DailyHeights

bleeds writes on the Prospect Heights Message Board: “I love rising at 3 am to the beautiful melodies of steel drums. This year, j’ouvert lasted from 3-7:45 am! The costumes were wackier! And I saw a lot of New Orleanians who seem to have adopted Brooklyn as their new home. Great mix!”

“I’ve been on Eastern Parkway for 15 years, and the West Indian day festivities is always such a great experience. Hands down, the best parade in the city.”

There’s not as much agreement on the parade itself, which some say hasn’t been the same since Giuliani outlawed the $1 Red Stripe truck (and sales of any alcohol, for that matter). Crabby native Idlewild says: “… Not too many live bands or costumes, but plenty of politicians and unions… The only ones who seemed to be putting any effort into having a good time were the Jamaican and Guyanese trucks/crew. I did have a good plate of fried shrimp though, and there didn’t seem to be much of a crowd.”

Au contraire, says Carnivore, who posted this mid-parade update: “The parade is awesome this year! The police presence is totally toned down, with fewer and wider choke points … Good food (check out “Triniclair” for a kick-ass vegetarian roti). I even saw jerk pork, for the first time in a few years. The live bands typically come a little later in the parade (probably tired from J’Ouvert). The Owens/Baton float had some nice steel drums though. And the Hot 97 Float kicked major ass!”

Did you miss the conch salad at the Bahamian stand east of Nostrand Ave.?

More parade links:
Batson Works the West Indian Parade [Prospect Heights Message Board]
Photo set from redlipstick [Flickr]
West Indian “Pride” Celebrated [NY1]
“Mysterious Package” at West Indian Day Parade [YouTube]

withachaser writes on the Prospect Heights Message Board: late last night, I was succumbing to my insomnia at the laptop in my living room, which faces the street, when i heard wierd noises outside. these noises were so muffled, they barely roused the dog…”

“When i looked out my window (prospect b/t vanderbilt and underhill, midblock), i saw a guy busting car windows right in front of my house. he had something wrapped in cloth, which buffered the sound of the windows shattering. i wasn’t sure what to do, given the high-alert status of NYPD on the eve of the parade … “

“I ended up cutting the lights in my apartment and tried to get him with my super-soaker out the window to make him stop in the moment, while on the phone with 911. i don’t think i was sufficiently ammunized to get the range i needed, but he definitely heard the water and moved on… “

“I know he got at least 5 cars on the block. sorry if one was yours, but i did try.”

Perspectives on the Prospect Place car-window smash thwartation on the Prospect Heights Message Board

The Prospect Heights hoarder/squalor incident now has a family attached to it… STARR posts on the Prospect Heights Message Board:

“Hi Everyone … My family and I are upstanding citizens, almost all, except my Uncle (which you now all know), from CT. We JUST and I mean JUST found out about this incident. I wanted to personally apologize for my family and for my Uncle… He is a very intelligent man, went to Trinity College with a full ride, is FLUENT in 7 different languages, used to be a buyer for one of the most prestigous Riding Stores for horse in NY with clients like Jackie O….  I am so sorry to hear about the dog that died. My Uncle actually adores animals. … I hope the dogs are alright. I hope your neighborhood can resume some semblance of normalcy as can my poor Uncle. We love him, as you would love your family members with any and all flaws. We are trying to get him the help he needs. We literally just found this out yesterday…”

Full text of the apology on the Prospect Heights Message Board

raulism writes on the Prospect Heights Message Board:

I went by the house today and took some photos. It’s worse than I could have imagined- but don’t worry about this happening on your block. The neighbors have been complaining about the stench at this building for 15 years.

VSOP: “I should mention the guy with the bottle promised he was not going to drink it- he did want it as a souvenir,” Raulism says.

Wow: Prospect Heights Message Board

According to Fox News, this body bag contains the corpse of a dog that was half-eaten by 9 other dogs who were locked in a brownstone on Bergen St. and were starving:

Neighbors say the owner has been breeding dogs for years and that he was believed to be in the hospital. On the Prospect Heights Message Board, poot writes: “This is my neighbor. I can assure you that any dog breeding going on there is purely by accident and not for sport or financial gain…”

“He does climb in and out of a broken window… because all of the other ‘normal’ access routes to home or street (for example, the door) are blocked with trash. He also can often be seen sleeping on the stairs or walkway in front of his home.”

poot continues: “Word on the block is that he was sent to the hospital and has been absent for 10 days, which would account for the beaten appearance of the dogs, and the fact that they were ravenous enough to eat one of their own. His closest neighbors have been dealing with the overall filth and noise that comes with having many dogs for years. Hopefully the intervention of so many city agencies will get him the help that he clearly needs.”

Check out the video and other comments from neighbors on the Prospect Heights Message Board.

UPDATE: The cleanup begins, according to crustythor: “so, in rescuing my car from its alternate side purgatory this morning on bergen street, I passed a sanitation truck and about a dozen workers … in full-on coveralls with respirators … the door was open, and just inside the house was stacked – STACKED TO THE CEILING – with newspapers, magazines and assorted crap. the workers were raking it out and filling the truck, while a crowd gathered outside.

UPDATE to UPDATE: The excavation begins. 

Check out the video and other comments from neighbors on the Prospect Heights Message Board.

……………..teddyballgame writes on the Prospect Heights Message Board: “So I finally went to Sugarcane last night after a year of passing it and thinking it looked good and I should try it. Man, I was not disappointed at all…”

“We got jerk chicken wings for an appetizer, and they were ridiculous – the meat was like totally falling off the bone and stuff, and it came with a mango mayonnaise you could dip it into, which I support, because I’m all for dipping things in mayonnaise.”

“I had the chinese fried chicken. It was awesome but the portions were so big (and I had eaten so many jerk chicken wings) that I couldn’t come close to finishing it. The girlfriend had some sort of salmon that she said was really good but I didn’t really pay attention because I don’t like fish. Sides were good, too – I found the macaroni and cheese to be much better than that at the Islands (though there’s a price range / homeyness difference, obviously).”

“We also had big fruity beverages and those were delicious as well, though expensive and yielding a poor price / drunk ratio. Service was very friendly, albeit slow, though we were in no rush and the place was pretty packed.”

LINK: Sugarcane – So Good [Prospect Heights Message Boards]

teddyballgame writes on the : “Does anyone have much info about this place? I passed by it the other night and it was the first time I’ve ever seen it open in the year that I’ve been living in the area…”

According to blackoyster, the people who run the shop “are very nice and they made me a strawberry champagne smoothie that was AMAZING!! They are only open half of the year. But I think this is the fourth year they have been there. Stop by, say hello.”

Check out their Grapefruit Campari Sorbet and more on the

rogersma says: “Here are some pretty amazing new pix. Welcome to Manhattan –only twice as crowded!”

This is a screenshot of some renderings of the proposed Atlantic Yards project … it’s the view (and absence of view) from the Newswalk condos on Dean Street. You can see more renderings at Atlantic Yards Report.

Comments on the Prospect Heights Message Board

Elvis got his name because he was rescued during Elvis week and he looks like a king! Elvis was wandering the streets in Clinton Hill—he followed his foster mom to her door and when he rolled over so she could rub his belly, she had no choice but to invite him inside. We think his original owners dumped him—poor guy! Elvis is just a young fella’ … only around a year and a half old.

Elvis got beat up by some neighborhood cats, but he’s cleaned up to be a very handsome guy with great hair, a regal Egyptian face, and the big green eyes of a true heartbreaker. He’s neutered and vaccinated, has tested negative for FIV/FELV and is litter-trained. We think Elvis will want to be an only cat.

Elvis is a cool guy who loves to be petted. He will sit and purr at your side and he likes being held in your arms like a baby. He enjoys a good catnip buzz (another reason to call him Elvis!) and loves to chase bouncy foam balls—he’s so excited to finally be off the streets and in a home where someone will play with him! Don’t be cruel—invite Elvis into your home. He’s ready to play for keeps!

If you are interested in meeting this wonderful guy, click here.

Laura B writes on the Prospect Heights Message Board: “I’ve been depressed about this building for months now.”

Brownstoner sums it up nicely: “This bomb shelter of a building at 117 Underhill is an unfortunate step backward for a neighborhood with so much beautiful existing architecture and so much potential for its new buildings. What a bummer.”

“Aw, give ’em a chance…” Drano says in response. “It’s obviously unfinished. Maybe they’ll slap on all kinds of pretty stuff – if nothing else you can look forward to reading ‘Fedders’ in those sweet AC wells…”

Read more about the Bomb Shelter on the Prospect Heights Message Board