Month: September 2007
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Harold Leviton dies
Chances are, your (old) light switch was made in Greenpoint by Mr. Leviton (I always thought Leviton was a trade name). Leviton opened its Greenpoint factory in 1922; I have no idea if they still make anything in Brooklyn, but they have opened a large factory in China. More about Mr. Leviton at the Leviton…
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Mother Jones on the Oil Spill
Basil Seggos gets the money quote: This is a working-class community with a dirty creek in a part of Brooklyn no one really cares about, it would have perhaps been a better thing if these were river otters covered with oil. You’d have had immediate action.
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FEMA in Williamsburg
I hadn’t realized that last month’s tornado and torrential rains had done so much damage in North Brooklyn (the tornado was in far away parts of Brooklyn, not up here). Not surprising, though, given the high water tables and myriad wetlands upon which much of the neighborhood was constructed. In response, FEMA has opened a…
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Aquarium Gravel
Via Gowanus Lounge and INSIJS, we learn that the buildings at the corner of North 6th and Wythe are really not long for this world. 12 years ago or so I had friend who lived on that block, further over towards Kent (well before Galapagos or anything else). It was a wonderful, desolate block, made…
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Grand Street Is Not Cool
From the Times, a very selective walk down Grand Street. In general, some nice picks, though why they didn’t walk the extra couple of blocks and visit some of the half-dozen or so furniture stores is beyond me. They’re on the mark about Aurora, though.
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More on DEC’s Cleanup Agreement with Keyspan
A while back we posted on the DEC/Keyspan agreement to (re)cleanup for manufactured gas plant and gas storage sites in Brooklyn. The Flatbush Courier has more details on the agreement, including some not-very-appetizing information on the below-ground toxic soup left behind by these places. This certainly doesn’t do anything to discourage more theorizing about the…
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More on Industrial Retention
From the Times today, a very good piece on thriving industry in Brooklyn. The number of jobs are not incidental, even as the scale and type of manufacturing continues to change. City Planning should pay attention to NYIRN – the new industry is smaller, cleaner and far more compatible with mixed-use living. This, by the…