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| Photomontage created by Abby Weissman; original air traffic graphic from the FAA. |
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The New York / New Jersey Metropolitan Area Airspace Is the Busiest and Most Crowded in the United States. Nearly 100 Million Passengers Passed Through the NY/NJ Airports in 2005, according to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.
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As illustrated above, a large proportion of incoming passenger jets on route to Laguardia Airport fly over the proposed Atlantic Yards development site and Fort Greene. The jets travel diagonally across Brooklyn heading northeast to the airport. The flight path graphic is from a Federal Aviation Authority presentation to Congress on May 12, 2006 about improving US air travel. The callouts and arrows were added in Photoshop. (To view the original FAA PDF file, click here.)
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A scenario like what happened last October on the Upper East Side – where a small plane with Yankees pitcher Cory Lidle crashed into a 40-story condo tower, killing two people and raining flaming debris on sidewalks – is not that hard to imagine. The small plane apparently veered only slightly off an approved flight path.
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If you think Brooklyn is immune from major air traffic disasters, keep reading about the jet that fell from the sky.
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| The Park Slope Air Disaster: On December 16, 1960, two passenger airplanes, a United DC-8 jet and a TWA Super Constellation, collided mid-air over Staten Island, causing the worst air disaster in New York City until 9/11. Following the impact, the TWA plane abruptly broke apart and crashed into Staten Island's Miller Air Field. The second plane, a severely damaged United Airlines DC-8 passenger jet, limped along for another 8 miles before slamming into Sterling Place and Seventh Avenue in Park Slope, creating a literal hell on earth. The streets and buildings were ablaze from jet fuel, wreckage from the plane blanketed the streets and rooftops, numerous buildings were damaged or destroyed, and bodies of passengers were strewn in the trees. In all, 135 people died as a result of the collision, including 5 people on the ground. The tragic accident shaped the psyche of a generation of Brooklynites. |
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| Sterling Place and Seventh Avenue in Park Slope, 12/16/60 |
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Ironically, many people believe that the government's response to this disaster helped jump-start the "rebirth" of Park Slope, and subsequently all of Brownstone Brooklyn – which includes Prospect Heights and Fort Greene (the two neighborhoods threatened by the Atlantic Yards). In addressing the area's rebuilding, the government planned to raze entire blocks in the name of urban renewal and build a large housing project (sound familiar?). This threat of further devastation galvanized community leaders and local residents (including Everett and Evelyn Ortner) to organize and fight the destruction. The community groups prevailed, ultimately leading to the restoration and preservation of much of Park Slope. Their hard work and dedication prompted the establishment of many local historic districts, as well as the bestowing of landmark status for numerous buildings. They helped spur today's "preservation" movement, cultivating a new-found respect for the classic architecture and design of historically-rich Brooklyn, and the desire to save it for future generations. The accident also led to improvements in air traffic control.
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For more information about the Park Slope Air Disaster and its aftermath, go to the article on Wikipedia.
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This author sees and hears the jets flying over South Oxford Street in Fort Greene daily. A few years ago, the intense smell of jet fuel awoke many block residents at 1 AM, causing great alarm, prompting numerous calls to the Police and Fire Departments. According to the Fire Department's explanation, jet fluel was apparently dumped over Fort Greene. - AW
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Read about the promise & failure of Battery Park City and how 20,000 low-income apartments turned in 1,500.
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| WILL YOU BE ABLE TO AFFORD TO SEE A NETS GAME? |
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According to the NY POST on 1/21/07
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| Nets tickets prices will range from $51 to $970 each (stated in accounting firm KPMG's secret report for the ESDC). |
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Premium season-ticket holders might have to shell out $4,500 - just for the right to buy tickets to games (for the 4,500 best seats).
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| The 170 luxury suites will cost up to a record $463,710 each (the most expensive in the NBA) |
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