Dumbo NYC

(Photo taken today from One Brooklyn Bridge Park webcam)

According to the NY Post, the city’s Parks Department is putting together an RFP for potential operators to submit proposals for a waterfront restaurant with outdoor seating at Pier 6 in Brooklyn Bridge Park (located off of Atlantic Avenue). NYC and NY State have been in negotiations to have the city take over the Brooklyn Bridge Park land. According to the article, there is a building being built for a restaurant and plans for outdoor seating. We already mentioned that the Empire Fulton Ferry State Park would be a good location for a Shake Shack, near the proposed Jane’s Carousel, but could Pier 6 be a better location for something like Shake Shack? What other restaurants would you like to see there?

(Photo by wallyg)

From the Dog Run Volunteers:

Dear Dog Run Volunteers, Friends, & Neighbors,

We want to share with you some of the wonderful advances we have made in 2009 to help maintain and build the Dog Run (within the Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy) as a great place for you and your dog to play and socialize.

2009 Achievements: Steering Committee to focus on specific projects – Fences mended – Raking – Mulching – Laminated flyers at the run – RAKE for your use at the run!!! “Check out” the rake, just email us for the password – Consultation with Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy

Exciting Plans for 2010: Raffle planned for spring, with prizes! – Double gate entrance – New garbage can – Enlarging the run – Fencing – Transplanting plants – Mulching fork – Better drainage

What You Can Do: Donate! Volunteer! Bring extra bags to the run. Rake. Mulch. Make suggestions. Join the email list at: BBPDogRun@nyc.rr.com

HOW TO DONATE: Your donation is tax deductible thru the Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy, a non-profit 501(c)(3).

The Dog Run in Dumbo is maintained by donations and help from residents. Please help them maintain the Dog Run with your donations.

• Online: BrooklynBridgePark.org > Get Involved > Donate. Fill in Organization field with: “FOR DOG RUN”
• Mailed Checks: (“FOR DOG RUN” in memo line)
  Attn: Richard Loyd
  Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy
  334 Furman Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201

A note from the Brooklyn Bridge Park Development Corporation:

Empire Fulton Ferry State Park is closed as of January 1, 2010 as construction gets underway to implement a series of exciting park improvements. Improvements include:

• Jane’s Carousel, a gift of Jane and David Walentas. The magnificent, restored 1922 carousel will be housed in a beautiful pavilion designed by Pritzker-Prize winning architect Jean Nouvel, making the carousel available for use in all seasons. (also see: Jane’s Carousel To Be in Brooklyn Bridge Park)
• Extension of the park lawn to the south across the current alignment of New Dock Street
• Stormwater retention tanks to irrigate the park’s natural features
• Park furnishings including railings, benches, picnic tables and bike racks
• Lighting so that the park will be open after dark for the first time since its opening in 1979
• Regrading the park to improve drainage

Scheduled reopening of the park is Spring 2011. The adjacent city park will remain open during the renovation. Pier 1 of the Brooklyn Bridge Park will open as early in 2010 as possible and will host the popular Movies with a View this summer.

Photo by poppycock in the DumboNYC Flickr Pool.

(Brooklyn Bridge Park – The plan is to have Jane’s Carousel be on western shore of the park’s cove in front of the Tobacco Warehouse.)

According to officials at the Brooklyn Bridge Park Development Corporation and an article in the NY Post today, Jane’s Carousel will officially be part of the Brooklyn Bridge Park waterfront development. NY Post states:

“The directors of the Brooklyn Bridge Park Development Corporation approved David and Jane Walentases’ gift of the so-called “Jane’s Carousel” and $3.45 million to landscape and operate it past the park’s closing time — and agreed to house it in a pavilion designed by French architect Jean Nouvel.”

Officials note that in addition to the restored 1922 carousel, the Walentases are also donating $3.45 million for improvements to the $350 million park, which include lighting and landscaping so that the carousel hours can be extended past the park’s closing time. If the park will have some food concessions, maybe the Shake Shack empire should open a location here.

The design of the carousel pavilion has not yet been revealed, but Jane’s vision is for a glass one; perhaps similar to the Greenport Village one pictured below.

[UPDATE: 12/21/2009: We emailed Jane for a statement about the carousel, and this is what she stated:

The Carousel is to be located near the "point" of the existing boardwalk. It is the exact site that was originally proposed in the early site plan by Ben Thompson Assoc. & Beyer Blinder Belle in 1984.

I know and have visited the building in Greenport. The Pavilion that Jean Nouvel is designing bears absolutely no resemblance to that building. It is an extraordinarily simple & elegant design that has received only raves from those who have seen it. I imagine the design will be released fairly soon.

Thanks Jane for the update.]

{YouTube: Jane Walentas’ Carousel, 21July2008}
{Jane’s Carousel Open For Season, 22May2007}
{The Carousel News and Trader Talks About Jane’s Carousel, 19Jan2007}
{To the Children of Dumbo: Experience Jane’s Carousel 12/8, 8Dec2006}
{A Chat With Jane At The Carousel Opening, 16Oct2006}

(“Quarters Only” by Steve Talkowski)

State Senator Daniel Squadron will host a public meeting tonight to give the community the opportunity to hear a presentation from the City of New York about Brooklyn Bridge Park.

Senator Squadron said, “A city takeover has great potential if there is money on the table, a meaningful discussion of alternatives to housing, parkland designation, and community input on governance and amenities. This proposal is an exciting development. But, as always, open dialogue is crucial – that’s why I’m hosting a public forum tonight.”

Who: State Senator Daniel Squadron, Representatives from the City of New York, other elected officials
What: Brooklyn Bridge Park Town Hall Meeting
When: 7:00 PM, Monday, December 7
Where: Long Island College Hospital, Conference Rooms C & D (Corner of Hicks and Atlantic Avenue, enter on Hicks Street)

Saw these a few days ago on gizmodo.com. This one is from artist Fred Lebain, who superimposes photo images in areas of NYC. Pretty cool.

{Low-Tech Invisibility Cloaks in NYC, Gizmodo}
{Liu Bolin Creates Invisibility Cloak, Gizmodo}

Videographer Greg Malcolm checking in with another in his series of Why I Love Brooklyn. This time he cuts a segment of The Brooklyn Promenade, the best view towards lower Manhattan. Once the Brooklyn Bridge Park is completed, we’ll have an even better view of both the Park and lower Manhattan. Several sections including Pier 1 and 6 is planned for opepning in 2010 in the 85-acre Brooklyn Bridge Park.

Check out Greg’s other videos on YouTube and his blog at whyilovebk.blogspot.com.

Previously:
{Why I Love Dumbo: Zakka, 02Nov2009}
{Why I Love Dumbo by Greg Malcolm, 29Jul2009}

(Photo by BJ_H)

Forbes Traveler lists the world’s most beautiful sunsets. They are:

• Sicily, Italy
• Atacama Desert, Chile
• Tahiti
• Melbourne, Australia
• Fire Island, New York
• Ban Talae Nok, Thailand
• Srinagar, India
• Manuel Antonio Beach, Costa Rica
• Reykjavik, Iceland
• Santorini, Greece

While we can’t dispute the beauty of the sunsets on their list, for us, we experience the best sunset of anyplace in the world right here in Dumbo. From the Brooklyn Bridge Park, the sun sets just beyond the Brooklyn Bridge, and brings out vivid colors that bounce off the Manhattan buildings, the red brick of the Empire Stores, and off the white facades of former industrial warehouses. Every sunset seen in Dumbo forms brilliant reds, oranges, yellows, and purples and it’s difficult to capture the lighting vs seeing it in person. No two are alike. Wouldn’t you agree? Some photos from the DumboNYC Flickr Group:

(Photo by Josh Derr)

(Photo by Angel Salguero)

(Photo by EspressoMaker)

(Photo by spencerdallen)

(Photo by Josh Derr)

(Photo by wesleyrosenblum)

[DumboNYC.com is taking a vacation. In the meantime, take a look at some photos of Dumbo (in the DumboNYC Flickr Pool) or submit a story or event about Dumbo. We'll be back after Labor Day weekend.]