Wishing a Merry Christmas and a Happy Feast of the Seven Fishes to all the Italians out there!
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Thursday, December 24, 2009
Ode to the G Train
Pretty funny post over at Scallywag & Vagabond entitled "Observations on the G Train". The relevant parts for Carroll Gardens are:
"The platform sign in front of me says Carroll Gardens and by the sight of the slightly vexed yuppies (vexed because they are yuppies supposedly forced to live in this part of town…) I can tell that everyone manages to take showers before they set out in the mornings and even dare to color coordinate the occasional dress or shirt. They stand there before me, lawyers, yoga aficionados and the usual cafe latte drinkers that they all purport to be. Everyone is apparently well behaved, dressed and mindful to never look one another in the eye (an unsaid law in the NY subway system). As soon as the train pulls in they are respectful, obliging and even mindful of not taking up too much space."
"The platform sign in front of me says Carroll Gardens and by the sight of the slightly vexed yuppies (vexed because they are yuppies supposedly forced to live in this part of town…) I can tell that everyone manages to take showers before they set out in the mornings and even dare to color coordinate the occasional dress or shirt. They stand there before me, lawyers, yoga aficionados and the usual cafe latte drinkers that they all purport to be. Everyone is apparently well behaved, dressed and mindful to never look one another in the eye (an unsaid law in the NY subway system). As soon as the train pulls in they are respectful, obliging and even mindful of not taking up too much space."
Scrooge Visits Brooklyn
For a good laugh, head on over to the Daily News for a really funny Denis Hamill envisioning of Scrooge in Modern Brooklyn. The relevant parts are:
"Scrooge marries Mrs. Dilber because she's with his child. When the baby's born, Ebenezer names him after his old partner, Jacob.
Then Jake Scrooge 1st has a son, Jake 2nd, who starts working in the old man's shop. Jake Scrooge 2nd does a 20th century inventory and realizes that his father and grandfather are literally giving away the store to the Tiny Tim cripples and Oliver Twist orphans of London. He has a son, Jake 3rd.
Jake 3rd places Ebenezer and Jacob in a conservatorship, takes over the shop, downsizes, then emigrates to Park Slope, where he buys up most of the rent-stabilized apartment buildings and fathers an in-vitro son, Jacob Scrooge 4th, who opens Le Parc Scrooge Realty on Seventh Ave. during the 1990s real estate boom.
Scrooge 4th starts gentrifying out all the "old hardcore Brooklynites," converting the working-family-friendly properties to million-dollar condos for Wall Street yuppies, Manhattan movie stars and literati who have declared Brooklyn the new Greenwich Village, a great place to displace working people, for nannies to raise your kids and to rant against Atlantic Yards."
"Scrooge marries Mrs. Dilber because she's with his child. When the baby's born, Ebenezer names him after his old partner, Jacob.
Then Jake Scrooge 1st has a son, Jake 2nd, who starts working in the old man's shop. Jake Scrooge 2nd does a 20th century inventory and realizes that his father and grandfather are literally giving away the store to the Tiny Tim cripples and Oliver Twist orphans of London. He has a son, Jake 3rd. Jake 3rd places Ebenezer and Jacob in a conservatorship, takes over the shop, downsizes, then emigrates to Park Slope, where he buys up most of the rent-stabilized apartment buildings and fathers an in-vitro son, Jacob Scrooge 4th, who opens Le Parc Scrooge Realty on Seventh Ave. during the 1990s real estate boom.
Scrooge 4th starts gentrifying out all the "old hardcore Brooklynites," converting the working-family-friendly properties to million-dollar condos for Wall Street yuppies, Manhattan movie stars and literati who have declared Brooklyn the new Greenwich Village, a great place to displace working people, for nannies to raise your kids and to rant against Atlantic Yards."
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Brownstoner Reviews Frank's
Head on over to Brownstoner for a review of a somewhat surprising Carroll Gardens institution: Frank's Luncheonette. I think they nailed it:
"Five bucks goes a long way here. You can spend it on two eggs, sausage, toast and home fries; a plate of homemade pancakes with ham on the side; a chicken parm hero; or a deluxe burger with bacon (add cheese for another fifty cents). For no additional fee, somebody will probably call you "sweetie," and if you can snag one of the few seats, you'll probably overhear some good jokes -- but they won't sound as good if you retell them without a Brooklyn accent."
While the Brownstone reviewer was kind and honest, hitting the high points, I doubt that the Brownstoner comments will be as kind, if their musings on Vinny's are any indication.
"Five bucks goes a long way here. You can spend it on two eggs, sausage, toast and home fries; a plate of homemade pancakes with ham on the side; a chicken parm hero; or a deluxe burger with bacon (add cheese for another fifty cents). For no additional fee, somebody will probably call you "sweetie," and if you can snag one of the few seats, you'll probably overhear some good jokes -- but they won't sound as good if you retell them without a Brooklyn accent."While the Brownstone reviewer was kind and honest, hitting the high points, I doubt that the Brownstoner comments will be as kind, if their musings on Vinny's are any indication.
Recycle Your Christmas Tree at Cobble Hill Park
Form the Parks and Recreation Department comes good news for those looking to keep their thumbs green during the holiday season - Mulchfest!:Saturday, January 9 and Sunday, January 10, 10 am – 2 pm. Wreaths and garlands cannot be accepted. Please remove lights and decorations. No artificial trees!
Cobble Hill Park: Clinton Street and Verandah Place
Prospect Park: Prospect Park West and 3rd Street
Coffey Park: Dwight Street and Verona Place
Red Hook Farm/Added Value: Columbia and Halleck Streets
Trees will not be accepted after the scheduled times.
Sponsored in part by: Cobble Hill Tree Fund, Cobble Hill Association, Friends of Cobble Hill Park, & Boy Scout Troops 213 & 815
CHTreefund.org
State Court Deals a Blow to Atlantic Yards Opposition
News of another legal hurdle cleared by the Atlantic Yards/Ratner Development. Looks like clearing and Eminent Domain will start fairly soon. From the Brooklyn Paper:
"The suit, filed by panoply of elected officials and opposition groups, claimed that the Metropolitan Transportation Authority broke a state law that was passed in the wake of Atlantic Yards to curb abuses by state authorities through stricter transparency and ethics guidelines.
The plaintiffs pointed to the fact that the MTA renegotiated the deal with Ratner this summer, getting just $20 million up front instead of the $100 million originally promised. At the time, the transit agency did not seek new bids for its eight-acre train yard at the heart of the proposed arena, housing and commercial development.
But state Supreme Court judges did not agree with project opponents, ruling last Wednesday that the renegotiated deal did not warrant restarting the bidding process."
Looks like the Ratner/MTA Express will be arriving at Atlantic Terminal. Opposition will of course continue, but with the recent successful bond sales and legal setbacks, it looks like the development will proceed.
For more, head on over to Develop, Don't Destroy Brooklyn.
"The suit, filed by panoply of elected officials and opposition groups, claimed that the Metropolitan Transportation Authority broke a state law that was passed in the wake of Atlantic Yards to curb abuses by state authorities through stricter transparency and ethics guidelines.
The plaintiffs pointed to the fact that the MTA renegotiated the deal with Ratner this summer, getting just $20 million up front instead of the $100 million originally promised. At the time, the transit agency did not seek new bids for its eight-acre train yard at the heart of the proposed arena, housing and commercial development.But state Supreme Court judges did not agree with project opponents, ruling last Wednesday that the renegotiated deal did not warrant restarting the bidding process."
Looks like the Ratner/MTA Express will be arriving at Atlantic Terminal. Opposition will of course continue, but with the recent successful bond sales and legal setbacks, it looks like the development will proceed.
For more, head on over to Develop, Don't Destroy Brooklyn.
303 Bond Street Theater Putting on an Interesting Show
A relatively newer performance space in the neighborhood, at 303 Bond Street, and, aptly named, The 303 Bond Street Theater, is putting on an interesting sounding show for the Holiday Season. According to Short and Sweet NYC:
Sex and decadence abound in Brooklyn’s Le Serpent Rouge!, a wonderfully theatrical and somewhat sensational retelling of the story of Adam & Eve through dance by Company XIV. Choreographer Austin McCormick assembles five eclectic performers dressed sometimes only in pasties or a thong (and occasionally less) to reenact the story of man’s fall from grace with a comical, if not feminist edge, and a hip amalgam of pop culture reference.
For more information visit CompanyXIV.com.
Sex and decadence abound in Brooklyn’s Le Serpent Rouge!, a wonderfully theatrical and somewhat sensational retelling of the story of Adam & Eve through dance by Company XIV. Choreographer Austin McCormick assembles five eclectic performers dressed sometimes only in pasties or a thong (and occasionally less) to reenact the story of man’s fall from grace with a comical, if not feminist edge, and a hip amalgam of pop culture reference.
For more information visit CompanyXIV.com.
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Red Hook is Solar Car Ground Zero
Brought to you in an old shipping container in Red Hook comes New York's first electric vehicle (EV) charging station, and this one uses a battery bank that stores solar energy to charge the cars. From In Habitat:
Located on an industrial lot near the Beautiful Earth’s headquarters overlooking downtown Manhattan, the off-grid, modular station is constructed of recycled steel shipping containers and powered solely by 235 watt photovoltaic panels. The car that is currently being charged at the station is a 100% electric BMW MINI E, and is now one of the few cars in the world to run exclusively on solar power. The vehicle has a range of just over 100 miles and takes about 3 hours to charge.
Check out the company running this amazing setup at www.beautifulearthgroup.com.
No car is really "green" and we need to get away from the mentality that our future transportation option are based around the car. Also, EV charging stations in Red Hook, which itself is out of the way for the majority of New Yorkers, will have limited use and application in building a charging station network, which is the real hold up for EVs.
Having said that, this is probably a step in the right direction in demonstrating that solar power is feasible for charging applications and (possibly) as cost-efficient as other powering methods.
Located on an industrial lot near the Beautiful Earth’s headquarters overlooking downtown Manhattan, the off-grid, modular station is constructed of recycled steel shipping containers and powered solely by 235 watt photovoltaic panels. The car that is currently being charged at the station is a 100% electric BMW MINI E, and is now one of the few cars in the world to run exclusively on solar power. The vehicle has a range of just over 100 miles and takes about 3 hours to charge. Check out the company running this amazing setup at www.beautifulearthgroup.com.
No car is really "green" and we need to get away from the mentality that our future transportation option are based around the car. Also, EV charging stations in Red Hook, which itself is out of the way for the majority of New Yorkers, will have limited use and application in building a charging station network, which is the real hold up for EVs.
Having said that, this is probably a step in the right direction in demonstrating that solar power is feasible for charging applications and (possibly) as cost-efficient as other powering methods.
Carroll Gardens Native Named New Fire Commisioner
Monday, December 21, 2009
Shocking! Marty Markowitz Comes to Defense of Brooklyn!
This is going to be hard to process, so hold on to your seats. According to the Brooklyn Eagle, Borough President (and new homeowner) Marty Markowitz has weighed in on the MTA's proposed service cuts, which are necessary to close a $400 million budget gap:
“In Brooklyn, the elimination of the Z subway service [forcing the J line to run local], the closing of the Lawrence Street station overnight along the R line, changes to the G and M lines in Brooklyn and Queens, drastic reductions in regular bus service ... and reductions in Access-a-Ride will add up to a disproportionate burden from Brooklynites.”
I know, take a moment to process that. So shocking to hear Marty stand up for our borough!
“In Brooklyn, the elimination of the Z subway service [forcing the J line to run local], the closing of the Lawrence Street station overnight along the R line, changes to the G and M lines in Brooklyn and Queens, drastic reductions in regular bus service ... and reductions in Access-a-Ride will add up to a disproportionate burden from Brooklynites.”I know, take a moment to process that. So shocking to hear Marty stand up for our borough!
CGNA General Meeting - Monday, December 21st (Tonight!)
From the Carroll Gardens Neighborhood Association:
7:00pm-9:00pm
Hannah Senesh Community Day School Gym
324 Smith St
Agenda:
Dr. Peter Wood, LICH ED Director, Update from 76th Precinct, Updates from local elected officials/representatives
Reports from CGNA Committees: Land Use/Landmarks, Transportation, Health and Hospitals, Parks
Hannah Senesh Community Day School Gym
324 Smith St
Agenda:
Dr. Peter Wood, LICH ED Director, Update from 76th Precinct, Updates from local elected officials/representatives
Reports from CGNA Committees: Land Use/Landmarks, Transportation, Health and Hospitals, Parks
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Third Street Block Association Holiday Caroling
Every year, the Third Street Block Association (from Smith Street to the Canal) gets together and sings Christmas/Chanukah/Kwanza/Non-Denominational carols for all on the block. Here is an interesting composition called "Matzah Balls".
UPDATE: Union Market at Old Blockbuster on Court Street
Update: According to Pardon Me For Asking and Cobble Hill Blog, Union Market's Court Street location will open on Tuesday, December 22nd, due to the weather conditions.
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