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?

Well, things are rather behind over here at Sunset Park Chronicled. Many apologies. Here are a few things that have been happening of late:

*The Brooklyn Eagle ran a dance event today to celebrate Immigrant Heritage Week today.

*There was a dust-up about bikes ( and an aside about a gaff by Boro Prez Marty Markowitz) recently in the news, and the impending Brooklyn Greenway featured, as Sunset Park’s rep Nydia Velazquez.

*Questions have also been raised about what Mayor Bloomberg’s  announcement this week regarding a “citywide initiative that will create a new sustainable blueprint for the city’s 578 miles of shoreline” and what “sustainable development” means for the western edge of Sunset park.

*The Village Voice’s Running Scared blog has a shot and description of a yolked suspect who allegedly robbed On the Run Mobile convenience store at 875 4th Avenue. The police alert says he had a gun. It may be just me, but it looks like he was also mid-smoke? Odd. Anyway, take a look.

*The New York Times published an article yesterday about the people who make up the immigrant workforce—many of which are highly skilled workers. I thought it was an interesting piece, a look  at on ongoing conversation that obviously involves Sunset Park.

*There was some serious gossip going in the coffee/foodie circle this week when the employees at Gorilla Coffee in Park Slope walked out. The Brooklyn Paper reports despite the mini-scandal, the owners are still churning out beans at their roastery in Sunset Park.

*Speaking of churning, Sunset Park Stills continues to post beautiful photographs, including a moody shot of the basilica. Take a look.

Good afternoon. It’s Monday. Not too much in the news at the moment, but a few things to put on the calendar:

*Schools! That word alone is usually enough to rile someone up. In Sunset Park’s crowded classrooms, education is of particular concern. Several of Brooklyn’s biggest names will next week offer parents, politicians and interested parties an opportunity to offer opinions about Brooklyn’s school system. The information is below. I hope to see you there.

Public Advocate Bill de Blasio, Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz, State Senator Daniel Squadron, Assemblywoman Joan Millman, and Councilmembers Letitia James, Brad Lander and Steve Levin will convene a town hall meeting to discuss the city’s public education system. The event will take place on Wednesday March 3, from 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. in the courtroom at Brooklyn Borough Hall. We hope that you will come out, share your ideas, and help forge a community partnership to build a stronger foundation for parental involvement in our schools.

For more information or to RSVP for this event, please contact Chris Black at the Public Advocate’s Office, 212-669-7200 or cblack@pubadvocate.nyc.gov

*Feelings on Fourth Avenue? The Park Slope Civic Council will sponsor a forum,  “The Future of Fourth Avenue,” on Thursday, March 4, at St. Thomas Aquinas Church in Park Slope.

The Council has previously voiced concern that Fourth Avenue is marginal to the rest of the neighborhood just north of Sunset Park. Borough President Marty Markowitz in his recent state of the city hoped to change the character of the thoroughfare, and rechristen the wide (and recently deadly road) “Brooklyn Boulevard.”

*Community Board 7 will hold a Public Hearing Monday, March 15 at 6:30 pm at the Board Office on the corner of Fourth Avenue and 43rd Street. It has to do with a city-owned property by the South Brooklyn Army Terminal. I’ll try to find out more. For the moment, see below for more information:

APPLICATION #C100204PPK – In the matter of one city-owned property, generally bounded by 39^th Street (1^st & 2^nd Avenues) and the western portion of 2^nd Avenue, from 37^th to 29^th Streets (Block 622, p/o Lot 1),  in the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal (SBMT), restricted to parking and accessory use only

*Sunset Park Stills has some beautiful new images up, including some Lunar New Year-themed shots. Take a look!

If you are among those who missed Borough President Marty Markowitz’s speech on how Brooklyn fares these days, McBrooklyn has a nice round-up.

Markowitz was typically understated in his speech, judging from the transcript. He gave props to local entrepreneurs who got creative during this economic downturn, such as Ditmas Park writer Faye Penn, who started Brokelyn.com and Phllip Peng, owner of Get Well Pharmacy (5218 8th Ave) in Sunset Park.

“Watch out CVS!” Markowitz warned, before adding “Kung hei fat choi!”

The February 3 address included plans to re-develop an historic theater and pledged $2 million to revitalize two Brooklyn armories, the announcement of Park Slope’s Tina Chang as the next Poet Laureate and charter changes that would add heft to the role of the offices of borough president, public advocate and the community boards.

To bolster the move, he cited his role in creating more affordable housing and 2009’s rezonings of Carroll Gardens, North Flatbush, Greenpoint-Williamsburg, Canarsie and Sunset Park. Sunset Park Chronicled reported earlier this year on the rezoning supported by the Community Board and some community members, while others in Community District 7 opposed the rezoning of 128 blocks of Sunset Park.

Perhaps most prescient to Sunset Park residents, Markowitz announced a plan to “remake” the deadly Fourth Avenue into a “stunning boulevard…worthy of the name ‘Brooklyn Boulevard!’” Community Board 7 also plans to look into ways to make Fourth Avenue safer for the families, children and elderly who regularly cross the multi-lane road.

Marty Markowitz, image by Shooting Brooklyn.

Well, well, here is a development:

With the recent purchase of a house in Windsor Terrace, Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz has officially ensconced himself in Community Board 7.

Markowitz already began to draw attention to his new home in southwest Brooklyn when he attended the swearing in of Joseph Longobardi, CB7’s new chair, the Brooklyn Eagle reported.

The self-proclaimed “newest resident” of Windsor Terrace, the 65-year-old Makowitz encouraged people to stop by in a few decades for his mortgage burning celebration in December 2039. The neighborhood will have to wait and see the effect this famously colorful Brooklyn character has on a community district often overlooked.