On Thursday, May 5, the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) held its first community meeting to discuss two proposed plans for the Canarsie Tunnel renovation, the final step in the MTA’s Sandy Recovery Work plan and a major concern for Brooklyn residents who use the L train daily.
The first plan, which all officials seemed to favor (emphasized by the noticeably longer “pro” list in the presentation), proposes an 18-month turnaround, with work beginning in January 2019 and ending in July 2020, and requires a complete shutdown of the L train from 8th Ave to Bedford Ave. The train would run as normal from Bedford Ave to Rockaway Parkway. This plan would give the agency more flexibility with contractors and would get the work done as quickly and efficiently as possible.
The second plan, which would take three years, would leave one tunnel open, allowing the train to run at 12-to-15 minute intervals from 8th Ave to Bedford Ave: only 20% of the current level of service the L train provides. There would be no train service at all between Bedford and Lorimer, with a shuttle bus as an alternative. Service would run as normal between Lorimer and Rockaway Parkway. Continue reading →
On May 5 at 6 p.m. at the Marcy Avenue Armory, city officials will be hashing out the details for the impending L Train Carnasie tunnel repair work that has Greenpointers and New York City residents alike worried about future transportation options in and out of Brooklyn. Continue reading →
The L Train is facing an imminent, extensive shutdown in the wake of lingering Hurricane Sandy damage, and North Brooklyn hasn’t taken the news very well.
And why would it, given the amount of daily riders who travel through the Canarsie Tube every day — around 350,000 — not to mention the huge impact ridership has on local businesses?
Currently, the MTA is considering two options to implement as early as 2017: to close the entire tunnel nonstop for one year, or to leave one side open and reduce traffic to half-volume, which would take anywhere from three to four years.
Not ones to bide their time quietly, a number of local residents and business owners have already formed The L Train Coalition to demand a better solution from the MTA, though many know full well that the answer will definitely be “pain.”
Pain, of course, can be abstract or painted in sharp relief. And while a fair amount of ink has been spilled over the implications for L Train commuters, there are fewer educated guesses regarding the fate of surrounding areas like Greenpoint, which will absorb a great deal of shock from the closure as riders scramble to find alternative routes. Continue reading →
Not of Jack Skellington, or Krampus, or even of the holiday sweaters Grandma knitted you, but of …
Bad Santa.
SANTACON IS COMING TO TOWN. And by town, we mean Greenpoint. And by Greenpoint, we mean your usually sweet, charming neighborhood of peace, calm and puppies. In fact, we recommend that you hide your puppies this Saturday from puking Santas.
A few decades ago, if I wanted to buy a Gorilla Biscuits or Dead Kennedys t-shirt, it meant dragging my scared, skinny fifteen-year-old self to St. Mark’s Place to find it. Nowadays, kids can buy subversive band t-shirts at any neighborhood Hot Topic. Punk music is not just a more convenient affiliation than in past years, it is more rewarding too, as can be witnessed in some fine bands playing in Bushwick at the New York’s Alright Festival.
Few things unite New Yorkers quicker than transportation. Whether complaining about the MTA, giving someone directions, or debating the best possible route to get where you’re going, New Yorkers love talking about how we get around the city. For those of us in Greenpoint, who only have access to one subway, transportation can be an especially touchy subject.
Now you have the opportunity to share your thoughts on your transit situation with someone who can actually do something about. The Neighbors Allied for Good Growth (NAG) are working on their first advocacy campaign centered on transportation. They are conducting a survey on transportation issues in Greenpoint and Williamsburg. The results will be shared with representatives and city officials next week.
Verboten is the newest addition to the "Williamsburg club scene"
Is Williamsburg suffering from megaclub mania? Verboten, a new nightclub, just opened its doors on Wythe and N11th, right near two-story club, Output and nighttime hotspot, Brooklyn Bowl. These venues have arguably created a new Meatpacking District vibe with King & Grove and Kinfolk. The Verboten brand initially started as a pop-up house and techno party before moving to its new Williamsburg home and will specialize in “underground house and techno music” (which they say is emphatically not EDM).
Some adorable pets found new homes at the Vans X ASPCA Event last weekend and our hearts were warmed. (Gothamist) Speaking of which, these dogs from soon-to-close Unleash still need homes!
On Tuesday 3/25, a man jumped into the L train tracks to retrieve a woman’s cell phone, laid down as the approaching train ran over him (although some accounts differ on whether or not he was hit), emerged unscathed, and then vanished into the night… Continue reading →
New website, Walkscore, gives Greenpoint a 94/100 rating for walkability in NYC, but also ranks it as the 58th most walkable neighborhood in NYC. This site says that Washington Heights, Harlem & Crown Heights are all more walkable, but don’t you think they should factor in the increased chance that you’re going to get jacked for your iPhone as a walking factor? Or what about street harassment? I’m not sure the ranking system is cohesive enough.
Joe Lentol is getting the MTA to bring us more G & L trains next Summer. Thanks, Joe, now let’s see if we notice a difference.
The Atlantic did a piece about New Yorkers moving to Jersey City that described moving there as much more welcoming than when you move to NYC neighborhoods that are gentrifying so quickly that there’s an inherent rivalry between new transplants and longtime residents. Greenpoint was described as “totally bipolar” because of this dynamic.
According to a recent survey conducted by NYC’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Greenpointers have less sex partners than most New Yorkers. It also probably means that there are more non-cheating couples in our neighborhood than most of Queens and downtown Manhattan.
And finally, North Brooklyn’s freshest butcher, the Meat Hook, will open a sandwich shop at 495 Lorimer next to Gimme Coffee in January. According to their email blast, expect “cold beer” and “sandwiches like momma used to make, if momma was drunk.” Yum. (Grub Street)
Assemblyman Joe Lenthol of North Brooklyn just gave us the lowdown on the new changes from the MTA that will (we hope) improve our transportation options.
L train service will increase during weekday rush hour (8-9am and 7-11pm) by 5 additional round trips, reducing wait time from 5 to 4.5 minutes. The L train will also receive a 20% boost in service on it’s peak Saturday and Sunday hours (9-11pm).
The runt of the MTA litter, Mr. G train, will also get an increase on weekdays form 3-9pm, decreasing wait times from the current 10 minutes, to 8.5, making your commute home a little faster. We’re unsure at this time, why there wasn’t a weekday morning increase, but we’ll take what we can get for now.
Also, for those planning far in advance, the G train tunnel will be closed from Nassau to Court Street for 5 weeks in July 2014, to repair damages from temporary fixes administered after Sandy.
What will you do with that extra 30 SECONDS of free time (that you won’t be wasting on the subway platform)? Read the world’s shortest e-book? Do one push-up? Knit an invisible sweater? The options are endless.
Better grab a bicycle or get a new pair of walking shoes. Our weekend and late night subway access is becoming limited in North Brooklyn on the G and the L lines.
G Train updates: “3 weekends down and 9 to go in 2013” (including this weekend 8/2-5) reports MTA’s Weekender. They are also showing the progress that has been made to the G train between Greenpoint & LIC, repairs of 600 feet of track and installation of 10,000 feet of cable. Plus they have some cool underground photos.
And if that isn’t annoying enough, we just found out via Brokelyn that the L Train is not running late nights, between 11:45pm and 5am Monday thru Friday from August 5-30th, 2013. Shuttle buses will be picking up the slack.
Will these subway interruptions be cramping your style?
