In your listing of the notable residents of greenwood Cemetery, you failed to note Lola Montez. I mention this in partiuclar, because both she and Mr. Tweed continued to vote well into the 1970s. In fact, their registratiopn cards, which I occassionally viewed as a poll watcher in several elections, were very clear in describving their residence as Greenwood Cemetery. Perhaps they have moved on since then, but I recall that no one ever challenged thier votes, even those of us on the "reform" Democratic side.
I grew up in Sunset Park, well, we called it Bay Ridge then, and I guess now, one could call it China Town. Other than Greenwood Cemetery where we would play at night, nothing is familiar at all. The neighborhood was all Norwegian, Irish, Italian, Jewish and Puerto Rican back then. The Norwegian Day parade was hosted on 8th Avenue on 17 of May each year. We didn't know what a taco was, to be honest. Times do change things and neighborhoods in particular, maybe for the better; who knows. The neighborhood slowly changed and Mexicans moved in as did the Polish and then the Chinese. However, and perhaps the most impressive thing I ever saw was a 4th of July at Sunset Park itself, where all these nationalities were represented while the fireworks blasted in the harbor, celebrating the birth of our nation. We had a fantastic view from the highest point in Brooklyn with a sprinkling of what makes America great and still continues to do so.
So Helene believes we have too many bike lanes because she never sees any bikes. But she sees many many bikes running red lights?
This request for comments from the readership turned into exactly what many cyclists feared and expected, an attempt to incite anti-bike cranks. The fact of the matter is that bike lanes and bikes make the city safer, easier to get around and make the air cleaner for EVERYONE. There are dozens of objective studies that show this to be true. Google it.
As to the claim that bikes and bike lanes are only for the young: I'm a 46 year old dad. I have been riding a bike consistently for transportation my whole adult life. I plan to continue to do so until I'm in my 80s.
@John: Good luck with that. Apparently you don't think you will grow old the way 99% of the population does. And that illustrates one aspect of the issue: 99% of people think they're part of the 1% that is exceptional and somehow exempt from the realities of an aging body.
Your thinking reminds me of the old joke: A plane is on its way over the Atlantic when the pilot announces that one engine has conked out, and the plane's arrival will be delayed. The pilot comes later announces that *another* engine has conked out, and the plane's arrival will be EVEN more delayed. And in response, one passenger says "Wow, if we lose one more engine, we'll be up here forever!"
2
The first thing one does upon disembarking is to head up 58th street to 4th Avenue and stop into the Irish Haven for the best pint of Guinness in New York City.
https://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/26/nyregion/irish-haven-survives-in-a-ch...
"What to eat. Tacos." Really? I'da thunk Chinese food.
I'm surprised that readers are reporting empty bike lanes, the bike lanes in my area of Brooklyn are packed with morning cyclist commuters on their way to downtown Brooklyn or Manhattan. It really curtails my jaywalking.
As a full time pedestrian, part time cyclist, I do agree that there are a lot of bad cyclists running lights without consideration to pedestrians in the crosswalk. As a cyclist, a matter of necessity since some areas of Brooklyn are so undeserved by pubic transportation that it is the fastest option, I would love to see more protected bike lanes. I fear for my life on many of these streets.
I totally agree with Mr. Posner's comments on the provision of parking spaces for the few who own cars rather than using these public spaces for the benefit of the majority. Overall, I think bike lanes add to the quality of life in the city.
1
@N: "... rather than using these public spaces for the benefit of the majority." Um, which "majority" are you referring to? Because bike riders are absolutely NOT a majority. The "majority" are riding the subways and buses. And the "majority" are not in favor of handing over all these lanes to bikers until the bikers show some respect for others. Right now, many bike riders and their advocacy groups (esp. Transportation Alternatives) remind me of NRA members: they want what they want, and they really don't care if what they want is not good for other people.
2
Doug Gordon writes "nearly all of the cyclists who were killed in 2017 were obeying the law when they died. A crosstown bike lane might have saved Dan Hanegby, who was killed by a bus driver who allegedly passed him too closely. " Early reporting on the accident that killed Mr. Hanegby noted that he had earphones in his ears. That is illegal. It also likely contributed to his death because presumably he did not hear the bus coming up behind him.
As to Allison Robin's and Anne's concerns about emergency vehicles not getting through on narrowed streets once bike lanes are installed -- not to worry. The DOT advises that the emergency vehicles can use the bike lanes! Seriously. The lanes are make wide enough for that purpose, and to allow streetsweepers to go down them as well.
Going forward, could the DOT please give as much attention to developing dedicated bus lanes as they have to bike lanes? Also, it would be far safer all around, and cut down on congestion all around, if bike lanes were put only on non-commercial, non-bus-line routes. Yes, that would mean West End Ave. and Park Ave. Don't hold your breath, though. A DOT rep was quoted in Streetsblog a few years ago saying no bike lanes in "green awning" neighborhoods. Seriously?
And what excuse does the bus driver have for not seeing a person on a bike in front of him?
"It’s hard to find a good taco in New York."
Feels like food week here in NY Today! Just getting to the Times at lunchtime, so it'll be Taco Bell on 8th Avenue for me. The power of this column's suggestion in operation. (And it's one of those days. A perfect "Annie" Tomorrow song cue in the forecast, and I'm late to the comment-box party!)
2
"Councilman Jumaane Williams, a Democrat, is testing the waters for a run for lieutenant governor, despite opposition from members of his own party."
That might be because Mr. Williams is no friend of marriage equality -- he opposes it -- or a woman's right to terminate a pregnancy. He opposes that too.
Anyone interested in Mr. Williams's views should google him -- you'll find an interesting article in Politico.
2
I'm in sympathy with the people of Leonia who want to avoid having excess traffic going through their community to access the bridge. However, what if someone wants to visit someone in Leonia, or stop by a shop or restaurant, or just sight-see there? How will that driver be accommodated?
I would also like to add that whether there are bike lanes or not, the city needs to enforce the laws pertaining to bike riders: they jump out at you from all directions, ignoring red lights or stop signs; they ride on the sidewalk; they go the wrong way up the street; they make improper turns, etc. There are cities where ALL the bike riders obey ALL the rules. It should happen here.
5
I've lived a few places in my life but the eight days I spent in Sunset Park last February will always be special. They were the last eight days of my husband's life, spent in the borough where he grew up. He was at Calgary Hospital's Brooklyn branch inside Lutheran Medical Center. Friends were there in droves, some from as far away as Florida but many lived nearby. It was wonderful and horrible.
9
Carol--
I'm sorry to hear of your loss. You can always tell good people by the number of friends they have, who unlike family, are there by choice. Sounds as if your husband had a life well lived. I hope that you have been able to move past much of the pain and loss, and are being comforted by the good memories.
Calgary has a good rep. I've heard a number of good things about them.
I'm afraid that my kids are going to treat me and my wife as American Indians did years ago. Put us on a hill somewhere with a blanket and some water so that we can go quietly without burdening the younger folks. Lol!
2
About sixty-five years ago I would go swimming in the Sunset Park pool in the summer. Is there still a pool there?
In response to Ms. Polonsky's comments:
Bike lanes are ageist? Really? On what planet?
I am in my fifties and bicycles are my preferred mode of transportation whenever the temperature is significantly above freezing. When I'm living in NY, Citibike supersedes the subway for me whenever possible, and the bike lanes have been a godsend. I've seen many bike riders older than me, and i have every intention of continuing to ride when I'm Ms. Polonsky's age and beyond, God willing.
5
@David: You live in California, and are not a full-time resident of NYC; how nice that you "intend" to continue to ride into your old age. California dreaming, indeed.
I hope to survive long enough to get older, and as a senior citizen already I can say: YES, of course bike lanes are ageist! I don't see the city providing protected lanes for senior citizens who need walkers or mobility scooters. Why are (young) bike riders prioritized over senior citizens and the disabled? That is pure ageism.
3
I was a full time resident of Manhattan for years, and am only out here in California while working on a film.
1
You forgot to mention that Sunset Park, after which the neighborhood is named, is itself a tourist destination. It offers great views of the Manhattan skyline and the harbor. See https://goo.gl/NymzWR
3
I'm in favor of more bike lanes if every single one of them has an "arm" that comes down when the light is red (as at a level-grade railroad crossing) to physically prevent bikers from blowing through the light & the intersection.
8
Brooklyn has always been a great place.
7
Even if there should be bike lanes, they should only by demand, not because a certain groups wants them. What they need to understand that this isn't the movie Field of Dreams where you have to build it in order for them to come. The truth is that many of the bike lanes that are placed end up being seen as a waste of space and money. Also, they don't just take away parking lanes, but even cause trouble for travel lanes as well. Then again, that's pretty much how those anti-car fanatics over on Transportation Alternatives and Streetsblog can promote congestion pricing by creating the very congestion itself. As for the comments, I won't be surprised if most of them are from the bike zealots who don't understand about those who can't use a bicycle. The truth is that there really are a group of cyclists that believe the rules don't apply to them, so the complaints are real. Just because I ask for cyclists to follow the rules, doesn't mean that I want them off the roads, plus I'm getting tired of them always crying foul or even acting like victims to the rules whenever there is a call to enforce it on them even though they want us motorists to follow every letter of the law with high enforcement. Statistically, cyclists are less than one percent of NYC's commuters according to a recent study of the US Census Bureau, which is why so many feel that there isn't much of a need for bike lanes considering them being such a small number against all the rest.
11
The less space allocated to automobiles the better. Better health from less CO2, fewer pedestrian injuries and killings, fewer collision injuries and deaths.
The narrower a street is, the easier it is to cross which allows one to stroll with less stress rather than having to devote constant thoughts to encroaching vehicles operated by drivers who think nothing of turning into a crosswalk that is all ready occupied by a pedestrian.
Oh, and of course fewer automobiles means fewer reasons for foolish young men to lose lives and limbs in the Middle East.
There is a term called "induced demand" that is well known in transportation planning. Look it up.
1
@Ace: My advice is to take the headphones off when you cross the street. It's much safer that way.
If there were no bike lanes, I'd be able to "stroll with less stress" without having to "devote constant thoughts to encroaching silent bike riders" - those self-absorbed, entitled people who think nothing of going the wrong way on a one-way street, or blowing through a red light at full speed. And after they nearly run you down, they ride away screaming expletives at you over their shoulder. Bike riders in NYC deserve every bit of the bad reputation they have.
3
Wow, Sunset Park, the place of my birth in 1949. It has always been a blue collar neighborhood. In the early fifties there was an exodus out of Sunset Park as ex-G.I's took advantage of the G.I. bill to buy first-time homes in Staten Island or Long Island. But I've returned many times. Forty-seventh between 5th and 6th.
For years when someone asked me "where in Brooklyn I was from", I would say "Bay Ridge", because if I said "Sunset Park" the questioner would have a quizzical expression. Today it is better known and I'm proud to call it my (and my wife's) place of birth.
14
I always enjoy your comments, Billy. Even though your comments are from "Hudson Valley, NY," you'll always be "Billy from Brooklyn."
I remember that you said in a comment, maybe 2 or 3 months ago, that you and your wife have lived in your location upstate, near the Hudson River, for a long time, but that the locals still refer to you as "the people from Brooklyn." My grandmother always referred to the house across the street from her as "the Wheeler's house," even though the Wheelers had moved away many years before. Some things don't change.
Final thought: I have a friend from Brooklyn. He said that sometimes when he tells people that he's from Brooklyn, they laugh. I tried to reassure him by telling him that they're probably thinking of Ralph Kramden in the "Honeymooners."
5
Billy, I will have to get back there to check out the changes. 47th & 7th.
Many great memories of that neighborhood.
3
"[My friend] said that sometimes when he tells people that he's from Brooklyn, they laugh."
Good God, really? People used to think Brooklyn was déclassé, which always annoyed me, but no more. Nowadays, they say they're sorry they didn't buy a home here twenty years ago.
For those of us who were born here (moi, in the mid 1950s) and stuck it out and stayed put, it's all good.
As for Sunset Park: My paternal grandmother had a beauty parlor off Fifth Avenue, around 53rd Street. A lively spot. Always was.
1
The ferry neighborhoods series is fun. Thank you, Jonathan.
I see that one reader finds the bike lines ageist. Older people do ride bikes. If I recall correctly, a man of about 70 was killed in Chelsea last year or the year before. Many more might cycle if they felt safer.
12
@Lifelong: I am a senior citizen and I also find the bike lanes ageist, and I find bike riders to have an ageist point of view.
The vast majority of senior citizens are too aware of the dangers of bike riding in NYC to ever risk their lives on a bike. I would not ride a bike if I "felt safer" - I consider bike riding in New York today to be akin to a death wish & a denial of the actual risk involved, esp. when not wearing a helmet.
I used to ride a bike - when I was in my 20's - in NYC: Only on weekend mornings, when there was almost no traffic on the streets. I'd get out on my bike at about 7am, head up Madison Ave. to Central Park, do several loops inside the park, and be back home by 8am, ready to shower & have breakfast. And that was dangerous enough then, b/c if you didn't have the stamina to go fast around the northern park of the Central Park loop, you might get mugged.
At this point in my life, there's nothing that would induce me to get on a bicycle in Manhattan. Why would I want to endanger my life, my health, my well-being? Why would I want to risk the quality of my life just to ride a bike? No thanks, there is wisdom in getting older & knowing what one ought NOT to be doing!
10
Then I must be an absolute fool, because I'm in my fifties and Citibike is by far my preferred mode of getting around Manhattan.
1
Wasn't he killed by a bicyclist?
Or am I thinking so someone else--an older man who was killed by a hit and run cyclist a few years back.
I live in Forest Hills and have noticed the bike lanes on Queens Blvd are hardly used. They take up space on both sides of the Blvd and have caused the loss of half the parking spaces on this street. This doesn't seem like a good use of this space. While I maintain a garaged space, many of my neighbor can't. This initiative seems more about discouraging the use of cars than providing a "safe space" for bicycles.
8
In Washington Heights there are very few bikers in the first place so narrowing the streets for bike lanes doesn't make sense - and parking lanes just condense the traffic - as one other writer pointed out we need room for fire trucks & emergency vehicles. In addition narrowing cross streets that are already narrow like 29th street impacts the cost of cabs. 125th Street has one lane for traffic now -
5
Putting aside the safety benefits, the majority of New Yorkers don't own cars. I think Queens Blvd. has quite enough space devoted to the minority of New Yorkers who own cars. The rest of us deserve a bit of space too.
6
@Osito: I don't know what part of Brooklyn you live in, but in many parts of Brooklyn and Queens *everyone* has a car - and many families have one car per licensed driver in the household. Entire neighborhoods exist where everyone owns at least one car. So I'm not sure why you think it's a "minority of New Yorkers who own cars." Maybe, statistically, non-owners in Manhattan make up a larger number, but for those areas of Queens and Brooklyn (and of course Staten Island and the Bronx as well!) cars are a necessity and you'll never convince the owners otherwise. And they vote, too.
2