bklynrosie, I read that when it came out. I remember thinking that it would be best if highway engineers forced people to merge at the actual merge points rather than in advance of them (think of the entrance to the jersey bound holland and lincoln tunnels, where four lanes go to two, then two to one and everyone politely alternates). The trick is to do this without interfering with traffic heading elsewhere. In the case of the brooklyn bridge, that would probably mean having the traffic continuing on FDR south to exit, leaving the bridge traffic on the "mainline." Then gradually reduce lanes.

Posted by: zgori at November 3, 2009 1:28 PM in response to Squadron Helps Drivers Get Off (The FDR)

At rush hour and late evenings I ask my cabbies to get off at South Street. Adds four minutes or so if the traffic is clear but can save a half hour or more if it's backed up.

When I'm driving myself, I agree with the guy who said crossing a dotted line is fair game, crossing a solid one is not. Most important thing is to keep moving. It's the drivers who manage to come to a stop blocking two lanes that drive me crazy. If you're going to cut someone off, do it fast and make it painless -- keep rolling until you get to the part where the cars are moving.

Also, when in line, I try to stay to the very left of the lane. The geometry makes it harder for people to nudge in front.

Posted by: zgori at November 3, 2009 12:07 PM in response to Squadron Helps Drivers Get Off (The FDR)

Next Sunday: Dogs roaming around with invisible owners.

Posted by: zgori at September 28, 2009 12:49 PM in response to Invasion of the Invisible Dogs

Don't forget the public library.

Posted by: zgori at August 25, 2009 10:24 AM in response to Internet cafe

Excellent resource for finding movers:

http://www.movingscam.com/

Posted by: zgori at August 25, 2009 9:54 AM in response to Closing Bell: Woman Vs. Truck

I think we paid around $700/6 months but we gave up ownership about a year ago when our lease was up and now use zipcars and avis and sometimes enterprise. One last point as you consider the math on this. Although zipcar and car rentals are criminally expensive in this city, owning a car also leads to a long list of incidental expenses from registration fees to parking garages (don't forget tips) and tickets (I got two in one year despite being extremely careful and storing in a garage) to oil changes and car washes and inspections and tires and occasionally repairs. As far as I can tell from having been on both sides, there is virtually no way to come out ahead on owning unless you literally use the car three weekends out of every four, year round, for things that you would otherwise need to rent for. Now if you're willing to pay for the convenience, that's another matter.

Posted by: zgori at July 31, 2009 3:16 PM in response to Cost of BK Car Insurance?

Ask first and if the LL says no, offer to advertise and show the apartment yourself and find him a replacement that's at least as financially qualified as you are. If you make it easy for him he may go for it. That's what mine did when I was in this situation and it worked out nicely for everyone.

Posted by: zgori at July 31, 2009 11:26 AM in response to Breaking Lease to Buy?

The salad bar was actually pretty weak, but they made pretty good sandwiches, though somewhat slowly. Sad to see it go. Maybe Lenny's should give it a try. That's a deli that seems to know how to do volume.

Posted by: zgori at July 15, 2009 10:44 AM in response to F. Martinella Closes After Less Than Nine Months

I tried it. It's ok for fast food, the fries are decent, my burger was too salty. I much prefer Five Guys.

Posted by: zgori at July 1, 2009 12:16 PM in response to No Shortage of Demand for Checkers

The Eiffel tower is in a park. The Brooklyn bridge is not.

Posted by: zgori at May 20, 2009 2:36 PM in response to Council Vote Approaching, Dock Street Debate Crescendos

We pay $15/walk in Cobble Hill. We had a dog walker last year that was cheaper, but we had to let them go because we weren't comfortable with their handling skills. It sounds silly, but be sure you get someone experienced and competent. The last thing you need is to deal with someone who lets your dog get away, or get into a fight. A lot can happen on the busy streets of Brooklyn.

Posted by: zgori at May 19, 2009 3:01 PM in response to Dog Walkers?

"I'm terrified of dogs. All dogs. I can't enjoy the park..."

Being scared of something does not give you the right to harm it or to insist that it be banned. You should work to overcome your fears, or else be content to avoid places where you might encounter it. Whether or short leashes, long leashes or no leashes, there are always going to be dogs in parks.

Posted by: zgori at May 11, 2009 3:32 PM in response to Prospect Park Vigilante Wages Canine Campaign

In an area where most people do not have backyards, there is a genuine need for people to let their dogs get exercise in public areas. Unless you are a runner, it's difficult to do that with a leash. Anybody who's been to Prospect park before 9am knows that the off leash hours are extremely popular and generally respected.

I really don't see what's so hard about following the rules, which are designed to allow people with different needs share the parks without getting in each others' way. In my experience the vast majority of people do follow the rules.

FYI, New York legally defines pets as property. Calling your dog your roommate is cute, but it's bullshit.

Posted by: zgori at May 11, 2009 11:11 AM in response to Prospect Park Vigilante Wages Canine Campaign

If they want this park to get more use, they need to take down the jersey barriers and better connect to Cadman Plaza across the street. I take my dog over there sometimes (since nobody's ever in it, it's a nice place to flout leash laws and play some frisbee). Because of the barriers and the alignment of the fences on both sides, it feels a lot further away than it really is.

Posted by: zgori at May 6, 2009 3:39 PM in response to Walt Whitman Park Slated for Renovation

If you're concerned about the size of the apartment, energy level is more important than size or even breed. I've seen very large dogs, even great danes, that are totally happy in small apartments as long as they get out a few times a day. And tiny dogs that go crazy and annoy all the neighbors because they have too much energy to be pent up. Consider that most dogs aren't all that aware of their own size, and many actually seek out small places because they feel cozy and safe. Our middle aged 50-pound shepherd mix (from the ASPCA) has been a wonderful city dog -- she spends most of her indoor time curled up under a table or desk or even under our bed, where she just barely fits.

Posted by: zgori at April 29, 2009 1:50 PM in response to A little off topic, but... Dogs.

We're facing a similar predicament. We have a medium sized bedroom with a walk-in closet. We're considering giving up the closet, and stealing 2 feet or so of the bedroom to create a small (windowless) room we can use as nursery. Basically it's a way to buy ourselves a couple of years before we need a bigger apartment. But we're hesitant to spend much money on a modification that we fear prospective buyers are likely to consider less attractive. I think in your situation I'd do a temporary divider -- we don't have that option because the closet by itself is really too small.

Posted by: zgori at April 13, 2009 12:26 PM in response to 1BR renovation advice

A couple of things to add to what others have said:

Go bigger than you think you need to, particularly if you plan to hang on the wall. HI-DEF tvs seem smaller than the old style ones, both because they look better close up and because they are wider.

The weak link is going to be your cable signal, which is compressed so they can fit lots of channels and as a result tends to pixelate during motion. Not sure how cablevision compares to TW in this regard, but TW is pretty shitty. So, that said, if you plan to watch mostly cable TV it's not worth investing much in super high quality components.

From what I understand, Samsung actually makes many of the LCD panels that other manufacturers use. Sony, for example, buys Samsung LCD panels, attaches them to their own processor and marks them up. Result: same exact picture, different cabinet and interface.

Cables are a huge scam. Buy cheap no-name cables, they work great. Order them in advance from monoprice.com so you're not tempted to buy them at the store just so you can hook up the tv the minute you get home.

Posted by: zgori at April 6, 2009 2:14 PM in response to buying a flat screen TV

Whew, turns out there are a lot of people reading I guess. I'm an infrequent commenter -- maybe once or twice a week. I try not to say anything unless I have a strong opinion of something useful to add, though occasionally I can't resist taking a little bait. I don't have anything to add to what's already been said on this thread by many. But since B asked, I'll add my voice to the chorus. I find the comments reasonably useful and civil considering the nature of the internet. It's an open forum and a pretty popular one, and you're obviously going to get people who feel they have to respond to everything. I'm a good skimmer and when I stop getting stuff that interests me, I simply move on. I'm not sure ratings and ignoring features makes sense -- I tend not to use it on other sites because it's clunkier than simply scrolling and it makes the threads harder to follow.

Posted by: zgori at March 27, 2009 3:02 PM in response to Let's Talk About Commenting

>Yesterday, I saw a guy taking a piss on Jay/Smith St at the parking lot which goes from Schermerhorn to State. Granted, he was facing the lot, as opposed to facing the street, but this was 6 pm in broad daylight.

A few weeks ago I saw a guy taking a piss on York Ave and 68th St in Manhattan, also in broad daylight. Guys taking a piss are not the barometer of a neighborhood.

Posted by: zgori at March 26, 2009 12:32 PM in response to The Be@Schermerhorn Price Cuts We've Been Waiting For

If you don't use it too much the garage at Smith/Atlantic/Schermerhorn has good monthly rates but you pay $5 each time you exit. Decent deal if it's for weekends only.

We had a car for a while. Now we use zipcar for short errands (mostly Fairway) and Avis or Enterprise (both have branches nearby) for getting out of town. Expect to pay through the nose for that. On summer weekends rates can go to $120 or $150 per day and you have to plan weeks in advance. All car rental coupons have fine print that says "not valid in NY metro area." Even though it's cheaper than owning in the long-term, it causes us to question the value of every expedition.

Posted by: zgori at March 23, 2009 12:39 PM in response to BH Parking/Garage question

There used to be a secret taco bell in the Long Island College Hospital on Henry near Atlantic. Not marked from the outside. I'm not sure if it's still there though.

Posted by: zgori at March 12, 2009 4:16 PM in response to Confirmed: Arby's Planning to Take Gage & Tollner Space

I'm all for spending and for investing in infrastructure, but it's not an excuse to push through any old project. New city owned parking structures which serve primarily as free parking for government employee commuters is simply not a good use of government/stimulus dollars. (Garages that house government owned vehicles for use by government employees in the course of business I might be willing to concede, but for the most part that's not what we're talking about.) I can think of many many better ways to spend stimulus money on transportation that would benefit large segments of the population, not just an arbitrary few. Mass transit is one. How about our airports, which are so far over capacity that they snarl the entire US air network. Or, if you want to talk cars, let's discuss the Gowanus expressway, which is under endless repair because nobody will come up with the money to give it the full overhaul it needs. The point of spending in a recession is not just to hire construction works to pour any old slab of concrete, it's to invest in projects that lay the groundwork for recovery.

Anyway, you've changed the topic. A small number of civil servants may have a legitimate need to drive to work. They will need to be accommodated one way or another. For those who use it simply as a convenient means of commuting, it's not ok to create hazards in the neighborhood, and it's not ok to devote large chunks of taxpayer money.

Posted by: zgori at March 2, 2009 6:24 PM in response to Firemen, Cops, Judges Still Parking Illegally Downtown

@Sam

The city and state are facing massive deficits, the mta is threatening severe service cuts and fare increases, and you're proposing we devote money to reserved parking spaces in new structures in one of the most dense and expensive neighborhoods in the city. All so that one very specific class of commuters will grace the rest of us with the blessing of being able to use our own sidewalks and crosswalks.

Practical is not the term I would use.

This is a deeply entrenched cultural problem, yes. It would take vision and political courage to remedy, yes. But the solution itself is damn simple and doesn't cost a cent.

Posted by: zgori at March 2, 2009 4:34 PM in response to Firemen, Cops, Judges Still Parking Illegally Downtown

>Why not make civil servant sleep on little cots next to their offices?

That's not necessary. I'm happy for them to be paid fair living wages and decent benefits. I'm even happy for them to receive transit checks or whatever those things are called, just as many private employers offer. If they want to drive to work, they need to follow the rules and/or pay their own way just like everyone else.

I really don't see how this is an anti-civil-servant position.

Posted by: zgori at March 2, 2009 12:20 PM in response to Firemen, Cops, Judges Still Parking Illegally Downtown

I don't want the city spending taxpayer money building parking garages for civil servants, do you? This is an easy problem to solve -- eliminate/reduce placards and/or properly enforce their use. Any car blocking a sidewalk/crosswalk/bike lane should simply be towed, regardless of what's on the dashboard. I utterly fail to understand why this is such a difficult issue to master. If judges want to drive to work they can pay for their own parking like the rest of us.

Posted by: zgori at March 2, 2009 10:59 AM in response to Firemen, Cops, Judges Still Parking Illegally Downtown

If you're just looking to confirm visitors before you let them in, get one of those buzzers with a built-in cam that activates when people buzz. That way you get a nice closeup of their face.

Posted by: zgori at February 27, 2009 12:29 PM in response to where to put security cams

Yeah, the weight limit thing is silly. Everyone knows big dogs are easier to live near than small ones. Limiting the total number of pets to 2 or 3 is acceptable, but you have to count noses, not pounds. Limiting breeds is just inviting people to split hairs.

I don't know why this has to be a big deal. People should be allowed to have pets as long as they aren't a nuisance. If they are they should be dealt with in the same way as any other nuisance. Tenant needs to remedy it one way or another.

Banning animals from landscaped spaces is appropriate. Animals can't appreciate landscaping in the same way humans can. Their way of appreciating it interferes with ours.

Posted by: zgori at February 26, 2009 1:09 PM in response to Inside Third & Bond: Week 73

Supposedly streets that have been recently resurfaced are not supposed to be opened except for emergencies.

http://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/html/permits/protectedst.shtml

In actuality maybe just about everything is classified as an emergency though.

Posted by: zgori at January 23, 2009 1:30 PM in response to Street Construction Gives New Meaning to "Uncoordinated"

Part of what makes views of the brooklyn bridge so dramatic is the dense urban neighborhoods that embrace it on either end. Far as I can tell, this building only enhances that. (Unless of course you happen to be standing behind it, in which case that's your problem, not the rest of ours.)

Posted by: zgori at January 15, 2009 10:54 AM in response to CB2 Gives Thumbs Up to Dock Street

I have an 18 inch Meile (Miele?). It's perfect for two people. Any bigger and it would take too long to fill up and would start to get stinky. We run it about every other day. Agree with others -- the top rack for silverware is great. Also very quiet. It's a great compromise for a small kitchen, as we're happy to have the extra cabinet space made possible by a narrow machine.

Posted by: zgori at December 30, 2008 9:28 PM in response to 18 inch Dishwashers

My dog is fascinated by the vertical astroturf.

Posted by: zgori at November 21, 2008 11:35 AM in response to Development Watch: 240 Atlantic Avenue Rising

Actually I think the "gage" -- the distance between the rails -- is the same on the IRT (numbered lines) as the BMT and IND (lettered lines). The cars are wider on the lettered lines though, meaning they hang further over the edges of the rails. Numbered trains could run on lettered lines, but there would be a huge gap between the platform and the car. Lettered trains would not fit on numbered lines because of the platform and tunnel clearances, but were it not for that they could use the same tracks.

For what it's worth, I like the really old F trains with the gray floors and seats and the yellow walls. I suppose their days are numbered though if the R160s are coming.

Posted by: zgori at November 10, 2008 2:37 PM in response to New F Trains Leaving the Station

I was under the impression that work was underway to rehab this station. You can see where they have already done some wall tiling, have removed a layer of the platform floor and I think there are new lights also. Hasn't been much progress for the last several weeks though.

Posted by: zgori at October 21, 2008 2:17 PM in response to For Dowtown Brooklyn to Thrive, Bring 370 Jay to Life

How about they tear it down, dig a big hole, surround it with mangled plywood, and then abandon it for a few years. Then it will fit in with its neighbors on the SE and SW corners of that same intersection.

Posted by: zgori at October 1, 2008 5:27 PM in response to Plans for HOD Go Forward

I was thinking about this on my bike ride in to the office this morning (downtown brooklyn over manhattan bridge and up first ave) -- running the usual gauntlet of double-parked trucks, blocked bike lanes, crazy taxis, etc.

I think what we need is a new team of "elite" traffic enforcement agents who focus exclusively on issuing citations for traffic flow issues. Currently, violations are issued primarily by traffic agents who spend most of their time writing tickets for double parking, expired meters, parking in no standing zones, blocking hydrants, etc. In many cases, the ones actually causing problems for bicyclists, pedestrians and other motorists, and often creating blind spots and bottlenecks (which, in turn, endanger bicyclists and pedestrians) are vehicles which are either immune, with placards, or get their tickets dismissed en mass. Most are never ticketed anyway.

So, I propose hiring specialized, trained DOT enforcement agents charged with enforcing the rules of the roads they create -- bike lanes, bus lanes, triple-parking, crosswalks, left turns from center lanes, blocking the box, etc. Just as DOB inspectors issue citations to those who violate DOB rules. They would be classified as non-moving violations, but would carry steep, punitive fines (maybe $300 and up). They would be different color and would not be subject to the same appeal process and bulk dismissals process as parking tickets. Give these agents a device that allows them to take a date- and time-stamped picture of the violation and files it electronically with each violation. Dispatch them on foot or on bikes or scooters to patrol high-incident areas. Maybe they wouldn't need to even stop moving violators -- just photograph, enter the plate, and let the system mail a citation.

NYPD has proved time and again that enforcing road rules simply isn't a priority. DOT has no teeth. The parking ticket people, while they perform an important function, simply aren't enough of a threat. Only by creating a new agency with real authority and a mission to clean things up can any progress be made towards bringing order to the streets.

Imagine what the roads would be like if the authorities managing them had a reputation of being efficient and ruthless with violators.

Posted by: zgori at September 10, 2008 11:56 AM in response to Brooklyn's Dangerous Intersections

"On high speed roadways, bike lanes are stupid. Riding a bike in the middle of high speed traffic is asking for trouble."

Agreed. The high-speed roadway should be eliminated.

Posted by: zgori at September 9, 2008 2:31 PM in response to Brooklyn's Dangerous Intersections

Yes, yes, bikers are assholes, pedestrians don't look where they're going, etc, etc. But the reason people die is because cars don't yield when they are supposed to. They run red lights and they park in bike lanes. DOT can design streets and intersections to be as people-friendly as possible -- and frankly in this case they've done about as good a job as can be expected, with bike lanes the whole length of Adams and protected left-turn lanes with dedicated signals. But the cops don't enforce any of the rules and so chaos prevails. The bike lanes are mostly unusable (when I ride toward the bridge, I usually do so in the express lanes because the bike lane is *always* blocked in front of the Marriott and the high school). Cars speed and jockey for position and don't give way to pedestrians with a walk sign (particularly bad is the cross walk across Atlantic on the east side). Delivery trucks and placard holders park wherever they want with total immunity, creating dangerous blindspots and bottlenecks.

Frankly, the only thing that's going to change any of this is a cultural shift in the NYPD. Oh, and congestion pricing probably would have helped.

Posted by: zgori at September 9, 2008 12:00 PM in response to Brooklyn's Dangerous Intersections

I used All Star moving a few years ago and everything went smoothly. I know others who have had good experiences with them as well. See movingscam.com for what appear to be unbiased reviews and comments. They also have a thread on tipping.

Posted by: zgori at August 28, 2008 4:32 PM in response to Ballpark cost for move & tipping movers?

I like Cadman Plaza. There's a lovely three-days-a-week green market at the south end, and a newly restored park at the north that gets a lot of use by joggers, soccer players, kids, dog walkers, runners, and tourists which stumble off the bridge. It's surrounded by mostly attractive civic buildings including a post office, library and one or more branches of every possible bank. The middle section (between Johnson and Tillary?) is a bit run down and segregated from the other sections, but it wouldn't be expensive to spruce it up and connect it better.

Posted by: zgori at August 27, 2008 10:53 AM in response to Restoring Downtown Brooklyn to Its Former Grandeur

I'm no expert, but shouldn't they be pointing the water at the part that's got flames?

Posted by: zgori at August 15, 2008 12:10 PM in response to Access-A-Ride Van Burns Up on 8th Avenue

I use zipcar for certain things, like groceries or local errands, and Avis for others, like trips. Zipcar is not a car rental. It is car sharing. You have to think of it like the subway or a yellow cab -- as a form a public transportation which is made somewhat less pleasant than it could be by the rude actions of other users. Just as with those other forms of transit, it should not be counted on as 100 percent reliable. The car may not be there when it's supposed to be and may not be up to your standards. That's just the way it is.

If you need a guaranteed clean, low-mileage car waiting for you, you have to pay extra for a car rental from a (usually more) reliable company like Avis or Hertz.

And I second Fire Alarm Guy. Never, ever get out of your car on the highway. It's crazy dangerous.

Posted by: zgori at August 4, 2008 3:58 PM in response to zipcar is deceptive please read

Other Cambria Suites around the country have pretty good reviews on tripadvisor.

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Search?q=cambria+suites&sub-search=Go

Posted by: zgori at August 4, 2008 3:09 PM in response to DOB Green-Lights Cambria Suites Hotel on Schermerhorn

That parking lot is particularly ugly, even as parking lots go, and it will be nice to see it gone.

I always see this site referred to as 75 Schermerhorn, not as whatever the corresponding Livingston address would be. Does that imply the hotel will face Schermerhorn?

Posted by: zgori at August 4, 2008 2:23 PM in response to DOB Green-Lights Cambria Suites Hotel on Schermerhorn

I don't know much about plumbing code, but I think they make a charcoal filter for vent pipes that can be used if odors are a problem. My family looked into one when the neighbors complained about a septic field vent at our cottage in New Hampshire. No idea if they work or if this is an appropriate use -- just mentioning that they exist.

Posted by: zgori at July 30, 2008 3:37 PM in response to Sewer venting through roof deck

Is this across from the movie theater? Could do quite well there. Though I will note that a Ben & Jerry's around the corner on Atlantic didn't survive long.

Posted by: zgori at July 29, 2008 10:51 AM in response to Korean-Style Yogurt Pays Big Bucks for Court Street