Friends of Ocean Parkway: New bathrooms rise in #Coney Island or a new home ...

Friends of Ocean Parkway: New bathrooms rise in #Coney Island or a new home ...: So what if E.T. really did become stranded on Earth and had no way to go home.  We couldn't expect him to survive in a homeless sh...

NYC's New Bike Share Will Change Your Life

NYC's New Bike Share Will Change Your Life - Business Insider

(Excerpt)

People who are visiting NYC and want to move around on the cheap — while still seeing the sights: Riding the subway is a quintessential New York experience, but it's not a good way to see the city.
If you have $25 to spare, get a week-long pass and spend your time in the Big Apple biking around, and be the tourist you want to be. Do keep your eyes on the road, though.

(Comment): Only the first 30 minutes are free for a week-long pass so any "sightseeing" over that time will be added to the tab.  Besides, do we really want tourists sightseeing with their noses in the air rather then paying attention to responsible cycling. Launching into NYC traffic requires that all your senses to be alert.

New bathrooms rise in #Coney Island or a new home for E.T.

So what if E.T. really did become stranded on Earth and had no way to go home.  We couldn't expect him to survive in a homeless shelter or ride the Q train 24/7.  But suddenly these alien pods appeared on the Brighton Beach and Coney Island boardwalks. Talk about affordable housing for our E.T. friend.  At a mere $2 million dollars for each pod it's perfect.  He will have a ramp to shuffle up and down.  He can bathe in the ocean. Each one features skylights and extensive natural ventilation, with solar panels on their roofs to generate power. Our E.T. will live in luxury.

Alas,  these pods that come straight of The Lord of the Rings will not house our esteemed friend.  These structures are toilets complete with, I guess, the most sophisticated indoor plumbing system and built high off the ground to withstand the next storm surge which all weather futurists predict. Anyone doing their business here should sit in awe of the modern miracle. But if the ramp is too long I don't know if I will make it in time. And if the bathroom purpose doesn't work out as planned it can always be used to house surface-to-air missiles.

Morning rain didn't keep workers from getting the new bathrooms ready for the first flush.

Brooklyn #Citibike Bike Share Program Installed in #Dumbo

Dumbo NYC, Brooklyn » Archive » Citibike Bike Share Program Installed in Dumbo (DumboNYC.com)
Click above to access full article.
New York City’s bike share program, called Citibike is expected to launch in May. The program will allow members to use one of 6000 bikes from 330 stations in Midtown, Lower Manhattan and parts of Brooklyn. The bike stations have been installed in the following locations in and around Dumbo:

North side of Old Fulton Street near Water Street – 41 bike docks
North side of Front Street near Washington Street – 30 bike docks
West side of Pearl Street near Water Street – 24 bike docks
South side of York Street near Jay Street – 27 bike docks
South side of Front Street near Gold Street – 23 bike docks
North side of Sands Street near Gold Street – 19 bike docks
East side of Cadman Plaza East near Red Cross Place – 27 bike docks
West side of Cadman Plaza West near Middagh Street – 23 bike docks
The bike program has had some delay and some controversy surrounding the bike racks with advertising in Historic Landmark locations (such as in Dumbo, Vinegar Hill, and Fulton Ferry Landing). Gothamist spoke with the LPC:

“Landmarks Preservation Commission says that the stations are just fine, since the landmarks law generally allows advertising in historic districts—including on street fixtures like bus shelters, pay toilets and newsstands. “We approved the plan for the installation of bike share stations in historic districts throughout the city because they have no effect on the historic fabric of those neighborhoods,” said Elisabeth de Bourbon, the commission’s communications director”

In a Brooklyn Eagle article, store owners on Front Street in Dumbo said they were not notified or consulted with before the bike stations were installed. Doreen Gallo of the preservation group DUMBO Neighborhood Alliance (DNA) said in the article, “DOT never contacted us and never brought it through Landmarks. It’s more visual clutter in the wrong spot. That’s a great open space and it should be an open piazza; but they keep adding more and more crap. It’s an inappropriate use of this great municipal space.”

The Front Street location (top photo) seems to be a tight fit for the traffic that goes by in the busy intersection where delivery trucks pass. Thoughts?

#Brooklyn #HalfMarathon 2012 down #Ocean Parkway

Ocean Parkway has never been so peaceful and safe even with thousands of #marathon runners shuffling down to Coney Island. Even the sound of a motorcycle engine or random horn could not disturb the idyllic atmosphere. Wth the incessant traffic you don't even know that there were hundreds of birds in the hundreds of trees that lined the route. But listen carefully.

Brooklyn Half Marathon 2013 – Date, Registration, Route Map

Brooklyn Half Marathon 2013 Click link for  more informaton.
2013 Brooklyn HalfMarathon photos down Ocean Parkway Click this link
Video of 2013 Brooklyn HalfMarathon down Ocean Parkway
We'd like runners to be aware that the storm surge from the Hurricane Sandy moved up from the beach to Avenue W and Ocean Parkway more than a mile from the ocean.  Many homes and businesses on both sides of Ocean Parkway including Coney Island Hospital suffered major damage and are just now getting back to some type of normalcy.  So when you pass Ocean Parkway and Avenue W you will now entering the Flood Zone and Evacuation Zone A.  Friends of Ocean Parkway wish the runners luck but please remember the pain that the residents of these neighborhoods experienced for many months.

Brooklyn Bridge jump narrowly averted

Brooklyn Bridge jump narrowly averted - NYPOST.com

(Excerpt)
“He went up and the next thing you know, [15 minutes later] there’s three or four police going up after him,” said Cyquan Smith, 19, of Baychester.

NYPD Emergency Service Unit cops negotiated for around 40 minutes. as witnesses posted live updates to Twitter

“He was clearly in distress, stating he wanted to jump off the top of the bridge,” said Sgt. John Flynn, who said the man “wanted to talk to us about the problems that he was having.”