Open Thread Wednesday

By on December 6, 2023 8:16 am in open thread

What’s on your mind? Comment away!

Photo: Martha Foley

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  • Jorale-man

    So, no holiday market at Borough Hall this year, it appears. I wonder if last year’s didn’t make enough $. The offerings were hit and miss, as I recall.

  • Andrew Porter
  • Andrew Porter

    Here are the buildings next door in 1903. All these were demolished when the structure on Hicks Street was built. See other replies.
    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/3edcfc333cf8b7ad609457bd2bd5e4f16f94ad3aacba4573cece2474e8629d5c.png

  • Andrew Porter
  • Andrew Porter

    Plymouth Church interior in 1890, before the stained glass windows were installed:
    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/0d90ef581ee5faca626e6d008d4f22aa39d2dd9bd71160272c11bc71d7aecc03.png

  • Steven Jacobs

    Does anyone have any intelligence about the impromptu fireworks in Brooklyn Heights this past Sunday evening? They seemed to be have been shot from near Henry and Montague and were pretty low.

  • Andrew Porter

    From the BHA: Those missing mailboxes aren’t your imagination! … we learned from U. S. Representative Dan Goldman’s office that the USPS removed certain collection boxes due to recent mail theft and tampering incidents. Unfortunately, these boxes will not be replaced.

    However, USPS has assured us that there are secure mailboxes located within a 1-3 block range for each of the boxes removed. See below for details:
    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/efe08fd9e4f91fc2fa0f69295bfaf553dc039ea6d39c94b1681f237a654da88f.jpg

  • William Gilbert

    Can’t be 1885 as 71-73 Orange St., built in 1882, is not shown in the photo. This has to be earlier.

  • Cranberry Beret
  • karateca2000

    There were a couple of guys on top of the Books are Magic building. It lasted for a couple of minutes. It was probably very illegal.

  • Banet

    Well, that location check out perfectly in line with my site line.

  • Nomcebo Manzini

    Anybody else think that the Clark St. subway stop – until pedestrian traffic on the Brooklyn Bridge rose 10-fold from some not so long ago level – literally THE first thing MOST [tens of thousands of] tourists see in Brooklyn – has gone from bad to worse.

    What space is public? What private? Does anybody care? Can they be MADE to care? FWIW, one or 2 of the long in residence tenants are genuine assets to the under-serviced North Heights, … and it would be great if somebody made a go of the coffee spot, but starting with doors that no homeowner would put up with for months, but have faced Henry for 20 years or more, the space probably qualifies for DJT’s vile characterization of countries like Haiti. [Prudery keeps me from spelling it out, but it rhymes with Knit-Goal.]

    Councilman Restler, BHA ?? … Buehler?

  • Victoria

    Double parking in Montague for the cat cafe is going out of control. On Sunday at 7 am there were like 8 cars, a pickup couldn’t pass by, and was madly honking for at least 10 minutes. They always have a huge line of people, and clearly don’t take care of the double parking. Is there any regultation or something that can be done?

  • karateca2000

    It is the same in front of Lassen & Hennings. “Just a minute”

  • Jorale-man

    The Borough Hall 2/3/4/5 station is no prize either, with its crumbling tiles and decades worth of dirt and grime on every surface. It’s literally named after Brooklyn’s seat of government and it looks like it’s been semi-abandoned since the ’70s.

    I guess the optimist can always hope that the money from congestion pricing will one day be used towards fixing these stations up…

  • Effective Presenter

    Cat Cafe and Lassen & Hennings are not responsible for rude customers the “just a minute” types who double park illegally on Montague Street.

    Unfortunately, it’s all over town, Brooklyn Heights, Manhattan, etc.

    DOT Officers giving out a costly $$$ summons should stop the problem however law and order are NOT a priority of the Ewic Adams administration.

  • Effective Presenter

    An emergency, ambulance, FDNY truck, NYPD car, blocked by the double-parked cars driven by the “just a minute” types who do NOT see their action as dangerous, and rude, etc.

  • Effective Presenter

    The mosaic tile work, etc., the subways had been great works of art, they need restoration no doubt.

  • Cranberry Beret

    MTA has already started work to fix Borough Hall. New elevators for the 4/5 part of the station, and fixing the crumbling walls and ceilings. Supposed to be done by early 2025.
    https://www.brooklynpaper.com/borough-hall-station-mta-subway-2-3-4-5-6/

  • Cranberry Beret

    Someone caught the fireworks on video – here’s a link
    https://twitter.com/EmilyKDrewry/status/1731434374413836369

  • Jorale-man

    Thanks for the heads up. I haven’t seen any work there yet but I haven’t been really looking either. Hopefully, they’ll replace the 1980s floor tiles on the platforms too.

  • Andrew Porter
  • B.

    Thanks for photo. Utilitarian yet classy, and squeaky clean.

  • Andrew Porter

    The tree at the western end of Montague is already lit. I thought the purpose of the tree lighting was to light up an unlit tree, accompanied by singing, etc.

    Will they turn off the lights on Wednesday before they turn them back on?

    I don’t think Rockefeller Center does that…

  • Bornhere

    Could be, but friends who were at the Heights Players (Willow Place) said they were coming from Joralemon near Hicks. That seemed possible—I’m on Henry/Joralemon, and fireworks “detritus” was landing on Henry after every boom. Sure was … loud.

  • Andrew Porter
  • Revitalize Montague
  • MaggieO

    I’m not sure what you think Cat Cafe can or should do or even why you think it’s their customers. The Cat Cafe isn’t even open until noon…

  • clarknt67

    They announced some time ago a project to renovate and repair the Borough Hall tile. But it was so long ago I fear they have walked it back.