Here Are Some Ideas to Generate Funds for Brooklyn Bridge Park

The Brooklyn Bridge Park Corporation voted to issue a Request for Proposals for a consultant to explore alternate funding sources for the park. According to the Brooklyn Eagle, whatever new uses are arrived at would replace condos that were planned in the park.

The installations all together would have to generate between $8 and $9 million in funds to make up for the loss of the condo developments.

An Idea: This Is Where Religion Come In:

The Jehovah's Witnesses have plans to divest themselves (as the economy improves) of 25 Brooklyn properties that are said to be worth at least $1 billion. They do not pay taxes on these properties. But as they are sold, the buyers would pay taxes. So -- the city will not lose any money if these taxes are earmarked for the upkeep of Brooklyn Bridge Park.

The properties range from the deluxe Hotel Bossert on Montague Street to brownstones, high-rises and parking lots. They are all just a stone's throw from the park. (More about these properties at TRD.)

Supplemental Funds

In the meantime, smaller concessions might include any number of fanciful fund-raisers. Examples include:

- A bike rental concession (including those multi-rider bikes with canopies).

- A Zip Line. Whee!

- Brooklyn-themed mini-golf.

- Corporate sponsorships and naming rights subscriptions. Park uniforms with logos.

- An outdoor rock-climbing concession.

- Charge a fee to all those damn tour buses that clog the Fulton Ferry Landing entrance to the park.

- The Brooklyn Duck amphibious boat tour. Charge an operator to dock or park and a yearly fee.

- A walkway where each brick or cobblestone has the name of someone who donated a certain amount of money. It keeps getting longer. And longer.

Even artist-designed donation boxes would bring in thousands of dollars.

Any more ideas?

Photo by MK Metz


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Brooklyn Bridge Park's Pier 6, at Midnight, from Above

 Shot from the OxBlue Construction Camera atop One Brooklyn Bridge Park at midnight, Pier 6 looks like a mysteriously glowing jewel.

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Walt Whitman Park Shaping Up in Downtown Brooklyn

 The $4.5 million transformation of the 2.9-acre Walt Whitman Park in Downtown Brooklyn (next to the Office of Emergency Management on Cadman Plaza East) has entered it's fifth month.

The outlines of a planted median at the Cadman Plaza East entrance and an oval in the middle of the park can be seen.  The design also calls for more trees and an ornamental fountain that will double as a sprinkler for children. According to the Brooklyn Eagle, four Walt Whitman poems will be engraved in granite on the sides of the fountain.

More here.

Photo by MK Metz

- Mountains of Soil at Walt Whitman Park 
- More Park Action in Downtown Brooklyn
- Walt Whitman Park Finally Loses Its Asphalt
- New Design Calls For 'Great Lawn,' Fountain

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A Race-Colored Map of New York

Based on cartographer Bill Rankin's original racial map of Chicago, Eric Fischer created similar maps for the top 40 cities in the United States, including New York, seen above. According to Fast Company, Fisher used U.S. Census data from 2000 to create a map where one dot equals 25 people. The dots were then color-coded based on race: White is pink; Black is blue; Hispanic is orange, and Asian is green.

Compared to other cities, New York has "vast areas of extreme racial concentration. But the sheer size of those areas means that the boundary areas become intensely rich areas of cross-cultural ferment," says Fast Company.

See other maps here.

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'Brooklyn Tornado 9/16/10' Gets Songified as 'Tornado Song'

The original "Brooklyn Tornado 9/16/10" (video at the bottom of this post for your convenience) was funny enough -- some rank it close to that hit classic, "Double Rainbow." Who can forget the lines, "Look at the Tree! Look at the Tree!"

Now watch the Gregory Brothers' songified version, "Tornado Song!" (Must have audio turned on.)
 

Here's the original video:


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Brooklyn Bridge Park Funding Meeting, New Commuter Vans, and More Brooklyn Briefs

- Come to a meeting Wednesday considering sources of funding for Brooklyn Bridge Park (other than the construction of private housing in the park).  BHB

- A teenage driver who was texting on her cell phone mowed down a Chinese restaurant deliveryman. WPIX 

- Where bus routes were cut, a new kind of commuter van service is being tested in Brooklyn.  Brooklyn Eagle 

- A 23-year-old environmental activist from Brooklyn was killed when he was struck by a tractor-trailer while riding a bike through Canada. NBCNewYork 

- Fake shootout in DUMBO.  Brooklyn Eagle

- Though unemployment in Brooklyn is still high, commercial leasing is soaring, jobs are being added, and a movie studio expands. Crain's NY

- The worst U.S. recession since the Great Depression ended more than a year ago, the National Bureau of Economic Research said. Bloomberg


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A Lot of Tails Wagging at First Brooklyn Heights Dog Show: UPDATED With Winners!

(UPDATED: See below for all winners.)
The first-ever Brooklyn Heights Dog Show was hosted yesterday by the Brooklyn Heights Association on Montague Street, which was closed to cars and filled with fun activities as part of the last Summer Space of the season.

There were roughly 60 local dogs competing in such categories as "Best Tail Wagging," "Most Affectionate," "Best Look Alike (dogs and their owners)," "Most Obedient," and "Least Obedient." The winners of each class competed for "Brooklyn Heights Top Dog."

Here's a man who thinks he looks like his dog. He appeared to be a favorite to win the Look Alike category until this next dog/owner combo (shown immediately below) appeared.

This pair were instant winners.

Brooklyn Heights Association's Judy Stanton (center with hat), handed out ribbons.

The judging table steadfastly refused all bribes.

A great time was had by all, and the dogs received treat bags from Pets Emporium, Perfect Paws and Rocco & Jezebel for Pets. The Top Dog's owner received a gift basket from City Chemist.

Official Winners of the First-Ever Brooklyn Heights Dog Show

Best Tail Wagger: Honey Bear, owned by Susan Dooha

Best Look-Alike: Poppy, owned by Sophie Feng

Most Affectionate: Phoebe, owned by Connie Monahan

Most Obedient: Shaggy, owned by Ed Cutler

Least Obedient: Button, owned by Ben Difilippi

Most Mysterious Heritage: Ben, oend by Linda Beeke

Most terrific Pet Trick: Issy, owned by Tomy Soll

Best Senior: Chance, 10 years old, owned by Susan Sidel

Best Hair-do: Bantay, owned by Gene Scott

Best Vocals: Opa, owned by Heidi Hanrack

Best Pair: Lili and Xandy, owned by Olivia Kraus

TOP DOG: Opa, owned by Heidi Hanrack

Photos by MK Metz

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Great Day for Car-Free Summer Space on Montague Street

 The Montague Street BID has been putting on car-free Summer Space events for a couple of years now and yesterday's was one of the most successful yet. The Brooklyn Heights Dog Show (see here) drew a crowd of hundreds and the weather was perfect.

Folks could buy a snack and hang out at a table, or let the kids play with hula hoops, chalk or balls on the street courtesy of the NY Toy Museum.

 The Grace and Spiritus Chorale put on a free performance and the Martha Cardona Theater performed opera.

The Brooklyn Eagle newspaper provided a chess master who took on all challengers (and a giant wisecracking red, white and blue bird).

Photos by MK Metz

- Montague Street Summer Space Coming 2009
- Rain Delays Summer Space 2009 
- 'Piazza Day' on Montague Street 2008 

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MTA to Renovate 370 Jay Street? Plus Vandal Hipsters and More Brooklyn Briefs

- An MTA spokesperson said that renovating the crumbling ex-MTA headquarters in Downtown Brooklyn at  370 Jay St. “is part of the MTA’s current and approved MTA 2010 — 2014 Capital Program.”  Brooklyn Eagle

- In 2007 the city brought possums to Brooklyn to combat the rats. Now not only do we have rats as big as possums, but the possums have become their own epidemic.  NY Post 

- Livery cab hits four pedestrians in Park Slope, possibly severing the leg of one.  Gothamist

- The census sorta makes up population data for neighborhoods "with high proportions of poor and minority households, such as much of the Bronx, Bedford Stuyvesant, Flatbush and Harlem, as well as heavily immigrant area like Northwest Queens."  Queens Crap

- Brooklyn hipsters are spreading rampant subway vandalism -- or is it art?  Brooklyn Eagle 

- A report of a nonprofit founded by Democratic Brooklyn party boss Vito Lopez alleged serious fraud and questionable management, including lucrative payouts to Lopez's girlfriend. Gothamist 

- Jews in Williamsburg loaded up on caffeine suppositories before the start of the Yom Kippur fast that would deprive them of coffee by mouth. Oy.  Brooklyn Paper

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Confirmed: Not 1, but 2 Tornadoes Hit Brooklyn and Queens Sept. 16!

The National Weather Service confirmed Friday that Thursday's storm spawned not just one, but TWO tornadoes in New York City.

One of the tornadoes struck Brooklyn at 5:33 p.m. Thursday, carving its way northeast from Park Slope. The second one hit Queens at 5:42 p.m., traveling from Flushing to a mile north of Bayside. AP story here. 

Officials are asking Queens, Brooklyn and Staten Island homeowners to take photos and detail all the damage to their property to 311.  the documented damage could convince the state and federal governments to declare parts of the city a disaster area, so it could qualify for FEMA assistance and low-interest loans to small businesses damaged in the storm. NY1 story here.

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