Of Note
In Brooklyn
RUSTIC MAGIC IN ALASKA: Because Sunday, October 18 was the anniversary of the transfer of Russian territory in 1867 to become the 50th state in the US, it’s a good week to tell Brooklynites about defense attorney Sam Gregory. In 2007, while vacationing in Alaska, Gregory was moved by the scenery in an Alaskan National Park, so he bought a small cabin located on the banks of a nearby creek. He decided the getaway experience of living and working in the Alaskan wilderness was downright medicinal, and should be shared with Brooklyn youth. So he started the Brooklyn to Alaska Project, an annual two week wilderness training respite.
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ELECTIONS IN COURTS — Courts stressed by COVID-19 now face a new conflict to resolve: elections. Election lawsuits have always been a huge part of New York politics, but it mostly involved challenges to candidates’ eligibility to run. Lately, the election process itself faces court scrutiny.
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FROM AN ASIAN LIVE MARKET …or other? No one really knows the origins of the live eels released in the lake in Prospect Park. While it provided alarming imagery, there might be some real evnironmental repercussions.
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"BROOKLYN BRIDGE NEVER NEEDED BIKES," one historian commented years ago. Now, bikers have decided they don’t need Brooklyn Bridge. The 19th century span, which opened with fanfare in 1883 , and eventually included trolleys on its roadway. It was later so dominated by vehicular traffic that the pedestrian pathway became secondary. Today, with bikes, scooters and even baby carriages fighting for space, pedestrians don’t have a chance. Now that other bridges are making better pathways for bicycles, those riders are abandoning the charming — but archaic — pathway on Brooklyn Bridge. And pedestrians probably think that is just fine.
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BROOKLYN EAGLE SPACE SPOTLIGHT — Anyone with wisdom and means to invest in historic Cobble Hill will find themselves surrounded by history — from the birthplace of Randolph Churchill’s mother to the synagogue where Composer Aaron Copland grew up, as his father was the Cantor. The streets of Cobble Hill also resonate with names Of celebrities, from Spike Lee and Norah Jones to Daniel Craig and Rachel Weisz. Tompkins Place is one of many one-block streets with an isolated charming touch: when standing in the middle of the street, one cannot catch sight of any buildings taller than five stories. Click here for data and a virtual tour of a Tompkins Place treasure.
