Hurricane Sandy

Looks like we'll be getting a little sand in our collective bathing suits. Here's an update from Councilman Lander's office on measures the City is taking:

The City has ordered a mandatory evacuation of "Zone A," the lowest-lying parts of the city. To determine if you are in "Zone A," enter your address at the Office of Emergency Management website. If you live in Zone A, you must be out of your home by 7 PM on Sunday.

New York City Public Schools will be closed on Monday.

The MTA will start shutting down subway and bus service on Sunday at 7 PM.

Alternate Side Parking regulations and meters will be suspended on Monday.

Rather then send out additional emails, as we learn new developments, we will continue updating BradLander.com/hurricane, and you can continue reporting hurricane related problems in our district on that page.

But, for the latest information, you should stay tuned to local news stations, call 311, or visit the City's severe weather webpage.

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The Onion ceases NYC print edition (so get a computer, Brooklyn)

And a small part of me has died. You will be missed, Onion print edition.

http://mobile.avclub.com/articles/the-onion-ceases-nyc-print-edition-so-get-a-comput,87987/


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Ortine Closed, New Bar Opening on Halloween

I know the couple that owns this place. They're great people, and I'm looking forward to their new project. The constant road construction has been tough for them to endure, but they're still hanging in there. I'm sure Atlantic Co will have every bit of the attention to detail and care for customers that they put in to Ortine. If you're in that neck of the woods, check them out.


http://www.brownstoner.com/blog/2012/10/ortine-closed-new-bar-opening-on-halloween/


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Uber CEO An Ayn Rand Fanatic

If this tool ever does get licensed in NYC I won't be using the service.

http://pandodaily.com/2012/10/24/travis-shrugged/


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Scary, Detailed Zombie Carved Out Of One Giant Pumpkin At The NYBG: Gothamist

Pretty amazing art with a short shelf life. Check it out.

http://gothamist.com/2012/10/25/amazing_zombie_carved_out_of_one_gi.php?gallery0Pic=1#photo-2


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TOM THE DANCING BUG: "...You Just Might Have Romnesia!" - Boing Boing

My favorite cartoonist.

http://boingboing.net/2012/10/24/tom-the-dancing-bug-you.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+boingboing%2FiBag+%28Boing+Boing%29


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Meeting on Shelter Tonight, More Disturbing Revelations

Shocking that a convicted sleazebag was responsible for building the illegally constructed structure at the heart of this controversy.

http://www.brownstoner.com/blog/2012/10/meeting-on-shelter-tonight-more-disturbing-revelations/

While neighbors have their concerns about the shady details of this particular proposal and the sketchy characters involved, the broader issue is the lucrative, secretive world of NYC's corrupt and severely broken housing policy.


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Brooklyn Islanders?

Technically, Brooklyn is part of Long Island after all. 

http://nymag.com/daily/sports/2012/10/islanders-are-reportedly-moving-to-brooklyn.html

I thought I had read that the new arena was not properly configured to double as a hockey venue?  

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How a High-Speed Rail Disaster Exposed China’s Corruption : The New Yorker

Fascinating read.
http://m.newyorker.com/reporting/2012/10/22/121022fa_fact_osnos?currentPage=all


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Voter Notices: Pay Attention!

We received our notification cards in the mail last night, and our polling place has changed again.  This is the third site in the past 12 months. 

Our new polling site is the Carroll Gardens Library on Clinton. 

Be aware - since the redistributing yours polling site may be changed as well. 

(Our longstanding polling site was PS58, though one if the primaries was held at Hannah Senesh)

Don't get surprised on Election Day!

Use the poll locator at the BOE website. 

http://www.vote.nyc.ny.us/html/voters/where.shtml

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BBP: Turf Going In At Pier 5

As seen from a height in lower Manhattan:

Joe Klein Is The Worst Person In The World

The banality of our evil pundit class. Blow up 4 year old girls over there, so it doesn't happen here.

http://m.guardiannews.com/commentisfree/2012/oct/23/klein-drones-morning-joe?cat=commentisfree&type=article

No horrible long term consequences to come of that kind of thinking, nosiree. Let alone the horrifying immediate damage.

Monstrous. And yes, even more monstrous are the architects of this strategy.

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Apple Press Conference and Iron Man 3 Trailer Release

Somebody is trying to give my inner geek sensory overload today.

Link to Iron Man trailer below. Marvel has really stepped up their game over the last 10 years.

http://boingboing.net/2012/10/23/iron-man-3-trailer.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+boingboing%2FiBag+%28Boing+Boing%29



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Whole Foods to Open in Gowanus in Fall 2013

Craig Hammerman shared the letter last night. This is going to be a big change for that corner. I hope Whole Foods does a good job with the project.

http://www.brownstoner.com/blog/2012/10/whole-foods-to-open-in-gowanus-in-fall-2013/


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CB6 Transportation Committee Tonight

Updates on the Gowanus Expressway and the Boerum Hill Neighborhood Slow Zone on the agenda.

Cobble Hill Health Center  380 Henry Street  (between Warren/Congress Streets)  Brooklyn, NY 11201

6:30 PM

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Progress Lakeside at Prospect Park

Looking good!

http://www.brownstoner.com/blog/2012/10/lakeside-at-prospect-park-is-opening-on-friday/

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Space Shuttle in LA - Pretty Awesome

It was really cool to see the NYC flyby a few months back.  This video of the LA shuttle is just amazing.  Though sadly I read somewhere that many street trees were sacrificed to get the shuttle to its destination.  

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Eye Candy, Low Earth/On Earth Orbit(er) edition

Good work by the LA Times  yields ~2:40 of pure pleasure

You're welcome.

Chat about whatever.

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NYT Covers Carroll Gardens Homeless Shelter Plan

People have to go somewhere, and no neighborhood is above contributing
to alleviating the homeless problem.

This particular proposal has some sketchy details and characters
involved. Given the profit to be made in the city's Rube Goldberg
homeless housing programs, Councilman Lander, the BP and our other
elected officials are right to ask some sharp questions about this
project.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/18/nyregion/carroll-gardens-brooklyn-residents-outraged-by-homeless-shelter-plans.html?ref=nyregion&_r=0

Sad to think that if the DOB was doing its job in the first place and
policing architects like Robert Scarano when he was sliding his
illegal zoning monstrosities through the self certification process,
we'd be having a very different conversation.

EDIT:
I meant to post this story Tuesday, which has significant background on some of the figures involved.

http://www.capitalnewyork.com/article/politics/2012/10/6538212/new-carroll-gardens-homeless-shelter-built-old-relationships

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Clinton Street Reopened After Church Collapse

Months after the tragic, fatal collapse at Christ Church, the intersection at Clinton and Kane is once again passable. 

http://cobblehillassociation.blogspot.com/2012/10/clinton-st-kane-streets-re-opened.html

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Saw-whet Owl Is Delivered to New York Parks Dept. - NYTimes.com

Owl? More like scowl, amirite?

I'll show myself out.

http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/10/12/in-a-shoebox-an-owl-and-a-mystery/?ref=nyregion


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Huge Downtown Site up for Grabs

Not only a huge parcel but currently a hideous, grossly underutilized one.

For a developer with deep pockets, a lot of potential there.

http://www.brownstoner.com/blog/2012/10/huge-downtown-site-up-for-grabs/


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Mitt Romney Is A Pathological Liar

Romney/Ryan. Yeah, that's the ticket!  Someone should tell Jon Lovitz Mitt's stealing his bit. 

Rafalca?  Oh no, that belongs to my wife … Morgan Fairchild. 

http://www.balloon-juice.com/2012/10/11/post-truth/

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Prospect Heights residents' fears of Barbra Streisand traffic snarls unfounded, no major jams near arena - Daily News

All I can say is thank god the City didn't force them to build a ton
of traffic-inducing parking for the Barclay's Arena.

Area residents who were demanding more parking have no idea what they
would have been in for. A combination of more traffic and an
additional hulking parking structure that would have been an underused
money pit like the deck (dreck?) at Yankee Stadium.

That said, I still think the City needs to implement a residential
parking permit program. But people who demand more parking in
situations like these really need a primer on induced traffic demand.

http://m.nydailynews.com/1.1181349

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Yankee Stadium Parking Company Defaults On Its Bonds | Transportation Nation

"Bettina Damiani of the advocacy group Good Jobs New York says Bronx residents tried to warn the city and the team that 9,000 parking spots weren't needed. "If only advocates and residents saying, 'I told you so,' would somehow make this go away," she said. "But the reality is officials and the Yankees refused to have anybody at the table on this decision.""

What a boondoggle.  The EDC is among the worst offenders when it comes to larding unnecessary parking into city development projects. 

The organization needs a change in philosophy on urban parking policy, yesterday. 

http://transportationnation.org/2012/10/11/yankees-stadium-parking-company-defaults-on-its-bonds/

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Good News: Boerum Hill Slow Zone, SBS To LGA

First the local:  Boerum Hill is getting a slow zone (20MPH speed limit).  I hope this project is expanded to Carroll Gardens and Cobble Hill. 

http://www.brownstoner.com/blog/2012/10/boerum-hill-slow-zone-coming-soon/

Second:  bus service to LGA, sorely lacking in good transit accessibility, is about to get a big boost. 

http://www.streetsblog.org/2012/10/11/upgrades-to-laguardia-bus-service-will-speed-local-trips-too/

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Pumpkin Fest!

This Saturday. Always a good time. 

http://pardonmeforasking.blogspot.com/2012/10/get-ready-for-mazzone-yearly-pumpkin.html

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Mayoral Candidate's Tax The Rich Promise Gets Albany Support: Gothamist

DeBlasio puts forth a good proposal.

Still needs work on transit policy. But this is encouraging.

http://gothamist.com/2012/10/10/mayoral_candidates_tax_the_rich_pro.php


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New Look For An Old Face

Marco Polo gave itself a facelift over the last month or two. They
also applied for a sidewalk cafe permit which was approved by CB6 over
the summer. Too late for this season I'd think. But the facade change
is a definite improvement. Less distinctive perhaps, but in a good
way.

$140 Monthly MetroCards Will Save The MTA, Says Watchdog Group: Gothamist

Oho! A flaming bag of steaming budget suggestions from the CBC has
been left on our doorstep.

Their priority is to push the farebox from 39 to 50% … in this
economy. After several years of increases.

$140 monthly Metrocard? No thanks. And CBC? Your order of
Suggestions Foster is ready - on the house.

http://gothamist.com/2012/10/10/140_monthly_metrocards_will_save_th.php


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Celebrate Cephalopod Awareness Days! - Boing Boing

Cuttlefish are spellbinding. I'll never forget the one I saw at the
Boston Aquarium a few years back. I swear it was checking me out as
much as I was it.


http://boingboing.net/2012/10/10/celebrate-cephalopod-awareness.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+boingboing%2FiBag+%28Boing+Boing%29


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Renderings and Listings Appear for the Sackett Union (340 Court St.)

Big and pricey units, and already 50% sold. Looks like I'm sliding
further down the median income scale in Carroll Gardens. On the plus
side, the coloring is a definite improvement over Clarrett's plan.

http://www.brownstoner.com/blog/2012/10/renderings-and-listings-appear-for-the-sackett-union/


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MTA Builds Bridge to Future With No-Cash Tolls - Metropolis - WSJ

Cashless tolling set to begin one year pilot on the Henry Hudson. No
one enjoys paying tolls, but they serve a useful purpose: raising
funds and assigning direct costs to driving behavior.

Growing up in NJ and dependent on the Garden State Parkway, I HATED
tolls. Partly because my dad gated tolls, but mostly because of the
maddening inconvenience and obvious waste involved.

As an ADT I've grown to appreciate the value of tolls. But I still
hate the friction in the process. On the GSP Gov. McGreevey halved
the toll plazas and doubled the tolls, which made the drive much more
bearable. Then they added high speed tolling via EZPass, and suddenly
it's like an early 90s AT&T commercial.

It's past time to bring this technology to NYC … and to start tolling
those free East River crossings. Actually, it's time the MTA and Port
Authority sat down together to lay out a fair and comprehensive
tolling scheme for their combined NY-Metro portfolios.

http://blogs.wsj.com/metropolis/2012/10/08/mta-builds-bridge-to-future-with-no-cash-tolls/


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New Dey Street Station Entrance

The TriBeCa Citizen has a bunch of photos.  Sample below from their website. Looks sharp!  Note the elevator entrance. 

http://tribecacitizen.com/2012/10/08/new-subway-entrance-opens/

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Dey Street Entrance to Fulton Street Transit Center Opens

Buried in a story about the new Metrocard ads, a piece of useful news:

"Meanwhile,starting today, riders use a new entrance on Dey Street to
enter the 4 and 5 lines in Lower Manhattan."

http://m.nypost.com/p/news/local/new_mta_ads_mind_the_gap_cnMtV8GNgjKqDYgJOZVRmM

What Krugman Says

It's not just bizarre but frightening that a major political movement in this country is not only rooting for American failure to pin on Obama, but that they're so swept up in their FoxNews/Limbaugh/Drudge bubble they can't relate to actual facts any more. 

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/08/opinion/krugman-truth-about-jobs.html?smid=tw-share&_r=0

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Reince Priebus Forced Back Into Ancient Puzzle Box After Being Tricked Into Saying Name Backwards | The Onion - America's Finest News Source

Chilling to imagine my distant ancestors plagued by "the Prybus".

http://www.theonion.com/articles/reince-priebus-forced-back-into-ancient-puzzle-box,29803/?ref=auto#


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Bloomberg Caption Contest

… at Queens Crap. I'm going with "Mensch McConnell". 

http://queenscrap.blogspot.com/2012/10/a-new-look-for-bloomie.html

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Streetsblog New York City » How Will Soccer Fans Get to Proposed MLS Stadium in Queens?

Hey, you know what this city REALLY needs? Another stadium! Somehow
no matter what else suffers we always have public subsidies for these.

#failuresofvision #failuresofimagination

In the last ten years in the NYC Metro region the following brand new
sports venues were constructed:

Yankee Stadium
Mets Citi Field
Nets Barclays Arena
Red Bulls Stadium (Harrison, NJ)
Devils/Nets Prudential Center (Newark, NJ - that didn't work out too
well for Newark, eh Nets?)
Giants Stadium (East Rutherford, NJ)

Am I missing anything?

http://www.streetsblog.org/2012/09/20/flag-on-the-field-how-will-soccer-fans-get-to-proposed-stadium-in-queens/


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Penn State Faculty Snub of Fracking Study Ends Research- Bloomberg

Know your shills: Tim Considine, bought and paid for shill for the
fracking industry.

http://mobile.bloomberg.com/news/2012-10-03/penn-state-faculty-snub-of-fracking-study-ends-research.html


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President Obama: ‘The Real Romney’ Wasn’t At The Debate | TPM2012

Watching the debate last night was an exercise in frustration. Romney
repeatedly just flat out lying. And Ovama not calling him on it.

But today we get a look at the response, and I trust they'll be
hammering this theme all week.

I think Mitt's "victory" will turn to ashes in his mouth.

http://2012.talkingpointsmemo.com/2012/10/president-obama-real-romney-debate.php?m=1


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Time Warner Cable Finds New Way To Gouge Customers With "Modem Rental Fee": Gothamist

Enjoy your day, thieving degenerates at Time Warner Cable. I received
your little love note last night, and here's my reply:

FiOS is coming, and you're going to bleed customers like nobody's
business. So go ahead and gouge us now, and we'll remember it when
your monopoly ends.

http://gothamist.com/2012/10/03/time_warner_finds_another_way_to_fl.php


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Gowanus Development Moves: Powerhouse Sold

I must have missed this story somehow, because I don't recall seeing
anything on it, but this is a major development:
"After the sale of the powerhouse to Mr. Rechnitz's foundation, on
Friday Africa Israel USA closed the sale of an adjacent property which
was originally part of the same residential project. An undisclosed
buyer paid approximately $9 million for the industrial building at
420 and 430 Carroll Street."

Two big parcels.


http://commercialobserver.com/2012/09/philanthropist-plans-art-center-in-former-gowanus-powerhouse/


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DOE Sues Former Carroll School Custodian for Missing Funds - DNAinfo.com

$52,000 unaccounted for.

http://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20121002/carroll-gardens/doe-sues-former-carroll-school-custodian-for-missing-funds

More on Gateway

Until Lucy yanks the football away again, in going to enjoy speculating on what might be our next transit mega project. 

http://secondavenuesagas.com/2012/10/02/can-sen-schumer-power-through-the-gateway-tunnel/

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Fracking Reprieve for New York

This is excellent fracking news:

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/01/nyregion/with-new-delays-a-growing-sense-that-gov-andrew-cuomo-will-not-approve-gas-drilling.html?pagewanted=1&hp&_r=0


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Schumer vows to jump-start tunnel project | Crain's New York Business

Time to get my hopes up once again.

I do think the Gateway proposal is superior to the dearly departed ARC
tunnel proposal. If that one had to die so that this one may live,
not such a bad trade.

This in no way absolves Chris Christie of his felony murder of the ARC
tunnel - committed in the course of a blatant robbery of transit
funds to funnel to roads projects and deep fried Oreos.

http://www.crainsnewyork.com/article/20120928/TRANSPORTATION/120929888?template=smartphone&X-IgnoreUserAgent=1


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