Neighborhoods
April 15, 2008
De Blasio Blasts Ratner on AY Obfuscation
Last night Councilman Bill de Blasio held a meet-up for Brooklyn bloggers at which he spoke for a couple of hours about development topics including Atlantic Yards, rezonings, affordable housing, and what he'd like to accomplish if he's elected borough president. Like Gowanus Lounge, we were most interested in what de Blasio had to say about Atlantic Yards: The councilman said he thinks there should be no more demolitions in the Atlantic Yards footprint until Forest City Ratner puts its current plans for the project into writing. De Blasio said he was "livid" about the interview Bruce Ratner gave to the New York Times last month since the likely stall "calls the entire Community Benefits Agreement into question." The Councilman also said that he thinks the entire development should be reviewed again by the state if Forest City Ratner is now conceiving of a vastly different project, particularly one that reneges on its promised affordable housing. "I held out hope for the project because of the amount of affordable housing it would create, as well as the number of jobs it would bring," he said. "But I have been constantly disappointed in the lack of community involvement...I've never seen anything that's been mismanaged so fundamentally in terms of community involvement." The councilman also talked about the possible Coney Island and Gowanus rezonings. While he's not thrilled with either the city or Joe Sitt's possibly competing visions for the area ("I'm not comfortable with the Manhattanization of Brooklyn" that both plans represent), he says that "by and large" he likes Planning's draft framework for rezoning Gowanus because "the best way to get the canal clean is to get residential development around it." As borough president, de Blasio said he'd like to be involved with "shaping more than just promoting Brooklyn." In keeping with one of his primary platforms, affordable housing, de Blasio said he'd use the office to "start addressing the have-nots."
De Blasio Calls for Moratorium on Atlantic Yards Demolition [GL]
October 23, 2007
Video: An Introduction to Kensington (and Environs)
We came across this video about Kensington produced by Turn Here and thought it was a fun intro for those of you who may not be all that familiar with life on the other side of the park.
Kensington Video [YouTube]
August 1, 2007
Dumbo Update: Umbrellas, Banks and Blacktop
A few developments of note in the neighborhood between the bridges: (1) The triangular public space at Pearl and Front Streets now has some snazzy blue umbrellas which dramatically increases the chill-out factor on the heretofore unshady plaza; (2) The Chase Bank on the ground floor of the J Condo is having its furniture and fixtures installed; workmen report that the space could be ready within two weeks; (3) The demise of the Novo Clutch building, which Two Trees has demo'd in hopes of building a large mixed-use project, acquired an air of finality to it with completion of the blacktop on the site Tuesday.
Dumbo Triangle Gets DOT's Signature Green Paint [Brownstoner]
Novo Clutch Building Pre-Demolition [Brownstoner]
Two Trees Plans Mixed Use Building Next to Bridge [Brownstoner]
July 9, 2007
Park Slope Stroller Nazi Story Getting a Little Stale
We're not exactly sure why this was a front-page article the the NY Times Sunday Real Estate section—seems more like City section material to us—but, there it was, another article making light of the number of strollers (and implicit bourgeois existence of their pushers) in Park Slope. The fact that there are a lot of young families (some of whose matriarchs aren't averse to a little public nursing) in Park Slope just ain't news anymore, so let's just settle the fight for the soul of the slope once and for all in the hopes that another article never has to be written on the subject. In the words of The Times article, is Park Slope "Hipster Hell" or "Parent Heaven"? Update: As of 4:30 today, there were 216 votes for Parent Heaven and 158 votes for Hipster Hell.
The Park Slope Parent Trap [NY Times]
Photo by Kansas Liberal
June 12, 2007
Congestion Pricing and Resident Permit Parking
Regardless of your position on the Bloomberg administration's proposal for congestion pricing in Manhattan, it's not hard to imagine how the implementation of such a plan could have a very negative trickle-down effect for those parts of the outer boroughs that are both close to Manhattan and serviced by major subway lines. As Sheldon Silver said, "Some of those areas will become parking lots for the people driving around looking for parking spots in order to avoid congestion pricing fees." To counter such criticism, Bloomberg has has floated the idea of making resident-only permit parking available (for a modest annual fee) in neighborhoods like Park Slope, Downtown Brooklyn and Long Island City. Queens Councilman John Liu isn't buying the idea. "It doesn't necessarily improve the situation, it just shifts the boundary of contention," said Liu. "It sounds great, but I think the implementation would be a hard stretch." Of course, there's also another reason that residents of certain neighborhoods may want parking permits soon: Atlantic Yards. Are you in favor of resident-only parking permits?
Bloomberg Eying Resident-only Parking Permits [NY Daily News]
Photo by new hobby
May 30, 2007
'Phone or Die' in Bed Stuy
If the Bed Stuy edition of the new locally-targeted ad campaign from Virgin Mobile is any indication, Branson et al should probably get back to the drawing board before the national roll-out. Here's the text:
When people close their eyes and think of Brooklyn, your legendary brownstones come to mind. That's because everyone from rappers to directors have used you as the backdrop for stories about life in the neighborhood that has everything. Do or Die is more than a moniker. It speaks to the fact that you don't take crap from anyone. Especially newcomers who want to change Bed-Stuy into some sort of yuppie strip mall. With us you only make changes if you want. That's the beauty of our cell phone plans without annual contracts. Because Bed-Stuy, we know you call your own shots.
It's a good thing Virgin Mobile has been so entrenched in the community for so long and isn't trying to exploit it for commercial purposes! Check out another of the ads that up along the BQE on the jump.
May 14, 2007
The Times Gives It Up For Alterna-Slopes
The Times had a case of Brooklyn fever this weekend, taking some precious column inchage to profile two neighborhoods that most readers of The Gray Lady probably hadn't heard of until recently, Windsor Terrace and Prospect Lefferts Gardens. The subjects of the Windsor Terrace article, a couple who were pleased as punch to land a four-bedroom house in the nabe last year for $999,000, had this to say about how their new home stacked up versus the Slope: “It’s a little less precious over here, and a little more real. We kind of like that." (The director of the Jack Nicholson flick As Good As It Gets thought it was unprecious enough to cast one of the houses above on Fuller Place as Helen Hunt's working-class digs. The idea that these places are now within reach of people with working-class incomes is, of course, laughable.) Despite initial concern about the "clusters of young men hanging out on some of the street corners," the star of the PLG article ultimately was won over by the area's racial diversity and proximity to Prospect Park, snapping up a small Victorian house just outside the historic district for $240,000 back in 2002. She now shares the house with her 11-year-old daughter, her brother and his wife.
Less ‘Precious’ Than the Slope? Certainly Cheaper [NY Times]
A Wished-For House With a Hideaway Nook [NY Times]
Photo by redxdress
December 29, 2006
Unhappy Ending for Sidewalk
It looks like the sidewalk on Washington Avenue was, unfortunately, not repaired with bluestone. We're kinda curious whether this was a financial decision or whether the mere size of the roots made it impossible to lay newly cut slabs down. Certainly ain't much to look at, is it? Anyone know?
Beware the Wrath of the Tree Roots [Brownstoner]
December 18, 2006
PACC is Wack
The future of the Bodegas space on the corner of Clinton and Fulton is of great concern to everyone we know in the neighborhood. Since the restaurant closed at the beginning of the year (in a domino effect caused by money problems and nasty landlords at Liquors), the rumors have been flying. The space is of particular importance because of its location at the gateway to Clinton Hill on a commercial stretch of road that has been crying out for improvement for years. So it was disbelief that we heard recently that the Pratt Area Community Council (which owns the building) took time out from destroying the aesthetics of the historic neighborhood to turn down an offer from a successful local business owner who wanted to open a wine bar in the space. And for what? PACC told this business owner that it had done a survey that showed residents wanted an Applebees! Yeah, right. This weekend, Clinton Hill Blog reported a rumor that PACC had recently shown the space to North Fork Bank. At least the nabe does need a bank (more than an Applebees), but, geez, turning down someone with a proven track record who wants to put an upscale establishment in this crappy stretch of Fulton? If the organization takes the credit of low-income renters and buyers, surely it can rent to a local business.
Store Rumors [Clinton Hill Blog]
Future of Bodegas & Liquors Thrown Into Question [Brownstoner]
Corner of Clinton and Fulton Up for Grabs [Brooklyn Record]
Greenpoint: Call 1-800-GENTRIFY Now!
Good for a chuckle.
Greenpoint Gentrification [YouTube]