Month: August 2011

No Longer an Alternative

Not an Alternative, the art space/co-working venue/activist hub at 84 Havemeyer, is closing as a result of a massive rent increase. The people there have done a lot of great things, most notably (for me at least) making the community’s fight against the 2005 rezoning a hell of a lot of fun.

PS – does anyone have a copy of the singing telegram video?

Monster Island to Close

Rumour has it that Whole Foods supermarket may open a branch in its place.

New one on me – it is worth noting that the site (on the west side of Kent Avenue) is not zoned for residential use. So absent a rezoning application, it won’t be a condo. But as far as I know, retail (or hotel, restaurant, club, etc.) are all as-of-right uses.

Monster Island will be holding a farewell block party on Saturday, 10 September.

Hurricane Irene

08/25/2011 | 2 Comments

The exact track of Hurricane Irene is still a big unknown, but it sure is looking likely that it will dump a lot of wind and water on NYC come Sunday or Monday (or both). The latest tracking (taken with a big grain of salt) even have the eye of the storm going along the Queens/Nassau border.

irene-map.png

Source: NYC Office of Emergency Management

So it seems like a good time to dust off this map and remind people in North Brooklyn that a lot of us live in flood-prone areas (you can download the full map here). The areas in orange “face the highest risk of flooding from a hurricane’s storm surge”, and include all low-lying coastal areas. The areas in yellow (which includes just about all of Greenpoint, the industrial areas of East Williamsburg, and parts of South Williamsburg) “may experience storm surge flooding from a MODERATE (Category 2 and higher) hurricane”. Areas in green (mostly on the Northside and just in on the Williamsburg waterfront) “may experience storm surge flooding from a MAJOR (Category 3 & 4) hurricane” making a more or less direct hit on the NYC (“unlikely” according to the City). The areas in white (the Southside and East Williamsburg residential areas) are unlikely to see any storm surge flooding.

You can find exactly which zone you are in – and where the nearest evacuation center is – here, and you can find the City’s Hurricane Guide here.

MTA Has 99 Problems, But J/Z Ain’t One

Ha ha – the Wall Street Journal made a funny. Get it – J/Z, 99 problems? Collect yourself.

The news behind the very hip headline is big, though – Straphangers Campaign has rated the J/Z the best line in the subway system. No argument from me there – it’s usually not too crowded, runs pretty frequently and regularly, and as a bonus, gets sunlight most of the way. (Too bad the Journal’s photographer couldn’t be bothered to go beyond Broad Street – she might have seen the “pleasant East River views” and “scenic above-ground run in Brooklyn”).

Amazingly, the L line tied for 5th place (out of 20) in the survey. But – no surprise – the L is more crowded than average.