The city must address unanswered
logistical and environmental
questions about its plan to create
a ferry stop in Coney Island
Creek, according to some locals,
who blasted officials for failing to
include solutions to such concerns
in their formal location study before
selecting the site (“Ferry uneasy:
City named Coney Creek as
site for nabe’s new ferry before
solving critical logistical, environmental
issues, locals say” by Julianne
McShane, online Feb. 4).
“Just because you have water, it
doesn’t mean it’s a good idea to put
a boat on it,” said Ida Sanoff, who
lives in Brighton Beach. “This is a
problematic location.”
Honchos at the Economic Development
Corporation — the agency
that oversees the NYC Ferry Service
— released their feasibility
study of the proposed site at Bayview
Avenue and W. 33rd Street
last month, days after Mayor De-
Blasio announced that a boat
would regularly set sail from the
People’s Playground on less than
40-minute rides to Manhattan as
soon as 2021.
The study notes that creating a
dock in the creek at Bayview Avenue
and W. 33rd Street poses “operational
risks” and challenges,
including the width of the waterway’s
entry point, shallow waters,
shifting sands, and the need for
regular dredging at the site — all
of which could hinder reliable service.
The online comments were
mixed:
If the Coney Island route does
not work out, please replace it with
Staten Island to-from Bay Ridge.
MJ from Bay Ridge
An easy transportation route
would be some east–west bike lanes.
Bike lanes are lacking in this area
of Brooklyn. Can’t ride on the Boardwalk
legally and aside from Ocean
Parkway — none. Bike Mike
from Coney
There’s a bike lane on Neptune
Avenue. Brian from West Brighton
So much for DeBlasio carrying on
about the environment for the wellbeing
of his constituents. Public health
and safety are the major priorities for
all of its ferry riders. The Hunkster
from Bed-Stuy
“Did anybody ask how many people
living in Nycha are working on
Wall Street?” Sanoff asked. Funny,
they think it’s for Nycha residents.
Open your eyes, it’s for the luxury
developments coming in and the new
crowd to go along with it.
Bestovsky from West Brighton
This is a horrible spot to have a
ferry. With the continually drifting
sands, they will destroy the creek
and shoreline. Trying to turn this
sand into something it is not. Mother
Nature will win in the end and it will
be a huge waste of money. Why not
a ferry stop where there is already
access to a pier? And a shuttle bus
to the ferry from the housing? I’m
disabled and this is the only beach I
can access in Brooklyn, because the
road is so close to the water. Look at
the beach at Coney Island Park — remember
how much that has changed
in the past 20 years even with billions
of tons of sand moved in? This
is a continuation of the same shoreline
and will be just as unstable and
unpredictable. Bunita
from Ocean Parkway
They put it anywhere, can’t wait
to see the changes this will bring
due to the increased accessibility to
Coney Island. More cute cafes, more
foot traffic, a bar or two … maybe six?
We need a club like Output in Coney
Island … perfect area! Alex
from Brighton
Of course it’s for the new crowd
coming to the luxury developments.
But they are going to be stuck in the
same awful traffic mess that everyone
else is stuck in, and they will
be trapped in the summer just like
everyone else. Add to that more dollar
vans, Ubers, and jitneys going tofrom
the ferry stop and more people
on bikes. Ask anyone who has tried
to sell their house or apartment recently.
Once people see the traffic,
they are not interested in buying.
Wunder
As for people not wanting to buy,
please go to Zillow. Filter by year of
purchase and see how many apartments,
attached houses, and properties
were sold in 2018 alone. Not sure
COURIER L 38 IFE, FEB. 15–21, 2019 M BR B G
it’s deterring anyone from buying
knowing where Coney Island is going
in the next five to 10 years. If only
I had more income to purchase land
and sit on it in deep Coney.
As for the traffic, once the area
improves and the wealthy complain,
traffic rerouting and the prevention
of turns will be put in place. Alex
from Brighton
To the Editor,
I’m writing in the hope that you
will print this letter and people reading
it will agree with me.
I was born and raised in Brooklyn
and have never left. It hurts to see
the streets where I grew up no longer
look like my beautiful Brooklyn. Former
Mayor Michael Bloomberg and
former Borough President Marty
Markowitz have made Brooklyn horrible
and ugly. It has lost its beauty.
Bloomberg started with planting
trees, but homeowners have to pay
for the sidewalks when the tree
trunks lift them up. That’s not right
or fair to homeowners.
Then, Bloomberg got together with
then–Borough President Markowitz
and brought all these developers in
to buy houses and push people out.
Gone are the supermarkets, the fish
store on Smith Street, Pat’s meat
market, and vegetable vendors like
Tony’s, which was on the corner of
Bergen and Smith streets, and Willie’s,
which was on the corner of Pacific
and Smith streets. There was
not French restaurant on Dean and
Smith.
In 1960, Paisanos Butcher operated
within the shop where Nick’s
Shoe Repair used to be, but today all
we have left is one bodega. The Rite
Aid on Smith and Warren streets was
once a furniture store. Even Fulton
Street is no longer Fulton Street, because
all we have left is nothing but
ugly, horrible, tall buildings. Former
places of beauty in Brooklyn are
no longer beautiful. All I see when I
walk down Bond Street are tall buildings
and a crane that I can also see
from my kitchen windows. And when
you walk down certain streets, there
are nothing but hotels.
The newbies that have come here
are so rude, they never say sorry or
excuse me, they want to walk over
you. People felt safe when police officers
were walking the beat, and
people who lived in housing felt safe
and secure with the housing police.
Sunny Lowe
Boerum Hill
To the Editor,
Jan. 31 marked the 100th birthday
of baseball legend and civil-rights activist
Jackie Robinson. It reminded
me of the “Boys of Summer” winning
Dodgers teams from the 1950s.
They included catcher Roy Campanella,
first baseman Gil Hodges, second
baseman Junior Gilliam, shortstop
Pee Wee Reese, third baseman
Billy Cox, right fielder Carl Furillo,
and Jackie Robinson, who played several
positions. Most have long forgotten
that today’s Los Angeles Dodgers
had their roots in Brooklyn.
The original Brooklyn Dodgers
name was derived from Brooklyn
residents who would dodge trolley
cars, which ran for decades until
their own decline and final death in
the 1950s. Ordinary Brooklyn natives
could ride the bus, trolley, or
subway to Ebbets Field to see their
beloved Dodgers. Working and middle
class men and woman of all ages,
classes, and races co-mingled in
the stands. Everyone could afford a
bleacher, general admission, reserve,
or box seat. Hot dogs, beer, other refreshments,
and souvenirs were reasonably
priced. Team owners would
raise or reduce a player’s salary
based on their performance the past
season. Salaries were so low, that virtually
all Dodger players worked at
another job off season. Most Dodger
players were actually neighbors who
lived and worked in various communities
in the County of Kings.
This year marks the 62nd anniversary
of the old Brooklyn Dodgers
playing their final season in Kings
County. During the 1950s, Dodgers
owner Walter O’Malley tried to find
various locations for construction
of a new baseball stadium, which
he pledged to finance using his own
funds. With limited seating and automobile
parking capacity at Ebbets
Field, he needed a new modern stadium
to remain financially viable.
New York City master mega
builder Robert Moses refused to allow
him access to the current day
Barclays Center site. This location
was easily accessible to thousands
of baseball fans from all around
the Big Apple via numerous subway
lines.
Imagine how different Brooklyn
would have been if elected officials
had stood up to Robert Moses and allowed
construction of a new Dodgers
stadium Downtown. Larry Penner
Great Neck