Comments on: Long Island City Thursday afternoon linkage

By: Townie

Townie — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 04:21:12 +0000

Life must be a ball.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 14:54:57 +0000

Actually, I was the one who whimsically suggested the bridge. And I am not a property owner. I just like good design ideas. Characterized as “pathologically whimsical” is frankly a compliment to me.

By: Townie

Townie — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 01:06:05 +0000

Listen pal, constructing a little passarelle over the Thames or the Seine is one thing, but an estuary with the currents and commercial traffic of the East River is an entirely different matter. In London, between the City and the South Bank, the Millennium Bridge crosses 1214 feet of water with the greatest individual span being a little over 470 feet. The East River, however, is not the Thames and is nearly twice as wide at this point, not to mention the fact that the height requirements of East River bridges are considerably greater than those of the Thames, but I guess this doesn’t phase the bold New Visionaries who so suddenly descended on this backward and visionless neighborhood. The population of Bankside and Newington south of the Thames might justify such an expenditure of time (and vision) given that the inhabitants close at hand number in the tens of thousands. However, I am to be labeled “pathologically small-minded” by some Anonymous blank because I don’t yet see why the whims of a few hundred new “property-owners” ought to be converted into some far-reaching and extravagant policy in New York City.
I beg your pardon.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 16:53:40 +0000

Just about every iconic construction project in NYC was labeled with words similar to “pathologically whimsical” at some point in their planning. There is no compelling argument why a pedestrian and bike bridge over the East River couldn’t be a realistic architectural achievement. We’re only held back in NYC by “pathologically small-minded” people who think just like Townie.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 11:57:16 +0000

Thanks, Townie.

By: Townie

Townie — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 01:35:45 +0000

I for one would like a guarantee that UES types are not allowed to use the bridge to come slumming over here, but you can’t please everybody, so let’s just concentrate on pleasing you, however pathologically whimsical your suggestions may become.

By: 28

28 — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 19:54:50 +0000

Lightning speed? The bridge was built in two years, but then closed for another two years for them to fix it.

Let’s see how long it takes to build the Kosciusko replacement once they actually start construction.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 11:48:16 +0000

The old McReilly’s space #26?

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 22:13:08 +0000

does anyone know when (or if) that pub on Vernon near Manducatis Rustica is going to open? I thought it was already supposed to have opened.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 20:24:03 +0000

24, true. But they also got the engineer in right away and fixed the damn thing with lightning speed. Compare that to the dithering that goes on in NYC, like the Borden Avenue Bridge. London designed, built and then fixed the bridge over the Thames in no time. Plus, they use lottery cash in the UK to fund great public projects like this one. “Better, greener and more beautiful” in NYC? I won’t hold my breath.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 18:06:20 +0000

Having lived in London when that bridge was inagurated, I recall it was actually a disaster. It wobbled and they had to go back and re-engineer the entire thing. It was a big embarrassment, not to mention expense. Nevertheless, having learned from whatever went wrong there, we could do something better, greener, and more beautiful.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 18:03:55 +0000

#16, even if the boats are $3.3M, I’m sure that is not the annual outlay. Those boats are either leased or financed and that the annual payment on a long term lease, or under a note is signifcantly less than $3.3M. In fact assuming a 10% interest rate its less than the $500K number I threw out. Not arguing with you, but why is this guy pleading poverty? Run the route. You are getting plenty of taxpayer money to do it.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 17:37:44 +0000

london can do it because they’re more forward thinking in terms of urban design and sustainability and are willing to spend some money on it

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 16:56:30 +0000

Maybe once Plaxall builds out their land across from Anabel Basin, they can put a walkway/bridge there.

A few decades away, but still.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 16:51:02 +0000

If London could do it why can’t we? Of course ours would have to be a little longer and higher.

http://www.yourlocalweb.co.uk/images/pictures/00/12/millennium-bridge-and-tate-modern-1175.jpg

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 15:37:05 +0000

i second that, a bridge across the river would be perfect. will never happen of course.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 15:06:15 +0000

whatever….I just want a pedestrian bridge…a cool one..

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 14:14:26 +0000

oops I meant “went”

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 14:13:45 +0000

I want on a tour of the NY Water Taxi a few years ago with an urban planning group and the owner told us very proudly that they just had bought two or three new boats and that hey cost $3.5MM each because they are state of the art. So for whatever it is worth this should help the people that trying to figure out if they could run the system with $900K. I am not saying you can’t run it with $900K but I also know that owning a boat is the biggest money sucking machine in the world because my brother owns a small boat and it is expensive to maintain.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 12:55:14 +0000

i agree its the next area to be developed but its several years away, at least….

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 22:05:58 +0000

courthouse square is the next area to be developed. you have the new condos on jackson, the new hi rises, and plans for new stores on jackson. i didnt know the courthouse was still used either, thought it was just a historic bldg.

By: rexlic

rexlic — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 18:09:22 +0000

The courthouse can be seen, masquerading as a prison, in Sergio Leone’s “Once Upon A Time In America,” in the scene in which James Woods welcomes Robert DeNiro out from a term in juvie. It was also used in the opening credits of the Judd Hirsch sitcom “Dear John,” and more recently in the short-lived Oliver Platt/Anabella Sciorra TV show, “Queens Supreme.”

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 03:14:36 +0000

thx, i always wondered because i never see anything going on at the courthouse

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 01:47:27 +0000

yes #4 the court house is definately used. I believe it takes the overflow from Kew Gardens Criminal Court.

A few years back the building had been fully restored. It is quite an interesting building.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 21:30:10 +0000

I’m with you, #9. I’ll be skipper…