Island Vs. Island

A meta Island war brews, nothing resolved:

There’s a small Island in New York Harbor that feels forgotten by the rest of the city. It has far fewer people than its great, bustling neighbor, and as such doesn’t feel it gets its fair share of recognition, power or simple respect.

Roosevelt Island often sings the Staten Island tune of woe. A canoe-shaped hamlet off the shore of Manhattan’s Upper East Side, it’s most recognizable by the way people get to it, and is sometimes viewed by the rest of the city as an odd appendage to the inimitable Manhattan.

. . .

How can anyone complain about their transportation woes when they have a subway to Manhattan, the commuting fantasy of every Staten Islander who has ever been gridlocked on the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway?

It’s not so simple, says [Dick] Lutz. During rush hour, the F train that comes through has tracked through all of Queens and, from the looks of it, has picked up everyone along the way. A select few Roosevelt Islanders are able to meld themselves to the living wall of people before the train speeds on into the city; the rest are left scowling and cursing on the platform.

“I usually miss two or three trains,” said Euralis Lopez, 40, whose hopes of getting on a recent morning train with her 5-month-old and stroller were futile. Penelope, her 10-year-old daughter, resigned herself to being late to school yet again.

Unite To Stop White Individuals!

The New York Sun reprints an email sent by a City Councilmember to elected officials of color urging them to unite against David Yassky, “a white individual”:

As one of the planners for the Black Brooklyn Empowerment Convention to be held at Concord Baptist Church on Saturday, June 17, 2006, we felt it our duty to address the fact that we are in peril of losing a “Voting Rights” district, the 11th Congressional District, as a result of the well financed candidacy of Council Member David Yassky, a white individual.

Not unexpected, there are currently three Black candidates who also aspire to fill the seat of retiring Congressman Major Owens.

In an attempt to bring awareness and accountability to this critical situation, the convention planners are requesting a meeting, to be followed by a press conference, of members from the Congressional Black Caucus, the New York State Black, Puerto Rican and Latino Caucus, and the Black, Latino, Asian Caucus of the New York City Council.

The press conference is scheduled for 10 a.m. Monday.

Backstory: Nothing Against Your Policies, It’s Just The Color Of Your Skin; Barack Obama: Some Guy They Stuck In There; How Do We Put This? Let’s Just Say Identity Politics Still Exists . . ..

First They Came For The Yobbo Bars And I Did Not Speak Out Because I Was Not A Yobbo

State legislators are considering tightening up liquor laws that forbid bars within 500 feet of each other by removing the exemption option, worrying the tourism board:

The head of the city’s tourism bureau, joined by advocates from the nightlife industry, yesterday urged state lawmakers to resist amending liquor-licensing laws to make it tougher for city establishments to get them.

Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver (D-Manhattan) held a hearing in response to the over-saturation of bars in certain neighborhoods.

One proposal before lawmakers is removing the exemption that allows bars to open within 500 feet of each other.

Opponents said that, if passed, the Big Apple couldn’t have Restaurant Row, the Time Warner Center or other places where there’s a concentration of eateries and bars.

Meanwhile, the Times puts this into perspective:

Introduced last month by Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, the bill would amend the state’s liquor laws and eliminate exemptions to the so-called 500-foot rule, which prohibits more than three licensed establishments from operating within 500 feet of one another. In certain quarters of New York City — among them Restaurant Row, vast stretches of the Upper East Side and the meat-packing district — dozens of bars, lounges and restaurants serving alcohol can be found vying for business along a single block. The average crosstown block in Manhattan, for example, is about 260 feet long.

In The Voice Of Dr. Evil, “One Millllion Dollars”

Queens lawmakers stand firm — one million dollars:

Seeking support for its stadium plan, the Mets have offered to spend $200,000 on sports programs for local kids — drawing howls of protest from some Queens lawmakers who demanded a $1 million payout.

. . .

The Mets pitched their $200,000 offer during a six-hour meeting with the Queens delegation that ended after midnight yesterday, sources confirmed.

Faster than Jose Reyes can steal second, the Council members whose districts are closest to Shea lambasted the Amazin’s as bad corporate citizens.

“Shame on them if they think that’s okay! Shame on them! Our kids are worth more,” thundered Councilman Hiram Monserrate (D-Queens).

“They have not — double underline, exclamation point — they have not done enough for my community or for the borough of Queens, and they need to.”

Of course hundreds of thousands — if not millions! — of Mets fans would be clamoring to go out to Flushing Meadows were the Mets not there. Of course . . .

Just Watch How Bummed Everyone Will Be When A Dozen Different Bail Bondsmen Open Up In Those Storefronts

Boerum Hill neighborhood associations (OK, well, one at least) are not happy that the trade off for putting retail in the Brooklyn House of Detention seems to be adding space for more prisoners. But provided it was the right store, some locals might not care if they had the entire death row of Texas kept there:

“It seems like a strange idea, shopping under this place,” said college student Ximena Rivera. “But maybe if they put something that I like, then I would reconsider,” she added, suggesting a Banana Republic.

Linda Serrone, 31, agreed.

“If they had a bottle of wine that I couldn’t find somewhere else, then maybe. But I think it’s pretty inhumane and bad to have prisoners up above while people are shopping below,” said the artist from Sheepshead Bay, who works nearby.