The Q at Parkside

(for those for whom the Parkside Q is their hometrain)

News and Nonsense from the Brooklyn neighborhood of Lefferts and environs, or more specifically a neighborhood once known as Melrose Park. Sometimes called Lefferts Gardens. Or Prospect-Lefferts Gardens. Or PLG. Or North Flatbush. Or Caledonia (west of Ocean). Or West Pigtown. Across From Park Slope. Under Crown Heights. Near Drummer's Grove. The Side of the Park With the McDonalds. Jackie Robinson Town. Home of Lefferts Manor. West Wingate. Near Kings County Hospital. Or if you're coming from the airport in taxi, maybe just Flatbush is best.

Monday, January 7, 2013

The Newest News You Need To Knew

The Q attended the CB9 joint committee meeting tonight - Transportation and Parks. First up was the Clove Road Project. DOT sent us back a proposal saying they would make certain changes to that historic piece of real estate, and we sent back a counter offer that's more about making it safe for the many nearby kids to play there. What is Clove Road, you might ask? It was home to a battle - the Battle for Brooklyn, to be exact - during the revolutionary war. It's a very strange run down cobbled road near the 71st Precinct just north of Empire between Nostrand and New York. Check it out sometime. It really does feel like it predates modern NYC. It's rare to come across a street untouched by the imposition of "the grid." Here's the full story starring architect Mike Cetera. Or rather, starchitecting Mike Cetera.

The long and short is that DOT seems cool with making Clove Road a "play street," which is essentially a safe place for kids to run around that still has SOME traffic at limited hours. That's what differentiates a Play Street from a Plaza or a demapped street. There were a couple of gentlemen at the mtg. making an adamant plea that they must continue to be able to come in to get to their parking spaces behind their building. They were accommodated, but their insistence was a bit over-the-top. Okay, okay, you've got your parking place already! What I've come to understand about NYC over all these years is this...don't mess with people's parking, unless you come prepared to defend yourself with iron nunchucks. (I always thought there was an "m" in that word, but apparently not.)

THEN yours truly got to present the Flatbush Green Sheet Metal Trees project to DOT and special guest Councilman Mathieu Eugene, who made his surprise appearance just for this very item. AND he pledged to pay for the artist's materials. Holy crap. Did he get wind that I was planning to run for his seat or something? (ha-ha...joke, that's ridiculous, ha-ha.) I've never seen him there before! And money? Wow, things are really getting twisted, and it's only Monday. DOT digs it, and will provide us with the letter we need to present to the Design Commission. That's where the Q hits the big time, and gets to stand before the tribunal. This is getting good, y'all. Trusty Bob Marvin was there, and he said maybe PLG Arts should help coordinate the project. Heck yes. The more the merrier. And they could use a new project after losing their longtime leadership.

And as if things couldn't get any rosier AND peachier, there was Mathieu Eugene letting it fly that he'd found $300,000 for security cameras along Nostrand. Now, if you read this blog with any frequency you know how much I'd love to see such TLC devoted to the Flabenue. But I gotta give it up to the Nostrand Avenue Merchants Association for keeping the pressure up. Lindiwe Kamou et al, you rock. Now if we could just get that kind of reaction from the petition for more beat cops. WHICH HAS 316 SIGNATURES SO FAR! And while yes, I printed it out and brought it to the precinct commander personally, I'd like to suggest that a whole gaggle of us go to the January 71st Precinct Community Council Meeting and present in person and very, very publicly. Who's game? It's the third Thursday of this month.

Finally, a little bird tells me the B48 is back up and running properly from Lincoln Road at the PPP train straight to trendy Williamsburg. Maybe some of you non-driving newcomers didn't know there was a direct line to ground zero for indie-inspired entertainment. It's so easy it hurts, though it's a tad on the slow side, but hey you get to see everything and tickle your smartphone the whole way. So just drop it in the slot, and you'll be banging and scratching your head at the same time in no time. And I have no idea what that means, so I'm going to bed. Nighty Night!  
















12 comments:

MadMommaCarmen said...

Regarding Eugene: based on personal experience, make sure he provides these mystery funds in advance of any project. For the clean-up, he gave us the runaround then could only come up with a fraction of what he pledged.

ariella Papa said...

So when are you running, Q? Seriously. You're being coyer than Hil.
Also can you get your detectives on the case of what happened to Doggywood on Lincoln Road. I thought my pooch was going to live there forever, but I suspect someone has ripped them all down in a spirit of meaness.

Bob Marvin said...

RE: Doggywood; I think it just isn't holding up all that well. The dog silhouettes were glued onto a plywood backing and they start to peel off. Once that starts, I'm sure vandals help the process along. Remember the PLG Arts murals on Lincoln, and around the corner on Flatbush, were always intended to be temporary. The particle board panels they're painted (or in the case of Doggywood mounted) on are deteriorating (especially on the back, where they aren't primed) and will eventually self-destruct, if they aren't taken down when construction resumes. That being said, I'll be very sorry to see them go. One consolation will be that our mural panels on Fenimore are on brick and concrete block walls, and should be much longer-lasting.

Does anyone know of other neighborhood walls or fences that might be good for murals?

JDB said...

Great news all around! A slight threat to his monopoly on power and then lots of action (or at least words about action). Keep the heat on Q, start an exploratory committee for your run.

Ariella Papa said...

Thanks, Bob. It's a bummer because those murals were so lovely in that space.
I like the Fenimore mural though those of us on the "other side" of Flatbush - Chester, Woodbury and Beekman are not represented.

Can we start a Q PAC? Anyone?

Clarkson FlatBed said...

thanks y'all. but before rumors get out of hand, let me just say that this next week for me includes a lot of conversations about mr. e. and potential challengers. trust me, plenty of folks would like to see him replaced. i think it will be a very interesting political season, regardless of who ends up running. stay tuned.

Clarkson FlatBed said...

Bob: THANKS FOR ASKING! There are so, so many how do I begin? For me, the two most crucial would be Duane Reade along Parkside Avenue (and take down those illegal gestapo barbed wire fences on the roof), plus the long wall along side the Bargainland at Clarkson/Flatbush.

Naomi said...

Yes, mural on Bargain Hunter's wall on Clarkson just east of Flatbush! I'd love to talk to someone more experienced in making a mural happen. Bob, I'll contact you by email if you don't mind.

Bob Marvin said...

Tim, Naomi, any other interested party,

Do you have any contact with the owners of these potential mural sites? Getting permission would be a crucial first step.

Murals like the ones PLG arts has already created, with individual artists responsible for panels, are RELATIVELY easy to organize (albeit still a lot of work) and IMO can be really spectacular.

I'm just one PLG Arts board member and can't commit the organization to any particular project, but I'd love to start thinking about more murals in the neighborhood.

Noel Hefele said...

Bob! I am another PLG arts board member and I would like to work on a mural project in PLG this spring. I'm off to organize a mural with some high school students this month, so I will have some practical experience to add to the mix...

I second the clarkson / duane reade walls...

eggs! said...

Winthrop corner of Flatbush has a great wall.

ElizabethC said...

Security cameras?? I really, really hope this is true!