Biking's out, sledding's in
Cross country skiing on Henry Street. Snow plows stuck on Degraw. Cars piled in drifts. It’s all a little crazy.
According to Mayor Mike Bloomberg’s statement today, South Brooklyn and Staten Island were the most greatly effected by Sunday’s snow dump and the city’s inability to get it all plowed away, thanks to our small cozy streets.
According to The Brooklyn Paper, it was the fifth-worst snowstorm in city history, and a Flatbush woman in labor had to catch a ride with a firetruck to get to the hospital, where she delivered a healthy baby.
Bloomberg took blame for the ineffective cleanup, but he’s also blaming residents, who he said flooded the emergency response system with unnecessary calls for help, according to Wednesday’s story in The New York Times. He also said residents who drove, got stuck and blocked snowplows made matters worse. He defended city Sanitation Commissioner John C. Doherty as “simply” the “best.”
Doherty said the streets are supposed to be plowed by tomorrow morning, according to the Times.
But that’s the news. It’s time for fun. Whenever it flurries, I’m reminded of a lesson learned from an Austrian friend living in Brooklyn. She delighted in every snow storm. When the weather outside was blustery, and no matter how cold and wet, she’d grab her toddler and head straight to Fort Greene Park’s sledding hill for a day of fun. The hills are near the tennis courts, and range from slow and easy to steep and wild.
You are guaranteed some fun if you head over there with the kiddos—just jump on the G train from Bergen or Carroll and head to the Fulton stop. You’ll exit on Lafayette St. Head north on a side street a couple blocks to the park. After getting a good workout, head down to DeKalb and hit a cafe for hot cocoa or beer and some warm food.
Enjoy the slow down.
