Category Archives: Civics and Urban Life

Civics and Urban Life

Weekend Subway Advisory

Thanks to the Brooklyn Paper for letting me borrow their lovely list of weekend subway changes:

F: Manhattan-bound trains skip Fort Hamilton Parkway, 15th Street-Prospect Park, and Smith-Ninth Street stations (all times until May).

G: Trains run in two sections: Between Court Square and Bedford-Nostrand avenues, and between Bedford-Nostrand avenues and Hoyt-Schermerhorn streets (Friday, Feb. 11 at 11 pm to Saturday, Feb. 12 at 6 am). No trains between Church Avenue and Bergen Street. Queens-bound trains skip Fort Hamilton Parkway and 15th Street-Prospect Park stations (all times until May).

A, C: Manhattan-bound trains run on the F from Jay Street-Metrotech, skipping High Street.

D: Trains run on the N line between Stillwell Avenue and 36th Street (Saturday, Feb. 12 at 4 am to Sunday, Feb. 13 at 10 pm). Manhattan-bound trains run express from 36th Street to Pacific Street, then skip Dekalb Avenue.

N: Trains run over the Manhattan Bridge between Dekalb Avenue and Canal Street (Saturday, Feb. 12 and Sunday, Feb. 13 at 12:01 am to 6:30 am, and Monday, Feb. 14 from 12:01 am to 5 am).

Q: Manhattan-bound trains run on the R from Dekalb Avenue. Manhattan-bound trains skip Avenue M and Avenue H (all times).

R: Trains run over the Manhattan Bridge between Dekalb Avenue and Canal Street (Saturday, Feb. 12 and Sunday, Feb. 13 at 6:30 am to midnight). No trains at Court Street and Jay Street-MetroTech. Manhattan-bound trains run express from 36th Street to Pacific Street, then skip Dekalb Avenue.

Civics and Urban Life

March 3: Growing a Business in Park Slope

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The Park Slope Civic Council invites you to meet with and learn from leaders and experienced members of the local economy at the Park Slope Civic Council’s 2011 community forum, which will explore “Growing a Business in Park Slope: Connecting, Supporting, and Inspiring Our Local Entrepreneurs.”

I am going to be a presenter along with a host of others. Storefront, studio, and freelance operation owners of all businesses at all levels will benefit from this forum. This will be a great opportunity to network and build connections within the Park Slope business community.

Scheduled topics of discussion include “The Nuts and Bolts of Business,” “Social Media,” “Thinking Outside the Real Estate Box,” “Turning Passion into Profit,” and “The Past and Future of Park Slope Business.”

The forum is free and open to the public; seating is limited. To register or get updates about the event, e-mail: forum2011@parkslopeciviccouncil.org. If registering, please let us know what type of business you’re in or would like to start, and what you hope to learn at the forum.

Updates will be regularly posted at: www.parkslopeciviccouncil.org/growing-business. The event is sponsored by the Park Slope Fifth Avenue BID, the Park Slope Chamber of Commerce, and Warren Lewis Realty.

WHAT:            “Growing a Business in Park Slope: Connecting, Supporting, and Inspiring Our Local Entrepreneurs,” the Park Slope Civic Council’s annual community forum.

WHEN:             Thursday, March 3, 2011, at 7:00 p.m.

WHERE:          The Montauk Club, 25 Eighth Avenue (at Lincoln Place).

The following presenters are scheduled to appear:
·       “The Nuts and Bolts of Business”: Nancy Carin, Executive Director, Business Outreach Center (BOC) Network
·       “Social Media”: Mark Caserta, President, M2C Consulting/Main Street Complete; Denis Hurley, Founder and President, Mobile Meteor; Brent Langerman, web designer, mimoYmima; and Louise Crawford, Only the Blog Knows Brooklyn
·       “Thinking Outside of the Real Estate Box”: Naomi Hersson-Ringskog, Executive Director, No Longer Empty; and Neil Carlson, Co-Founder, Brooklyn Creative League
·       “Turning Passion into Profit”: Dylan Goelz, Manager of Public Outreach, Roadify; Amy Yang, Founder and Teacher, Brooklyn Design Lab; and Nicole Davis, Publisher, Brooklyn Based
·       “The Past and Future of Park Slope Business”: Irene LoRe, Executive Director, the Park Slope Fifth Avenue BID, and owner-operator of Aunt Suzie’s Restaurant

Civics and Urban Life

Bklyn Bloggage: neighborhoods

Truck wedged under Sheepshead Bay Station: Sheepshead Bites

Parents fight New American Academy: Gerritsen Beach

A PSA from the Dept. of Sanitation: NY Shitty

Alliance between artists and church: Bushwick BK

Farmers not left out in the cold: The Local

Dumbo construction update: Dumbo NYC

Worst apartment in Park Slope: Effed in Park Slope

Tire slashings around Carroll Park: Pardon Me for Asking

Munson diner coming to Park Slope: Here’s Park Slope

Civics and Urban Life

Bike Lane Controversy Getting Litigious

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Some people really don’t like the Prospect Park Bike Lane. How much don’t they like the bike lane? They’re suing to have it removed.

That’s right.

And what a group of Brooklyn civic heavyweights. Says Andrea Bernstein at WNYC:

Iris Weinshall, the former city transportation commissioner and wife of U.S. Senator Charles Schumer. A dean at Brooklyn College. Norman Steisel, the former deputy mayor under Edward Koch and David Dinkins. And the other former deputy mayor, Randy Mastro (under Rudolph Giuliani) who introduced the group to a colleague at his high-powered law firm, Gibson, Dunn, and Crutcher. And what is all this former government firepower being assembled to do? Remove a bike lane on Prospect Park West in Brooklyn.

And what is it that this high-octane group has against the bike lane. Well, they say it:

–causes congestion.

–changes the lovely, historic character of PPW.

–poses danger to pedestrians

Brooklyn’s Borough President is dead set against the bike lane and makes his opinion known at every opportunity.

In a report released last month by the Department of Transportation, studies show that the bike lane has decreased speeding and increased pedestrian safety. That it’s a win-win for public safety and quality of life.

Clearly others disagree. Indeed, this controversy is pitting neighbor against neighbor and civic groups against politicians. It’s a hot button issue. The bike vs. the mighty automobile.

Where do you stand???

Civics and Urban Life

Free Valentine’s Day Concert with Amy Burton & John Musto

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I can’t imagine a better way to spend Valentine’s Day.

On February 14 at 8PM, acclaimed vocalist Amy Burton and her husband, award-winning composer John Musto will perform a free Valentine’s Day concert at the Mannes College the New School for Music. in Manhattan (150 West 85th Street, between Amsterdam and Columbus, 2nd Floor Concert Hall).

The duo will perform songs  of love from Mozart to Guastavino and Poulenc, Irving Berlin, Rodgers and Hart, and of course, John Musto.

Amy Burton is one of New York’s most talented singers, at the Metropolitan Opera from 1993 to the present, and as one of New York City Opera’s leading sopranos in over a dozen productions.  From her New York debut recital at the 92nd Street Y in 1997 to her appearances with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center Festival, The Great Performer Series at the Miller Theater, Mostly Mozart Festival, The Morgan Library, The Brooklyn Philarmonic, New York City Ballet, New York Festival of Song, L’Opéra Français de New York, and her many appearances at the city’s most prestigious concert halls, Amy Burton is a vital part of New York’s cultural scene.

A busy composer of operas, John Musto is considered a master of the concert song, both as composer and as a performer at the piano. His playing is featured in song recitals (often with Burton), chamber music, concertos, and solo works. His interpretations of his own music and that of other composers are rivaled by his extraordinary gifts as an improviser. He has served as composer-in-residence at the Mannes College.

arts and culture, Civics and Urban Life

A Dog Named Stanley Part 2

We met Roscoe on the big truck, along with a host of other dogs at the Sean Casey Animal Rescue adoption event. There was a whole lot of yapping and barking and children (and adults) oohing and ahhing at the multitude of small beasts.

“Is Roscoe here?” OSFO asked.

Sure enough, we found him in one of many cages. And there he was: the dog we would come to cherish. The dog we would rename: Stanley.

The three of us took little Roscoe for a walk. OSFO looked perfectly happy with the  little white dog on a leash. As we walked I ran through all the reasons NOT get a dog. My heart pulsed in anxiety. Should we, shouldn’t we, should we, shouldn’t we?

First and foremost, no pets are allowed in our apartment building.

Yes, folks, that’s a big one for the negative list but hope springs eternal when your daughter has whined and pined for a puppy since she could speak. I knew that a dog would make OSFO unspeakably happy.

Besides, I thought there was, sort of, a  “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” pet policy in our building (or Don’t Ask, Don’t Bark). Tenants have had cats, lizards, gerbils, rabbits, fish and more over the years. Certainly, nobody would make a fuss about such a cute little terrier.

Like I said, hope springs eternal.

Back to our walk, I thought of all the positives: a puppy for OSFO (check), the love and companionship of a dog (check). Just as quickly the negatives popped into my mind: walking a dog three, maybe four times a day. Somehow I knew that the responsibility would fall to me and I’d spend my life nagging OSFO and Hepcat to walk the dog. I’d already been warned by my friend, an experienced dog owner, that kids rarely walk the dog in a sustained, responsible fashion.

I had other concerns, too: What if he’s ill-behaved? What if he’s not house trained? What if he barks? What if, what if?

I’ve never owned a dog in my life and it was a world of unknowns to me. But OSFO and Hepcat were already bonding with little Roscoe on our walk back to the Sean Casey Animal Rescue adoption event.

To be continued…

arts and culture, Civics and Urban Life

Pavilion Theater is a Mess

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My sister went to see The Fighter last Saturday night at the Park Slope Pavilion on Prospect Park West and she told me that there was a sign on the door of the screening room that said there was no heat inside.

“I had to wear my coat through the whole movie,” she complained.

And that’s just the half of it. With rumors of a bed bug infestation, broken seats, broken seats and more broken seats, the theater is a shadow of the theater it was when it opened up many years ago.

Remember when there was that lovely cafe on the second floor? History. All history.

According to Park Slope Patch, two managers of the theater recently sent an email to Park Slope Parents apologizing for the hideous condition of the theater. The employees have repeatedly asked management to clean things up.

Four years ago the theater was bought by Cinedigm as a place a to test out their high end digital projectors. The managers say the problems are at the corporate level and that there’s not much they can do to improve the situation there.

Here is an excerpt from the letter the managers sent to Park Slope Parents:

Let us begin by sincerely apologizing for the current state of the Pavilion Theater—specifically for the broken seats and the heating problems. This theater holds a special place in our hearts and it pains us every day to see how much it has deteriorated. We, the other managers and the rest of the staff are not oblivious to the apparent problems; rather, we are bombarded by them every day. Unfortunately, until our parent company approves our budget proposals, we are entirely powerless to make lasting improvements. We know that the community wants this theater to be better than it is. We couldn’t agree more. We are both Park Slope residents and this is our neighborhood theater as well, but until our parent company takes action, we are simply confined to our own limitations. It is our job as managers to take responsibility for the physical state of the theater and the performances of our staff. While we maintain the day to day operations of this theater, we can only hope we are given the assistance to fix the bigger problems at hand. We still think this is a great place to see a movie in Brooklyn, but nothing would make us happier than to see this theater improve.

It’s a bold move for the  managers to apologize to the neighborhood. Clearly, they are frustrated by the situation, too, and are being “bombarded” with complaints. In the letter they also attempt to dispel the bed bug rumors.

Regarding bed bug rumors—there is no evidence that we have bed bugs at the Pavilion. However, being a public place and being a movie theater in New York City in particular, there is always a risk of getting bed bugs. That is why we have routine checks and treatments as suggested by the extermination company. It is a major concern, and if bed bugs were ever to be discovered in the theater, we would not sit idly by. The theater would temporarily close while we rectify the situation.

Civics and Urban Life

Dr. Amy Glaser: Pediatrics for Adolescents

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The big news a few months ago was the split between two partner pediatricians in Park Slope  (Drs. Glaser and Gordon). Here Dr. Glaser describes her new Only Adolescents practice from my article in Park Slope Patch. While still a pediatrician,  she’s now offering special care for adolescents ages 13-22 two afternoons a week.

Dr. Glaser will be writing a weekly column on adolescent health care issues on OTBKB starting in the coming weeks.

Park Slope may be known for its stroller gridlock, but what happens when those babies become teenagers and have special health care needs?

One of Park Slope’s most popular pediatricians, Dr. Amy Glaser, is attaching a new shingle to her Eighth Avenue office.

“Only Adolescents” is the name of her recently opened, part-time practice for, well, only adolescents age 13-22.  “I believe that this will reinforce the needs of young adults for privacy and confidentiality, creating a new, closer and more productive patient-doctor relationship.” Dr. Glaser told me over coffee at Cousin John’s.

With a fellowship in adolescent medicine, many years experience as a local pediatrician and master diagnostician, and two adolescents of her own, Dr. Glaser, who recently split with her longtime business partner, Dr. Philippa Gorden, is uniquely suited for the job.

Over the years, Dr. Glaser has worked with adolescents at The Door, the Elmhurst Adolescent Clinic, Barnard Health Service, Soho Adolescents and El Puente and has long worried that adolescents fall through the cracks between pediatric care and adult medicine.

“With teenagers, there’s often a hidden agenda,” she said. “A teenager complaining of a stomach ache may really want to be measured to see if his growth spurt has finally come. A teenager who needs help for his or her pregnant ‘friend’ may seek the wrong pathways without easy access to the right ones.”

Continue reading Dr. Amy Glaser: Pediatrics for Adolescents →

Civics and Urban Life

Jonathan Schell: If the world has a heart, it beats now for Egypt

From Jonathan Schell in the Nation

If the world has a heart, it beats now for Egypt. Not of course, the Egypt of President Hosni Mubarak—of the rigged elections, the censored press, the axed Internet, the black-clad security police and the tanks and the torture chambers—but the Egypt of the intrepid ordinary citizens who, almost entirely unarmed, with little more than their physical presence in the streets and their prayers, are defying this whole apparatus of intimidation and violence in the name of justice and freedom. Their courage and sacrifice give new life to the spirit of the nonviolent, democratic resistance to dictatorship symbolized by the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. That event in fact symbolized a longer wave of revolutions that, spreading like a brushfire, swept dozens of dictators out of power, from the Philippines in 1986 to Poland in 1989, through to the early twenty-first century. But that global contagion had seemed to be flagging recently. Now, dictators all over the world are on their guard again. In Saudi Arabia, the monarchy is looking over its shoulder. Yemen is on notice. In China, the word “Egypt” has been censored from the Internet: the Egyptian autocrats removed the Internet from Egypt; the Chinese autocrats removed Egypt from the Internet.

Civics and Urban Life

EPA: Gowanus Is Not Healthy for Children and Other Living Things

You already knew it.

All you have to do is smell the Gowanus or stare at its water to know that it’s toxic beyond belief. But today the Environmental Protection Agency confirmed that the local waterway is rife with cancer-causing chemicals and toxins that are unhealthy to children and other living things.

The report released today is the first part of a federal investigation into what makes the canal so toxic, which will be followed by a $500-million clean-up of the canal.

They don’t call it a Superfund site for nothing.

According to the report: “The contamination … is widespread and may threaten people’s health, particularly if they eat fish or crabs from the canal or have repeated contact with the canal water or sediment,” EPA Regional Administrator Judith Enck said today.

The three hot spots of contamination are: Metropolitan Works, at 12th Street and the canal; Fulton Municipal Works, at Degraw Street and Third Avenue; and Citizens Gas Company, at Smith and Fifth streets.

The EPA will hold a public meeting to present and discuss the findings of the remedial investigation on February 23 from 6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at PS 32 at 317 Hoyt Street in Brooklyn, New York.

You can view the report at www.epa.gov or in person. You can also see it at the Carroll Gardens Library.

Civics and Urban Life

A Dog Named Stanley

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It wasn’t exactly love at first sight more like love at first half hour. The Oh So Feisty One (OSFO) spotted him on the Sean Casey Animal Rescue website. His name was Roscoe and was described as a terrier of some sort.

In the snapshot on the web we could see that Roscoe was fluffy and  white with dark, penetrating eyes. He was, in a word: adorable. We went to meet Roscoe at the shelter in Kensington. When we got to the small shelter at 153 East 3rd Street, most of the dogs were out.

“There’s an adoption event going on. The dogs are on the truck,” the young man on duty told us.

The adoption event happened to be in front of Animal Kind in Park Slope so we headed back home and made a detour to visit Roscoe on Seventh Avenue and 12th Street.

A word about Sean Casey: they take rescued, confiscated, neglected, injured, ill, unmanageable, or otherwise unwanted animals from private owners, zoos, shelters, and other public  organizations and care for them, and rehabilitate them to the best of their ability and means. Most importantly, they attempt to find them healthy, happy homes.

No doubt about it, they’re doing God’s work over there and there’s no two ways about it.

And then we met him on the big North Shore Animal League truck, along with a host of other dogs. There was a whole lot of yapping and barking and children (and adults) oohing and ahhing at this multitude of small beasts.

“Is Roscoe here?” OSFO asked.

Sure enough, they located him in one of many cages. And there he was: the dog we would come to cherish. The dog we would rename: Stanley…

To be continued…

Civics and Urban Life

Labor Rally at Ozzie’s with Music

The Park Slope coffee wars continue:

According to Suite 101, on Saturday members of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) gathered in front of Ozzie’s coffee shop on Seventh Avenue in Park Slope, to rally in support of former barista Jeff Bauer. Bauer, a member of the I.W.W. Bauer claims that he was illegally terminated as a barista at Ozzie’s on June 29th for union activity.

The coffee shop denies knowledge that Bauer was a member of the IWW and says he was terminated for others reasons. On July 2nd, of 2010 Bauer filed a compliant with the National Labor Relations Board.

The Rude Mechanical Orchestra, a punk marching band, provided a raucous musical accompaniment to the rally. Participants were encouraged to join with noisemakers, drums, pots and pans.

Read more at Suite 101

Civics and Urban Life

The Old Stone House: Improvisation on the Theme of Giving

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On February 10th at 8PM at The Old Stone House my friend Nancy Graham will perform in a play developed through improvisation on the theme of giving. It’s called To: From

It is sure to be an interesting evening and I hope you’ll join me there.

To: From:
an evening of improvisation on the theme of giving

With Jerry Wintrob + Nancy Graham
Directed by Amy Poux

Thursday, February 10, 2011
The Old Stone House
336 3rd Street at 5th Avenue in Park Slope
Tickets $10

Civics and Urban Life

City Gets High Grades for Snow Response This Time

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Why was this response so much better than, you know, the city’s response to the Christmas snowstorm? Turns out that storm had only 1 inch more snow than this storm and yet it was a veritable snow disaster and it took days for Brooklyn and other outer-boroughs  to get plowed out.

In contrast, when we all woke up in the morning Third Street was plowed, as were most of the other streets in Park Slope.

I said to Hugh this morning. “Hey this is the way it’s supposed to be. The street is plowed…”

Guess the city did a bunch of things right:

–The mayor declared a snow emergency at the right time.

–He advised motorists to stay off the road.

–At midnight the MTA stopped bus service so that there wouldn’t be stuck buses that would prevent plowing.

–They decided to close the public schools and non-essential government offices to ensure the safety of New Yorkers.

Good job city, good job!

Civics and Urban Life

First Event of the Park Slope Interfaith Social Justice Network

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The Park Slope Interfaith Social Justice Network is newly formed organizations, which includes Old First Reformed Church, Congregation Beth Elohim, Kolot Chayeinu, St. Augustine Roman Catholic, Church, Greenwood Baptist Church and The Brooklyn Society for Ethical Culture.

Other congregations (and individuals outside congregations) are welcome to join!

The group is having its first community event sponsored by Brad Lander on Monday, January 31st at Old First Dutch Reformed Church 729 Carroll Street at Seventh Avenue.

At 7PM, there’s a potluck dinner. Participants are asked to bring a dish to share as well canned or dried goods as a donation to the food pantry at St. Augustine’s Roman Catholic Church.

At 7:30PM, there will be a discussion about homelessness in New York City with a representative from Coalition for the Homeless and CAMBA. Conversation points to include: Where do we stand? What can we do to combat homelessness? What can we do to help out?

You can RSVP for this event here.

Monday night is also the HOPE Count, the annual Homeless Outreach Population Estimate (HOPE), sponsored by the NYC Department of Homeless Services.

In this event, NYC DHS and volunteers canvass parks, subways, and other public spaces to count the number of
people living without shelter in New York City. You can register for this event here.

The Hope Count begins at 10:30 PM.

Civics and Urban Life

Tonight: 6:30PM Community Conference Call with Brad Lander

Tonight at 6:30 PM: There’s a Community Conference Call with Brad Lander to review his annual report on his office’s 2010 accomplishments.

I want to encourage you to join me and my staff for the conference call we are hosting to review my annual report on our 2010 accomplishments this evening at 6:30.

To RSVP for the conference call click here, and we will send you all the information you need. You can RSVP right up until the last minute this evening.

Civics and Urban Life

Simone Dinnerstein’s New Album is a Bestseller

Park Slope’s Simone Dinnerstein has a new album out, Bach: A Strange Beauty (Sony Classical), and it made its debut at No. 1 on the Billboard Traditional Classical Chart.

The woman is amazing. Not only is she a bestselling recording artist and concert pianist but she runs Neighborhood Classics, a series that brings adventurous classical music to Park Slope and the Lower East Side and raises money for local PTAs.

Talk about giving back. The next Neighborhood Classics concert at PS 142 on the Lower East Side is on February 4th at 7PM, a preview performance of a new piano/cello duo by Philip Glass with Maria Bachmann and Wendy Sutter.

Dinnerstein is the only Traditional Classical artist to grace the Billboard Top 200 chart which compiles the entire music industry’s top selling albums.

Bach: A Strange Beauty also spent time as the No. 1 top selling album on Barnesandnoble.com and No. 2 selling album on Amazon.com, in good company with The Decemberists, Cake, The Black Keys and Bruno Mars.

Bach: A Strange Beauty, which is Dinnerstein’s first orchestral disc as well as her first for Sony Classical, sees the pianist return to Bach. She plays three transcriptions of Chorale Preludes with one of his English Suites and two of his Keyboard Concerti.

Simone Dinnerstein’s special affinity to the music of Bach began with her self-funded recording of his Goldberg Variations ranked No. 1 on the Billboard Classical Chart upon its release in 2007.

For more information about the February 4th Neighborhood Classics concert at PS 321 click on read more:

Continue reading Simone Dinnerstein’s New Album is a Bestseller →