A New Look At 4th Avenue: Take A Survey And Attend Meeting To Help Improve "Brooklyn Boulevard'

Forth On Fourth, a Committee of the Park Slope Civic Council is inviting local residents to take a survey about 4th Avenue as well as hosting a meeting on January 14th at 7 PM at the Old Stone House, 336 3rd Street.  The goal is to come up with an action plan for the new City administration.  Council members Brad Lander and Steve Levin will be attending to share their ideas for improvements and to listen to community input.

From the petition:

Four years ago, following the rezoning of 4th Avenue, the Park Slope Civic Council hosted a public forum on the Future of 4th Avenue. In response to this forum, a working group was created called Forth on Fourth Avenue (FOFA). In 2012, FOFA became a full fledged committee of the Civic Council. You can read all about the committee's activities, including the implementation of a traffic safety plan with DOT, tree care and outreach to local organizations, merchants and school groups here: http://parkslopeciviccouncil.org/fourth-avenue

Prompted by a desire to take a fresh look at the current state of 4th Avenue four years later, FOFA is hosting "A New Look at 4th Avenue: Action Planning for a New Administration" on Tuesday, January 14th at 7:00pm at the Old Stone House at 4th Avenue and 3rd Street. This public meeting for residents, businesses, community organizations and others is hosted with support from local community organizations including Boerum Hill Association, Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce, Fifth Avenue Committee, Gowanus Alliance, Gowanus Canal Conservancy, Park Slope Neighbors and the Park Slope Safety Partnership.

Councilmembers Steve Levin and Brad Lander will start the evening with some comments about the potential they see for the future of 4th Avenue, especially in light of a new City administration and the changes over the past four years including the safety plan, greening efforts - like tree care and planted medians, CityBench installations, the opening of new schools, new residential developments, etc. The introductory remarks will be followed by questions and answers and suggestions from the audience.

The purpose of this survey is to gather information from you to understand your concerns and ideas for future 4th Avenue projects. We will share the results of this survey with the Councilmembers and distribute them at the meeting. If you have any questions, please e-mail FOFA at fofa@parkslopeciviccouncil.org

Thank you,
SJ Avery and Elise Selinger
FOFA Co-Chairs

You can take the survey here.


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Lending A Hand On 4th Avenue

Getting in and out of parking spots is certainly not easy these days, what with the mounds of frozen snow still blocking many of the spaces here in Brooklyn. This driver on Fourth Avenue was stuck on a patch of ice yesterday. No matter how hard he revved the engine, the car wouldn't advance, or back up for that matter. A few passers-by didn't hesitate to lend a hand to help the driver out of his predicament, though it was beastly cold. It took a few minutes, but they were able to dislodge the car.

The driver stopped long enough to thank everybody for their help.

It was just a small little scene on a frigid day here in Brooklyn, but it was nice to witness such cooperation.

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The Park Slope Civic Council To Host Forum On The Future Of 4th Avenue

The Park Slope Civic Council (PSCC), one of the oldest civic associations in Brooklyn, is tackling the future of Fourth Avenue at its next forum, which will be held on March 4th. Certainly, the up-zoning of the avenue in 2003 did not result in"a grand boulevard of the 21st Century," as Borough President Marty Markowitz predicted. Instead, new construction is more reminiscent of East German Communist-era architecture than the Champs-Élysées.


From PSCC:

A Thoroughfare of Uncertain Direction:
What Route Next for 4th Avenue?

Challenges and Opportunities Along Rapidly Changing Fourth Avenue Will Be Focus of Next Park Slope Civic Council Forum

The Fourth Avenue community in Brooklyn is changing, with new construction, more people, and a growing need for better services. These changes will be among the issues to be discussed at the Park Slope Civic Council's upcoming annual public forum, titled THE FUTURE OF FOURTH AVENUE.

The forum, which is open to the public, will be held on:
Thursday, March 4, 7:00 P.M. at St. Thomas Aquinas Church, on the corner of Fourth Avenue and Ninth Street.

A panel of distinguished experts will talk to the community about Fourth Avenue – what has been happening, what challenges we face, and the opportunities we have to create a great community here. These authorities will make insightful presentations, discuss the issues, and give thoughtful responses to questions. P

Panelists include: Craig Hammerman, District Manager, Brooklyn Community Board Six; Ethan Kent, Vice President, Project for Public Spaces; Ryan Lynch, Senior Planner, Tri-State Transportation Campaign; David Sweeny, Developer; and Elizabeth Yeampierre, Executive Director, UPROSE.

The Park Slope Civic Council has long been working hard to improve Fourth Avenue. Among the projects it has advocated for are:
• Eliminate the left turn lane from northbound Fourth Avenue to Union Street. The Civic Council, with the enthusiastic support of Assemblywoman Joan Millman, got the NYCDOT to fill in this left turn lane to create a pedestrian refuge, providing safety for those crossing this busy intersection, to and from the Union Street R train station;

• Include a public garden in the vacant lot at Fourth Avenue and Sackett Street (an access point to the City's Third Water Tunnel); • Fund tree plantings on Fourth Avenue;

• Reopen the closed entrance to the Fourth Avenue F subway station on the east side of Fourth Avenue (between Ninth and Tenth Streets); and

• Reopen the retail spaces adjacent the Fourth Avenue F subway station. This is a forum for ALL who are concerned about the future of the Fourth Avenue corridor, and your attendance and input are needed to build a better Fourth Avenue. You are welcome to participate even if you don't live or work in Park Slope.

For Home Page, click Pardon Me For Asking

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New York City Marathon 2009: A Real Inspiration

What can I say! The New York Marathon is an exhilarating event. I try not to miss it.
I arrived at the corner of Carroll Street and 4th Avenue just in time to see the front runners sprint by.
Their speed is awe-inspiring. They appear out of nowhere, and puff, they are gone.

However, one has to admire all of the runners, fast or slow. The training, sacrifice and will-power needed to finish the race is, of course, daunting. I have to admit that seeing their performance always makes me choke up. It is amazing what humans can achieve when they put their minds to it.

My husband took part in the Marathon more than 10 years ago. I remember standing at the exact spot with our two kids, hoping to spot him so that I could encourage him, but mostly to make sure that he was doing all right.

I never had the urge to run in the Marathon myself, but I congratulate all who attempt and succeed.

For Home Page, click Pardon Me For Asking

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Skateboarding In The Gowanus Area, Gasmask And All

Photo Credit: Jose Gaytan

Skateboarding with a gasmask? Only in Brooklyn!Only in the Gowanus area! A few days ago, photographer Jose Gaytan sent me this wonderful photo, which he titled "Gowanus Canal Surfer." He shot it on 4th Avenue close to 2nd Street.

Makes you wonder what this kid knows....

I had the great pleasure of finally meeting Jose in person this week-end, after corresponding with him for a few months now. I hope to have the pleasure again, soon.
His stunning photographs are currently on exhibit in a show called " Brooklyn In Transition: A Photographic Essay On the Gowanus Canal at the Brooklyn Library's main branch. If you have not seen it yet, make sure to stop by. The New York Times just featured Jose and his photos of the Canal in an article. Read it here.

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A Moment In Time: The Ever Rising Gas Prices On 4th Avenue

A gas station,
Three guys
And a long pole thingy
To change the price with.
On Fourth Avenue.

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