Great Moments In Urban Planning, Volume I

Yesterday my buddy Kevin over at Forgotten New York emailed me a question. It was regarding a post on Streetsblog and read as follows:

Is Manhattan Ave the right place for a bike lane, as busy as it is?

And here is my answer: second only to perhaps McGuinness Boulevard or the BQE, Manhattan Avenue is one of the worst places imaginable to have a bike lane. Here is why.

This is the intersection of Green Street and Manhattan Avenue. Green Street is a popular thoroughfare for motorists (many of whom are cabbies) to turn around and head back to the Pulaski Bridge. While annoying, the added traffic is not the problem. Rather, it is the general reluctance on the part of motorists to obey the law. As a result I have seen many an accident come to pass here. If it has legs or wheels you can rest assured it has been thoroughly pulverized by some miscreant-on-wheels running this stop sign. Follows are a few that things that have been hit at this intersection by negligent motorists:

1. One subcompact car
2. One tractor trailer hauling construction materials
3. A dog
4. A bicyclist
5. A child

Of incidental interest, here are a few things I have seen transpire where this bike lane will be installed.

1. One crazy-ass dude being tazered repeatedly by the police.
2. Some drunk guy passed out in the street. The locals, being acclimatized to this sort of thing, placed a street cone in front of this chap and called 311.

And now we are to have a bike lane here? Why doesn’t the city charge a bounty on bicyclists or host some Death Race 2000-esque type of event at this intersection instead? The end result will pretty much be the same.

I know what some of you are thinking: Why not call 311 and complain about people blowing through this intersection? I HAVE. After almost being hit myself. Once I even went to the trouble of complaining to a meter maid present writing a ticket. In both cases absolutely nothing was done. Until our city decides to enforce the rules of the road (for motorists and bicyclists) I see no viable reason why a bike lane should be installed on Manhattan Avenue. Franklin Street (which already has a bicycle lane)* is a much safer alternative.

What’s more, putting a bicycle lane in the path of a bus route strikes me as being downright idiotic. B43 bus service is bad enough as is, why make it worse?

Miss Heather

*See comments

Greenpoint Photo du Jour: Freeman Street

I would like some leather restraints with my granite counter tops please!

Miss Heather

Construction Site du Jour: Location, Location, Location

Anyone who has worked in real estate for any appreciable amount of time will tell you the key to selling a property is its location.

This is why I find the above property (which is located at 214 Green Street) so fascinating: it is located on a corner many would consider less than desirable. Or would they?

If you want to, say, catch a cab or gas up your car this condominium cannot be beat!

What’s more, the tenant of the first floor will not even need to own a vacuum cleaner. He or she can simply reach out the window, pop in a few quarters and viola clean apartment!

Miss Heather

Greenpoint Bike du Jour: Nasty On Noble

Wanna sit on this seat?

Miss Heather

Comment of the Week

Yeah it’s only Wednesday, but this is a good one!

Seanisthegood writes (in regards to this post):

Wow. Let me first say I attended the public hearing with the intent of speaking against Studio B. I live around the corner at 112 Calyer Street. I am sometimes annoyed by bottles left on the street the day after a big show or party. That’s about it. After hearing the testimony of the six people that spoke I realized Studio B needs some defense. First, I live behind the building. My kitchen window overlooks the back of the building. I could watch them build the roof. My bedroom affords me a partial view of the back. Yes, I can hear a slight base thump, but this “chatter” and roof music have never, ever been loud enough to cause any sleep issues for me. I find backyard get together of people that live on Clifford Place and Calyer street to be louder than the club. Second, the club does NOT operate every night. Usually there are about three shows a week. A majority of nights the clubs doors are closed. This is far from a constant nuisance. Is it not acceptable for a night club to stay open until four on a Friday or Saturday? Third, Studio B is not just a drug haven, it is a world renown establishment that brings in acts from all over the world. Recently the New York Times wrote a on Hercules and the Love Affair’s debut show at Studio B.

Why is this comment so interesting (other than being a backhanded puff piece for Studio B)? Very simple: five people spoke against Studio B, not six. I filmed every single one of them. The previous commenter either attended this meeting and got confused or he looked at this blog and pretended he did.

Maybe “Sean” can tell us how Agnes “I live next door” Piekarska* likes the bidet in her illegal apartment office?

Or how much it rents for because it sounds and looks pretty phat! The above screencap was taken on June 12, 2008.

This one was taken July 16, 2008. Note how the hearing has been pushed back to September 15, 2008.

Miss Heather

*This is disputed. See Comments.

Just Another Day In Greenpoint

Anyone knocking around Manhattan Avenue today probably noticed there was a lot of filming going on. At Matchless (above) a feature entitled Three Girls was being shot.

Further north I happened upon this motley crew of characters. Curious to know what was going on I asked one of them (the woman in the leopard print pants in the above photograph).

Miss Heather: What’s with all the people sporting the luau get-up?
Woman: They’re filming Lipstick Jungle here today. We’re extras in a party scene.
Miss Heather: Thanks. I was just curious because it is sort of unusual to see people decked out like this here on a weekday.
Woman: It’s funny you mention that. You are the first person who has asked us what we’re doing. We have been walking back and forth from the location (Club Exit —Ed. Note) to the holding area and no one seems to care.
Miss Heather: That’s Greenpoint for you. We have all types here. You can pretty much do or be whatever you want and no one will pay any mind.

It’s true. You can do or be anything you want to be in the Garden Spot. I once wore a pair of fairy wings to the grocery store because I felt like it. Aside from a few bemused looks no one seemed to care.

And on that note I am sad to inform everyone that Greenpoint recently lost one of its more distinctive citizens to a heart attack. Her name was Jessica Cooper, but most of us knew her as that big gal with the pigtails who loved to wear her Catholic School uniform. While some (myself included) may not understand exactly what made Jessica tick, she had a huge heart. She was a frequent volunteer at the Greenpoint Food Pantry and will be sorely missed by her partner of 40 years, Dottie. Rest in peace Jessica, you will be missed by many.

Miss Heather

Another Restaurant Cometh To Greenpoint

I have long wondered exactly what is going in this space at 14 Bedford Avenue (which is located just around the corner from Le Brique). Today I finally took a peek at the permits posted in the window.

I have not found any applications for a liquor license pending on Community Board 1’s agenda and there will be no meeting next month, so it looks like we will have to wait until fall to learn more!

Miss Heather

Greenpoint Photo du Jour: West Point In Greenpoint

From Franklin Street.

Miss Heather