Month: September 2007
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Its Huge
Like its big brother to the north, the Roebling Oil Field keeps getting bigger and bigger. My money is still on the creek as the carrier.
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The Silicon Valley of Its Day
From Modern Guitars, an interview with Fred Gretsch, the fourth generation owner of the Gretsch Guitar Co. Gretsch’s uncle sold the company to Baldwin Pianos in 1967, and apparently the Gretsch marque went downhill fast. So bad that in 1979 Gretsch stopped making guitars. Fred Gretsch was able to buy back the company when Baldwin…
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The Mayor Is Coming
Mayor Bloomberg and his Commissioners are holding a town hall meeting in Greenpoint this coming Thursday, 4 October, at 7:00 PM. The meeting will include an opportunity to ask the Mayor questions about issues affecting Greenpoint, and hopefully to get some answers. This is a once-in-an-administration opportunity for the community to get its key issues…
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About
This site is mostly about the north Brooklyn neighborhoods of Williamsburg, Greenpoint and Bushwick (11211, 11249 and 11222), and about issues of development, land use, design and construction ongoing in these neighborhoods and elsewhere. Comments are always on for articles, off for linked items.
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Andrew Cusack hates Architects
Actually, he hates Renzo Piano’s Morgan Library addition, a project I happen to like very much (and yes, had a hand in). I don’t know that it would make a difference to Mr. Cusack, but there are a few key points on which he is mistaken. Beyond that, he is certainly entitled to his opinion.…
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Black Mayonnaise
With all the recent press on the Greenpoint Oil Spill (its bigger!), this article is a bit out of date, but wonderful nonetheless. Author Julie Leiblach won a much-deserved award from the Society of Environmental Journalists for the article.
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Yassky, Katz & Felder, Oh My
We learn from the Sun that David Yassky has joined Melinda Katz, Simcha Felder and David Weprin in the race for New York City Comptroller. Hmm, Yassky, Katz & Felder – where have we heard of these three musketeers before? Oh yeah. I guess Weprin has the city’s preservation vote pretty well locked up.
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Guttman Trashes Massachusetts
Somehow I don’t think $6,000 is a “substantial” fine for Joshua Guttman or many other developers. Probably works out to be a bargain, given the cost of actually disposing of asbestos in a safe and legal manner. (Thanks, Laura H.)
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Nothing Like Soho
The Brooklyn Eagle fluffs for Tahoe Development: Regarding the influx of new people to their buildings, he is noticing that they are from all over the Midwest, but mostly from Manhattan and a majority of them are students whose parents are helping them. “There’s a lot of diversity,” he said. “They’re all meeting in college…
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Complaining to DOB
In terms of quality of life issues, one of the really stupid things about DOB’s BIS system is that IT DOES NOT TRACK WEEKEND PERMITS. There is an assistant commissioner who keeps a spreadsheet of weekend variance applications and permits, but you won’t find the information online. So if you want to know if the…