Brooklyn Paper It Is Perhaps the Only Time and Place in New York City That People Don’T on Way Out, Doctoroff Mind Sitting in Traffic
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SHOP LOCALLY! SEE HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE IN P.9 Brooklyn’s Real Newspaper BrooklynPaper.com • (718) 834–9350 • Brooklyn, NY • ©2007 BROOKLYN HTS–CGARDENS–DTOWN–FT GREENE EDITIONS AWP/16 pages • Vol. 30, No. 49 • Saturday, Dec. 15, 2007 • FREE INCLUDING DUMBO, CLINTON HILL, COBBLE HILL, BOERUM HILL Dyker does it NOW HE again TELLS US! By Joe Jordan for The Brooklyn Paper It is perhaps the only time and place in New York City that people don’t On way out, Doctoroff mind sitting in traffic. It’s Christmas in Dyker Heights! The otherwise sleepy neighborhood is once again decking the halls and delight- ing residents and tourists alike with its admits AY process bad over-the-top, make-Disney-World-jealous / Joe Jordan Christmas displays. By Gersh Kuntzman Although local residents get to enjoy their neighbors’ extravaganzas annually The Brooklyn Paper — “We do this every year,” says Dyker Departing Deputy Mayor Dan Doctoroff took a parting shot at the Atlantic Yards mega-devel- resident Guisseppe Bonofrio — for others, Paper The Brooklyn See DYKER on page 13 The Spata home on 84th Street in Dyker Heights is one of the most popular in Brooklyn. opment this week, offering the stunning admis- sion that if the city had to do it all over again, it would have demanded a proper public review of the $4-billion project. In an interview with the New York Observer, Doctoroff suggested that he was wrong to sign off F C MORE INSIDE line gets a -minus Atlantic Yards’ 4th anniversary: P. 6 New Yards security concerns: P. 13 Editorial/Doctoroff’s disaster: P. 14 By Mike McLaughlin Riders perceive it pretty badly. These results, though less than Grading The Brooklyn Paper “I would have given it a D. For the glowing, are typical of the entire sys- on the state’s oversight of Bruce Ratner’s project — Mango P. / Gregory last six months it was horrible,” said tem and are therefore not necessarily It may be called the F line on an agreement that allowed the state to supercede Joyce Hardy Smith, who complained a useful tool for comparing the lines transit maps, but you can call it the city zoning and get approval for the project without on a curve about delays and wait times. against each other. having to undergo the city’s far-more-rigorous Uni- Days after the MTA gave C-minus train from now on. But most riders were a little more Of the 11 subway lines, only the form Land-Use Review Procedure. the F train a C– grade, More than 10,000 subway riders generous than Smith. 42nd Street shuttle got into B territo- “I’m a huge believer in the ULURP process,” he we asked straphangers filled out the Metropolitan Trans- The grades for 21 categories in- ry (B–) and no line failed (the C train told the Observer. “If it happened again, and the Paper file The Brooklyn for their opinion. portation Authority’s “Rider Report clude: got the lowest grade, a D). state were to ask if I would encourage them to take Deputy Mayor Dan Doctoroff now says he Card” for the beleaguered F train — • Adequate room on board at In general, F riders were harshest See YARDS on page 6 thinks Atlantic Yards deserves more scrutiny. and the results, released on Nov. 29, rush hour: D. about crowding (surprise) and the PA speak for themselves. • Reasonable wait times: C–. announcements. This line needs help. • Minimal delays during trips: C–. In spite of the F’s lowly “D” on But it won’t get any in the short • Sense of security on trains and rush hour crowding, the so-called term, said Transit spokesman Charles stations: C–. Culver local, whose route from Seaton. • Station announcements easy to Coney Island to Jamaica, Queens, “The purpose of the report cards is hear: D. takes it under Prospect Park, along to see what the perception of our • Metrocard machines: B– (high- Ninth Street and then underneath Hammerman now service is [by riders],” he said. est grade). Smith Street, isn’t that bad compared to other lines. Bergen Street According to a report this year from the Straphangers Campaign, 56 Juan Pablo Lombana: percent of passengers can get a seat belongs to the ages “B. It’s pretty good, but on the F during rush hour, compared it gets crowded at rush to 48 percent for the entire system. hour.” The line’s grade might fall off in By Mike McLaughlin the future. In 2009, the MTA will be- The Brooklyn Paper gin years of trackwork along the ele- The New York City Hall of Cream of the crop vated section between Fourth Avenue Fame (yes, there is one) inducted Twelve New York “legends” were inducted into the and Carroll Street, work that will in- its freshman class last weekend — new New York City Hall of Fame last weekend. The list clude shutting down the Smith–Ninth and none other than Craig Ham- of honorees may surprise you: Street station for nine months in merman, the district manager of / Tom Callan / Tom 2010. Community Board 6, made the cut! IN NOT IN But as The Brooklyn Paper report- Hammerman, who has been the ed, that station and Fourth Avenue power behind the CB6 throne for Craig Hammerman George Gershwin will be completely renovated, and the 15 years, earned the recognition. Tito Puente Theodore Roosevelt track work might eventually lead the Not Gehrig, Whitman or one of Carroll Street way to an F-express train. The Brooklyn Paper The Brooklyn several Roosevelts. Hammerman. Olga Bloom Lou Gehrig Essi: “C+. It’s okay on Which raises an obvious ques- The heroes of 9-11 Secretariat weekdays, but the week- tion: How do you get to the New ends are awful. And it’s York City Hall of Fame? Volunteer, Frederic Schwartz Fiorello LaGuardia hot and noisy.” volunteer, volunteer. Lidia Matticchio Bastianich Kareem Abdul-Jabbar The Hall tapped the CB6 manag- Smith–Ninth Street Fourth Avenue Seventh Avenue er for his long record of donating Joanne Smith Humphrey Bogart Myrian: “During the Sarah Sirato: “It’s Rob Malko: “Overall, his time to such groups as the Park Steve Huston Herman Melville Slope Civic Council, Prospect Park week it’s like a B, but good sometimes, but I’d give it a B. It’s on Dr. Deborah Asnis Barbara Streisand on the weekend it’s a it’s horrible at other time for the most part, Track Club, the PS 372 PTA, the D.” times. It’s a finicky but it’s always crowd- Police Department’s Honor Legion Inge Auerbacher Norman Rockwell train. I’d give it a C+.” ed.” and even the New York State Foun- Martha Benton DeSaussure Jonas Salk dation for Science, Technology and Innovation, where he is giving his Mary DeSaussure Sobers Alexander Hamilton time to foster high-tech commercial Lynne Brooks and Sarah Jessica Parker — Interviews and development. photos by Mike the Big Apple Greeters McLaughlin See FAME on page 14 Smith Street + Fifth Avenue = ‘Smifth’ Identical stores find homes on both strips SMITH ST FIFTH AV By Mike McLaughlin Owners say they’re making life easier do it on Fifth,’” said Samantha Delman walks earlier in the decade. The Brooklyn Paper for shoppers, not trying to erase Brooklyn’s Caserta, the owner of 3Rliving, a Fifth Av- Shop owners say Fifth Avenue didn’t long-standing neighborhood distinctions. enue shop, and head of the Fifth Avenue have a bellwether like Smith. Instead, it Yes, you are seeing double. “We noticed that we had significant Merchants Association. was part of the rising tide that lifted much Smith Street and Fifth Avenue are be- numbers of customers who shop on Smith That’s because the wave of Smith Street of the rest of the borough, starting in 2000. coming mirror images of one another — Street, but live in Park Slope and Prospect restaurant and boutique openings, galva- There’s still an imbalance in terms of / Jeff Bachner / Jeff thanks to at least half a dozen entrepreneurs Heights,” said Soula owner Rick Lee. nized by the arrival of the trend-setting real-estate prices. On Smith, the average Callan / Tom opening shops on both streets. In almost all cases, shop owners opened restaurant Patois, took off in the late 1990s, store is 650 square feet, and rents for about Call it “Smifth Avenue.” Lucia, Some- their first outlet on Smith Street before ex- a few years before Fifth Avenue got going. $3,000–$4,000, but restaurants and bars thing Else, Soula and Flirt, plus chains like panding to Fifth Avenue. But restaurants like Patois would never pay more. Fifth Avenues prices are lagging, Brooklyn Industries and Area Kids, have “There was an attitude of ‘If we were have been drawn to Smith were it not for a but only slightly. staked a claim on both streets. able to do it on Smith, now we’re able to major rehabilitation of the street and side- The Brooklyn Paper The Brooklyn The Brooklyn Paper The Brooklyn See SMIFTH on page 14 Get Your Holiday Cheer at Wine tastings every Friday, Saturday and Sunday afternoon through December New Years Eve Champagne tasting: Monday, December 31, 2 - 6pm Open Mon.-Sat. 10am-10pm · Sun. Noon-8pm · 211 Fifth Avenue (Near Union St.) (718) 636-WINE 2 AWP THE BROOKLYN PAPER • WWW.BROOKLYNPAPER.COM • (718) 834-9350 December 15, 2007 shoprico.com WHERE TO EDITORS’ PICKS SATURDAY SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY FRIDAY December 15 December 16 December 17 December 18 December 21 Jingle jam Swiss mister Featuring live perform- Illustrator Bob Eckstein’s ances from local acts like work has appeared in the Brooklyn Community the New Yorker and GQ, Chorus, Spoke the Hub but tonight it will adorn Dance and more, Park the walls of Word book- Slope’s “Jingle Bell store in Greenpoint.