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MTA Rider Report Cards

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

MTA Rider Report CardThis morning at the Grand Army Plaza station MTA personnel were handing out Rider Report Cards for the second annual survey of subway rider satisfaction. Somehow I get the feeling that New Yorkers will always have complaints about the subway, but at least this program allows us to make our largest grievances known. Make sure to get your vote in, which can be done on paper or online at www.mta.info.

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11/11/2008 10:04:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Commerce Bank Now TD Bank

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

I think it's been like this for a few weeks now, but the Commerce Bank on 5th between Garfield and 1st St has been fully re-branded as a TD Bank. Reuters published an article about how the Toronto-Dominion Bank purchased Commerce Bank's parent company in March, and all branches will be renamed as TD Bank. The Park Slope branch is ahead of the curve I guess.  The article says that TD plans to retain some of the features of Commerce, including coin counting and being open seven days a week.

How are former Commerce customers handling the switch over?  Is the takeover from a Canadian bank evidence of the tough economic times in the US? 

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11/04/2008 07:10:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Lookout Hill Smokehouse is Dead, Long Live Cabana Bar

Thursday, October 30, 2008

I was combing through my RSS reader tonight when I read about an interesting new restaurant that just opened called the Cabana Bar.  A Google search brought me to this New York Magazine article with a bit more information, most importantly that the owner is Spencer Rothschild who recently brought Barrio to Park Slope.  But what really sent me for whirl was this line on Chow.com: "Formerly Lookout Hill Smokehouse."


In disbelief I did a Google search, and low and behold it looks like the semi-recently opened Lookout Hill Smokehouse closed at the end of September.  I am constantly amazed at how soon restaurants can go under in this city, and just how quickly new ones can be opened.  When I reviewed the Smokehouse this summer I gave it generally positive remarks, but I was disappointed with their ribs and far from blown away by their mac & cheese.  I guess mediocre isn't good enough to cut it on the Slope.

The Cabana Bar has piqued my interest, and although my review of Barrio wasn't stunning, it's generated a lot of buzz in the neighborhood and it's clear that Rothschild knows what he's doing.  While October may seem like a strange time to open a tiki hut bar, maybe this place will be a welcome escape for the gray gloom that is winter in NYC.

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10/30/2008 10:49:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Painting Seems Complete at Grand Army Plaza Station

Monday, October 27, 2008

The Grand Army Plaza subway station has been undergoing a face lift the past few weeks with a fresh coat of paint. While at first I thought the change of colors was a downgrade, I've gotten used to it pretty quickly. Although the blue plywood structure at the end of the station is still up, it seems that the work is all but complete.


Formerly red pillars now golden
Formerly red pillars now golden.

White coat on the ceiling a subtle but major improvement
White coat on the ceiling a subtle but major improvement.

Formerly black gates painted red.
Formerly black gates painted red.

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10/27/2008 10:17:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

AM New York and Subway Ads at Grand Army Plaza

Friday, October 17, 2008

For the second day in a row an AM New York guy has been handing out papers along side the now familiar Metro lady. Is AM New York is trying to establish a foothold in the Slope, or are they just temporarily expanding to take advantage of this news-filled election season? While I have already made my allegiance with the Metro, I wonder if other North Slopers will embrace the newly available paper. Either way, I think having more competition at the stop is a good thing.

Also, when I hopped onto the 3 train this morning, I was jolted out of my commute coma when I saw large ads on the outside of the train. The ads were for a new History Channel show called Cities of the Underworld. The show explores the underground systems below the world's major metropolitan areas, so the advertisement's placement is actually pretty relevant. Will New Yorkers be upset by yet another marketing invasion into their daily lives, or are we already numb to it?

Ads on the subway

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10/17/2008 09:34:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

New Bike Lanes

Friday, June 20, 2008

This week a set of new bike lanes appeared on Lincoln and Berkeley. I'm not sure how far they go, but at least from Plaza St W to 7th Avenue.

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6/20/2008 07:40:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)