[All photos by I’m Just Sayin’/flickr]

The old Miss Williamsburg Diner on Kent Avenue went up in flames last night. These photos were shot by INSIJS who is all over the Avenue when he’s available. He’s got a post up about the fire on his blog. The fire gutted the diner and damaged the adjacent art collective. It broke out around 2AM. Just the other day we had put our camera to the window to see what it looked like in there.

· Things Get Ugly at Brooklyn MTA Hearing [NYP]
· Hey, the Coney Rocket Gets Donated to City [NYT]
· Smithsonian and Empirestate Aeroscience Museum Wanted Rocket [NYDN]
· Hey, Brooklyn is Only Fourth Most Unhappiest Borough [NYP]
· New Buswick Condo Indicates Bear Market [Brownstoner]
· More Horrific Construction Choices [BVIB]
· Party’s Over on Huron Street [New York Shitty]
· 155 Carrroll is Longest Ongoing Construction Job in Nabe [PMFA]
· State Sen. Daniel Squadron Sets Up Shot [BHB]

[Photo courtesy of Miss Heather]

We think the key word here is “all,” but in any case this wall wisdom from Freeman Street in Greenpoint is part of an excellent photoset from Miss Heather shot during yesterday’s snow/slush.

We’ve followed the Giant Fart Cloud Building in Williamsburg every step of the way. It earned that name because it occupies the site of a former cabbage processing factory. Well, the Fart Cloud Buiding has been topped off and Phase II is underway and we’ll be damned if it really doesn’t look like it’s going to fall over. There is even a gap between the fifth and sixth floors. Thank God, these things are going to be rentals because we pity the poor soul who’d actually invest in this buiding.

For Fart Fans a shot ahead showing Phase II and the Complete Big Fart.

richard meier’s bldg is almost done.

Originally uploaded by urzzz

Is Richard Meier’s glassy On Prospect Park building killing birds? One poster on Brooklynian writes:

The last couple of days I have noticed dead starlings along Eastern Parkway and Plaza Street West. This morning it dawned on me the things were’t cold or old, they were hitting the glass. Hang some curtains people!

The conversation didn’t stay on birds for long because as it turns out people don’t get very upset if sparrows fly into Richard Meier buildings and get murdered by expensive real estate. Another person writes:

My buddy and i went in there for shit’s and giggles to see a 1 bedroom on the 2nd floor…when the sales lady asked if we were interested, i asked the price and she gave me some crazy number like 900,000. I was like, i was interested…and now i am going to take that interest and kill it because that # is not in my books! haha. Besides, i like where i live now…i don’t need some $900,000 tiny ass apartment…id rather go upstate and get a huge house and tons of property for that money…shit, maybe less.

Other people wonder why some people are furnishing such a modern glass building with antique and Victorian furniture. Of course, the decor is obvious because the building is glass and the residents don’t have curtains. Back on the bird front, another person writes:

As for the Meier building, wait until spring when the warblers, etc start coming up from the tropics. You’re going to find tiny colourful yellow bodies at the foot of that building, especially if you get up early before maintenance cleans them up, lol. And I thought the big building at Underhill and Eastern Parkway was a bird killer. I have photographed ovenbirds, red eyed vireos and seen northern parulas killed there, among others. Foggy nights are especially deadly for migrating birds.

Oh, Richard.

There was big fun in Coney Island yesterday as everyone from Deputy Mayor for Economic Development Robert Lieber to Planning Director Amanda Burden showed up during the slush storm to accept the donation of the iconic Astroland Rocket. Astroland owner Caroll Hill Albert gave the rocket to the city. It is being exiled to a warehouse in Staten Island until a new place can be found for it the amusement park the city wants to build. Given that we’re not counting on a groundbreaking for that park next year, it could be a while before any of us ever see the rocket again. In any case, here are a couple of pics that the Coney Island History Project posted of yesterday’s momentous ocassion for those obsessed with this rock like we are.

If it’s not one thing, it’s another. This morning at 10:30 AM the New York Straphanger’s Camapign and Borough President Marty Markowitz are going to be having a “mock funeral” for M and R Lines. Now, if that doesn’t sound like a fun thing to do as opposed to sitting at one’s desk or in front of one’s laptop we don’t know what does. The fun will be happening at 10:30 at the Court Street Station on the M/R mezzanine at the Montague and Clinton Street enterance downtown. Per an email, there will be “Visuals inside the M and R Court Street station will include a bagpiper, memorial wreath, and a special ‘eulogy.'” Good times.

[Photo courtesy of pixonomy/GL Photo Flickr Pool]

This is a pretty picture of yesterday morning’s very early morning snow before it all turned into a nasty, rainy slushy mess. Looked nice for a few hours though.

Here’sa cool vid of Coney Island in 1973 that includes footage of riding the Thunderbolt several minutes in. We found it courtesy of gottaloveconeyisland.com, which has a feature on the Tornado, which was demolished in 1977 after a series of arson fires.

The Wolverine Chair of Keap Street survives. It is deteriorating from weather. The stuff sitting atop it changes from time to time. In early January, it was metal and cups. Back in early December, it was a plastic bag. The other day it was a bottle of Corona and some juice type liquid. Also, someone has written Dream on it. It is approaching two months on the street and, that, friends, is an impressive achievement. Clearly, a Higher Power is watching over this chair. Well, at least on the street. Wolverine Chair we salute you and wish you a long and productive existence on the street. (Which probably means the Son of a Bitch will be gone next week.)

This is Berry St. at N. 9 in Williamsburg. An industrial building stood here until virtually the entire block was leveled for a development more than a year ago that we’ll be adding to our Dead Pool. Developer blight is what happens when developers mess up a neighborhood worse than the normal process of urban deterioration ever could. It makes the neighborhood unsafe, unfriendly and ugy. Maybe the city can come up with a solution, like it painted windows on abandoned buildings in the South Bronx in the 1970s. The was supposed to be a Hot Karl Fischer mega-treat, but we’re betting against it.

Coney Island’s Parachute Jump was originally part of the 1939-40 New York Worlds Fair. Here it is in action at the Fair.

A little while ago Astroland owner Carol Albert and city officials announced that the iconic Astroland rocket is being donated to the city and will remain in Coney Island. No landing area was announced, but Ms. Albert said it would be displayed in a “prominent location.” It will also bear a plaque dedicating to to Astroland founder Dewey Albert.

Pablo Jonesy who shot these photos, writes on the Coney Island Message Board:

It was a very sad moment, a dramatic moment.  I only had a short window of opportunity to visit Astroland today.  It was a few moments I will remember for the rest of my life.  I could write chapters about the 30 minutes I spent at Astroland today.  All my life’s stories, all the strings that got me to this place in time and space. Everybody’s stories. I got there at 4PM and left at 4:30.  G&P on Surf was auctioning off stuff, as I made a left turn off Surf two trucks came out of Astroland, one had I think the balloon game and the second was a container truck.  I walked up W10th and saw the rocket on a flatbed truck, I saw the people walking around it.  I walked up to the boardwalk, passed by a woman who I think was from London.  I stood at the top of the stairs on the boardwalk and heard one of the workers saying to Mr. Denson, “one final photo before it leaves”.  In the past, at one of his talks, I had heard Mr. Denson say that same story, about a different ride. I walked back down W10th St, home, I needed to get home on time for something important.  I’m sure the rocket was gone in a matter of minutes, I couldn’t wait to see it leave.  I expected to see a police escort.  I didn’t see one.

But, at least, we have “visions” for Coney Island. What a sad, sad moment in what we call The Rape of Coney Island. If this isn’t depressing enough, Gothamist had the vile auctioning off of Gregory & Paul’s yesterday in all its glory.

Some people have balls and some people have balls. This dude has balls. Keep reading and you will understand why:

Animal Collective Scammer 4 Cute Wburg Scam Victim – m4w – 23 (Williamsburg)

You had cute bangs and funky glasses. I printed ten copies of my Animal Collective ticket and sold you one near the Lorimer stop. Maybe we can go to our next show together?

Is this scuzzwad for real? Scam victim, if you are reading this, make a date with the dude and think revenge. Go to a show with him, stuff yourself full of Indian food beforehand, drink a shitload of beer, pretend you’re going to kiss him and hurl all over face and front. Good times. Hurry, this link expires on January 29. Everybody else, email the dude and tell him what a creepy d-bag he is.

Our continuing coverage of the nasty energy scams being perpetrated by IDT Energy and other firms all over Brooklyn resulted in an email from the State Consumer Protection Board. They’ve produced some information for people and working to stop the practice, although we’d argue they aren’t doing enough or doing it fast enough. In any case, here’s some of the email to GL:

I wanted to bring to your attention the work of the NYS Consumer Protection Board (CPB) has been taking action to stop the aggressive and questionable marketing practices of some energy services companies (ESCOs) operating in New York State. The CPB, in conjunction with the New York City Department of Affairs (DCA), has advocated for and advanced new rules with the New York State Public Service Commission (PSC) establishing mandatory disclosures and enforceable regulations governing ESCO marketing practices, to help better protect consumers. Among the new consumer protections are rules requiring ESCO representatives to present identification and contact information. In addition, where marketing is conducted to individuals whose primary language is not English the information provided must be in the consumer’s primary language. You can find the latest on these new rules and laws for consumers on the
CPB’s special ESCOs website.

Click here to see on of the fliers full of good advice and pass it on.

Sometimes our readers leave comments that we think are worth of posts. This is one of them. Of course, it has to do with IDT energy scammers. The irony is that the person who was scammed is a former IDT employee. He/she does not identify the neighborhood, which could be anywhere, as they are everywhere:

Here’s a fun fact: I was recently a victim. Best part? The people involved were my ex bosses. A few months ago I got a knock on the door. Some guy representing my old company IDT, their new energy department. Automatically I foolishly trusted the guy. He asked to see my Con Ed bill and said it was too high (which it was, but that’s because I had two ACs cranked all day long… I work from home btw), and then explained that I might qualify for cheaper energy rates. All I had to do was sign my name on some form to get the process started, and that I would be contacted in a few days, to be told if I was indeed a candidate and to formally sign me up.

Weeks passed….

· Yowza, Top Brooklyn Weekly Sales [Brownstoner]
· Public Hearing for MTA Hatchet Plan Tonight [NYDN]
· People Pissed That Two Trees Project Will “Ruin” Brookyn Bridge View [Metro]
· Is Most of Brooklyn Bridge Park Being Put to Sleep for Now? [Curbed]
· Snowy Morning, President St. at 5AM [PMFA]
· Sunset Park Alliance of Neighbors Wants Input [BVIB]
· Greenpoint Has a Bicycle Lending Library [New York Shitty]
· No Boymelheat at Novo Park Slope, Truck Called In [Brownstoner]
· 13th Plant-O-Rama [Flatbush Gardener]

Nothing like summer love in Coney Island, lost or otherwise.

This covers so much territory that we don’t even know where to begin. The info comes from our most valued Red Hook source and much has been reported here and there, but it makes a strong impression viewed in its entirety. We think we’ll just let the tipster tell the stories:

The consortium that operates the Tini/HandMade empire has announced that HandMade (located in the glorious Barbara Corcoran building that was going to change Red Hook forever) will now be serving food AND selling sewing stuff and housewares. Does this mean that Tini’s operations will be moving towards Pioneer Street come spring? Pretty much everybody in the world knows that Michael O’Connell has poured water water into Red Hook’s bottomless barrel of broken promises by not getting the Cheyenne Diner across the East River. But hosts of hopefuls are lined up to fill the perceived void in Red Hook eating options, depression be damned. On Van Brunt alone, a five new eateries are in the works. The brick oven pizza place at Van Brunt and Sullivan looks about the closest to opening; the former 360 space was promised for January but progress looks, um, subtle; the ballyhooed Stumptown -Frankie’s cafe/roastery is supposed to open soon on the corner of Commerce and Van Brunt – which is going to create a fascinating olfactory collision come summer, since the coffee roasting is across the street from a notorious-smelling calamari processor; sausage-party palace Grindhaus is being built out near Pioneer St.; And, finally (to my knowledge) a place tentatively called Ft. Defiance is being worked on at the corner of Van Dyke and Van Brunt.

Got it all?

We love new buildings going up right on top of the BQE. There’s just a certain something about the idea of buying or renting an apartment with tractor trailers going by about 100 feet away. (In this case in a particularly nasty spot near the McGuinness Boulevard exit.) But this one–240 Meeker Avenue–is just extra-special because not only is it next to the BQE, it’s being built on top of an existing manufacturing building that seems to house a variety of enterprises. (At least one of which was closed for the Chinese Lunar New Year when we happened by with camera.) It’s formal statistics are nine floors and 46 apartments. It comes from an architect named Ralph Albanese in Brooklyn Heights. The WTF Building is roughly across the BQE from Hotel Le Jolie, which only goes to prove that there was a time during the boom years when anything–no matter how absurd or ill-advised–was possible. And why we are convinced a bloodbath of Biblical proportions is going to happen in North Brooklyn in the next 12-24 months. Duck and cover, people. It’s going to be brutal when all this stuff hits the fan market.

[Photo courtesy of Josh Derr/flickr]

This is a miniature of Brooklyn produced using a Photoshop technnique.

“The borders between Park Slope and Gowanus are as follows: If you see people with double wide carriages you are in Park Slope. If you see a guy with a shopping cart loaded with garbage and car fenders you are in Gowanus.”–Shooting Friday Night in Gowanus or Just “Gunplay”?

[Photo courtesy of Atomische.com/GL Flickr Pool]

We love this space between buildings on Nevins Street in Gowanus near Union Street.

There’s a ULURP and Waterfront Committee Meeting meet together tonight at 6:30PM at The Lady of the Snow Society facility, 410 Graham Avenue (between Withers Street and Jackson Street). On the agenda:

1.) Item heard at the Public Hearing – CITY PLANNING – WATERFRONT TEXT AMENDMENT (N090239 ZRY) – The Department of City Planning (DCP) is proposing a text amendment to Article VI, Chapter 2 of the Zoning Resolution, which will primarily modify design regulations for public access areas. The proposed changes will generally apply to new residential and commercial developments on waterfront lots in medium and high density zoning districts, and to commercial and community facility developments on waterfront lots in lower density residential and manufacturing districts. The purpose of the text is to improve the quality of waterfront public access areas and allow for greater design flexibility. The proposal will ensure the development of inviting spaces on waterfront properties that are accessible to the public, thereby improving everyone’s enjoyment of the waterfront. The proposal also includes minor modifications of other waterfront zoning regulations – presentation by Mr. Steven Lenard, Planner, Brooklyn Office, NYC Department of City Planning.

Yeah, it sounds about as exciting as watching paint dry, but there have been some serious issues with developments that have already gone up and it’s a serious issue. The photo above is the N. 5 St. Pier behind Northside Piers. It is only open weekends right now.
—E.C. Stephens