Neighborhood Threat

I was walking up Manhattan Ave. yesterday and noticed DOB permits in the window of this location I blogged about previously. They both refer to a grill and ventilation to the roof, so clearly we're getting a new restaurant, or a bodega with hot food. Either would be a very welcome addition to the neighborhood in that location. If whatever goes into this space stays open late, they will have *zero* competition on that corner- which is an entrance and exit for the Nassau G stop - after hours (which, in Greenpoint, is 7 or 8pm). I'm not even talking 24 hours (although the neighborhood could use something else in addition to my beloved God Bless Deli and Grocery) - even staying open until 11 or midnight would give them a clear advantage.

Posted by clr at 12:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Posted by clr at 06:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This post on Brownstoner today got me thinking about one of my pet peeves, Manhattan Avenue. Manhattan Ave. is a constant stream of traffic violations. People double-park with impunity. People park in bus stops. People do a three-point turn in the middle of the street to turn themselves around - in the middle of rush hour.

Commercial vehicles flaunt the rules just as much. I realize trucks need to park to unload but parking in the bus stop so the bus has to stop in the middle of the street is dangerous for passengers and blocks traffic in the other direction. As I commented on Brownstoner, our favorite offender is the armored car that picks up from the Dime Savings Bank at the corner of Manhattan and Calyer in the morning. It drives south down Manhattan Ave., and just before the bank, swerves into the northbound lane and parks (illegally) at the curb in the bus stop. This isn't a one-time occurrence, either.

If every meter maid in Greenpoint went up to Manhattan Ave. and ticketed the cars, vans, and trucks that parked illegally, double parked, parked in bus stops - all of which create actual, real traffic problems during rush hour - they'd have a bonanza. They'd also increase the quality of life in the neighborhood, which ticketing the poor guy who overslept and didn't get to move his car in time doesn't do.

Posted by clr at 10:54 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This convenience store - it's not even a bodega, all it had were snacks and drinks and magazines and newspapers, and I believe coffee, and at one point, ice cream sodas - is no longer with us. Standing at the corner of Norman and Manhattan, it's reached the end of its useful life. Of course, it could be a case that the owner passed away and no one in the family wants the store, but more likely, a victim of rising rents.

On the other hand, "victim" is a pretty subjective term. Was this store serving the needs of the neighborhood? It did stay open relatively late, given its proximity to the Norman St. exit of the Nassau G stop, but there's a plethora of these stores in Greenpoint and this one had huge square footage to deal with. I'm sure they just didn't have the volume any more.

Almost just across the street from this shop, a 99 cent store is going out of business. I keep trying to get a shot of the storefront, covered in large signs in English and Polish, advising that everything was half-off, but haven't gotten it yet. It'll probably be closed by the time I manage to make that happen (which is how I'm starting to feel about a lot of things in the neighborhood).

I'm excited for the opportunity for new commerce, but I don't want to see more of this kind of thing. I'd love to see the business plan that provided the data that people in this neighborhood are going to pay $10 for a bowl of soup. The Blimpie's that was open for about all of five minutes was in the same stretch as this shop above and the 99 cent store. We don't need more chains, local or national.

Posted by clr at 09:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The G train gets a bad rap. It is far more useful than people will give it credit for - that, or everyone bitching about it hasn't been in NYC long enough to develop creative subway riding skills - Not sure which. People refuse to even entertain living in Greenpoint because of the G train, insisting on immediate proximity to the L train - which to me is far more of a nightmare. At least I'm not waiting three trains in the morning before I can squeeze myself onto one.

Earlier this year, when I was working at 50th and Madison, I would take the G to Court Square and transfer to the E or the V, which left me three blocks from work. (When the weather was nice, I would take the B61 to the first stop after the Pulaski Bridge and get on the 7 at Vernon-Jackson, get off at GCT, and then walk uptown. In my opinion, the B61-7 train connection is the most under-rated connection in Brooklyn. I would say "don't tell anybody" but it doesn't matter. People are too myopic.

I work in Tribeca and take the G train to the IND at Hoyt-Schermerhorn and get off at Canal St. It's a cross-platform transfer and I have a seat for most of my commute. Most people in this area would walk or take the bus to the L at Bedford, squeeze onto a train, and then make the lengthy connection at 8th Avenue, and not even consider the G.

But, this was supposed to be a bitch about the G. Tonight we took in one of the free River to River shows downtown, and then got on the IND at Chambers St. When we got on the G at Hoyt-Schermerhorn, the conductor informed us that the next stop would be Bedford-Nostrand. It ran all stops from Bedford-Nostrand to Metropolitan Ave. - where we were then informed the next stop would be 21st St. in Queens! There was no service notice posted, nor any indication by the conductor that this was a skip-stop train, nor any reason given for the skip-stop. There's no express track, so I'm really not sure what purpose this served. The MTA couldn't pull that crap with any mainline train in Manhattan, but they have to realize the G is no longer a poor country cousin.

Who remembers when it was the GG (and the LL)?

Posted by clr at 09:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

They're baaaack.

What does Dennis Leary require for his filming pleasure this time out?
Both sides of Calyer St. from Franklin to Manhattan.
Both sides of Oak St. from Calyer to Franklin.
And, the best, Franklin St. from Quay to Greenpoint Ave. - but only the west side of the street.
There may be more, but this is what greeted us when we came home last night.

On a WEDNESDAY, no less, which is supposed to be the one day you don't have to worry about alternate side in Greenpoint.

Posted by clr at 12:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

...But the DOT doesn't believe in adequate notice, either.

These went up late on Wednesday, on BOTH sides of Franklin St. Accordingly, we moved the car as soon as we got home from work. But if we had come home late, we would never have seen the signs in the dark, and certainly wouldn't have been up early enough to have seen them.

No notice of remedy. Nothing official on the sign to designate that it was an official DOT sign.

They didn't start at 7am, either.

Posted by clr at 09:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Posted by clr at 11:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

My intent to get dinner there tonight was thwarted, by lack of selections, and a need for the staff to get the kinks out of the organization/service. No entrees, no soups. Fine, I settled for a sandwich, which comes with a side - and then the sides weren't all available - "but we can give you any vegetable you want!" they said, eagerly. So I went back to the menu to reconsider, and in the meantime, other people ordered - and when they were also urged to get a vegetable, and asked "Is it cooked or raw?" were met with panic on the face of the staff - and then, "Sure, any way you want it."

If I wasn't eager to get home and watch the game - it was already 7:25 - and my hands weren't full, I would bring a book and patience, and be happy to support this welcome addition to the neighborhood. Which is what I would urge you to do, until they have a few more weeks' operation under their belt and things smooth out. I also got the impression that the restaurant is being run as a cooperative, so keep that in mind as well.

Posted by clr at 10:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I've been watching their progress, and even though there were dozens of bicycles parked out front almost every night and people constantly at work, the place was such a mess still that I didn't see how they were ever going to open.

When we came home from the ballgame last night, we saw a sandwich board outside the restaurant saying, 'WE ARE MOST CERTAINLY OPEN'. The boyfriend said, "There's no way," but there were lights on and when we walked by, the place was open and hopping with business. This was after an extra-innings game - and the sign on the door indicated that they are OPEN UNTIL MIDNIGHT! That alone should put them ahead of the game in Greenpoint.

The questions now:
1) Is the food any good, and
2) Will the service suck?

Going tonight for dinner and will report back.

Posted by clr at 11:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This storefront on Manhattan Ave., between Norman and Meserole, was empty for a very long time. It had one of those great recessed entrances, maximizing the window space, as each side was a box and you walked in between them. It was the classic window-shopping setup.

There are still stores like this on Manhattan Ave. Part of me is amazed, that with the wealth of stores across the river, people in the neighborhood still happily shop here. It's not that they're carrying special lines of clothes imported from Poland (that I could understand - we have at least half a dozen shops carrying Polish health and beauty products), or even small local designers. It's just clothes, sneakers, jackets, jeans, that you could probably get anywhere. Not discount, not unique. Just clothes.

Unfortunately, this location was abandoned since before I moved to Greenpoint. I became interested in this space when , back when I was still in real estate, a commercial client was looking for space for an insurance brokerage. When I looked the address up on Property Shark, I saw that the landlord had applied for a permit to convert to office space. And when I called to inquire, they told me they already had a tenant.

I walked by there the other day - when I took this photo - and the construction is finally done and the carpet is in and the desks are set up, and it could very well end up an insurance brokerage. Someone I know suggested a travel agency, but although they are still popular in Greenpoint, even in these days of do-it-yourself-online, I doubt one would take on this much square footage.

I will have a cow if it's another goddamn bank -- unless it's Commerce (to be a complete hypocrite). Why there is no Commerce Bank closer than Ridgewood is beyond me.

Posted by clr at 04:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

As I alluded to in an earlier post, one of the few benefits we received from the chaos brought on by the Franklin St. destructo-orgy was the fact that, once the road was finished, there were no parking signs. Anywhere.

For the first week or two that we were allowed back on Franklin St., I still insisted on moving the car from side to side, because I was certain that - consistent with earlier behaviors - they would put up the signs one day and then start towing and ticketing. For example, I wouldn't have put it past the DOT to put up the signs at 8am on a Tuesday morning, and then promptly start ticketing all the cars parked on the No Parking Tuesday 8-930 side (they did similar before). But after a while I realized they weren't in a hurry to put the signs back up, and no one was getting ticketed. And the luxury of not having to move the car felt like a million bucks.

I don't know when they put the signs up, all I know is that we came back from the baseball game on Friday night and the signs were in place. There was no notice from the DOT saying, "Hey! We put the signs back up, so all of you who have been parking your car and leaving it, better get with the program again." Just new signs.

I do recall having read somewhere that once the signs are taken down, there is a two-week grace period after they are restored to give residents time to get used to the regulations again. But I'm not taking any chances.

It was nice, six months of no alternate side. But we took it as reparations for the almost two years of hell brought on by the street reconstruction. Honestly, compared to living on the Lower East Side, parking here is a cakewalk.

Just don't tell anybody.

Posted by clr at 10:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A GUIDE FOR HIPSTERS, THE CLUELESS, OR MICHELLE (WHO JUST MOVED HERE FROM OHIO).

1) Wait for bus at stop. There is no need to queue, but don't trample the mother and child who were waiting for 20 minutes before you got there. I know you are late for your bartending job. Wake up 15 minutes earlier next time.

2) When bus arrives, HAVE YOUR METROCARD READY. Do not stop at the fare box to rummage through your Brooklyn Industries messenger bag for your wallet. Have the damn thing out.

3) Wait for the idiots who are incapable of exiting the bus through the rear to slowly gather their belongings and make their way to the front door.

4) Enter the bus. If it's not crowded, consider taking a seat, unless you are only riding briefly. Taking a seat when there are empty seats leaves the center aisle clear. If it's not crowded, move to the rear or step to the side.

5) TAKE OFF YOUR DAMN BACKPACK. I recently saw a sign on the subway that said taking off your backpack on a crowded subway or train was as courteous as giving up your seat to a pregnant woman or the elderly. I know you won't do the latter (because you won't even notice their presence), but TAKE OFF YOUR DAMN PACK. Put it at your feet or slide it to the front. No one wants to get hit in the face with your bag.

6) If the bus becomes crowded at the next stop or so, MOVE YOUR ASS TO THE REAR. I don't care that you're reading your Paul Auster. Move back. That's right, all the way to the back. That way people can get on at the front. Move.

7) If you have no choice but to stand near the doorway, realize that people get off the bus at other places besides the subway. If they are clearly waiting to get off, GET OUT OF THEIR WAY. If you are not exiting the bus at a popular stop like Bedford and Driggs or near the 7 stop in LIC, it is acceptable to step off the bus briefly and then step back on. BUT GET OUT OF THE DAMN WAY, MORON. That goes for your enormous backpack.

7a) If it's outside of rush hour, that does not give you license to stand at the back door with your group of friends, blocking access to it, so you can continue to discuss whether or not you want to go to "the Nest". MOVE OUT OF THE GODDAMN WAY.

8) Make sure you have your crap together a minute or two before the bus reaches its stop. No one wants to wait for your lame ass to gather your bundles and get off the bus. If you are in the rear and there are other riders in your way, the way to make your intent clear is to clearly and loudly announce, "Getting off, please." The "please" is not optional, but I know it will be difficult. Try.

8a) If you are between someone who has announced, "Getting off, please," and the door, that means YOU ARE IN THEIR WAY AND YOU NEED TO STOP WHAT YOU ARE DOING AND MOVE SO THEY CAN GET OFF THE BUS.

9) Unless the bus is crowded (and even then), YOU EXIT A BUS THROUGH THE REAR DOOR. By exiting the bus in the rear, you allow the people waiting for the bus to get on quickly and minimize the delay. Think about it.

Now, I know it can be difficult to comprehend that the door back there is capable of opening, even though you have likely seen the signs on the door directing you to PUSH YELLOW TAPE TO OPEN, and have seen other individuals use it. The driver does not control this door, you do. All you have to do is PUSH THE YELLOW TAPE, and the door will open with very little effort and stay open. Alternately, you can just push the door open, but why not do as instructed and PUSH THE YELLOW TAPE. Try it some time.

Stay tuned for: HOW TO RIDE THE SUBWAY

Posted by clr at 12:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)