Gothamist: Exclusive: Brooklyn Waterfall Turned On For First Time

sonyactivision

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 17:49:46 -0500

Why do I have this burning desire to stand underneath it and act like frankenstein and scare away the tourists?

babyhitler

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 14:53:43 -0500

this doesn't look anything like those beautiful mockups they previously issued. It looks whack!

suepart

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 13:14:01 -0500

his work is like the chinese fireworks clown, it looks great in photographs but when you see the real thing, you're like "what the hell? that's it?" then you go back later and see the photographs, of the very thing you saw and ask, "i was there but where was this?"

Spiritof76

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 12:42:51 -0500

Maybe it's just me, but I think the "waterfall" will never look like the rendering. Somebody miscalculated just how much water is necessary to make the falls look realistic. By circulating the water in the east river, the waterfalls will cause aeration of the water, reducing the BOD and increasing the habitat quality of the east river. Ah, but you're also forgetting that East River water is laden with bacteria, chemicals, raw sewage and other noxious materials, a lot of which will become airborne thanks to this. If you think tomato salmonella is scary, try breathing the mist coming off this.

wickershee

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 12:31:57 -0500

If anyone's interested there's a smaller, somewhat scale-model version of these waterfalls at the Eliasson exhibit at PS1. It doesn't look all that impressive from the sides, but when you get a straight-on look it's quite beautiful. I can only imagine the ones in the river are going to really amplify the effect, and I for one look forward to their arrival.

Jake Dobkin

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 12:12:35 -0500

I think we just meant this set of pix was exclusive-- not the existence of the waterfalls. That's been known for at least 24 hours!

JMH

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 11:55:49 -0500

Given that most (if not all) other NYC media outlets will be covering this, I disagree with the use of the word "exclusive."

jibbly

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 11:40:44 -0500

This reminds me of those cheesy 90s Sharper Image, fake "rainy window" sculptures.

berniegoetz

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 11:34:32 -0500

Large scale Elliot Spitzer money shot.

Jake Dobkin

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 11:26:18 -0500

It was-- I think that could be a problem. There was only a light wind, but the water was really being pushed back towards Furman Street-- when I was standing a block behind the falls, I was getting pretty wet with mist. I think they probably need to turn up the volume of water to avoid that.

Jen Chung

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 11:19:31 -0500

Hmm, in that second picture, it looks like the wind is sweeping the water to the side.

brooklynbs

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 11:11:15 -0500

I don't know. It's not very cool looking, arty or technically interesting. Looks like a tall scaffold with recycled river water running over it. Not very imaginative.

JRod5417

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 11:07:04 -0500

I think most of those structures on the piers will be demolished to make way for the Brooklyn Bridge Park so they're not too worried about rust.

MarygraceNYC

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 11:05:31 -0500

They need more water..... not grand enough!

PBRK

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 11:01:39 -0500

Looks more like an industrial accident than a waterfall.

Gregoire

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 11:00:43 -0500

I think its going to look spectacular. I love when this city concocts big meaningless stunts!

murphguide

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 10:54:21 -0500

I wonder how much rust damage will occur to nearby structures after getting bombarded with mist for 3 months.

Tim N.

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 10:32:31 -0500

wow.

Alex

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 10:31:04 -0500

I was gonna post something about how this is a total waste and how we should be focusing on improving the city in a more tangible way during these tough economic times, but if what one of the commentors said on a previous post about this is true, then I'm all for it. Being that it's the east river, it is highly loaded with nutrients from run off, which cause algae to grow and then die. When they die the bacteria which break them down, consume oxygen, reducing the viability for other oxygen-breathing species, like fish. By circulating the water in the east river, the waterfalls will cause aeration of the water, reducing the BOD and increasing the habitat quality of the east river.