Open Thread Wednesday

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  • http://www.yotamzohar.com StudioBrooklyn

    *fist bumps from 2 meters*

  • Cranberry Beret

    The article takes 11 paragraphs (the last!) to get to the point: it was removed for maintenance and the owner plans to put it back. (Don’t get me wrong — I love the history and back-story — but that’s just poor journalism.)

  • Cranberry Beret

    Also closing the short block of Cadman Plaza East in front of the post office (technically, because it’s adjacent to the Korean War Veterans Plaza).

    On the one hand, good idea, that street is nothing more than a parking lot for court workers and USPS patrons.

    On the other hand, the Korean War Veterans Plaza is a very sorry excuse for a park with nobody ever in it (except for people sleeping on benches and USPS workers on smoke breaks) and it’s not like there have been people spilling out of there looking for more space to walk…

  • KBells40

    But, interestingly, did you see the comment (below the journo’s pic) from the company that installed it, which casts doubt on the story of it being removed for cleaning? What intrigue!

  • KXrVrii1

    New peer reviewed study showing likely transmission of Covid through speech “droplets”:

    “Speech droplets generated by asymptomatic carriers of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) are increasingly considered to be a likely mode of disease transmission. Highly sensitive laser light scattering observations have revealed that loud speech can emit thousands of oral fluid droplets per second. In a closed, stagnant air environment, they disappear from the window of view with time constants in the range of 8 to 14 min, which corresponds to droplet nuclei of ca. 4 μm diameter, or 12- to 21-μm droplets prior to dehydration. These observations confirm that there is a substantial probability that normal speaking causes airborne virus transmission in confined environments.

    https://www.pnas.org/content/early/2020/05/12/2006874117

  • CassieVonMontague

    The decorations on 75 Pineapple are elaborate. The hanging trash bags really add something. The pigeons don’t seem to mind them either.

  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7nPOzGeyaw Arch Stanton

    2m Fist bump back, with my N-95!

  • Cranberry Beret

    Have been wondering about that. Any theories?

  • Cranberry Beret

    No, but I read it now, and agree – interesting. It did strike me as a little odd they’d need to remove it rather than repair in place.

  • Andrew Porter

    Aren’t those hanging trash bags actually plastic owls?

  • ColumbiaHeightster

    Hello neighbors. Do any runners use the Nike+ Running Club GPS tracker, and have noticed a significant GPS issue over the last few weeks? Mine has been significantly shortening miles lately. Stay safe and healthy!

  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7nPOzGeyaw Arch Stanton

    I agree with Mr Gold’s assessment. The plaque was likely stolen.

  • Cranberry Beret

    “Roughly 5 percent of residents — or about 420,000 people — left the city between March 1 and May 1. In the city’s very wealthiest blocks, in neighborhoods like the Upper East Side, the West Village, SoHo and Brooklyn Heights, residential population decreased by 40 percent or more, while the rest of the city saw comparably modest changes.”

    https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/05/15/upshot/who-left-new-york-coronavirus.html

  • Knight

    There are a handful of plastic owls on the fire escape, but twice as many plastic streamers (trash bags). I’ve never seen trash bags used to scare pigeons before!

  • aconcernedneighbor

    I did a careful comparison between my Nike+ map and a g-maps pedometer map. They both seemed very close. I am running faster however. Maybe i just want to get home!

  • Jorale-man

    Interesting piece. The ‘hood is definitely quieter but not enough so that you can’t let down your guard when you leave your home. This has been discussed here already but the sidewalks in the Heights simply too narrow for social distancing given the local population. The best one can do is to be ready to walk in the street and look ahead for cars.

  • Reggie

    Although DSNY advises against jumping to conclusions, The City reports that garbage collection is down, with a correlation to neighborhood affluence: https://thecity.nyc/2020/05/garbage-pickups-declined-more-as-new-yorkers-fled-or-dug-in.html
    If you aren’t here, you aren’t putting out any garbage.

  • Bornhere

    I’m also finding that people simply stop, in a gaggle, and have loud, long conversations, not realizing how LOUD they are or that they’re blocking the street. And then there’s the woman on Henry, who has just discovered that her TINY balcony is the perfect place for up-to-11-volume phone calls, so everyone can feel a part of her life. For hours…. Good thing I don’t have a lawn :)

  • Sandy McCroskey

    He’s a real idiot.

  • Jorale-man

    Yes, sigh, we’re all doomed…

  • Reggie

    There are “scare balloons” and “flash tape” that are designed to scare away pigeons. The trash bags seem to be a non-commercial variant on these devices.

  • Clara West

    Sister mentioned that yesterday, at Trader Joe and are a senior
    no longer limited to 8-9 AM wait line.
    Go to front of regular line and they will admit you any time.
    Hope she is right when I go tomorrow.

  • Cyrilla

    I’m on Hicks and Pierrepont and I’m hearing nightly singing and applause, prior to the 7pm thank you applause, that sounds like it’s closer to the Promenade. Does anyone know who’s doing the nightly serenade?

  • walterce
  • Cyrilla

    Thanks – I had no idea he was THAT close :)

  • Andrew Porter

    I noticed worker with long ladder doing something on that fire escape on Sunday, last time I was out.

  • Andrew Porter

    Your sister is correct. I’ve done that the 3 times I’ve been to the Court/Atlantic store, on March 10th, April 16th and May 12th.

    Not at all their stores, though. Didn’t apply to the one in Ann Arbor, Mich.

  • Shopper

    That’s always been the case at Trader Joe’s. Seniors can go at anytime right to the front of the line.In addition to that they have the 8-9 reserved time. From what I’ve seen many seniors come around 9:00 which prolongs the wait for those already waiting in line for close to an hour. There are many of us with young kids who are up very early and would happily shop at 8:00.

  • Clarksy

    Thank you for the reminder and the link. I just applied for my absentee ballot.

  • Still Here

    I was not blocked but pinched – I drove down it yesterday at 1 pm – slowly as required – as i had to get to Willow Place. Saw no one.