Category: Linked

From the Times, we learn that the Health Department is just now figuring out that when the cat’s away, the mice will play.

Years ago, I worked in a bar in Manhattan (one that did not serve food). The Health Department cited us for having a cat – multiple times. So rather than keep racking up fines, we got rid of the cat (he wound up living a comfortable life in North Carolina).

Within a month, we had rats. Big rats. The kind of rats that would think nothing of running across a crowded barroom floor. We hired an exterminator, who did manage to kill some rats. Unfortunately, the rats crawled into the ceilings and other nooks to die. And decompose. And smell.

So eventually, we got another cat. Two kittens, in fact. Together, they were about half the size of our average rat, but within a matter of days, the rats were gone. Basically, on smell alone, the rats vacated.

So, yeah, I can pretty much back this up: “[the Health Department] did concede that some studies have shown that the smell of cats will keep mice away.”

(Side note – someone actually stole one of our kittens.)

If 311 isn’t getting results, your building is moving and cracks are developing, it might be wise to call 911. You might want to get your possessions in order first, though, as its quite possible that when the DOB engineers finally do show up, you’ll have about 5 minutes to vacate.

Yes, this is seriously f-d up. As, it seems, is everything that involves 311 and DOB these days.

Also noted by i’mnotsaying, the City is installing a traffic light at Bedford and North 6th. That will make two lights in a row, one at North 6th and one at North 7th.

New traffic lights are also going up at Driggs and North 6th (also creating two lights in a row), Bedford and North 12th (at the Turkey’s Nest corner), and Frost and Graham.

Probably necessary – the number of clueless peds on Bedford (the kind who step into the street looking the other way) has been rising for the past few years, as has the number of clueless drivers (the kind who stop at every intersection, regardless of whether or not there is a stop sign).

i’mnotsaying has an incredible photo set from behind the construction fence at Northside Piers. In addition to this shot, there is a great shot of NP and the Austin, Nichols building. There is also ample evidence that there is an esplanade under construction (or at least the bulkhead for an esplanade).

(via Curbed)

Jason Sheftell, writing in the Daily News:

I’m not a Williamsburg fan. I think it’s a failed living experiment where the community board, the city and real estate developers poorly anticipated the area’s potential and rushed to build as opposed to carefully thinking out what to build. Some of the new construction condominiums are so ugly they look as if little children have placed rectangular and curved blocks on top of each other.

I’ll grant him the “failed experiment”, but the community (and community board) did not support the rezoning as it was enacted. If you look back 10 or 15 years to the 197-a plans that the community prepared for Williamsburg (and Greenpoint), the vision there was a lot different than the rezoning we got.

Likewise, Greenpoint has more than its share of ugly new condominiums (hell, Miss Heather has developed a whole cottage industry based on the Belvedere franchise of ugliness). And if you think “Greenpoint’s charm lies in its low-slung homes made of wood”, take a lot of pictures now, because Karl Fischer and company are on the loose there as well.

Lastly, if your idea of tranquility is Manhattan Avenue between Nassau and Greenpoint, you need to readjust your Zen.

Miss Heather thinks the new Karl Fischer building on Bedford and South 4th is too tall – in fact its (probably) about right – but its a lot taller than Heather thinks. While the rendering leads one to believe this is a 3 or 4 story building, its actually 5 or 6 very tall stories. Given the context – with a 6-story tenement on one side and 7-story loft on the other – that height is probably about right.

In this case, its not the building that’s too tall, its the context that is too short.

Via GowanusLounge, it looks that school grading is beginning to have an effect. Wonder if “John” is zoned for 84 or 17?

Speaking of Rudy, this is despicable (even by his non-existent standards).

Test your knowledge.

Duh.

But – expect another mad flurry of foundation pouring between now and June, as developers race to get grandfathered under the old (and far more lucrative) rules. Then we’ll see if the new rules result in an upsurge of affordable housing or a downward adjustment on new condo prices. Being a pessimist, I’d bet on the latter.