Sandy blew out the lights at Brooklyn Bridge Park — now closing’s at dusk instead of 1 a.m.

Sandy blew out the lights at Brooklyn Bridge Park — now closing’s at dusk instead of 1 a.m. - NY Daily News

Brooklyn’s gleaming new waterfront park is dark — and the neighbors are mad.
Brooklyn Bridge Park has been closing at dusk - 430-p.m.-ish these days - ever since Superstorm Sandy knocked out the electricity.
Park officials said repairs will be a long time coming.
The popular shorefront recreation spot might not return to its normal 1 a.m. closing time until spring when the lighting system is fixed, a park official said.
That’s riled up residents of DUMBO, Brooklyn Heights, Cobble Hill and Carroll Gardens who consider the 85-acre oasis their go-to place for walking and jogging after work.
“These people should have been prepared for this natural disaster,” said Mark Young, 42, a park regular who lives on Jay St. in DUMBO.
“They need to fix the lighting ASAP,” he fumed.
But the repair job can’t be rushed because of the “complexity” of the park’s lighting system, spokeswoman Teresa Gonzalez said.
Until the work is done the sundown shutdown is a must, she said: “Proper lighting of the park in the evening is a public safety issue we take very seriously.”
The fix-up may take until spring because specialized equipment must be ordered and lead times are long, she said.
The shopping list is lengthy; transformers, switch gear, breakers and fuses all need to be replaced.
Equipment that didn’t have to be thrown away must be taken apart and cleaned to get rid of salty residue that flood waters left behind.

$4.9 million for a bridge to down there?

Rendering of foot bridge at Brooklyn Bridge Park

A new boardwalk in the sky will link Brooklyn Bridge Park and the Promenade  - NY Daily News (Full)

(Excerpts)

It will give residents of Brooklyn Heights — and visitors arriving via the High St. A and C subway station — faster access to the popular waterfront park.


A reporter climbed up on the spans for a test walk; the boards were springy underfoot.
Protective stainless steel mesh screens that will be attached to the sides of the bridge will be just 42 inches high but its designer Ted Zoli doesn’t think there’s a big risk of suicides.
“Jumpers are not drawn to pedestrian bridges,” he said.


There’s a 50-foot drop from Squibb Park to Pier 1. But twists and turns in the 450-foot-long route will make the descent gradual and easy for wheelchair users to handle.
Lack of funding delayed bridge construction until City Council members and Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz allocated $4.9 million for it.

City's Bike Share Program to Launch in May

City's Bike Share Program to Launch in May After Sandy Damaged Some Gear - DNAinfo.com New York

(Excerpt)

NEW YORK CITY — The city's long-delayed bike share program is on track to launch in May, after being pushed back two more months because of damage sustained during Hurricane Sandy.
There will be 5,500 bikes at 293 stations in Manhattan and Brooklyn, according to the Department of Transportation.
Initially there were going to be 7,000 bikes and 420 pickup and drop-off stations, but flooding at the program's Brooklyn Navy Yard facility, where about two-thirds of the equipment was stored, harmed some electrical components, the DOT said. Some bikes and hardware stored there were not damaged or can be restored or replaced, officials said.

Duane Reade reopens its pharmacy...a small dose for the community.

The Duane Reade Pharmacy located on Ocean Parkway and Brighton Beach Avenue reopened its doors...but only for the pharmacy department.  The rest of the store is still in lockdown following flooding damage.

But it is a credit to Duane Reade that they made the effort to open quickly in order to service the prescription needs of this community especially the elderly that have been hit particularly hard by the storm. In a smart makeover the pharmacy was moved to the front of the store walled off from the rest of the space that was being cleaned up and restored.
The rest of the store should be open in a few weeks.

Bloomberg Announces Plans to Protect New York From Natural Disasters

Bloomberg Announces Plans to Protect New York From Natural Disasters - NYTimes.com

(Excerpt)
Mr. Bloomberg said the city would consider the construction of dunes, jetties, levees and berms along coastal areas to help reduce damage from future storm surges. Height restrictions on some residential homes will be relaxed so owners can elevate their houses above the flood plain, and the city will update its building code to require more stringent protection against floods.

The city will also update its flood maps and extend the so-called Zone A evacuation area to include Howard Beach, Queens, and the Brooklyn neighborhoods of Gerritsen Beach and East Williamsburg, communities that were heavily and unexpectedly damaged by flooding from Hurricane Sandy.

“Let me be clear,” Mr. Bloomberg said. “We are not going to abandon the waterfront. We are not going to leave the Rockaways or Coney Island or Staten Island’s South Shore.”

“But we cannot just rebuild what was there and hope for the best,” he added. “We have to build smarter and stronger and more sustainable.” The city has convened a working group “to determine exactly what that means,” he said.

NYC Hospitals See 10% Plus Patient Volume Increases Due to Hurricane Sandy

Limited services at Coney Island Hospital

NYC Hospitals See 10% Plus Patient Volume Increases Due to Hurricane Sandy | Capacity Management
(Excerpt)
Maimonides Medical Center had 1,100 more emergency patients this November than last November. Most of these patients were from four ZIP codes served by Coney Island Hospital, which closed. Maimonides Medical Center also saw a three-fold increase in the number of psychiatric emergency patients from these four ZIP codes


Read more:
Hospitals crammed after Sandy (NY Daily News)

Coney Island Hospital Reopens Urgent Care Center | Sheepshead Bay News Blog

Coney Island Hospital Reopens Urgent Care Center | Sheepshead Bay News Blog

City Councilman Domenic Recchia won't be Running For Comptroller. BP?

Brooklyn City Councilman Domenic Recchia: I'm Not Running For Comptroller | New York Daily News

(excerpt)
While keeping his options open -- Recchia's said to have been looking into trying to succeed outgoing Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz -- he endorsed Stringer, the current Manhattan BP who jumped into the race (thereby pushing out the only declared 2013 comptroller candidate, Manhattan Councilman Dan Garodnick) who downshifted from the mayoral contest not long ago.

Coney Island residents criticize plan to light up iconic Parachute Jump ride

Coney Island residents criticize plan to light up iconic Parachute Jump ride • The Brooklyn Paper

(Excerpt)
The city wants to spend $2 million to illuminate Coney Island’s iconic Parachute Jump, but some residents say they would rather see the money used to keep the lights on in communities left powerless by Hurricane Sandy.

New York City Power 100

49. Janette Sadik-Khan

Commissioner of NYC DOT

49. Janette Sadik-Khan

New York City Power 100: A list of the 100 most powerful figures in New York City politics and government | City & State (full article)

(Excerpt)
Who are the 100 most powerful people in New York City politics? Of course, the answer is both subjective and controversial. Still, in an audacious attempt to arrive at a ranking that reflects who really are the movers and shakers that drive New York City’s agenda, City & State has solicited the off-the-record opinions of many of the five borough’s most savvy political insiders, poured over dozens of reader nominations and incorporated the results of our online polls. It should be emphasized that the scope of this list has been limited strictly to city politics. It does not judge each individual’s place in history or standing on the statewide, national or global stage. If that had been our aim, we would have arrived at a very different list. Also, though our selectees come from different communities, genders, parties, sexual orientations and religious affiliations, we openly acknowledge that the list does not adequately represent the city’s rich diversity. We do believe, however, that it is an accurate portrait of the distribution of power in city politics at this moment in time—and thus an illustration of how far we still need to go for our government to mirror the demographics and dynamics of its people. With no further ado, we boldly present City & State‘s first-ever New York City Power 100 List. We hope it gets you talking.

Canceled New York Marathon Leaves Insurance Battle

Canceled New York Marathon Leaves Insurance Battle - WSJ.com

(Excerpt)
For the New York Road Runners Club, the cancellation has sparked a crisis unlike anything in the history of the marathon, which began in 1970. The club now has about $60 million a year in annual revenue, but it operates with little cushion. The NYRR doesn't have enough money to refund all the investments made in the race by runners, sponsors, broadcasters and the travel partners who arranged trips for foreign participants, said an official familiar with the organization's finances.

After Hurricane Sandy, Dunes Prove They Blunt Storms

After Hurricane Sandy, Dunes Prove They Blunt Storms - NYTimes.com (full story)

(Excerpt)
So, six years ago, after the Army Corps of Engineers proposed to erect dunes and elevate beaches along more than six miles of coast to protect this barrier island, the Long Beach City Council voted 5 to 0 against paying its $7 million initial share and taking part.

Many of Long Beach’s 33,000 residents would come to regret it.

The smaller neighboring communities on the barrier island — Point Lookout, Lido Beach and Atlantic Beach — approved construction of 15-foot-high dunes as storm insurance. Those dunes did their job, sparing them catastrophic damage while Long Beach suffered at least $200 million in property and infrastructure losses, according to preliminary estimates.

Joe Vietri, director of coastal and storm risk management for the corps, toured the damaged coastlines after the 12-to-14-foot storm surge of Hurricane Sandy and came to an inescapable conclusion. “The difference was dramatic for areas with vital and healthy dune systems, which did better than those that did not,” he said in a telephone interview. “You can see the evidence on Point Lookout and Lido Beach, which did much better than Long Beach.”

A Month After Sandy, Coney Island Eateries Look to Recover

A Month After Sandy, Coney Island Looks to Recover - Post-Sandy NYC - Eater NY


Longtime home to New York's zany carnival culture and a number of dining institutions, Coney Island was hit hard by Hurricane Sandy. Much of the area was under four or five feet of floodwater and leaked sewage, and most businesses lost power for days or weeks. Now over a month on, the area and its restaurants are working hard to get back from the storm, a process that will last well into next year.


The biggest milestone in Coney Island's recovery to date came this weekend with the reopening of Gargiulo's. The West 15th Street restaurant, a local destination for special occasions, lost power and took on several feet of floodwater that destroyed two side rooms in the front of the restaurant, though the dining room was relatively unscathed. With a temporary lobby set up to hide those rooms as construction continues, the dining room's been decorated for Christmas and resumed service on Saturday. The restaurant was even able to host a fundraiser Saturday morning for close to 400 people.

Two other Coney Island landmarks—which garnered a decent amount of media attention last week—fared worse. The original Surf Avenue location of Nathan's Famous Hot Dogs will remain closed until early 2013, as the company attempts to repair "significant damage" caused by Hurricane Sandy. ("Significant damage" is the phrase used by company officials in a piece by the Brooklyn Paper last week.) Nathan's hopes to reopen in the spring, just in time for the busy season in the summer. The annual Fourth of July hot dog eating contest will return in 2013 as well.


Likewise, the beloved original location of Totonno's remains closed. According to a Serious Eats report, the pizzeria took on four feet of flood water that toppled the walk-in located behind the coal-burning oven. Pete Wells relays the news that the family that owns Totonno's hopes to reopen before Christmas.

The shops and restaurants on the boardwalk were spared the worst of the flooding, but they still lost power and, in some cases, suffered wind damage. Paul's Daughter, for example, lost the memorable Mama Burger that stood atop the restaurant's roof. Mama was eventually found, but her burger was lost. She's been replaced on the roof by what appears to be Papa Burger, and the restaurant, after briefly reopening, has closed for the season.

The boardwalk location of Tom's Restaurant, a brand-new offshoot of the Prospect Heights old-timer, was able to reopen quickly, getting power back by the Thursday after the storm and reopening on Friday after a quick cleanup. According to Amusing the Zillion, the Tom's team helped out their neighbors by running extension cords to Ruby's Bar next door, to help power refrigerators and the jukebox for "Small Business Saturday." Ruby's finally got power back this past Saturday.

As the recovery continues, one huge boost to the area is the recently-announced Brooklyn Recovery Fund, which has funneled $100,000 to both Coney Island and Red Hook. To keep track on how the recovery is going, follow #coneyrecovers on Twitter and ConeyRecovers.org.
· All Coverage of Hurricane Sandy [~ENY~]

Wooden boardwalk advocates get pounded by Sandy

Shifted wooden planks show the result of Sandy's power

Although the Coney Island Boardwalk didn't suffer the major devastation as the ones in New Jersey and Long Island it may have been seriously weakened. 
I walk on the boardwalk daily and I can sense the difference. Boards have been pushed up and the unbalanced feeling underfoot is definitely noticeable especially near the Aquarium.  Much of the sand still needs to be removed and then a true assessment can be made.  In fact, the only areas that seemed to have survived intact was the new concrete section near Ocean Parkway and the newest renovation of the composite wood over concrete near Stillwell Avenue. That will strengthen the argument of the validity of the new design and the improved longevity of the structure.
But one thing is fairly certain.  The fight to oppose the new concrete and composite rehab of the Coney Island boardwalk and retain the iconic "wooden"  reputation has been smashed to pieces by Sandy.

For other viewpoints read:
New York Post article on boardwalk controversy

New Glimpses of the Twin Towers' Past

The cover of a guide to the observation deck

New Glimpses of the Twin Towers' Past - NYTimes.com

(Excerpt)
The new edition, Mr. Robins wrote, is intended to be a “reminder of a more innocent time, when the center stood as a symbol, certainly, of hubris, wealth and power, but also of the conviction that in New York City, Americans could do anything to which they set their minds.”
That end is well served by his decision to include reproductions of 10 original documents about the trade center: Port Authority reports, brochures, pamphlets and booklets. Given what happened on Sept. 11, 2001, the exuberant language is almost shocking in its poignancy. A brochure for the observation deck, for example, begins with the headline: “The closest some of us will ever get to heaven.”

New Sephardic Synagogue

A new sephardic synagogue will be built on a huge lot at Ocean Parkway and Avenue U.