This was the boardwalk in Coney Island yesterday around noonish. Let’s just say it was a little cold out there, even with four layers of clothing. Year-round resort? Oh, yes, definitely. Maybe they could do a snowboarding attraction on the beach. Think about it. It has potential.
Remember the murderous siege of Sarajevo and how the West did nothing to stop it? We do. You can crack all the joke you want about Bono, but seeing him, Brian Eno and the late Luciano Pavarotti singing “Miss Sarajevo” gives us chills.
February 6th, 2009 · Comments Off on GL Day Ender: Get Fuel at CUE
Thursday (2/19), from 6-8pm, the Center for Urban Environment (168 7th St. b/t 3rd & 2nd Ave.) is having a special viewing and post-screening discussion of the Sundance Film Festival’s Best Documentary of 2008 “Fuel.” Brent Baker (CEO of Tri State Biodiesal) will be discussing this Josh Tickell documentary that focuses the oil industry and the dire need for new energy solutions.
FUEL is an insightful portrait of America’s addiction to oil and an uplifting testament to the immediacy of new energy solutions. Director, Josh Tickell, a young activist, shuttles us on a whirlwind journey to track the rising domination of the petrochemical industry—from Rockefeller’s strategy to halt Ford’s first ethanol cars to Vice President Cheney’s petrochemical company sponsored energy legislation — and reveals a gamut of available solutions to “repower America” —from vertical farms that occupy skyscrapers to algae facilities that turn wastewater into fuel. Tickell and a surprising array of environmentalists, policy makers, and entertainment notables take us through America’s complicated, often ignominious energy past and illuminate a hopeful, achievable future, where decentralized, sustainable living is not only possible, it’s imperative.
$10 suggested for members and friends. Free popcorn! To RSVP email rwelch[at]bcue.org by Wednesday, February 18th. There’s even a special viewing of Wall-E for the kids. —Vaduzuvunt
February 6th, 2009 · Comments Off on Brooklyn Back the Day: A Little Taste of Gowanus
This is Second Avenue and 13th Street, roughly in the area where the big Lowe’s is located today. What’s of interest are the big structures in the background, which are the remnants of the Manufactured Gas Plant (MGP) that was on the site and left a toxic soup deep underground. The toxins, which are left over from coal tar, are believed headed in the direction of the Pathmark. The site has not been cleaned of the toxic and carcinogenic chemicals, which are the same ones that are under Public Place in Gowanus and Thomas Greene Park.
Free the Ponz! Now! Our friend Miss Heather beat us to this one by a couple of days, but we could not let this superb bit of topical street art slip by without taking note of it. Justice for Maddoff. Look at the bright side, if he’d been caught selling crack, he’d be going to jail for a lot longer. This is on Metropolitan Avenue between Union and Meeker Avenues on the fence surrounding the future Gateway to Williamsburg. Unless the Ponz was involved in financing it, in which case, pfffttttt….turn to crap.
February 6th, 2009 · Comments Off on After Lunch Special: Miss Brookyn, Well Done
When we were on Kent Avenue yesterday we couldn’t help but step into the now very creepy Miss Williamsburg Diner to shoot some pics of the aftermath of last week’s fire, which was reported and photographed by INSIJS. Yeah, Brownstoner beat us to the pics earlier this week, but WTF, it’s a Friday and we had to get in their and do it ourselves too as we know every square inch of Kent Avenue. We wonder what the FDNY will conclude. Our guess is that it was squatters, because we wandered around the wreckage on the side as the fence was down just the week before.
Comments Off on After Lunch Special: Miss Brookyn, Well DoneTags:Williamsburg
We are no strangers to 318 N. 9 Street in Williamsburg. We’ve posted about the crappy and dangerous condition of the construction site more times than we count. For instance, here. We’ve also posted about another huge site on N. 9, in fact, using it as the first Blight Me entry. A GL reader who sent us dozens of photos of the site writes:
We have been complaining now for a couple of months about the sites on N9 in Williamsburg (btw Driggs and Roebling). The sites have been taken over by squatters, debris overflowing into the streets, sites used for drugs etc etc. Well, this will be a topic for 2009/10/11 especially since I doubt local politician will take any actions (e.g. converting abondoned sites to parks, community parks etc)
Making the site even more interesting is the fact that the developer is one of the owners of the notorious Greenpoint Hotel on Manhattan Avenue. In any case, check the slide show, it’s fascinating.
Friends, the moment for which we’ve been waiting for months has arrived. A tipster let us know that the scaffolding was down at 111 Kent Avenue, so we trudged down to Kent Avenue in yesterday’s freezing cold to see if it’s as ugly as the redone rendering had promised. All we can say is: it does not disappoint. Not one bit. Of course, anyone who favors creamy, vomit-colored brick might enjoy it. And one needs to point out what the building has going for it: it’s got spectacular views of Manhattan that won’t be blocked because East River State Park is across the street and a rooftop swimming pool. But the building itself sort of lulls you to sleep with all that creamy tan brick goodness, although we do like the way the windows are angled. The irony is that the original design was quite inventive, if not attractive.
February 6th, 2009 · Comments Off on Rent in Richard Meier’s GAP Bird Killer for $4K/Month Furnished
So there you have it. At least one owner at Richard Meier’s signature Grand Army Plaza building (which was first reported as a possible bird killer by Brookynian, a post we picked up and then made headlines in the New York Post, which seemed to discover the story on its own) is renting. And not just renting, but posted on Craigslist. What we want to know is what is “Italian furniture”? This can mean many things from classical styles to very modern. And it’s very important, given that the entire building is glass.
Comments Off on Rent in Richard Meier’s GAP Bird Killer for $4K/Month FurnishedTags:Architecture · Grand Army Plaza
Why is the good stuff only in the G Train stations? Is it because people stand around and wait forever? Anyway, this is from the Queens-bound side of the Fulton Street Station.
Williamsburg’s 268 Wythe, which we have to say we’ve liked from the moment we saw the renderings, has lost its scaffolding and finally revealed itself to the world. And the results are pretty darned nice, expecially when compared to 80 Met across the street. It’s new construction, obviously, but it filled an empty lot and it seems to mesh better with the streetscape and shows a creativity that is sadly lacking in most Brooklyn architects. (No, we did not take a pill to make us nice this morning, we’re as cranky as ever, but this building is really a big cut above the Williamsburg average.) The building comes from MDIM, which is producing some of the more interesting buildings in Brooklyn. Calll them the anti-Hot Karls. There are 13 units, but the building isn’t up on Corcoran’s website yet and doesn’t have it’s own site. There was one unit listed for $639,000 on Streeteasy that now shows as “unavailable.” Anyone have an opinion about the look of this one?
Walk by the Brooklyn Academy of Music recently after a snowstorm and notice barricades and police tape? This is because the canopy that was added (which we like) collects snow and ice and is angled in such a way that said frozen precipitation can then fall on pedestrians walking by. Well, a little snow slide isn’t going to hurt, but how about a hunk of falling ice. Stranger things have happened. This is what they call not thinking the design of the 130-foot undulating glass canopy through all the way, we think. In more pedestrian terms, we think they call it a major screw up. We noticed scaffolding up under the canopy, so God know what comes next. Word of advice: walk under the canopy after a snow, not in front of it, or just cross the street.
These signs from the waterflume at Astroland were rescued on the park’s last day, January 31. The Coney Island History Project writes: “Lynn Kowalewski , a Brooklyn resident and member of the Coney Island History Project, helped carry the DO NOT ROCK THE BOAT sign from Astroland’s Water Flume. Tricia Vita, Administrative Director of the Coney Island History Project , holds the REMAIN SEATED – KEEP HANDS IN BOAT sign. Neptune’s Water Flume was one of Astroland’s most popular rides. It was one of the early flumes made by Arrow Development in the early 60s right after the New York Worlds Fair and was built specifically for this park. The Astroland Archives, historic signage and other artifacts from the 46 year old park were donated to the History Project by Astroland owners Carol Hill Albert and Jerome Albert. The History Project’s exhibition center is located in a former souvenir store below the world-famous Cyclone roller coaster on Surf Avenue near West 10th Street. Open weekends Memorial Day through Labor Day. Admission is free.”
Comments Off on In the Pool: Don’t Rock the Boat & Stay SeatedTags:coney island
February 6th, 2009 · Comments Off on Because We Can: The Feelies–Wire’s Outdoor Miner
The Feelies perform Wire’s classic Outdoor Miner at the Music Hall of Williamsburg on September 20 of last year, a show to which we had tickets but, uh, couldn’t attend due to circumstances beyond our control.
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There’s an event coming up this Sunday for those who are serious about trying to bring about change right here in Brooklyn. Here’s the email we just got:
Hundreds of Brooklynites who volunteered for Barack Obama’s presidential campaign will join together this Sunday, Feb. 8., to make sure change comes right to their own backyard. On Sunday, more than 65 local nonprofits, charities and advocacy groups will take part in the first-ever “Continue the Change Service Fair.” Organized by the grassroots group Brooklyn for Barack and the Central Brooklyn Independent Democrats, the volunteer fair will seek to harness the incredible energy sparked by the Obama campaign. From sewing new clothes for women at domestic violence shelters to stocking shelves at a local food bank, from mentoring a child to working with abused animals, the volunteer fair will provide former campaign volunteers with countless opportunities to make a positive difference close to home.
The Continue the Change Service Fair takes place on Sunday (2/8) from 2 to 6 p.m. at Union Temple, 17 Eastern Parkway (at Grand Army Plaza) 3rd Floor ballroom. The Temple’s food drive would appreciate it if people brought a box of dried pasta.
We are freaking idiots. This is what you call a day late and a dollar short or behaving like a print journalist. We should have posted this in the morning, given that Lux Interior passed away yesterday. One of our favorite memories of a show is a booze-fueled Cramps show in DC in 1978 in a tiny room at which Lux proceeded to vomit, missing us by inches. When people like Lux die we feel like our own clock is running down fast. Thanks for the memories, dude. Say hi to Ian and Joey and Joe and a lot of other people. Cha. Cha. Cha.
February 5th, 2009 · Comments Off on The Dead Pool: Burg’s 79 Ainslie Street
This is by no means a new addition to the graveyard of abandoned projects. This sucker has been a member of the Dead Pool for as long as we can remember. Permits for the thing (a vertical enlargement and renovation) to bring it to four stories were filed in 2002. We think work may have stopped in 2002 as well. Or we could be wrong, it may have stopped in 2003. This is another perfect example of both Dead Pool and what we’re calling Blight Me. How would you like to have this vile eyesore as your neighbor for, oh, five years? Ironically, it is directly across the street from a new Hot Karl Fischer and a new Michael Muroff building across the street. We’re sure that everybody will enjoy the view. The cruddy fence outside has proven, over the years, an excellent way of finding out what new music is being released and who is playing shows. We think it may have tipped up us off to the Pixies at Hammerstein Ballroom years back.
