Dignitaries and such preen Marty Markowitz making a big deal over sending a handful of tourists into the nether regions of Brooklyn.
Hey did you know we have a Borough President? A guy named Marty Markowitz. Anyway, he thought it would be a great idea to shuttle apparently transit-incapable Manhattanites through Brooklyn neighborhoods so they could see our art.
Bushwick shares the “smART” bus program’s [pdf] Blue Line with Greenpoint and Williamsburg, but only has two stops on the route. They’re good stops, sure, and they’re walking distance to a lot of the rest of Bushwick’s art scene, but will people who reserve seats on government-sponsored art tours really explore much of our fair neighborhood on their own?
When officials get involved in art scenes they turn lifeless, they become a joke — in the worst cases represented by bureaucratic “arts districts.” The arts are spontaneous and very unofficial. There’s no danger of the Bushwick art landscape being hijacked by the Markowitz Administration… if there is such a thing. But the “smART” bus seems unlikely to benefit anything but the “fostered the arts” section of Marty’s resume on his way up to running for mayor.
Maybe your mom is in town and wants something structured. She can call 718-802-3530 or email smart@visitbrooklyn.org to reserve one of these certainly coveted seats.
Eric December 5th, 2008 at 4:03 pm
And he sounds like Mayor Quimby.
ricmac01 December 5th, 2008 at 4:23 pm
Hahaahahahaha! Mayor Quimby!
Jeremy Sapienza December 5th, 2008 at 4:46 pm
Errr-ahhh, be aaaaht smaaaaht. I like how he talks actually. Brooklyn but not completely ignorant sounding.
Sarah Pappalardo December 8th, 2008 at 1:31 pm
Actually, my mom will be in town, and this sounds like a fantastic option for the day after we eat at ESPNZone and see Spamalot.
Ron December 8th, 2008 at 4:02 pm
Look into it and you’ll notice there seems to be a requirement that borough presidents’ first and last names begin with the same letter…Marty Markowitz, Scott Stringer, etc.