Bklink: Snake in the Garden

So, there's a snake at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. It is a sculpture. There is also a cherry vandal. He is seen here snapping cherry blossom branches off the trees and giving them to a female. Nice.--Flatbush Gardener

Bklink: Dear Neighbor

"Hi New Neighbors on Prospect Place, Welcome to the neighborhood. We're all glad to have you. I can tell you feel comfortable and safe here because you have lived in your newly renovated first floor apartment for 2 months now and yet have not put up curtains in your bathroom. As a result, while sitting on my couch in the evenings, or when working in my yard, or while having guests over for a beer on the back patio, I get treated to the sight of your bare ass as you sit down on your toilet right by the window."--Brooklynian

Bklink: Inside OPP

There is nothing like touring one of Brooklyn's most well-known new buildings, like Richard Meier's On Prospect Park. The views from the $6 million penthouse are killer and the units details are pretty nice. The building is 40 percent sold with move-ins coming in the fall.--Brownstoner

Brookspring: BBG Blooming

[Image for GL courtesy of Deborah Matlack/Matlack Photography]

More trees are blooming at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden as can be seen in this lovely shot just in from frequent GL photo contributor Deborah Matlack. We have a full set of BBG blossom photos here.

DOT Planning Vanderbilt Ave. Bike Lanes, Landscaped Median

Two years ago the city made changes to Vanderbilt Avenue in Prospect Heights to "calm" traffic, including creating medians and left turn lanes. The changes cut accidents with pedestrians and bicyclists among other things. Now, the Department of Transportation is planning a redesign of Vanderbilt between Dean Street and Grand Army Plaza that will include bikes lanes and Green Streets medians. DOT will present the plan to Community Board 8 on Thursday (4/10) at 7PM. The changes include bike lanes connecting Bergen and Dean lanes with Plaza Street and the entrance to Prospect Park, landscaped pedestrian crossings at Park Place, Bergen Street and Dean Street and a raised and landscaped median between Prospect Place and St. Marks Avenue. The meeting will take place at the Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation, 727 Classon Avenue, which is between Park Place and Prospect Place.

[Photo courtesy of Streets Blog]

Tuesday Rant: Prospect Heights Bar Stroller Olympics

We found this rant about parents in bars and strollers interesting not so much for the subject matter--God knows that the Great Union Hall Booze & Stroller Debate left few stones unturned on this incendiary topic--but because it comes from Prospect Heights instead of Park Slope. We found it on the Prospect Heights Forum at Brooklynian and can't resist posting it:

As many that read this blog and many other including Eater.com might know that there is a big controversy in The slope over establishments banning Strollers. As a parent myself and some one that works in the restaurant business i have to agree to owners of bar and restaurants banning strollers. Not only do they take a huge a mount of space but they make people uneasy of going in and being a patron. God how many times have i gone in to the Tea Lounge and found a playground, not only it is hard to walk around but try sitting getting a seat. Soda has the same problem, bunch of parents with their pimped out strollers hanging out in the back crowding the room, shit i am trying to have a beer and now i am surrounded by 30 mothers drinking cranberry and soda and their kids wailing away, i am not saying that it is wrong to take your kid out for a beer, i take mine but i never take a stroller, i never let her run around as if it were a playground, for that we have Prospect Park and the Library. But then again its up to an individual owner to make up their own mind. But i did get tired of going to Union Hall on Sunday afternoon and finding myself in the middle of a Stroller parking lot. I say bring your kids to the bar but at least do other patrons and establishments a favor, leave your strollers outside !!

Yes, it could be a troll post, but we present it for what it's worth.

Symphony of the 5:30AM Jackhammer in Prospect Heights

We love tales of construction work going on after or before hours. So we immediately gravitated to this post on the Prospect Heights forum on Brooklynian because it's titled "Jackhammering on Vanderbilt at 5:30AM":

who did this? why would you do this? 5:30 am and then at 7 am (when I had just gotten back to sleep). I think it was the diner- what is going on? why 5:30 am?

We will simply highlight the following "you're out of luck" response:

I live next to a full renovation in an adjoining brownstone, they are gutting and re-doing the first floor and basement and adding a huge 3 floor extension to the back. Time and again work has been done before and after legal hours during both weekdays and weekends. The first time this happened when they started work back in October the owner basically tried to absolve herself and said to speak with the contractor. They guaranteed they would not be doing any noisy work on the weekends. That did not last. I called 311 the first time and of course they sent an inspector hours after the weekend work was done and noted that the inspector saw no work being done and the complaint was dismissed. They stopped work during November - January due to a lack of funds supposedly but resumed in February and started working later and later. I called 311 again but nothing has been done in 3 weeks with the complaint even though the dept of buildings assigned the complaint to the "emergency response team". So basically whenever the noisy work persists after legal hours my wife and/or myself will go over to the site and tell them to stop. Usually they comply without a fight. So basically 311 has done nothing and probably never will in this case...

More people satisfied with the response on quality of life issues related to construction.

Say What--Bent on Flatbush

[Photo courtesy of Adrian Kinloch/www.britinbrooklyn.com]

This photo from Brit in Brooklyn blogger Adrian Kinloch, shows just how nice a photo of compromised street signs can be. It's from Flatbush and 6th Avenue and has clearly seen better days.

Things Get Crappy at the Bergen Street 2/3 Station

If you are averse to stories about mounds of crap or if you are eating breakfast, lunch or dinner, stop reading and move on to the next item. If, like us, you find such tales of shitty misfortune compelling in a weird sort of way, read on. This comes from the Park Slope Forum on Brooklynian, where it was labeled a "horrifying, gross story." Here goes:

This morning, I stepped in a huge pile of SH*T on the subway platform at the Bergen Street station. MAN! I was so freaked out. The worst thing is there was no way to clean it off my foot! I left the station and found a puddle but it wasn't sufficient, trust me.

And I'm pretty sure it was human sh*t! AARRRRGGGH! I'm assuming it was from some homeless dude. The crap pile was right by the garbage bin, and I was stepping up to it to through out my coffee cup. Someone was squatting there defecating, trying to keep out of view obviously.

This reminded me of the discussion we had about peeing in public, and on the subway platform. Trust me, this is much worse!

Some demands for photographic evidence produced this follow up:How about go to the Bergen Street station, and look next to the garbage can on the Manhattan bound platform, and you'll see all the evidence you need. . . . a pile of crap with a footprint in the middle . . . wasn't in the mood to whip out my phone and take a pic. It didn't occur to me someone would want to see that . . . .

Always look down.

Bklink: Prospect Heights Mugging

Another day, another tale of a Prospect Heights mugging. "i heard shouting (thought it was just the regular shouting that comes from washington ave side of things) but realized it was a guy saying 'fuck you! give me my bag back' or something to that effect. he said he got punched in the face...a few people ran and helped. the last thing i definitely heard him clearly say to the guy who witnessed this from across the street was 'THANKS FOR YOUR HELP MOTHERFUCKER'.... the cops showed up surprisingly fast. seemed to arrive around 5 minutes after the initial calls."--Prospect Heights Forum, Brooklynian

GL Street Couch Series: Dean Street Edition

Our street couch series gets around. This floral print specimen comes from Dean Street in Prospect Heights and comes from our Greenpoint Correspondent. Nice.

Do You Know Me? Sad Doggy Tale Continues

As of this morning, there are still no reports of the cute dog who was found seriously injured in Park Slope being reunited with his owner. The dog was found wearing a collar and with a leash, so he clearly belongs to someone. Still, the person who lost him and the good soul that found him and got him care after he was hit by two cars, haven't hooked up. An ad has also been posted on Craiglist:

found a cute brownish/reddish dog on Sixth Ave & Sixth Street around 11pm January 31. He's about 25lbs, and looks to maybe be a shiba inu mixed with something else (pitt?). He was hurt - had been hit by a car - and we took him to the vet. He's still there. He had a black leash and a green and white checked collar with black buckle, but no tags or microchip. Is he yours? Do you know who he belongs to? I'm anxious to get in touch with his owner. We think he was first seen being hit by a car on flatbush & 7th Ave, and that he kept running after he was hit and then, devastating as it is, must have then been hit again on Sixth and Sixth. If he is yours please contact us!!! He needs you!

The good news is that the Mayor's Alliance for NYC Animals is taking the dog to a specialty vet tomorrow for surgery and will place him in a foster home when he recovers. The Brooklyn Animal Foster Network covered $450 of vet's bills. There are many posts about this sad story at brooklynian.com. If this dog belongs to you or if you know anything about him, please email nicky (dot) agate (at) gmail. He's very lucky to be alive, but he looks very, very sad.

PSA, Part II: Still Seeking This Poor Guy's Owner

This is another photo of the dog that was hit by one, or possibly two, cars on Sixth Avenue and was rescued by a kind hearted passerby and taken to a vet for help. He is described as being seriously hurt. As of early this morning his owner hadn't been found, although fliers were handed out in Park Slope yesterday and will likely be posted around. Here's the latest from Brooklynian:

No owner as yet, but someone just called me to say that he saw this dog being hit by a car on flatbush & 7th Ave, and that he kept running after he was hit. he must have then been hit again on Sixth and Sixth.

Anyone with info about him or his owner (he may be a Prospect Heights pup, given the direction in which he was going) should email nicky (dot) agate (at) gmail. Someone is, no doubt, heartbroken about losing this guy--he was found with leash and collar--so we hope the connection is made.

Meanwhile, Bullets Flying in Prospect Heights

Park Slope may have its mugging situation and standoffs with the cops, but Prospect Heights (which has also had a wave of muggings), had two different shooting incidents yesterday. In fact, the Prospect Heights Forum now has two different discussion threads. One for the overnight shooting. And one for the daylight shooting. The overnight shooting, which happened around 1:55 somewhere on Underhill Avenue, was widely heard and reported by posters. Six shots were fire. The morning one, which happened at Prospect and Underhill Place near a playground, was a drive-by situation that police described as a possible "grudge" situation.

UPDATE ON PARK SLOPE MUGGINGS: In case you missed our post yesterday afternoon, the 78th Precinct says that the case of the muggings that have been occurring on Prospect Park West and Eighth Avenue are "still open." There have been numerous reports of women walking along being mugged. Some arrests have been made, but it's not known if those committing serial muggings have been caught.

Upcoming: A Chance to Talk About Parking

Anyone with strong feelings about parking in Park Slope or Prospect Heights might want to check out the PlaNYC Workshop On Neighborhood Parking that will be happening on Tuesday (11/27). The topics that will be covered include "community concerns about the possible impact of congestion pricing on neighborhood parking," "parking conditions in your neighborhood" and "parking management strategies." The goal is developing a toolbox of potential parking solutions that can be applied to neighborhoods citywide." The session will take place between 6:30PM and 8:30PM at Congregation Beth Elohim, which is located at 274 Garfield Place (at 8th Avenue) in Park Slope. This is another one of those events where the organizers are, unfortunately, requiring an RSVP from citizens willing to take the initiative and participate. (We have state before that anyone in the community interested enough to take the initiative to attend a public session to offer input should be welcomed with open arms, and thanked for coming, as long as there is space in the room.) In order to attend, one needs to RSVP to planycpark@hshassoc.com or call 917.339.0488 by November 26. The email should say "Brooklyn Workshop" in the subject line. More information is available here at the Community Board 6 website.

"Stoned on St. Mark's" in Prospect Heights

What's with the stories of late about people getting stoned? No, not the smoking weed kind of stoned (although, we had that too), but the people throwing rocks and things at other people kind of stoned. We came across this last night on the Prospect Heights Forum at Brooklynian:

On Saturday night my friend--a gentle man-- on Underhill between Prospect and St. Mark's was walking on St. Mark's at 10:30 p.m. to pick up a takeout order at GEN on Washington when a group of teens startled him (to put it mildly) by suddenly hurling rocks directly at him. He ran to Gen and called 911. A sad tale.

Hopefully, that's it on such tales for the week.

Brooklyn Nibbles: Special Ricky's Flatbush Edition

1) First, Brooklyn Heights. Then, Flatbush Avenue. The Ricky's invasion of Brooklyn is happening quickly. There was a story about in the Brooklyn Daily Eagle last week. Now, posters over at the Park Slope Forum report:

On Friday I was on my way to work and was getting off the bus at the Bergen subway station and I noticed that they have the sign up for the new Ricky's now.

It is indeed where I thought it might be, in what used to be Pintchik's blinds and lighting department. There's still paper up over the windows and I didn't cross the street to check to see if they've posted an opening date. The sign says it's going to be a "Ricky's SuperStore"...

2) Over on Vanderbilt Avenue in Prospect Heights, that new Zaytoon's branch, which has been ready to open "in a couple of weeks" since sometime in early August, is actually closing in on opening. Set Speed reports they're looking for waitstaff.

A Prospect Heights Historic District Soon?

Will a Prospect Heights Historic District be created soon? There's no timetable, but the disrict is said to be "at the top of the list" of ones the Landmarks Preservation Commission is considering. The news was conveyed by Atlantic Yards Report:

The Prospect Heights Neighborhood Development Council (PHNDC), with the assistance of the Municipal Art Society, has been pushing for historic designation for the neighborhood, and the process looks promising, if hardly assured.

Mary Beth Betts, director of research for the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) said last night at a PHNDC meeting at P.S. 9 that, while, no timeline can yet be provided, "it's at the top of the list of [potential historic] districts that we're looking at."

The bulk of the Atlantic Yards footprint is not within the possible boundaries.

Terrier Menaced by Skateboard & What's Up With Bicyclists?

It's hard to know what to make of these two items that we came across in discussions at the Daily Heights, but we certainly noticed them. First, the one about the skateboarders. Then, the one about the bicyclist:

Terriers Beware: Light-Skinned Asian Skateboarders in BoCoCa

I for one think that skateboarders can reach speeds of more than 50 mph… I was walking through BocoCa last wed and several light skinned Asian men flew by me on these boards almost killing my Boston Terrier. Police in this area should really not hesitate to bring in these characters and charge them with whatever crime they probably committed.

We're not sure what the ethnicity of the skateboarders has to do with anything, but even more than that, you don't actually see people describing the neighborhood as BoCoCa every day. So, did it happen in Bo or Co or Ca?

Next up we have our bicycle rant from Prospect Heights or ProHi, to borrow from the previous post:

Prospect Heights Bikers: Learn How to Ride

Okay, so what’s the deal with you people? As a driver, day after day it amazes me how inept so many of you are at riding bikes in the streets of the city, particularly in this, and surrounding neighborhoods.

Here’s what I see: you don’t ride at the speed of traffic, preferring to leisurely pedal at 5 mph, without a care in the world. You often ride two, or even three abreast, in order to better facilitate conversation with your biking buddies as you make your way down streets. You even ride against traffic on narrow streets and get mad when honked at. You have been seen riding so far from the curb and parked cars that you end up in the path of moving cars. You don’t use headlights at night (illegal), hand signals, bells, and you almost never look over your shoulders.

To top it all off, most of you don’t even wear helmets, which baffles me.

As a former bike messenger, daily driver, and native New Yorker, the only thing that makes me curse out loud in my car is how so many of you bike like you’re on a sun-dappled, suburban sidewalk. It makes me furious, really.

I don’t know when this happened in New York. Used to be, bikers and drivers had an understanding, and a certain rhythm in the streets of this city. Sure, there have been accidents, and middle fingers flipped, and filthy words hurled, but jeez, at least traffic used to move.

Last thing I have to say to you “bikers” is: learn how to ride those super cool, retro metro, “I bought this $25 bike so I can sport a $100 Kryptonite chain,” bikes. It would make a lot of pedestrians, and drivers a lot happier.

There you have it.

Take the Municipal Art Society Prospect Heights Walking Tour

If you're unfamiliar with the neighborhood that could end up standing in the shadows of Bruce Ratner and Frank Gehry's Atlantic Yards towers, you owe yourself a get acquainted tour of Prospect Heights. Via No Land Grab, we found news of a great tour being offered by the Municipal Art Society on Saturday, September 15 at 2:00PM. Here's the MAS verbiage about the tour:

Every once in a while, you walk the streets of a neighborhood and can’t believe it wasn’t designated as a historic district years ago. Prospect Heights in Brooklyn features some of the best late 19th-century brownstone blocks in the city, filled with outstanding Italianate and neo-Grecian row houses, as well as fine churches, institutional buildings, commercial buildings, and apartment houses, all in a vibrant multi-racial enclave that in recent years has filled with good restaurants, cafes, and shops. The Municipal Art Society worked with the Prospect Heights Neighborhood Development Council to survey and catalogue more than 1,100 buildings in the neighborhood. That work formed the basis for a submission to the Landmarks Preservation Commission for historic district designation. Join us for a tour full of surprises in the area between Grand Army Plaza and the Vanderbilt railroad yards, where the “Atlantic Yards” mega-development has been proposed. Leader: Francis Morrone, architectural historian. Meet at the N.E. corner of Vanderbilt Ave. and Sterling Pl., a short walk from the Grand Army Plaza. (Transit: # 2, 3, 4 trains to Grand Army Plaza; Q train to Seventh Ave.)

The tour starts at 2PM and the cost is $12 for MAS member and $15 for non-members. No reservations are needed.