- Commuters Freaking Out After F Trains Skip Carroll, Bergen
The Brooklyn Paper reports that bottlenecks this week during rush hour at the Carroll and Bergen stops along the F train provided a scary preview of what might be the new normal if the Transit Authority moves ahead with having some F trains skip those stops and some others regularly in order to run express […]
- Italian Treats at Court Pastry
Italian shop owned by Zerillis for 68 years.
- Some Want More Inmates at Boerum Hill Jail
Mayor Bill de Blasio is nixing a proposal to shutter Rikers Island after so many reports of the toxic environment there, but a Brooklyn activist says putting more inmates near home — such as in the Brooklyn House of Detention on Atlantic Avenue, which holds about 600 inmates at a time who are awaiting trial […]
- History, Photos, Contemplation: Brooklyn’s Gowanus Canal
Curbed.com has published an interesting feature on the Gowanus Canal, “The Fascinating, Murky History of Brooklyn’s Gowanus Canal.” The photo essay by Nathan Kensinger follows author Joseph Alexiou, who’s book, Gowanus: Brooklyn Curious Canal, was recently released.
- Gowanus Canal Condos Nearly Complete
A 720-unit condo building is nearing completion on the banks of the fetid Gowanus Canal, at 365 Bond Street. The controversial Lightstone Group development will feature studios and one-bedroom apartments. Neighbors are up in arms about the big building and the floods it’ll bring: flood of cars that’ll compete for parking; flood of kids who’ll compete for […]
- City Announces Plan to Try to Integrate NYC Schools
NYC Chancellor Farina and Mayor Bill de Blasio announce a plan to try to integrate seven city elementary schools, including the Children’s school in Brooklyn.
- NYC Ed Dept Drops Plan to Balance Race in UWS School
Due to overcrowding in upper income neighborhoods at sought-after public schools, like P.S. 58 in Carroll Gardens, the Department of Education under Mayor de Blasio is attempting to ease the crowding, and tackle school segregation, by shifting school zones to better balance school populations, such as they are doing at P.S. 8, the popular elementary […]
- Gothamist: Video: Man Catches 3-Eyed Fish in Gowanus
Well we certainly have a new urban legend on our hands. Gothamist published a video that appears to show a man in a red flannel shirt who caught what appears to be a three-eyed catfish — apparently having used cheese bread for bait — from the Gowanus Canal. Many news outlets are running with the […]
- Read the Great Cobble Hill Travel Writer Wendy Simmons
She’s a columnist on Huffington Post, a regular at Bar Tabac on Smith, and she’ll keep you entertained for hours.
- Rikers Teens Join Gangs and Fuel BKLYN Shootings; Very Sad
DNA Info website has a sad report about how teenagers who get thrown into Rikers prison often join gangs for their safety, and now are fueling the increase in Brooklyn shootings this year: https://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20150927/bed-stuy/rikers-hardened-youth-gangs-blame-for-brooklyn-shootings-police-say
Here is a letter from local resident Emilie Poisson about the effort to fight the proposed Rock and Roll Playhouse from opening on Degraw and Bond:
Hi everyone,
I wanted to alert you to some news in the continuing Carroll Gardens fight to stop the Rock and Roll Playhouse (RRPH) nightclub from being constructed on Degraw and Bond.
Over the last few months, nearby residents (including me) have spent thousands of dollars in two efforts. One was to force the Department of Buildings to honor a freedom of information act request seeking the public documents underlying its decision to allow the RRPH to be constructed at a non-conforming site within a residential street. The other was to force it to make a final ruling so residents could start an important appeal at the Board of Standards and Appeals.
The DOB failed to address the issues brought to bear by residents and the evidence it cited in defense of its position was, by any legal standard, totally insufficient. So, our appeal has now begun.
We have a very good shot at preventing this large and incongruous development on Degraw and Bond, but it is an expensive process and we are raising money for our legal fight. That is why I am writing neighbors on this board.
“We Are Gowanus (WAG),” the group we organized to fight the RRPH development, has recently set up a GoFundMe account called Defend The Hood to help defray further legal costs. I am passing this along in case any of you want to help support our cause.
WAG is made up of residents like you. We support reasonable commercial development of the Gowanus corridor. But the RRPH is not a reasonable use. It is a large late-night live music venue tucked into a residentially zoned block full of single-family homes. It is detrimental to the surrounding neighborhood and represents an abuse of zoning regulations.
Please consider supporting WAG in stoping this development in our neighborhood and the precedent it would set for streets west of the Gowaus canal.
For more information, please visit our website wearegowanus.org and facebook page We Are Gowanus.
Emilie
