Bloomberg Endorses Preparing Parking Spaces for E.V. Charging

Bloomberg Endorses Preparing Parking Spaces for E.V. Charging - NYTimes.com
(Excerpt)
In his final State of the City address on Thursday, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg announced plans to make New York City a “national leader” in electric vehicles. He said he would work with the City Council to amend the building code and require up to 20 percent of all new public parking spaces be set up for electric vehicle charging, which could lead to “10,000 parking spots for electric vehicles over the next seven years.”
Viewpoint:  A Mayor unplugged from reality

New York Parks in Less Affluent Areas Lack Big Gifts

Brad W. Taylor in Morningside Park where two bluestone staircases are in need of repair
(Benjamin Norman of the NY Times)

New York Parks in Less Affluent Areas Lack Big Gifts - NYTimes.com (full article)

(Excerpt)
Last year, Central Park received what is believed to be the largest gift ever given to an American park, $100 million, from the hedge fund manager John A. Paulson
When Frederick J. Kress, who sits on the board of the Flushing Meadows-Corona Park Conservancy, heard about it, he had only one thought: What about us?
Flushing Meadows-Corona, which has been the setting for two World’s Fairs, is considerably larger than Central Park, at 1,225 acres, compared with 843. Last year, its conservancy attracted $5,000 in donations.

The park’s bicycle and walking paths are cracked and pitted, Mr. Kress said, and its natural areas are overgrown with invasive species. “Central Park is doing pretty well,” said Mr. Kress, who is also president of the Queens Coalition for Parks and Green Spaces, noting that though Mr. Paulson’s home on Fifth Avenue overlooks Central Park, he grew up in Queens. “I’m not saying he owes anyone anything, but how about you give Central Park $98 million and Flushing Meadows-Corona $2 million? That two million would have gone so much further in an underappreciated park.”

Kind strangers rebuild 78-year-old Hurricane Sandy victim's damaged home - NY Daily News

Kind strangers rebuild 78-year-old Hurricane Sandy victim's damaged home

(Excerpt)
Long-time Breezy Point resident Barbara Joyce returned Saturday, Feb. 16, 2013 to her house which had been severely damaged in Hurricane Sandy to find it completely repaired, renovated and refurnished thanks to volunteers from Operation Blessing.

Camera King Solomon Mosseri Buys $4.3 M. Home in Gravesend

Home on Ocean Parkway

Camera King Solomon Mosseri Buys $4.3 M. Home in Gravesend

(Excerpt)

The detached single-family home they picked up at 2029 East 3rd Street from the Franco family might not look like much—its red brick façade wouldn’t be out of place in any number of cheaper Brooklyn neighborhoods, and its Mission-style ceramic roof tiles look straight out of fill-in the blank Los Angeles suburb—but the price and the location, if not the house, were exceptional—the Mosseris paid $4.35 million, according to city records. For some buyers, East 3rd Street in Gravesend is as good as it gets.

That’s because the house sits just west of Ocean Parkway, which, as broker Jesse Temple of Temple Morrow Group put it, “is the equivalent of Central Park or Riverside Drive” to Gravesend’s burgeoning Syrian Jewish community. The homes on the west side of Ocean Parkway are some of the most expensive in Brooklyn, with a 9,200-square foot single-family home at 2134 Ocean Parkway listing for $14 million last May.

Work Begins On Restoring Brooklyn Bike Path...or just another patch job

Work Begins On Restoring Brooklyn Bike Path - NY1.com

(Excerpt)
Hurricane Sandy breached about 10 locations along the promenade when its surge came over the seawall. While these repairs will soon make the pathway safer for residents, community leaders warned that this is only a quick fix. They said that a permanent solution is needed.
"Right now, this is a temporary fix," said State Senator Marty Golden of Brooklyn. "This has been temporarily fixed now about 10 times. It's time to stop with the temporary fix before people really get injured and hurt and killed on this Belt Parkway."

SOUTH PARK: Brooklyn south of Prospect

100 Rugby Road, swiss chalet built by Architect John J. Petit in 1900 for Dr. George Watson.

SOUTH PARK: Brooklyn south of Prospect | | Forgotten New YorkForgotten New York
(Excerpt)
Prepare to gape in awe when walking any street between Albemarle and Beverley Roads and Stratford Road and East 19th Street. You’ll find huge Victorian mansions of every conceivable size, color and style in these streets.