crank: yes, it's the western end of the site at flatbush and dean.
magnificent: i'll admit to some tweaking of the photo, but mostly to try and get the color accurate (not so successfully), but i did darken it a touch, too. i did that to deal with the noise generated by the camera.

Posted by: threecee at November 10, 2009 11:31 AM in response to Monday Blogwrap

thanks, masterbuilder. i will take your suggestion of pouring it in thru an opening at the top. i'll let you know how it goes.

Posted by: threecee at October 21, 2009 3:08 PM in response to Blower Needed with Cellulose?

be_rude: a few corrections/comments:

1. there *was* a beautiful landmark (in my opinion and that of the landmark commission) that has been torn down: the ward bread bakery building. and there are beautifully restored buildings (atlantic arts, spaulding building) and others that could be restored (475 dean) that would be demolished. i don't think anyone is against development over the railyard.

2. call them what you want, but DDDB fighting eminent domain abuse, cronyism, zoning overrides, backroom deals, various tax and subsidy shenanigans, etc, etc is the kind of NIMBYism that i'll support every day. don't you care that we'd be getting such a bad deal for the nearly $1B it will cost us, and the lost opportunity to actually build something we can afford?

3. i don't believe it's clear that if ratner had no opposition that he'd have built what he said he'd build, as there was and still is no obligation for him to build what he says he'll build. and, the entire project could not have been built before the financial crisis, even with his initial optimistic schedule, so right now we'd most likely be left with some partially complete project for some undetermined very long amount of time. i'm happy that we still have a clean slate instead of being locked into whatever ratner may have started.

4. the dodgers didn't want to build on the atlantic yards site. they wanted to build on the atlantic terminal and atlantic mall site. why doesn't ratner just tear down those eyesores and build his arena there, free and clear of eminent domain?

5. make no mistake: the project *might* happen, whatever it may become. but thanks to dddb's continued opposition, we just might avoid being saddled with a money-losing, eminent-domain abusing, ratner monopoly on 22 acres of prime brooklyn real estate.

6. thanks guys for looking out for our community.

Posted by: threecee at October 20, 2009 9:49 PM in response to DDDB Holds Fifth Fundraiser Against the Yards

several thoughts:

1. eminent domain would be used to take property from owners (residents and businesses) as well as to move out renters.

2. i think eminent domain is abused when it transfers private property from one private entity to another private entity in the pursuit of increased revenues or some subjective "public benefit" as opposed to an explicit public use, like a public school or railway. this is a slippery slope that could leave all property owners at risk if someone only needs to convince the state that they could make more "productive use" of your property than you. "public benefit" is too vague and open to interpretation.

3. i want development over the rail yards, but not if it means we (taxpayers) are paying far too high a price with little or no benefit.

4. i think the rail yards should be divided into smaller parcels that multiple developers bid on for the right to develop, like battery park city. i think it's a bad idea to have one man, bruce ratner, in control of such a large piece of central brooklyn (atlantic yards is 22 acres + atlantic terminal mall + atlantic center + metrotech)

5. an arena in the middle of a residential neighborhood is not a good idea. ny city zoning forbids this, but this zoning was overridden by the state.

6. redevelopment of the area was underway (newswalk condos, atlantic arts building, spalding building, 475 dean, etc) before atlantic yards. the ward bread bakery was being considered to be turned into a hotel+shops. once the ED cat was let out of the bag, this all ground to a halt. no sane developer is going to risk having their property taken, so most will sit on the sidelines to see what happens. who knows where we'd be today if the threat of ED never existed? i suspect that many of the now vacant lots would have already been built on, the historic ward bakery might have been renovated. i know that i would not be in such strong opposition if there was no threat of ED.

Posted by: threecee at October 19, 2009 10:53 PM in response to DDDB Holds Fifth Fundraiser Against the Yards

i'm pretty sure that the players behind Atlantic Terrace, Fifth Avenue Committee (FAC), are not the same players behind Atlantic Yards, Forest City Ratner (FCR). in fact, FAC testified *against* Atlantic Yards in at least 2 hearings. if they *are* the same players, i believe you have a huge news scoop!

and yes, i do know about the huge development behind (north) of Atlantic Terrace, but i don't know who the developer was, do you? i believe that whole area was demolished for "slum" clearance, which gave you your dirtbike trail, if i remember correctly.

and, are you saying that FCR won't build any more affordable housing now that we have Atlantic Terrace? i didn't believe that FCR was ever going to build affordable housing, whether or not AT was built.

Posted by: threecee at October 16, 2009 7:26 PM in response to Atlantic Terrace Applications Available Nov 1

um, i *assume* you're being sarcastic, mr slade? right? you can never tell when it comes to Atlantic Yards. but just to be clear: Atlantic Yards and Atlantic Terrace are completely different projects.

too bad they decided to scrap plans to put solar panels on the roof of Atlantic Terrace, as the shadows from Atlantic Yards would have put this spot in shade all day. i'm betting they would have been able to use those panels for a minimum of 10 years, and probably much longer.

Posted by: threecee at October 16, 2009 5:44 PM in response to Atlantic Terrace Applications Available Nov 1

thanks for the tips, masterbuilder.

the reason i asked specifically about cellulose is that i was looking to be as "green" as possible, as well as not dealing with itchy (and possibly carcinogenic?) fiberglass.

if i were to use cellulose, how might i create a moisture barrier? from my very limited internet research, i thought cellulose didn't require a moisture barrier, and its moisture-handling ability was one of its assets. am i off base?

Posted by: threecee at October 16, 2009 1:59 PM in response to Blower Needed with Cellulose?

@Rookie

polls can be misleading, depending on how the questions are structured, who's doing the asking, and whom is being asked. i googled "Atlantic Yards poll" and the only independent poll that i found that tried to gauge AY support was conducted by Crain's in 2006: (http://www.crainsnewyork.com/article/20060905/FREE/609050710)

this poll was thoroughly picked apart by Norman Oder here:

http://atlanticyardsreport.blogspot.com/2006/09/closer-look-at-crains-poll-those-who.html

one very telling bit of info about this poll (other than only having 601 respondents in a city of millions) was that 78% said that they were following AY news "Not too closely/Not at all". i, too, might be a supporter of this project if i hadn't been following it closely for the past 6 years. who wouldn't want jobs and affordable housing? and, this was in 2006. i wonder what a poll of those who follow AY news closely would reveal now.

as far as legality is concerned, judges (along with politicians and bureaucrats) aren't infallible and some can be swayed by money and political influence, both of which Ratner has plenty. also, NY state is one of the most eminent domain friendly states in the country, so losing the legal battle would hardly be surprising. and, just because something may be legal by the letter of the law, does not make it right or just or moral. thankfully, laws can be changed, and i believe NY state's eminent domain laws need to be amended.

Posted by: threecee at September 18, 2009 12:30 PM in response to ESDC Approves Revised Plan for Atlantic Yards

@Rookie

who says a majority supports the project? and, if a majority does support the project (which i'm not saying is true), it doesn't mean that it's the legal, fiscally responsible, or smart thing to do.

Posted by: threecee at September 17, 2009 8:53 PM in response to ESDC Approves Revised Plan for Atlantic Yards

I wrote, too. Thank you all who've commented.

I also feel that it's probably less effective than pissing in the wind, but one possible benefit would be to have your comments part of the public record. This may be useful in the future: the ESDC cannot claim it didn't know what the public thought or wanted, which may provide some leverage for lawsuits or other actions.

So, please comment. And if you do, please cc the Council of Brooklyn Neighborhoods (cbrooklynneighborhoods@hotmail.com) so there's another record of your submission, other than the ESDC's.

Posted by: threecee at August 31, 2009 10:31 AM in response to Atlantic Yards: Speak Now or Forever Hold Your Peace

thanks for all the suggestions. i ended up getting the stone from Sammarco Stone (http://www.sammarcostone.com/) in New Rochelle. great service. too bad they're so far from brooklyn.

now i'm looking for more bluestone to complete a small area of floor (30 sq ft). i'd need pieces 1" thick or less. small, irregular or broken stone is okay. will pick up. email me at: tc AT 3c DOT com.

thanks!

Posted by: threecee at August 10, 2009 2:05 AM in response to Need a Piece of Bluestone ASAP!

Thanks, vinca. I've tried him already, but I can't get him to return my calls. Anyone else you'd recommend?

Posted by: threecee at July 24, 2009 3:49 PM in response to Need a Piece of Bluestone ASAP!

bkre: i believe you are right. i live across dean street from the playground, and the process you describe seems right from what i remember.

talking with the parks dep person overseeing the reno, she said that they have been delayed due to rain. the contractor says that the gluing of the turf to the asphalt can't happen when it's wet.

g_man: as far as i know, a sizeable chunk of the money for the reno came from private donations. i'm not sure how much money, if any, the city contributed.

personally, i think this will be better than the bare asphalt it replaces, even if we didn't get the luxe version.

Posted by: threecee at June 29, 2009 5:22 PM in response to New Turf Field On the Way in Prospect Heights

CONGRATS!

Posted by: threecee at June 23, 2009 2:32 PM in response to Prospect Heights Landmarked!

duckumu: It's the Prudential Center in Newark they're talking about, not the Prudential Center in Boston.

Posted by: threecee at January 14, 2009 11:48 AM in response to Marty Urges Cost-Cutting at Atlantic Yards

i did take a pic of the Jamaican patty place, Little Miss Muffin, next to the barber shop. yes, it is awesome.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/tracy_collins/2452047895/

Posted by: threecee at May 7, 2008 11:08 AM in response to Wednesday Links

thanks for the tip, Dave. i'll give her a call.

Posted by: threecee at January 17, 2008 1:32 AM in response to Where in Brooklyn can I buy Cabot Semi-Solid deck stain?

5:23: i'm soooo sad that you won't ever log in. whatever.

5"25: obviously, a login name isn't necessarily one's identity. i was using "identity" as shorthand for "login name" or "contrived Internet pseudonym". and, i wasn't implying that a good point is more "valid" with an ID.

the point i was trying to make is that if one uses a consistent ID, it might be possible for others to get to know "where the poster is coming from" over time, and therefore place any comments in the broader context the poster's previous posts on the current topic and other topics. i think that's useful information, but as 5:23 says "who cares what [i] think?"

Posted by: threecee at January 15, 2008 5:41 PM in response to Council Members Look to Take on Eminent Domain

this is off-topic, but why don't you "guests" log in? i'd think that one's comments would carry more weight if they were attached to a consistent identity instead of remaining anonymous. i realize that one's identity can be easily spoofed, but i think there's still value in posting with an identity.

although i've disagreed with most everything that Polemicist posts, i respect that he/she is willing to show their identity.

Posted by: threecee at January 15, 2008 5:09 PM in response to Council Members Look to Take on Eminent Domain

4:27: i'm not exaggerating. if the DDDB website can be believed (and i believe it can), then you're the one who's exaggerating:

"DDDB is a volunteer-run organization. We have over 5,000 subscribers to our email newsletter, 7,000 petition signers, and a nine-person steering committee. Over 700 volunteers have registered with DDDB to form our various teams, task-forces and committees and we have over 150 block captains. We have a 20 person volunteer legal team of local lawyers supplementing our retained attorneys.

We are funded entirely by individual donations from the community at large and through various fundraising events we and supporters have organized.

We have the financial support of well over 3,000 individual donors."

Posted by: threecee at January 15, 2008 4:32 PM in response to Council Members Look to Take on Eminent Domain

i tried to stay out of the fray, but couldn't when i read Polemicist's 2:27 post.

yes, the "Stop Eminent Domain Abuse sign is located on 750 Pacific Street, a Weinstein owned building leased to Boymlergreen", but that does *not* mean that "the entire anti-AY propaganda machine is organized and funded by other developers, and NOT the people."

i happen to be one of the anti-AY crowd, and i, as well as thousands of others, have donated time, money and services to the fight. i don't know personally how involved (if at all) Weinstein and/or Boymelgreen are in organizing or funding this fight, but even if they are, it doesn't mean that they are the ones calling the shots.

Posted by: threecee at January 15, 2008 4:17 PM in response to Council Members Look to Take on Eminent Domain

the 78th precinct is one block away at Bergen and 6th, so i can't imagine would-be robbers would consider this a prime spot to jack someone. there are often many police cars parked across Bergen from this spot, too.

as for banks/ATMs, i wouldn't mind a BofA here, but hope that it's not starting a wave of them.

Posted by: threecee at January 11, 2008 3:15 PM in response to StreetLevel: Mo' Money on Flatbush Ave.

there are so many variables (if it moves forward, what the market's like if/when it's completed, what actually gets built, how close a property is to a particular part of the development, how long will it take to complete, etc. etc.) it'll be pretty near impossible to really know.

but, property values have been increasing pretty quickly and steadily in the area without AY. assuming that it's not a complete disaster in design and execution (including all the infrastructure that the city and state are on the hook to build, i'm not expecting a smooth, short process), i can't imagine property values decreasing because of AY in the long term, unless it's a property in a particularly nasty location, like right across the street from the arena. granted it might not be a place that *i* would care to live, but just like there are people buying insanely expensive condos in midtown, i'm sure there will be plenty of people (maybe european/asian/s.american/??? investors) who really don't care what it's actually like, but want to own a piece of Brooklyn.

so, in purely investment terms, i imagine that property values would increase, long-term, due to AY, as opposed to leaving the site as a rail yard and the 20+ newly created vacant lots that it is now. it's pretty easy to add more value than vacant lots.

another question might be how much more valuable property might be if a more rational development than AY were built instead.

Posted by: threecee at December 12, 2007 2:47 AM in response to Value of Atlantic Yards Development?

once again, as someone opposed to the Atlantic Yards plan, i am not opposed to development over the open Vanderbilt Yard of the MTA LIRR.

what i am opposed to is:

- a process that circumvents any local input, oversight or control;
- abuse of eminent domain;
- out-of-scale, super-dense development that will overwhelm already overtaxed infrastructure;
- sweetheart deals that give 100s of millions of public funds to a billioinaire developer

as someone who lives within a block of the railyard, i would love to have something *sensible, reasonable and responsible* built over the tracks. in fact, when i moved here, i was looking forward to development over the Vanderbilt Yard. is Ratner's Atlantic Yards the best option? could the city have gotten a better deal, more bang for its buck?

so far, the whole Atlantic Yards process has not been sensible, reasonable nor responsible and i fear that we will all pay the price for decades to come.

Posted by: threecee at November 12, 2007 12:12 PM in response to Atlantic Yards Renter Relocation Lawsuit Tossed

i meant to say "running down the *southeast* corner..." in the previous comment.

Posted by: threecee at November 1, 2007 4:25 PM in response to Another Structural Accident on Ratner's Watch

just walked by there about an hour ago and didn't notice anything new other than a sidewalk shed has been built in front of the building.

as far as the facade peeling away, i did notice what appears to be a crack running down the northeast corner between the facade and the side wall. checking my past photos, it seems like this crack has been there since at least feb 2007, when i took this photo:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/tracy_collins/384977046/

you'll have to look at the original size of the photo (click the "ALL SIZES" icon) to see the crack.

maybe this crack has grown, and if so, i would guess that it would have to do with the demolition of the buildings on either side.

Posted by: threecee at November 1, 2007 4:22 PM in response to Another Structural Accident on Ratner's Watch

i took a photo of this building on 10/29, and the cornice was already gone, so the latest issue with this building really might be about the facade "peeling off". or maybe the cornice fell off because the facade was crumbling?

see my photo here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/tracy_collins/1802220177/

i'll have a look at the building later today to see if i notice something else.

Posted by: threecee at November 1, 2007 10:58 AM in response to Another Structural Accident on Ratner's Watch

i left some brick exposed in the gut renovation in my brownstone. there wasn't any original detail when i bought the building so i decided to go with a modern design.

there's exposed brick above the fireplace in the living room as a detail, exposed brick in the stairwells to gain an extra inch or two of width which helps when moving large, bulking stuff, as well as in two small rooms (den and office) to also get an extra couple of inches in width.

like Johnny above, i think in moderation as a detail or accent, exposed brick can look good.

Posted by: threecee at September 7, 2007 11:03 AM in response to Enough with the exposed brick look already

i literally live next door to this and checked it out during an open house a few weeks ago. the quality of construction is pretty good and the design seems nice. good, high-end appliances and fixtures, too. but i don't think that i'd buy one at these prices.

also, there wasn't much original detail left in the building before the renovation, so not much was lost in the conversion.

Newswalk Condos have about 170 units.

Posted by: threecee at August 28, 2007 1:52 PM in response to Condos of the Day: 543 Dean Street

Try Buscarello. I understand they have a pretty sizable stockpile of bluestone. They get bad reviews from customers of their sidewalk and facade work but presumably buying a piece of stone from them would be a more straightforward transaction.

Posted by: grand army at July 27, 2009 5:55 PM in response to Need a Piece of Bluestone ASAP!

thanks for all the suggestions. i ended up getting the stone from Sammarco Stone (http://www.sammarcostone.com/) in New Rochelle. great service. too bad they're so far from brooklyn.

now i'm looking for more bluestone to complete a small area of floor (30 sq ft). i'd need pieces 1" thick or less. small, irregular or broken stone is okay. will pick up. email me at: tc AT 3c DOT com.

thanks!

Posted by: threecee at August 10, 2009 2:05 AM in response to Need a Piece of Bluestone ASAP!

I'm not a cellulose expert. I am a strong advocate of insulating, and whatever product you choose is fundamentally green because of the impact on your energy bill. Maybe you could close up the walls and leave an opening at the top to pour in the cellulose?

Posted by: masterbuilder at October 17, 2009 8:51 AM in response to Blower Needed with Cellulose?

thanks, masterbuilder. i will take your suggestion of pouring it in thru an opening at the top. i'll let you know how it goes.

Posted by: threecee at October 21, 2009 3:08 PM in response to Blower Needed with Cellulose?