Open Thread Wednesday

It’s a beautiful day in this neighborhood!

OK, it’ll be unseasonably warm later, … but when you think of what it’s been like in many places South of us even in the last month, we can be very, very grateful.

And I – has “therapy” ever been this inexpensive? – would like to walk back at least some curmudgeonliness on my part by saying that Brooklyn Bridge Park has done a huge (AND FINE) job of repaving much of its major walkway.

Yes, almost EVERYthing could be “a little bit better,” but we are super-duper-lucky to have that amenity (BBP) close to hand!

Maybe, our luck will continue – don’t read the Edsall column in today’s Times if you enjoy feeling relatively good about things (if you do) – and the BQE plan that emerges from the “blue ribbon commission” will be a good one, one that gets done what needs to be done and doesn’t wreak havoc with our quality of life. (I won’t even tempt fate by wishing that there’s dramatically fewer car-generated particles & injurious gases … when the dust clears!)

Toll Brothers fined for illegal contributions to de Blasio

“A Toll Brothers executive told investigators de Blasio called him in 2015 and asked him to contribute to the Campaign for One New York. This was just a few days after the Department of Buildings had removed a stop-work order on the developer’s hotel project in Brooklyn Bridge Park, records show. Shortly after the call from the mayor, Toll Brothers wrote Campaign for One New York a $25,000 check, records show.”

https://thecity.nyc/2019/09/state-fines-developers-for-their-gifts-to-mayor-de-blasio.html

Hasn’t thought about that! I’m afraid what you see is what you’ll see for at least 5 years.

Courtesy the Municipal Archives, here’s 22-26 Court Street in 1940:
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/95f8424dbc7f2ea7ddd43b7a947b7f23e253b2a2b5655d6558cbe1205f598fef.png

The NY Times editorial board endorses the plan to bury the BQE under parkland. It’s on a long wish-list of items for de Blasio to tackle – I guess we’ll see if it carries any weight.
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/06/opinion/bill-de-blasio.html

LOL