This site is closed to new comments and posts.

Notice: This site uses cookies to function.
If you are not comfortable with cookies then please don't browse this website.

The Labor Day Carnival Celebration 2014 thread. - Page 3 — Brooklynian

The Labor Day Carnival Celebration 2014 thread.

13

Comments

  • whynot_31
    whynot_31
    On Lincoln, near Rogers. Outside a church

    image

  • xlizellx
    xlizellx
    On Lincoln, near Rogers. Outside a church

    image

    There were porta potties with $1 signs on them on Franklin just south of the parkway on Saturday too.

  • whynot_31
    whynot_31
    edited September 2014
    The church was at least selling access to a toilet that flushed.


    image

    The Daily News adds another shooting to last night's mix:

    Sept 1, 4:35 AM 
    "Just three blocks from the earlier fatal triple shooting, a 22-year-old man was shot in the foot near McKeever Place and Sullivan Place at 4:35 a.m., cops said. The victim, who was uncooperative with investigators, was taken to Kings County Hospital with a non-life-threatening wound. There were no immediate arrests."


    This intersection is near the McDonald's on Empire.    
  • mishaps
    mishaps
    The parade causes an area of (approximately) 2.4 miles by 1 mile to be closed to traffic.  I know of no other parade that closes such a large, primarily, residential area and inconveniences/impacts so many local residents.  

    This is the largest parade in the city, according to the city's own statistics: 2 million people. So of course it is extraordinary.

    The St Patrick's Day parade, by contrast, has only 150,000 estimated attendees, but still snarls traffic and transit in the heart of Manhattan for the day, on a weekday -- and if you have ever lived in the East 60s on St. Patrick's Day then you know that this largely residential area turns into a disaster zone of drunk and disorderly white people vomiting in the streets. Why there are fewer arrests and less gunplay is a matter for the sociologists.

  • whynot_31
    whynot_31
    edited September 2014

    On a more pleasant note, I give this video a PG rating, and recommend it: 

    A fun photo:

    image


    The NYT publishes a series of photos on J'ourvert and the parade:   http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2014/09/01/nyregion/20140901_PARADE-nytnow.html

     
    The AP chimes in:  
  • whynot_31
    whynot_31
    edited September 2014


    Team Jamaica is historically among the most enthusiastic.   This year was no different:

    I do wonder what this woman did to get arrested:   
  • mike dunlap
    mike dunlap
    She was walked past us on her way off and acting like a complete jerk; she was the only one I saw have any problems with the police so I'm guessing her arrest was well deserved.

    The West Indian Day Parade is awesome. Today and the whole weekend were great. I can't wait for next year.
  • whynot_31
    whynot_31
    edited September 2014
    It is really amazing how the city manages to pull off such a massive undertaking every year.  

    At 9:45 PM, Eastern Parkway has been reopened to traffic and an army of Sanitation workers is working its way west from Utica.      By 3 AM, the parkway service roads are usually as clean as they were on Saturday.
  • southeast
    southeast
    Apparently...

    Brooklyn cops were ordered to ignore blatantly illegal liquor sales inside three junkyards that were turned into open-air nightclubs — drawing thousands of rowdy revelers who vomited and urinated in the streets during the Labor Day weekend, The Post has learned.

  • homeowner
    homeowner
    Interesting that the Post had a reporter out in Carnarsie covering these parties.
  • whynot_31
    whynot_31
    edited September 2014
    This seems sort of akin to covering the parties out on Long Island that take place on St. Patricks Day.

    1. Such coverage does not happen.

    2. Many of the people at these remote parties never make it to the site of the parade.

    BTW, I saw police officers walking by people who were obviously selling Nutcrackers and beer from coolers who kept walking. So, the crackdown had some discretion to it.

    Personally, my favorite guy hung out by the stall selling non-alcoholic fruity drinks: For a few dollars, he would spike your drink for you using a big half gallon of rum he had in a bag.


  • southeast
    southeast

    The St Patrick's Day parade, by contrast, has only 150,000 estimated attendees, but still snarls traffic and transit in the heart of Manhattan for the day, on a weekday -- and if you have ever lived in the East 60s on St. Patrick's Day then you know that this largely residential area turns into a disaster zone of drunk and disorderly white people vomiting in the streets. Why there are fewer arrests and less gunplay is a matter for the sociologists.

    Snarling traffic and closing off streets are not comparable.
  • whynot_31
    whynot_31
    edited September 2014
    I suspect that there are more streets closed in proximity to this parade as a result of its larger size, as well provide quick access for emergency personnel.

    For example, ambulances were stationed along Union and Lincoln, ready to quickly care for anyone who was the victim of violence, overconsumption of substances, heat exhaustion or any other malady.

    Heat doesn't play a role in St. Patricks day.

    In terms of size, the Thanksgiving Parade is probably the most similar. Not surprisingly, Elmo floating thru the air does not attract young men to the same degree as women in small, sparkly outfits.
  • homeowner
    homeowner
    edited September 2014
    I agree @whynot, that this parade is probably closest to impact of the Thanksgiving Day parade in terms of amount of disruption through the local area.

    One of the things that I think gets lost here is that local non-WI NY'ers keep wanting to call this a parade, like Thanksgiving or St. Patricks Day or any of the other ethnic parades in the city. But the event was conceptualized, designed and replicated Carnival as is celebrated in Europe and the Americas which is a multi-day event with a culminating parade that may last for most of a day. Its a larger event, that can last several days.

    http://www.trinijunglejuice.com/carnivalcalendar.html

    The logic of "it no longer belongs here, because now I live here" may work for some, but moving a multi-day carnival to Fifth Avenue in Manhattan or Central Park doesn't make a lot of sense when you think about what the event is supposed to be. Perhaps somewhere like Floyd Bennett Field, Randalls Island, or Governor's Island makes more sense, but I think you'll have consitutencies at all of those venues that will say that it doesn't "belong" there either.

  • tsarina
    tsarina
    Floyd Bennett Field, what a great idea!  
  • whynot_31
    whynot_31
    edited September 2014
    On many college campuses, St. Patricks Day is an event that can last for days.

    At my college, it would culminate in "walks of shame", burning used couches in the street that were specifically procured for the occasion, and late night fights with the police.

    While I graduated in 1992, it seems these traditions still occur today:

    https://www.google.com/search?q="university+of+dayton"++police+riot&hl=en&gbv=2&oq=&gs_l=

    Ah, memories.
  • goldemi1
    goldemi1
    Ok, saw the term several times and need a definition.  What's a nutcracker?
  • whynot_31
    whynot_31
    In this instance, it is alcohol fortified punch, sold in plastic containers, by guys standing by coolers.

    They announce the availability somewhat selectively, and discreetly, based on who is walking by.

    As in "nutcrackers, $5".
  • southeast
    southeast
    edited September 2014
    @homeowner said - I agree @whynot, that this parade is probably closest to impact of the Thanksgiving Day parade in terms of amount of disruption through the local area.

    One of the things that I think gets lost here is that local non-WI NY'ers keep wanting to call this a parade, like Thanksgiving or St. Patricks Day or any of the other ethnic parades in the city. But the event was conceptualized, designed and replicated Carnival as is celebrated in Europe and the Americas which is a multi-day event with a culminating parade that may last for most of a day. Its a larger event, that can last several days.

    http://www.trinijunglejuice.com/carnivalcalendar.html

    The logic of "it no longer belongs here, because now I live here" may work for some, but moving a multi-day carnival to Fifth Avenue in Manhattan or Central Park doesn't make a lot of sense when you think about what the event is supposed to be. Perhaps somewhere like Floyd Bennett Field, Randalls Island, or Governor's Island makes more sense, but I think you'll have consitutencies at all of those venues that will say that it doesn't "belong" there either.

    I'm thinking something akin to Burning Man... A destination multi-day event that is out of the way where revelers can party as much as they want without bothering those not participating. This would be awesome for everyone involved.  I don't see a downside.

    With regard to "it no longer belongs here, because now I live here," that is unfair.  For many, it's not "'now' I live here;" it's "I've always lived here" and/or "my family has lived here since the parade was still in Harlem."  And disregarding when one moved to the area, over the year's, as the parade has grown and more streets blocked off, it has become more and more of an inconvenience for those not participating.

    I totally get that if one moved to the area a month ago and complains, they should have taken this into consideration before choosing to settle here.  But if one is living here for, say, 10 years, they would notice that the facts and circumstances and those impacted changed quite a bit; 20 years, even more so...  And one can't say this is what they signed up for.
  • grwd
    grwd
    I think there is something important about being able to walk to and walk home from an event/parade such as Carnival. Sequestering it at the far edge of Brooklyn (Floyd Bennett Field) or on an island (Randall's/Governor's Island) would kill the spirit of it.

    Things that you would lose:
    - People who want to stop by the event for a bit, but not commit to a whole day
    - Small-scale local entrepreneurship that doesn't depend on trucking their goods out to somewhere off-site

    Things that you would gain:
    - Drunk driving (I'd much rather have 100 drunk pedestrians than 10 drunk drivers)
    - Large scale mobile entrepreneurship (i.e. your generic street fair junk -  tube socks, gyros, and cheap jewelry)

  • whatchuwant
    whatchuwant


    Things that you would lose:

    - Small-scale local entrepreneurship that doesn't depend on trucking their goods out to somewhere off-site



    Most, if not all, of the stands that sell food or crafts/art/etc- all come from other areas with vans and trucks and unload. I'm never seen anyone walk out of their apartment on the parkway and set up (aside from the guys with coolers selling drinks). 

    So they'd be trucking their goods either way. 
  • homeowner
    homeowner

    I'm thinking something akin to Burning Man... A destination multi-day event that is out of the way where revelers can party as much as they want without bothering those not participating. This would be awesome for everyone involved.  I don't see a downside
    Unfortunately, I don't think you can turn Carnival into a Burning Man type of event, where people that don't want to participate never have to see any of the people engaged in the event. Its a carnival in a city, and it's been pretty highly localized into one neighborhood for many years (first Harlem as you pointed out, then Crown Heights). The reason that I mentioned Floyd Bennett Field is that a lot of the Caribbean population that has been pushed out of central Brooklyn has moved to Canarsie. FBF is close enought that it would work there (although the folks in the Rockaways might have complaints if the bridge backs up).

    Some might say that the sheer number of street closures need to be lessened, especially as the day goes on. I know that I was out after the kids parade was over and the cops got traffic flowing pretty quickly . It seemed like most of the jam was before noon and traffic was moving pretty quickly from that point on.

    I don't believe that anyone is a hostage in their own home for the entire weekend unless they want to be. Its pretty easy to get off and on the subways that aren't directly along the parade route, and even driving while a hassle at the height of the parade, is normal by 8:00pm or so.

  • southeast
    southeast
    edited September 2014
    In southeast CH, all subways are directly on the parade route - Nostrand, Kingston, and Schenectady/Utica.  One can of-course walk to President or Sterling, but that can be a 20-30 minute walk as one lives closer to Lincoln Terrace Park.  

    When out with the family, I prefer to be home well before 8pm.

    I did realize something interesting this year - Troy south of EP/north of Empire was open to all traffic before the parade ended.  Traffic was horrendous, but open nonetheless.  I am not sure where everyone was going as EP was still closed, but they were heading in that direction.  Kingston was closed until the end and seemed to be used as a NYPD and FDNY parking lot.  Don't know about any others.
  • goldemi1
    goldemi1
    Police were letting cars through certain barricades if you showed your ID (proof of address).  That's how we got through.  We did indeed feel like hostages when we first moved, as living directly on EP with a baby (thus stroller) makes it nearly impossible to navigate.  Labor day is a day away from the hood for us now.
  • whynot_31
    whynot_31
    I spent my subway ride home listing all of the city's big events in my head, and predicting whether the affected local residents believed that the event would be better if it was held elsewhere.

    So far, it is true in all cases.
  • mike dunlap
    mike dunlap
    I don't believe that anyone is a hostage in their own home for the entire weekend unless they want to be. Its pretty easy to get off and on the subways that aren't directly along the parade route, and even driving while a hassle at the height of the parade, is normal by 8:00pm or so.
    Seriously.

    I got on the 4 train at Franklin Avenue at 4pm and it was half as crowded as it is at 8am on weekdays. Someone who can't handle the Carnival b/c of the traffic is doing city life incorrectly.
  • tsarina
    tsarina
    I live on st. marks so other than crowded sidewalks, I am not impeded.  But if I lived on the parkway or one or two blocks off, than life would be seriously bad.
  • whynot_31
    whynot_31
    EP between GAP and Nostrand has become a pretty wealthy. Those who live there tend to:

    1. Be away anyway that weekend, or
    2. Leave town specifically to be away from the festivities, or
    3. Enjoy the festivities.

    I think residents who have cars that and depend on street parking tend to leave the city the most. Many streets where they regularly park are deemed tow zones, so having a "homeless car" helps them make the decision.

  • mugofmead111
    mugofmead111
    edited September 2014
    I think there is something important about being able to walk to and walk home from an event/parade such as Carnival. Sequestering it at the far edge of Brooklyn (Floyd Bennett Field) or on an island (Randall's/Governor's Island) would kill the spirit of it.

    Things that you would lose:
    - People who want to stop by the event for a bit, but not commit to a whole day
    - Small-scale local entrepreneurship that doesn't depend on trucking their goods out to somewhere off-site

    Things that you would gain:
    - Drunk driving (I'd much rather have 100 drunk pedestrians than 10 drunk drivers)
    - Large scale mobile entrepreneurship (i.e. your generic street fair junk -  tube socks, gyros, and cheap jewelry)

    Let's also keep in mind that there is only one way to get to Floyd Bennett Field directly by mass transit: the Q35 bus.  In contrast, there are multiple ways to get to the parade route on Eastern Parkway by mass transit. There are also multiple ways to get to the parades that take place in Manhattan on Fifth Avenue. 
  • southeast
    southeast
    Apparently...

    Brooklyn cops were ordered to ignore blatantly illegal liquor sales inside three junkyards that were turned into open-air nightclubs — drawing thousands of rowdy revelers who vomited and urinated in the streets during the Labor Day weekend, The Post has learned.

    http://nypost.com/2014/09/01/cops-ordered-to-ignore-illegal-liquor-sales-at-junkyard-parties/


    Apparently... "    De Blasio ordered NYPD to back off illegal bash"


    Let's see where this goes.  Doesn't seem like the Post is giving this one up.
Sign In or Register to comment.

Howdy, Stranger!

It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!

Sign In

Categories