One friend, preparing to go to Europe for the week, said that she is so stressed out she can barely function. "I can’t keep anything in my mind. My memory is shot," she told me.
Do you feel stressed out?
All posts by louise crawford
GOOD MOODS?
One friend thinks her friends and fellow Slopers are in a good mood because of the elections. "I’ve never been invited to so many parties."
Do you think people are in a good mood because of that?
DDDB CONTINUING TO FIGHT THE FIGHT
From Develop Don’t Destroy Brooklyn; you can help them continue the fight by contributing to their legal fund here.
PACB, ignoring tidal wave of criticism, votes to approve “Atlantic Yards” Surprise Ending? Nope,
more Politics-as-Usual in Albany Your financial support is more
important than ever. Despite a swirl of conflicting news reports over
the past couple of days (“Atlantic Yards Vote Delayed,” “Atlantic Yards
May Get Nod This Week,” “Brooklyn Arena OK,” and so on), the deal that
was fixed from the day it was announced received approval today from
the Public Authorities Control Board, the unaccountable state panel
controlled by the Governor, the Senate Majority Leader and the Assembly
Speaker.
Widespread opposition ignored The Speaker, Sheldon
Silver, widely considered the wild card in the vote, chose to ignore
the urging of Assemblyman-elect Hakeem Jeffries, in whose district the
project is planned, and Assemblymembers Jim Brennan, Joan Millman and
Annette Robinson, whose districts surround the project site, to
postpone the vote. Representative democracy, this is not. The
Assemblymembers were far from alone in calling the project unready for
approval. City Councilmember Letitia James and State Senator Velmanette
Montgomery – who represent the project area in their respective
elective bodies – have opposed the “Atlantic Yards” from its inception.
State Senator-elect Eric Adams has expressed numerous concerns, and
called for a security review. In addition, a steady parade of local
civic and neighborhood organizations, and regional and national
good-government and advocacy groups, had joined DDDB in calling for
postponement of the PACB vote.
Help fund the legal fight today
MIXED UP
My uncle called from California. He read my blog and enjoyed the piece about Travis Ruse. "I didn’t know there was a transit strike in New York," he said. "There isn’t," I said. "But on your blog…"
That was last year. It was one of those last year on OTBKB. It was a year ago this week.
NO WORDS_DAILY PIX BY HUGH CRAWFORD
LAST YEAR ON OTBKB: WRITE ABOUT THE TRANSIT STRIKE
WRITE ABOUT THE STRIKE FOR OTBKB
from Lamentsoftheunfinished.blogspot.com
Ah, the Good Ole Days
The C train that can’t be on time to save its life
Being yelled at by female MTA workers
Double-fares
Missing a train by 1 second meaning I’ll be at least 15 minutes late
Waiting…
Freezing for 20 minutes on the outdoor platform in Astoria, Queens
Hot stations in the summer
Cold stations in the winter
Three trains passing on the opposite platform before your train arrives
Overcrowding
Broken escalators
Riding taking as long as walking
Not getting your money back when the train doesn’t show up
Drippy, wet stations
Rats
The smell of garbage at 125th Street
WRITE ABOUT THE STRIKE ON OTBKB #6
A strike story by Zeebahtronics.typepad.com
I’m so freaking spacy and exhausted. It’s about 10 miles round-trip from my house to work… am I a total lame-ass, out-of shape piece of crap that I’m so tired? I don’t know, but I can tell you that I was glued to the couch from the moment I got home to the moment I crawled into bed at 8:30 pm , a full three hours earlier than normal.
Well, I was glued to the couch except for the five minutes that I yelled through the phone at the Fresca Tortilla guy. When I called to order, I had the sneaking suspicion that something would get screwed up when I had to repeat and spell my address several times, but they advertised that they had motorcycle delivery, so I chanced it. Forty-five minutes later, Lauren calls to ask about our order, and he tells us he can’t deliver to us….
WRITE ABOUT THE STRIKE FOR OTBKB #5
This one’s mine:
A friend and I drove over to Fifth Avenue near 9th Street to do some shopping.
Earlier we’d been talking about feeling guilty because we haven’t really suffered because of the strike. We share an office in Park Slope and can easily walk to work.
When we got back to her car, which was parked in front of Hollywood Video, a Chinese woman asked my friend if she could have a ride. My friend said ‘yes’ without hesitation.
“You don’t mind if we give this woman a ride, do you?” my friend asked. “Who is she?” I asked. “I don’t know. She just asked me for a ride.”
The Chinese woman was incredibly polite. She kept saying: “How far are you going? You can just let me out anywhere.” At first we were just planning on driving her 20 blocks or so but after a few blocks we decided to take her the whole way. “Where exactly are you going?” my friend asked the Chinese woman, whose English wasn’t very good. “I am going to 41st Street, Fifth Avenue. But you can stop anywhere,” she said.
“No, I want to take you home,” my friend said.
We drove beyond the commercial stretch of Park Slope’s Fifth Avenue and Green-wood Cemetery. At the Jackie Gleason Bus Depot on the outskirts of the Green-Wood Cemetery we saw a picket line of striking TWU employees. Farther up we saw elaborate inflatable Christmas decorations and small houses festooned with red and green lights.
We asked the woman how she had gotten from Manhattan to Fifth Avenue and she said she’d hitched rides and walked a bit. She seemd tired. She said she worked in a school near City Hall.
Around 35th Street or so, there was a nice flag of lights spelling Sunset Park. The woman said she could get out anywhere. Clearly, she was embarassed by our willingness to drive her wherever she wanted to go. “Where are you are going,” my friend said again.
“I hope you are going in this direction. Do you live up ahead,” she asked. “No, we live way in the other direction,” I said. “Oh no,” the Chinese woman said.
At 41st Street the woman got out. “God bless you,” she said. And we did, indeed, feel blessed
PACB BOARD APPROVES AY
THIS FROM NY1 (ny1.com)
After hours of delays, the $4 billion Atlantic Yards project was finally given the go-ahead by a key state board Wednesday.
Republicans, Governor George Pataki and State Senate Majority leader Joe Bruno, control two of the three votes on the Public Authorities Control Board. Both were known supporters of the plan.
The third member of the board, Democrat Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, had refused to approve the development, citing lingering concerns over funding. However, Silver changed his mind and cast his ballot in favor of the project at the board meeting Wednesday.
“I have voted for it today because I am satisfied it meets all the necessary criteria under the PACB statute,” said Silver in a statement. “Furthermore, I am pleased the developer is committed to addressing numerous community concerns through several specific actions that will result in significant neighborhood improvements.”
Silver’s vote against the West Side Stadium plan last year effectively killed that project.
A unanimous vote by the board was required.
Developer Bruce Ratner’s plan includes office and apartment towers, plus a sports arena for the Nets basketball team. Under the plan, the state and city would each contribute $100 million to the project. It would also be funded by billions of dollars in bonds that the state will not be liable for.
News that the Atlantic Yards project was approved by the state Public Authorities Control Board was greeted by cheers from the community group ACORN…
NEW NYPD BOROUGH COMMANDER
THIS FROM NEW YORK 1:
Police Commissioner Ray Kelly named Gerald Nelson the new Brooklyn North borough commander Tuesday.
Gerald Nelson, 54, is currently an assistant chief in charge of school safety.
Nelson is not the first black man to serve as a borough commander, but he will be the only one currently serving in that position.
“I’m looking forward to working here to working with the community and keep crime down and also look out for terrorism and working closely with the community and having an open door policy,” said Nelson.
At a press conference Tuesday at City Hall, some leaders said Nelson’s appointment is a good start, but they want to see more minorities promoted to higher office.
“One is good, but clearly one is not enough,” said Coucilmember Letitia James. “Particularly in a force where you have 38,000 officers. Someone of African American ancestry to the table, to a key leadership position is an important first step, but it’s just a first step.”
“The issue here is making sure we have individuals who understand the policies and experiences and their different cultures,” said State Senate member John Sampson. “Because at the end of the day, when we’re sitting at the table and trying to create and direct policies, we want individuals who have life experience to make those decisions.”
There has been a recent outcry to promote more minorities in the force, but Kelly insists he makes all appointments based on merit, not race.
Nelson will lead 3,500 NYPD employees in areas including Williamsburg, Bedford-Stuyvesant, and East New York. He will replace Joseph Cunneen who’s retiring today after 12 years at that position.
RESCUERS IN OREGON GIVE UP HOPE
This story from New York 1 (ny1.com):
Rescuers in Oregon gave up any hope of finding a hiker from Brooklyn and his companion alive Wedmesdau.
The search effort is now considered a recovery mission rather than a rescue.
Icy conditions have already put Wednesday efforts on hold. That follows a week of on and off delays because of the weather.
Jerry Cooke of Brooklyn and his climbing partner, Brian Hall have been missing for over a week and a half. Searchers have found abandoned equipment and notes, indicating the men might have gotten lost while seeking help.
Fellow climber Kelly James was found dead late Sunday.
Rescuers say photos found in his camera showed the three men only had enough supplies for a few day
PETS VISIT SANTA
Yup. Your pet — puppy, gecko, or cockatiel — gets to sit on Santa’s lap!!!!
Here’s the deal: Puppy Paradise invites pet owners to pose with their pets and Santa. You will receive one free 4×6 portrait. Packages available for purchase.
Sounds fun. Or creepy. Or interesting in a kind of “I’m just doing research” kind of way.
11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday.
Puppy Paradise, 2082 Flatbush Ave. at Avenue P in Marine Park.
(718) 252-7877. www.puppyparadise.com. FREE.
TRAVIS RUSE
Travis Ruse has been photo blogging for two years creating an extraordinary portrait of humanity with his daily pictures of the New York City subway.
I just checked his site, Express Train (Travisruse.com) and the last time he posted was November 30th. IT says: TWO YEARS AND 619 PICTURES LATER.
Is he taking a break? Publishing a book? Planning an exhibition of this major work that is so moving. A daily blog is a real grind (dontcha know it)? Maybe he’s on hiatus. Re-grouping. Taking a breather.
But Travis, your public is waiting…
Go to Travisruse.com and feast your eyes….
NO WORDS_DAILY PIX BY HUGH CRAWFORD
I LOVE STORIES LIKE THESE
This just in. A moving story from last year’s transit strike.
I will always remember the transit strike from last year. I was still living in San Francisco
and I got a call from my mom saying that my dad was in the hospital
getting prepped for triple bypass surgery. They were in "the city" and
because of the transit strike, they had to walk from Penn Station to
their evening activities – the theater, the restaurant. My dad was
quietly not feeling well but went along with the evening. He stopped
for some tums along the way. After the play, he told my mom that he’d
like to take a cab back to Penn Station. My mom, ever-thrifty, said,
"You know it’s $10 a person because of the strike?" He said, "I don’t
care." Knowing something was completely out of whack, she then asked
him if he’d rather go to the emergency room and he said yes. The
doctors said if he went home that night, there’s no telling whether he
would have survived the night.
So, in conclusion, because of the transit strike, my father’s heart
was under just enough strain to get it checked out but not enough to
send him into a full blown heart attack. His surgery on December 24th
was successful. He now feels like he has a new birthday on Christmas
which gives my family of Jews a real reason to celebrate!
ANYONE WANT TO MEET ME AT THE BOTANIC GARDENS?
The New York Times via the Brooklyn Record has the story of one cherry tree in full bloom. According to Patrick J. Cullina, the garden’s vice
president for horticulture, this early bloom isn’t a sign of a global warming-induced apocalypse. “This isn’t of any concern to us,” Cullina told the NY Times.
“This is serendipitous. We have hundreds of other cherry trees that
will flower in the spring. It’s just a nice surprise for people who
happen to be here today.” The Times also reports that Brooklynites can still look forward to "a magic carpet of pink petals in the garden come April."
Winter Looms, but One Tree Dresses for Spring [NY Times]
Photo by Daniel Barry for The New York Times
LAST YEAR ON OTBKB: FIRST DAY OF THE TRANSIT STRIKE
REMEMBER THE TRANSIT STRIKE LAST YEAR?
First day of the transit strike and the Slope feels busy and
festive. The public school kids started school two hours later than
usual. The parents I saw looked cheerful, happy for the extra hours of
sleep (if they didn’t have to schlep into the city themselves). One
friend in front of PS 321 said, "You’ve got a story for your blog
today."My personal angle: despite the extra two hours to get ready, OSFO was still a tiny bit late for school. It did seem that a lot
of people were late or taking it slow getting to school. The assistant
principal and the math specialist were standing at the entrance and
smiling as the kids and parents streamed in.Seventh Avenue was packed with people as if it were a weekend. At
11:00 this morning, Grand Canyon was full of leisurely breakfast eaters
(what? brunch on a Tuesday). At 1 pm, every table at the Park Diner on
Seventh Avenue between Berkeley and Union was full and there was barely
room for the waiters to move around.The Slope feels like a weekend this Tuesday with no subways or buses
working in the city. Not so sure about Bloomberg’s line: "The city is
working even if the subways and buses are not." He said it this morning
crossing the Brooklyn Bridge, having spent the night on a cot at the
Department of Emergency Managment, which is in Brooklyn.But it looks to me like people aren’t going into the office today.
The main difference between this strike and the one in 1980: we’ve got computers now and many of us can work from home.
The phenomenon of women wearing sneakers to work (keeping their
heels in their bags) started at the last transit strike. I wonder if
there will be any fashion breakthroughs this time around.Hepcat was supposed to start a new job today. Not. He decided not
to walk to mid-town. Teen Spirit’s school is already on vacation. Daughter
still has a few more days left before Christmas: and she really
appreciated the later start time.Overall, it’s probably a boon to local shops and car services. I
haven’t even TRIED to call Eastern Car Service today. I wonder if
they’re jacking up the prices.Hope not. I’d lose all respect for them if they did.
–Written on December 20th 2005
THE LITTLE SCHOOL OF MOVING PICTURES: ENROLL NOW
Barbara Ensor, director of the Little School of Moving Pictures, is offering CLAY ANIMATION CLASSES for 8-12 year olds and 6-7 year olds in PARK SLOPE. Enroll soon — the classes fill up quickly.
It is sooooo cool. Kids love her teaching style—Barbara really gets them turned on to making animated movies. For information about the classes email Barbara: barbara@barbaraensor.com
Barbara is a talented visual artist, an author, and a TERRIFIC TEACHER. Her new book is called, CINDERELLA: AS IF YOU DIDN’T ALREADY KNOW THE STORY.
if everyone doesn’t already know, Barbara Ensor has written for New York Magazine, Entertainment Weekly, Family Life, the Village Voice and numerous other publications and Web sites. Her illustrations have appeared in the New York Times, Harper’s Magazine, Self and Graphis, among others.
She
grew up mostly in London, England. Her first job after graduating from
Brown University was as a traveling puppeteer-which occasionally
required her to walk on stilts. Barbara Ensor is the mother of two
children and lives a fairy-tale life in Brooklyn, New York.
TRANSIT STRIKE REDUX: READERS COMMENTS
Last year I published reports from readers about the transit strike. I asked people to send me their stories via comments or email (louisecrawford@gmail.com). I was looking for human interest, commuting
nightmares, smart solutions, bike stories, walking, car pooling,
coping. Here is one from FAMDOC. I don’t know who he is but he is a
loyal reader and commenter:
The celebratory atmosphere extended from the Slope to the Brooklyn
Bridge this morning, where walkers and bikers seemed unfazed by the
inconveniences the strike created. Midspan was Mayor Marty (Brooklyn
Borough President Marty Markowitz) on a bullhorn, telling us how great
and resilient Brooklynites are (and on the way home this evening, there
he was again, proclaiming, "welcome back to Brooklyn."
You gotta love the guy. Tireless in his enthusiasm for Brooklyn, his
website even proclaims that all he ever wanted to be was BP).
The return trip was cheeful, but far more crowded. Bikers were forced
by cops and the density of the crowd to dismount and walk. Weaving my
way back to the Slope via 3rd Ave, I realized how on my guard I must be
if I am going to live through this strike on a bicycly. Every block
presented new challenges, in the way of potholes, parked cars pulling
away from the curb unexpectedly and moving vehicles driving without
regard for pedestrians and bikers. Back home, a hot shower and a cup of
tea for my achy, previously untaxed muscles.How long will we tolerate this? And for those of us who run our own
businesses, dependent upon customers, clients, patients, how long can
we tolerate this without going broke? In some strange way, for this
small-business owner in lower Manhattan, there are certain reminders of
mid to late September, 2001.–posted December 2005
SEEING GREEN SHOWS AY ALTERNATIVE DESIGNS BY STUDENTS OF ARCHITECTURE
Seeing Green today shows student alternatives to AY. Here are excerpts.
Architecture students at the University of Miami envision the Atlantic yards project thus,
under the direction of Professor John Massengale. He notes that there
is almost as much housing in this version as in the Ratner build-out.
You will note that this rendering displays a project that is considerably more in scale with the surrounding brownstone neighborhoods (above) as compared to the Ratner mega-lith (right):
DID NORMAN ODER’S SCOOP CAUSE SILVER’S SHIFT?
The big vote is today — it was postponed from yesterday. Some are saying that Sheldon Silver has financial questions about the project. Here’s an excerpt from the story on Streetsblog.org
Financial questions about the project have escalated since the discovery by Norman Oder, author of the Atlantic Yards Report, that nearly half a billion dollars in projected public revenues had simply vanished from the Empire State Development Corporation’s project plan. Oder reported:
The revised Atlantic Yards General Project Plan (GPP) issued last Friday by the ESDC contains one very significant change from the document released in July. Projected net new tax revenues have plummeted by $456 million. That’s almost a one-third decline from the $1.4 billion figure announced five months ago. That’s much more than a rounding error.
Oder was the only working journalist in New York City to notice the half billion dollar revision (though, apparently, Brooklyn Papers reporter Ariella Cohen was also working on the story which came out two days after Oder’s). His scoop was significant enough that even the New York Times deigned to give the blogger credit. In an article titled "Agency Cuts Atlantic Yards Revenue Estimate," the Times reported:
The new estimate was included in a statement and other documents issued by the development agency on Friday, but the difference went unremarked in both the brief board meeting that preceded the approval vote and the news conference that Charles A. Gargano, the agency’s chairman, held shortly afterward. Norman Oder, a journalist who has a blog devoted to the Atlantic Yards project, noticed the change later and wrote about it yesterday.
Granted, DDDB, community organizations and good government groups have been putting lots of pressure on Silver to delay the approval. And they cite a litany of reasons why the project needs a closer look. But you’ve got to hand it to Oder. If Silver does choose to delay approval of the project, Oder’s $456 million scoop may be a reason why.
BROOKLYN PIN-UP CALENDAR: INTERESTING
I finally took a look at the new I Heart Brooklyn Girls Pin-up calendar.
12 months – 12 neighborhoods – 12 scantily clad women in interesting costumes. Left to right: Miss Prospect Park, Miss Ditmas Park, Miss Bensonhurts, Miss Park Slope.
To look or buy got to iheartbrooklyngirls.com
NO WORDS_DAILY PIX BY HUGH CRAWFORD
ATLANTIC YARDS VOTE DELAYED
Breaking news from the Brooklyn Papers:
Delay on expected Atlantic Yards vote because Sheldon Silver has questions about the project’s financing.
New York 1 is reporting that Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver (D-Manhattan) has delayed Wednesday’s expected vote on Bruce Ratner’s Atlantic Yards mega-development because he “has questions” about the project’s financing.
The $4-billion project would require hundreds of millions in direct
and indirect public subsidies, but the actual size of the taxpayer
contribution to the project has never been released.Silver, who controls one vote on the three-man Public Authorities
Control Board, has been feuding with Gov. Pataki, who supports the
project. In the recent past, Silver has used his PACB vote to block
other Pataki “legacy” projects, including the West Side stadium and the
Moynihan Station project.Check brooklynpapers.com later in the day for the fully reported update.
SEEING GREEN SAYS GET OVER TO THE BROOKLYN MUSEUM
Seeing Green urges all to get on over to the Brooklyn Museum to see a not to be missed trio of artists at the Liebovitz’s "to-die-for
portrait of the glowering Cheney with the rest of the Bush cabinet." Now
thru Jan 28/Feb 11, 11-6, 200 Eastern Parkway.
Walton Ford’s hyper-realistic watercolors of animals and flora are "wry
and subversive comments on society,"… Ron Mueck’s
ultra-hyper-realistic sculptures of
brooding/angry/explicit men and women are extraordinary, if not as much
for their fine-artistic merit as for their level of detail and imagery. [images:
BAR MINNOW OUT BROOKLYN BURGER BAR IN
Brooklyn Papers has the story. Bar Minnow out and Brooklyn Burger Bar in. Bar Minnow owner, Aaron Bashey, closed Bar Minnow when he moved to Los Angeles. Greg Murjani, who owns Greg’s Express Rubbish Removal, is the new owner.
Bar Minnow, best known for its fish-and-burgers menu, has been rechristened the Brooklyn Burger Bar — at least if you can believe awnings.
New, bright yellow “Brooklyn Burger Bar” awnings popped up this weekend over the shuttered space, at the corner of Seventh Avenue and Ninth Street in Park Slope. Bar Minnow had been closed since owner-chef Aaron Bashey moved to Beverly Hills to run The Prime Grille.
New owner Greg Murjani told us that he doesn’t eat fish, but he loves a good burger — and, in true Brooklyn spirit, he’s promising a mega-mound of meat called “the Fuggedaboutit.”
Beyond that Angus prime classic, Murjani’s Burger Bar will sell Kobe beef burgers plus the usual French fries and onion rings. There will be a full bar and a killer milkshake, he told us.
Murjani, who also owns Greg’s Express garbage service, is a born and bred Brooklynite and grew up in Park Slope, wants his place to be family friendly but also a late-night stop.
He will serve food from 11am to 2 am, and will keep the bar opened until 4 am.
BROOKLYN CLIMBER STILL MISSING
This from New York 1:
Rescue workers said this afternoon that a missing Brooklyn hiker may
have fallen down a steep slope as he and his companions tried to
descend Oregon’s Mount Hood.Rescue crews found the body of one of the men in a snow cave near the summit yesterday.
He was identified as Texan Kelly James, who was declared missing
with two friends nine days ago, after they failed to descend from the
mountain.Authorities believe the two missing men, Brooklyn lawyer Jerry
Cooke and Brian Hall of Texas, left the caves to try and descend a
cliff. Searchers found ropes and anchors but no sign of the men. They
worry that high winds may have knocked them over. Still, they say
they’re not giving up hope."We’re real sad about one of our results, but we still have two
missing climbers and we’re going to keep looking for them," said Hood
River County Sheriff Joe Wampler. "Our search has narrowed from
totality around Mount Hood to basically the area in which they found
the caves."Outside Cooke’s home Monday, a makeshift memorial was set up. Neighbors say they’re not losing hope for his rescue.
"I’m sorry for what happened to him. I hope he’s OK. Listen, all
we’re hoping for is that we’re hoping he comes back," said one
neighbor."Really I keep praying early in the morning about the news. Once I
hear the news and the story I’m praying for him that they find him
alive," added another.Rescue crews say avalanche warnings make a ground search difficult so they must rely on helicopter searches.
ABOUT BROOKLYN KNOWS ABOUT CHRISTMAS IN BROOKLYN
Wendy Zarganis, the woman behind About Brooklyn, has done her homework. She has the scoop on lots of Christmas and Hanukah activities in Brooklyn. Check out her list.
NEW YEAR’S EVE AT SHEEPSTATION
I got this email in my inbox today:
Dear Louise,
My name is Jessica Applebaum and I’m a fellow Park Sloper.
My theatre company, One Year Lease, which is based out of Park
Slope/Windsor Terrace along with a good friend’s theatre company (also
Brooklyn based), The Sum of US, are going to be hosting a party at the
new Aussie Bar Sheepstation on New Year’s Eve. The bar is located at Fourth Avenue and Douglas Street.The owners are kind and generous and have offered to split the door
for the New Years Event with us to aid in our upcoming Spring
productions.I was wondering if you might consider posting a bulletin about the
party to fellow Brooklynites.
NEW YEAR’S EVE AT ISSUE PROJECT ROOM
Issue Project Room is hosting a New Year’s Eve celebration in their silo on Carroll Street. I know Phil Niblock and he’s a legend in the world of avant garde music.
ISSUE Project Room
400 Carroll Street – Brooklyn, NY 11213
www.issueprojectroom.org
Telephone
718-330-0313
Sunday, December 31
new year’s eve celebrationw/
Phill Niblock
Katherine Liberovskaya
Rebecca Moore
Sarah Ibrahim; voice
Bradley Eros; visuals
Stephan Moore
Diana Slattery
Jim Pugliese Phase III8:00 p.m.; $30
JAY STREET BOROUGH HALL EVACUATED MONDAY AFTERNOON
This from ABC News.
A Brooklyn subway station was evacuated Monday afternoon after two suspicious packages were found on a platform, according to the MTA.
There was no service through the Jay Street-Borough Hall station in Brooklyn Heights.
As of 4 p.m., A and C train service was suspended in both directions between the Utica Avenue Station and the Chambers Street Station. F train service was suspended in both directions between 2nd Avenue Station on the Lower East Side and the 4th Avenue-9th Street Station in Brooklyn.
TAKE THE FAIRWAY
Someone is selling an SUV that is parked on Berkeley Place just east of Seventh Avenue. The flyer on the car says:
Quit the Food Coop and buy this car so you can drive to Fairway.