About Claude Scales

Heights resident since 1983. Lawyer, with strong interests in history, philosophy, literature, music, architecture, astronomy, paleontology, ships and the sea, railroads, baseball, food and wine. Married, with one child.

Author Archive | Claude Scales

Is S.S. United States Coming to Brooklyn?

By on July 19, 2014 4:54 pm in Maritime, News

According to a New York Times article, S.S. United States, once the pride of our nation’s merchant marine and last holder of the Blue Riband, may be moved from a pier in Philadelphia where she has been docked for some years (and where I photographed her in 2006) to “a location in Brooklyn within four [...]

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Smell Something? Say Something.

By on July 19, 2014 12:21 pm in Environment, Maritime, News

We’ve received this somewhat cryptic message from Notify NYC: Notification issued on 7/19/14 at 11:18 AM. The United States Coast Guard reports that a ship in Arthur Kill [red in map] off the coast of Staten Island is offloading various fuel products. As a result, there may be an odor in Staten Island and Brooklyn. [...]

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Street Milling and Paving in Brooklyn Heights Next Week

By on July 18, 2014 6:21 pm in Brooklyn Heights, News, Streets

With apologies for the late notice they received from the City’s DOT, the Brooklyn Heights Association has notified us of street milling and re-paving to be done each weekday next week (Monday, July 21 through Friday, July 25) from 7:00 a.m. until about 4:00 p.m. on many Brooklyn Heights streets. Parked cars will have to [...]

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Jonathan Ames, Randy Cohen at Brooklyn Historical Society Wedesday

By on July 18, 2014 5:27 pm in Arts and Entertainment, Literature

Jonathan Ames (photo, right), writer — Wake Up Sir!, The Extra Man (adapted as a movie with Kevin Kline and Katie Holmes), The Double Life is Twice as Good, and others — raconteur, creator of the HBO series Bored to Death, promoter of the World’s Most Phallic Building contest (in his opinion, the Williamsburgh Bank [...]

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Montague Street BID Sponsors Photo Contest

By on July 17, 2014 11:08 pm in Arts and Entertainment, Events, Photography

The Montague Street Business Improvement District (BID) is sponsoring a photo contest that begins now and has a deadline for submissions of September 17. We are looking for striking digital images taken along Montague Street (between Court Street and the Brooklyn Promenade) in Brooklyn, NY. Your images may show the architecture, storefronts and displays, people, [...]

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Last Minute Weekend Suggestions: Brooklyn Heights and Nearby

By on July 17, 2014 2:22 pm in Arts and Entertainment, brooklyn bridge park, Brooklyn Heights, Brooklyn History, Food, Fun, Kids, movies, Music, Theater

On my customary morning stroll around Pier 1, Brooklyn Bridge Park, I found actors rehearsing Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew for Random Access Theatre’s free performances of that classic comedy at the Granite Prospect on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday evenings (July 18, 19, and 20) starting at 7:00. More information here. Also at Brooklyn Bridge [...]

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Subway Service Alerts: Brooklyn Heights and Vicinity

By on July 17, 2014 10:21 am in Transportation

This coming weekend–from 11:45 p.m Friday, July 18 to 5:00 a.m. Monday, July 21, Brooklyn bound F trains will be diverted to the A/C line from West 4th Street in Manhattan to Jay Street-MetroTech, so no service from Manhattan to York Street in DUMBO. If that’s your destination, you can either get off at High [...]

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BHA on Fortis ER: “When seconds count, we’ll be out of luck.”

By on July 11, 2014 8:21 pm in Health, News, Real Estate

The Brooklyn Heights Association has released the following statement in response to a letter you, like me, may have received recently concerning Fortis Property Group’s plans for an “emergency room” on the LICH site: Following the announced closing of Long Island College Hospital (“LICH”), residents are confused by a letter they received that is signed [...]

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Last Minute Weekend Suggestions: Brooklyn Heights and Nearby

By on July 11, 2014 3:12 pm in Arts and Entertainment, brooklyn bridge park, Brooklyn Heights, Dance, Events, Food, Fun, Kids, movies, Music

Tomorrow (Saturday, July 12) is City of Water Day, and Brooklyn Bridge Park is participating with kayaking and with Seining the River Wild. The Park’s Pier Kids series presents The Art of Stepping on Pier 1 Sunday from 11:00 a.m to 1:00 p.m. All of these events are free. Also on Sunday Smorgasburg will be [...]

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Subway Service Alerts: Brooklyn Heights and Vicinity

By on July 10, 2014 11:09 pm in Transportation

From 11:45 p.m. tomorrow (Friday, July 11) to 5:00 a.m. Monday, July 14 Manhattan bound A and C trains will be diverted to the F line between Jay Street-MetroTech and West 4th Street. This means no Manhattan bound service at High Street. To get to West 4th or stops above there in Manhattan, walk down [...]

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“Books Beneath the Bridge” Series Starts Monday With Liberty’s Torch by Elizabeth Mitchell

By on July 5, 2014 5:39 pm in Arts and Entertainment, brooklyn bridge park, Events, History, Literature

Brooklyn Bridge Park will start this summer’s “Books Beneath the Bridge” series this Monday (July 7) evening, starting at 7:00, at the Granite Prospect on Pier 1. This event, co-sponsored by the Park and Freebird Books (each event is co-sponsored by a different local bookseller), will feature author Elizabeth Mitchell reading from her Liberty’s Torch: [...]

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“Frozen Zones” in the Heights and DUMBO Tonight

By on July 4, 2014 4:11 pm in Brooklyn Heights, DUMBO, Events, Fourth of July, News

As previously reported, parking in Brooklyn Heights will be severely restricted for tonight’s fireworks as will access to some residential areas.

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Last Minute Weekend Suggestions: Brooklyn Heights and Nearby

By on July 4, 2014 2:09 pm in Arts and Entertainment, brooklyn bridge park, Brooklyn Heights, Events, Fireworks, Food, Fun, Kids, movies, Music

Update:On Sunday from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. the Brooklyn Heights Association will have a social event at the new Chocolate Works on Montague. Details here. Tonight’s Fireworks take top billing for events this weekend, but the Brooklyn Heights Cinema again has new offerings. Late tomorrow (Saturday) night, July 5, starting at 11:45, there will be [...]

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Subway Service Alerts: Brooklyn Heights and Vicinity

By on July 3, 2014 12:27 am in Transportation

On this Fourth of July weekend, there are no planned cancellations, route diversions, or station skips that directly affect service at any local stations. The following week (Monday, July 6 to Friday, July 11) each night between 11:45 p.m.and 5:00 a.m. A trains will be diverted to the F line between Jay Street-MetroTech and West [...]

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Last Minute Weekend Suggestions: Brooklyn Heights and Nearby

By on June 26, 2014 12:41 am in Arts and Entertainment, brooklyn bridge park, Brooklyn Heights, Events, Food, Fun, Kids, movies, Music

The Brooklyn Heights Cinema will have its premiere showing of They Came Together, starring Amy Poehler and Paul Rudd tomorrow (Friday, June 27). The Cinema will also be showing Ida and Words and Pictures. On Sunday, June 29 at 7:00 p.m. there will be a special showing of “Cartoon Cryptozoologist” Tom Stathes’ Cartoons on Film. [...]

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Subway Service Alerts: Brooklyn Heights and Vicinity

By on June 25, 2014 7:25 am in Transportation

Would you believe? It’s another green light weekend coming up (Friday evening, June 27 to Monday morning, June 30) with no planned cancellations, route diversions, or station skips directly affecting service at any local stations. The following week (Monday, June 30 to Friday, July 4) should be much the same, with nothing planned except the [...]

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