Verizon Fios, are there other high-speed Internet providers in the neighborhood? Verizon can’t/won’t wire my building, which leads me with Spectrum. Not happy about living with a monopoly situation!

Yes. Post corrected, thus sowing confusion. (Or maybe it was a test to see if anyone was reading it. Nah…)

Tazza is closing today. Counter items are 50% off. Staff said a new owner has bought the business (strange investment…) and has yet to announce whether it will remain Tazza or close and become something new. Hopefully the latter, and hopefully the owner is someone with talent, money and a vision. Great space that has absolutely floundered with baffling decisions from business to decor.