So much for New York City’s two-month moratorium on film shoots in Brooklyn Heights and DUMBO. The Brooklyn Paper reported May 10 that following persistent complaints from neighbors about parking restrictions, lights, power cables and trailers, filming was halted from April 1 until the beginning of June.

However, here in the third week of May, a notice is posted at the bottom of Remsen Street that says filming for “Insomnia TV—Amish” is taking place Wednesday May 23, beginning at 4 p.m. (Mind you, as of 5:30 p.m., there were no signs of action, nor were cars ordered to vacate the block.)

Insomnia TV is a Manhattan-based production company comprising entertainment, marketing and promotional shoots, including film trailers and corporate. Its clients include History Channel, CBS, HBO, A&E and Lifetime.

Our best guess is that “Amish” has to do with A&E’s pilot for “Living with the Amish,” a British reality show being developed stateside that features all-American teens living with Amish families.

(Photo: Chuck Taylor)

There’s truth to the well-traveled (har, har) belief that it can be a Herculean task convincing cabbies to bring passengers from Manhattan home to Brooklyn Heights late at night. I’ve experienced it myself, despite knowing the trick of taking a seat before announcing my destination.

Perhaps sulking over the April approval of livery cabs, taxi drivers are demanding a fare increase of up to 20%—which is supported by the Taxi and Limousine Commission. I think I’ll stick to the subway, thank you.

Fleet owners & drivers are asking for a fare increase of between 16% and 20%, saying that increasing gas prices eat into their bottom line. TLC Commissioner David Yassky deems the request “reasonable.” The limo-loving Bloomberg administration also says it will likely support the fare increase.

A hearing is scheduled at 11 a.m. May 31 at the commission’s 19th-floor headquarters at 33 Beaver Street, to discuss the first “official increase” since 2006—but that’s not quite true. In 2009, a 50-cent surcharge was added by the state Legislature to fund subway and bus service.

Currently, the base taxi fare is $2.50, plus $2 per mile. It’s unclear yet whether the base fare or the fare-rate would increase. The commission said the average fare in January was $11.82 for a 2.76-mile ride. A 20% increase would add $2.50 to that ride.

(Photo: Chuck Taylor/December 2010)

It’s ba-a-a-a-ack: yet again, from 12:01 a.m. Saturday to 5 a.m. Monday, there will be no service in either direction on the 4/5 line at Borough Hall. The 2 and 3 will be running normally in both directions at Borough Hall and Clark Street, and 3 trains into Brooklyn will have their route extended to New Lots Avenue. 2 trains, however, will not run between Franklin and Flatbush Avenues; shuttle buses will provide alternative service.

There are no planned changes affecting service on the A, C, F, G, R or N trains at any stations in or near Brooklyn Heights. Those traveling from Manhattan to Brooklyn should know that Brooklyn-bound R and N trains will not be stopping at 28th, 23rd, 8th or Prince streets. You can catch a Manhattan/Queens bound train at one of those stations and change to a Brooklyn bound train at 14th or 34th Street.

The following week, the suspension of service on the 4/5 line will continue during the hours 12:01 a.m. to 5 a.m. Tuesday through Friday. 3 trains will be extended to New Lots during these times. Also, during the same hours and days, Brooklyn-bound A trains will be diverted over the F line from West 4th Street to Jay Street-Metro Tech. As the C train doesn’t run during these hours, this means no service from Manhattan to High Street. As an alternative, you can take an A or F to Jay Street and change for a Manhattan-bound A to get to High Street, or use the 2 or 3 to Clark Street or the N to Court Street.

This Brooklyn Daily Eagle story has the headline, “Brooklyn Bridge Park at odds with Heights over bike stations.” It implies some sort of Park-Heights conflict that doesn’t exist. Update: If you follow the link above, you’ll now find that the Eagle headline and story have been re-worded, evidently in response to this post.

The story quotes Nancy Webster of the Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy as welcoming a bike station near Atlantic Avenue and Furman Street, which is not on a residential street in Brooklyn Heights. It then notes that the Brooklyn Heights Association has expressed some concern over bike stations on residential streets in the Heights. This in no way conflicts with the BBPC’s desire for a station near the Park’s entrance, so the BBPC and the BHA are not “at odds.”

The Montague Street Business Improvement District is calling on all Brooklyn Heights Blog readers and area residents to participate in a survey to collect info on what folks think about programs & services in the nabe’s primary retail destination, as it strategizes future goals.

Four survey respondents will be randomly selected by BID to receive a $50 gift certificate at the Montague Street business of their choice. Housing Works, here I come! What are you waiting for? Access the questionnaire here.

Among the 18 questions:
What business, or types of businesses, would you like to see on Montague Street?
What do you like most about Montague Street?
What is the single most important issue facing Montague Street?

The House Tour. The House Tour. The House Tour! More info at the Brooklyn Heights Association website.

There are several activities at Brooklyn Bridge Park this weekend. The Green Team meets tomorrow (Saturday, May 12) from 10:00 a.m. until noon. At the same time, there will be a MillionTreesNYC community tree giveaway on Pier 6, near the foot of Atlantic Avenue.

Also tomorrow, from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., Bike New York will host a free street skills ride for adults and teens (bikes and helmets will be provided for those who need them) at the Pier 1 uplands near the foot of Old Fulton Street. At the same location on Sunday, starting at 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m., Bike New York will give free learn to ride classes for adults and teens. You must pre-register for Bike New York classes through the linked website.

Don’t forget Theater 2020′s Comedy of Errors, tonight and tomorrow (Saturday) at 8:00 p.m., and Sunday at 3:00 p.m., at the Cranberry Street Theater Space, Assumption Church, 55 Cranberry Street.

Photo: Judith Angel for BHA.

Arrrgh!! Another weekend (12:01 a.m. Saturday to 5;00 a.m. Monday) of no service in either direction on the 4/5 line at Borough Hall. The 2 and 3 will be running in both directions at Borough Hall and Clark Street and, for the convenience of those traveling into Brooklyn, the 3 will have its route extended to New Lots. The 2, however, will be terminating at Franklin Avenue; shuttle buses will provide alternate service between there and Flatbush. Manhattan bound F trains will be diverted to the A/C line between Jay Street-Metro Tech and West 4th Street, so no Manhattan bound service at York Street in DUMBO, but more than usual at High Street. To get to the Lower East Side stops on the F–East Broadway, Delancey, 2nd Avenue, and Broadway-Lafayette–take an A, C, or F to West 4th and change there for a Brooklyn bound F back to the skipped stop.

Also over the weekend, G trains will terminate their southbound, and begin their northbound runs at Hoyt-Schermerhorn, so service will be normal to Williamsburg, Greenpoint, and Queens, but there will be none southbound toward Church Avenue. For alternate service, use the A or F train from Jay Street. Those traveling to Manhattan on the C should know that Manhattan bound trains will be skipping Spring, 23rd, and 50th street stations. Your best bet is probably to take the 2 or 3 to Chambers, 14th, or 42nd-Times Square, and change there for a 1 local to a nearby station.

The following week, there are no planned changes affecting service at any of the stations in or near Brooklyn Heights. In Manhattan, between 10:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. Monday to Friday, F trains in both directions will be diverted to the E line (8th Avenue, same as A and C) betweeen West 4th Street and Roosevelt Avenue in Queens. This means no service on the 6th Avenue line between West 4th and 57th Street during those hours.

Update: The MTA website was misleading. The same disruptions that were in place last weekend for the 4-5 line at Borough Hall (no service in either direction; the 2 train, which you can get at Clark Street or Borough Hall, will be extended to New Lots for those traveling into Brooklyn), the Brooklyn bound A (diverted onto the F line between West 4th Street and Jay Street-Metro Tech; however, Brooklyn bound C trains will be running as usual) and the Manhattan bound R and (late night) N (diverted over the Manhattan Bridge, which means they won’t be stopping at Court Street or Jay Street-Metro Tech; however, as before, the Manhattan bound Q train will be stopping at those stations, and you can change from the Q to the R or N at Canal Street) will be in effect this weekend, from 12:01 a.m. Saturday to 5:00 a.m. Monday.

The following week will be a carbon copy of this week. From 12:01 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. Tuesday through Friday, Brooklyn bound A trains will be diverted to the F line between West 4th and Jay, so, as on the weekend, no service from Manhattan to High Street (C trains don’t run during these hours). Just like last week, Manhattan bound N trains, which normally replace the R after midnight, will be diverted over the Manhattan Bridge and therefore not stopping at Court Street or Jay, but the Q will provide alternative service at these stations, and you can change from the Q to the N at Canal Street. From 12:30 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. Tuesday and Wednesday, 3 trains will not be running in either direction, but 2 trains will. (Photo: NYC Model Transit Ass’n.)

Starting today, there will be food service on the East River ferries that connect Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Queens, making a stop at Fulton Ferry Landing at the foot of Old Fulton Street.

DNAinfo.com: Beginning Monday morning, passengers will be treated to a new menu of locally-produced goodies, including cupcakes from Butter Lane Cupcakes, retro-style u-bet egg creams in chocolate and vanilla, and hot and iced coffees from the Brooklyn Roasting Company.

Chips and pastries will be $2; coffees, egg creams, and cupcakes $3. Food service will be available every day, starting at 7:00 a.m.

Plus ça change, as our French friends say. Once again, there will be no service in either direction on the 4/5 line at Borough Hall. The 2 and 3 will be running normally in both directions there and at Clark Street, and the 3 will be extended to New Lots for the convenience of those traveling into Brooklyn. Once again, Brooklyn bound A and C trains will be re-routed to the F line between West 4th Street and Jay Street-Metro Tech, so there will be no service from Manhattan to High Street. North Heights residents are probably better off taking the 2 or 3 to Clark. There will be no Manhattan bound R or (late night) N service at Court Street or Jay Street, but Manhattan bound Q trains will be stopping there, and you can change from the Q to the R or N at Canal Street. These diversions will be in effect from 12:01 a.m. Saturday to 5:00 a.m. Monday.

The following week, from 12:01 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. Tuesday through Friday, Brooklyn bound A trains will be diverted to the F line between West 4th and Jay, so, as on the weekend, no service from Manhattan to High Street (C trains don’t run during these hours). Just like last week, Manhattan bound N trains, which normally replace the R after midnight, will be diverted over the Manhattan Bridge and therefore not stopping at Court Street or Jay, but the Q will provide alternative service at these stations, and you can change from the Q to the N at Canal Street. From 12:30 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. Tuesday and Wednesday, 3 trains will not be running in either direction, but 2 trains will. (Photo: en.wikipedia.org)

For anyone that’s felt like the Invisible (Wo)Man trying to convince a taxi driver to come to Brooklyn from Manhattan, there’s good news from the Taxi & Limousine Commission. Despite fierce opposition from Yellow Cab drivers, rules were passed in a 7-2 vote by the commission Thursday, allowing New Yorkers to legally hail livery cabs in the four boroughs and northern Manhattan, starting this summer.

The mandate from Albany, approved last summer and signed in December by Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, allows the city to sell licenses for up to 6,000 livery cabs in June, with a total of 18,000 over three years. New Yorkers will be able to hail these cars as they do traditional taxis.

However, the Metropolitan Taxicab Board of Trade, a lobbying group, sued the commission Wednesday, claiming the new rules violate Yellow Taxi medallion owners. Commission officials weren’t having it: City lawyers say they’re confident the plan meets legal requirements. At the commission meeting Thursday, hundreds of taxi and livery drivers on both sides of the fence packed an auditorium at Brooklyn Borough Hall to boo and applaud 40 speakers.

The livery cabs will have a light on top and could possibly be green in color. What remains unclear from news reports is whether they will be metered or continue to be negotiated fares between driver and passenger. In addition, the rules do not apply to livery vehicles south of East 96th Street, West 96th Street or at local airports.

(Photo: Flickr, digitally manipulated by Chuck Taylor)

This weekend it’s mostly same-old same-old, with a couple of twists. Once again, no service in either direction on the 4/5 line at Borough Hall. The 2 and 3 will be running normally in both directions there and at Clark Street, and the 3 will be extended to New Lots for the convenience of those traveling into Brooklyn. Once again, the Manhattan bound F will be diverted to the A/C line between Jay Street and West 4th, so there will be no Manhattan bound service at York Street (but more than usual at High Street). To get to East Broadway, Delancey, 2nd Avenue, or Broadway-Lafayette, take an A, C, or F to West 4th and change there for an A, C, or F back to the skipped stop. You read that right: unlike last week, Brooklyn bound A and C trains will be re-routed to the F line between West 4th and Jay, so there will be no service from Manhattan to High Street. North Heights residents are probably better off taking the 2 or 3 to Clark. Service on the R and (late night) N at Court Street will be normal in both directions.

The following week, Fast Track disruptions will be limited to the A/C line. Between 10:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. Monday to Friday, these trains will be re-routed in both directions over the F line between Jay and 34th Street-Herald Square (so no service in either direction at High Street), and over the D line between 34th and 59th Street-Columbus Circle. E trains in Manhattan will also be following this route between 2nd Avenue on the F line and 59th. Just like last week, Manhattan bound N trains, which normally replace the R after midnight, will be diverted over the Manhattan Bridge and therefore not stopping at Court Street, but the Q will provide alternative service at Court, and you can change from the Q to the N at Canal Street.

This weekend, from 12:01 a.m. Saturday until 5 a.m. Monday, there will be no service in either direction on the 4/5 line at Borough Hall. Those traveling to Manhattan may take the 2 or 3 from Borough Hall or Clark Street, the A, C or F from High Street or Jay Street Metro Tech (like last weekend, the Manhattan-bound F will be diverted to the A/C track from Jay Street to West 4th Street; to reach East Broadway, Delancey, 2nd Avenue, or Broadway-Lafayette, take the A, C or F from High Street or Jay to West 4th, and catch a Brooklyn bound F back to the skipped stop) or the Q from Court Street (Manhattan-bound R and N trains will not be stopping at Court Street, but the Q will; you can change from the Q to the R or N at Canal Street). Those going into Manhattan on the C train should know that uptown trains will not be stopping at Spring, 23rd or 50th streets. E trains, to which you may change at Canal, 14th, or 42nd streets, will stop at these stations.

For those traveling into Brooklyn, the 3 train will be making all 4 train stops out to New Lots Avenue. You can catch the Brooklyn bound 3 at its normal place on the lower platform at Borough Hall, or at Clark. The 2 train will not be going beyond Franklin Avenue this weekend; free shuttle buses will serve all 2 train stops from Franklin out to Flatbush.

The following week, from 12:01 a.m. to 5 a.m. Tuesday through Friday, there will be no service on the 4/5 line at Borough Hall. Brooklyn bound 3 trains will be making 4 train stops out to New Lots. On these same days and times, Brooklyn-bound A trains will be diverted to the F track between West 4th and Jay; since the C doesn’t run during those hours, there will be no Brooklyn bound service at High Street. During the same hours Wednesday through Friday, Manhattan bound service on the N at Court Street will be replaced by the Q; you can switch from the Q to the N at Canal Street.

On this Easter/Passover weekend, there will be normal service on all trains serving all stations in Brooklyn Heights or nearby, with the following exceptions: (1) from 12:01 a.m. Saturday until 5 a.m. Monday, Manhattan bound F trains will take the A/C tracks from Jay Street/Metro Tech to West 4th Street (this means no Manhattan bound service at York Street in DUMBO, and to reach the stations at East Broadway, Delancey, 2nd Avenue, and Broadway-Lafayette, take an A, C or F from Jay or High Street to West 4th and take a Brooklyn bound F back from there); and (2) there is no Manhattan-bound R or (late night) N service at Court Street or Jay Street, although Manhattan-bound Q trains will be stopping at those stations. You can change from the Q to the R or N at Canal Street.

Those going into Manhattan on the C train should know that uptown trains will not be stopping at Spring, 23rd or 50th streets. E trains, to which you may change at Canal, 14th, or 42nd streets, will stop at these stations.

The following week, there will be no service in either direction on the 2 or 3 train at Clark Street between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m., Monday to Friday. For those traveling into Brooklyn during these hours, go to Borough Hall, where the 4 train will be extended to New Lots Avenue, and the 5 will replace the 2. As on the weekend, there will be no Manhattan-bound late night N service at Court or Jay streets, but the Q train will stop there, and you can switch to the N at Canal Street.

Image: SUBWAY Blogger.

Filming for CBS’ upcoming TV series Golden Boy will take place beginning Thursday April 5 at 10 p.m. into the day Friday April 6, along Montague Terrace and on Remsen Street to Hicks. A “No Parking” warning is posted in hot pink along the shoot’s locale.

The upcoming hour-long drama is “about one cop’s meteoric rise from officer to detective to police commissioner,” according to IMDb. Golden stars Downton Abbey’s Theo James (as Commissioner Walter Clark), Pushing Daisies’ Chi McBride and True Blood’s Kevin Alejandro. The pilot is directed by Richard Shepard. Ryan Phillippe was originally set to lead, but withdrew after doubts of committing to a weekly series.

Pictured below: Golden Boy lead Theo James.

This weekend, once again, Manhattan bound A trains will be taking the F line from Jay Street-Metro Tech to West 4th Street. Unlike last weekend, there will be no service at all on the C in either direction between Brooklyn and Manhattan. Bottom line: no Manhattan bound service, and less Brooklyn bound service, at High Street. F trains bound into Brooklyn will be following the C tracks from Jay Street to Euclid Avenue. G trains will end and begin their runs at Hoyt-Schermerhorn; travel to and from Williamsburg, Greenpoint, and faraway Queens will be unaffected. There are no planned weekend changes affecting service on the 2, 3, 4, R and N trains at Clark Street, Borough Hall, and Court Street, respectively.

The following week, between midnight and 5:00 a.m. Tuesday through Friday, Brooklyn bound A trains will run on the F line between West 4th Street and Jay Street. On those same days and times, On those same days and times, there will be no Manhattan bound service on the R/N line at Court Street, and there will be no service in either direction on the 4/5 line at Borough Hall. For the convenience of those traveling into Brooklyn during those times, the 3 train will run to New Lots Avenue.

From 12:01 a.m. Saturday until 5:00 a.m. Monday, there will be no Manhattan bound service at High street, as A and C trains are being re-routed over the F tracks from Jay Street-Metro Tech to West 4th Street. Also, during the same time, there will be no Manhattan bound service on the R/N line at Court Street. There are no other planned changes affecting service on any trains serving stations in Brooklyn Heights or nearby during the weekend. These diversions on the A/C and R/N lines will be continued the following week between 12:01 a.m. and 5:00 a.m. Tuesday, March 27 through Friday, March 30. On those same days and times, there will be no service in either direction on the 4/5 line at Borough Hall. For the convenience of those traveling into Brooklyn during those times, the 3 train will run to New Lots Avenue.

A tech-savvy police officer from the 84th Precinct helped catch a thief this afternoon. According to cops, a 32-year-old woman fell prey to an armed robber at the High Street station just before 1:20 P.M. The suspect fled with the victim’s pocketbook and iPhone. The victim quickly found an officer stationed on Pearl Street and reported the incident. Officer Benito Ocasio, honored as a Cop of the Month in 2009, suggested that he might be able to track the phone using the victim’s iTunes account. In doing so, they saw that the phone was then in the vicinity of 111 Bridge St. in the Farragut Houses. Responding there, police found the suspect exiting the building…with a ringing phone. He was stopped, positively identified by the victim, and taken into custody. The victim’s property, including credit cards and state ID, was recovered. Police have identified the suspect as Brian Mack, 55. He now faces charges of robbery, grand larceny, menacing, possession of a weapon, and criminal trespass.

There are no planned changes affecting service at any of the subway stations in or near Brooklyn Heights this forthcoming St. Patrick’s Day weekend. Sláinte. There will be some service changes during the late night-early morning hours the following week.

Tuesday through Friday (March 20-23), from midnight to 5:00 a.m. there will be no 4 train service to or from Brooklyn. Since the 5 doesn’t come to Brooklyn during these hours in any event, there will be no service at Borough Hall on the 4/5 line during these times. The 2 and 3, however, will be running normally, and the 3 will be extended to New Lots for those traveling into Brooklyn. On these same days and hours, Manhattan bound A trains will be diverted to the F tracks between Jay Street-Metro Tech and West 4th Street, so there will be no Manhattan bound service (the C does not run late at night) at High Street. On Wednesday through Friday from midnight to 5:00 a.m. there will be no Manhattan bound service at Court Street, as N trains (which replace the R during those hours) will be re-routed over the Manhattan Bridge. For service to Manhattan during the wee hours, get the 2 or 3 at Clark Street or Borough Hall, or the A or F at Jay Street.

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The MTA’s FASTrack program will shut down the A/C/E subway trains from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m., beginning Monday, March 12, through Friday morning, March 16. There will be no subway service from 59 Street-Columbus Circle to Jay Street-Metro Tech for cleaning and maintenance work.

The next round of shutdowns will begin April 9 on the 1/2/3 lines between Penn Station and Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn.

The MTA says nearly 40,000 riders will be impacted by the service disruptions each night, and they should expect to add about 20 minutes to their commute.

(Photo: MTA)

It’s near-perfect bliss again this weekend, as the only route change affecting service at a local station is that Manhattan bound A and C trains will be taking the F line from Jay Street-Metro Tech to West 4th Street. This means no Manhattan bound service at High Street from midnight Friday to 5:00 a.m. Monday. North Heights residents may use the 2 or 3 from Clark Street as an option for stops in lower Manhattan or on the West Side, or, for stops at West 4th and above, take a Brooklyn bound A or C at High Street to Jay, and change there for a Manhattan bound A or C.

The following week (March 12-16) there will be some diversions affecting local service.

There will be no A or C service in either direction at High Street between 10:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m, Monday-Tuesday March 12-23 through Thursday-Friday March 15-16. Trains will be re-routed over the F line between Jay Street and 34th Street-Herald Square. If you’re coming back from the Village, you can still catch an A at West 4th, as it’s also an F stop, but you’ll have to get off at Jay. The 2 and 3 are attractive options. Also, from midnight to 5:00 a.m. Tuesday through Friday, there will be no Manhattan bound service at Court Street, as N trains, which replace the R during those hours, will be re-routed over the Manhattan Bridge. Use the 2, 3, 4, or 5 as an alternative.

Photo: urban75.

Can the MTA’s “Fast Track” policy of scheduling major maintenance in the late-night-wee-hours on weekdays have done away with weekend madness? Once again this weekend there are no planned changes affecting service on any line at any local subway station. The following week there are some planned disruptions, but only in the midnight to 5:00 a.m. time frame.

On the morning of Tuesday, March 6, the A and F trains will repeat their do-si-do, with the Manhattan bound A diverted over the F line between Jay Street-Metro Tech and West 4th Street, and Brooklyn bound F trains running on the A line between West 4th and Jay. The F will return to normal service on Wednesday and through the rest of the week, but the A will continue its diversion on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday mornings. On Tuesday through Friday mornings the Manhattan bound N, which replaces the R at Court Street and Jay Street during the hours midnight to 5:00 a.m., will be diverted over the Manhattan Bridge from DeKalb Avenue to Canal Street, so no Manhattan bound service at Court, or on the N/R lane at Jay, during those hours.

After this blissful weekend of regular service in Brooklyn Heights, MTA has announced its next round of FASTrack subway repairs, which will shutter the B, D, F and M lines
from Monday February 27 through Friday March 2, between 10 p.m. to 5 a.m.

Good luck making sense of this. According to MTA:
* In Manhattan, D trains will operate between 205th Street and 59th Street-Columbus Circle, then via the C line between 59th Street-Columbus Circle and West 4th Street, then via the F line between West 4th Street and 2nd Avenue, the last stop. In Brooklyn, D trains will operate between Coney Island-Stillwell Avenue and 36th Street, then via the R line between 36th Street and Whitehall Street in Lower Manhattan, the last stop.
* F trains operate via the E line between Roosevelt Avenue and West 4th Street in both directions.
* Manhattan-bound B and M service in Brooklyn and Queens ends at 9:30 p.m. Service in Manhattan is available until 10 p.m.

Free shuttle buses will provide connecting service between the Grand Street D station and both the Canal Street N, Q, R and 6 and Broadway-Lafayette D and F stations.

The next FASTrack overnight closure will impact the Eighth Avenue A, C and E lines from 59th Street-Columbus Circle to Jay Street-MetroTech for four consecutive nights beginning Monday, March 12.

BHB follower Vanessa shares that she noticed a vehicle on State Street between Sydney Place and Henry Street jacked up on cinder blocks with all four tires removed. Is this a case of theft (call 911!) or a resident confusing the Heights with the Alabama backwoods (call 311!)?

(Photo is not of the actual car on State)

This is no joke. There are no, repeat, NO, planned subway route changes or cancellations affecting service at any station in or near Brooklyn Heights this weekend, nor the following week, except that there will be no 3 trains running from 12:30 to 5:00 a.m. Tuesday, February 28 through Friday, March 2 (if you’re doing math, that’s right, this is a leap year). There will be 2 trains running during that time. Enjoy this respite while you can.

New York Times National Editor Sam Sifton recalled a rough-and-tumble childhood growing up on Willow Street, learning tricks like heading down Grace Court, which would trick pursuers seeking to “yoke” him into thinking he would be trapped on a dead-end street, then going over the fence and walking above the BQE to safety on Remsen Street. As the Times’ former restaurant critic, he also had memories of Heights food establishments, especially the old Queen Pizzaria on Court Street and Fascati’s, which he said was for him the defining slice. Other places he remembered fondly were China Chili (a favorite of your correspondent when he first moved to the Heights in the mid 1980s), the Promenade Restaurant, Mr. Souvlaki (“no place like it in the world” Sifton thought at age ten) and Capulets, where he said most of his St. Ann’s teachers could be found from about three in the afternoon until midnight.

He said he thought Brooklyn’s entry into the world of haute cuisine began with the opening of Patois on Smith Street, at a time when it was still a decidedly seedy area. This led to the proliferation of fine restaurants there. He sees the same thing happening in other places in the Borough. Asked where he thinks the next Smith Street will be, he said that rents will tell the story. Opening a restaurant is a particularly risky proposition, so reasonable rent is a very important consideration. This would seem to rule out Montague Street, though one audience member pointed out that what she believed would be a first class Spanish restaurant will be opening on Montague between Clinton and Henry.

Asked what he liked least about being a restaurant critic, he said it was the assigning of stars as ratings. “It’s my St. Ann’s background; what are these grades?” Asked why he had given up the position, he said that becoming National Editor at the beginning of an election year was just too exciting a prospect to turn down.

At the meeting’s opening, BHA President Jane McGroarty began by reviewing the past year, noting such accomplishments as the addition of a middle school to P.S. 8, the designation of the Borough Hall Skyscraper Historic District, getting improved pedestrian access at the Atlantic Avenue entrance to Brooklyn Bridge Park, and winning the court cases that preserved the Tobacco Warehouse as parkland. She noted that the effort to get residential parking permits was likely to be a long one. Channel 13 personality and Remsen Street resident Tom Stewart gave community service awards to SUNY Downstate at LICH and to Deputy Inspector Mark DiPaolo, Commander of the 84th Precinct. He also presented awards for restoration excellence to Amy Klein and Jeremy Lechtzin, owners of 58 Hicks Street, and to 177 Columbia Corp., owner of 177-179 Columbia Heights. He also amused the audience with questions about Downton Abbey.

At the discussion at the end of the meeting, there were many questions about traffic issues, including cars running the stop signs at the foot of Montague Street, bicyclists riding on sidewalks and otherwise violating traffic rules, and the possible imposition of a 20 mile per hour speed limit in the Heights. D.I. DiPaolo said that getting cameras to record violations is subject to state approval, but that he would alert his officers to look for violations at the places noted. He said police were being pro-active in trying to educate cyclists about traffic rules, as well as merchants who use bycyclists for deliveries. Ms. McGroarty said that there may be ways to calm traffic at the foot of Montague other than the installation of a camera. Asked about the derelict building at the corner of Clark Street and Monroe Place, she said it has been sold to someone who intends to build a five story building on the site.

Because Monday is the Presidents’ Day holiday, weekend route diversions extend from midnight tonight until 5:00 a.m. Tuesday. The only weekend diversions affecting service at stations in or near Brooklyn Heights will be a repeat of last weekend’s do-si-do involving the A, C, and F trains: Manhattan bound A and C trains will be re-routed over the F line from Jay Street to West 4th Street, so there’s no Manhattan-bound service at High Street. To get to stops in lower Manhattan served by the A or C, take the 2, 3, or 4 to a nearby stop, or take an A or C to West 4th and catch a Brooklyn bound train back to the skipped stop. At the same time, Brooklyn bound F trains will be re-routed over the A and C line from West 4th to Jay Street, so twice as much Brooklyn bound service at High Street but none at York Street. To get to York from Manhattan either take an F to Jay and switch to a Manhattan bound F back to York, or take a Brooklyn bound A, c. or F to High Street and walk down the hill.

The following week, the A train will be diverted to the F line between Jay Street and West 4th between midnight and 5:00 a.m. on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, February 22-24. On the same dates and times, there will be no Manhattan bound service at the Court Street station.

A few weeks ago Ben Petok, the communications director for City Council Member Steve Levin, whose district includes Brooklyn Heights, contacted us to set up a get-acquainted meeting. This past Friday morning, your correspondent went to Levin’s district office at 410 Atlantic Avenue and conversed with him for about an hour. Here are some of his thoughts on various topics he thought were of interest to our readers:

Education: Levin considers this his primary interest, and he sits on the Council’s Education Committee. He is proud, he said, of his role in bringing about the addition of a middle school to P.S. 8. As a general observation, he said that he believes the pendulum on education policy has swung too far. Where there was once an out-of-control, too often corrupt bureaucracy running the schools, there is now a monolithic technocracy that is unresponsive to the concerns of parents and others with a stake in the system.

He said he had seen too many instances of meetings called to solicit parent and community views on issues like school siting, at which public opinion had been almost solidly against what the DOE proposed, but the result was always, “The ayes have it.” As an example, he mentioned the controversy over the siting of a charter school in an existing school building on Baltic Street. He believes this situation will change after the 2013 mayoral election. I asked if he was supporting any potential candidate, and he replied that it’s too early to make a decision, but that he’s on good terms with all the likely candidates.

Brooklyn Bridge Park: He is watching the build-out of the Park with great interest, but said he is disappointed by the City’s lack of jurisdiction over it. He sits on the Park’s board of directors, but still would like to see more oversight by elected officials and the City’s Parks Department. On the related issue of the Watchtower properties, I noted recent reports that Watchtower officials would prefer that, after the properties’ sale, they be put to uses such as not-for-profit or educational institutions that would keep them off the City’s tax rolls and would, as a side effect, prevent them from being able to contribute to funding for the Park. Levin said that, in his experience, the Watchtower leaders were very straightforward, and could be trusted to do what they said they would.

He said the future of LICH was a critical issue for the community. While the takeover by SUNY Downstate has stabilized the situation, it’s vital that LICH’s future be secured. I noted that the future of the BQE was also an important issue for Heights residents. He agreed, mentioning constituents who had complained of their homes shaking when trucks hit surface irregularities. I said our readers had made similar complaints. However, he said, there is little that the City can do. It was the State’s Department of Transportation that cancelled funding for the environmental study, and funding for repair or reconstruction would have to come from the federal government.

This coming weekend there will be diversions affecting service at the Court Street, High Street, Jay Street-Metro Tech, and York Street stations. Service at the Clark Street (2 and 3 trains) and Borough Hall (2, 3, and 4), barring unforeseen problems, will not be affected. Just like last weekend, Manhattan bound A and C trains will be re-routed over the F line from Jay Street to West 4th Street, so there’s no Manhattan-bound service at High Street. To get to stops in lower Manhattan served by the A or C, take the 2, 3, or 4 to a nearby stop, or take an A or C to West 4th and catch a Brooklyn bound train back to the skipped stop. In a sort of subway do-si-do, Brooklyn bound F trains will be re-routed over the A and C line from West 4th to Jay Street, so twice as much Brooklyn bound service at High Street but none at York Street. To get to York from Manhattan either take an F to Jay and switch to a Manhattan bound F back to York, or take a Brooklyn bound A, c. or F to High Street and walk down the hill.

In a reversal of last week’s pattern, there will be Manhattan bound service on the R and (midnight through the wee hours) N service at Court and Jay, but no Brooklyn bound service at these stations, as all trains will be sent over the Manhattan Bridge. If you happen to be on one of these diverted trains, you can get off at DeKalb Avenue (the first stop in Brooklyn) and change to a Manhattan bound train that will take you back to Court or Jay.

The following week (Monday the 13th through Friday the 17th) from 10:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. there will be no 2 or 3 service to or from Brooklyn, so no service at Clark Street or on the 2-3 platform at Borough Hall. Use the A, C, R (N late at night), 4 or 5 as an option.

The MTA has announced that trains on several lines serving Brooklyn Heights will be skipping stations in downtown Manhattan in both directions starting at 10:00 this morning and continuing for the duration of the parade, which is expected to last several hours. The skipped stations will be Wall Street and Fulton Street on the 4 and 5 (but not the 2 and 3), Fulton and Chambers on the A and C, and City Hall on the R. There will be normal service on the 2 and 3, at Bowling Green on the 4 and 5, and at Cortlandt and Rector streets on the R.