Discharge: Such An Ugly Word

Why can't we surround ourselves with beautiful words like "gambol" or "lilting?"

Why do our lampposts bear signs with words like "discharge?"

It's a hard city.


Photo of sign on Jay Street, Downtown Brooklyn by MK Metz

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'Brooklyn's Bastille' Once Stood Near Fort Greene Park

Before the Brooklyn House of Detention was built on Atlantic Ave. in Downtown Brooklyn, there was the Bastille-like, century-old Raymond Street Jail, officially called Brooklyn City Prison. The prison was built in 1838 and stood until 1963 at the corner of Willoughby Street and what is now called Ashland Place (it used to be called Raymond Street) in Downtown Brooklyn. Reformers described it as "a medieval dungeon."

The New York Correction History Society offers a virtual tour of the jail on their web site, featuring vintage photos taken by retired C.O. Peter J. Ledwith.

The Raymond Street Jail for male prisoners was built in 1836 a block away from Fort Greene Park. An addition for women prisoners, later known as the "Annex" (shown above) was completed in 1839.

The jail, with a capacity of 465, was constantly overcrowded and was denounced by health authorities. (Check out the photos of the impossibly small cells.)

In 1939, a citizens' group called the Committee of One Hundred was organized, and pressure was brought to build a modern jail. Eventually, the Brooklyn House of Detention for Men at 275 Atlantic Ave. was built. The Raymond Street Jail was placed into operation as a facility for short termers and adolescents.

Finally, in 1963, the Raymond St. Jail closed. The Brooklyn Hospital Center's 19-story Maynard Building was built on the old jail site.

The "new" Brooklyn House of Detention on Atlantic has been unused for several years, and neighbors would like to keep it that way. But a couple of weeks ago, Kings County Supreme Court Justice Sylvia Hinds-Radix ruled that the city’s Department of Correction may go forward with its plan to reopen the facility.

Return to Raymond Street Jail

Photo by C.O. Peter J. Ledwith

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Magnolia Blossoms On Cadman Plaza East, Brooklyn

The magnolias on Cadman Plaza East, on the approach to the Brooklyn Bridge pedestrian ramp, are starting to burst open. These flowers will have a star-like shape when fully open.

(We just learned there's something called Magnolia brooklynensis, or Brooklyn Magnolia. It bears yellow flowers.)

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Subway Turnstiles In Brooklyn to Go 'Green,' Power Trains

Brooklyn will be the first borough to experiment with new "green" subway turnstiles that may actually produce enough "man power" to move the trains running through Brooklyn.

Starting today, turnstiles in Downtown Brooklyn stations from Borough Hall to Atlantic Avenue along the 2 and 3 line will be retrofitted with a nearly friction-free crankshaft arrangement that will allow them to "collect" energy as they are rotated by subway passengers.

"The loss from friction has been reduced so much that an amazing percentage of the energy from rotation is conserved," said Dr. Gregory Harris, physics professor at Polytechnic University of NYU in Downtown Brooklyn, a consultant on the project.

Phyllis Mulligan, of the MTA's Conservation Board, estimated that an average subway train, not quite fully loaded, would achieve a 10 mph forward thrust with every thousand passenger turns.

"The more passengers going through the turnstiles, the faster the trains will go," she said, adding that number 2 and 3 trains would "zoom" during rush hour.

There is a downside, she said. "There will be significant slowdown on holidays and off hours. But most people don't have to get anywhere quickly at those times."

"We're hoping that passengers will be so enthusiastic about this new technology that they'll each give the turnstiles a couple of extra spins," she told McBrooklyn.

But Mike Stephens, spokesperson for the Straphangers Campaign, pointed out that passengers would have to swipe their Metrocards for each spin of the turnstile. "No matter how 'green' passengers feel, we suspect that the MTA is looking to unfairly profit from consumer enthusiasm," he said.


Happy April 1.
Photo courtesy of Avon Engineering

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Curtains for Brooklyn Navy Yard's Admiral's Row?

It's probably all over for Brooklyn Navy Yard's Admiral's Row, reports Crain's New York. Most of the buildings that comprise the row of disintegrating 19th-century houses will be torn down to pave the way for a supermarket, sources told them.

The houses are eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places.

The "compromise" plan, which is supposed to be revealed to community groups in late April would preserve "only one of the 10 crumbling residences and a structure known as the Timber Shed," according to Crain's.

The Municipal Art Society emailed Gothamist with the following statement: “If the reported compromise on the future of the Admiral’s Row buildings is true we are deeply disappointed because the majority of these buildings could and should be saved. We will continue fighting to save these important structures."

Last July, the National Guard held an informational forum at Brooklyn Borough Hall to solicit public input about the future of Admiral's Row.

The Navy Yard originally wanted to demolish them all and build the supermarket, with a large parking lot and a light industrial complex.

Preservationists, such as Brent Porter, an architecture professor at the Pratt Institute, developed an alternate plan which calls for "adaptive reuse" of the buildings. This included a supermarket but with a smaller parking lot.

A rally organized by City Councilwoman Letitia James took place on Borough Hall’s front steps. A crowd, bused in by James, demanded the Navy Yard's version.

The two photos below are of renderings that were on display at the rally. Note that these are of the original plan, not the Navy Yard's new "compromise" plan, which is not yet released.

This last rendering is of Brent Porter's "adaptive reuse" plan.


Time Runs Out for Brooklyn's Admiral's Row Crains NY

One Structure to Remain on Admiral's Row Gothamist

- Images From Admiral Row's Forum, Brooklyn Borough Hall McBrooklyn
- Public Hearing on Admiral's Row Held Last Night Brownstoner
- Decrepit Admiral's Row Houses Must Go, Say Pols, Local Residents ... Brooklyn Eagle
- Wrecking Ball or Preservation? Admiral's Row Get a Hearing Curbed

Top photo by kl801, Creative Commons license
Bottom photos by MK Metz


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Unofficially, No Parking On Sidewalk

How many times have we walked past this No Parking sign on Hoyt near Pacific in Boerum Hill without realizing that it was handmade?

The "S's" are always the hardest.

Photo by MK Metz

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Brooklyn Borough Hall Greenmarket Returns On Thursdays

A devotee of farmers markets, Dave of the Dave's Kitchen blog has just posted a notice that the Brooklyn Borough Hall Greenmarket will again be open on Thursdays, beginning this week, and they're planning a small celebration to commemorate.

Additionally, this year will mark the Borough Hall Greenmarket’s 25th anniversary, and the folks at CENYC (the non-profit organization that runs the city’s Greenmarkets) are planning planning free events all season long like cooking demonstrations, raffles, school tours, and kids & family friendly activities.

Check out Dave's Kitchen for more details about this and also about the Sunday market that will open in June in Carroll Gardens.

And see the recipes that Dave has worked out. We have been looking for a Saag Paneer recipe for months!

Photo by MK Metz

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Both 'Bored To Death' and 'Fair Game' Filming On Court Street In Downtown Brooklyn

"Bored To Death," a TV comedy starring Jason Schwartzman, Ted Danson, Olivia Thirlby, Zach Galifianakis and others will be filming at the New York Transit Museum on Schermerhorn Street in Downtown Brooklyn tomorrow.

Crews are busy setting up on Schermerhorn Street today and are bringing equipment down into the museum's subway station, with its historic trains, buses and signage. According to IMBd, the series is in "post production" and is expected to be released this year.

Meanwhile, "Fair Game," a drama about CIA agent Valerie Plame, will be filming on Court Street from Joralemon to Atlantic tomorrow (Tuesday).

Naomi Watts is playing the role of the (real-life) CIA agent, Plame, whose identity was illegally revealed by the Bush administration in 2003. According to TFC18, Sean Penn is set to portray Valerie Plame's husband, Ambassador Joseph Wilson.

Photos by MK Metz

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Squadron To Air Proposal at Brooklyn Bridge Park Meeting

A friend received this letter from Ellen Whelan-Wuest, the Brooklyn Office Director for State Senator Daniel Squadron:

"On Sunday, April 5, State Senator Daniel Squadron will host another public meeting to present his plan for how to make Brooklyn Bridge Park a real, world-class park for our community and our city.

Please join us for the presentation, which will be followed by a Q&A session with Senator Squadron about his proposal.

The meeting will be held at 3:00 pm, Sunday April 5, in the Avram Conference Center, Conference Room A at Long Island College Hospital."

____________________

Squadron, who ran against housing in Brooklyn Bridge Park, hopes to divert a portion of property tax revenue from nearby neighborhoods (DUMBO and Brooklyn Heights) to pay for the park's yearly costs rather than having development within the park.

More at the Brooklyn Eagle, the Brooklyn Paper, and the Brooklyn Heights Blog.

- Lines Drawn, Construction Begins in Brooklyn Bridge Park
- School 'Not Allowed' In Brooklyn Bridge Park

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Serious Eats: Brooklyn Restaurant Week

We just got an email from Erin Zimmer, the Serious Eats New York editor. She's putting together a roundup of recommendations for Brooklyn Restaurant Week and wanted to include picks from Brooklyn bloggers.

We sent in a few lines about our failed attempt to get into the River Cafe Friday, and are looking forward to hearing other bloggers' recommendations about where they plan on eating.

We're going to attempt the R.C. again this week if a lunch hour opens up.

If we do get in: scallop and coconut bisque appetizer, and duck with lingonberry sauce for the main course.

Photo by CarbonNYC, Creative Commons license

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