From the Times, a very selective walk down Grand Street. In general, some nice picks, though why they didn’t walk the extra couple of blocks and visit some of the half-dozen or so furniture stores is beyond me.
They’re on the mark about Aurora, though.
A while back we posted on the DEC/Keyspan agreement to (re)cleanup for manufactured gas plant and gas storage sites in Brooklyn. The Flatbush Courier has more details on the agreement, including some not-very-appetizing information on the below-ground toxic soup left behind by these places. This certainly doesn’t do anything to discourage more theorizing about the Roebling Oil Field and its neighbors.
From the Times today, a very good piece on thriving industry in Brooklyn. The number of jobs are not incidental, even as the scale and type of manufacturing continues to change. City Planning should pay attention to NYIRN – the new industry is smaller, cleaner and far more compatible with mixed-use living.
This, by the way, is not a good sign for industries looking for long-term stability:
I still have three years [on my lease],” Mr. Angel added. “We’re hoping the real estate market will crash.
Greenpoint Manufacturing & Design Center does great work. Their latest project is further proof that industry is alive and well in north Brooklyn (and could be even better off with a modern industrial policy).
Gowanus Lounge first put out the news about the impending dislocation of the Gowanus Nursery. The nursery is currently in Red Hook, on a street that may be rezoned for residential use. If it does get rezoned, expect them to be out of a home at about the time you’ll be looking for plants for the new season (next May).
The Gowanus Nursery is a great place. We’ve been going there for all the years that they have been open (originally in Gowanus), and its the kind of place that makes NYC special. On the other hand, their business model is predicated on taking advantage of underdeveloped land, as close as possible to upscale residential neighborhoods. In that respect, they are in the same boat as Chelsea Gardens, which has had locations in Chelsea (multiple locations), the Bowery, Red Hook, Hudson Yards, etc.
Still, any business needs stability to thrive. And right now, businesses that rely on manufacturing land in North or South Brooklyn have anything but stability in their lives. I hope they find a location where they can continue to thrive beyond a one-year lease.
From The Daily News: Emergency calls to 911 are up 300% in North Brooklyn; construction complaints to 311 are up a similar number; DOB is issuing 50,000 violations a year citywide, 5,000 stop work orders.
The DOB says:
The fact that we have been out there issuing violations shows our enforcement initiatives are working.
No, this shows that large numbers of contractors and developers don’t give a shit about your rules. No one has to look very hard to find unsafe buildings sites.
Via Curbed, a new entry into the Domino alternative field. This one highlights the Tate Modern, as well as a host of other highly successful cultural institutions that have transformed former industrial sites as part of their success.
The highlighting of Tate is somehow appropriate here – Henry Tate made his fortune in the sugar business, and the successor to his firm, Tate & Lyle, went on to acquire Domino Sugar in 1988 (and sold the brand to the Fanjul family in 2001). It was under Tate & Lyle’s watch that the Brooklyn plant endured three strikes, the longest of which ran from 1999 to 2001, and was effectively the death knell for the Williamsburg plant.
The Brooklyn Eagle is shocked to discover that there is a lot of development planned for the Williamsburg waterfront:
The city has been warned, but maybe it hasn’t paid attention to the three developments — all announced at different times, all approved at different times. A model maker, just from the information recorded in this column, could build a physical rendering of this new South Beach for all to see. Is this what we want? Is this good public policy, or — in truth — no public policy at all?
Here’s some news for the Brooklyn Eagle:
Daily News:
Brooklyn hospitals led the city in malpractice payouts last year, with Kings County Hospital paying a whopping $33.6 million in claims, according to a report issued yesterday.
Two other municipal hospitals, Woodhull Hospital and Coney Island Hospital, shelled out millions in malpractice claims – even as the total cost of claims to the city plunged by 10%.
In my one Brooklyn ambulance experience, the paramedics asked me which hospital I wanted to go to. After determining that Manhattan was off limits, I asked them where they would go. That’s how I wound up at the emergency room at Long Island College Hospital (LICH, on Atlantic and Hicks). If you are a trauma case, you don’t get a choice, but if you do get a choice, don’t go to Woodhull.
Hamptons.com:
Owner of Triple Crown, a funky hip hop spot in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, Popalardo feels that music can break down barriers and create an environment where people can not only have fun but celebrate music that empowers and inspires.
If, by breaking down barriers, you mean being one of the worst neighbors in Williamsburg, yes, that is Triple Crown.
