Open Thread Wednesday

By on July 14, 2021 7:52 am in open thread

What’s on your mind? Comment away!

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  • CassieVonMontague

    Landmarks Preservation Commission Approves Alterations At 109 State Street In The Brooklyn Heights Historic District

    https://newyorkyimby.com/2021/07/landmarks-preservation-commission-approves-alterations-at-109-state-street-in-the-brooklyn-heights-historic-district.html

  • MaggieO

    Any thoughts on when DOT is going to come finish what they started at Clinton/Schermerhorn and Clinton/State and actually put the asphalt back around the new curb cuts they installed? The intention to create a more accessible streetscape is great but the resulting completely inaccessible streetscape is getting tiresome. It’s been ages. Weeks? Months?
    Meanwhile the NW corner of Clinton/Joralemon was torn up, sidewalk with curb cuts poured, and new asphalt laid all in 1 day.

  • Nomcebo Manzini

    Anybody ever “reach out” to an elected – City Councilman would seem the obvious choice. I know that “constitutent service” is a part of what most of them do (or are supposed to), but I have no idea whether Mr. Levin was good at that.

    I’ve seen others recommend calls to 3-1-1 when similar things arose. Any sense as to whether that moves items up in priority/action?

  • Andrew Porter

    Another old photo of something not there any more: Furman Street, looking north toward the Brooklyn Bridge, Jan. 6, 1928. See then/now photo in reply:
    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/34303f629a36fec044d5e33687fb4606d6f6c25469c8c9647d021a2507d320af.jpg

  • Andrew Porter
  • Andrew Porter
  • Jorale-man

    1928 > 2021

  • CassieVonMontague

    “At night, along the unlighted streets, one gives a wide berth to drunkards that sprawl out across the pavement from the shadow of darkened doors; and I have known a dead horse to be left in the road—two blocks from the principal post office and not much more from Borough Hall—with no effort made to remove it, for nearly three weeks. In the summer, warm sickening fumes from a factory that makes cheap chocolate gives a stagnancy of swamps to the heavy air. In the evening, an old woman steals through the streets, softly calling to cats, which she poisons and which die slowly of gripes in the areas of decorous houses from which the families have moved away.”

    -Edmund Wilson, The American Earthquake: A Documentary of the Twenties and Thirties

  • CassieVonMontague

    “This Isn’t Paris!” East Village Community Board Gets Heated Over Outdoor Dining

    https://gothamist.com/food/east-village-community-board-outdoor-dining-debate

    The only problem I’ve had with the dining sheds is it’s harder to drive down Court Street, but I think our neighborhood is generally happy with them. Am I right?

  • Cranberry Beret

    311 generally isn’t set up to deal with ongoing problems of the type “the city is taking too long to fix something”

    Your suggestion to call the local councilmember’s office is a good one, as would be a call to a neighborhood org like the BHA. Both have back-channel connections to the city agencies and can find out the story and/or prod the agency to move faster.

  • Red Leader

    You’re correct. Outdoor dining is heaven!

  • cool

    It’s been wonderful to see the coffee explosion over the last 5 years. Here’s my preferences:
    Drip
    Vineapple
    Gregory
    Joe
    Coffee cart on Montague & Clinton
    Tea (any)
    Starbucks

  • CassieVonMontague

    Gregorys is a local kid. I think his father used to own the place on Fulton Mall where Shake Shack is now. I soured on him a few years ago because he went on Fox Business talking about how the Affordable Care Act would destroy his business, but searching for those clips, it seems he changed his tune and in 2015 finally agreed to provide healthcare for his employees. Thanks Gregory

    https://www.gregoryscoffee.com/blog/coffee-and-health-coverage

  • aeshtron

    I’ll have to give Drip a try. And I’d add Alice’s Tea Cup to cool’s list.

    Consider giving Arabica on Old Fulton Street a try, their coffee is excellent but the vibe isn’t for me. I miss the original Brooklyn Roasting Company on Jay, the company never felt the same once they expanded past the location on Flushing.

    IMHO — Porto Rico Importing on Bleeker Street will always reign supreme.

  • Andrew Porter

    I brew up 2 big mugs of this every morning, saving money (and not having to leave my house):
    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/79a7cddc770c84913586059dc2600a5ca7a816d21af1f8787c6eb021d6d96f1f.jpg

  • Jorale-man

    And Le Pain Quotidien just opened in the neighborhood again, in the former Maison Kaiser space on Court Street. Maybe not famous for coffee but a solid pastry option.

  • Andrew Porter
  • Banet

    Just emailed Claude about making that a post of it’s own. For those who don’t know, composting will only return to our neighborhood if enough people register an interest in doing so. Go register!

  • MaggieO

    if it’s being managed by the same team who ran the one on Montague it’s only good for pastries if you’re willing to wait a ridiculous amount of time in my experience.

  • Jorale-man

    Yes, I remember that service wasn’t always their strong suit. I’ll give it a try though – it’s close to my home so I’m hoping it will become a convenient option for baked goods.

  • Andrew Porter

    Once I began sorting out my organic waste, was able to cut down on my garbage to one small bag every two weeks. When it was halted, went back to dumping everything—and feeling guilty about that.