The Bensonhurst cop that spent two months in the hospital after getting run down in the pursuit of stolen car suspects was able to visit his precinct. (Gothamist)
Senator Marty Golden challenges, then unchallenges, the ballot petitions of his Democratic opponent. (Bay Ridge Journal)
BID fail. On the plus side, those planters look like trash cans, so at least the dying trees don’t have far to go. (Beehive Hairdresser)
ConeyRocks attempts to get some answers about the beachside water park. Apparently the Parks Department was standing in the way of this for a while, which I find curious, since it was just a year ago they told us they wanted to bring the “biggest, baddest, inflatable rides” we’ve ever seen to Coney Island. (ConeyRocks)
This story is supposedly about a contestant for the Mister Cyclone pageant, but I was really just looking for an excuse to link to the picture featuring Miss Cyclone. (Sheephead Bites)
A six-foot sand castle won a Long Island resident the 20th Annual Sand Sculpting Contest on Coney Island. (Gothamist)
Fifteen-year-old Kamela Elbassiony stood to the side of the construction site. Born in the United States, and living on Batchelder Street, the only hint to her Muslim background was the color of her skin. Before the walk, she didn’t know of the mosque. But as she walked over and saw the crowd, she asked what was going on. A woman against the mosque cursed at her, telling her Muslims weren’t welcome. Elbassiony stayed, and got a flag from the Peace Walkers, and stood in support of its establishment. (Sheepshead Bites)
I have a few questions about the black and Hispanic kids that were kicked out of Seba Avenue Park. Like, were they questioned by police, or just chased out of the park neighborhood? If they were trying to steal bikes, shouldn’t they have been arrested instead? At best, that sounds like horribly horrible police work. Don’t the police think the NFL’s policy of openness about officiating mistakes if better than FIFA’s “don’t ask, because we don’t care to tell you” policy? And why does Dan Cavanagh hate America? (GerritsenBeach.net)
Free Friday night fireworks at the Coney Island Boardwalk started this past weekend and go on through Labor Day weekend. (“Friday Night Fireworks” is not code for “exploding car.”) (Amusing The Zillion, Sheepshead Bites)
More on the bus cuts in Bay Ridge, which go into effect this weekend. (Bay Ridge Blog)
Barack Obama plus the Indianapolis Colts equals Congressional District 13 challenger Mike Grimm. (Bay Ridge Interpol)
The current NY-13 Representative thinks its OK that AT&T censored the delivery of anti-Bush political speech to its Internet customers, because he just declared his support for more of the same. (Bay Ridge Blog)
Um, yeah, I was kinda wondering about this. The busiest piece of Boardwalk real estate, the most hyped summer in recent Coney history, and the Parks Department can’t get its repairs in before summer starts? WTF? (Kinetic Carnival)
Snippet: The Neighborhood Cats organization is planning a trap-neuter-return project in Bath Beach. (Bay Ridge Blog)
Breaking: Department of Buildings inspector is bribed! Oh noes! Oh, wait a minute… the bribing party gets hauled off to jail. Now that IS breaking news. (Sheepshead Bites)
By Brian Hedden, Monday, June 14, 2010, 7:00 am Blogwrap
Brooklyn Cyclones tickets: I’m giving away two pairs of tickets instead of the single pair that I promised last week. And the numbers that came up in the Random.org draw were “5″ and “4.” So congratulations to readers Bruce Handy and BrooklynQ. Each get two tickets to the Cyclones home opener this Saturday.
The NYC Transit service cuts go into effect two weeks from now – here’s a first look at the impact in Bay Ridge. (Bay Ridge Blog)
The Gerritsen Beach Volunteer Fire Department may be getting $50,000 in the form of an Assembly member item. (GerritsenBeach.net)
Sheepshead Bay Road CVS does NOT, I repeat NOT, have a drive-through. (Sheepshead Bites)
I got a little motion-sick just watching the YouTube video of the Luna Park Air Race. (Kinetic Carnival)
Confession: I really cannot f*cking stand publications like New York Magazine or Time Out New York. I feel like the people who write for them fancy themselves as being part of the Carrie Bradshaw social circuit, and therefore think it’s perfectly acceptable “journalism” (gollum, gollum) to write about themselves and their friends as trendsetters and social leaders, when the truth is 99% of the people in this city couldn’t give a flying rat’s ass about them as either. So it is with some sense of skepticism I read about today’s generation of “Global Russians.” (Sheepshead Bites)
Luna Park is holding a pageant this week to determine its representative in Saturday’s Mermaid Parade. “Please refrain from any talents or swimwear that is explicit and/or not appropriate for the viewership of all park guests.” Um, have they actually BEEN to a Mermaid Parade before (NSFW)? (Amusing The Zillion, Google)
By Brian Hedden, Monday, June 7, 2010, 7:00 am Blogwrap
It feels good to be back in Brooklyn. Still getting caught up. Lot’s of MTA and Bay Ridge Fifth Avenue festival stuff coming up later this week. Some Brooklyn Cyclones awesomeness coming up later in the morning.
The attendance of blogger Dan Cavanagh continues to be an issue at the meetings of the Gerritsen Beach Property Owners Association. No longer content with having public and private (i.e no video camera) sessions to each meeting, some members now want to change the organization’s by-laws to bar non-members entirely, including Cavanagh AND community newspaper Our News. The excuse du jour is that GerritsenBeach.net’s Internet circulation lets outsiders stick their nose into the neighborhood’s business. Here’s the thing: I thought the members of the GB community that had an axe to grind with Cavanagh were upset about stories like the mysteriously dumped wood chips and the even more mysteriously dumped rubble. Those stories would still exist without access to the GBPOA meetings, so what’s the point in banning him? Other than retribution, that is. (GerritsenBeach.net, Sheepshead Bites)
Speaking of community newspapers, Bay News takes a few pot shots at blogs in its 65th-anniversary issue. Blogs respond by pointing out a couple of Inconvenient Truths. (Sheepshead Bites)
As I have stated many times, this is all going into the next administration. Thor is not leaving Coney. All the other blogs got the whole scenario wrong.
10. Joe Sitt’s plans, if they take place, will still take some time to get off the ground – the tanking economy and commercial credit markets will see to that. So while waiting for his hotel ducks to line up, will he allow the current game operators on the Bowery to stay? Or will he force them out and demolish the land? I have no idea. Recent history suggests the latter, but my inner optimist hopes for the former.
Of course, I am hedging most of my bet on the “no, he won’t” side of “if they take place,” which is the point CR is trying to make. But I totally called the it-will-take-a-while meme. Remember that, BK Southie readers. You read it here first.
Taconic Investments – Coney Island’s OTHER major landowner – outlined plans to NY1 for 2,500 new luxury condos within five years. (NY1 via ConeyRocks)
Landscaping at Leif Ericson Park. Finally. (Bay Ridge Blog)
Demolition for 93rd Street crack houses. (Beehive Hairdresser)
Mill Basin children fell into Jamaica Bay when the deck underneath their family’s above-ground pool collapsed. A swimming pool built over water. I’m not the only one who’s seeing this, right?
Memorial Day in Gerritsen Beach (parade | block party). (GerritsenBeach.net)
By Brian Hedden, Monday, May 24, 2010, 7:00 am Blogwrap
With five days to go to the scheduled opening, we’re kinda wondering… it’s gonna be ready on time, riiiiight? Photo credit: Brian Hedden
Site news:Stephanie11229 is the newest member of the BK Southie writing team. You can probably expect Stephanie to write about the swath of land from Sheepshead Bay to Coney Island. She joins myself and Nick Silver as the current regulars here. Be sure to check out her first post and say hi!
I have a hunch that Luna Park will be dominating the South Brooklyn headlines this week, and into the next.
More on the hoisting of the Luna Park entrance sign. You know, it looks like it needs more than five days of work to me, but pretty much every we talk to that’s close to the situation says the park will be ready for this Saturday morning. I don’t seen any signs of doubt on the Coney Island Message Board (the usual prognosticator of doubt), and the company line is a Saturday opening, a brief closure next week for some extra finishing touches, and everything in place by mid-June. (Amusing The Zillion, Coney Island USA, Brooklyn Paper)
More on the return of the John Strong sideshow – the first north-of-Surf amusement in six years – and the two competing sideshows. (Amusing The Zillion)
The Mayor’s commitment to Coney Island has not diminished, even in the face of massive layoffs in other areas of City government, noticeably the Department of Education. Note – I’m not sure yet if the $130 million Coney budget cited in the article also includes the $64 million amphitheater planned at Asser-Levy Seaside Park, which may play host to heavy metal concerts. (NY Observer via Bay Ridge Journal, Brooklyn Paper)
I don’t imagine one slips in a Yamaha percussion set through a chain link fence on the sly, meaning Coney Island squatlord Horace Bullard granted actual permission to Metric to film the last 30 seconds of their latest music video in front of the Playland building on the old Thunderbolt site. Bullard, who has held the land (and done nothing with it) since the 1980s, put the site on the real estate market last month. (YouTube, Brownstoner)
Not all of the news is happening in Coney this week:
El Greco diner on Emmons Avenue gets some attention from ABC News in their latest entry into the reality TV genre – staging confrontations between waitstaff and gay customers to gauge the reaction of the diner’s actual clientele. (Story from Sheepshead Bites, video from ABC)
TIM-MAY!!! We hardly knew you, or your donuts. If only Tina Fey had promised to sodomize your donuts instead of that Peter Pan guy, you’d have received the community support you needed. (GerritsenBeach.net, Greenpointers)
By Brian Hedden, Monday, May 17, 2010, 7:00 am Blogwrap
The Kings County Fair is going on at the Aviator sports center for seven more days. Did anyone go this past weekend? If you have pictures you would like considered for publication here, please e-mail them to brian@bksouthie.com.
It’s Sunday night at the time I’m writing this, and it’s just the tip of the iceberg that has been my very hectic weekend. Right now, I’m trying to squeeze in some blogging in between the rock show I just got back from and some work for my “day” job that has to be done before the start of the Frankfurt workday, which means I have literally five minutes to write the rest of this blog post. So instead of my regular charm and wit, I’m afraid you’ll have to settle for a link dump this week.
By Brian Hedden, Monday, May 10, 2010, 7:00 am Blogwrap
Hey – a reader mentioned the other day that they didn’t like the name “Blogistan.” It sounds too Communist or something. Even though I got away from it for a little while, it’s the name I gave to this news roundup the first time that I did it a year and two days ago. Any thoughts from the rest of the virtual peanut gallery?
First came the batting cages, then came Astroland. Now Joe Sitt is planning to tear down the last historic – though not landmarked – buildings in his Coney Island portfolio. One of the buildings in question is an eyesore on the outside but exquisite on the inside. Of course, it’s being prepped for demolition as we speak. I have no doubt that the strip mall that Thor has proposed in their places will be every bit the smashing success that was Festival By The Sea, from beginning to end. (Amusing The Zillion, Kinetic Carnival, BK Southie)
Nick already told you about the Wednesday night fire at the Coney Island Arcade. The fire – which totaled the games and claimed the life of Targette, one of the Arcade cats – is being linked to roofing work that was being done earlier in the day. (Amusing The Zillion)
Did you hear the one about the city that let high-rise residential development go forth unchecked and then laid off 6,400 teachers? Do you really need to have played SimCity to know how that one is going to play out? Hint: keeping those cops will come in handy. (Sheepshead Bites, Gothamist)
The perfect pizza pie and the perfect Italian hero in Bensonhurst. As if either would be found anywhere else. (Jeffrey Tastes via OTBKB)
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BK Southie went live on May 1, 2009 – one year ago and some change. To mark the occasion, “Around South Blogistan” will be doing something a little different this week.
First and most importantly, I would like to thank you, the BK Southie reader. It’s been so much fun for me, and it’s been satisfying to write for an audience that cares about South Brooklyn.
Second, props once again to the writers that have contributed here in the past year: Rita Jennings, Kerry Scire, situatedlaundry’sPeter Chan, and the newest active contributor, Nick Silver. Thanks again, guys and gals, for helping make this site rock.
Third, congrats to Amusing The Zillion, the Coney Island blog that is also celebrating its first birthday, and to Sheepshead Bites, the All-Everything site that turns two later this month.
Instead of the usual round-up of South Brooklyn blog posts, this week I present to you my five favorite BK Southie stories from the past year.
5. Twelve Things I See In Coney Island’s Crystal Ball - If you were wondering what I thought about Joe Sitt’s plans to demolish historic buildings in favor of a temporary taco stand, look into the crystal ball and see points 9 and 10.
3. BK Southie To Southern Comfort: Drop Dead – Did you hear the one about the popular whiskey liqueur that people mistook for an obscure neighborhood cover band ALL OF THE FREAKIN’ TIME????
By Brian Hedden, Monday, April 26, 2010, 7:00 am Blogwrap
Last week was a pretty lazy week for your BK Southie editor. But hey – did you see the stories by Nick Silver? He’s the newest member of the writing team, and he has a lot to say about Coney Island! You’re going to like the stories that come from Nick. I’m looking forward to it myself!
A lot of the South Brooklyn blog posts last week were just pure trash. I mean, literally, days worth. In Bay Ridge and in Sheepshead Bay, too. Worth noting: the oft-mentioned complaint of residential trash in street-corner bins may be complete B.S. (Bay Ridge Journal, Sheepshead Bites)
The pro side of the Sunset Park Street Vending Bill – everything you wanted to know, but the Daily News didn’t think to ask because it requires attention to several facets of a complex social issue rather than the cleavage on a hawt lesbian schoolteacher. (Sunset Park Chronicled)
I mostly don’t support distributing fraudulent fliers, but the Internet drama it leads to sure is entertaining. (Sheepshead Bites)
My something-new for the week: klezmer punk is an actual musical genre, and it was on display in Gravesend Thursday night. SUCK IT, Music Hall of Williamsburg!!!! (Sheepshead Bites)
Oh, and who wants to see Metric with me in Midtown next month?
“Joe Sitt is in Coney Island to stay! All you other blogs thought he’d be gone by now!” Yeah, you’re right, it was more like wishful thinking. (ConeyRocks, Amusing The Zillion)
P.S. BK Southie turns one-year-old this coming Saturday, May 1.
By Brian Hedden, Tuesday, April 20, 2010, 7:00 am Blogwrap
The soon-to-open Luna Park, complete with the Eye Of Sauron attraction.
Hey, y’all. I took a sick day from the blog yesterday. Here’s your friendly, neighborhood South Blogistan.
I’m guessing ya probably heard by now, but New York Magazine rated the 50 most livable NYC neighborhoods. Bay Ridge (#12) was the highest-rated South Brooklyn neighborhood. Also representing are Sheepshead Bay (#27), Brighton Beach (#30), Sunset Park (#39). The BK Southie editor’s girlfriend’s neighborhood was listed at #5, while the BK Southie editor’s own neighborhood inexplicably did not crack the Top 50. (NY Magazine)
Construction work is taking place at the future Luna Park site day and night. Will the new park be Astroland 2.0? More importantly, is that a good thing or a bad thing? (Amusing The Zillion, Kinetic Carnival)
Speaking of Coney Island, Lola Star has a pretty good summary of what to expect event/programming-wise on the Rabbit’s Isle. (Lola Star’s Diary)
The Sheepshead Bay satellite of Cafe Glechik is putting on some finishing touches. (Sheepshead Bites)
Brooklyn Cyclones tickets: I’m giving away two pairs of tickets instead of the single pair that I promised 
Hey – a reader mentioned the other day that they didn’t like the name “Blogistan.” It sounds too Communist or something. Even though I got away from it for a little while, it’s the name I gave to this news roundup the 
BK Southie went live on May 1, 2009 – one year ago and some change. To mark the occasion, “Around South Blogistan” will be doing something a little different this week.
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