[intheburg]

I like this proposal. I just happened to walk by this site yesterday after I got off the East River Ferry at South Williamsburg, right at Schaffer Landing. I like how the infill is coming along in this area, which for too long has had too many empty and under-utilized lots. The under-construction Ostoon across the street from this proposal, along Kent, is looking good, as are other under-construction sites just east of this.

Obviously there is the yet-to-be-built giant domino complex to the immediate north of the Williamsburg bridge, but what I'm really curious about is what will eventually happen to surrounding area below the Williamsburg Bridge along South 5th and South 6th, This area has the potential to be a mini-dumbo. The bridge itself, along with the irregular-shaped blocks in the street grid created by the merging of streets as the southern grid of Williamsburg collides with the northern grid, give this area a lot of character. If the right architecture continues to be built in the trapazoid created by the river and and the BQE (on the west and east), and between S. 3rd and S. 9th (on the north and the south), this area under the Williamsburg bridge is going to be quite spectacular in another decade, and very unlike any other specific area of North Brooklyn.

As for subway access, much improvement is needed, of course. But this development won't hugely impact L traffic. This is much closer the JMZ, which itself needs much improved service as this area, and the areas to the east toward Bushwick, get built out.