Damaged Woods

Here is a sample of the many damaged benches that sit along the east mall below Avenue O.
Broken benches and discarded splintered wood litter the path.  From Avenue O north the benches are new and we hope will not be vandalized or defaced with graffiti.
Repair work is sporadic and I have only seen one carpenter in a single truck along the entire length of Ocean Parkway.  Not surprising when there is only one two-man team responsible for all of the boardwalk repair.

'Lunch Atop A Skyscraper'

Select==>'Lunch Atop A Skyscraper,' Famous New York City Photograph, Turns 80 (PHOTO)

As 1 World Trade Center rises to pierce the sky this story and video is a reminder of the spirit of the working men and women who built our city that challenged the heavens.

Met Foods Supermarket in Brighton Closes Its Doors

Read here====>Brighton Seniors Distraught As Met Foods Supermarket Closes Its Doors

After 30 years in business, Brighton Beach’s Met Foods supermarket is closing its doors in just two more weeks, leaving neighborhood seniors distressed about future food-shopping endeavors.

The supermarket, located at at 100-120 Brighton Beach Avenue, is being replaced by a modern two-story office and retail complex. Rather than housing a different convenience store, the new complex will be open to a variety of vendors that will be able to sublet office-sized space, with retail on the ground floor.

But Brighton Beach locals are unenthusiastic about the change. Many Met Foods customers are worried about the inconvenience that this close will cause on the elderly population residing in the community.

Good News! Mall improvments will resume soon

Broken pavement is a serious problem.

The rehab can't come soon enough but it will take time.

Good news! Council Member David Greenfield has informed us that the rehabilitation of the Ocean Parkway malls will resume by the end of the year.  The areas that are scheduled for repair and improvement include the east and west mall from south of Avenue O.  We don't know the timeline or the locations that will be addressed first. As you know the mall sections between Avenue V and Avenue X are extremely hazardous for pedestrians and bicyclists and require immediate attention.
However, the east pedestrian mall in Councilman Michael Nelson's 48th district south of Avenue Y will not be done this fiscal year.  Funding has to be allocated in the budget for FY 2014 which means work could not begin until late next year.  His district includes Gravesend and Brighton and conditions of the pathway and the benches are deteriorating.  We don't know why these funds have never been included into capital improvement dollars like the rest of the Ocean Parkway malls. Please contact Mr. Nelson's office at 212-788-7360 at and remind him to include funding for mall renovation in the next city budget.

Trashing Ocean Parkway revisited

Everyone loves to give and receive flowers for the holidays. But these vendors on Avenue S and Ocean Parkway chose to move their trash to the malls for someone else to clean up their mess.  I walked over to one in charge and told him to clean up his garbage before he left.

To Encourage Biking, Cities Forget About Helmets, "Huh?"

Read entire article ----->To Encourage Biking, Cities Forget About Helmets - NYTimes.com


“Pushing helmets really kills cycling and bike-sharing in particular because it promotes a sense of danger that just isn’t justified — in fact, cycling has many health benefits,” says Piet de Jong, a professor in the department of applied finance and actuarial studies at Macquarie University in Sydney. He studied the issue with mathematical modeling, and concludes that the benefits may outweigh the risks by 20 to 1."

He adds: “Statistically, if we wear helmets for cycling, maybe we should wear helmets when we climb ladders or get into a bath, because there are lots more injuries during those activities.” The European Cyclists’ Federation says that bicyclists in its domain have the same risk of serious injury as pedestrians per mile traveled.

Lots of reaction to this point of view in article and in comments.