BK Southie » Marine Park

AM New York, Cablevision’s free daily newspaper has a profile of Midwood in it’s latest issue. It’s titled ‘Travel Back in Time in Midwood.” While their hearts were in the right place, their geography could use some fact checking.

First, the article describes Midwood as being “wedged between Flatbush and Coney Island.” The Flatbush part is correct (unfortunately, I credit the film Sophie’s Choice more than the reporter for that) but in an act of main stream journalism-as-usual, deeper, arguably lesser known South Brooklyn neighborhoods like Gravesend and Sheepshead Bay are grafted onto Coney Island like some sort of Frankenstein experiment gone horribly wrong.

At the end of the article, there is a roundup of neighborhood businesses. Included in the list is Jomart Chocolates at 2917 Avenue R. Having grown up not far from there, I’ll admit that Avenue R and Nostrand Avenue is in a sort of gray area between two neighborhoods. Unfortunately, those two neighborhoods are Marine Park and Madison.

I wonder what would happen if we told AM New York, whose parent company Cablevision is based out of Bethpage in Nassau County, that Brooklyn is geographically part of Long Island? It might blow their minds.

Not like this. Ur doin’ it wrong.

UPDATE: Apparently, not by following the Sanitation Department’s curbside drop-off instructions, either.

WNYC – A spokesperson for the city sanitation department has told WNYC that the annual Christmas tree recycling program has been canceled this year because the department has been overwhelmed with cleaning up after the December 26th blizzard and catching up on backlogged garbage and recycling collection.

Although the sanitation department’s website still incorrectly advertises special Christmas tree collections for mulching, sanitation officials now say New Yorkers who want to get their tree chopped up and recycled need to do that on their own.

Original article: On the other hand, you can take your tree down to the curbside anytime between now and next Saturday, January 15, the Department of Sanitation will not only take it, they’ll recycle it for you! Trees placed curbside by the 15th will get mulched and chipped and other environmental things, and they will be sent off to parks and playing fields, with actual permission and everything.

Please remember to take all decorations off, including tinsel. [Update: Aw, who cares anymore.] And please, don’t wrap it in a plastic bag. Plastic bags are for garbage. Trees are recycling [garbage]!

You can also take your tree to Mulchfest locations at Marine Park or Owl’s Head Park this Saturday, January 8 or Sunday, January 9 (10am to 2pm). You can pick up mulch (for free!) as well if you bring your own bags. Additional locations are provided by Flatbush Gardener.

(Note: The Sanitation Department’s tree recycling program is going on now, despite the suspension of recycling pickup during their continued snow removal efforts.) (Bzzzzz! Totally wrong!)

This article was originally published on January 5, 2011, and updated on January 12.

Reminder: the Sanitation Department is collecting Christmas trees for their recycling program from curbside until Friday, January 15. Be sure to remove all ornaments and tinsel, and don’t wrap in plastic.

tree recycling

(photo credit: one of my awesome Facebook Friends™)

And for God’s sake. Don’t do this. Please.

You can also bring your tree to a Mulchfest site in person this weekend – from 10am to 2pm, this Saturday and Sunday – and go home with free mulch! (Bring you own mulch bags.) In southern Brooklyn, you can go to to either Owl’s Head Park in Bay Ridge, or to Marine Park.

(Map courtsey Flatbush Gardener)
View Brooklyn MulchFest 2010 in a larger map

…was sadly rejected by the President.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone. Here’s the long-overdue, day-early Friday wrap:

Amusements of America, Astroland, and Zamperla supposedly have the lead out of Turn One in the crowded Coney Island Derby. Alliances and dark horses may yet emerge. I remain skeptical of the Astroland bid, but considerably less so after reading Tricia’s take on Carol Albert’s vision. (Amusing The Zillion)
I’ve been down Emmons Avenue exactly twice, but even I instantly recognized the plaza where the XO Creperie suffered a Saturday morning blaze. (Sheepshead Bites)
It’s Hate Week for the DOT. Gerritsen Beach is up in arms over major changes to Gerritsen Avenue, partly in light of a recent school bus crash, but mostly because the changes suck. A lot. Meanwhile, Dyker Heights residents at a Marty Golden town hall voice concern over speedsters in some parts of the neighborhood, traffic jams in others, and are pressing the DOT for a comprehensive solution. (GerritsenBeach.net, Brooklyn Daily Eagle)
The new Carmine Carro Community Center in Marine Park – accommodates groups of any size, runs on solar power and geothermal energy, feeds senior citizens… it’s the Swiss Army knife of community centers. (MarineParker.net)
A violent mugging in Bath Beach, unusually so according to the police commander. The victim lost $600 AND got shot in the leg. (YourNabe.com)
The police in Sunset Park reach out to homes to tackle gang violence, while a community board in Bay Ridge rails against curb cuts. (Brooklyn Daily Eagle)
When they built the elevated subways, they failed to consider truckers with a low aptitude for “Low Clearance” signs. I blame Robert Moses. (Sheepshead Bites)

‘Time Traveling’ AM New York Gets Lost

UPDATED: How NOT to dispose of a Christmas Tree

Tree Recycling and Mulchfest Locations

The pardon application for Brooklyn’s chief turkey…

Redistricting: “A baby alien popping out of a stomach,” and other mild reactions

On Redistricting: Time To Downsize The Capitol

Mashup: Our love of Bay Ridge, Downton Abbey, and nine-figure lottery payouts

BK Southie Eats: Nablus Sweets

Tomorrow: “Bay Ridge, Etc” Book Launch

BK Southie Eats: Return To Europa