Readers: Woodland had to go!
COURIER LIFE, JANUARY 10-16, 2020 41
State booze offi cials revoked
the liquor license of a controversial
Park Slope watering hole —
but not soon enough to avoid a
stabbing just days before the shutdown
took effect.
The State Liquor Authority
elected to close Woodland, the pub
on the corner of Sixth Ave and
Flatbush on Dec. 18 for a laundry
list of infractions dating back to
March 2018, with offi cials citing
violations of the city’s noise ordinance
and inappropriately storing
mimosas, while noting that
the restaurant had become a “focal
point of police attention.”
However, the decision to revoke
the bar’s liquor license didn’t go
into effect until Jan. 3 — 12 days
after a Dec. 22 stabbing at Woodland
that sent a man to the hospital
for stitches.
Readers had a lot to say online:
I used to live right above this
bar, and didn’t even stay the whole
lease because it was the noisiest
place I’ve ever lived. Couldn’t do
it.
Litty Samuel Flynn
Music was way too loud, but let’s
be honest here white people just
didn’t want a black establishment in
their white stronghold…
William Oliver Durrah
Let’s see them close predominantly
white establishments that
have been having these same issues
for years. We’ll wait.
Anthony Beckford
Please note they’re two black own
restaurant/bars next to this dump.
This is not a black and white thing.
I have been there trying to have
an early dinner and drinks with a
friend and we could not hear each
other speak because of how loud it
was in there. I have asked the “dj”
and mod to lower the volume a bit because
it was hard to hear my friend
speak to me and was told ” nope not
doing that”.
Antoinette Rochester
Not sure about this. Every time
I walked by I would see an orderly
group of people waiting to get in.
Gloria Johnson
We need jail clairity!
City Hall must be more transparent
about its plans to demolish
the Brooklyn House of Detention
and rebuild a larger lockup
in its place, local civic leaders
said Friday.
“They haven’t been transparent
and we don’t want to respond,
we want to be part of the decision
making,” said Sandy Balboza of
the local advocacy group Atlantic
Avenue Betterment Association.
“They call it a borough jail — this
is a neighborhood jail, this is in
our neighborhood.”
Offi cials with Mayor Bill de
Blasio’s Offi ce of Criminal Justice
and the Department of Corrections
took the Atlantic Avenue
jail out of operation around mid-
December, when they moved all
390 detainees there to other facilities
in Manhattan, the Bronx, and
Rikers Island.
Readers spoke up online:
Not to mention that the City spent
$20 million only 5 years ago to renovate
it, and now it is going to be demolished.
What a waste of the taxpayers’
money.
Glenn Krasner
Lotsa luck trying to get our City
Offi cials to be fully transparent and
proactive, OR be fully accountable
for billion of dollar in taxpayer fund.
James Bkny
How many of them voted for him
twice?
David Brotsky
Coney isn’t Manhattan!
Luxury real estate developers
have entered into a long-term
lease agreement to redevelop a
large Surf Avenue parking lot, according
to documents obtained by
the Brooklyn Paper.
The owner Coney Island’s beloved
Gargiulo’s Restaurant,
Louis Russo, fi led a 99-year lease
agreement with luxury development
fi rm LCOR on Dec. 30, giving
the builder rights to a sprawling
parking lot owned by the Russo
family that’s bordered by Mermaid
Avenue, W. 15th, and W.
16th streets.
The lease agreement also
grants the developers control over
several adjacent buildings, including
1530 Mermaid Avenue,
which houses S&M Mini Market,
a music venue called Classie
Sounds Entertainment at 2906 W.
15th Street, and an empty lot on
Mermaid Avenue between Golden
Crust and H&R Block.
Readers made themselves
heard online:
Miami Beach? Sounds like the
place will look like Ft. Lauderdale,
with no public access to the beach
between the hotels, where your
view is the next hotel and you have
to bend your neck to see the ocean.
Developers have to think of the entire
neighborhood. working people
living and loving small neighborhood
stores. Where are all the
wedding guests supposed to park?
There’s nothing wrong with renewal,
I sincerely hope that the developers
leave some park, e.g. open
air with tress, space for people to sit
and enjoy the sunshine. And have
rents that working people and start
up businesses can afford. The luxury
high rise craze in New York has
gotten out of hand.
Marcia Christel Kresge
This will not push anyone out and
parking is a selfi sh concern. Feel
free to take the train or park on a different
side street. As a native Coney
Islander I would rather development
than empty lots any time. You think
Popeyes, Carls Jr is better? This city
has a housing shortage and this is
the perfect place right by a major
subway stop and beach.
Brian Granoff
But what about the restaurant?
Where will patrons park?
Mel Band
Amazing!!!! Cant wait for the area
to pop off. Coney Island is magical
and has so much potential. Looking
forward to seeing the many more developments
coming alive in the next
few years. A request for some quality
mixology and great coffee. Starbucks
is a good start but we all know
the coffee is burnt.
Alex Skillsi
This will not be the Coney Island
I grew up being able to walk to…..if
you love money then, I guess, this is
progress….should I say “goodbye” to
the Middle Class?
James Sweeney
In my opinion this is a shame because
all the middle class who enjoyed
Coney Island as I knew are
being pushed out of this great historical
seaside community
Maryann Conti-Horton
Coney Island is like Atlantic City.
They keep trying to make the main
strip into “LUXURY!” but one block
away is like a forgotten world.
Anthony DeVito
Real estate companies themselves
admit there is a glut of luxury
condos on the market. Build housing
for regular people, not outside investors!
Victoria Wurdinger
Because Coney Island is going
to be the next tourist destination.
They are trying to transform the
community into Manhattan looking.
Willie Ritter
Undo bail reforms!
In the wake of rampant violence
against Jewish Brooklynites, Assemblyman
Simcha Eichenstein
(D–Borough Park) introduced legislation
allowing judges to disregard
the state’s new bail-reform
laws in the case of defendants accused
of hate crimes.
“Recent events have proven that
those who commit hate crimes
constitute a category of their own.
Their crimes are fueled by an inner
hateful passion that is often
irrational, uncompromising, and
unstoppable,” Eichenstein said in
a statement.
Readers made themselves
heard online:
Only hate crimes?? C’mon there is
alot of other crimes NO ONE should
get bail for...smh
Marianne Bklyn Gram
What about any violent crimes
period? Hate crimes against Jews
are rarely classifi ed as such by NYC
leftists.
David Brotsky
Umm murder, rape, child abuse...
Let them slide? Undo the whole damn
thing.
Delwar Sayeed
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