Brooklyn Heights Blog

Photo by Marc Hermann/BHB

It made a sound, and there were plenty of people around to hear it.  Read more »

“The Waterpod is a sustainable, sculptural art and technology habitat, with 4 artists living on and off it, generating food, water, and power in a contained and self-sufficient environment,” and now it’s here in Brooklyn Heights through August 17th on Pier 5.  It’s open to the public on Fridays from 3-7 pm and on Saturdays and Sundays from 11 am to 7 pm.  Just walk down Joralemon Street to the very end, make a left on Furman and follow the signs.

I did on Saturday night for their benefit party.  At first, approaching the pier as the sun was setting, it was all greys and blues, the area desolate with barbed wire.  As I got closer, I caught a glimpse of the white dome bobbing against the Hudson River.  I walked the gangplank onto the barge and noticed first of all a profusion of greenery, a miniature garden to my immediate right.  I felt dizzy.  Why?  Then I remembered:  I was on a boat and it was rocking.  Then I saw a chicken coop.

The air down here was devoid of humidity, and it reminded of the days of the Floating Pool; the vast expanse of space, of water and the skyline of downtown Manhattan.  All around the edges of the barge are more gardens, some hydroponic, called window farms— suspended in the air.  On the right side of the barge are the living quarters. One room looked particularly inviting;  a loft bed, a small window to glimpse the stars and the bright ribbon of traffic on the BQE. At the far end of the boat, the galley, people were grilling fish tacos, and serving local beer.

I thought of a Japanese garden; a precise arrangement of stones, plants and flowers.  I thought of Noah’s Ark for the new millennium.  I mentioned this to Mary Mattingly, the green genius, who is the founder and Art Director.  She liked the analogy.  I asked her, “How long from conception to realization?”  She replied, “Three years.”  Click on the above link and read her log entries; they are a fascinating record of the creation and journey of the pod, as well as its philosophy. I was particularly impressed that the link marked Manifesto was a long passage from Joyce’s Ulysses.

The Waterpod is both on and off the grid.  Electricity doesn’t come from Con Ed, but rather from solar energy and even sometimes a bicycle.  Read more on the website for how this happens as well as the process for transforming rain water into drinking water.  I began a skeptic.  But when I saw a white flag unfurling in the breeze that read: I Remember Earth, I was a convert.  And you will be, too.  Take your kids, your dogs and parents.  All are welcome.

Last summer, a miscommunication among gardeners led to a mob-like hit on two local trees: these juniper trees at the corner of Remsen and Hicks streets were buried alive in concrete. But local activisits — including the Brooklyn Heights Association — lept to action, reached out to local media, and saved the trees. We checked out the plot yesterday, and looks like everything is ok. Whew!

((The Poplar Street garden, looking toward the BQE from the koi pond; photo courtesy Bill Spier))

In a formerly-empty lot on Poplar Street sits one of the borough’s richest and lushest private gardens. It’s almost like the Heights’ own Gramercy Park, but here passersby can look in and see flowers from the sidewalk and still get that pleasant satisfaction of nature all around us. This week, BHB got a tour of the garden, and will post a video tour for you soon. A photography slideshow is below.

The 1-acre Bridge Harbor Heights Garden is home to more than 300 different plants; at least six species of birds (including migratory ones, season permitting); a koi from Fortune House (until recently, there were two); and a hive of bumblebees. The garden wraps around residential buildings on Poplar Street, between Hicks and Henry streets, and rests along Old Fulton Street (and the residents’ parking lot) to the north.

(Slideshow after the jump)

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Trees bound for Brooklyn Bridge Park were offloaded onto Pier 3 last week.

The Brooklyn Heights Association, First Presbyterian Church, First Unitarian Church. Grace Church Brooklyn Heights, and Plymouth Church of the Pilgrims are sponsoring an E-Waste Recycling event on May 16 and 17. Full details after the jump. Read more »

Nabe blogger Michael White, of Noticing New York, has been following the progress of honey locust trees next to the Promenade this spring, and has this disturbing report on possible long lasting effects from last year’s Waterfalls art installation.

Recently, I’ve noticed that, on cloudy, rainy days, the sound of jet engines seems much louder than usual. I attributed this to some sort of atmospheric effect, such as moist air amplifying sound. Today, I was on the Promenade during a brief break in the rain, and saw several planes–including the one in the photo above–flying almost directly over the Heights on an apparent approach to La Guardia. Some comments on my “Park Progress” post below made me think about this. The plane in the photo is a long-range four engine airliner of a type that doesn’t normally use La Guardia. So, perhaps, as one commenter suggested, the Heights is under some bad weather alternative flightpath to JFK.