Upon completion, the Myrtle Avenue Plaza will provide a much needed space for community activity in the Clinton Hill section of Brooklyn. In order for the space to best serve the community, and the city, it is imperative that we hear about the ways that you, our neighbors, wish to see it used. In the past we have had some dynamic input about events ranging from farmers markets to music performances; share your ideas with us by completing our plaza community survey.
Construction on the Myrtle Avenue Plaza has officially resumed. Work had come to a halt in late January of this year. This week contractors will be installing four (4) replacement catch basins at various locations on Myrtle Avenue between Hall Street and Emerson Place.
If you have any construction-related questions, please contact the DDC Community Construction Liaison (CCL) Chris Fields at myrtleplazaccl@gmail.com.
If you’d like to receive updates on plaza construction and its impacts on Myrtle Avenue, please sign-up here.
Stroll by the corner of Fort Greene Park entrance at Myrtle Avenue and Washington Park to see the Heartseat, a public seating element that made of a repurposed water tank. The eye-catching piece was created by Brooklyn based-design studio Stereotank, founded by architects Marcelo Ertorteguy and Sara Valente, both Brooklyn-based artists. Heartseat was originally commissioned for the juried Times Square Valentine Heart Design Competition, where it greeted thousands of visitors first as a heart-shaped participative installation. It then traveled to DUMBO to welcome visitors to the Pearl Street Triangle. Heartseat is on view Now – October 2015.
Rendering of 504 Myrtle Avenue, as seen on the construction fence.
A rendering for the new building at 504 Myrtle Avenue, between Ryerson Street and Grand Avenue, in Clinton Hill has been posted on the site’s construction fence. The eight story, mixed-use building will have retail on the ground floor, apartments on the upper floors, and parking in the basement. The new building will rise where the former Pratt Station Post Office once stood.
New building permits filed back in November 2014 called for a six-story mixed use building. However, as the rendering shows, building plans have changed and will include an additional two stories. The initial plans called for 20,000 square feet of new commercial space, 46 parking spaces, and 92 apartments – a number that will likely increase with an additional two floors.
The new building will cantilever over the pedestrian walkway that leads from Myrtle Avenue to Willoughby Walk Co-ops to the south. The cantilever portion of the building will abut the other new building at 490 Myrtle Avenue, which will house Key Food Supermarket. No commercial tenants have been announced for 504 Myrtle Avenue.
Both buildings are being developed by Silverstone Property Group, a Madison Realty Capital company.
Have you noticed the changes on our sidewalks this month? Our team was hard at work cleaning tree pits, painting tree guards, and beautifying them with summer plantings. Thanks to ConEdison, we were able to plant flowers and plants in the heart of our district. The picture above shows one of our tree beds in front of Yamashiro on Myrtle Avenue between Washington Avenue and Hall Street. The continued sponsorship and support of our horticultural efforts helps keep Myrtle Avenue beautiful. Thank you ConEd.
To help support our beautification efforts or sponsor a tree bench on Myrtle Avenue call David at (718) 230-1689 extension 2#.
Leisure Life and painter, graffiti artist, screen printer and 3D artist, Jared Weinstein (Pratt ’15) are officially unveiling the brand new 10 foot x 22 foot mural located in Leisure Life’s garden on May, 28th at Leisure Life, 559 Myrtle between Emerson Place & Classon Avenue.
The mural is titled Magic Hour, a reference to a photography term which describes a time after sunrise or before sunset where daylight is redder and softer compared to when the sun is higher in the sky, exactly what it felt like, stated artist, Jared, when the mural was complete.
Come out and celebrate the completion of this amazing work on Thursday from 6-8pm at Leisure Life, 559 Myrtle. Music by @jperiodbk. Hors d’oeuvres by @daniellethechef.
RSVP to leisurelifenyc@gmail.com to attend.
Stop in for the reception, then plan to visit the mural again during the weekend of May 30th and May 31st for the SONYA Art Walk.
Leisure Life, 559 Myrtle Avenue between Emerson Place & Classon Avenue.
(347) 725-3167
Come to our Myrtle Avenue bike registration event, grab a FREE coffee (provided by Myrtle Bagel) and register your bike with the 88th Police Precinct. When you register your bike there is a better chance that police can recover it. No need for reservations, just swing by on May 21st, 8:30am to 10:30am.
Click here for more information.
Spring tree care has begun! Today, contractors began aerating and mulching 220 street tree beds along (and just off) Myrtle Avenue in Fort Greene and Clinton Hill. This will take 2-3 days.
Aeration breaks up packed soil and lets oxygen and water to penetrate the soil. Mulch adds organic matter, suppresses weeds, helps the soil retain water, and looks nice.
We will follow up this work with ornamental plantings in select tree beds and an extensive tree watering program. Enjoy!
The “double-chip” mulch was courtesy of the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation. Financial support for this work comes from the New York State Department of Environmental Protection’s Urban and Community Forestry Program.
Ingersoll Garden of Eden
Welcome in spring and join your neighbors, New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) staff and community partners to clean up winters mess and plant new seeds for the two community gardens on-site. All are welcome – meet at the Ingersoll Community Center, 177 Myrtle Avenue (Prince/Navy) on April 18th at 10AM or find the group on the grounds or in the garden next door until 2pm. So much more can get accomplished when we work together! See you on the 18th.
NYC DOT recently unveiled its Pedestrian Safety Action Plan for Brooklyn, along with action plans for each borough. Under the Vision Zero policy championed by traffic safety advocates and adopted by Mayor de Blasio, the report identifies dangerous streets and lays out actions to improve safety.
Using KSI (pedestrians Killed or Severely Injured), the report ranks all intersections, corridors, and areas (see Brooklyn Priority Map below). According to the report, Myrtle Avenue (from Flatbush to Wyckoff) is the 6th most dangerous corridor in Brooklyn with 11.1 KSI/mile. As a comparison, Flatbush Avenue, from Fulton Street to Grand Army Plaza, is the most dangerous in Brooklyn with 20.8 KSI/mile. The report also identifies the intersection of Myrtle Avenue and Flatbush Avenue as a priority intersection.
What does this mean for Myrtle Avenue? According to the report:
The Myrtle Avenue Brooklyn Partnership welcomes DOT’s efforts to improve pedestrian safety and we will work with the agency, as needed, to make Myrtle Avenue safer for everyone. After years of advocacy by MARP, DOT designed and installed safety improvements to Park Avenue in Fort Greene and Clinton Hill. The city has also begun construction of Myrtle Avenue Plaza, which was requested by MARP and includes various pedestrian safety upgrades.
A coalition of neighborhood groups, merchants associations, and elected officials representing Downtown and Brownstone Brooklyn are hosting a town hall meeting to discuss how to address crumbling transportation infrastructure, growing congestion, and rising tolls and transit fares.
The town hall meeting is open to the public and will be held on Thursday February 19 at 6:00 PM EST at Brooklyn’s 3rd Avenue YWCA, at Atlantic Avenue.
The focus of the town hall meeting will be a plan put forward by Move NY, a transportation policy group. “Gridlock” Sam Schwartz – a former NYC Traffic Commissioner – will present the Move NY plan, a leading proposal to address New York City’s numerous transportation needs in a comprehensive fashion. Members of the community will have the opportunity to discuss the plan during break out sessions to take place after the initial presentation.
Community Boards 2, 6 and 8, and nearly a dozen community groups are convening the town hall meeting. The groups hosting the forum include the Atlantic Avenue Business Improvement District, Boerum Hill Association, Brooklyn Heights Association, Carroll Gardens Neighborhood Association, Cobble Hill Association, Myrtle Avenue Partnership, Park Slope Civic Council, and the Prospect Heights Neighborhood Development Council.
To RSVP, click here. This event is free and open to the public.
With the storm past us, store owners, property owners and Doe Fund Trainees (pictured) worked to clear snow from sidewalks and crosswalks. Although some slushy spots remain, sidewalks are passable with no more than a good pair of boots.
In related news, a huge number of people trekked to Fort Greene Park, one of NYC’s premier sledding parks. Since it’s really one large hill, there are numerous spots around the park to catch a ride. One particularly popular spot is right up from the Myrtle Avenue & Washington Park entrance/plaza. See below.
We’re still waiting to hear more details on the Glow in the Snow sledding event at Fort Greene Park, which may happen today or Wednesday. Check the Fort Greene Park Conservancy FB Page for updates.
There is no work scheduled for this week. Work may resume shortly.
If you have any construction-related questions, please contact the DDC Community Construction Liaison (CCL) Chris Fields at myrtleplazaccl@gmail.com or .
If you’d like to receive updates on plaza construction and its impacts on Myrtle Avenue, please sign-up here.
More trees were mulched at Fort Greene Park than at any other Brooklyn location during MulchFest. Parks Department workers chipped 1,743 trees during the weekend of January 10-11, nearly 17% more than the next busiest location. As David Barker, the Director of Fort Greene Park said, “the results speak for themselves.”
Many holiday trees had been neatly left along the wall in the plaza area, waiting to be mulched. Many more were brought by residents during the event. Parks workers and volunteers spread fresh mulch around tree beds and inside Fort Greene Park. Some people (photo above) took advantage of the free mulch to use on there own projects.
This event was sponsored by the Fort Greene Park Conservancy and the NYC Parks Department, in partnership with the Myrtle Avenue Brooklyn Partnership.
For more details, check out the article in Fort Greene Focus.
According to the NYC Department of Sanitation, certain electronics (such as computers and televisions) are now banned from disposal.
Following are some recycling options for working & non-working electronics:
Please see the DSNY website for additional information.
This year, MulchFest is coming to the Myrtle Avenue side of Fort Greene Park!
MulchFest will take place at the Myrtle Avenue and Washington Park entrance of Fort Greene Park on Saturday and Sunday, January 10th and 11th, from 10am-2pm.
MulchFest provides New Yorkers an opportunity to bring their holiday trees to designated sites where they are ground into wood chips. The city will use the chips to nourish tree beds and planting areas, or give you the mulch to take home (just bring a large bag). All lights, ornaments and stands must be taken off of the holiday tree.
The MulchFest chipper in Fort Greene Park is sponsored by NYC Parks & Recreation and the Fort Greene Park Conservancy, in partnership with the Myrtle Avenue Brooklyn Partnership. Free coffee will be available.
photo: Myrtle Car Service owners
Who says you can’t have lots of FUN and be safe on New Year’s Eve?
Dance the night away with friends and family! Eat drink and be very merry! What’s not to celebrate about the promise and excitement of 2015!
Make sure to have a cab number is your phone to get home safely. Call in the moment or arrange your ride in the advance of the night.
Our car services on Myrtle Avenue offer safe, reliable and fast door-to-door service. Give them a call!
Myrtle Car Service, 525 Myrtle Avenue (rear entrance on Grand), (718) 230-8100
Pratt Car Service, 562 (between Emerson & Classon), (718) 789-4900
If you are drinking this holiday season, use a Designated Driver. And that can include a cab driver. The NYC Department of Transportation has now made it very easy to find the nearest car service to get you home after a night on the town with just two taps of your phone.
The app’s find-a-ride feature uses your phone GPS to identify the closest TLC-registered car services no matter where you are in the 5 boroughs, making it particularly useful in areas where cabs can be had to find at night.
Visit ‘You the Man’ to add app to your Android or iPhone or to read more.
And don’t forget, if you are looking for a car service close to home, Myrtle Car Service and Pratt Car Service offer safe, reliable and fast door-to-door service:
Myrtle Car Service, 525 Myrtle Avenue (rear entrance on Grand), (718) 230-8100
Pratt Car Service, 562 (between Emerson & Classon), (718) 789-4900
CAC Industries will be on break for two weeks, 12/22/14 through 1/2/15, returning to work on Monday, 1/5/15. Other private construction in the area may continue.
If you have any construction-related questions, please contact the DDC Community Construction Liaison (CCL) Chris Fields at myrtleplazaccl@gmail.com or (718) 857-3283.
If you’d like to receive updates on plaza construction and its impacts on Myrtle Avenue, please sign-up here.
It’s no doubt that we have some of the cutest office visitors (see pic above!). And we suspect that this won’t end anytime soon, considering our recent, um, expansions. BIG CONGRATS to three of our MARP colleagues and their families on the births of Timoteo (born in August), Ida (born in October) and Roslyn (born in November).
So, to all our recent adult visitors who’ve expressed fear of drinking the water at our office, it’s safe again (!), at least for now. 😉
Last week the New York Tree Trust planted seven new trees along Myrtle Avenue in Fort Greene and Clinton Hill. Six were replacements of dead trees and one was a brand new location. The two above replaced dead trees (see old tree stumps below).
This is part of grant that the Myrtle Avenue Brooklyn Partnership received from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s Urban and Community Forestry Program. More trees are on the way and will be planted later this season and/or in the spring. As usual, we will aerate soil and add mulch in the spring in preparation for the growing season. When summer arrives, we will water these new trees each week using tree gators.
Contrary to popular belief, the late fall is a good time to plant street trees. They are mostly dormant but their roots will grow and begin to get established before the hot summer months.
With the lighting of the holiday tree in Fort Greene Park, this year’s holiday decorations are all up.
Like last year, we installed nine 7-foot 3D snowflakes (below) at key intersections along Myrtle, at: Prince, Navy, N. Portland, Carlton, Clermont, Clinton, Washington, Grand, and Classon.
We tried something new this year by installing 20 wreaths on select trees throughout the district, including the five trees around the holiday tree in Fort Greene Park. Pictured below is the view from inside Jill Lindsey, at 370 Myrtle Avenue.
We are now past November 7th, which means the speed limit in New York City is 25 MPH, unless otherwise posted. DOT’s efforts so far have led to a high level of awareness of the change. But, this being New York, we need to continue to get the word out.
Please click here to access the 25 MPH web portal which contains updated information, including an FAQ about the new 25 MPH speed limit as well as fliers and informational text.
If you must leave your bike outside, don’t lock up to the same bike rack day after day, switch locations and look for well lighted and conspicuous places to lock up. ALWAYS lock the bicycle frame to the rack – Don’t just lock the wheel – a thief will leave the wheel locked to the bike rack and steal the rest of your bicycle.
The stronger your lock the longer it will take a bad guy to compromise it, they do not want to risk being caught, so a good quality lock will deter a thief and cause them to seek out an easier opportunity. A good lock buys you time – but even a strong, expensive lock can be compromised by a determined thief. To defend against a determined thief, reduce their opportunity by storing your bike inside at night and when it will not be used for a few days.
To be vigilant and to combat bicycle theft the NYPD has the Operation ID- Bicycle Registration program, call or visit your local precinct and ask to speak with your Crime Prevention Officer to register your bicycle in the program. If you represent a community organization or bicycle rider group, please contact our office via email: Crimeprevention@nypd.org or call (212) 614-6741 to schedule a customized registration drive for your organization.
These tips are courtesy of NYPD Crime Prevention.
UPDATE: DDC indicated that no work is scheduled for this week in order to “resolve unforeseen field conditions.”
If you have any construction-related questions, please contact the DDC Community Construction Liaison (CCL) Ronnell Madison at myrtleplazaccl@gmail.com or (718) 857-3283.
If you’d like to receive updates on plaza construction and its impacts on Myrtle Avenue, please sign-up here.
