Perspective Lessons

These views of South Brooklyn are brought to you by NYC OASIS, (Open Accessible Space Information System Cooperative). To quote Huggy Bear, "It's all about the green, baby."

For those who still think of Brooklyn as a "concrete jungle", I offer you this bird's eye view of the South Park Slope/Windsor Terrace/Greenwood Heights neighborhoods. We're nestled between Mr. Calvert Vaux and Mr. Federick Law Olmsted's bosoms (a.k.a. Prospect Park) and the historic Greenwood Cemetery. It's down right bucolic round these parts. The green patches between the houses are backyard garden spaces most no larger than 40 or 50 feet deep. The green you see along the avenues are our public street trees made up of Ginkos, Oaks, Cherries, Flowering Pears, and London Planes.























































Now add the buildings in grey.


















You can see this aerial photograph was taken before the demolition of 400 15th St parking garage, and Rojas Bakery. There are even cars visible in the parking lot at 408 15th.
















Infared enhanced photos. Predator v. Alien view.















In 2002, when this data was gathered, you could still see on the map a long strip of green between Windsor Place and Prospect Avenue. There existed a secret meadow where white buffalo grazed, and prancing meerkats played on the backs of unicorns amongst fragrant wildflowers and natural sweet grasses.


This is how it looks today. Can't blame this one on Global Warming, Mr Gore.
For more info go to: www.oasisnyc.org.

M...I...C, K...E...Why?

These photos were taken back on June 9th. They show what appears to be my neighbors composting bin consumed by a sink hole during the installation of a pile directly behind their garden lot line. What are these guys doing wrong? Or, is this the nature of the beast to swallow up the surrounding soil each time a hole is bored. Is there no method for protecting our rear gardens from being damaged? This is the third time that someone's property has been affected. Two violations have been issued by the D.O.B. and the E.C.B. already. I am beginning to fear for the apartment buildings on the East lot line as they will be just a few feet from the boring and most certainly will be damaged if the contracting team doesn't start rethinking their foundation proceedures.


















































































A typical 311 complaint to the Department of Buildings gets "resolved" before a true and proper inspection is performed.

The contractors have more or less said that if we, the neighbors, would have been more cooperative from the start, none of this damage would have happened. There are at least 100 more piles to set before excavation can start.

OBJET TROUVE

The City of New York Department of Cultural Affairs Percent For Art Program new site-non-specific work installed today.


Juxtaposition! There was a time in my life ("Hey sonny, might you please crank-start the way back machine for me, my replacement hip is acting up") when I couldn't even get through a single day with out having said that magic word at least once. These days my vocabulary tends to stay clear of three syllable words, unless you count go-pee-pee as three. Maybe I'm forgetting the basic rules of writing haiku, but I might argue that by saying go-pee-pee real fast, over and over again during the day, that those tiny little pauses begin to blur together.

There are people who think that all developers are monetarilly-motivated monsters bent on destroying what little happiness the status quo offers. Change is bad, period. "These South Slope guys take, and take, and take, but never give anything back to the community". There is some truthiness for not wanting to cross swords with these developers, as they have aquired super-villain-like strength from squeezing every last drop of F.A.R. out of a building site with their bare hands. I have seen their drafting pencils ladies, and it's true what they say.

But wait, forgive me my nonsequiturs, here is someone who is finally giving back. The Percent For Art Program, or P.F.A.P., has recently unveiled a new site-non-specific Artwork somewhere on 16th Street, I think, between 4th and 5th Avenues maybe. Let us as a community rejoice. The developer, by sharing this Fine Art sculpture with us outside the traditional museum or gallery setting, will undoubtedly bring us closer together as a neighborhood.

Complex in a Rube Goldbergian way, this work examines site specificity as a complex cipher of the unstable relationship between collation and identity in our era of late capitalism......Or until the dumpster shows up tomorrow, which ever comes first.

"To remove the work, is to destroy the work" --Richard Serra

To find out more about The Percent For Art Program visit your public library or never leave your home again and visit their website at: http://www.nyc.gov/html/dcla/html/panyc/panyc_main.shtml

South Slopers Rally

I attended the press conference yesterday held in front of the plywood construction fence surrounding the site of Isaac Katan's contested 11 story condo building, located at 182 15th Street. The rally was organized by The South Park Slope Community Group and The Concerned Citizens of Greenwood Heights in order to call attention to the upcoming ruling by the Board of Standards and Appeals, as to whether the future building will be vested or "grandfathered in" under the old, much more generous, 1961 R6 Zoning rules. A good number of our elected officials and/or their representatives were present.
Community Board 7 members Randy Peers, Jeremy Laufer, and John Burns were there.





















Assemblemember Jim Brennan and Councilmembers Tony Avella and Sara Gonzalez, Congressmember Nydia Velazquez....candidate Chris Owens, members of the Carpenters Union..award winning activists Aaron Brashear and Mic Holwin... all showed up to voice their concern as to whether the B.S.A. would "do the right thing" and uphold the community mandated downzoning.

Clearly, in their vigilance, and at great expense to themselves, (legal fees now topping $70,000) these private citizens groups may successfully hold the members of the B.S.A. publicly accountable to what otherwise would have most likely been an open and shut ruling by a board of appointed bureaucrats, in favor of another wealthy developer. This at the expense of the community.

I mean to say, that the community, by putting their money where their mouth is, has dragged this whole B.S.A. process out, kicking and screaming I might add, into the light of day for the public's inspection. "Hey everyone look, see this is how the game is being played". It looks like someone has actually been reading the rule book finally, and more importantly, reading it out loud to the members of the Board.
So now, even if the power$ that be require that the Board should continue to reward builders for illegal and unsafe building practices, (like it recently did by vesting 400 15th St.) than at least everyone will now know the deck has been stacked, and stop wasting their time and money behaving so idealistically, with their heads full of that justice thingy.
Let's hope the times are a changin' in favor of the community. Final word. In what can only be described as a reconcilling act of passing the olive branch, It was rumored, Howard Hornstein, Katan's attorney, personally blew up the inflatable rat before the rally started. Peace.

...Somebody might think they're dancing!

Some new photos of the foundation contractors performing a gratuitous "reach-around" on Memorial Baptist Church property after a recent cave-in. It was quick, and it was anonymous. I don't think their heart was even in it.









































I am not sure the congregation knew that their lawn
was being "sod-omized" until it was too late.

IMT AF80 has left the building.

The drilling rig was taken away from the building site. It done broke, me thinks. Today it's so quiet, you could almost hear a 60 foot steel tube drop. Heavy rain again yesterday.

Independence Day Down Under the Manhattan Bridge

PARK SLOPE ARMORY SPORTS FACILITY

Last week the The New York City Dept. of Design and Construction posted this colorful sign at the Armory's 15th Street entance archway. Work has already begun transforming the Drill Hall into a world class multi-purpose athletic, recreational, and educational center. Take The Field, a non-profit organization is leading the $16 million conversion initiative in collaboration with the Departments of Education (DOE) and Homeless Services (DHS).

The P.S. Armory's program will be modeled after the highly successful Fort Washington Armory's full-service community center located in the upper Manhattan neighborhood of Washington Heights. Back in the eighties, the Ft. Washington Armory had the reputation as one of the cities most inhumane homeless shelters, warehousing more than 1800 men at one point.

The Ft. Washington Armory is now home to the National Track and Field Hall of Fame, and has the reputation as the fastest track in the Northeast.














Last year, the exterior of the entire building was extensively restored. All the arched double sash window were replaced. The massive roof was completely removed down to it's steel support arches and replaced one shingle at a time. All the masonry was repointed and any missing or damaged brickwork was painstakingly matched so that the repairs are now almost invisible. They even matched the green sandstone that forms the foundation of the Armory.

Recently they have been painting the interior ceiling and have begun the demo of the upper balconies. This is the start of the 2 year plan to replace and upgrade the mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems.

We are truly blessed here in Brooklyn. Perfect time to remind everyone that it's never to early to start testing the urine of our local youth for performance enhancing substances. Maybe by this time next year the center will be open for business.

Audit: Revoke Pending 6/26/06?

I'm not a Schadenfreudian by nature, but it appears the DoB wants to have a second look at the plans for The Armory Plaza.
I am not sure this is the same as a Stop Work Order, but the job site is very quiet today. Nice rainy morning for snail hunting.
Let us hope that the DoB audits the right set of plans. I would hate to see some cheese factory in Sheboygan get closed down by mistake.

Escar gone!

I'm taking the day off to work on my survivalist cooking skills. My lastest obsession has been picking the snails off my hosta plants.



















The typical garden variety banded brown rimmed land snail is considered a pest, but they are edible. Why waste a perfectly good beer in the hopes of luring a few mollusks to their watery graves, when you can eat the snails and drink the beer yourself.

















Why is it that even creatures as humble as the snail, still produce stunningly beautiful homes for themselves? Perfect form. Perfect function. But honestly, that shell is all that really separates them from the lowly slug.










































Did you know snails are hermaphroditic bisexuals? Not that there is anything wrong with that.
Next week my recipe for Free Range Organic Earth Worm Patties. Oh yeah, if your cat should go missing this week, it wasn't me!