Views of a born and bred Brooklynite. (umbrooklynborn@gmail.com) This blog satisfies my need to hear and air feelings of B'klyn from the people whose life experience were born here. Hopefully it'll balance to some of the revisionist historical musings I've seen as if Bklyn barely existed before the 90's. Brooklyn as Tabula Rasa. If we can all live as best possible while appreciating the past and neighbors we've inherited that would be great too.
The forecast for this week in the BK seems to be various shades of grey, just the sort of thing to give greater appreciation for skies of blue. Here's some blue sky over the rapidly rising new residences in Downtown Brooklyn. On the left the Avalon Fort Greene and on the right the Toren Condos
Urban skies interest me in the way they're often framed, essentially becoming a map of the negative space of cities. I find the contrast between buildings and open spaces interesting as well.
Least I confuse anyone keeping track of my feelings toward mega-buildings, while I'm not a huge fan of clustered residential towers, in the Upper East Side, Chelsea or wherever, in this part of Downtown Brooklyn it generally doesn't bother me as this was a under-utilized space on which sat businesses that were not major growth providers for the surrounding neighborhoods. The Avalon (on the left) is especially huge, and I can only hope not ugly in it's final design, but I have to accept that if these things are going to be built, at least they be built in areas like underused commercial downtown as opposed to residential neighborhoods.
Now ask me about the development a block away that is going up in the space of what was the area's main supermarket and hear my blood boil.
One of these images inspires jokes, the other laughs at our expense
Several area politicians in response to growing concern that the billionaire developer of the proposed Atlantic Yards Stadium project could get his hands on some Obama stimulus dollars have sent a letter to Governor Patterson excerpted below:
Assembly Members James Brennan, Hakeem Jeffries, and Joan Millman, Council Members Letitia James and David Yassky, and 52nd District Leader Jo Anne Simon sent the attached letter to Governor Paterson this past week. The letter explains why these Brooklyn elected officials feel the proposed Atlantic Yards project should not receive funds from the federal stimulus package passed last month.
The letter also suggest that people who have send their own letters to Govenor Patterson.
Brooklyn residents have expressed a similar concern, and the elected officials are providing a voice for their constituents. Please feel free to contact the offices of elected officials who signed onto this letter with any questions. Thank you.
For those who have no idea what Atlantic Yards is, in this blogger's opinion Atlantic Yards is a classic misuse of taxpayer dollars and taxpayer hopes by a developer intending to shove something huge and dishonest down our throats. I wrote some details of Atlantic Yards below but I'd recommend checking out both the Atlantic Yards wikipedia page and Atlantic Yards Report the site of reporter Norman Oder who from the beginning has been shining an unbiased light on what the project really is.
Here's a computer rendering projecting what the project would look like compared it's surroundings when it's done:
here's a line from wikipedia about the scale of the project:
"...since Atlantic Yards sits on 22 acres (89,000 m2), it can be expected to become the most densely populated census tract in North America, with a density of 361,000 to 490,000 people per square mile, about twice the density of the current densest census tract in the United States..."
If you can find it, you could also watch the Simpsons episode where Mr. Burns decides to destroy land and build an NBA stadium which sums up the whole issue pretty well. That episode is called "the Burns and the Bees" Here's a clip:
The point of the message our elected representatives has sent to the Governor is that it has been suggested that the developer of Atlantic Yards the proposed stadium, luxury condo and rental project which if completed would shoe-horn 20 sky scrapers into five square blocks, may be looking for Obama stimulus dollars to help complete the project which has lost funding thanks in part to the global economic crisis.
If you want to read more about the Atlantic Yards proposal (and you should since you're probably helping pay for it) here it is:
The developer Forest City Ratner (led by Bruce Ratner) had been expecting additional corporate and taxpayer dollars to help raise the money necessary to build. The project itself takes a mix of things people can support, like new housing, development and entertainment (the proposed Nets basketball stadium) and overdoes each element compounding the poor judgment is the attempt to place all of this on a few blocks at one of the most congested points in Brooklyn, the intersection of Flatbush Avenue and Atlantic Avenue which itself intersects a block away with Fourth Avenue.
In simple terms it's too big for the area it's proposed to be in, the claim of affordable housing is exaggerated, the impact to the area will be damaging and considering the project was decided by governmental officials without oversight, the project has spent too many millions of taxpayer dollars. Worse the developer without a clear plan has been allowed to destroy several buildings in the proposed development area making the area look more rundown than it had been.
Another jacked-up part of this project is that the land to be used is owned by the same MTA that operates the subway and even now is crying poverty to raise the transit fares. Well the land itself was valued at $215 million and yet they allowed Ratner to buy it for only $50 which he hasn't paid after six years.
the MTA accepted Forest City Ratner's bid of $50 million for the LIRR's rail yard, even though an appraisal valued it at $214.5 million. Extell, a Manhattan developer, later submitted a competing bid for $150 million. The MTA rejected that bid, but did negotiate with Forest City Ratner to get it to double its bid to $100 million. The MTA then accepted Ratner's new bid, even though it was $50 million less than Extell's.
The MTA hasn't seen a dime of the money yet. The opposition has waged a relentless court battle that has halted construction of the arena. Mr. Goldstein, whose condo stands smack in the middle of the proposed arena site, is the lead plaintiff in a lawsuit aimed at blocking the state's use of eminent domain to condemn his building.
Currently the project is being fought most intensely by local residents including a group who would be forced out if the project is allowed to be completed as proposed.
The full letter: *************************************************** March 3, 2009 Honorable David A. Paterson Governor of the State of New York The Executive Chamber, State Capitol Albany, NY 12224
Dear Governor Paterson,
We are writing regarding reports that Forest City Ratner is requesting funds from the Federal stimulus package for the Atlantic Yards Project. We request that any application or other submitted documents to the Governor’s office related to the stimulus package be immediately disclosed to the public and the elected officials signing this letter. In addition, there should be a public hearing and opportunity for public comment on any application for funds. We also request a meeting with responsible state officials prior to any decision on the use of stimulus funds for Atlantic Yards.
It is our understanding that neither the M.T.A. nor the Empire State Development Corporation has submitted the Atlantic Yards project to your office as part of any list of projects for the use of Federal stimulus funds. This indicates that Atlantic Yards is not considered a priority by these agencies at this time.
It is regrettable that the State of New York, in cooperation with the developer, chose to override New York City’s zoning and land use laws for the Atlantic Yards project, depriving local community boards, the Brooklyn borough board, and the New York City Council, of what would have been their legal right to vote on the Atlantic Yards project. As a result, the project has never been vetted through the traditional democratic land use processes available to the community and the people of the City of New York.
Many events have occurred which have created uncertainty and risk regarding the 8 million square foot development approved by the State in December 2006. The original economic and financial assumptions upon which the approval was based have dramatically changed. At a meeting with elected officials in December, Forest City Ratner stated that it hopes to be able to finance the arena this summer, notwithstanding the economic climate, if current litigation against the project is unsuccessful. If it is unable to finance the arena, it has not yet committed to proceeding with a residential development. This is hardly a basis for the State to commit additional funds without a full public discussion process.
We hope your office will be quickly forthcoming with the requests we have made. Thank you.
Sincerely,
NYS Senator 18th S.D.Velmanette Montgomery Assemblymember 44th A.D. James F. Brennan Assemblymember 57th A.D. Hakeem Jeffries Assemblywoman 52nd A.D. Joan Millman Councilmember 35th C.D. Letitia James Councilmember 33rd C.D. David Yassky District Leader 52nd A.D. Jo Anne Simon
cc: New York State Congressional Delegations NYC Assembly and Senate Delegations Timothy Gilchrist, Deputy Secretary for Economic Development and Infrastructure Jeff Pearlman, Assistant Counsel, FOIL Officer, Governor’s Office Lee Sander, Executive Director, MTA
I noticed this piece of graffiti a week ago on Fulton St. and near Clinton Av.
self-expression outside Auteur Du Monde on Fulton and Clinton in Clinton Hill A wider view
So assuming the doer of this spray painted imagery did not have permission of the building owner this would be an act of vandalism. Which for some (especially photo ready politicians) is still the blight of our city, which btw our tax dollars pay to remove. Personally I like the way it looks mainly because the spray painting person seems to have chosen a color that matched the orange of the brick wall intentionally. The effect, to my eyes, creates a transition between the wild glyph shapes into the ordered brick pattern of the building. But I'm a painter and an artist, so what do I know.
Recently there was a story on Gothamist about three teens and a twenty-year old who went to town on Central Park's Bethesda Terrace. Here's a look:
Commenters to the site took issue because Gothamist makes frequent postings about "street artists" who in the opinion of the commenters are vandals themselves.
My opinion was conflict and disgust. Because my imagination and life experience tells me it's possible that the group were not simple irreverent jerks, that they could have looked at the art of Bethesda Terrace and wondered why their creations shouldn't be displayed as prominently. They painted the word "sueños" (dreams), hearts and their tag, albeit sloppily. Who knows they could have deep aspirations or they could have been high. I'm a radical liberal, what do I know.
At the same time, I followed the restoration of the Bethesda Terrace and it took years, millions of dollars, and resulted in a truly beautiful FREE space for ALL in the city to share. So I do think in the case of this group (they were apprehended in the act) that they should get a jail sentence that will take effect if they don't work on the restoration crew that has to undo what they did.
But I've seen vandals create art and artists vandalize. When is it art and when is it vandalism? What do you think?
I started the year promising continuous optimism, and I support that message. At the same time with yesterday's sub 7000 plunge of the stock market to 1997 levels, the expectation of record job loss again from last month and this story that Maurice "Hank" Greenberg, (pictured) 83 year old former CEO of A.I.G. (A.I.G. being beneficiary of another billion dollar tax-payer cash gift after post billions in loses of course) is suing A.I.G. the company he led until 2005, claiming A.I.G. ruined his finances and health by lying about A.I.G. finances, things are moving closer to "Ludicrous-Speed" by the day.
So yeh after all that, optimism without positive proof seems pretty stupid so I thought I should search for some answers. Plus lately a lot of friends of Brooklyn (yep, FOBS) have been losing sleep, nails and asking questions about what to do when unemployed, and frankly I had few non-punchline answers. (have a drink- *zing!) But after a little googling, I found this gem from the NY Times, getting elbows deep in the "How-To's of Unemployment".
Cool of the Grey Lady, eh?
Then it went from cool to AWESOME when I looked up and noticed the article was penned seventeen years ago this March back in 1992!
Even MORE AWESOME! the first paragraph leads with:
7.3 percent unemployment?!? Right now unemployment is at 7.6! And it's expected to jump to a full-on 8 percent when the next report comes this Friday! Awesome.
Y'know what? Have that drink and "Smoke um if you got'um".
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