This morning Diaper Diva, OSFO, Ducky and some friends took our sleds into Prospect Park at Garfield Place for some sledding.

There was a good sized crowd at the big hill in the middle of Long Meadow near 1st Street. Loads of kids, parents, caregivers, some people on cross-country skis.

In the hour or so we were there, the hill got quite icy making for fun and fast runs on the blue plastic snow spheres.

A baby sized hill nearby was great for Ducky and her friend at first. But once they got the hang of it, the 3-year-olds were ready for the slightly scarier, much more fun big hill.

By 1:30, a slushy rain started coming down making for wet down jackets, mittens, and blue jeans. Everyone was tired and wet and ready for lunch after an ecstatic morning on the sledding slopes in Prospect Park.

We never made it over to the Park’s department’s snow event at 9th Street, where there was free sleds and hot chocolate in the offing. I remember five years ago or so, there was a real honest-to-goodness snow day and the kids took to the Park’s slopes instead of going to school.

Mayor Bloomberg showed up and there were sledding races with metals and everything. I think they gave out hot chocolate then, too.

Check out this amazing snowman created by Sarah and her family on Third Street between 6th and 7th Avenues.

According to Fox News, there was a murder at 9 p.m. Friday night at Tacos 2004, a Sunset Park Taqueria and dance hall popular with Mexican immigrants.

Details at the New York Times.

After a glorious day of snow and sledding, this weekend there will be ice and rain. And it’s going to be cold, especially at night. Here’s what you can expect for Saturday:

There will be scattered snow showers on Saturday morning, which will lead to a mixture of rain and snow in the afternoon. The high will be 37F.

Saturday night: partly cloudy skies. Low 24F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph.

On Sunday, things should warm up and there will be SUN. It’ll robably be pretty slushy out there. Boots. That’s all I can say. Good
waterproof boots.

Gersh was in Florida last night picking up his Editor-of-the-Year award last night from the Suburban Newspapers of America. OTBKB’s got the exclusive web video.

Hey, Louise,

How about blogging my uproarious “acceptance” speech at last night’s
Suburban Newspapers of America convention? This is the real deal!

Postcard from the Slope

PROSPECT PARK PRESENTS: SLEDDING IN THE SNOW

February 22, 2008 louise crawford

Eugen Patron from Prospect Park just emailed me:
   

NEW YORK CITY’S CHILDREN TAKE TO THE PARKS TO CELEBRATE FIRST SNOW DAY OF THE YEAR:

Parks & Recreation Commissioner Adrian Benepe invites New Yorkers to come out to a neighborhood park for some winter fun.  White-capped hills around the city are open for sledding, snowman-making and more.  Parks & Recreation will provide sleds and hot chocolate at selected locations across the city, while Urban Park Rangers lead nature walks and teach revelers how to find animal prints in the snow.

So when did Park Slope become "shorthand for all that is evil and twee?"

Writer Lynn Harris reached out to the snarky Brooklynian message board to get quotes from Park Slope locals about why people hate Park Slope. Here, in her own words, is her request.

I’m the writer who wrote the Time Out New York Kids article last spring
about why people hate Park Slope. (I wrote the penultimate draft of the
article, anyway; it got edited rather beyond recognition — without my
OK — and wound up snarky, which was not my goal.)
 

Anyway, humbly/-ed, I’m back, now writing a similar, but more in-depth
article on the same topic for New York Magazine (interesting, as
they’ve fueled some of the hate themselves). The difference will be
that this one will focus not just on WHAT people say they hate about
PS, but also WHY the hate seems to have become a meme of its own. Why
PS and not other gentrified, Bugaboozled parts of Manhattan? Why has
Park Slope become shorthand for all that is evil and twee? Why is the
hate so virulent — WHERE (beyond anonymous blog posts) is it coming
from? Envy? Rage against the suburbanization of all of NYC, with PS as
ground zero? Simple cooler-than-thou-ness? Something else?
 

As a 14-year resident who loves it here (even married to a local!), I
have my theories, but I’m curious to hear yours, *no matter what* your
feelings about the Slope (or the "new" Slope, etc.). Interested in
speaking to haters, lovers puzzled/rankled by the hate, anyone in
between. Feel free to post here, obvie, but I’d like to follow up by
email or phone, so you can also PM me or email me directly at lynn@lynnharris.net.

Diaper Diva, just emailed to say that there’s a post on Gawker about an article set to come out in New York Magazine about why people hate Park Slope. Here we go again:

All
writer
Lynn
Harris
did
was
ask
people
on
the
Brooklynian
messageboard
why
people
hate
Park
Slope,
and
all
that
it
represents,
so
much.
(She’s
working
on
an
article
for
New
York.)
The
brownstone
neighborhood
used
to
be
cheaper
and
down-to-earth,
with
lots
of
lesbian
couples
and
artistes,
but
these
days
it’s
known
for
armies
of
anal-retentive
richie
moms
with
their
passive-aggressive
strollering.
The
article
will
"focus
not
just
on
WHAT
people
say
they
hate
about
Park
Slope,
but
also
WHY
the
hate
seems
to
have
become
a
meme
of
its
own.
Why
PS
and
not
other
gentrified,
Bugaboozled
parts
of
Manhattan?
Why
has
Park
Slope
become
shorthand
for
all
that
is
evil
and
twee?"

I was tipped off to the New York magazine article last Friday when a friend told me that writer Lynn Harris called to interview her. And this week I got an email from Harris asking me for a quote. Harris did a piece in Time Out not long ago about the very same subject.

In response to the Gawker post and poll, Diaper Diva had this to say:

I think
a
lot
of
the
so-called
hatred
and
disdain
for
Park
Slope
is 
expressed
on
anonymous
message
boards
and
blogs
which
cater
to
bitter 
and
snarky
people
who
like
to
vent
their
anger
and
frustrations
–
and 
not
sign
their
names.

However,
I
do
think
the
stroller
set
here
can
be
a
bit,
shall
we
say, 
entitled.
I
agree
with
most
people,
that
bars
are
not
for
children, 
and
I
would
prefer that moms NOT park
their SUV strollers
in
the
middle 
of
the
aisles
of
stores 
etc.

I
am
a
mom and
have
been
known
to
park
my
stroller 
inappropriately,
and
to 
diaper
my
baby
in
public
places
as
well.
– 
see
the 
Smartmom
column in the Brooklyn Paper on
that
subject.

I 
moved
here
after
a
long
stint
in Manhattatn.
I
love
it
here. 
To 
me,
it’s
like
a
small
town or
what 
I
imagine
living
in
a
small
town 
would
be
like.
You
see
the
same
faces and
people
take
an
interest
in 
you
because
they
see
you
over
and
over. 
Of
course,
we
all
bond 
together
here
because
we
share
an
interest
in
children
and
all
that 
they
involve
–
parenting, 
parks,
schools,
etc.

I
think
any
neigborhood
can
become
a
cliche
of
itself: think
the Lower
East Side or Williamsburg.
I
mean aren’t there blogs
devoted
to
trashing 
hipsters
and
their
ilk?

Park
Slope
has
become
extremely
upper
class
due
to
the
real
estate 
boom
and
the
fact
that
even
wealthy
people
have
been
priced
out
of 
Manhattan.
I
own
a
coop
and
feel
good
about
that,
but
live
around
the 
corner
from
3
and
4
million
dollar
brownstones.
Sure,
I
am
envious
of 
those
who
can
afford
to
own
them
–
or
those
who
bought
years
ago,
and 
are
sitting
on
their 
very
large
nest
eggs.

But
that
is
life.
And there
are
always
people
that
have
more.

Hasn’t
this
neighborhood
always inspired
annoyance
and
disdain.
In 
the
past,
wasn’t it once famous
for
the
granola
crunching
moms
with
their 
Bierkenstocks
and
big
glasses?

Now
the
moms
are
good
looking, post- hipster
refugees
from places like Williamsburg and the Upper West Side who
feel
entitled
to
do
everything they
did
before
they
had
kids — but
with
kids
in
tow.

Isn’t 
that
the new
cliche?

But
the
reality
is
that
the
moms
(
and
dads)
here
are
mostly
well-meaning
people
trying
to 
get
by.
They
are
smart,
socially
conscious, and willing
to
laugh
at
themselves
.

So
it
goes,
there
always
seems
to
be
something
to
find
annoying
about Park Slope.

On Wednesday there was a photo shoot on Third Street between 6th and 7th Avenues, in one of the limestone buildings, like ours, that has a yard out front.

I spoke to the owner of that building today. She has no idea how the location scout found out about her building. He left numerous notes on her front door. Then they phoned her up.

Finally, they came to an agreement — she didn’t say how much she was paid — and a production company shot a still photo for a SONY camera ad.

Here’s what they did: they tented over the entire front yard from the ground floor to just below the second floor windows. Basically, they created a giant black box.

Inside, they spent twelve hours shooting a still shot of cats and soap bubbles. That’s right. And it took many hours to do it.

The owner of the building said that the photo crew was very professional. "It was a bit of a hassle but they were a nice group of people," she told me.

"I have no idea what the picture will look like," she said.

Yup, a lot of stores seem to be closing on Fifth Avenue. But looking on the bright side, there are a lot of new stores and restaurants, too.

Over on the Brownstoner comments board, a frequent commenter named Quest made a list of 13 establishments that have opened on Fifth Avenue in the last year.

In the past 12 months the following have opened on 5th avenue (or are about to open)…I consider this list an improvment over those places which have closed:

1. Flight001
2. Teddy
3. Maria’s Restaurant
4. Oko
5. Soula Shoes
6. GetFreshNYC
7. Brooklyn Bakery and Cafe
8. Fatoosh
9. FIT gym
10. Canaille French Bistro
11. A.O.C. Bistro
12. Earth Tonez Vegetarian Cafe
13. ‘Snice

I noticed that there was a show of the work of New Yorker cartoonist and children’s book author, William Steig. Luckily, Rabbi Andy Bachman went and came back with this report for his blog.

It’s well put together, quickly enveloping the visitor into his deeply realist and humor-filled fearlessness about the frailty and beauty of the human psyche. Amazing how he managed, over the course of his career, to soften his audience with a child-like style and then ease you into profound psychological insights about the very nature of our enterprise on earth.

Smart, funny, sarcastic, fun and stylish, Nancy Nancy was the go-to store for the funny card, the goofy gift, the great stocking stuffer and items like the Nancy Nancy watch and coffee cup I bought for my friend, Nancy.

And now, after ten years, Nancy Nancy is closing and we’re reeling from the SHOCK.

The guilt sets in:

Maybe I should have bought more there. Now I’m sorry for all the browsing and not buying that I did. But I did buy my share of things like the Beethoven doll that plays Beethoven I bought for OSFO recently.

Now that the word is out that Nancy, Nancy, the great Fifth Avenue card, knick knack and joke gift emporium, is closing, everyone is asking WHY? WHY?

Bottom line: the landlord pulled the lease and is selling the building. A friend tells me that a prominent Fifth Avenue landlord died recently, which may have something to do with this.

Thankfully: Nancy Nancy’s terrific and funny blog blog provides some insight into the situation. And she does offer this explanation here:

The only one who could ever teach me was the son of a preacher man….Maybe I need more of the son of a RETAIL man, rather than preacher man, I’ll take any help I can get at this point. I do have this store, Nancy Nancy, at least for another 5 months or so. I’ve had for almost 10 years. Damn. Thank God/dess people still come in and say, “Great Store”, “You have a great sense of humor”, “Thanks for the laugh”. That helps, when I can’t figure out which way is up now that the landlord pulled the lease, and is selling the building. Wanna see the store? Time to reincarnate like the sign says…..

The fact that she recently turned 50 is also causing some chaos in her life:

I just turned 50 and now, every once and awhile, for a split second, I find myself in a complete panic about aging. I thoroughly understand Woody Allen’s neurotic obsession with death and dying now (as much as I hate him.) Everyday when I was thirteen was an exciting adventure, I never knew what was going to happen…what boy would talk to me, what new shirt would please me to no end, who was going to be in concert? NOW, its waking up to the adventure of what limb or joint will have a new indeterminate pain, what toe nail will turn black for no reason. What the Fuck, and its just going to get worse, and don’t look at yourself on video or in pictures. Its so sad. Jeez. It’s come to this, I don’t want to be in this downward spiral til I’m 80. One of those old ladies endlessly complaining by the pool in Florida. I am not the kind who knows every inch of my body, and every pore on my face, I barely look in the mirror. I am not the one who is planning out my plastic surgeries. I am going to stand by and probably do nothing I mean age naturally. I am going to sink and sag and remain in a sheer panic about my nose, ears and feet continuing to grow while the rest of me implodes. I am now thoroughly nauseous. No wonder I believe in fairies, nymphs, witches, goddesses and the goodness of trees, because this human thing is for the birds.

Clearly, she sees the store’s closing as a chance to reinvent herself:

I am whirling and swirling. A busy Saturday in the store and I am beginning to tell the general public that the store is closing. The range of emotions is staggering. Happy, Sad, Ashamed, Proud, Foolish, Blase… I have no idea where the accent mark is on the keyboard. I have no idea of what 1/2 of what is on this keyboard means. I took typing when I was 13 or so in High School and it was probably the most useful class in my whole HS career, that and Drivers Ed. But now, with the prospect of re-inventing myself again…maybe I should have paid better attention to some of the other classes. I am not sure which of them would benefit me now…. Do I go back to school? Do I pursue the Old Age Home?, the Arts Community at the beach?, the Website? or all of the above, and still try to pay my bills. HA! This will be fun. Since I was little I wanted to read the end of the book to know what would happen so I could relax on the way. I don’t think thats an option. I often wonder what it would be like if I were hardwired differently, could I do more than one thing at a time with out killing myself with anxiety?

Add to the mix, she has all sorts of retail regrets:

My latest set of retail regrets is that I bought kitchen when I had money to try something new in the store, and not personal accessories. I should have stuck with sell what you love… I should have bought leather, cashmere, fabulous wallets, handbags and totes, and gorgeous scarves and soft gloves and fancy socks, some jewelry. Then I should have added some fantastic table top stuff that I would love to put on my table. I blew it. I didn’t Razzle Dazzle em. I barely razzled, never mind dazzled. Amy Winehouse razzle dazzles ‘em, Tina Turner is the totally a Razzle Dazzler. Even Jones is playing the ulitmate razzle dazzler, Frank Sinatra. Last night I blasted Frank singing “FLY Me To the Moon” and I was dancing… tonight Jones is playing 5 in a row, and I can’t pick my head up. “What a difference a day makes”. I won’t even go into the weekends discussions of the reality of true love in this lifetime. That’s a whole ‘nother blog, or should I say blather.

It’s new. It’s a funky, fun place for kids and parents. And it’s in the South Slope. Sounds like something OTBKB should know about.

And now I do.

Located at 426-429 15th Street, the Hootenanny Art House presents (among other things) something called Open Family Art every Saturday from 3-5 p.m, which sounds like a great weekly art making activity for kids and parents. Here’s a description from the HAH website.

Paints, crayons and pastels. Cardboard, tissue paper and string! Fabric and lace and macaroni and glue guns! What can you make? What inspires you? Your 2 year old? Your 5, or 7 year old? Your Mother in law? This is free art play at its best. We’ll put the plastic on the floor and we’ll clean up the mess. Make a mural, a mobile, a collage, or just watch your kid create an entire city with a bottle of Elmers glue. She can see it, you know she can.

Every first Saturday of every month is pay what you can! Otherwise it’s $10 per family suggested donation to drop in and play with paint all afternoon

Hootenanny House has been featured in Brooklyn Parent Magazine, and they offer all kinds of classes, including Music Together, Writing Stories for Your Children, Dance, Beginning Guitar for Big Persons, Voice, Yoga and more.

They want to offer ukulele for kids and grown ups but it hasn’t gathered much interest. I say it’s a great idea. Buy a couple of Flukes or Fleas and give them a call: 718-369-0528.

You’ll be playing ukulele duets in no time.

In Abigail Kramer’s article in Brooklyn Parents owners Pete Heitmann and Kira Smith describe their desire to start this kid-centered South Slope business as a way to work and be around their kids.

As artists, Heitmann and Smith have supported themselves by teaching, tending bar and delivering messages. Heitmann began teaching Music Together classes four years ago, when Smith was pregnant with the couple’s daughter Zoe. The job, says Heitmann, “was something of a fluke. But I went with it and discovered this wonderful world — you can’t have a bad day when you’re jumping around like a kangaroo with a bunch of three-year-olds.”

Starting a business, says Smith, “is not something we would have contemplated before we had kids. Once you become a parent, you want to work — you don’t want to leave that world — but you want your kids around.” Zoe has already contributed to the creation of the space, says Heitmann, pointing to a bathroom door and strip of molding his daughter painted. (The door has since undergone a redesign; the molding strip stands monument to Zoe’s burgeoning decoration skills).

Here’s the blurb from HAH’s informative website.

Our vision for Hootenanny Art House is to put a swinging screen door on a shared home where families can come together and engage in a vibrant creative community. We want folks to sing, dance, make stuff out of glue and tissue paper, eat pie together, play the ukulele, laugh, cry, and oh yes, let the kids have those wild wicked tantrums and know that no one will be giving you the evil eye.