WGPA

Joseph Ditta, writing for the Brooklyn Historical Society, has a quick glimpse into Gravesend's past. You never what is lurking behind a crappy facade.

A 10-minute video touring NY's industrial ruins - notably the Glenwood Power Station in Yonkers and the Red Hook Grain Terminal. The video - which is a rather subtle advertisement for Palladium boots - starts in the remains of Greenpoint Terminal Market. (There is also a slide show of photos here.)

Town Square is hosting a forum for the four Comptroller candidates tomorrow evening in East River State Park. So far, three of the four have confirmed (Melinda?).

Date: Thursday, August 6th
Time: 6 p.m.
Location: East River State Park (North 8th and Kent)

Thor Equities, the outfit responsible for the demolition of the Revere Sugar factory in Red Hook (and the ongoing demolition of a Civil War-era warehouse on the same site) has padlocked the Dreamland Amusement Park in Coney Island. (Dreamland only exists because Thor shut down Astroland last year.)

The Wonder Wheel and Cyclone are still running (Thor doesn't control that land). But with two weeks of (official) Summer left, Coney Island is "closed now".

Thor Equities, blighting Brooklyn's waterfront.

118 Greenpoint Avenue, April 2008
Photo: Brownstoner

A while ago, we unnominated 118 Greenpoint Avenue for an Building Brooklyn Award on the basis of its horrific - and horrifically out of place - cornice. Turns out, the Landmarks Commission felt the same way. We have it on good authority that the cornice that was installed bore no resemblance to the cornice that was approved. Violations were issued, and a year or two down the line, the owner was forced to fix the problem. As seen in the photo below, the work has been ongoing for a while.

A good lesson for would be developers - it's cheaper to do it once.

118 Greenpoint Avenue, June 2009
Photo: WPA