New Apartments Coming to Martense

Story on YIMBY from Rebecca

I'm a big fan of Martense. Anybody who lives there want to comment on what they think of this mercifully reasonably sized building?

Fenimore One Block Downzoning

As discussed here before in detail, here's an article that does a fair job of framing the issue.

Patch on Fenimore

Again at the CB9 General Board Meeting, the misinformers were out to squash a simple, reasoned and well-researched request by a group of your neighbors to protect the integrity of their block, which was inadvertently left off the Historic District demarcations. As their consultant Paul Graziano says, the whole neighborhood is in desperate need of a rezoning. Essentially, per DCP, this means downzoning inner blocks and allowing for the construction of taller, but not TOO tall, buildings along the avenues that would necessarily include affordable housing units due to the passage of the Mandatory Inclusionary Housing law passed this year by the City Council.

Such a reasonable compromise stinks of foul play, say the genius protesters, who so far have managed to keep you or anyone else from voicing their opinion through a fair evaluation in concert with the Planning department. On Fenimore, however, reason prevailed, and modest majority was in favor of co-applying to the City. Is there a fear that the City might change the rules mid-process? Of course not. The application pertains to that block only, and if they ever get around to it (very busy don't you know), I see no reason why a block with deed restrictions shouldn't get downzoned. We should all be so lucky.

Ho hum. A few apples have spoiled the whole barrel, and it's just a matter of time before the wrecking balls come to YOUR block. And Empire? It'll continue to be the gorgeous boulevard of dreams that it is. So many tourists from other neighborhoods come to fast-food hop, from one drive-thru to the next. Perhaps we could convince the City to create a drive-thru Vomitorium, in the neo-classical style? That way you could keep banging burgers all night long without taking a break for digestion.

The South Side of Fenimore Wants Our Help To Downzone and Prevent Teardowns

a sunday in the life, part I

So many things happening all at once, it's hard to keep track of it all. I'll leave it to others to parse the meaning, the unprecedented and unpresidential meaning of calling into question the legitimacy of the voters - AFTER having won. Trump says millions voted illegally. That's a mindfuck, that, a symbol of the illogical future we're about to endure. The vote was rigged; I won. Wow. Just wow. My blood is boiling over anew. To other things...

I set out today to celebrate the opening of perhaps the most anticipated new shoppe in the nabe in years, maybe decades. A bonafide bookstore, one with a conscience and smarts, co-owned by a local to boot. Rebecca Fitting and her gang of loyal accomplices have done it. They've thrown open their doors at the base of the once infamous and now familiar 626 Flatbush. By hosting both the Maple Street School AND the beloved Greenlight Bookstore, plus leasing a couple dozen considerably below-market rentals within, developer Hudson has struck a balance that may well take some of the sting out of the monstrosity that looms over Lefferts and Park. Personally I'll never forgive the shock to the view from within the park, but future generations will undoubtedly see it as it is as it was and ever shall be. Thus, the Q continues to become one of the old farts who pines for the good ol' days. Though in this case, the old days meant a shitty parking lot and crumbling medical arts building. But they were OURS goddammit! I even parked there once!

the view from inside Greenlight Books, at, what else, 626 Flatbush

 Now that the Q's head is full of zoning info, he can't help but see sites like the Associated as ripe for the picking. Knocking down this "taxpayer," now that prices have reached a premium seems like the most logical next step for the current or future landowner. It's zoned for a nice big residential structure with commercial on the ground floor, after all.

Couldn't help admiring Lily and Blessings and her terrific jazzy brunchness. Dinner's delicious too, and you can even drink vino there now:

Lily and "some other Lady" looking sassy

they were damn good too, and not too loud. Nothing ruins brunch like a saxophone.

 

Westbury Inn and El Castillo now seem like old friends.

Then I dropped off Lil' Miss Clarkson Flatbed Jr. at a playdate and came back to yet another hurumph about the election, and decided to ride around and document my changing environs.

soon to be demolished on my block

the church, too

a reminder of what you can build on a single narrow lot

recently demolished, still on Clarkson. I've barely started my ride.

This is what you can do with two adjacent lots, and here it comes

Then I started musing on the remarkably diverse new offerings coming at you from a truly lovely cast of neighborhood characters, from wine to desserts to all manner of food and fun, as I rode up and down Rogers and Nostrand, both busting with new bizzes of the last year or so. Like:

Dedicated to health & community

Stellar wine store and hopefully a rebound for Streetsweeper after a fire

went to a bidet party for kids at this place - real nice, on Rogers. Called...Inspire?

okay they've been around awhile. just pluggin' here.

keeps getting better, Gratitude cum PLG Coffee Haus

this place is opening soon and its gonna be AWEsome

Here's Boucan on the inside. Beer & wine natch.

Ahh. Pels. Lovin' it. Been noticing more patrons each time I ride by.

That dance place with the KILLER mural on the gate. Called AbunDance I believe

Taste o' Brooklyn y'alls. Has quite a few fans on the online

Blue Sky Bakery, no?

No "bad hombres" here. Just solid tacos and burritos

new joint? new sign? Love the logo.

Two killer spots, one new one old - Michael Allen and Lindiwe's Ceramics

More to come. Nighty night.

Big New Buildings Coming - Some Affordable Housing Included

The other night at the CB9 ULURP meeting, it became clear that it is very difficult for some folks to grasp how little control they actually have over their own neighborhood. The reason the Q was so adamant about accepting City Planning's accepting of our offer to rezone WITH OUR INPUT AND GUIDANCE is because there actually ISN'T another way. Either they initiate, we initiate, or developers initiate. There's no fourth option that has been shown to work consistently. That's why it's rarely done. You can do your own "study," but it's rarely more effective than merely sitting down with Planning in the first place. Not that it isn't good to create your own plan. But you won't get everything you want either way. Enter Fenimore Street Block Association.

Your neighbors on Fenimore, whose proposal was to downzone the south side of the street Bedford to Rogers took the 3rd option - they acted like developers, designing their own application. Because of existing deed restrictions, they might actually have a shot, because legally it already IS downzoned, just not in the regulations. But if someone wanted to build higher, the neighbors would have to sue to invoke the deed restrictions, and that could be expensive. So why not nip any problems in the bud?

The rest of us in overzoned areas - the vast majority of Lefferts for instance - have no such option. We can try to Landmark, and many are trying. We'll see where that goes. In the meantime, check out these huge new developments planned for just north of (gasp) Empire Boulevard.

Here's what the developer has in mind, from The Real Deal, courtesy of eagle eyed Mike F.

Shifra Hager is looking to rezone properties near the Brooklyn Botanic Garden in Crown Heights to pave the way for two buildings with more than 500 residential units under the city’s Mandatory Inclusionary Housing program. Hager, head of Cornell Realty Management, filed an application with the Department of City Planning that would allow him to build a pair of buildings larger and taller than the current zoning allows. His company’s site at 40 Crown Street, which property records show Hager bought in 2014 for $14.5 million, allows for a seven-story, 70-foot-tall residential building as-of-right. Hager is proposing to rezone the property so that he could build a 16-story, 157-foot-tall mixed-building with about 15,000 square feet of retail.

Look for other developers to follow suit, on Empire no less. Will CB9 have input? Of course. Will it matter, particularly after the way it's been treated by MTOPP? Probably not much.

Vision of the Future - Empanada City

Everyone has their own vision of Utopia. For some, it's a lush green land of hills, vales and verdant meadows. For others, it's a digitized world of robots serving your every need as you toss back bottomless Mai Tais and luxuriate on space-age furniture, high in the air, unencumbered by work or toil. For others, it's a place of never-ending...empanadas.

Welcome to Empanada City, opening soon at 363 Lincoln near Nostrand. We told you about it ages ago, and wondered if the City would ever rise to the east, but now we have word from owner Briant Almonte that it will open its doors, or rather offer you a copy of the keys to the City, soon. As in soon soon, not in-a-while soon. Follow the progress on the Facebook page. And remember the old adage - Carpe Empanda.

TGITG. Thank God It's ThanksGiving, Y'all

So your life was getting a little dull, routine, predictable? Well have I got an election result for YOU!

Don't know about y'all, but I've been tooling around the political block a time or two, long enough to know we've seen some pretty "bad hombres" make their way into the upper echelons of American power. Haig, Schultz, Poindexter, Rumsfeld, Cheney. Though never a paranoid narcissist. Wait...wasn't that the diagnosis they gave Nixon? So there's your president precedent!

Too Big to Fail? No Tan, No Piece.

I can't stop thinking about what really won the election. Not the Neo-Nazis. Not the typical yahoos and rednecks. Not the bonafide racists, anti-semites and misogynists. No, those folks always voted Republican! It's those finicky contrarians, the ones who put Obama in the White House. Twice. Now Trump. And Bush. And Clinton and Reagan and Carter for chrisakes. And Nixon. And Ike. And Kennedy. And FDR. And...a pattern seems to be emerging here.

There is really only one part of the electorate that matters anymore. Swing voters in Swing States and those who need to be given a reason to vote at all. In swing states. It sucks. You spend all your spare time reading up on politics and history and none of it is worth a damn when you head to your Big City Polling Place to lodge your vote that's actually worth 1/2 a vote for a candidate that will likely be taking you for granted anyway. Plus, you get to stand in line for two hours, not because of restrictive voting laws but because of sheer incompetence.

But...it's still the greatest City in the world. You're the greatest neighbors anyone could have. Even Alicia Boyd makes me smile from time to time for her chutzpah and iron huevos. The kids are healthy, the wife is terrific. The house is warm and the food from the coop delicious and inexpensive. There's hot and cold running (get this) DRINKABLE water coming from the faucets. There's even potable water IN THE TOILET! The trash gets picked up three times a week from the curb. My parents are still living, in Tucson no less, a great place to go in the middle of winter. Quite honestly I could survive the rest of my life, comfortably, and never go more than two blocks from my house. That's how convenient and diverse is the Flabenue. I haven't had bedbugs in...at least three years. My band still plays a few shows a year. The internet is...amazing. Have you seen what it has on it? Lots and lots and lots of stuff. So much stuff. On the internet.

That's right folks. At the very least, be thankful for the internet. Have a blessed TG. You deserve it. And if you know someone who could use a nice hot meal, knock on their door and bring 'em to the Church of the Evangel on Saturday. No one should be alone for the holidays. Unless you have wi-fi.

Future of Neighborhood Decided By Same Dozen People At Every Damn Meeting

Make that a baker's dozen, since the Q is often there too.

Given the tenor of the debates, and the issues at stake, one might assume that large numbers of your fellow Leffertsonians and Southern Crown Heightsians would come out and express themselves at the officially sanctioned neighborhood meetings, like Thursday's CB9 ULURP. Maybe you were all at PLGNA's? I wish I'd been there to show support, since AB's been targeting them with a lawsuit meant to destroy them.

There are certain people you WILL see at nearly everything these days. That is, beyond the CB9 Board members who have managed to last this long despite the constant suing and lying and misinformation campaigns of MTOPP and its fearless leader. Board members who have been brave stalwarts include Warren Berke, Michael Liburd, Fred Baptiste, Zorina Frederick, Pia Raymond, Musa Moore, Yaacov Behrman, Beverly Newsome and others. They've managed to stay engaged and informed, though I often disagree with their sentiments and the pace of their deliberations. Regardless of what their nemeses may say, they do not have deep ulterior motives to do anything but be civically engaged and compassionate neighbors. (One, Denise Mann, seems to hate everyone and everything, but she's an exception. I've never seen her smile. If it's a medical thing I apologize.) Sure, some, like District-Manager-In-Waiting Carmen Martinez and many others are deeply involved in the affairs of local elected officials. They are, after all, chosen by the Borough President and Council Members from applications and supporters. So if you're looking to demonize them, I suppose you could say they're TOO deeply involved in local politics. Which is, of course, absurd. That's the whole point isn't it? Taking a deep interest in local politics? There's even enough of them - 50 in all - that creating monolithic decision-making is nearly impossible. From what I can ascertain, none of them are getting rich off connections or backroom deal-making. They hold beliefs and agenda like anyone else. (Thank god. We're gonna need every opinionated liberal on the planet to fight the Orange Bonehead-elect.)

So I mean to say that it's the non-Board members that seem to number around a dozen, all committed to poking holes in any and every effort to discuss or decide issues of importance to the neighborhood's future. Not that they're not entitled to their opinion. But it would be nice if that opinion weren't accompanied with shouts, accusations, interruptions and slurs - and ultimately tantrums when they sense they aren't getting their way.

The rallying cry continues to be Empire Blvd. Local anti-gentrification gentrifier Janine Nichols put it the below way on her MTOPP mouthpiece, the wince inducing-ly named Whitey on Whitey. She's referring to another perfectly reasonable group of neighbors to your north who are trying to landmark their area - the Crown Heights South Association (CHSA), led by architect and neighbor Evelyn Tully Costa. Like every other local group with an acronym or membership, they're in the crosshairs now too. Here's Whitey in her own Whords:

I suggest that it would be more useful for CHSA, whoever they are, to join our ongoing fight to prevent the Dept of City Planning (Plotting) from rezoning Crown Heights, and in particular Empire Boulevard. If DCP succeeds in rezoning Empire from commercial to residential, Black Crown Heights will become Williamsburg. No amount of landmarking will change that. 

There it is. The central thesis. Given that Nichols (white) and Boyd (not white), and workhorse acolytes like Elizabeth Mackin (white) are textbook gentrifiers themselves, it's laughable that they should be the face of keeping the neighborhood black and (enter stereotype) poor. As if their tactics were working in the slightest, right? They're homeowners, folks who moved here because this is where they could afford. Nichols actually complained the other night about having been priced out of Park Slope; Boyd out of Cobble Hill. And Mackin bought a house on Lefferts all of, I dunno, three years ago now? Don't get me wrong here. I don't find their presence in the neighborhood to be a problem in the slightest. It's the galling hypocrisy, and the thinly veiled disdain for their fellow gentrifiers, as if somehow holding the right social and political views washes away guilt like so much turpentine. Then to USE the plight of renters, caught in the crosshairs of so much market topsy-turvy, to use them to their advantage, all the while opposing any and all below-market rate home creation...it beggars belief.

I guess that's the answer, right? You don't go to these meetings because you probably want nothing to do with that nonsense either. And yet, that's the soup of the day, and right now, there's a gadfly in it. Waiter, oh waiter???

Learning to Crawl - This Sunday

If you want tix or to RSVP, just go to the site, y'all.

Here's the gist:

Presented in partnership with the Parkside Empire | Flatbush Avenue Merchants Association, the PLG Fall Bar and Business Crawl promises a full day of activities and happenings connecting neighbors and visitors with local businesses. Enjoy brunch at one of our many local spots and follow with a walk through Prospect Park to take in the fall leaves and beats at the drum circle. Head over to one of our favorite bars and warm up with a cocktail and live entertainment. Stop off for a snack and sips between gallery openings and unique shopping experiences.

The crawl is free and open to the public with Full-Access Passes available for $15. Proceeds from passes will go to the Flatbush Tenant Coalition, which works to build tenant associations and improve housing conditions for our neighbors. Full Access Passes will get you all kinds of perks during the crawl, like a free draft beer at the Westbury Inn on Flatbush, discounts at local shops, + more.

Participating Venues:
The Westbury Inn – Free draft beer for Full-Access, live band performing.
Erv's – Buy a cocktail and get a shot for free for Full-Access.
The Owl Music Parlor – Open Ground concert series with David Virelles (solo) and Frank Kimbrough (solo). Free admission for Full-Access pass holders.
caribBEING HOUSE – View current exhibition, #BrooklynQuiltGirl, and peruse curated goods including Barbadian wire sculptures, Flatbush-inspired products and The Flatbush Caton Vendors Market. Full-Access passes take 10% off your purchase.
Salem's Hour – Acoustic Show with special guest. Specials for Full-Access pass holders.
Pels Pie Co – 2 for one drinks for Full-Access pass holders.
DRINK PLG – 10% discount on any bottle in the store for Full-Access pass holders. Open at noonon Sundays.
PLG Tavern – Tapas plates and new art hanging, half off first drink with Full-Access pass.
BKLYNCommons – Free workspace for a day (M-F 9am-5pm) with Full-Access pass, email info@bklyncommons.com to schedule (valid for new guests only who have not used any other free offer or promotion within the past 90 days from the date of redemption, expires December 31, 2016).
Play Kids – 20% off one item with Full-Access pass. Excludes LEGO and Micro Scooters and Helmets. Use by November 30, 2016.
Dorsey Art Gallery fundraiser and opening for local Flatbush legendary hornsmith, Winston Stiell from 2pm-8pm.
Helper Gallery – Peruse the current show and speak to studio artists about making art political again.
Dr. Cuts – Show pass for discount.
Bluebird
Taste of Brooklyn

+ more

Here They Come...Council Wannabes Start Their Engines

The single least engaged, least effective Councilperson in all of NYC. Maybe ever? That's yours folks! Mathieu Eugene. Google him. Try to find his online presence, beyond old youtube videos with computerized voiceovers. If you're not aware of the extraordinary lameness of this do-nothing, you should really do your research. Then, consider the alternatives in the upcoming election.

The "democratic" election for President has come and gone. That means...time to gear up for the City elections for 2017. The Q has already noted the emergence of Brian Cunningham, who grew up not spittin' distance from the Q on Lenox, as a strong contender. Now we can add another soft-announced candidate - Pia Raymond - to the slate. She's the head of the Nostrand Avenue Merchant's Association, and a clear favorite of State Senator Jesse Hamilton, who was a clear favorite of BP Eric Adams. My point is that these folks don't just "appear" out of thin air. They're groomed, they put out their feelers, put in their time. Pia has led her "Creating Legacies" project, and already has about 1000% more goodwill and online presence going for her than the current Councilperson. Still, Cunningham has some deep connections too.

Given that both those candidates seem to be more known in the NE portion of Eugene's district, I'd put my money on a run by current Flatbush District Leader Josue Pierre as well. He's been positioning himself ever since Ed Powell gave up his District Leader JUST IN TIME for Pierre to step in and win it. Calculated, yes. He's more known in the 70th Precinct/CB14 area. It should be noted that all three of these possible candidates sport deep roots, a near necessity around here in order to drum up big support. And don't forget the churches! You can't win without the backing of the Christians around here. Try to make a heathen understand that and you get nowhere. It's like trying to explain why half the country is Pro-Life. Does not compute, does not compute.

The pictures tell the story. These three will be part of your politics for some time, the "next generation" if you will. With Laurie Cumbo, Diana Richardson, Rodneyse Bichotte, Walter Mosley, Jumaane Williams...there's a lot of talented African and Caribbean American candidates in House Flatbush. God knows the Nation needs all of them. And no funny business!

To date, the Q's noted the

A Little Bit About a Lot of Things

(some of you - a very, very small number of you - may recall the name of this post from Donald Kaul in the morning paper.  Like I said, a very, very, very small number of you...name the city the newspaper was from and I'll buy you an ackee patty)

This poster started showing up 'round hear, this one near the Sanitation Garage at Parkside and NY Avenue. Terrific graphics. Did it go up before the election? Eerie.

New York Avenue has turned into a new ground zero for slapdash market rate apartment buildings. Wouldn't have guessed it a dozen years ago. Tons of new construction. The building at Hawthorne is particularly loomy, and is going up breathtakingly fast. And how about the burned out soon-to-be-renovated building at  665 New York Avenue, where a terrible fire broke out four years ago? Lighting literally struck 100 or so families, and not the lucky kind. Some tenants have never given up on moving back in, though it's doubtful any will. Prices will have changed drastically, though there may be some recourse here if previous tenants are willing to engage the system. A broken, overburdened system to be sure. Some, as in the owners, might be more inclined to describe the lightning as the lucky kind.

 

Disc Mart - Wanted To Know Thee

Sorry to see the above shoppe go. It was perhaps the most unique record store around, featuring a deep trove of Africa and Africa Diasporan music anywhere. Though truth be told the owner was downright mean when I first popped in a few years ago. As I started browsing his amazing collection of Islands music, he grunted "you buying? Saw you take a picture. Seems more like stealing." I engaged him in some terse tit-for-tat, then he calmed down when he realized I wasn't a journalist or art photographer. Seems people had been by at some point and used his sign in a book and didn't pay him anything. I browsed a bit, just to piss him off, then walked out tossing a "have a warm and fuzzy day" for kicks. I figured he was one of those guys from the black power generation that didn't much care for my presence. How simplistic and solipsistic was my read on the fellow! Let me explain...

Just yesterday I was talking to a helpful young African-American fellow who works at Kings County Nursery, under the gruff older guy, you know, the uncle-y guy who kinda scares you a little bit? Seems like he coulda been an extra on The Sopranos. I still can't tell if he's actually a sweetie...I should ask Joe. I mean he knows his stuff. But anyway, I'm not talking about him, I'm talking about the young fellow. When I pointed to the Disc Mart shoppe in question he says "oh yeah that old guy was mean, real mean. Nobody ever wanted to go in there. He chased me out once." And I thought it was just me, and/or about race. Turns out, he was a a bit of meanie. And the old guy from Kings County? Still don't know. But ask anyone - I don't scare easy, and, well, he kinda scares me. Poor little Miss Clarkson Flatbed, Jr. I think he reminded her of Burgermeister Meisterburger. She couldn't let go of my leg last time we went.

And dang if that hulk of a Hudson project at Nostrand and Clarkson ain't almost done. Remember that cute movie theater that used to was there? Hadn't been a movie theater in ages, but I always thought it could make a sweet community center or something. Shows how naive I was. Am.

 

Lastly I just want to kvetch a bit about these damn buttons at crosswalks. Look at this one at Lincoln Road and Ocean. That light is interminable. But look at this button. "Department of Traffic." What the hell is that?  Something dreamed up by the Board of Estimate? And there's the sign that tells you push it, put there by the more contemporary Dept of Transportation, but you KNOW in your head that it does nothing to push it, you can't help but push it anyway, because you never know, you know? Then you push it again, for good measure, hoping nobody sees your act of quite desperation. Why don't they remove the sign? Or change the button? Or stop torturing us? If I were the Chair of Transportation at the Community Board well I oughta...

Local Meeting of KKK Taking Place At This Kar Klubhouse

It always sux to be vandalized. And when the key-ed graffiti on your car reads KKK, it probably doesn't stand for Kit-Kat-Klub. This was awaiting a reader on his car this week.

I'm sure you too have noticed the uptick of anti-Caucasian graffiti. But take heart...as with the hate speech that seems to be growing against all groups, it's not a movement. Isolated, and kind of pathetic. A lot of people feel angry and fearful these days. Some feel emboldened. Should heighten our resolve to keep our lovin' gloves on, not the boxing sort.

Classy Trashy

Not long ago I found an empty tin of sardines next to a newspaper on the seats for the inbound Q. It never occurred to me to grab the salty fish at the start of my day, down a few minnows and hop on the rail to work. I made a mental note of it, and was reminded on Election morning by a similarly surprising

It wasn't a trash day, and there were no litter bags nearby, opened or otherwise. The offending item had not been there the previously evening. (The Q has been self-appointed the Sidewalk Litter Sheriff for my quarter of a block.) Yet, nestled against the ivy, was this item, seemingly tossed in the manner of so many fast food wrappers:

Could it be that some pedestrian was mixing a Kale Caesar Salad right at my front gate? Was someone eating the Organic Valley Parmesan Cheese directly from the package? Did the top flip off of a health conscious shoppers cheese en route to a pasta dinner?

I'll never know for sure. But my eyes are now peeled for any more signs of this strangely selfish grass-fed litterbug.

If That Classy Guy In the White House Can Show A Brave Face...

Okay, so that didn't turn out so well. 

My words of optimism:

Welcome back to the Resistance, everyone. We've been here before, we'll probably be here again. 

Half the country was not happy...now they have their chance to make mistakes, look foolish, drown in emails, get slammed by politicians and special committees and investigations. They have their chance to show what they have lined up that's so brilliant for health care. They get to show us how much "safer" we are with bluster, how much wiser we are with rights-hostile judges.

In other words, time to get off our duffs and sparkle up our spurs...don't cede an inch!

I became politically aware during the first term of a a "charismatic" B-grade star of screen selling snake oil to the Rust Belt, and lived to tell the tale. Some weird shit went down though. Some of you probably came aware during Tricky Dick Nixon. That's who we got for dancing in the mud with flowers in our hair. (the "our" is metaphorical of course...I was three during Woodstock.)

My first impulse, upon disbelief, was to blame. Blame the Bernie Bros. Blame sexism and racism. Blame the media. Blame young people for turning their backs on a chance to make history. Blame Hillary for not campaigning harder in WI and MI. Etc, etc, etc...I came in to the office and a super young guy tells me Bernie would have blown him away. We'll never know.

The words that Trump has uttered will haunt him. His behavior will come back at him, and keep coming back. Now he'll get to see ALL of us in our battered glory, not just his rabid and twisted and rowdy campaign crowds.

Those who believe in love and tolerance and civil rights will have to show their might at every step of the way. Show 'em with your example, Leffertsonians!

We're more important than ever, each and every one of us.

Onwards Flatbush Soldiers!

Brooklyn Assemblywoman Charged in Assault of Her 12-Year-Old Son

Brooklyn Assemblywoman Charged in Assault of Her 12-Year-Old Son: Sources: Diana Richardson

Heartbreaking. On so many levels. Mother and child are inseparable. I'm certain the family will work through it. But this is tough.

Best of luck to Diana and son. May love and patience prevail.

Dreaming Of a Hearse for Barry Hers

God bless journalist Nathan Tempey, for staying on top of the Barry Hers story (he of 60 Clarkson and many others). Read this when you have more than a moment. It's really pretty mind-blowing what's going on all around us. Hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil, be no evil...

It occurs to me that the man is clearly delusional. Perhaps he thinks "this is what you must do to survive in the cutthroat world of NYC real estate." Maybe he has enormous debts. Most likely, he lives in a world of imagination, in which he is somehow a good guy being demonized by poor black tenants who are out to get him and a City bureaucracy that's onerous and anti-Semitic. If only we could find him some therapy and relieve him of his horrible multi-million dollar burdens. Or put him out of his misery, thereby relieving hundreds of others of theirs.

And if you're looking for the thrill of living in subhuman apartment buildings and seeing what depravity and penury look like up close, hell you can get a steal of deal from Senor Hershko. Get 'em while the gettin's good.

PLGNA Needs Your Body

Okay, that sounds kinda creepy, but it's also kinda true. Show up to the annual meeting, find out what they're up to and how to get involved. With CB9 in shambles, groups like the Prosepct Lefferts Garden Neighborhood Association could use your support.

In the effed up files, you can insert the absurdist and cruel mischief of Alicia Boyd as it relates to PLGNA. She's sued them, mostly because she hates them, but ostensibly because they illegally accepted money from elected officials to do a community planning study of their own. Which, of course, they're entitled to do, and it wasn't much money anyway.

Why was AB so pissed? She wanted the money herself, of course. Now, if PLGNA were a big ol' organization it would probably just hire counsel and beat back the dragon. But they have, like, almost no money, and you're required to hire a lawyer to defend a non-profit. Apparently the court date has been postponed, but in December we need to show up in court and show that we won't be bullied by MTOPP or anyone else. Her mission, clearly, is to destroy PLGNA by making the claim that it is corrupt. It's so maddening. So, so, so maddening.

The Creeps Are Out of the Closet

Sorry so off topic, Flatbush.

The Q understands that, like duped natives, we were given a few trinkets in exchange for our privacy. Shiny cell phone with digital calendar and free magazines and circulars and Sears-like catalogs that fit in your pocket!!! For a contact list there, a shopping history, location, interests, hang-ups, dirty laundry, destroyed reputations, porn addictions, keyword searches by government agencies...

The advertising industry - the clever propaganda machine that controls our very beings - still can't believe how easy it's all been. And now they're gloating! A colleague got this in the mail, and if it doesn't creep you out then it's true, the body snatchers already have you in their slimy little pods.

Yes, I know it's a joke. I don't find it so funny.

Public Housing - Why the 40 Is Half Full

A Supreme Court justice grew up in NYCHA. As did half the important hip-hop artists of our time, and poets, and teachers and city workers and any number of people who now make enormous contributions to our culture, City and society. Why would we give up on the idea, and the very buildings themselves? No one is seriously contemplating tearing them down. As you can read for yourself, an effort is being made to add much needed housing on City land, particularly by adding apartments to the projects themselves where land is available, often in the form of parking lots that are often not at capacity, for obvious reasons.

Most people probably don't know that the vast majority of people in NYCHA pay rent - up to 1/3 of income. Now, I know that sounds like a sweet deal these days. But isn't affordable housing supposed to be just that? It used to be 1/4 was considered affordable. 1/3 seems to be the new normal to describe someone who isn't overburdened by rent.

The below is a glossy version of reality. But imagine, if you will, that the real NYCHA lived up to the standards here...and all we had to do was invest more money, money that we and the state and feds HAVE, if we actually admit the money we SAVE from public housing, good, decent public housing. Would any NIMBYist even consider supporting public housing in their neighborhood? Probably not. Because we don't really think big anymore, and frankly, the community boards and local gentry don't care much for big thinking.

When FORCED to deal with the reality of poverty in the City, though, people do. Ask the good folks of Boerum Hill or Red Hook whether their investment in a house was a bad one, and whether a lot of their initial fear was unjustified. It is still, at least for now, New York Fucking City.