The last time I went, I was with an old friend, and we wanted to get a drink to catch up. The place was empty, and it was early evening. We sat at a small table. The waitress couldn't wait to get us out of there. She wasn't at all rude--she just kept coming over every five minutes or so to see if we wanted more drinks or if she could bring the check. I think we spent 35 minutes total there.

That was about three months ago, and I haven't gone back since.

I'll second that last post. For every jackass who has merited one of the preceding awards, there are so many people who have been responsible and cleared their sidewalks. Yeah, it's their duty, but I still appreciate it. And I was floored by how helpful my neighbors were when I was digging out my snow-encased car.

CHATTY KATHY... ON ICE

Has anyone else noticed more drivers than usual talking on their cell phones (not via bluetooth?one hand on mobile, the other on the wheel) while driving? I took a long walk today, and it seemed like every other car whizzing down Erie had a one-handed, mobile-using driver.

(@Toonces: glad I made you smile! It's definitely absurd.)

I'm one of the shovel-less morons. (I lost the shovel in the divorce and didn't think to replace it until a blizzard. I know.)

Has anyone had to buy a shovel today? Does the hardware store on Newark have some, or is Home Depot a better bet?

If anyone around Hamilton Park feels like lending me a shovel on Tuesday, holler.

PLEASE DON'T ENACT YOUR DEATH WISH ON OUR CARS award...

...to the 18-wheeler that got stuck trying to turn from Jersey, off of the tunnel approach, onto 10th. It was mind-boggling. And the cars parked on 10th off of Jersey very nearly bit 18-wheeler dust.

I lived on that corner for years, and I can remember at least four collisions at Erie & 4th, plus the one in which a car slammed into the building (leaving a huge dent in the structure) on Erie & 3rd. Over the summer I saw a car hit a bicyclist on 4th and Erie. Stop signs on that part of Erie would be really, really helpful. I'm hardly ever home, and I've seen that many accidents on those corners. The sounds of skidding and SLAM became very common...

I used to do that walk a few years ago, and I never felt safe after dark. As a rule, I'm always on guard when walking, but when I lived near there, I felt unsafe, always, when walking from JSQ PATH down Kennedy at night.

No A/C on my way into the city last night around 5:30, from Grove Street to 33rd. Urgh.

I was in no way down with the use of eminent domain in Brooklyn recently. Kicking people and businesses out for Ratner ? no thank you.

But coronalime and hero69 said it.

1,500 residential units?!

I love the park. I love it, I love it, I love it. It looks great, and seeing so many people in there enjoying it today made me really happy. So glad it's open again!

I can at least recommend some great earplugs; I have a noise situation that is ongoing but that my earplugs take care of.

Here's a slate.com article reviewing a range of earplugs:

http://www.slate.com/id/2118800

I ultimately went with the Hearos, and I swear by them. The noise goes on, but I sleep like a rock every night.

Best of luck.

I went for the first time on Saturday night, to meet two friends for a drink. We sat at the bar, stayed for about two hours, and really enjoyed ourselves. The place looks beautiful; the bartenders and host were all friendly; and it's just really nice to have that place up and running. I can't comment on the food, as our visit was drinks-only, but I am really looking forward to patronizing this place.

Ah, thank you so much! I used to have that phone number programmed into the cell, a few phones back. I'm putting it back in now.

Thanks for your kind assistance.

...MLK Day, for downtown JC?

Also, does anyone know if a 2010 holiday schedule for street cleaning is online anywhere?

Thanks!

I lived on Harrison between Kennedy and W. Side for a little over two years, in the mid-2000s. I was working in Manhattan, and the daily one-mile commute to the JSQ PATH didn't work for me. There was a bus, but I tended to miss it in the morning; at night, the bus stop to get back was poorly lit and the walk home wasn't safe.

More to the point, I had a lot of problems when I lived there, from an attempted mugging outside my front door one night (a friend scared the guy away); brutally loud neighbors (music); multiple break-ins in the building; a drug-dealing ring in my building that the feds busted; my mail stolen, presumably by my neighbors, because it reappeared one day at my door--bank statements and credit card bills included, and all opened. I had to file fraud alerts and change a bunch of card/account numbers. And on and on.

It's a beautiful, beautiful neighborhood. But I wouldn't live there again.

I've used Joe Pasaturo of AVT Engineering twice in the past 10 years. Once in Brooklyn, once in Journal Square. He knows his stuff, is smart and pleasant, very straightforward, and I received my report promptly (sorry, can't remember if "promptly" was 24 hours or three days, but it definitely arrived quickly and when he said it would).

He's based in Brooklyn but had no problem coming to JSQ.

In 2004, his inspection cost between $400 and $500.

http://www.avtinspect.com/index.html

Definitely not Rob Rizzo. He was my dog walker for a year, and his love and respect for huskies are paramount to him. He also feels strongly about keeping dogs leashed. Especially huskies, who are escape artists. Plus, he's a very nice guy who keeps to himself and his dogs?he doesn't want trouble with people.

I know of the dog/owner in this situation. Not a good vibe. But whoah! This is horrific. I hope the dog gets a new home, pronto.