Environment

When Mayor Michael Bloomberg put together PlaNYC in 2007, he made brownfields – abandoned or underused, and often contaminated industrial sites – one of the three overarching themes of his land use initiatives.

Among the city’s brownfields is a Brooklyn parcel that long was a favorite spot for graffiti writers and squatters, who dubbed it “the Bat Cave.” The property, now called “Gowanus Village,” is a 2.4 acre site along the notorious Gowanus Canal. The towering brick building on the property was once a power plant owned by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

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Economists say the recession is over, but with the unemployment near 10 percent, it sure doesn’t feel like it. So some New Yorkers may have to stay local this summer.

But for some poorer residents, every summer means a staycation. Many take advantage of the city’s open spaces – like the Bronx’s Soundview Park, which just got rehabilitated as part of PlaNYC.

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Spring has sprung in New York and nowhere is this more evident than at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden.  In addition to fragrant hydrangeas, lilacs, and wisteria, the garden’s famed cherry blossom trees are now in bloom.  The tradition of enjoying the blossoms is called “hanami” in Japan, which literally means “flower viewing.”

Loretta Gendville didn’t want to become a bag lady.

But a law enacted last year required Gendville, owner of Brooklyn’s Area chain of children’s stores, to put out large containers to collect and recycle plastic bags. So the reluctant bag gatherer recently took a drastic step: she eliminated bags altogether.

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