Allan Rosen is a Manhattan Beach resident. He has written several editorials for Sheepshead Bites regarding mass transit issues.
July 4 seemed to break all records in terms of traffic along Oriental Boulevard in Manhattan Beach. In the 33 years I have been living here, this is the first time I recall the line for the Manhattan Beach Parking Lot extending past the Westbrook along Oriental Boulevard. The wait must have exceeded one hour. But that wasn’t the worst of it.
Until the zebra stripes were put in, traffic used to line up along the curb, allowing two lanes for moving traffic. Since the zebra stripes, cars no longer line up along the curb but block the zebra stripes and the bicycle lane as well as the parking lane. The result was that traffic also was backed up to West End Avenue, because one lane for moving traffic was insufficient. Buses were delayed for about 15 or 20 minutes as they trudged along toward the last stop at Mackenzie Street. This delayed service all the way to Bay Ridge and Bedford Stuyvesant and was totally unnecessary.
The police were trying to guide traffic but were mostly ineffectual. Several years ago they blocked off the malls forcing cars leaving from the deadend blocks into the traffic making it even worse. They did not make the same mistake this time. What they should have done was to arrive early and instruct cars to line up along the curb. The zebra stripes could then have been used as a bus only lane or an extra lane of traffic for this day only. Let’s just hope that Labor Day is not just as hot as Memorial Day and July 4.
With grilling season in full swing, we got Sheepshead Bay’s resident grilling expert, Robert Fernandez, to tell us what are the best public places to cook up some dead animals. Fernandez is the organizer of Grillin’ On The Bay, the city’s only sanctioned BBQ contest, and is the editor of WhiteTrashBBQ, a city-dwellers guide to grilling.
Barbecue season is hitting the high water mark, so it’s time to answer that age old question, “Where can I barbecue in New York City?” And the answer is, “Lots of places.” NYC has over 30 parks where grilling is legal.
Some of my favorite spots in Brooklyn include:
- Manhattan Beach, which has two grilling locations, Oriental Boulevard & Hastings Street and Northeast of Promenade, median adjacent to parking lot (no amplified sound permitted)
- Red Hook Park, Bay Street near Columbia Street
- Prospect Park, which tops all the Brooklyn parks with six locations, but my favorite is by the band shell
In the Bronx, I recommend:
- Crotona Park, Crotona Park East & Charlotte Street (Indian Lake)
- Ferry Point Park, at both the north and south ends of the park
- Van Cortlandt Park, with two locations, my favorite being In front of the pool, Broadway and 242 Street
In Manhattan check out:
In Queens pay a visit to Alley Pond Park, Winchester Boulevard & Grand Central Parkway and in Staten Island I frequent Franklin D. Roosevelt Boardwalk and Beach at Midland Avenue and Lincoln Avenue
Of course these are just some recommendations, you can check out the entire list of grilling spots in New York City at the Park’s Department webpage.
Remember; barbecuing or grilling is allowed in designated areas ONLY. No barbecuing permitted under trees. All coals and litter must be disposed in trash receptacles. Please remember to extinguish all coals before dumping them into a trash can. No extra fires please. And if you’re going with a group of 20 people or more, the city requires that you get a $25 permit 21 days in advance.
Photo courtesy of Ed Yourdon via Flickr
Ah, the Fourth of July; the day the colonies outgrew their British britches and threw on some American denim. Sheepshead Bites is wishing you and your family a happy Independence Day. Go enjoy the fireworks and the BBQs. Keep safe and strong, and have fun. Don’t forget to take a moment’s pause and remember all those that have sacrificed (and continue to do so), to safeguard our freedoms and independence.
Happy Independence Day 2010!
Around 500 people attended this weekend’s Memorial Day Parade and Observance on Emmons Avenue this Sunday, honoring the courage of service men and women from the neighborhood.
The parade and ceremony are organized annually by the Sheepshead Bay / Plumb Beach Civic Association. The high attendance numbers hint at a return to a neighborhood tradition that has been falling off the map in recent years.
“I’ve been doing this since I was in the boy scouts,” said SB/PB Civic Boardmember Tom Scalese. “[Attendance] dwindled to nothing the past few years,” but the group worked harder this year to usher in a rebound. “I’ve got to thank the board,” he added.
Honorees at the event included veterans from World War II, the Korean Conflict, Vietnam War, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Operation Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan). The veterans – men and women – spoke of their experiences and the need for resolve and support for our troops in our current conflicts.
Students from the following schools were also presented awards for winning their Memorial Day art and essay contests: St. Mark School, Our Lady of Grace, P.S. 52 and I.S. 14 Shellbank Junior High School.
View the photo gallery
Neighbors are gathering to honor those who defend our freedom with a parade, ceremony and celebration tomorrow morning.
The annual event is organized by Sheepshead Bay / Plumb Beach Civic Association. Plans include a parade of classic and antique cars, color guard, wreath ceremony, children’s essay and poster contest, invocation and refreshments.
Observers will begin lining up at 11 a.m. on Emmons Avenue at East 23rd Street. The parade kicks off at noon, and the route continues down the avenue until it reaches the Plumb Beach / Sheepshead Bay Veterans Memorial near Haring Street. There, organizers will hold a ceremony and give out special awards to children from our neighborhood schools.
For more information, call (718) 891-6498 or (718) 891-8400.
View the flier
by Paul Birman
This past Sunday was the 65th anniversary of the Allied victory over the Nazi regime. Brighton Beach, home to the largest Russian-speaking population in the US, witnessed scores of veterans parade down Brighton Beach Avenue. Traffic stopped, everyone dropped what they were doing and came out to cheer, cry and thank the brave men and women who made incredible sacrifices six-and-a-half decades ago.
May 9 is the most cherished holiday in Russia and many of the other former Soviet republics. Every year, veterans of World War II put on their uniforms and decorate them with medals. The years of this tradition are numbered, for the youngest veterans are now 80+ years old.
Paul Birman was born in Moscow and moved to Chicago in the 1990s. He finished school and worked a variety of jobs before moving to New York on Halloween, 2008, to pursue a full-time career in visual arts. Birman currently freelances as a photographer and camera operator. You can see his portfolio at his website.
View Birman’s Victory Day photo gallery on Sheepshead Bites.
So instead of working on news stories for the week, I got swept up writing Facebook updates of little fun facts about our nation’s presidents. I’ve compiled them below for your amusement. Happy President’s Day everyone!
- Thomas Jefferson was the first president to shake hands with guests. Previously, people bowed. We can all thank him for religious freedom, the Library of Congress, and our increased risk of swine flu.
- James Monroe bought Florida. He was also the first president to ride around in a steamboat. Then he told Europe that the US had dibs on all the Americas, and any claim opposing that would be met with a karate chop. Essentially, James Monroe was America’s first Steven Seagall.
- James Madison was the first president to wear pants. Before him, they wore knee breeches. Strangely, schools baring his name have trouble employing people who can keep their pants on.
- James Polk is the only president to score seven states in a single treaty.
- President Lincoln’s wife, Mary Todd, had brothers who fought in the Confederate Army, reminding us that it’s okay to hate your in-laws now and then.
- While president, Ulysses S. Grant was arrested for driving his horse too fast and was fined $20. I’m not sure on this, but I think he muttered “F’ing Bloomberg.”
- President Chester Arthur was a man-about-town. He entertained lavishly and often, and enjoyed going to nightclubs. Arthur told a prohibition group that called on him at the White House, “I may be President of the United States, but my private life is my own damn business.” Apparently, Arthur may have been the last president to have balls.
- President Taft weighed 332 lbs and got stuck in the White House bathtub. He was also the first to authorize federal income taxes. The second fact makes it okay for us to make fun of him for the first fact.
- President Coolidge was once punched in the eye by the mayor of Boston, reconfirming the fact that the people from that city are a bunch of asses.
- President Truman’s mother, a Confederate sympathizer, refused to sleep in Lincoln’s bed during a White House visit. The ghost of Lincoln didn’t mind one bit.
- Dwight David Eisenhower was actually born David Dwight Eisenhower. He changed it to sound more ethnic.
- Jimmy Carter was the first president born in a hospital, spurring the long-standing political maxim: “The public doesn’t like presidents born in hospitals.”
- George W. Bush lost the popular vote to Al Gore by 500,000 votes. This one isn’t funny, sorry.
All factual information courtesy of Little Known Facts. All humor courtesy of my funny bone.
BIG President Steve Barrison with Vince Martell and other performers (Photo courtesy of Clare)
Despite bitter cold, roughly 100 people joined Bay Improvement Group organizers at St. Mark’s Catholic School last night for their annual Holiday Caroling and Toy Drive and Celebrity Concert. President Steve Barrison said approximately 180 kids benefited from this year’s drive, with more than 205 toys collected last night. An additional 40 to 50 had been delivered on December 20, after their original date was delayed because of the snowstorm. All the recipients this year were under 10 years old, he added. (More photos to come.)
We interrupt this holiday vacation to bring you news of a very special event.
Bay Improvement Group’s 19th Annual Holiday Caroling and Toy Drive is holding it’s rain/snow date today! The group originally planned to have the event December 19, but snow pushed it back to post-holiday times. As a result, they’ve dropped the “caroling” from the title and added “celebrity concert.” But most importantly, they need your donations.
From BIG:
The snow storm really hurt this special annual event and we really need your help here.
PLEASE help promote, publish, PSA’s, etc. to get the word out for the few hundred needy children mostly under 10 years old that are counting on us to come through this year.
We will be there for a Special New Year’s snow date Toy Drive Celebrity Concert!
Please tell people we need toys this year for the needy, battered woman’s shelter and terminally ill children at our southern end of Brooklyn, in the Sheepshead Bay area.
St Mark, RC School Auditorium, Jerome Av & East 19th St,
Parking enter on Ave Z…
JUST Bring a NEW UNWRAPPED TOY and get a GREAT FREE Celebrity Holiday Concert and Toy Drive!
BIG adds that 200 kids under 10 years old stand to benefit from the event.
The info, one more time:
When: Tonight, January 3 @ 5 p.m.
Where: St. Marks RC Church; East 19th Street and Jerome Avenue
Cost: Free! Just bring an unwrapped gift for the kiddos!
St. Mark's Nativity Scene From 2008 (Courtesy of Puzzler4879 via Flickr)
Growing up, the holidays held a little more weight than they do as an adult.
By the time you’re in your 20s, it’s something you’ve been trying to get out of for a while. By your 40s, it runs the risk of just being something you keep up for the kids. Beyond that, your mileage may vary.
No matter what’s going on in the world, good or bad, the holidays have always acted as an intangible placebo – we know it’s just another day, but somehow it still makes us feel better.
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