Atlantic Yards/Pacific Park Report

Last week I published  Making Sense of the 962 Pacific Street Rezoning Story , a couple of weeks after the New York Times published two online articles about the failed rezoning effort for that Crown Heights lot, but just before the Times published the package in print . So this post repurposes some of that long article. One lesson from some past spot rezonings, as I reported, is that the applicant, often spouting promises of community commitments, is not looking to (or even able to) build, and plans to sell the property once a lucrative rezoning as been achieved. “What we're trying to do… is work with all of you so that we can maintain control over our property, and that we could then bring in somebody, a developer, that echoes the same values we have and that the community has,” property owner Nadine Oelsner told Brooklyn Community Board 8. Would the Oelsners maintain a majority ownership in a joint venture? “We pray to God," she responded, "we can keep this property an...

(Bi-)Weekly Digest: The Strains of Gentrification ( link ) What a stymied rezoning (badly reported by the NY Times) and a new book have in common. Also, more Brooklyn ambitions for BSE Global.

OK, so that New York Times coverage of the 962 Pacific Street rezoning saga, which I wrote about at length yesterday in my newsletter, Making Sense of the 962 Pacific Street Rezoning Story , now appears, in significant part, in tomorrow's print Metropolitan section, which is delivered with the Saturday paper. Except "Two Buildings Were Planned, But Only One Was Erected," published online as Two Apartment Buildings Were Planned. Only One Went Up , gets a lot of wrong, notably the discussion at Brooklyn Community Board 8, which successfully negotiated for more affordable housing that the developer proposed--or was disclosed in the Times.  Please take a look at my coverage .

Making Sense of the 962 Pacific Street Rezoning Story ( link ) The New York Times wrongly posited a NIMBY backlash, missing the Community Board's affordability gain, and downplayed reasons for skepticism. But yes, it was Council Member Hudson's call. From the article: Why should I write about a New York Times series on the “affordability crisis,” which included two articles chronicling 962 Pacific Street, an empty lot that might have delivered a new 150-unit building with affordable housing in Crown Heights? Because 1) yes, it’s Atlantic Yards-adjacent, in a few ways; 2) the Times got some key things wrong; and 3) such coverage furthers the simple  “build more homes” narrative . As the only reporter to steadily cover 962 Pacific, I know the story of this failed rezoning is far more complicated—and strange—than presented. Notably, Brooklyn Community Board 8 didn’t offer knee-jerk opposition, but successfully negotiated more affordable housing than landowner Nadine Oelsner initia...

In October, I cited ( link ) a Bloomberg report that BSE Global, the holding company for the Brooklyn Nets, New York Liberty, and Barclays Center operating company, would launch the Brooklyn Wine Club, which promises "A New Experience in the World of Wine" or, as the publication put it, "education and conversations with sommeliers at Barclays and possibly other venues." Well, it's a lot more ambitious, billed as "A new wine experience where luxury and lifestyle are intertwined." Based on the homepage graphic, it looks like they're aiming at a well-heeled, younger, multicultural crowd (which would rather not go to a local wine bar or restaurant?). Membership includes access to: Member-Only Events Invitations to Uncork & Dine gatherings Immersive Global Wine Journeys Wine at Work sessions Special Member Discounts & Perks The cost: a cool $1,500 a year, plus a $250 initiation fee, though Nets and Liberty season ticket members may get a prefe...

So single-game tickets are now available for the 2025 New York Liberty season and, yes, some prices are pretty high for the 2024 WNBA champions.  I checked a couple of games yesterday and today and saw 1) a big spread and 2) some lower-priced tickets already off the table. For the May 17 finals rematch against the Las Vegas Aces, a standard ticket starts at $125.85, while resale tickets start at $118.58. Note: in this game, and the others I checked, they're not selling the whole Upper Bowl (which not long ago they weren't even trying to sell). It looks like they're omitting certain sections. notably 201-204 and 228-231, as well as 205, 211, 221, and 227. Perhaps those seats will become available, as needed. For a May 27 game against the expansion Golden State Valkyries, a standard ticket starts at $49.30, while resale tickets start at $41.14. For a June 1 game against the Connecticut Sun, a standard ticket starts at $44.15, while resale tickets start at ...

A conversation with Gabrielle Bendiner-Viani, whose new book significantly chronicles Prospect Heights, with Atlantic Yards as a backdrop. From Common Edge : A diner where the proprietor welcomes all. A neighborhood tradition of sharing clothing on fences. A donut shop that lets an immigrant community hang out. A supermarket that serves as a community anchor. These places are evoked in Gabrielle Bendiner-Viani’s recent book, The Cities We Need: Essential Stories of Everyday Places (MIT Press). A bodega replaced by a craft beer bar. Photos: Gabrielle Bendiner-Viani Another excerpt: NO: I want to play devil’s advocate. You call what happened to Vanderbilt Avenue and Prospect Heights a manmade disaster. As you know, I’m a skeptic about Atlantic Yards, but I do meet people who say it’s great to have more people in the neighborhood, more stuff. So I assume you’re channeling the people who feel a sense of loss. GBV: I think that displacement is real. You have more people, but where it used ...