Sanitation Department Surprised When Shortage of Garbage Bins Leads to Overstuffed Trash Cans

The Sanitation Department seems to be stuck on the problem of illegal dumping of household and business trash in garbage bins around New York and especially in Brooklyn. In an effort to prevent the unsightly and unsanitary overflow of trash in bins, the Sanitation Department began to remove the bins from sidewalks back in 2011. And what has been the result? It doesn’t look too good.

Pails on the sidewalks are still stuffed with refuse from families and local businesses.

“They overflow quite frequently, then the garbage just spreads all around the neighborhood,” said Bridget Elder, 52, resident of Kensington.

Since the beginning of the experiment 95 bins have been taken away. In Brooklyn bins were removed from Bay Ridge, Bensonhurst, Borough Park, Kensington, Sunset Park and Windsor Terrace.

Not Enough Bins, or Too Many?

Many residents believe that there is only one way to end the problem and clean up the area, and that is by increasing the number of garbage truck pick-ups. Although most trash bins are emptied once per day, it is clear the frequency of emptying the trash must increase.

“You used to see garbage cans all over the place,” said Kensington resident Robert Waugh. “Now, there’s a lot more garbage on the ground. This is just insane.”

The Sanitation Department has the power to add pick-ups, but removing the bins is cheaper, and that (non) solution also is less time consuming.

Smoke Bomb on School Bus Sends Students to Hospital Instead of School

Last week on Tuesday almost one dozen children were sent to the hospital after someone on their school bus set off a smoke bomb.

Smoke Bomb on School Bus Sends Children to Hospital

The bus was on its way to the Brooklyn Dreams Charter School in Kensington, carrying 40 children between the ages of 5 and 11. At about 7:20am the yellow school bus stopped at the corner of Ocean Avenue and Dorchester Road due to the heavy smoke in the bus. The bus still had about 12 more blocks to go before arriving at school.

Some of the children were transferred to the hospital as a precaution. All were released soon after it was clear that none of them were harmed.

Police believe that someone on the bus set off the device, which was a type of firework that is designed to release plumes of thick smoke. When such a device is exploded inside a closed, contained space, the police added, there is a danger that the smoke can cause breathing problems or other medical ailments.

Bikes and Books Get Together at the BPL

In anticipation of the “Bike the Branches” bike tour, the Brooklyn Public Library is outfitting hundreds of adults and children with bike helmets. The annual tour features people riding either on their own or in groups to visit as many as 60 branches of the BPL. When they arrive at each branch riders, and anyone visiting the library, will be able to participate in activities geared to families. Those who arrive at the most library branches will be eligible for prizes.

One helmet giveaway already took place at the Kensington branch of the BPL last week. This week, on Tuesday, May 13, from 4:30 to 6:00 pm, riders are invited to come to 10 Grand Army Plaza to be fitted for a free helmet, as long as supplies last.

Participants who sign up ahead of time can join in themed bike rides like the one touring some of Brooklyn’s most famous distilleries. Another ride visits famous literary locales, and another will be going to some of the borough’s most popular landmarks.

Tour day is May 17 beginning at 10am. Registration is online and costs $20 per adult and $10 per child under 17. Seniors over 65 also pay $10. There are group rates for families or groups with up to 10 members.

Mohawk Tavern Changing Name to Something More PC

After  members of the Mohawk Nation complained about the name of a local bar, the owners of that bar have made the decision to change its name.

The bar, which opened up last week, was named quite innocently the Mohawk Tavern after the Mohawk River near Albany, New York, where two of the owners grew up.

Mohawk River

“There was some chatter on the blogs and some members of the Mohawk Nation who lived in the neighborhood were unhappy,” owner Brandon Lenihan said.

Located in Windsor Terrace at Prospect Avenue and Reeve Place, the bar will remain open, but will soon have a new name “in a day or two,” the owners announced. Lenihan added that no matter what the name of the bar will finally be, the public should be aware that they will be serving beers from New York State breweries as well as locally produced wine.

“I am really glad they dropped the name! My uncle was Mohawk — it is 2014, why are we using the name of another culture for a business? I am really relieved to hear about this change and I will be one of the first people to line up for a drink. Glad they did the right thing!” read one comment posted on the local Kensington BK blog, where the name change was first reported.

Kensington Stables Protest Plan to Ban CP Horse-Drawn Carriages

Worried about what the future will be for retired horses if the carriages pulled by them are banned from Central Park; Walker Blankinship, who runs Kensington Stables near Prospect Park is protesting New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio’s plans for the beloved tradition of horse-drawn carriage rental in Manhattan’s fabled park.

Are Horse and Carriage in Central Park Going to be Banned?
Not if Kensington Stables can help it.

Blankinship asserts that the unwanted horses will end up on the chopping block, slaughtered for meat, despite de Blasio’s reassurances that a loving home will be found for each and every one of the horses. De Blasio would like to see the carriages banned, as he, along with animal rights groups, see the custom as inhumane to horses.

The main group lobbying for a ban on the horse-drawn carriages is the New Yorkers for Clean, Livable and Safe Streets (NYCLASS) advocacy group. In a statement they claim that:

"The stable owner is putting forth a false choice by saying carriage horses shouldn't be banned because other forms of animal cruelty against horses exist. That's like saying you can't take in an abused dog found on your street corner because some other dog in a shelter somewhere else would have his spot taken. Those who want to adopt a horse want to specifically stop this unnecessary and inhumane practice of horses in dangerous midtown traffic. 

“NYCLASS has been working closely with animal protection groups including the ASPCA and the Humane Society of the United States, to identify individuals who are committed to providing retired horses loving homes on private farms and in sanctuaries. 

“The interest has been overwhelming. More than that, though, NYCLASS board members have guaranteed a home for every retired horse. Not one of these horses will go to slaughter."

To get the ban passed however, de Blasio needs the approval of the City Council, which might not be so easy. A recent Quinnipiac poll showed that most New Yorkers want to maintain the tried and true, not to mention romantic, tradition of Central Park horses, drivers, and carriages.

Baby, Its Cold In Here!

This winter has certainly been a rough one, but if you live at 377 Ocean Parkway in Kensington, there was very little respite from the cold winter air, even in your home. That is because, despite literally thousands of complaints to the landlord over the years, very little, if anything was done to improve living conditions.

Last Wednesday, as yet another storm engulfed the New York area, the temperature in one tenant’s apartment in the building read a crisp 51 degrees. That is 5 degrees below the legal limit for a nighttime temperature. Tenants must bundle up in sweaters and blankets and gather around space heaters just to keep their tosies cozy.

“Landlords are required by law to provide heat to their tenants during the coldest months of the year,” said RuthAnne Visnauskas, the commissioner of the city Department of Housing Preservation and Development. “If they fail to do so, HPD will use all of the enforcement tools at its disposal to hold the landlord accountable and get the heat restored.”

As if. The city has received an unbelievable 48,418 calls from tenants in Brooklyn during the three and a half months from October 1, 2013 to January 12, 2014. That’s an increase of 6.5 percent since the same time last year.

And nothing seems to help the tenants at 377 Ocean Pkwy. The owners of the four-story, brown brick building, 377 Realty Associates have not responded to 205 open violations of city codes, including mold, mice, broken boilers and peeling paint. City inspectors have slapped violations on the owner for lack of heat last winter, and a dearth of hot water in January this year. Even being featured on a segment on Time Warner Cable News NY1 did not get a response from the landlord.

Small Town Feel in this Brooklyn ‘Hood

Remy's (Formerly Hummus Garden)

Isolated somewhat by some hills and highways, the section of Windsor Heights close to the Fort Hamilton Parkway stop of the G train can have a village feel for residents and visitors. A short stroll down the main thoroughfare will reveal several local shops whose numbers have been steadily growing.

Take for instance the five-month-old kosher vegetarian restaurant called Remy’s. Opened by Avi and Julie Atiae not far from their own home in Kensington, they just began with a simple café similar to the eatery Avi already runs in Moningside Heights. Things started to get a bit more interesting, however, after the couple hired Ori Guri, an Israeli-Yemeni chef who likes to do things creatively. Yes, there are falafel sandwiches on the menu alongside a choice of four types of hummus, but that is not why people will be coming from near and far to see what’s new here.

In the pint-sized kitchen Guri is concocting dishes with so much flavor that even the most dedicated carnivores: will fall in love with thick-crusted, buttery quiches that come with salad and thrice-cooked salted potatoes; will salivate over main-course salads overflowing with spinach, sliced dates, sumac-powdered onions accompanied by crispy pita chips and zaatar flavored olive oil; and will practically cry when they taste a generous serving of tilapia layered with garlic, stewed tomatoes and smooth-as-silk eggplant in a combination that Guri has named “fish moussaka.”

Remy’s is located at 3021 Fort Hamilton Parkway, at East Second Street, 718-686-1011.
(Previously named Hummus Garden) Stay-tuned for more visits to up and coming shops along the Parkway.

Donating Old Clothes? Bin There, Done That

The New York Department of Sanitation has been busier than usual removing what they believe are scam drop-off bins for donated clothing. Thirty-seven huge metal receptacles, which were illegally placed on the streets of New York, have already been removed over the past half a year. That figure represents a 23 percent surge in the number of bins removed since last year, when only 30 were taken away during the entire fiscal year.

A Legitimate and Legal Way to Donate Used Clothing

The large pink bins began to appear on New York sidewalks over a year ago in Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island and the Bronx. None of been spotted yet Manhattan. Their purpose is ostensibly to be an easy way for good citizens to donate no-longer-needed used clothing to charitable organizations; to help clothe the poor and raise funds for related organizations. Unfortunately, in the case of these bins, it is unclear in whose hands the clothing ends up.

“They are a scam and people need to be careful who they donate clothing to,” said City Councilman Daniel Dromm of Queens.  He is suspicious of the bins, believing that the clothing does not end up helping the poor.

“They’re eyesores and attract vermin,” he added.

In January the Sanitation Department warned the owners of one bin located on 18th Avenue near East Second Street in Kensington with a yellow sticker saying that the owners had 30 days to remove it from the street. During that time the bin began to overflow, leaving an unsightly mess of discarded clothing on the street next to the bin. Pedestrians and businesses were, to say the least, unhappy with the situation. Finally the bin was removed, taken apart, and recycled for its metal.

Not all the illegal bins have yet to be removed. Brooklyn has taken away the most, removing 24 since July 1. The Bronx took away eight, Staten Island removed four, and Queens, one.

Dromm is pushing for a law that will required all bins placed on private property to have a name and phone number clearly marked. It will also require the bin owners to list details about where the donations are going.

“There's a level of deception that may rise to criminality,” Dromm said.

There are legitimate methods of donating old clothing. The Sanitation Department has its own clothing drop-off charity. The bins for clothing heading for re-fashioNYC are found inside commercial and residential properties.

Move Over Tower of Babble: Here Comes Boombox Art

Reaching to the heavens is a work of installation art which is not only a feast for the eyes, but for the ears as well. “Got the Power” is a display of over 100 boomboxes arranged into a tower, with the accompanying sounds emanating from about a dozen radios within the structure playing songs and oral histories which are relevant to life in Brooklyn.

Created by Bayeté Ross Smith, an artist from Harlem, “Got the Power” is only the most recent of his creations. His first boombox piece was installed in Harlem. Later he erected similar sculptures in Minnesota, Alabama, and elsewhere. The radios play music which the locals have chosen. Ross Smith requests from the residents where his tower will reside for their favorite songs and stories, creating a soundtrack that is site-specific.

"The exhibit references the role boomboxes have played in urban communities and within popular culture, the resulting sculpture and soundscape is a symbol of pride, power, and autonomy," said Ross Smith.

For his Brooklyn boombox tower, which will be located at the BRIC Arts Theater at 647 Fulton Street, Ross Smith collected stories from talking with residents in cafes, at events and getting his own connections involved. He has participants in his latest project from Fort Green, Clinton Hill, Bed-Stuy, Kensington,
Bushwick and Sunset Park.

Babbling Boomboxes Speaks to Brooklynites

The tower will be on display from February 19 to April 27, 2014. Ross Smith is still in search of donated boomboxes, oral stories and songs about Brooklyn for his latest effort.

Albemarle Road Getting Safety Upgrade

Councilman Brad Lander

The stretch of Albermarle Road in the heart of Kensington is notoriously hazardous for drivers and pedestrians alike. That fact is about to change as the Department of Transportation responds to pressure from community leaders and Councilman Brad Lander to install safety measures to the stretch of road between Ocean Parkway and McDonald Avenue.

Over the coming months the DOT will be making driving lanes narrower to slow down drivers; “No Standing” signs will be put up to improve visibility; and two speed bumps will also be installed to slow down cars.

Lander says that it is commonplace for cars to drive too fast, making the area dangerous for pedestrians, cyclists as well as drivers. In just one year, 2013, there were 10 car crashes in that corridor. Earlier this month two cars collided at East 2nd Street.

“The community spoke out and Department of Transportation listened,” Lander said. “I am looking forward to walking the safer Albemarle Road next year,” he added.

The problem has been going on for so long and is so serious that residents voted to budget part of their tax money to fix the problem as part of Landers’ experimental Participatory Budgeting program.

“This has been a decade long fight. We look forward to the implementation of these devices in the springtime,” said Larry Jayson, president of the Albemarle Neighborhood Association.

“This is an important victory for residents in Kensington, who have come to Participatory Budgeting neighborhood assemblies for the last several years and noted Albemarle Road as an area that needs traffic calming measures,” said Rachael Fauss, Kensington resident and member of the Participatory Budgeting District Committee for District 39.

“With these new improvements, the community will be safer and know that its voice has been heard,” Fauss said.

Councilman Lander said that the “No Standing” signs are already in place. Residents will be able to hear more about the safety improvement plan from the DOT at a Community Board 12 meeting this month.

NYC Trading Cards Coming Soon

You may soon see NYC Trading Cards around Kensington. Brooklyn-based artist Alex Gardega has spent six years drawing cover art for the Ambassador Yellow Pages. Now, he's using those pictures of everything from the Brooklyn bridge and the Bronx Zoo to the Unisphere in Flushing Meadows and more to create trading cards.

As Gardega, 44, said,

“I’m one of these New Yorkphiles, for lack of a better term. I always love learning about New York things. Especially the ones you see all the time but don’t know anything about.”

Card by Alex Gardega

Each of his cards will have information on the back of it about the personality of the person or the information about the place. The cards will come in packs of five and will sell for $6 a pack. He's hoping to start with a limited run of 2000 cards and will take pre-orders through the site nyctradingcards.com.

Who will decide what qualifies as being from New York? Gardega plans to take on that task himself. As he said,

“Andy Warhol was from Pittsburgh, but you think of him as a New Yorker through and through. Even Dali was an eternal Spaniard but I think of him as a New Yorker, because he lived at the St. Regis forever.”

PS 154 Greenmarket Celebrates End of Season with Clambake

This Sunday is Last Day if the Season of Windsor Terrace Greenmarket

Join loyal market-goers this Sunday, December 22 to celebrate a great season of shopping at the PS 154 Windsor Terrace Greenmarket. The market will be open for the last time this season from 9am to 3pm, with a celebratory clambake scheduled for 11am. The clambake is sponsored by American Seafood, an operation which catches their fish off the Long Island coast.

While you are there be sure to say hello to all the local farmers who have been working so hard all year to bring you the best of their produce, and say thanks. Don’t forget to also come by and say hi to Dorothy at the information tent. As the market manager she would love to hear from you and how you enjoyed shopping at the greenmarket this past year.

The clambake will be just one of many items that will be on sale this Sunday, including Baker’s Bounty, Consider Bardwell Farm, Yellow Bell Farm, J Glebocki Farm, Sawkill Farm, and Williams Fruit Farm.

Futuristic Kensington Library Branch May Be Last of its Kind for New York

User-friendly Kensington Branch of the BPL

Kensington welcomed the newest member of the Brooklyn Public Library to its neighborhood recently: a gleaming, environmentally friendly complex with large open spaces, panoramic glass windows, and a slew of computers, iPads, and self-check-out, make this library state of the art and welcoming to visitors.

However it seems that it is more likely than not that this will be the last such building project in the BPL system. Building on an empty lot from scratch, like the new 18,500 square foot branch was, is a costly endeavor. New branches added to the system will most likely utilize already constructed spaces.

"In the future, I anticipate it would be more about using storefronts," said BPL president/CEO Linda Johnson.

A majority of the BPL’s 60 branches were donated about 100 years ago by Andrew Carnegie, and they are now ready for some massive repairs and upgrades. BPL estimates that there are over $250 million worth of repairs that need attention immediately, including things like roofs that are breaking down, and broken air conditioning systems. That is a large way from the $15 million that is now available by the city for use by the BPL.

Due to this situation the BPL to look into less expensive ways to improve their branches, such as utilizing storefronts instead of building new buildings.

The new Kensington branch is filled with mostly new 39,415 books and DVDs. It has 24 computers and two machines for self-check-out. As soon anti-theft equipment is installed the library is going to add three iPads for children.

"As peoples habits change so will we," Johnson said. "This is the first step to change our architecture to meet the way people are living and working today."

The Kensington library was one of the busiest in the entire system. There were 104,700 books or other items in circulation from this branch in 2012, ranking it the tenth busiest in the whole BPL system.

"It's really beautiful," said City Councilman David Greenfield (D-Flatbush). "It's the future of libraries and well worth the visit for even those who don't live in the neighborhood."

Con Ed Diggs Up Ditmas Despite Its New Blacktop

Kensington residents are once again putting up with torn up streets only weeks after the Department of Transportation spent many days repaving and painting parts of Cortelyou Road and Ditmas Avenue this past summer.

Con Edison has a permit to dig up Ditmas

Two Con Edison crews had no qualms tearing up large swaths of Ditmas Avenue in order to make emergency repairs.  One crew was responding to a report from a neighborhood customer about electrical problems he was having while the other crew was making emergency repairs to a set of “high voltage lines” that bring electricity to the whole neighborhood.

Spokesman for Con Edison, Alfonso Quiroz said, “We had to take them out and replace them,” referring to the wires that were in damaged cables they found underground earlier in the week.

Con Edison has a permit for the work they are doing, but many utility companies often do not bother with acquiring permits before they come and dig up the streets. Since 2010, when fines for failing to get a permit to do work on the streets doubled, the city has been collecting large sums from the companies.

The fine for tearing up a street without a permit is now $1,500, bringing millions of dollars into the city treasury. But that income has not made residents any happier.

“I just don't understand what the problem is,” fumed Miriam Sanchez, 58, who owns the hairstylist store on East Third St. “What have they been fixing for so long? The noise and construction is such a nuisance.”

Inspectors are constantly on the lookout for violators, finding many. In 2012 construction firms were fined 2,033 times. In 2011 that number was only 516.

"We would not be digging unless there was a permit," said Quiroz. He added that the work will be completely as soon as possible.

Senator Felder Delivers Funds to Six Branches of the BPL

Six branches of the Brooklyn Public Library are the recipients of a $140,000 funding boost made possible by the work of State Senator Simcha Felder and Senate majority Leader Dean Skelos. An oversized check was awarded to the President and CEO of the BPL, Linda E. Johnson in a ceremony that took place on October 24th at the Kings Highway branch of the library.

Senator Felder, who is a Democrat representing the Borough Park-Midwood District and is the chairman of the New York City Education Subcommittee and the Children and Families Committee, explained how important libraries are to communities, and his own personal lifetime affection for libraries.

“Libraries have always held special meaning for me, ever since I was young boy. They play such an important role in shaping children’s education, their thinking and their personalities,” Felder said.

Sen. Simcha Felder Handing Check to Linda Johnson

Felder added that students use libraries as places to do schoolwork, and seniors use libraries as meeting places, recreational centers, and even places to stay warm in the winter and cool in the summer.

Johnson expressed her appreciation for the allocation, which will benefit the six branches found within Felder’s district: Kings Highway, Borough Park, Kensington, Mapleton, Midwood and Ryder.

“We are deeply grateful to Senator Simcha Felder for awarding BPL $140,000. We will use the money to support children’s services at six of our branches,” Johnson said.

“In many neighborhoods, our libraries are the only places where families can attend developmentally appropriate programs with their young children. Thanks to Senator Felder’s very generous allocation, we will be able to help ensure that every child has the early literacy skills they need for success,” she added.

“While I know this funding will not resolve all of the library’s budgetary issues,” Felder said. “I hope you will accept it as a small token of the appreciation of all New Yorkers for the wonderful services you provide."

Third Ward Closes Down Suddenly With A No Refund Policy

No Refunds Offered After 3rd Ward Closes Suddenly

Due to financial pressure the 3rd Ward, both in Kensington and in Philadelphia, are closing shop. The space in the 3rd Ward was supposed to be a place for people to be able to experiment with whatever they were curious about, from robotics to drawing. The facility was brand new and exquisite, but it seems the costs, especially in Philadelphia, were a challenge they could not overcome.

A recent on-line fundraising campaign (now extinguished) explained the need for more dollars to flow into the enterprise:

    1. Our revenue at the Brooklyn location fell as a result of a change we made to one of our membership products earlier this year.

    2. The new location in Philadelphia is requiring more capital than expected to achieve profitability or reach cash flow break-even.

    3. The development of the Culinary project required advance spending.

The events director at 3rd Ward Philly commented about the 3rd Ward before it closed, that:

"I feel like it's our baby," he said. "We all really believe in it and we all know how much potential there is."

The closure was sudden and unexpected. A DesignPhiladelphi event was scheduled for the same night that 3rd Ward closed, and that event was also suddenly cancelled.

The Gothamist reported on an email posted by 3rd Ward officials to their membership at about 10pm on Wednesday night requesting them to come and

"collect their belongings before our doors officially close on October 11th." The email added that "unfortunately, you will not have an opportunity to use your membership after today at 6pm, and we will not be able to refund any payments made for membership services that have not been fully utilized before that time."

The lack of ability to refund membership fees applies to everyone, even those who only recently paid for their membership and did not have a chance to use any of their membership privileges.

Get Behind the Wheel of Your Own Slot-Racing Car in Kensington

Frank "Buzz" Perry and his slot-car racers

In the mood for some old fashioned fun? Check out the last of what used to be a popular pastime in these parts: slot car racing. At Buzz-A-Rama in Kensington fathers, sons, grandfathers, grandsons, and even here and there a girl or two, racing is a happening hobby.

This vintage store was opened by Frank “Buzz” Perry in 1965, who is now 88 years-old.

"In the first two years of when I was open, there were 45 places like this in the whole city of New York," says Perry. "And now? Now, I am the lone survivor."

Go see what keeps a few loyal fans coming back for more at Buzz Perry’s Buzz-A-Rama on Church Street in Kensington.

Brooklyn Bridges Begging for Boost

Of the 240 bridges linking Brooklyn’s roads over its waterways, at least half are in terrible condition, according to experts at the Federal Highway Administration, and elsewhere. Apparently a few of those are in such bad shape that they can actually crumble apart at any time.

The 15 bridges in the direst condition include seven along the Belt Parkway, a group of Q train trestles in Kensington, and several spans along the BQE. These bridges have been labeled “structurally deficient” and “fracture critical” by the Federal Highway Administration.

“Every time you see a bridge classified as structurally deficient and fracture critical it means that bridge could fall at a moment’s notice,” said Barry LePatner, an expert who has written extensively about the country’s crumbling infrastructure.

Mill Basin Bridge, opened in 1940, was the only moveable bridge on the Belt
Parkway. The new bridge under construction by the DOT will be a fixed structure.

Many of the bridges were built in the 30s and 40s and could take years to repair. It is now four years since the city began to rebuild seven unsafe bridges on the Belt Parkway, at a cost of $365 million. Those spans carry about 150,000 cars each day from Brooklyn and Queens to JFK Airport and beyond, and to the Gowanus Expressway and the Verrazano-Narrow Bridge westerly.

“We all know those bridges are the worst of the worst,” said City Councilman Lew Fidler (D-Mill Basin), who noted the city was working to replace them. “Those bridges have launched the careers of so many personal injury lawyers.”

Eventually all the bridges will be fixed, but in the meantime what can New York drivers do? It seems not much, other than keep driving and pray that all will be well.

“All the agencies, politicians and the government are fully aware of this problem,” LePatner said. “But they would rather put their money towards funding new projects for the public.”

Brooklyn’s Composting Initiative to Begin in October

Beginning next month households that wish to recycle food scraps, paper soiled with food, and a small amount of garden waste will have the chance. The city will be launching its organic waste collection pilot program in Windsor Terrace, South Slope and Greenwood Heights on October 7.

The program, which already began in Staten Island, lets residents of private homes place their food related waste into special bins which the city provides. After it is collected it will be made into compost and then used as fertilizer for local gardens, parks and tree-lined streets.

Those wishing to participate in the program will be given a small kitchen container and a small beginning supply of DSNY-approved compostable liners. These items are scheduled to be delivered to households that wish to participate during September.

Go to the NYC Recycles page for more information and tips for those who join in the program.

Lakeside Center Due to Open in December

Great Prospects for Beautiful Prospect Park

The latest upgrade to Prospect Park, the Lakeside Center, is a 26-acre recreational area which will cost, when it is done, about $74 million.

Ground broke on the project in 2010 and has been proceeding apace. Visitors will be able to awe and ahh at the remarkable historic reconstruction, ecological restoration, and modern design that are the key elements of the undertaking. Here are some of the highlights Brooklynites can look forward to.

• More green space: the new ice skating rink will be designed to blend into the green landscape surrounding it, unlike the old Wollman Rink which this one is replacing. There will be “buried building” with locker rooms, bathrooms, and a café with a roof made of green, blending in with the landscape.

• Not one but two multiuse skating rinks: Both rinks together will have 30,000 square feet of skating surface between them, and they will be in use all year-round. In the winter they will alternate between being connected together to make a huge unified skating space and being split between a skating and hockey rink. In the summer they outdoor rink will transform itself into a water playground. The other rink will become a roller skating rink.

• The complex will also feature a concert grove, music island, and rediscovered objects from the 19th century will be on display.