Month: September 2012

Court Nixes Domino Suit

One of Isaac Katan’s two suits seeking to block the sale of the Domino site to Two Trees has been thrown out.

In the decision on Friday, the Supreme Court of the State of New York, Kings County dismissed Katan’s suit against CPC for, among other things, “breach of contract, breach of the implied covenant of good faith.” According to court documents, the decision was based on the fact that Katan “did not have right of first refusal on the property, a contract provision that was not a part of the second operating agreement.”

Why You Hate Cyclists

I’m an asshole cyclist. I’m that jerk weaving in and out of traffic, going the wrong way down a one-way street, and making a left on red. I’m truly a menace on the road.

But it’s not because I’m on a bike—I’m an asshole on the road no matter what. I’m also a stereotypical Jersey driver, someone who treats speed limits as speed minimums and curses those who disagree. And I’m just as bad as a pedestrian, another jaywalking smartphone zombie oblivious to the world beyond my glowing screen. If I’m moving, I’m an accident waiting to happen.

Inductive fallacies, affect heuristics and assholes from Philly. Good stuff.

Olechowski on Top?

09/24/2012 | Comment

After all the votes were counted last Friday, it appeared that Lincoln Restler had eked out a narrow victory (53 votes out 11,000 or so cast). But nothing is simple in the 50th AD’s District Leader race – there are now reports of an 80-vote discrepancy at one polling place on Kent Avenue. Depending on which memory stick is used (the master or the backup), challenger Chris Olechowski could be up by 31 votes.

Either way, there will be a recount, as mandated in such a narrow margin.

Restler On Top

09/22/2012 | Comment

I have not seen any official results1, but incumbent Lincoln Restler says that the final tally in the 50th AD District Leader2 has him up by 53 votes over challenger Chris Olechowski. Lincoln had been down by 51 votes (out of about 13,000 cast) in the machine tally, so the absentee ballots apparently put him over the top. If the 53 vote margin holds (a recount is a distinct possibility), it represents an even closer margin of victory than his 121-vote 2010 victory. Given all the attention that has been paid to this race, the 53-vote margin would be an even bigger win.

1. If anyone has the numbers, particularly broken down by ED, please email me.↩

2. A Democratic party position with absolutely no legislative or executive power and virtually no real responsibility.↩

Corner Store: 1937

09/15/2012 | Comment

1028 third ave

1028 Third Avenue, 1937
Photo: via Shorpy

Great Shorpy photo of an Italian grocery on Third Avenue, circa 1937 (as always with Shorpy, click through to see the high resolution version in all its glory). The building still stands, stripped of its decoration and given the dreaded styrofoam stucco treatment (in sea foam green, no less).


1028 today

1028 Third Avenue, 2012
Photo: Google street views


Hoping to Lure Riders With Scenic Commutes

Even at the start of the 5 p.m. rush hour, the commuters getting off and on [at India Street] could be counted on one hand. Though the numbers are more robust during the morning rush hours — on Monday, 14 people caught the 8:39 ferry to Pier 11 near Wall Street and 21 caught the 8:40 to East 34th Street — they still raise questions about the popularity and profitability of the service as a whole. The ferries can hold 149 passengers.

Anecdotally (which is the best this article can muster too), the number of people getting on the ferry at North 6th Street every morning (going in either direction) is certainly much higher, and the number of passengers at the end of the day at Wall Street is as well. Most boats that I ride are comfortably crowded – not packed, and not at capacity, but they sure don’t feel like ghost ships.

It is not news that the ferry requires subsidies to survive, and that the ferry “functions especially well for residents of Brooklyn and Queens who [like me] live a short walk from the ferry and have jobs or attend schools near the ferry’s two stops in Manhattan” and don’t have to pay two fares.

It is also not news that the ferry is a very nice way to commute (and, if you can afford it, well worth the extra $1.75 each way to avoid the subway at rush hour).

Daily News Endorses Otaño

Speaking of politics, the Daily News happens to think very highly of Jason Otaño (as do I):

Jason Otaño resigned as counsel to Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz to take on incumbent state Sen. Martin Dilan, an undistinguished soldier of scandal-scarred county Democratic boss Vito Lopez. Otaño, who lives in Southside, has support among community groups independent of the Lopez empire.

Vote for Lincoln

09/12/2012 | Comment

Even though I write about local politics fairly often, I don’t do endorsements very often. But Lincoln Restler is someone who I think you should vote for – he has taken a do-nothing political party position and used it as a platform for doing a lot of good things for Fort Greene, Williamsburg and Greenpoint.

I happen to think that politicians who are hard working and effective deserve reelection, and that is why I will be voting for Lincoln. I have the benefit of knowing both Lincoln and his opponent, Chris Olechowski, very well, and in this case, I feel very strongly that Lincoln is the best man for the job. As I said, this is a political position (not a legislative one), and if the politics of reform are important to you, you’re probably voting for him anyhow. But for me, the most important thing about Lincoln is that he has done a lot of good with this position, and for that, we should keep him around for another two years.

The election is tomorrow, Thursday (yes, Thursday) September 13th. It is a primary election, and there are a number of other important contests. You should vote – for someone.