I don’t know if we’re expecting any more snow just yet, but Prospect Park isn’t waiting to hold its annual Winter Jam. Taking place Saturday, 4 February, from 11am to 4pm, the event is a free annual winter sports festival presented by the NYC Parks Department, Prospect Park Alliance, and the Olympic Regional Development Authority (whom will be blowing fresh snow for the festivities–just in case). Here’s some venues you can expect inside the Long Meadow by the Picnic House:
The Lake Placid Snow Field: snowman-making and sledding are encouraged!
Cross-Country Skiing
Snowshoeing provided by REI
Prospect Park Jam: Open Ski & Snowboard Competition
Learn to Ski & Snowboard with Mountain Creek
Zagat Warming Lounge
Pride of New York Winter Market
NY State Ski Resort Info Booths
Best of all, equipment is provided at no cost–or you can bring your own and enjoy the terrain.
BococaLand
Archive for ‘Environment’
Safer Walk to Pier 6 Being Implemented
As much as we love Pier 6 at Brooklyn Bridge Park, we totally hate getting there. Whether walking on Columbia or Atlantic, the ramps to and from the BQE are always scaring the living stuffing out of us. And yes, there’s been some changes, but not enough to make it safe. The Brooklyn Heights Association has been working to make some fixes and recently sent out an email detailing four things they say will be implemented by the Department of Transportation to make it safe for pedestrians to cross the BQE’s northbound entrance on Atlantic Avenue–starting this spring.
Following a diagram produced by BHA President Jane McGroarty, the agency will: 1) prohibit the right turn on red at all times; 2) change the existing signals to create a dedicated pedestrian-only crossing; 3) add arrow signals to channel the left and right turning vehicles at this intersection. These improvements will make the intersection much safer, and we’re very grateful to the DOT for moving forward with the requests.
Before doing the above, the DOT plans to build up the triangular shaped “island” on Atlantic in the westbound left lane (the island is now marked with stripes just west of Hicks Street on Atlantic Avenue). Because this involves pouring concrete, it probably won’t be done before spring (2012), but “Jane’s Plan” is definitely in the works.
I know we’ll be grateful for these changes, though there’s still a lot that needs to be done.
Columbia Waterfront to Get New Park Space?
rendering via CHA.com
What: Columbia Waterfront Park Report-Back Meeting
When: Wednesday, January 18th, 2012, 6:30-8:30 PM
Where: The Union Street Star Theater, 101 Union Street
RSVP to info@brooklyngreenway.org with Columbia Waterfront Park in the subject line.
Pool Coming to Brooklyn Bridge Park’s Pier 2
A temporary, outdoor pool is coming to Brooklyn Bridge Park’s Pier 2 and we should see it open this summer. According to Ellen Ryan, Brooklyn Bridge Park’s VP of Strategic Partnerships, they don’t know how big it is expected to be, but it will be in place for the next five seasons. “We don’t have any renderings or project specifics as yet, this project is still in the planning phases. We should know more by the end of the first quarter. Certainly we expect this to open for the summer 2012 season. Just to stress that this is a temporary pool and it’s not a floating pool,” Ryan says. I’m intrigued! More to come when I get more information.
Brooklyn Bridge Park Open House
According to the Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy, the park attracted over 60,000 visitors on an average weekend this past summer. To celebrate, it will be premiering Brooklyn Independent Television’s (BIT) 25-minute documentary, “New York’s Next Great Park” as part of an open house on 17 November from 6:30pm to 8:00pm (at it’s new administrative offices at 334 Furman Street), to welcome and talk with community members about the park and its ongoing construction.
In addition, the Brooklyn Bridge Park Community Advisory Council will meet on 22 November from 6:30om 8:30pm at Brooklyn Borough Hall (209 Joralemon Street). The agenda includes a presentation of the responses received for the Pier 1 Hotel and Residental Development.
PS 29′s Fall Recycling Bonanza
People, it’s time to clean house. Get rid of all that old stuff you can’t fit into, don’t need or just never use at PS 29′s Fall Recycling Day, this Sunday, 23 October from 11am to 4pm. Here’s a quick list of junk, I mean things you can bring out. Good luck one and all.
Electronics will be collected by the Lower East Side Ecology Center.
Accepted items can be found here
Clothing Rummage Sale: bring kids’ and adults’ wearable clothing and shoes.
Please pre-sort by ages: 0-3, 4-7, 8-13, 14-18 and adult
Hats, belts, bags, handbags, matched shoes, curtains, linens, towels, pillows and stuffed animals will also be accepted
Wearable Collections will be picking up whatever we don’t sell, as well as any stained and ripped clothing ~ so bring it all, no matter the state!
Computer Hard Drive Shredding by eRecycleNY on-site (and then recycled) for a small fee.
For more information, visit here
Confidential Documents Shredding by Time Shred Services on-site (and then recycled) for $10/box.
A portion of the proceeds for shredding will go to the PS 29 PTA.
Composting Demos by the NYC Compost Project in Brooklyn throughout the day.
Backyard composters will also be for sale.
Free WiFi at Brooklyn Bridge Park’s Pier 1 and Pier 6
The weather may finally be forcing us indoors to work, but it’s a comfort to know there’s free WiFi at both Pier 1 and Pier 6 at Brooklyn Bridge Park. So all you folks with your laptops can grab some coffee and park for a few hours without taking a up an entire table at Starbucks. And even better, parents can quickly surf the web or email on their smartphones while hanging with the kids. The free service is part of a five-year initiative led by AT&T and the City that is bringing wireless to 20 parks across the five boroughs.
Another good wireless hint? Brooklyn Farmacy (Henry and Sackett) also offers free WiFi. Come on, you know you’re dying for an artisinal egg cream while you finish the next great American novel.
Brooklyn E-Waste Recycling Days
Get rid of all your old electronics and tech equipment this weekend–the green way. Hosted by The Lower East Side Ecology Center, there will be two locations for e-waste recycling drop-offs in the BoCoCa area so load up and make sure to head over. Saturday, 1 October, you can stop by Smith Street between President & Union Streets in Carroll Gardens and Sunday, 2 October, Pier 1 at Brooklyn Bridge Park (at the vehicle turn-around) will be hosting the effort. Accepted is working and non-working equipment:
• Computers (laptops & desktops, servers, mainframes)
• Monitors
• Printers, scanners, fax-machines, copiers
• Network devices (routers, hubs, modems, etc.)
• Peripherals (keyboards, mice, cables, etc.)
• Components (hard drives, CD-ROMs, circuit boards, power supplies, etc.)
• TVs, VCRs, & DVD Players
• Audio-visual equipment
• Cell phones, pagers, PDAs
• Telecommunication (phones, answering machines, etc.)
Unfortunately, home appliances such as microwaves, refrigerators, or air conditioners will not be accepted. For more FAQ’s, check here.
Columbia Street Fair Set for Saturday
Though we were totally bummed to see the short-lived 5 Burro Cafe already closed down at 127 Columbia St., we do love the waterfront area. And now that it’s a gateway to Brooklyn Bridge Park’s Pier 6, it’s even more popular. Interested in exploring the area a little more? Take time this Saturday, 10 September, to visit the Columbia Street Waterfront Fall Festival to be held from 11am to 6 pm. The Carroll Gardens Association is sponsoring the annual event, which stretches from the intersections of DeGraw to Union on Columbia St. and from the intersections of Columbia to Hicks on Union St., and will include a visit from the North Shore Animal League Adoption Trailer, live music, rides, games, and shopping.
New Bus Stop at Brooklyn Bridge Park Pier 6
Quick heads up for anyone who takes the but to or from Pier 6. The route and loading area is changing as of this weekend. Rumours have also been rumbling about new signage and traffic patterns by the Department of Transportation in the area to help families and pedestrians get to the park without saying their prayers. Here’s the official message from the folks at Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy:
Effective Sunday, September 4th, the B63 bus stop will be moved from the south side of Atlantic Avenue to inside Pier 6 Brooklyn Bridge Park and located on the south side of One Brooklyn Bridge Park on the loop road. Directional signage will be installed around the pier and at both the old and new locations once the change takes effect. This new location will minimize conflicts at the Atlantic Avenue intersection and allow easier access to the park for B63 riders.
Further changes will be made over the next few weeks to the Atlantic Avenue intersection to improve pedestrian and bicyclist safety at the Pier 6 entrance. Brooklyn Bridge Park will update its website as these changes get underway.
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