Over 350 Staten Island residents packed an activity center to capacity last night to enjoy a calm, rational discussion about a mosque that the Muslim American Alliance [MAS] wants to build on the site of an old convent recently purchased from the Archdiocese of New York. But the discourse was not as refined as you might have expected! more ›

The Municipal Art Society attended a meeting today at which the negotiations between the National Guard, the owner of the property, and the Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation (BNYDC) discussed the future of the buildings at Admiral's Row. The meeting was part of the federally-mandated Section 106 process that requires federal agencies to study the impact of their actions on important historic buildings. Sadly, it seems their minds were made up, the Brooklyn Paper reports that they will save two of the historic buildings in the Brooklyn Navy Yard and destroy the others, making way for a supermarket. more ›

Tonight the Municipal Art Society will present the public ideas for Coney Island, as well as outline their ideas for revitalization (a preview from tonight's meeting after the jump). MAS President Vin Cipolla said that “The extraordinary array of ImagineConey submissions from the public is a reminder of Coney Island's unique potential as New York's great waterfront destination. Building on the City’s work so far, we must take the steps necessary to realize that potential and create a truly original destination and economic engine for New Yorkers and tourists alike.” more ›

The year is shaping up to be another crazy one for Coney Island, and tomorrow the Municipal Art Society will release even more re-imagined renderings of the area (you may recall the, um, interesting ones from November). Now they promise 300+ public ideas, and steps to revitalize the area. The MAS "will present the results of its ImagineConey project at a public meeting. The presentation will include highlights of the 300 concepts generated by the public, as well as specific recommendations from charette participants." If you want to be a part of the future of Coney, or just want to look at the crazy and colorful pictures, head to the Our Lady of Solace Church on Mermaid Avenue tomorrow. More details here, but check out Curbed for a look at some of the weird visions before you commit! more ›

The Municipal Art Society (MAS) had their intense redesign Coney Island workshop at the end of last week, and as promised they've released their ideas to the public today. The concept and design is portrayed in the renderings above (so many robots and clowns!), and MAS says "The concept, which would include a variety of indoor and outdoor facilities, can be implemented immediately (Summer 2009) and would take advantage of the parcels of undeveloped land in Coney Island, much of which is now vacant or operating as street-level parking." more ›

Yesterday a team of designers, engineers, producers and economists came together at Brooklyn Borough Hall to launch "Imagine Coney," an initiative spearheaded the Municipal Art Society. Their goal is to restore Coney Island to its original splendor, as it's been on the decline for years. more ›

Due to an unexpected increase in shipping through the Port of New York, the city now lacks the necessary number of dry-docks to service barges in need of maintenance, according to a recently released study by the SUNY Maritime College. The findings were announced by the city's Economic Development Corp. just as the new IKEA in Red Hook opened. The parking lot at IKEA was controversially built over one of the city’s last remaining “graving docks,” which can accommodate larger ships. more ›

Rallies aren’t just for grassroots activists – moneyed developers can hold them too, as Bruce Ratner proved yesterday by financing an afternoon rally in downtown Brooklyn to support his beleaguered Atlantic Yards project. Organizers of the so-called “Brooklyn Day” event handed out free hot dogs and T-shirts to passersby in an attempt to drum up enthusiasm for the $4.2 billion project, though there were no free turkeys to fully evoke the Tammany Hall spirit. more ›

As a counterpoint to the new renderings of Frank Gehry's redesign for the Atlantic Yards flagship tower, here's a different perspective on the project's future look. The Municipal Art Society [MAS] has assembled a compelling slideshow that serves as a sort of dystopian crystal ball, depicting what could come come if Bruce Ratner moves forward with his development on 22-acres of land in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn. more ›

Today Frank Bruni files a second review of Mas (pictured), the organic, locally-sourced West Village eatery he bestowed with one star four years ago. Today he bumps the cozy French-inflected restaurant up a star, noting that Mas isn’t “for diners with big, blunt appetites. It’s for those who revel in little surprises and unexpected nuances, like the smoked celery root purée that came with grilled turbot.” Meanwhile, Alex Witchel enlists cookbook author Arthur Schwartz in his failed and funny attempt to recreate his late Nana’s fried meat kreplach. more ›