Open Thread Wednesday

By on January 4, 2023 12:04 am in open thread

What’s on your mind? Comment away!

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  • J

    What’s up with the promenade turning into a junkyard over by cranberry street?

  • Cranberry Beret

    Ample Hills closed all their ice cream shops “indefinitely” about 2 weeks ago. This includes the Brooklyn Bridge Park fireboat house. Maybe the park corporation will let the Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory back in. (Remember, the corporation kicked out their long-time tenant a few years ago, in favor of Ample Hills, which looks on track to declare bankruptcy 2x in 3 years)

  • Andrew Porter

    Written up on last week’s “Open Thread.” Apparently one person’s homeless encampment in the making.

    I have reported this to the BHA and the 84th Precinct Community Affairs line.

  • AEB

    So, the other day I’m sitting, staring at the computer screen. Suddenly, there’s a commotion. The cats are instantly galvanized, frozen, alert.

    There’s the sound of flapping against the ceiling. A bird has gotten into the apartment–but how?

    It traverses the whole apartment, which has a railroad-flat layout. I hear a repeated thump sound as it bangs against window glass, trying to escape.

    I think: it won’t be able to get out, it will die and decay. Or I will.

    I open the bottom of several windows and try to coral the bird–ha!–which has landed on a top book shelf. The cats are besides themselves–and so am I. Suddenly the bird makes a beeline for one open space, flies through it and is gone.

    Relief! I figure that the bird entered through the top cracked-open space of my bedroom window. What are the chances? Probably better than I might initially think. The cats remain at alert for several hours.

    This experience has stayed with me for days now. I’m unaccountably moved by it. Bird-identification? Maybe you can say.

  • Andrew Porter

    Another screenshot of a scene from the film Taxi Driver. This is the political rally on the empty lot where the Park Plaza Diner will ultimately be built.

    In reply, see Martin Scorsese and Cybill Shepherd in front of the Pineapple Walk side of 101 Clark Street, with political campaign poster just visible at far left in window of what will eventually become Signature Dental office in background:
    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/4952be46f2951fc3570c01b762ce6c4cd75ed7267aeb9bc0690eef434ad99ca9.jpg

  • Andrew Porter
  • Andrew Porter
  • Andrew Porter
  • North BK Heights Couple

    So…… L&B Spumoni Gardens at 46 Old Fulton street. Is it ever opening? It feels like it’s been complete and ready to open for 16-18 months. I’m curious if anyone knows the hold-up on it.

  • karateca2000

    Maybe someone commented about this already, but there is a street performer who plays the saxophone in front of books are magic. He has been there for 2-3 months.

    I find the sound annoying because I can hear it from my apartment. Sometimes he plays for hours. The sound goes through my windows and headphones. I can no longer work from home because of the noise.

    Do you need a special permit to play live music on Montague st? Can you just take a random corner and perform?

    I saw a lady arguing with him a couple of days ago. She seemed very angry, apparently she finds him annoying as well.

  • Mark C

    Not sure why Montague would be special, but in general, I don’t think you need a permit if you are not amplified: https://portal.311.nyc.gov/article/?kanumber=KA-02069

  • RickP

    An unamplified saxophone can be surprisingly and unpleasantly loud. It can be louder than an amplified instrument, depending of course, on the amplifier/settings. You’d think the law would say something about measured volume rather than amplified-or-not.

  • PeterB

    This bicycle with a wagon attached to it has been on Clark Street for over two months without moving and blocks a substantial portion of the sidewalk. It is locked up to scaffolding. I reported it to 311 but they seem to be content with doing nothing. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/6150d2f167df01d754ea2ea9fdfae6ced56699465bd2f4aa1471ac2a5c87d217.jpg

  • Banet

    We love Dusty and his saxophone playing and think it’s people like him that make NYC so wonderful… but we don’t live within earshot; I can imagine it must get old.

    He used to play on the corner in front of Chase bank. Maybe a polite conversation could lead to him rotating his location?

  • Heightsman

    Posted signs today that NYC is clearing the area on 1/6. Ordered to move the stuff or it goes in the trash.

  • Heightsman

    Heard Eastern Athletic gym is closing at the end of May. Confirmed?

  • Susan O’Doherty

    I hope the person is okay.

  • nomcebo manzini

    Hey. Brooklyn offers … ample opportunities, but it’s pretty obvious that if some/many of us think long and hard about whether buying or renting personal space makes any sense financially, 10 or more storefronts don’t come cheap. Plus, Covid shortened the lives of over 1 million Americans, and a scoop shop isn’t (and wasn’t) without lots of extra issues in that connection.

    I found this podcast a fun listen, but the talk of “telling a story with ice cream” – the 2 founders ARE characters – was over the top for me:

    https://www.bkmag.com/2021/03/29/what-went-down-at-ample-hills/

  • Andrew Porter

    Just called them. They were originally set to close the end of December 2022, but got an extension.

  • Andrew Porter

    Brownstoner has more details about the planned restaurant at the corner of Tillary and Cadman Plaza West. Bad news: it will definitely have a much larger footprint than the current small building does, and there will likely be less greenery than now there:

    https://www.brownstoner.com/brooklyn-life/cafe-cadman-plaza-park-rfp-downtown-brooklyn-nyc-parks-department-request-for-proposal/

  • Jorale-man

    That isn’t good. At least they’re not allowing single-use plastic and glass cups – that might cut back on the potential trash in the park.

  • Heightsman

    As a 20+ year member I guess they don’t intend on communicating anything to membership prior to closing. Hmh.

  • Cranberry Beret

    They sent out a mailing over the holidays to nabe residents offering “5-month memberships” through May 31. While I don’t fault them for trying to max out $ in their dying days, pretty deceptive not to mention that they plan to close the gym at the end of this of this non-standard membership period.

  • Andrew Porter

    I stopped by the soon-to-be-opened Barnes & Noble at 194 Atlantic this afternoon, coming back from Trader Joe’s.

    Shelves inside appear fully stocked, and there are notices of a January 18th opening on the outside.

    I have no idea when the old Court Street store will close, but I’d assume fairly soon.

  • Adam Driver

    Maybe someone commented about this already, but there is a driver who drives their car past books are magic. He has been driving past for decades.

    I find the sound annoying because I can hear it from my apartment. Sometimes he drives for hours. The sound goes through my windows and headphones. I can no longer work from home because of the noise.

    Do you need a special permit to drive cars on Montague st? Can you just take a random street and drive?

    I saw a lady arguing with him a couple of days ago. She seemed very angry, apparently she finds him annoying as well.

  • karateca2000

    Thanks but I think anonymous internet complaining about the unique character of the neighborhood will be more fruitful.

  • SongBirdNYC

    The larger footprint doesn’t bother me. The cafe will be permitted to sell alcohol until 1:00 am. “ While the vendor won’t be allowed to sell beverages in single-use plastic or glass bottles, it will be able to sell alcohol “to complement the food service,” provided it gets a license from the State Liquor Authority. The cafe will be allowed to operate only in the hours the park is open, which are listed online as being from 6 a.m. until 1 a.m.”

  • Banet

    The old store closes January 10. And the entire store is currently 40% off.

  • Effective Presenter

    Good one!

  • Effective Presenter

    311, Adams administration does nothing about most all quality of life issues including the bike.

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