Jul 16, 2013 2 min read

The Day: Closed Libraries, New Investments and Hope for the G Train

Though the heat is on, at least the humidity has kept to a minimum. (Photo by Francisco Daum)

Good morning, Fort Greene and Clinton Hill.

As temperatures soar into the mid-nineties and above this week, you may want to take your kids to cool off in one of the nabe’s many playground sprinklers. DNAinfo has a roundup of the very best local sprinkler parks for families trying to beat the heat. What are you doing to stay cool this week, locals? Whether you’re heading out to an air conditioned restaurant or tracking down a nearby ice cream truck, show us how you’re coping with the heat wave by sharing your photos on The Nabe’s Flickr page.

More improvements may be heading to the G train line, following a Metropolitan Transportation Authority review of service on the subway line. The review investigated how the subway operates on the 11. 4-mile route, including where trains stop at the line’s 21 stations and scheduling conflicts with other trains that use the same tracks. The MTA’s recommendations for improving service include increasing G train frequency by 25 percent during peak times (3:00 to 9:00 p.m.), making train intervals more even and installing announcement systems in the 12 G train stations that don’t already have them. “Now G train riders will be en route to much-needed relief that may one day lead to the G meaning great,” Senator Daniel Squadron said in yesterday’s press release. The MTA notes that the plan to increase G train frequency during peak times will ride on finding $700,000 of extra funding for the service.
Brooklyn-based investment firm RedSky Capital is increasing its presence in Fort Greene by purchasing properties around the Barclays Center, Crain’s New York Business reported. RedSky just spent $15 million to buy a building located at 76 Saint Marks Avenue, at the intersection of Saint Marks and Flatbush Avenues, Crain’s reported.
The Clinton Hill Library was closed yesterday because of the scorching weather, according to the Brooklyn Public Library website. It is one of four Brooklyn public libraries (Brooklyn Heights, Brownsville, Clinton Hill and Flatlands) that will remain closed during the heat wave because of air conditioning problems, the New York Daily News reported. During the sweltering summer months, the city usually advises residents to seek out local libraries or other cooling centers for refuge from the unforgiving heat. The four library branches that can’t stay open in the heat wave are part of a growing group of 60 libraries in the system that need $300 million to fix chronic maintenance problems with roofs and boilers.