Well now that we have a crime thread -- any word on the swept under the rug crimes of the past:

1. Whether a shooter was ever caught in the Hanson? Fulton? Street salon shooting last year.

2. The "body in a box" on Washington and Willoughby near FG park?

3. The body parts found in a suitcase(s) on Walworth?

4. The group that gave the Pratt student the business on Grand?

I sporadically search for info on these items and never really find much.

Posted by: davide5 at October 14, 2009 10:03 PM in response to McDonald's Robber Apprehended in Slope

I hate the new traffic routing on Kent. Cars parked in the middle of a goddamn street? For bikes?!?? going between...Williamsburg and...Clinton Hill?!?? WTF? I agree, this was a coup for residential parking in a place that was traditionally not residential. From a practical standpoint -- going against the grain (aka, getting back to Clinton Hill on Kent) I have witnessed tractor trailer traffic on Wythe et al that you would never have seen 3 months ago -- including backed up lights etc. Kent was one of the great thoroughfares between nabes -- if safety was truly a concern, stop signs, patrolling, and gasp (speed bumps) could have been implemented. Moreover, seriously, who was consulted on this plan -- a parade of mini-vans in the middle of a (formerly) two lane road to protect say 20 bicyclists per hour that use this street??????

Redundant, but I hate it. And we paid for it.

Posted by: davide5 at September 23, 2009 2:25 AM in response to CB1 Criticizes Truck Traffic in Williamsburg

Back to the kids tangent thread...I agree, the kids in the 0-5 age bracket are definitely going to be the most well read, multi-cultural, tri-lingual, color-blind, and educated generation, but goddamn is it going to be hard to get those little entitled bastards to actually do work...

Posted by: davide5 at September 21, 2009 9:05 PM in response to Park(ing) Day on Fulton

Umm, am I missing something? I really don't understand why people feel they have a right to use a private campus. What about use of LIC's facility's down off Willoughby? What about St. Joe's? Do I get to use their facilities and hang out in their manicured yards off Clinton? If anything I would think people would lobby for use of shut off city high school fields, tracks, courts, etc. that are truly funded with public money. I really don't see a problem with a private school saying "sorry, time to tighten things up, we just got some BAD PR and students willing to cough up $50k/per are not growing on trees anymore." Maybe it's window dressing for Pratt, but window dressing is how we react to violent crimes around here (e.g., foot patrols seem to only appear in FG/CH in response to NY Post featured crimes).

Posted by: davide5 at September 11, 2009 10:33 PM in response to Pratt: Not In Our Front Yard

And one more thing -- the lighting in and around FG park, ESPECIALLY on the Myrtle side is goddamn horrible -- even Washington is poor due to the tree coverage. One would think this is an easy area of improvement that could make things a BIT safer.

Posted by: davide5 at September 11, 2009 9:59 PM in response to Crime Down in Fort Greene, Despite Unease

Cooked stats for sure. Why no foot patrol officers in FG and CH? Let's see some deterrence not undercovers rolling around in obvious unmarked cars. I mean you see police presence occasionally -- in response to the "crime of the day," but no real pro-active measures, always reactive. All the gentrification talk "what did you expect living near the projects" should fall on deaf ears. Are we trying to say that the projects should have operated as a "hamsterdam" but for the arrival of whitey? Isn't the 88th supposed to do their job regardless of whether there is gentrification or not? It is sad/pathetic that gentrification may be the only thing to draw attention to the issue, but the fact of the matter is that gentrification has occurred and sloppy policing is/should no longer be tolerated. "You get what you deserve" just doesn't cut it. Their are pj's in Cobble Hill and adjacent to nearly every nabe in BK. For f's sake we are living at the base of the gateway(s) to Manhattan, of course people are going to migrate to this area and the policing needs to be commensurate with such migration. Everyone on this site (practically) that lives in the FG/CH area can name at least 2 problem intersections, so why does the 88th have such problems cleaning things up?

Posted by: davide5 at September 11, 2009 9:56 PM in response to Crime Down in Fort Greene, Despite Unease

Cannot believe some of these "kids will be kids responses" -- you can bet your ass that if the upstairs neighbor had to deal with loud music, rumbling movie bass, or other "single person" noises consistently for 45 min intervals at times that were not in line with the "children's schedule" there would be hell to pay...

"But they are children and you are an adult who can make a conscious choice..." I don't buy it -- children can learn rules of behaviour, just like the average single tenant knows not to crank music at 2AM.

Posted by: davide5 at September 9, 2009 12:37 AM in response to Running Child Upstairs

I drove this yesterday, and there certainly was backed up traffic in areas that were out of the ordinary on Wythe etc...Personally I thought Kent was one of the best neighborhood go betweens in brooklyn -- bed stuy, FG, Clinton Hill, W-Burg, and Greenpoint all accessed and exited in no time...Policing and stop signs would have been a much more affordable and logical solution. Didn't they just repave this area in the last two years? Why was this not implemented then? Wasteful use of resources.

Posted by: davide5 at August 25, 2009 10:53 PM in response to Kent Traffic Shifts to Wythe

DS-

As gemini10 points out, Flatrate does come through at the quoted price, but they seem to have a way of stacking up the costs.

As to your obvious irony point, I post on this site approx once a month when something really moves me...I just find the 9-5 posting by the same posters a bit crazy.

And as for Alanis Morrisette type irony, one could only expect snarky comments from the Ditmasnark...

Posted by: davide5 at August 25, 2009 11:06 AM in response to Closing Bell: Woman Vs. Truck

I used chinese movers -- on time, 3 hours door to door for a 2 bedroom apartment. Fantastic. I tipped them 100% and still came out under $725.

The vitriol on this story is kinda backwards...from what I have heard FLATRATE is the real scam artist.

And one final point -- is there any article that the brownstoner regulars refrain from commenting???? I guess people like to hear themselves talk.

Posted by: davide5 at August 24, 2009 11:08 PM in response to Closing Bell: Woman Vs. Truck

I used chinese movers -- on time, 3 hours door to door for a 2 bedroom apartment. Fantastic. I tipped them 100% and still came out under $725.

The vitriol on this story is kinda backwards...from what I have heard FLATRATE is the real scam artist.

And one final point -- is there any article that the brownstoner regulars refrain from commenting???? I guess people like to hear themselves talk.

Posted by: davide5 at August 24, 2009 11:08 PM in response to Closing Bell: Woman Vs. Truck

Oh yeah, I do miss Wisconsin sometimes...

Posted by: davide5 at April 26, 2009 3:45 AM in response to Streetlevel: Trout Re-opening Today

mshook, downingbylaw, guyincognito -- I think we are all swirling similar ideas in our respective heads...any interest in a chat???

Posted by: davide5 at March 1, 2009 11:17 AM in response to Streetlevel: New Bike Shop for Fort Greene

It would be a godsend if Gehry wasn't involved in this project...That look is so tired.

Posted by: davide5 at January 9, 2009 1:47 PM in response to Atlantic Yards Scaled Back, Gehry's Role in Question

De Stefano's????? Possible Luger's/Morton's alternative??

Posted by: davide5 at November 23, 2008 8:51 PM in response to Downtown Brooklyn Now Has a Morton's To Call Its Own

1. I believe a bench warrant does indeed issue for open container. I know three years ago a bench warrant would issue for failure to address a "riding a bicycle on the sidewalk" ticket.

2. Besides honkers, litterers and non-scoopers, how about double parkers???

3. And, what about the remaining suspects in the salon shooting? Or the body in a box near FG park??

Posted by: davide5 at November 23, 2008 8:47 PM in response to Stoop Drinking Still Illegal

Hey no fair. Corcoran was there for me when I bought my place -- let's see, my broker was there for me when she sent me listings like 3 times over the course of 5 months and then she was there again at closing to pick up the check for her points on the deal.

Posted by: davide5 at October 30, 2008 11:33 PM in response to The Clermont Reborn As Rentals

A right to peace and quiet? Wow....the entitlement of some people are ridiculous. Try to enforce that right- with the condo board or with the police or anyone else. I know people who have been living with noise for years...louder than a child running...and more obnoxious...and they can't do anything about it. Creative solutions do not always work and it always comes down to whether someone wants to move or not.

I think if you realize that at the end of the day- no matter what you do- there is no way the upstairs people can be forced to move because of issue, then your approach to the problem will be based on mutual respect and give and take. Laws requiring 80% of the floor to be covered? Really...some of the comments on here are beyond crazy.

Posted by: panda10 at September 9, 2009 10:48 AM in response to Running Child Upstairs

Kids will run yes, but people are totally normal to be annoyed by hearing it in their own home. Their home they paid a lot of money for. Both sides need to compromise. Carpet and no shoes upstairs and earplugs below. I think the building is the real villain here. Is this a new condo development or a browndo, in an older building? It's absurd you can't get more soundproofing between floors and ceilings in the new condo buildings for what you pay for them. If I were I condo developer I'd build soundproofed units and market them specifically as such. They'd be a huge success with how many people in Brooklyn suffer from chronic neighbor noise.

Posted by: traditionalmod at September 9, 2009 10:50 AM in response to Running Child Upstairs

this whole comment thread seems to reiterate the kids vs non kids issue, which i don't think should be the argument.

people have a legal right to "quiet enjoyment" in their homes. bloomberg has even made noise regulations to address this. i understand that children make noise, but that doesn't address the fact that the people who live in the apartments surrounding the child have a legal right to peace and quiet. (and i've often found that the people making the noise have a "learn to live in a city/apartment" mentality that everyone should have to deal with xx amounts of noise. but to what degree?

nearly all apartments have to adhere to the xx% rule, and i'd start by finding that info out and then approaching the parents again. if not, then go to the condo board and DO NOT BACK DOWN.

as for drop ceilings, i've lived with them and can tell you that they barely work and are hideous. more so, i don't think a person who owns an apartment should have to alter that apartment because neighbors refuse to follow the laws or even be reasonable.

you have rights. use them.

Posted by: grumpygirl at September 9, 2009 10:56 AM in response to Running Child Upstairs

and yes, panda, google "quiet enjoyment". it's not a fantasy, it's the law.

Posted by: grumpygirl at September 9, 2009 10:57 AM in response to Running Child Upstairs

Where has common sense gone... it's not too common anymore I guess...
I raised a child in an apartment over another family, and
running and jumping was not an acceptable form of entertainment indoors...

It's a parents responsibility to set some limits and to gear their children into quiet activities when they're inside... allowing kids to run amok in an apartment is just a sign of lazy parenting... how will the kids learn consideration of the rights of others if the parents don't
take the time to explain why it's not a good idea to run indoors, it "disturbs our neighbors" "you can get hurt" "indoors we have quiet fun, outdoors we can run and jump"... give it a try folks, it really works!

Arghhhhhhhhhh...

Posted by: bren at September 9, 2009 9:16 PM in response to Running Child Upstairs

Thanks to all who replied with their comments. It is just tough for all New Yorkers living in such tight spaces. NPR reports one million more people are expected in NYC over the next 10 years! Thank you again.

Posted by: vesnaspring at September 10, 2009 10:39 PM in response to Running Child Upstairs

Vesna- I had this exact issue with an upstairs neighbor a few years ago and ended up moving. Your neighbors reaction was near identical and we tried many of the tactics here, even offering to buy the carpet. For us, it was two young kids that would chase each other all over the apartment until we'd hear a large crash, crying, and then it would stop for about 1/2 hour. It frequently started at 7a on Sat/Sun. We had a chandelier over our bed that I had to remove the glass globes because the would rattle like a train was going by. The neighbor simply didn't care. I knocked on the door one Sunday at 8a after an hour of chaos and he said he was just trying to enjoy some fun time with his kids and I was bothering him by knocking on the door. It never occurred to him that I too deserved to "enjoy" my time in my apartment. That's when I knew it was a lost cause.
So, we moved after 6 months. I hate to be so negative, but people either care or they don't. Sounds like you have a don't. Btw, I have two kids, so it's not like I don't get it.

Posted by: archigoddess at September 11, 2009 8:20 AM in response to Running Child Upstairs

I feel your frustration. I am writing this after being awoken by the 4 year old running upstairs (notice the time of post - 2:30 am) and have sought the counsel of many people on this topic -- friends with kids (my husband and i don't yet have children), sound technicians, people who were raised in brownstones. Overall, the consensus is generally that while kids need to run / play, there is a need to teach the child that they live in an apartment and that their behavior affects the quality of the life of the other people in the apartment.

Unfortunately, a small fraction of people who i spoke to - including the people who live about us and some who responded in this forum - truly believe that there's no way to stop kids from running. I have heard from and witnessed the parenting of enough people to know that kids can and do, in fact, learn how to behave when given proper boundaries.

I wish I had something more helpful, but from what I've gleaned on this subject, soundproofing is incredibly expensive and much more effective on the floor above (rather than the drop ceiling) and I think it's doubtful that neighbors who aren't considerate enough to put down carpets are going to go for anything re-constructive. and even with the carpeting (our neighbors have some area rugs, but bare floors in other places) the truth is that it makes marginal difference for loud impact noise.

You have the right to keep articulating your concerns -- It sounds like you've done so with respect and understanding. If they continue to be unresponsive, I would take it to the condo board. As someone who has also confronted my neighbors with this issue, I really understand your wanting to keep the good will. I hope your situation improves. After multiple attempts to improve this situation, I am just trying to hang in and remind myself this won't be forever. Eventually the kid will outgrow the running, they'll move, or we'll move...

Until then....

Posted by: ajhope78 at September 17, 2009 2:38 AM in response to Running Child Upstairs