SAVE CASH! FIND THIS WEEK’S BORO DEALS ON PAGE 9 Yo u r Neighborhood — Yo u r News® BrooklynPaper.com • (718) 260–2500 • Brooklyn, NY • ©2012 Serving Brownstone Brooklyn, Williamsburg & Bay Ridge AWP/12 pages • Vol. 35, No. 3 • January 20–26, 2012 • FREE THRILL KILLING Safer, smoother Cyclone plan has fans fuming By Daniel Bush use — and the end result will be riding the Cyclone and getting a famous since the 1920s will not The Brooklyn Paper a coaster that rides more like a few bruises,” said Josh Bauchner, be affected by the update. The legendary Coney Island Cadillac than a Jeep, according to who rides the Cyclone multiple “What made the Cyclone Cyclone will get a major overhaul Tom Corsillo, of Central Amuse- times a year. popular is not changing,” Cor- that promises a safer, smoother, ment International, the owner of Bauchner was one of many sillo said. and less rickety experience — Luna Park, which operates the coaster boosters who bemoaned Amusement experts we talked Community Newspaper Group / Kate Briquelet but roller coaster aficionados city-owned coaster. the upgrades. to were split on the upgrade’s Brooklyn Heights resident Chris Beal is angry and con- worry that the fix-up will take “It’s going to be a much But Corsillo said the Cy- impact on riders’ overall expe- fused about a garbage-covered lot on Henry Street. the thrills out of the 85-year-old smoother ride,” Corsillo told clone’s faithful had nothing to rience. File photo Callan by Tom thrill ride. us. worry about, claiming the Cy- “The average person won’t be Whoa now! A rehab of the Beginning this month, workers But some Cyclone fans say get- clone will now be safer, but still be able to tell the difference,” said historic Cyclone has fans will replace sections of the coast- ting banged around by the coaster scary — its top speed of 60 miles Jim Barber, a spokesman for the worried that it might lose its er’s wooden track that have been is a big part of its appeal. per hour will not be changed, and National Association of Amuse- It’s a dump scary old-school charm. worn down by decades of heavy “There’s nothing more fun than its hairpin turns that have been See CYCLONE on page 2 Neighbors trash fi lthiest backyard in Bklyn Heights By Kate Briquelet corner from Montague Street Bar gets deep-sixed The Brooklyn Paper is filled with overturned fur- The filthiest backyard in niture, plastic bottles and bags, Controversial Prime 6 goes farm-to-table instead Brooklyn Heights has gotten so a heap of wood forming what bad that at least one neighbor has looks like a hovel, clay plant- By Natalie O’Neill ing food on Feb. 1 in the storefront at altered his business’ vision and will started cleaning it himself. ers and a deflated basketball The Brooklyn Paper Flatbush and Sixth avenues that was now open “a nice cozy restaurant” with Community residents have — and that’s after a Brooklyn A once-embattled Park Slope sports slated to become Prime 6, the planned a 46-seat patio that closes by midnight been griping about a lawn- Heights businessman tried to bar will open with a new name and a music venue and watering hole that on weekends in an attempt to better turned-garbage-dump on Henry tidy up the space. strikingly different business model in sparked neighborhood controversy mesh with the community. Street for years, but still haven’t “It’s third-world disgusting!” hopes of becoming a slam-dunk for com- without ever opening amid concerns The menu at Woodland includes Photo by Elizabeth Graham convinced landlords or busi- said Judy Stanton, executive di- munity foodies — not arena crowds. it would draw rowdy basketball fans “Napa Valley–style” new Ameri- Neighbor Steve Ettinger likes the new look ness owners to take responsi- rector of the Brooklyn Heights Woodland, a farm-to-table eatery and a hip hop scene . can dishes such as bison burgers and of Woodland, which was once the planned bility for it. Association. “Everyone walking with an outdoorsy motif, will start serv- Owner Akiva Ofshtein said he has See BAR on page 2 site for sports bar Prime 6. The rat-filled sty around the See TRASH on page 2 UNCHARTERED TERRITORY Fighting Some Fort Greene ‘Success’ parents slam charter By Kate Briquelet waiting for their chance to speak their in W’burg The Brooklyn Paper mind about the Community Roots Char- Parents at a Fort Greene elementary ter School’s bid to open a new middle school within the Navy Street learning By Aaron Short school are lashing out against the city’s proposal to move a new charter school institution — a plan that already has the The Brooklyn Paper Photo by Stefano Giovannini into their building, claiming that their support of a local councilwoman and Opponents of a plan to bring a polit- Vandals bombed Success Acad- own expansion plans were denied to the city’s chancellor of schools. ically connected charter school to Wil- emy charter school’s ads at the make room for a school with more po- Tensions erupted after charter school Community Newspaper Group / Kate Briquelet liamsburg slapped disparaging remarks Bedford Avenue subway station litical clout. proponents hogged the microphone for Richard Chase says that Community Roots Charter School would on subway ads promoting it. with word balloons criticizing its Hundreds of parents packed the audi- two hours before PS 287 advocates could take away learning space from his third-grader, Andre, if it gets to See SUCCESS on page 9 marketing campaign. torium of PS 287 on Wednesday night, See PS 287 on page 9 create a middle school inside PS 287 on Navy Street. Bike lane fence called ‘offensive’ Street and Myrtle Avenue see Public housing residents say the planned fence as a superfi- cial quick-fix with the aesthet- planned barrier ‘feels like jail’ ics of a prison wall. “We don’t want anybody get- By Natalie O’Neill ing fence on a pedestrian bridge ting hurt either — but this feels The Brooklyn Paper that links the Walt Whitman and like a punishment, like we’re in Residents of two Fort Greene Ingersoll houses with a taller, jail,” said Stacy Williams, who housing projects want the city to curved wall of metal mesh af- lives there. “It’s offensive.” come up with a way to protect cy- ter a group of kids threw rocks, The city claims the new fence, clists from brick-throwing teens bottles and golf balls onto at least which features an 18-inch-tall in- that’s smarter and less stigmatiz- seven bikers riding below on the Photo by Elizabeth Graham ward-curved barrier much like the Photo by Stefano Giovannini ing than a cage-like fence. Navy Street bike lane. The city wants to build a higher fence on the overpass fence on the Manhattan Bridge Esther Nash — who owns the building that once housed The Department of Transpor- But residents of the city-owned over Navy Street to deter kids from throwing objects at bike lane — will make it harder for Landmark Pub on Second Street — wants help turning tation decided to replace an exist- developments between Tillary bicyclists riding below. See FENCE on page 2 the long-dilapidated building (below) into artist hous- ing. Neighbors are skeptical. Artsy plan for Take us to your tacos DUMBO fi rm’s iPhone app can calm cravings By Kate Briquelet Slope eyesore The Brooklyn Paper A DUMBO marketing firm has Absentee landlord emerges, answered one of the most press- ing questions asked by Brook- lyn foodies: ¿Dónde están los asks neighbors for money tacos? The brilliant minds at Big By Natalie O’Neill Spaceship are behind Taco Finder, The Brooklyn Paper an iPhone app that leads hun- The absentee landlord be- gry users on taco-hunting ex- hind a derelict Park Slope build- peditions. ing that once housed a legend- Mexican food fanatics open the ary art bar has come out of the app, select a local taco stand, and woodwork, asking for help from follow the arrow on the screen neighbors who have begged her until they’re devouring the tor- to maintain the decaying prop- tillas of their dreams. Photo by Bess Adler erty for years. “We wanted to make going out Valerie Gnaedig, Jamie Kosoy and Nooka Jones of DUM- Rachel Nash, whose family Photo by Stefano Giovannini for tacos into an adventure,” said BO’s Big Spaceship trek to Pedro’s with the help of their owns the eyesore at Second Street senior designer Valerie Gnaedig. trusty Taco Finder app. and Seventh Avenue that was once “If I want to find a taco, it will home to the kitschy-cool Land- Caffeine dream be a taco wonderland — with destination, Taco Finder uses a taco target. mark Pub, says she wants to ren- Barista Allie Gordon shows off a flight of fancy coffees more places popping up along global positioning system to de- Jamie Kosoy, the firm’s tech- ovate the building. But before she from Toby’s Estate in Williamsburg. Read more on the the way.” termine how many more feet they nology director, claims the app can turn it into “affordable artist Photo by Stefano Giovannini latest high-end stimulants on page 7 of GO Brooklyn. As users inch closer to their must travel before reaching their See TACOS on page 2 housing” and replace the long- closed watering hole with a cafe, Neighbors and community she needs assistance from a com- board members, who have long munity group she has jilted for complained about the build- almost a decade.