Rose Live Music, on Grand Street just west of Marcy, is closing down.
(via Brownstoner)
Month: January 2011
The Domino Effect
The Domino Effect (Trailer) from The Domino Effect on Vimeo.
This is the trailer for a new movie by Megan Sperry, Brian Paul and Daniel Phelps. Megan and Dan doggedly followed the approval process for the Domino rezoning in 2009 and 2010, and this is a taste of what they put together.
They are about 25% of the way to meeting their kickstarter goal, which will fund the completion of the movie. A worthy cause – support them.
Williamsburg, It Is Like Rock ’n’ Roll for Kids
Well this is sure to fan the Williamsburg-is-dead flames into a full-fledged bonfire of the inanities.
Yes, the NY Times (the paper of record, whose discovery of Brooklyn clearly is not letting up) has anointed Williamsburg safe for children.
Through his living-room window, Mr. Signer can see the Domino Sugar factory and the Williamsburg Bridge, partly obscured by the steel beams of new construction — just the industrial feel he wanted.
The “steel beams of new construction”? Yes, that would be the rusted hulk of a stalled project on North 1st Street that has seen no activity for a year and a half, ever since construction workers nearly brought down a 175-year-old building next door. (They weren’t actually humming along prior to that, either.) Enjoy that view, though. Someday, that building will be completed (odds are it won’t be anything to look at) and the Domino factory and Williamsburg Bridge will obscured by the towers of the New Domino.
For an article all about raising kids in Williamsburg, it’s pretty light on the school situation. In an article all about 80 Met, Warehouse 11, The Edge and Northside Piers, there is praise for PS 132 (well east of BQE) and PS 34 (in Greenpoint), probably the two best elementary schools in North Brooklyn. But no mention of PS 84 or PS 17, the schools that most of the people interviewed would be zoned for.
It’s also interesting to hear all the developers talk up their family-sized apartments – when most of these buildings broke ground, they were focused entirely on studios and one-bedrooms.
Full disclosure: I have two kids, and I actually do think that Williamsburg is a good place to raise them. Even though the schools aren’t that great, and the ones that are pretty good are way over crowded. And even though there aren’t enough proper playgrounds or parks (yeah, Play and Miss J’s and Klub for Kidz are great in the middle of January, but come springtime, they don’t make up for one of the lowest per-capita open space ratios in the City). Hopefully these new families in the neighborhood will get involved with some of the local groups that are trying to make the neighborhood better.
Rafael Cestero Resigns as HPD Head
Going to L&M Development Partners, an affordable housing developer (locally responsible for the affordable housing at Cook Street, Northside Piers and Schaefer Landing.
Gene Kaufman Brings His Magic to the Bowery
A Walk in NY With the Ramones
Chris Stein, the Ramones and a walk in midtown, ca. 1986.
As Bob Guskind used to say, because we can.
Former Williamsburg Co-op Board President Convicted in $1.6 Million Mortgage Fraud Scheme
Fernando Maldonado was the chairman of his co-op board, until he was evicted from the building in the late 1980s. His name was never removed from the the deed of 242 South 2nd Street, so he was able to take out a mortgage on a property he hadn’t lived in in 20 years.
City to Convert Public Housing into Regional Airport Facilities
In an effort to cope with mounting budget shortfalls, the Bloomberg administration has announced that it will convert NYCHA facilities throughout the city into micro-airports. The move is seen as a direct threat to smaller area airports such as MacArthur and Newburgh, but is not expected to significantly impact flight operations at LaGuardia, Newark or Kennedy. Seen here, via Google maps, is a 737 at Bushwick Houses, ready for take off.
Crif Dogs
The L Magazine pays a visit to the new Crif Dogs (Driggs and North 7th).
Bars That Specialize in Beer
The Times is having trouble finding “a bar that specializes in beer” in Williamsburg. The Observer’s ever-helpful Matt Chaban has found one or two spots nearby. Nice job, Matt.