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Atlantic Yards/Pacific Park infographics: what's built/what's coming/what's missing, who's responsible, + project FAQ/timeline (pinned post)

Behind "Welcome to Brooklyn, the coolest place on the planet!"

The sign was up yesterday at the Atlantic Avenue-Barclays Center subway station, welcoming the Democratic National Committee scouts, trying to evaluate a location for the 2016 presidential convention: "Welcome to Brooklyn, the coolest place on the planet!"

Well, there's a little back story there. Back on 11/17/11, I explained how the arena promoters marketed and twisted GQ's designation of Brooklyn as "the Coolest City on the Planet."


"GQ Declares 'Brooklyn is the Coolest City on the Planet'," the Barclays Center said in a 10/21/11 press release, which left out the rest of the headline in the original article, "An Eater's Guide."

"GQ has realized Brooklyn is the place to be," said Barclays Center CEO Brett Yormark in the press release. "While GQ raves about the delicious culinary options in the borough, in the next few months we will introduce our BROOKLYN TASTE experience that will draw on Brooklyn's dynamic food scene."

Yes, the arena has recruited local restaurants and food suppliers, but the only overlap, as far as I can tell, comes with Fatty Cue.

But Borough President Marty Markowitz used the GQ designation in a new home page video. And the rest is history

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