Author: linked

Still no GL, so as a public service, here is some of the local news from the internets. First off, Metropolitan Cinema swears they’ll be open by the Spring of ’09. I’ll believe it when I see it – this is the second slowest project in the area (the slowest is 80 Metropolitan, which despite having a small army working six days a week, every week, is moving verrry sloooowly).
[via Curbed]

Gentrification and, more importantly, Poland’s entry into the European Union are changing Greenpoint.

The Brooklyn Paper takes a thoughtful and fairly comprehensive look at the conflicts between cars, bikes and pedestrians. Hyperbole aside, the addition of bike lanes does complicate traffic – where do trucks making local deliveries stop? Where do cars park during alternate side cleaning times? These are all solvable problems, but the solution is clearly not as simple as painting bike lanes on the street (nor is it as simple as erasing those same lines).

It was probably a simple misunderstanding, but McCain’s campaign is hell bent on turning it into an international incident.
John McCain would rather destroy a relationship with a NATO ally than lose the election.

Richard Cohen of the Washington Post is the latest member of the media elite to have the scales fall from his eyes. And its not pretty:
– “[McCain] has become the sort of politician he once despised”
– “McCain has turned ugly”
– “He means to win, which is all right; he means to win at all costs, which is not.”
– “McCain lied about his lying…”
– “John McCain is both [a farce and a tragedy].”

It was almost exactly two years ago that Chris Matthews said “The press loves McCain. We’re his base.”. McCain spent a lifetime building up that base. In three weeks, he has lost them.
Expect a heartfelt apology any moment now.

Hopefully this is the last word.

Speaking of the bike lane tempest, on Tuesday, a bicyclist was hit by a Northside Car Service driver on Kent Avenue. The rider suffered some injuries, but none of them life threatening. This happened the day after a number of Hasidic reps on CB1 complained about the proliferation of bike lanes in the neighborhood, and called into the question the need for bike lanes (a greenway, actually) on Kent Avenue.

Its been no secret that the Hasidim in South Williamsburg hate the bike lanes. There have been complaints since the moment the paint hit the asphalt. But now, they have hit on an incredibly misguided line of attack in hopes of ridding their neighborhood of bike lanes – modesty. Yes, according to this Post article, the Hasids are now complaining about the immodest attire of the bikers riding through their neighborhood.
Lets get one thing straight here – we are talking about people riding bicycles on public streets. The Hasidim have every right to be offended, but the bikers also have every right to ride on those bike lanes (or even to ride on those streets absent bike lanes).
Lets get another thing straight – in the year or two of complaining about bike lanes in South Williamsburg, most recently this past Monday at CB1, all of the complaints have been about parking and congestion. Basically, the bike lanes eliminate the availability of (illegal) double parking, and cause traffic to stop behind buses. Even the safety issue (bicyclists riding through red lights) is a new line of attack (and at least a plausibly legitimate one, though not a reason to eliminate bike lines).
By the way, for a more humorous take on this tempest, check out Williamsburg is Dead. Oh, and Curbed is up to 121 comments.

Urban Rustic is setting up a food cart in that sliver of McCarren Park between the dog run and Greendome. As part of the deal, they are also donating tables and umbrellas. I suppose some might lament the privatization of public space, but this looks like a win – Greendome is one of the best things in the neighborhood, and the dog run is an important asset (and social center), but the area between the two is largely dead space. This will change that.

With all due respect, stay retired.