Bluestone Sidewalk

You jokers should have seen that park in the 70's, run down? More like run in, cop, run out. I had family that lived on 5th Ave and 4th St. We weren't allowed to go into the park. There was a 10 foot concrete wall on the 5th Ave. side. No Gate, no Stone Park Cafe,just bodegas and unlicensed pharmacists. Yes the city has come far but something was lost and some of the things that were lost were not bad.

Posted by: Grumpy at November 20, 2009 5:14 PM in response to Plans for J.J. Byrne Park in the Slope Unveiled

I think it was the 72. Yes, confirmed with family members who were guests, the 72 it was.

Posted by: Grumpy at November 20, 2009 3:59 PM in response to Development Watch: 575 5th Avenue Coming Along

It took 2 years to renovate the playground behind the Band-shell on 9th St. The condo across the street was built and occupied before the playground was completed.

Posted by: Grumpy at November 20, 2009 3:47 PM in response to Plans for J.J. Byrne Park in the Slope Unveiled

I miss the police station that was there. They housed people who needed rehab, a full circle in 30 years,

Posted by: Grumpy at November 20, 2009 3:35 PM in response to Development Watch: 575 5th Avenue Coming Along

I sympathize, I have a Trust Fund DJ living next door who illegally sub divided the house to accomadate tenants. A single family house now used as a two family. The noise was unbearable, like living in a bass drum. I banged on his door(non-working bell) and told him that my lawyer advised me to speak to him about the volume and persistence of his music and could he please lower it so we both could avoid legal issues. That has worked some. DOB never showed up, the PD never showed up, five to ten calls to 311. If you tell the FD that the roof has holes and the back of the building is in danger of collapse and your worried about the fireman's safety, you may get the FD to send a report to the Buildings Dept.(an A-8). Complain, complain, complain the squeaky wheel gets the grease in this city. Document, document,document, time called, date called, person spoken to, etc. finally, get a lawyer.

Posted by: Grumpy at November 19, 2009 9:19 PM in response to Illegal Business Next Door

Has the flue been checked you could have a birds nest or obstruction. Why put in an insert, additional heat? If the fireplace was designed for gas the realistic gas logs may give you the look you want without the glass of the insert which turns black after a while. Just thought I'd throw that out there...

Posted by: Grumpy at November 16, 2009 11:15 AM in response to Fireplace Gas Line

You saw a Blarney Stone but did you eat there?

Posted by: Grumpy at November 11, 2009 12:58 PM in response to 'Nationally Known' Restaurants May Land in 345 Adams

There are plenty of Burger Kings near McDonalds. How about a Blarney Whatever, they used to be all over the place with the steam tables and pastrami and corned beef piled high. I guess the wouldn't fly in New Brooklyn, maybe with grass fed cows and artisinal rye bread....

Posted by: Grumpy at November 11, 2009 11:48 AM in response to 'Nationally Known' Restaurants May Land in 345 Adams

Ruth Chris and Cracker Barrel or Crapper Barrel as my wife calls it.

Posted by: Grumpy at November 11, 2009 11:22 AM in response to 'Nationally Known' Restaurants May Land in 345 Adams

The FD has the local firehouse doing inspections and civilian inspectors, the civilian inspectors are stricter then the firemen, they will write a summons. The firemen are looking for things that will endanger their lives and yours. Imagine them crawling around your,hot smoke filled hallway and apt. looking for your unconscious body. They don't want to get hung up on the bike in the hall, fall through the missing step on the fire escape. They want to be able to vent the hallway of the toxic smoke by gaining access to the roof and opening the scuttle, bulkhead door or hallway skylight.

Posted by: Grumpy at November 10, 2009 12:31 PM in response to Fire Dept Inspection

Two means of egress, the definition of basement is 50% of the space must be above curb level. Otherwise it is a cellar. But even if you meet the above criteria that doesn't mean you are in a legal inhabitable space. There are zoning regs, certificates of occupancy and other rules.

Posted by: Grumpy at November 10, 2009 12:16 PM in response to Fire Dept Inspection

CG, the scuttle shouldn't be padlocked because it is a alternate way to the roof if the Dirtbags house is on fire. They didn't leave you paperwork because it is a pain in the !@# for everyone involved. The Bloomberg Admin. see's fire inspections and fines as an untapped revenue stream, people get your homes in order.

Posted by: Grumpy at November 10, 2009 11:46 AM in response to Fire Dept Inspection

The roof is inspected, fencing around shaftway within 3 feet of bulkhead door (secured as above)or scuttle. Fire escape checked, painted, no rust, no plants, bikes, animal shelters, no air conditioners in only window out of apt, and make sure ladder can drop to yard/street. Records updated (present owner, phone), asked if smoke alarm/ CO alarm is in apt. with fresh battery. You do not have to let Firemen into your apartment you do have to let them into the public area of a multifamily house, roof and basement. If your building is on fire leave the building do not lock your door, they will break in to make sure no one is unconscious inside. NYC firemen are not thieves, they don't want your stuff they can afford their own things. If they leave you paperwork it will be a Notice of Violation, you do not want paperwork. If they tell you to correct something correct it, they will be back.

Posted by: Grumpy at November 10, 2009 11:34 AM in response to Fire Dept Inspection

The NYFD has increased the building inspection workload for your local firehouse. It went from 2 days a week to 3 days a week. If you live in a multiple dwelling home, 3 families or more you can expect an inspection. The basement is checked for accumulated debris, poor housekeeping, obvious faulty wiring, a fire extinguisher in the boiler room,( this is new, extinguisher inspected annually by certified inspector and tagged)determination if gas or oil heat (the fire is fought differently for these different fuels.)
The hallway is checked for egress, no bikes, boxes, clothes, toys, carriages. It is a hallway not a closet, or storage unit. The scuttle is checked (ladder and hatch to roof)this is not a closet. The ladder should be in place and secure. The hatch should not be padlocked, it should be open able from with-in. Hook and eye or deadbolt.

Posted by: Grumpy at November 10, 2009 10:59 AM in response to Fire Dept Inspection

The horn and siren are safety devices used to warn vehicles that a firetruck is approaching the intersection. The officer controls them with foot pedals. The driver can also hit the horn. I am sure if someone in the firehouse sees the comment that the block association has them "under control" you will hear a lot more of the horn and siren.

Posted by: Grumpy at November 4, 2009 8:53 PM in response to 11th Street Firehouses

The photo of the Globe is great, I wonder if the Lenny's Pizzeria is a precursor to the one on 5th Ave and Prospect. They used that script in their sign and boxes years ago. The Larsen's was an outlet store for day old cakes and such. I remember going there as a kid, that had to be the mid-1960's.

Posted by: Grumpy at October 23, 2009 4:04 PM in response to From Flicks to Fischer on 15th Street

I lived on 4th Ave for years, 603 and 395. Its not that bad, 500 is close to the F and R lines. Everything is 3 times as expensive as it should be. I imagine the views are pretty nice from the penthouse, and it is a little better finished then a Boymelgreen. I watched Novo get built the non-union carpenters left out any insulation between apartments and the tape job on the sheetrock was horrible.

Posted by: Grumpy at September 16, 2009 5:58 PM in response to Condo of the Day: 500 4th Avenue, #PHG

It is a partial collapse because only part of the structure came down, as opposed to a total or complete collapse. The structure has similar walls on the more traveled Smith St. You may want to cross the street but then you would be under the protectively wrapped elevated train. I hope that black stuff holds back the spalling concrete. It never ceases to amaze me how the search for the elusive parking spot gets thwarted.

Posted by: Grumpy at August 11, 2009 2:19 PM in response to Partial Collapse at 455 Smith Street

Let us pray for the miraculous recovery of the auto industry so all these people go back to Michigan and Ohio, become middle managers and bore their children with their "wild time" in NYC.

Posted by: Grumpy at June 10, 2009 10:54 AM in response to No Love for Manhattan from Bushwick Artists

I guess the Times signed off on the New Headquarters, because while Ratner was building it they were pretty quiet about this Brooklyn boondoggle.

Posted by: Grumpy at June 9, 2009 9:21 PM in response to Ouroussoff, Tell Us How You Really Feel

Jackson Browne

Posted by: Grumpy at June 9, 2009 9:03 PM in response to Closing Bell: Celebrate Brooklyn!

I wonder how the surrounding blocks feel about the diverted traffic, Vanderbilt is one of the few blocks that a driver can take to get from the Slope to the other side of Brooklyn relatively quickly.

Posted by: Grumpy at June 8, 2009 5:36 PM in response to Summer Streets Comes Vandy

A few years ago Celebrate Brooklyn had one paid show for "fund raising". Now CB is up to three or is it four walled in "fund raisers". Ninety dollar tickets and tarps on the cyclone fences to keep the regular folks from watching, more New Brooklyn elitism.

Posted by: Grumpy at June 8, 2009 5:10 PM in response to Closing Bell: Celebrate Brooklyn!

After reading through some of the posts, of course I'll comment. One Pierrepont Plaza looks like a Radisson Hotel it is not the iconic building in Brooklyn. That of course would be the Williamburg Savings Bank. Maybe now that building with its setbacks, clock (public amenity)and dome top won't be out sized by a Gehry Monster.
The stadium is a smoke screen for the housing where the real money used to be. When Ratner pays for the architect we get the guy who designed the movie theater on Court St. The ugly boxes with roofing material as siding and lousy pedestrian flow like the Atlantic Mall that has brick walls facing peoples homes.
Where are the schools and extra trains for all these people? Where do I park my car on game day? I pay $1000 a month car insurance, I don't do subway.(hypothetically) Is this the right place for a stadium and all this housing? Can the infrastructure handle it? Why am I paying for it? Couldn't this money be better spent elsewhere?

Posted by: Grumpy at June 6, 2009 8:53 AM in response to Gehry Officially Off Yards Project

You guys have it wrong, you have to think of Yummy Taco as Asian Fusion.

Posted by: Grumpy at June 3, 2009 8:33 PM in response to Streetlevel: Yummy Taco Opens in South Slope

The foundation walls go to the fence line. Maybe they will bump the above grade walls in. Maybe they figure the Windsor Place residents and Prospect Ave residents can't legally max out their lots, so the fifteen feet for light and air is your neighbors' yard. Which you in your 3 story building loom over. I live on this block. What the 'hood needed and which was vigorously fought was a parking lot in this space.

Posted by: Grumpy at June 3, 2009 8:21 PM in response to Development Watch: 1638 8th Avenue