*Do charter schools mirror the city? The New York Times found that Latinos are underrepresented in charter schools as compared to their presence in public schools citywide. Given the raging battle over charter schools, you could see that as good or bad…thoughts? (P.S. Don’t miss the interactive map.)

*Cutbacks at the MTA are mixing up bus routes through Sunset Park—the B37 and B70 will diverge from their well-known paths, and many aren’t happy about it, the Brooklyn Eagle reports.

*The Eagle takes a look back at “Operation Blockbuster,” the big South Brooklyn crack bust of 2008

*Legit or scam? The diet product Herbalife has carved out a firm foothold among immigration groups. Feet in Two Worlds reports.

*Mayor Michael Bloomberg at the end of May announced a huge biotech facility will go into the Brooklyn Army Terminal in Sunset Park. The Wall Street Journal gives some additional background on the mayor’s startup projects.

*In case you haven’t found your spot yet, the Brooklyn Eagle has links to suggestions for the best spots to watch the World Cup.

Many of you have written in over the past few months with concerns about the safety (and future safety) of Fourth Avenue. Here is your chance to tell the community what you think needs to happen with one of Sunset Park´s busiest streets:

CB7 announcement below:

COMMUNITY BOARD #7 
 

PUBLIC SPEAKOUT 

ON COMMUNITY ISSUES CONCERNING

4^TH AVENUE 

TUESDAY, JUNE 1, 2010 

CB7 OFFICE – 4201 4^TH AVENUE

(ENTRANCE ON 43^RD STREET)

6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

We talked a while ago about Borough President Marty Markowitz’s vision for a better, brighter Fourth Avenue. This morning, you can get a preview of what that might look like. The collaboration with students from NYU’s Wagner School show green medians, bike racks and remarkably traffic-free streets. Some of those commenting on Curbed seemed skeptical. Thoughts?

In a great example of how community journalism can work, I got this note about the goings on at a Community Board 7 meeting on parks. A reader attended, and sent this note back:

Sunset Park will be undergoing some serious changes–$4 million in renovations starting this year. Sara Gonzalez helped acquire the funding, the reader said.

The first is a reworking of the concrete baseball/soccer field (“the big slab”) in the middle of the park. It will be turned into a more legitimate multi-purpose field, faux-grass and all, as the picture above shows. The comfort station (I believe that’s the bathroom) and the area with the chess tables will also get spiffed. The playground, however, will not get reworked…yet. Some of the parents at the meeting were not too happy to hear that, but the playground will apparently top next year’s list.

Another unfortunate budget victim is summer camp:  registration in Sunset Park has been delayed as the is no money in the budget for it. Rumor is it may not happen this year, the reader said.

Here is a reminder about the Greenway meeting sent around by UPROSE.

The city wants your input on the plan–otherwise it will go forward without the neighborhood weighing in. What does this all mean for Sunset Park? Show up–and offer your opinion.

The workshop will be hands on and you will have a space to give your recommendations and opinions.
Attached is a map of the Community Based Sunset Park Greenway and the themes that will be discussed tomorrow.
If you have any questions feel free to contact me. If you can, bring someone from the community with you.
When: Today! April 8th 6:30-8:30pm
Where: St Michael’s Church Auditorium
371 43rd St (btw. 4th and 3rd Avenues)
(45th St. R Train Station)
———
Participa! Dejate escuchar! Ven al taller comunitario del Dept. de Transportacion sobre la ‘Via Verde’ de Sunset Park.
El taller sera interactivo y tendrás espacio para dar tus recomendaciones y opiniones.
Adjunto el mapa del plan comunitario para la vía verde de Sunset Park
Cuando: Hoy! 8 de Abril 6:30-8:30pm
Donde: Auditorio Iglesia de St. Michael’s
371 Calle 43 (entre la 3ra y 4ta Ave)
(Estacion de 45 del Tren R)

*The adult shops along Third Avenue have been a, well, touchy subject for a while now. A reader sent this Daily News piece around yesterday on a court decision that may make complicate the adult bookstore/movie store industry. The Brooklyn Eagle had an article yesterday as well.

*Lots of Greenway coverage this week, including a piece in the Daily News, and some live blogging here at Sunset Park Chronicled.

*Remember Federal Building No. 2? The Times did a multimedia package on the full-of-potentials-with-a-hint-of-problem piece of waterfront real estate this week. The photos have a touch of Nathan Kensinger’s style to them I thought. Take a look.

*The Village Voice’s Sarah DiGregorio put out her list of the top ten spots to fill your belly in Sunset Park.

*The New York Time’s Fernanda Santos has a piece (with graphics, video, etc) tracking the 2010 Census. Convincing people to fill out and return the forms is still proving a hard sell it seems. Do it! It’s how you get money for schools, transpiration, hospitals–and we reporters love us some census data.

Cyclist making his way through west Brooklyn via Sunset Park's busy Third Avenue.

I’ll be covering the tonight’s forum on the new Brooklyn Greenway planned to run from Greenpoint to Sunset Park. It takes place at UPROSE tonight, Wednesday, March 31 at 6:30pm at 166A 22nd Street in Brooklyn. Come out to participate in the forum, or tweet a question with the hashtag #spgreenway and I’ll try to pass it along.

After more than six months on the market, Sunset Park’s historic Rainbow Cafe has been sold. CPEX Real Estate released the news today that the building at 3904 Fifth Ave.  has been sold “to a local investor” for $1,650,000.

For 30 years home to a family owned bar and retaurant, the Cafe shuttered after its owner passed away last year. BestViewInBrooklyn noted the closure last June. It went on the market soon after; the nearly 9,000 square foot building on 39th Street and Fifth Avenue, which includes four units of housing over the cafe, was listed for $3,250,000. Despite news that real estate is looking up, it seems properties at Sunset Park are still going at bargain-basement prices. Anyone know who that “local investor” might be? Leave a comment or drop a line to sunsetparkchron@gmail.com.

Rendering for Annabell Selldorf's design of the Sunset Park recycling center. Image from The Architect's Newspaper

Good morning. Here’s what’s been in the news related to streets and buildings in the nabe:

*Sunset Park has long planned a new recycling center down on the waterfront. Curbed last week posted a peek at some of the plans by “starchitect” Annabelle Selldorf’, which would include linked waterfront buildings with barge access, green roofs and even…goats? You can read more about the project in the full article at The Architect’s Newspaper. Take a look and come tell us what you think.

*Two sites offered rundowns of the “Future of Fourth Avenue” meeting last week. The Post noted the skeptics in the crowd, while the blog All About Fifth said, “the attendance was high and the engagement, real.”

*March 10 saw the groundbreaking on Sunset Park Early Childhood Development Center.  The project of Catholic Charities of Brooklyn and Queens serves more than 400 low-income families, is located in the former St. Michael’s School building near 42nd Street and Fourth Avenue. The center will also offer classes for parents in nutrition, housing assistance, ESL and GED, according to the Brooklyn Eagle.

Something looked fishy along Sixth Avenue, a reader wrote in this morning. Bricks seemed perched precariously on the facade of 4405 Sixth Avenue in Sunset Park, and the sidewalk had been roped off. A little poking revealed that someone had filed a complaint with the Department of Buildings over falling debris. The Department on March 8 served the building with a “Failure to Maintain Exterior Wall” violation. It is not, apparently, the only issue. Records show the building also has an active boiler violation on file.

Seen anything around the neighborhood? Send a tip to sunsetparkchron@gmail.com