BQE Neighbors Sound Off
There’ve been lots of fancy pie-in-the-sky ideas floated since talk began a couple of years ago about addressing the BQE trench that guts Carroll Gardens and Cobble Hill, but it turns out that the thing residents care most about is reducing traffic noise. At least that’s the take-away from the May 4 workshop held by…
There’ve been lots of fancy pie-in-the-sky ideas floated since talk began a couple of years ago about addressing the BQE trench that guts Carroll Gardens and Cobble Hill, but it turns out that the thing residents care most about is reducing traffic noise. At least that’s the take-away from the May 4 workshop held by the NYC Economic Development Corporation. The 61 attendees were asked to respond to a bunch of images from similar projects in other cities like Amsterdam, Pittsburgh and Cape Town. “The highest number of positive comments were posted on images showing green walls, particularly those that also serve as noise barriers,” according to a summary document released yesterday. “In general, participants seemed to dislike barrier structures, whether glass or concrete, that did not have any landscape feature on them.” You can see the presentation materials here and the post-game analysis here. A follow-up workshop will be held in July.
BQE Enhancement Project [NYC EDC]
Backyard garden: A
Food: (2x eating) a solid B depending
Price/Value: C+ (You can get stuffed at Calexico and savor every bite for much less). Lower priced specials will keep a local base coming back when business slows.
Ambience: C those overly bright beer signs at the bar and the white light in the hall make you want to run out! -so don’t be looking to get cozy in the front space. Sugar Lounge down the street has that covered!
Advice: make your money now and market to $ on the other side of the BQE. This will save you when the season dries up this fall and Columbia Street becomes totally and I mean totally dead until the spring.
Good luck 5B. Know you market, evolve and you will be a winner.
I lived on Hicks/Kane for about 5-6 yrs, had to look down at the highway from my window. I always thought the best action would be to cover it from the LICH down to around Summit where it comes above ground again. Would be great if you could build a nice long walking park over the space. Pie in the sky for sure, too expesnive. But if they could do anything that would be the best option.
“Wouldn’t the entire strip of Brooklyn from Queens to the Brooklyn Bridge be better served by some of this noise abatement and greening than the part of town where the BQE is already sunk in a trench?”
— no, this is wealthier area and deserves noise reduction first.
Noise is an epidemic in the city.
I hope we’ll start addressing this issue more seriously.
(An easy way to start is to curtail the “public service” announcements I have to hear ad infinitum on the 4 and 5 trains).
How about covering the sunken BQE?
Wouldn’t the entire strip of Brooklyn from Queens to the Brooklyn Bridge be better served by some of this noise abatement and greening than the part of town where the BQE is already sunk in a trench?
Brownie – can we get a Case-Killa thread today? Please? Pretty please?
***Bid half off peak comps***
NY State is bankrupt
NYC is deep in the hole
FEDS have massive budget issues.
I’m not sure where the money to make peoples’ condos slightly prettier is going to come from