For The Chess Aficionado

  Around Brooklyn out in the fringes: I normally cover only Sunset Park, Bay Ridge and Park Slope, but every now and then in my travels around Brooklyn I stumble onto something unique. If you are a chess player you know that finding any store to cater to your needs is extremely rare even in New York City. There are only four stores in Manhattan, two are close to each other on Thompson street in the village. But in the outer boroughs this one appears to be the only one. Located on the corner of Flatbush Avenue and Dean Street just over the border from Park Slope, under the shadow of the Barclay Center, this store specializes in one thing only, the most popular board game in the world, Chess. Inside you will find chess sets to cater to any budget and taste. They also sell books on the subject and magazines devoted to the game. If you are looking for lessons for yourself or your children, they do that too. They can even point you in the direction of some tournaments if you think you're good enough like this $1 million tournament out in Las Vegas this coming October with a hefty entry fee. Check out their website for more information and if you should drop in there for a visit, tell them you heard about it here and that we sent you....

Sunset Park on The Web Today 8-7-14

Someone decided that the Dim Sum offerings of our own Pacificana Restaurant would make a good wallpaper for your computer. If you want to download the above wallpaper you can get it here....

In the meantime there seems to be a lot of fascination with Industry City and the website exotics4life.com has a photo montage that includes at leas one shot of Mister Sunday parties on the weekend....

Brief Media Rundown 8-6-14: Sunset Park on the Web

Image vosizneias.com

The Asian patrol story has gotten traction in particular in the Jewish online press as a result of the Shomrim having played a major part in helping to establish it. I visited Menchaca's office and registered my objections and reservations stating that I thought it was a bad idea. You can read about my thoughts here.. The first piece in the orthodox website VOSIZNEIAS with pictures and all. Another piece is at The Jewish Voice. As I stated before, I do not oppose civilian watch patrols. What I object to and I think is dangerous is that these patrols are ethnically based and staffed which is a recipe for ethnic and racial strife down the road. I also don't think that the entire community of Sunset Park was brought in on the decision making process on this and that is something everybody should object to. 

Image classicalite.com

At the other end of the spectrum, the website classicalite.com has a photo and written essay on the Mr. Sunday parties being held on weekends at Industry City..

In the meantime, WNYC did a show on global forces at work on Sunset Park. You can listen to the show here, or at least find a link to it..

Sunset Park in The News: New Asian Patrol in Chinatown

Image New York Post.

The New York Post has a story on a new Asian Patrol that has recently appeared in Sunset Park. I have seen the cars cruising around the neighborhood for the last month or so. I have a few reservations about this new patrol. Modeled on the Shomrin that patrols Borough Park this patrol cruises with it's cars in Chinatown and it's fringes. I am a little Leary because it has the makeups of an ethnically exclusive patrol in the neighborhood and that is a recipe fro friction especially since the Asian, White and Hispanic communities overlap each other and though the black population is small in Sunset Park they are bound to be the target of suspicion as a result of stereotypes that are bound to come up and stoke friction. The other point I have to make is that we already have an auxiliary police in this city and they operate out of our local precinct which serves the same purpose. These guys could just as well have joined the Auxiliary Police which is under closer supervision by the NYPD. I predict that somewhere down the line there will be an incident just as there have been incidents with the Shomrin in the areas where they operate. The other point I would like to find out about is whether they have a right to use blue or red colored flashing lights on their cars. I was under the impression that there is a state law that such lights are for use only by official emergency vehicles and all other vehicles where restricted to using yellow flashing lights. I could be wrong on this, but I will have to look into it. It all sounds great on paper but I think this is a recipe for trouble down the line. It would have been better if the Chinese had gotten together with other groups in the neighborhood and started a community patrol rather than a separate entity which is based on ethnicity. The fact they are getting away with it, is a testament to the political pull that the Chinese are having and they are starting to flex their muscles. I am speaking from a point of reality on the way life is and the perceptions that people are bound to have. We shall see what happens from here on, but I am just a little cautious about all the negatives. I don't think this was really thought through by either the guys at the local precinct or officials in city government...

Brief Media Rundown 8-2-14 Sunset Park on the Web

Today's brief scour of the web only produces two stories on our nabe.

NY1 has footage and a short writeup on the demonstration at the library we wrote about yesterday.

Crime in the Hood: PIX11 has a story on the robbery on 8th Avenue while NY1 and the NY Daily News covers a man arrested for rape and impersonating a cop..

Demonstrators Show up at Library

Organized by Carlos Menchaca our city council representative and Assemblyman Felix Ortiz a number of people perhaps as many as 40 showed up for a brief demonstration this afternoon in front of the Sunset Park Library asking for more funding for the Sunset Park Library. There was plenty of press on hand including a camera man  from local news channel NY1 as well as a reporter from The Brooklyn News. With all the coverage we are getting perhaps we will see the beginning of some badly needed improvements to our local library. Let's see if we get more traction on that on the media...

Menchaca addresses the crowd while Felix Ortiz looks on.

Menchaca speaks to a reporter from NY1 the cable news channel.

Brief Media Rundown, Sunset Park on the Web Today 8-1-14

Another day around the web and there's too much stuff to write about but no time.

The Brooklyn Eagle has a story on a new cleanup initiative that is being launched on 8th Avenue. Brooklyn Brief does a followup on the story as well.. Let's hope it succeeds..

Yet another post on the city spending $100 million at Brooklyn Army Terminal.. Will we benefit or become victims of the gentrification to follow? Something to think about..

Crime in the Hood. Three guys steal a safe and beat up a worker.. Covered here as well..

The Brokelyn blog does both food and gentrification. How cool is that? 

Hallelujah! The Suffering is Over!

One of three new portable air conditioning units installed in the Library today.

It's the last day of July and quite appropriate that the month of August should start with a bang at the local library. After having to endure the place in the sweltering heat for almost a whole month we  finally have something really cool (pardon the pun) to talk about today. Upon opening it's doors at 1 PM today, library users for the first time in many days walked into a comfortable environment and were treated to the sight of three brand new portable air conditioning units that were still in the end process of being installed. The temperature is a comfortable 76.8 degrees and bound to get lower as the units kick into gear throughout the rest of the day. I think that a lot of activism by local residents since we first started to write about had a lot to do with  it. Calling our local politicians and the Library certainly worked. I doubt that without that action by local citizens we would have seen this day. Let's hope that they are working on a more permanent solution for next summer. 

Sunset Park Library Air Conditioning Issue finally getting traction in local press

The Sunset Park Library's lack of air conditioning is finally getting attention in other outlets outside of the neighborhood after three weeks. My first post after five days when I saw there was not going to be a fix may have been the impetus. But I won't take any credit for it. Yesterday a story appeared in the The Brooklyn Paper and today  DNAinfo a website that covers all of New York City picked it up. A temporary fix is due to be in place by next week when the "news" will already be old. However, it's nice to see that the neighborhood is finally getting some attention and people are beginning to realize that things are going on in the nabe besides just the library issue. Is there a chance that one of the three main newspapers will be next on the list? We can only hope..

Sunset Park On The Web Today

So much stuff and so little time. The web is full of stuff about Sunset Park today and not enough time to write about it in detail..

A Blogger at the Huffpost visited our nabe last April and posted some sketches of her impressions of Sunset Park..

Brooklyn online Magazine has yet another piece on the plans to spend $100 million in our nabe.

Crain's New York Business with yet another article on Industry City and city and developer investment in the nabe..

And there's a bunch of dupes on other blogs. You would think that someone is story dumping on the press and hyping the story to get reaction. From experience in politics I can tell you that none of this happens by accident. All these fluff pieces are designed to evict a certain reaction and not from long time residents of the nabe. This is all by design to accelerate the process of gentrification, attract investors and renters to the complex. Coincidence that this avalanche of stories appear a few days apart on all the mainstream press? I think not. One theme has been running in all the economic stories about Sunset Park, GENTRIFICATION..

Our Library Situation Makes The Brooklyn Paper

Our library situation made The Brooklyn Papers today. This blogger gets honorable mention in the article. At least we got some coverage and people beyond our little nabe will know what's been happening here.. You can read the rest of the story here..

My Brief Visit to The Industry City Food Court

Wall Art as you enter the building at the food court at Industry City..

Industry City has been in the news a great deal lately. Whether it is warranted or the articles are paid for in an effort to hype the place is a discussion for another time. I suspect that it's a little bit of both. I happened to be a few blocks from 36th street and had a few minutes to kill so I walked over to see what the food court was about. There are huge flags hanging on the outside of the building at 36th street but I didn't see any store fronts. I asked a security guard where the food court was and he pointed to the entrance and I went in. The ground floor is festooned with wall art to try to give it a different atmosphere from the reality that this is basically an industrial building where all the plumbing and wiring is on the outside rather than in the walls. It's very clear that the place was just recently completed and revamped and half the locations on the ground floor have yet to be either rented or are undergoing further construction. I would guesstimate that half the floor space is still to be rented. a walk a little further down the hall I saw the first establishment A Place called the Modern Primitive Cafe. The sort of trendy cafe  that you would see somewhere in upper Park Slope rather than here. I took a card and went on taking a few snapshots with my iPhone  as I went along. On the sides you could see through the windows small shops where people were preparing food. On one side you could see it was some kind of bakery setup and about a half dozen people working with dough. As I walked a little further down there was a small shop and some people inside waiting for their orders. I briefly went inside and looked around. There were three workers behind the counter and one of them was making sandwiches which looked more like pannini.  I took a business card  and It said the name of the business was Ninja Bubble Tea. Across from Ninja was a setup with dining tables and about four people either eating or looking at their iPhones. I noticed WIFI was painted on the walls so I turned on WIFI on my iPhone and sure enough there was a connection (Industry City) free open WIFI. Apparently the entire building is wired. Further down the hall I notice an open door where there seemed to be a courtyard and sure enough there was. A number of people were seated at tables eating and a group was playing Boccie ball (in a Boccie ball court that was put there at the other end of the courtyard. I started to wonder if this is where the Mister Sunday parties I wrote about a few days ago take place. I snapped a shot and went back inside to continue my exploration, at the end of the hall was another cafe. This one must be pretty popular since there was a line of about six people waiting to give their order. A place called Colson Pattisserie. My exploration over I walked outside and asked the security guard where I could find any of the art galleries that are supposed to be in Industry City. He pointed out to the other end of the building at a separate entrance and said there was one on the third floor but they might be closed. I figured I'd give it a shot and walked over. Sure enough after I went to the third floor the doors were closed. My brief visit to that building told me a couple of things. half the spaces are empty. They have yet to rent them or they may be coming in at some point. As I walked out the building towards third avenue I notice two moving vans and movers bringing stuff in like desks and assorted office stuff.  So I guess at least somebody is moving in. In any case, Somebody out there is going through a lot of trouble trying to hype the place. I start think way back when the northern part of Sunset Park was almost overnight renamed Greenwood Heights after trying to sell it as South Slope failed to catch on.  Somehow I see a repetition of the same tactic here. Well, it seems to be working...

Inside Ninja Bubble Tea at the food court..

Playing Boccie Ball at the courtyard..

Eating area in Front of Ninja..

Wall art and a small dinnete table in the hallway..

Blue Marble Ice Cream hasn't opened yet..

Entrance at the other end of the food court..

Industry City in Sunset Park In The News, Again

Industry City seems to be in the news a lot lately. Yesterday the Wall Street Journal published an article about how both private developers and the City plan to dump over $100 million into three sites in Sunset Park to upgrade and turn int some kind of "industrial" zone and bring in the type of firms that don't need abundant manufacturing or development space. The article was followed by another piece siting it on the Gothamist website.  The reason manufacturing collapsed in the city is what a lot of bureaucrats and Real Estate developers don't seem to understand is that manufacturing technology changed and New York City was not the place to operate. When manufacturing began to change from a vertical mode of production to a horizontal one manufacturers slowly began to leave the confined spaces of the city and move to places where a number of conditions had to be met to build horizontal manufacturing plants which are today's mode of production. The needed to move somewhere where the was a lot of land, either the suburbs or further out. They also needed to be near transportation (highways, railways). It had to be cost effective which meant no taxes or very little. In the competitive atmosphere cities are just not the places to be with high taxes, costly housing, higher wages etc.. That was the main reason most manufacturing left Sunset Park and the City. Planners don't seem to get that. The only rationale for small manufacturers and developers to move into Sunset Park would be if they have a high profit margin in order to deal with the higher costs of working in the city. So the types of businesses willing to relocate there are anything but "industrial". That being said, I took a visit this morning to the new food court and walked around on a few floors on one of the buildings at 36th street. I will write about that separately. How much of the money being spent will be of benefit to the local population is another matter. Brooklyn Army terminal never panned out as the type of manufacturing and development center they have planned for industry city for precisely the above reason I stated above. We will have to see what develops. On the other hand, the modes of manufacturing are changing as we write, from 3d. printing and custom pieces made to specific order and specifications May make a lot of the empty space at Industry city more palatable and attractive to some specialized firms..

Map that as part of the article on the WSJ page.

 

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Utrecht Artists' Paints In Sunset Park Under Improvement

When my father was alive and living in Sunset Park since 1970, being an artist/painter he occasionally used Utrecht paints in his work. Although he never attained wide fame his paintings showed at Galleries in Manhattan such Minerva Arts and Ligoa Duncan (who was a niece of Isadora Duncan). Before emigrating to the United States he was a member of Asociación Estímulo de Bellas Artes of Argentina and shared a Studio with Guido Cinti. In New York he was a member of New York Artists Equity Association. My father was listed was listed in Marquis' Who's Who in the east and Who's Who in the world because of his art. In any case, when one paints and uses a product he never gives any thought as to where the paints are made or manufactured. Who knew? We were in the same neighborhood where Utrecht artist paints are manufactured. The New York Post has an article on the 20,000 sq. foot plant located right here in Sunset Park which has been in operation for over 60 years. Recently Utrecht  Art was bought by rival Blick Art based out of Illinois and Blick is investing money into the plant.  So if you're a local artist in Sunset Park or in New York City give the paints a try and support a local institution and the local economy..

Image from NYPOST Robert Markus in front of new machinery to fill tubes brought into the Utrech paint manufacturing plant.

Photo: Helayne Seidman
CHECK OUT THE ARTICLE IN THE NEW YORK POST

Waterfront Park in Sunset Park Nearing Completion

Stretching along the shore from 43rd Street to 51st street a new park, part of the Brooklyn Waterfront Greenway Initiative will finally see the light of day as the city has announced plans to open The Bush terminal Pier and the park being constructed on it to the public. It appears that construction will finally be completed sometime in August or at the very latest in September according to a piece on the DNAINFO webstite which got it's information from the city's NYCEDC's blog logging developments and construction progress. The park named the Bush Terminal Piers Park will comprise of roughly 22 acres of space. Almost the same size as Sunset Park which is 24.5 acres. Sunset Parkers will have a new place to go and hangout. That is provided of course they make a trek across 3rd Avenue under the Gowanus Expressway which has always been an invisible border dividing the western part of the neighborhood from it's eastern sister.. Lots of stuff happening in the nabe at an accelerated pace....Stay tuned..

From the NYCEDC blog announcing pavement of the road towards the park entrance..

 

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New Restaurant Of The Day: Gran Villa Restaurant

A new restaurant has opened on third Avenue and 40th street at a location that was formerly a Glat Kosher takeout place. Located across the street from the iconic Frankel's boot and shoe store, Gran Villa restaurant offers a menu of traditional Salvadorean food as well as some standard Italian and American dishes. The location was renovated and the interior is brand new. The food is very good, so if you are anywhere near there I urge you to try out their food., Check out their page at our main website and look at their menu. Oh, and did I mention they deliver? Anywhere in Sunset Park...

Library Update: AC Coming First Week of August

Yesterday I got a call from Councilman Menchaca's office telling me that portable air conditioners have been ordered and if all goes according to plan they will be installed by the end of the first week of August on or about the 8th.. I also raised the issue in my conversation regarding pier 4. I was told that they are arranging a tour and will inform me of the when it will be set up. Under current plans only the southern part of the pier will be used to park barges. The northern half of the pier will still have unobstructed views of the bay and the Manhattan skyline. The story regarding the library seems to be getting traction. This morning I got a call from a reporter for the Community News Group and our family of weekly newspapers (Bay Ridge Courier, Bay News, etc..);so I suppose it will get coverage outside the nabe as well. Stay Tuned....

A Perspective on Genrtification in Brooklyn

In my meanderings on the web regarding gentrification I stumbled on an article by Daniel Hertz at his Blog. Aside from his take on income disparities I found the above map on his site rather interesting. Showing changes in real estate prices in Brooklyn over a two year span from 2012 to 2014. As you can see prices in the Sunset Park area have shown a rise of between 21% and 16% respectively. While northern Bay Ridge showed a rise of 10% Southern Bay Ridge shows a decline of 19%. There is of course a positive in the numbers for long time residents seeing their houses rise in value. On the downside is the fact that since valuations are the peg the city uses for Real Estate Taxes maintaining a property has become more expensive in that regard. The article also points out that average income throughout the borough has declined slightly. Obviously there is a correlation between the pink areas and the process of gentrification where people are moving to. Of interest are also the comments left at the blog, in particular the ones regarding Sunset Park. Basically it confirms what many residents have deduced from casual observation about what is going on in our neighborhood.

Mister Sunday Parties Move to Sunset Park

As if we needed more proof that the neighborhood is changing rapidly comes this piece in the New York Times. From the article:  

Over the last few years, in a dappled grove on the banks of the Gowanus Canal, the weekly Mister Sunday parties built an ardent following as a laid-back disco day camp. This year, forced out of its bucolic birthplace by a real estate development, the party relocated to Industry City, a warehouse complex in Sunset Park. Could it recreate that same mellow magic in its new locale?“I went every Memorial Day for the last five years,” said one exasperated devotee outside the gates at the season opener, surveying a gunky queue of thousands. One gentleman, resplendent in a promiscuous gondolier costume, appeared dejected as he was unable to navigate the human logjam. Having perhaps underestimated Brooklyn’s unquenchable thirst for outdoor boots-and-pants parties, event organizers have increased capacity and streamlined ticketing, and the early chaos has since subsided.

Disco? I didn't know anybody still did disco. In any case, the article provides details if you want to be one of the locals crashing the party. Maybe some of the local Motorcycle Clubs can show up, no extra costumes needed. Just another sign of the ever changing nabe..

 

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Is Sunset Park slated to become a New York Fashion Center?

Is Sunset Park slated to become a New York Fashion Center? If you believe a blog piece just written by Brady Dale at his blog Tchnically that appears to be the case. Following up on a piece in The Epoch Times on plans by Manufacture New York to open up a fashion design incubator at a facility in Sunset Park that is slated to open soon. Sunset Park has always been a center of sweat shops that have opened in the neighborhood since the Chinese moved in, so in a sense we have always had part of the fashion industry here. The plan though is to make Sunset Park a design center to supplement 7th Avenue in Manhattan. We will have to see what develops. As Sunset park's Bush terminal and Industry City become centers of all types of trendy businesses that encompass everything from film production to high end electronics we will continue to see more economic development in Sunset park that will also accelerate the gentrification process that is going on in the neighborhood as the people working in these enterprises decide to move into the neighborhood to be close to their work...