Monthly Archives: May 2008

Civics and Urban Life

Bed Stuy Banana: It Was Good to See You

Now I’m the Gertrude Stein of the Brooklyn blogging world, eh? I loved what Bed Stuy Banana had to say about the Blogfest. Here’s an excerpt. She has more fun descriptions on her blog. I was pleased that she, along with many others, did a shout out.

I attended the Third Brooklyn Blogfest (an annual communion of artists,
activists, and other misfit toys culled from the Brooklyn blogosphere
by the Gertrude Stein of the Brooklyn blogging world, Louise Crawford
of Only the Blog Knows Brooklyn)
last night with a mixture of trepidation and excitement, my hand firmly
clutching Big Joe’s (formerly known as Joseph, more on that later). As
usual I was prepared for the absolute worst, for my detractors to come
up and flip loaded nachos into my face, telling me how much they hated
my blog and bearing printed out sheets highlighting my blog’s
grammatical errors, incorrect word usage and run-on sentences. And as
usual, the absolute worst failed to happen. In fact I had a small group
of fans (amazing what a complimentary bunch of bananas sent to the
right people can do) cheering me on and I felt feelings akin to what
I’d felt in art school, having found my tribe at last. Or one of them
at least. At various times in my life thus far, my tribes have included
gay men at New York clubs in the early nineties, earth mamas,
curmudgeons, and fashionistas.

Brooklyn Blogfest

Brooklyn Blogfest: What Does It Want To Be?

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The Brooklyn Blogfest started in 2006 as a joke. Sort of. I run Brooklyn Reading Works, a literary reading series and decided that it would be fun to do a reading dedicated to bloggers.

On the poster I called it the First Annual Brooklyn Blogfest. It really was kind of a joke. I made the poster in September but as the date got closer and closer, I realized, hey, I better organize this thing.

By then, there were quite a few bloggers. So it really was the first annual blog gathering.

Initially I thought it was going to be like these geeky computer conventions I used to go to with Hepcat back in the late 1980’s. He was a big Amiga Computer guy and we’d travel up and down the east coast (and even out west) attending these conventions, including Siggraph on one occasion.

The first Blogfest was geeky and fun. A bunch of bloggers in the upstairs room of the Old Stone House. And just about everyone there spoke and did sort of a show-and-tell. It was a very long evening but a fun one.

You could describe it this way: a meeting of co-conspirators, who had never met in person but had been following the activities of one another

There was barely anything to eat or drink because I didn’t expect too many people to come. I thought it would be like a poetry reading. I didn’t know any of the bloggers personally and who knew they’d all show up.

They did. In droves.

Brownstoner came incognito because he still had a day job. Gowanus Lounge introduced himself to the crowd. No Land Grab and Norman Oder were there, as was Lost and Found and the ever lovable Dave Kenny of Dope on the Slope, delivered a hilarious PowerPoint presentation about the evolution of blogging beginning with cave paintings.

Joe’s NYC and Travis Ruse both presented incredible slide shows of their work. I read the opening paragraph of "Only the Dead Know Brooklyn" by Thomas Wolfe, the story that inspired the name of my blog.

That, my friends, was the first Blogfest.

The second Blogfest was in 2007. A huge number of people crowded into the Old Stone House. Some people had to be turned away due to concerns about fire code regulations. The program was a bit more organized. It wasn’t quite the fun, free-for-all of that first year but a lot of interesting ideas were shared. Lumi Rolley, of No Land Grab, gave Norman Oder a superhero cape for for his his journalistic masterwork,  Steven Berlin Johnson, talked about place blogging, Pastor Daniel Meeter blessed the event with a dutch benediction, Brownstoner talked about quitting his day job.

Afterwards, some complained that there was too much about development and real estate. Too much about Atlantic Yards.

Everyone, however, loved that the party was sponsored by Partida Tequila. Getting them as a sponsor was a real coup. And people enjoyed the margaritas and the Mexican food.

This year was a whole other kettle of fish. I knew we had to get a bigger space and when I toured the Lyceum I was smitten by that big, historic building and the feeling of the performance space. I also noticed the huge screen and video projector and got it into my head that we could show video.

There were rental fees involved, which there never were at the Old Stone House (because of Brooklyn Reading Works). This was going to be a much bigger deal.

Thankfully, many people got involved and I even had a slew of co-producers/partners in crime, including, Eleanor Traubman and Mike Sorgatz of Creative Times, Petra Syrmister of Bed-Stuy Blog and Adrian Kinloch of Brit in Brooklyn. Blue Barn Pictures volunteered to make a video and Morgan Pehme of Brooklyn Optimist put together a beautiful Tribute to Brooklyn’s photo bloggers.

Twenty or so bloggers showed up to set up before the show and it was a wonderful collaborative effort.

The presentation to my mind was diverse and interesting. There was a nice selection of bloggers, who brought up many interesting points about the lack of diversity both racial, economic and geographic. The videos were a high point, as was the Shout Out when more than 60 new bloggers got up to share their blogs with the crowd.

I got a variety of comments from people after Thursday’s Blogfest:

–quite a few people loved the event

–one blogger thought it was an exercise in self-congratulation and self-promotion.

–others found the ideas interesting

–one guy said there should be more readings from blogs and less speeches about blogs

–one guy said we shouldn’t charge for the event but should charge for the liquor; it should be a free event.

–someone said it just needs to be a party.

–others were inspired by the speakers and the shout-out; it made them feel like blogging.

All in all, it makes me wonder if there needs to be another blogfest and, if so, what the blogfest needs to be. A good question that I’m sure will be discussed in the coming weeks.

Whatever happens, it’s been a fun journey getting from that first one, which was conceived in jest to the third one which was a great collaboration and a thoughtful program and party.

 

Civics and Urban Life

Today’s the Day: Blogfest at 8 p.m. at the Brooklyn Lyceum

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Today is the day. There are a few last minute details to attend to but everything seems to be in order for tonight’s third annual Brooklyn Blogfest.

For those who don’t know, the Brooklyn Blogfest is a gathering about Brooklyn blogging for bloggers, blog fans, those interested in blogging and those passionate about Brooklyn.

The festivities are TONIGHT at 8 p.m. at the Brooklyn Lyceum, 227 Fourth Avenue just steps from the R train’s Union Street station. Suggested donation is $10 to help offset the costs of this event. There will be food and drink a-plenty and lots of time for networking and socializing.

Indeed, it takes many hours of unseen work, coordination, attention to detail, writing, phone calling, emailing, and outreach to the community to pull off an event like this and thank goodness there were so many people lending their positive energy and creativity to the event.

As Eleanor Traubman of Creative Times wrote in an email the other day: 

Thanks to those who helped to do the behind the scenes prep work and who have stepped up in such a generous way to help out on the day of the event.  It takes a village to raise a Blogfest and we are a really great village!

Thanks to Eleanor and all the other people, who came together and donated their creative energy to this project. It was a team effort that was a joy to be part of.

Civics and Urban Life

Ikea Getting Some Positive Reviews from Hammerman, NY 1

Ikea is opening on June 18th after years of protests from local Red Hook residents. But now that it’s a reality, it will be interesting to see how the neighborhood likes its new neighbor.

According to Jeanine Ramirez, the Brooklyn reporter for NY 1, Craig Hammerman and others seem to think that Ikea is a good neighbor and doing things right by Red Hook.

It remains to be seen whether Ikea is indeed a positive thing for Red Hook and the surrounding neighborhoods of Brooklyn.

But it can’t be denied that Ikea has done (or was forced to doP quite a few things right even if the big blue and yellow box store is a bit glaring contextually in that historic area.

On a positive note, the store offered first choice of jobs to people in the community and they are offering full benefits even for part-time employees.

Now that’s cool.

No doubt the Red Hook Ikea, the first Ikea in New York City, has great views of the water, the New York skyline and the Statue of Liberty.

Sitting on  22 acres in the Erie Basin, the big box Swedish store turned 6 of its acres into a public waterfront esplanade. I am eager to see if this effort to win over the community pays off. It sure sounds nice.

Craig Hammerman of Community Board 6 seems to be very positive about the new Ikea.

"There were certain conditions that the community board had imposed
on its land use review and IKEA has lived up to all of the conditions," Hammerman told NY 1.

According to NY 1:

Ikea helped pay for turning lanes on Hamilton Avenue to ease the
traffic flow in and out of Red Hook. Shuttle buses will pick up
customers at nearby subway stations, water taxi service will run to and
from Manhattan’s Pier 11, two city bus lines are extending their routes
to the store and rental Zipcars will be on-site.

IKEA widened and paved the street in front of the store, upsetting
some residents who wanted to keep the old stone road that was here. So,
designers included the stones in the park landscape. The store also
incorporated cranes to preserve the site’s maritime history.

Sounds like Ikea is adding public transportation (i.e. shuttle buses, extended lines for the existing buses, and water taxi service) to a neighborhood sorely in need of public transportation. Whether these modification will just be for customers or for the community as a whole remains to be seen.   

June 18th is just a few weeks away. Everyone wants to see how this store fits into the life of this very special Brooklyn community and whether it is a benefit to the place or just a drain on the community’s resources.   

Postcard from the Slope

Sharpton, Sean Bell’s Fiancee, and Hundreds Arrested at Protests

If you wondered what all those police helicopters were doing swarming over Brooklyn on Wednesday afternoon, it was because of the demonstrations at the Brooklyn Bridge and other sites around the city protesting the Sean Bell verdict.

Reverend Al Sharpton, Sean Bell’s fiancee and hundreds were arrested at a Brooklyn Bridge protest and call to urge authorities to launch an investigation into Bell’s shooting by police. Here’s an excerpt from the NY 1 article:

The Reverend Al Sharpton and Sean Bell’s fiancée were arrested along
with about over 200 protesters shortly after 4:45 p.m. Wednesday, as
they blocked traffic on Park Row by the entry of the Brooklyn Bridge in
Lower Manhattan.

According to police authorities, the over 200 arrests were part of
a coordinated campaign organized by Sharpton to urge federal
authorities to investigate Bell’s shooting by detectives more than two
years ago.

Joseph Guzman and Trent Benefield, who were injured during that
shooting, joined Sharpton and Bell’s fiancée, Nicole Paultre Bell,
lined up and peacefully put their hands behind their backs as police
put plastic handcuffs on them. Sharpton and Bell were placed in a
police vehicle.

Late Wednesday night, some demonstrators told NY1 that the protests
would be weekly, but there was no official confirmation of such
strategies.

Civics and Urban Life

If You’re Thinking of Starting a Blog…

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Come to the Blogfest and get the cool handout: Top Ten Tips for New Bloggers and Top Ten Tips for Photo Bloggers.

The Third Annual Brooklyn Blogfest 2008 is an event for bloggers,
blog-readers, those interested in Blogging, and those passionate about
Brooklyn. It is open to one and all and everyone is warmly welcomed. No need to RSVP or be personally invited.

Date and Time: Thursday May 8th, 2008 at 8 p.m.

Location: The Brooklyn Lyceum. 227 Fourth Avenue at President Street just steps from the R-trains Union Street station.

For cool Blogfest T-shirts: Come to the Blogfest

More info: Louise Crawford at 718-288-4290 or louise_crawford(at)yahoo(dot)com

What to Expect: Here’s the line-up for the program. The show begins at 8 p.m.

Video: Place Matters: Blogging My World by Blue Barn Pictures

Brief Welcome: Only the Blog Knows Brooklyn (Louise Crawford)

Speaker: Creative Times (Eleanor Traubman)

Speaker: Bed-Stuy Blog (Petra S.)

Video: A Walk Around the Blog Promo by Brooklyn Independent Television

Speaker: New York Shitty (Miss Heather)

Speaker: Gowanus Lounge (Robert Guskind)

Speaker: Gersh Kuntzman, editor of The Brooklyn Paper

Video: A Word from WNYC’s Brian Lehrer

Speaker: Top Ten Tips for New Bloggers presented by So Good (Heather Johnson)

Speaker: Outside.in, a resource for bloggers who blog about where they live

Video: A Tribute to Brooklyn’s Photo Bloggers with music by Brooklyn’s Ready Fire Aim  (video produced by Brooklyn Optimist)

Speaker: Bloggers Reach Out: The Brooklyn Blogade presented by Flatbush Gardener

ANNUAL SHOUT-OUT: Your chance to share your blog with the world introduced by Luna Park Gazette

Food and Fun: There will be light refreshments and other
goodies from Maria’s Mexican Bistro, Red Mango Bakery, Brooklyn Fudge,
and beer courtesy of Outside.in

After the presentation there will be plenty of time for conversation, networking,
beer and delicious snacks courtesy of Maria’s Mexican Bistro, Red Mango
Bakery and Brooklyn Fudge.

Many Thanks to Our Blogfest Sponsors: Only the Blog Knows Brooklyn, Blue Barn Pictures, Outside.In, Brooklyn Optimist, Gowanus Lounge, Michael Sorgatz, Brit in Brooklyn,
Bed-Stuy Blog, Red Mango Bakery, Brooklyn Fudge, Maria’s Mexican
Bistro, DJ Solo P from Groovalicious and the Community Bookstore.

Civics and Urban Life

Hear the Accordian Angels This Saturday

A quartet of accordian players calling themselves the Accordian Angels will be playing at the garden on Sixth Avenue and 15th Street at 2 p.m.

"A garden is a great setting for us," Bob Goldberg, one of the players told me.

They practiced in a front yard on Third Street on Sunday and got quite a response. I wish I’d been here because it sounded like a nice thing to do on a Sunday afternoon.

The Accordion Angels are Bob Goldberg; Carl Riehl; Genevieve Leloup; Mark
Nathanson. They are a newly-forned accordion quartet, that
bridges the traditional and the post-modern, playing an eclectic and interesting range of musical styles, including Stephen Foster, Leonard Bernstein,  Paolo Conte, Copland, Bizet, Led Zeppelin and Steve Reich

They will be playing at Barbes on May 18th at 7 p.m. and at Le Petit Versailles, a outdoor garden in Manhattan at 346 East Houston Street between Avenues B and C.

Postcard from the Slope

Office Space in the Montauk Club

I was glad to see a post on Brownstoner about office space at The Montauk Club. It even mentions my friend and landlord, Martin Goldin, a developer who bought the lower level of the club, which at one time was the club’s bowling alley.

When Marty bought the space in 2001 the space was a complet wreck. He preserved the details that he could  and turned the rest into a modern office space complete with a shared conference room,  kitchen, public restrooms and a recycling area.

Hey, did I mention that my office is in that building. I don’t know what I’d do without it. I was Marty’s second tenant and it’s my sanctuary; the place where I get the most work done.

The available spaces are $950 and $1200.

Yes, it is hard to find office space in Park Slope. There’s very little. I’ve had a few spaces in people’s brownstones. But this is the best situation yet. I had my attic garret on 17th Street and my basement mud room on 6th Avenue. But they were both freezing in the winter.

But this is the most professional and the best. I’ve been there since 2002 and I’m not going anywhere.

Part of the fun is walking into that building every day. It’s very Grand. The offices are in the basement and have no architectural detail but it’s still fun to be part of it all.

Postcard from the Slope

Why We Liked Jennifer and Paul

They were just a nice couple with kids. We liked that. (Alright, they were Hollywood royalty. She with an Oscar, he: tall, gorgeous and British. But they were nice).

They kept a low profile. We liked that.

They seemed smart. We liked that.

They covered their first floor windows with shades so we didn’t feel
too voyeuristic. But we could see the Calder mobile hanging on the
second floor. We liked that.

They filled their front garden with tulips. We liked that.

They made up feel like we were special because they chose to live here. We liked that.

She was the hometown girl who decided to come home after Hollywood success. We liked that.

They picked the prettiest house in Brooklyn to be their home. We liked that

They had good taste. We liked that.

She told Vogue Magazine that she loved Prospect Park. We liked that.

She biked in the park; went running; they played with their kids at the Third Street Playground and went to the Tea Lounge. We liked that.

They were just like us. Or so we could pretend. We liked that.

Civics and Urban Life

How Could They Ditch That Gorgeous Mansion?

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Exterior_2
Slopers are falling all over themselves trying to figure out how Jennifer Connelly could ditch that gorgeous mansion.

Just check out the Brownstoner comments.

It calls into question everything Slopers hold dear. That house on the corner of Carroll Street is a Slope Dream House.

It is inconceivable to most Slopers that someone could walk away from what many Slopers lust for:  a historic, 5,200 square feet mansion crammed with architectural details facing a beloved Park.

"I love that house," Diaper Diva told me. "One thing you have to say is they kept up the integrity of it. They kept the original details and decorated with a light touch. I like the mix of the mid-century with the Victorian."

Perhaps Connelly/Bettany want a more anonymous life away from the glare of envious Park Slopers. Or maybe it’s not that at all. Maybe they got tired of the multi-floor living. Or they needed  more privacy or security.

Maybe Connelly, a lifelong Park Sloper, wants to try life in Manhattan.

Moving to Tribeca? That’s a real blow to Slopers who believe that their neighborhood is heaven on earth.

Civics and Urban Life

Jennifer Connelly and Paul Bettany Selling Their PPW Mansion

Diaper Diva writes:  "Jennifer Connelly and Paul Bettany are moving to Manhattan. Check out Brownstoner. They are selling their mansion. You get to see pix of the interior but I got to see the Calder Mobile I always see hanging in the window."

17ppw5_2
I checked out the Brownstoner post and it’s true.  They are selling the mansion for $8.5 million and moving to a penthouse on West Street in Tribeca.

   

Detailsizerails This is the listing from Sotheby’s: Here is an opportunity to own one of
the all time great houses of New York built at the turn of the century.
Located on a corner lot directly across from Prospect Park, sunlight
fills the grandly proportioned rooms all day long through oversized
windows. All of the original wood carving surrounding the windows and
mantels as well as the elaborate plaster work on the ceilings remains
in tact and in perfect condition.There are fireplaces in all of the
public rooms (living, dining and kitchen) as well as in 3 of the 4
master bedrooms.There is a full servant’s quarters on the top floor
consisting of 4 small bedrooms, a full bath and a large storage
room.The original stained and leaded windows exist in the baths Diningand in
the large skylight at the top of the grand staircase.Central
air-conditioning has been added and there is a large, fully landscaped
garden at the rear of the house which is gated and private. This
property is simply outstanding in every way.

Exterior
   

 

Civics and Urban Life

Do The Shout Out at the Brooklyn Blogfest

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Perhaps the most important aspect of the May 8th Brooklyn Blogfest at the Brooklyn Lyceum is the Shout-Out. That’s when the bloggers in the room are asked to go up to the stage and do a shout-out for their blog.

It’s a great opportunity to spread the word about your blog.

Poster_4_2
The Third Annual Brooklyn Blogfest 2008 is an event for bloggers,
blog-readers, those interested in Blogging, and those passionate about
Brooklyn. It is open to one and all and everyone is warmly welcomed. No need to RSVP or be personally invited.

Date and Time: Thursday May 8th, 2008 at 8 p.m.

Location: The Brooklyn Lyceum. 227 Fourth Avenue at President Street just steps from the R-trains Union Street station.

For cool Blogfest T-shirts: www. cafepress.com/blogfest261705408v0_150x150_front_5

More info: Louise Crawford at 718-288-4290 or louise_crawford(at)yahoo(dot)com

What to Expect: Here’s the line-up for the program. The show begins at 8 p.m.

Video: Place Matters: Blogging My World by Blue Barn Pictures

Brief Welcome: Only the Blog Knows Brooklyn (Louise Crawford)

Speaker: Creative Times (Eleanor Traubman)

Speaker: Bed-Stuy Blog (Petra S.)

Video: A Walk Around the Blog Promo by Brooklyn Independent Television

Speaker: New York Shitty (Miss Heather)

Speaker: Gowanus Lounge (Robert Guskind)

Speaker: Gersh Kuntzman, editor of The Brooklyn Paper

Video: A Word from WNYC’s Brian Lehrer

Speaker: Top Ten Tips for New Bloggers presented by So Good (Heather Johnson)

Speaker: Outside.in, a resource for bloggers who blog about where they live

Video: A Tribute to Brooklyn’s Photo Bloggers with music by Brooklyn’s Ready Fire Aim  (video produced by Brooklyn Optimist)

Speaker: Bloggers Reach Out: The Brooklyn Blogade presented by Flatbush Gardener

ANNUAL SHOUT-OUT: Your chance to share your blog with the world introduced by Luna Park Gazette

Food and Fun: There will be light refreshments and other
goodies from Maria’s Mexican Bistro, Red Mango Bakery, Brooklyn Fudge,
and beer courtesy of Outside.in

After the presentation there will be plenty of time for conversation, networking,
beer and delicious snacks courtesy of Maria’s Mexican Bistro, Red Mango
Bakery and Brooklyn Fudge.

Many Thanks to Our Blogfest Sponsors: Only the Blog Knows Brooklyn, Blue Barn Pictures, Outside.In, Brooklyn Optimist, Gowanus Lounge, Michael Sorgatz, Brit in Brooklyn,
Bed-Stuy Blog, Red Mango Bakery, Brooklyn Fudge, Maria’s Mexican
Bistro, DJ Solo P from Groovalicious and the Community Bookstore.  

Poster designed by Michael Sorgatz.

Postcard from the Slope

Spiritual Magazine By Kids For Kids Launches

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I just got an email about a new Kid’s magazine published in Brooklyn
focusing on spirituality. It’s a non-profit, unaffiliated with any
particular faith and 100% ad-free .

KidSpirit Magazine launches nationally this month and features the work of kids from New
York and around the country as they focus on a broad range of issues
they encounter in their daily lives.

It started in Brooklyn Heights. For over two years a group of kids has been getting together to talk about life’s big questions, and now they’re sharing
what they found in the first-ever spirituality magazine generated by
youth.   Through its open submission
process, the magazine hopes to garner contributors from all over the
country and even the world. Here are the ‘tails.   

You can find out more at our website, www.kidspiritmagazine.com.  We’re
just launching our premiere issue, Roots of Spirit, which engages with
complex issues including the relationship between spirituality and
food, climate change, and Tai Chi Chuan, and presents aesthetic
endeavors like original poetry, book reviews, and more. Each subsequent
issue will tackle a theme chosen by the all-kid Editorial
Board—upcoming issues include Science and Spirit, Myth and Meaning,
Change and Loss, and Competition and Achievement. 

KidSpirit has a dedicated base of young writers, most who fall into
the 11-15 age range, who would love to share their thoughts and
experiences with you and your readers. We hope that as more people hear
about the magazine, KidSpirit will foster a real dialog between today’s
young people and create a new space for conversation about the role of
all kinds of faiths in the lives of the next generation.

Postcard from the Slope

Park Slope Monopoly in JJ Byrne Park

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2467765812_ee4d329b12
Tony Mansour and others turned the recently de-fenced square in JJ Bryne Park into a giant
Monopoly board with Park Slope locations filled into the board. 

Most of the squares are restaurants on Fifth Ave, but the "Community Chest" squares are Park Slope/Brooklyn blogs and websites.  Even OTBKB got a square on the final stretch, though the video goes over that square kinda quickly so you have to keep your eyes open for it. 

By late afternoon Sunday, some of the squares got washed away by some water balloon fights, but most of it is still intact.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/wireful/sets/72157604892051756/
pictures above and the video below
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GATdIXNCtpA

Postcard from the Slope

Did You Run the Brooklyn Half-Marathon?

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I’d love to hear how it went. I ran it three years ago and it was one of the peak experiences of my life. Here’s what I wrote back in 2005:

As I put on my sneakers this morning, preparing to take another run,
I took a long, hard look at those well-worn shoes. My blue and white
nylon Sauconys with the small hole in the right toe and the frayed
thread around the edges are like old friends. We’ve been through so
much together.

I also put on the official Brooklyn Half-Marathon T-shirt that I got
with the New York Road Runners Club registration bag. My race number is
already in the special cabinet in the dining room where we put small,
special things.

The looming question now is what next. Do I train for the New York
marathon or just keep on keeping on with light training three or four
times a week. There are shorter races and other half-marathons to do. A
friend mentioned a half-marathon in Central Park for women over 40 and
there’s always the Faster Five course at Jack Rabbit.

I told a stranger with a Caribbean accent I befriended on the course
as we turned into the final stretch: "Now that you’ve done this you can
do anything in your life."  She smiled and ran ahead to the finish. I
never saw her again.

Postcard from the Slope

OTBKB’s Weather Report in the Times

Weather650
It was only a matter of time before the City Section of the New York Times did a story about Bradley Feldman, the man responsible for OTBKB’s daily weather report, The Current Weather in Park Slope.

There’s  a nice picture of Bradley standing next to his weather tower on the roof of his brownstone. I’ve never actually met the man though we have emailed each other.

His son is in my daughter’s fifth grade class. The family moved here a few years ago from Seattle.

Mr. Feldman brought the station with him when he moved to Brooklyn from
Seattle in 2005. Such stations are relatively rare in New York, but
common in Seattle, with its abundance of rain and tech geeks. “There
were a lot more weather people because the weather is wackier out
there,” Mr. Feldman said. “When I was leaving, someone wrote me and
said, ‘I see your “For Sale” sign. Does that mean we’re losing the
weather station?’

As far as I know there aren’t many weather geeks in Brooklyn but I have a feeling that Bradley may start a weather fad. Everyone’s gonna want their own weather tower I can just tell.

Photo by Jacob Silberberg for the NY Times

Postcard from the Slope

Brooklyn Library Responds to Criticism of Park Slope Branch on Gowanus Lounge

Dionne Mack Harvin, Executive Director of the Brooklyn Public Library, sent Gowanus Lounge a comment last week in response to their piece about problems at the Prospect Park Branch of the Library. To see the original GL post go here.

I frequently read through the Brooklyn blogs to find
out what the diverse communities in Brooklyn are talking about. In
reading through the posts here, I wanted to reach out and address the
discussion on the Park Slope Branch. Over the past year, we’ve taken
several step to improve our library services, including customer
service. I understand your concerns and have communicated to the managers at the Park Slope Branch the importance of making our libraries welcoming places for all to enjoy.

We are also in the initial stages of installing a ramp at the Park Slope branch.
We recently presented a design to Community Board 6 as well as the
Landmarks Commission and are working closely with the City to get this
project going. As with all of our renovations, ADA compliance is a
necessary component so that people in wheelchairs or with strollers can
easily access their Library. We will continue to update our website as
the ramp project at Park Slope takes shape. Please continue to support
your library – they are wonderful community resources for all
Brooklynities.

Postcard from the Slope

Wildflower Walk Through Prospect Park on May 10th

This sounds like a nice thing to do next Saturday May 10th:

Steven Clemants, Vice President of Science at Brooklyn Botanic Garden, will lead a Wildflower Walk through Prospect Park, a chance to see and learn about all the flowers we have right here in Brooklyn!

After the walk, come back to Community Bookstore where Steven will sign copies of his field guide, Wildflowers in the Field and Forest.

To join this terrific walk, meet at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, May 10th in front of the statue of Lafayette at Prospect Park West and 9th Street.

Postcard from the Slope

New Poetry Reading Series at Ceol on Smith Street

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My friend and fave poet, Michele Madigan Somerville, is starting a
brand new poetry reading series at an Irish pub on Smith Street called Ceol.

Come hear two GREAT poets,  Tony Towle and Michele Madigan Somerville, on Wednesday May 7, 2008 at 6:30 pm at Ceol: 191 Smith Street (between Baltic and Warren) 347-643-9911.

Michele writes: "Tony should be the Poet Laureate!  Honestly. 
His book, North, was the first poetry
collection I ever bought — @ Books & Co., Madison Ave. in ’78, with
waitressing money!!"

Postcard from the Slope

Some Sun for the Brooklyn Flea and Ft. Greene House Tour

I hear there may be some sun this afternoon for the Brooklyn Flea. And don’ forget the Fort Greene House Tour.

Brownstoner has been sweating the weather every weekend since opening the Flea.

We’d be lying if we said we weren’t just a little bit irked at Mother Nature right now. While precious few rain drops have actually fallen on the Brooklyn Flea during market hours, all four Sundays to date have had the threat of rain and have been unseasonably cold. And it looks like more of the same for this weekend. Argghh! Luckily we have a hearty bunch of vendors who roll with the rain-or-shine punches to get to what’s real. The organizers of this year’s Fort Greene House Tour must also be watching the weather report closely. Both events happen Sunday. The Flea runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and is located at 176 Lafayette Avenue. Closest trains are the C and G to Washington/Clinton. Or you can take any of the number of trains that go to Atlantic Station and make the 10-minute stroll up Lafayette Avenue from there. The house tour is from noon to 5 p.m.; you can pick up your tickets in the BAM Garden at Fulton and Lafayette or at the flea market.

We went last week and it was overcast but we had a good time. Hepcat and his cousins from Baltimore managed to buy a lot in the Flea’s photography department, which is near the front.

Reclaimed Home has a lot of cool stuff today. She also has these discoveries of other vendors at the Flea on her blog and some bitching about the dog situation there. Here’s an excerpt.

Ama Home debuted at the Brooklyn Flea a couple of weeks ago and they seem to be doing quite well for themselves. Amy and Karen take vintage furniture and modernize it by coating it with vibrant paint colors. Prices are not bad either.

Nightwood’s “reincarnated” furniture isn’t trying to be something it’s not. Myriah Scruggs and Nadia Yaron literally scrap together wood pieces to create functional furnishings. The patchwork look reminds us that not every piece of furniture has to be matched and sanded to perfection to be beautiful. Website not fully functional yet, but here’s a rave about their stuff.

Civics and Urban Life

Smartmom: Miley and Teen Spirit Shed Things

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Here’s this week’s Smartmom from the award-winning Brooklyn Paper:

It’s the same old story, isn’t it? The hot “It” girl has a record or film or book or sex video to promote so she poses half naked in a national magazine.

There’s the predictable hue and cry about America’s declining values and the predictable apology. But the record or film or book or sex video goes on to huge success, so the half-naked photo is quickly forgotten.

Not this time. This time, the “It” girl was 15-year-old Miley Cyrus, whose alter ego, Hannah Montana, was supposed to be different. Her “character” is the one who always plays it clean (even as she made millions for Disney).

So why did she do it?

There’s the obvious: Because all of Cyrus’s parent figures — from Disney to her agents to the celebrity photographer Annie Leibovitz to Cyrus’s should-know-better superstar father — care more about the fictional Hannah than they do about the real Miley.

Indeed, if you watch the “behind the scenes” footage on the Vanity Fair Web site, you can see Miley’s dad, Billy Ray Cyrus, chatting amiably with the famous photographer Annie Leibovitz and her staff. Clearly nothing was troubling him at the time.

But after the photos were flashed all over the world, the fingers started pointing.

Disney, which has been milking the Cyrus cash cow for years, blasted Vanity Fair with a statement: “A situation was created to deliberately manipulate a 15-year-old in order to sell magazines.”

Isn’t that the pot calling the kettle exploitive?

Indeed, blaming Vanity Fair is like blaming the warden for crime. Anyone who sits for Leibovitz knows the Faustian bargain: Got a record to promote, honey? Take that top off and let’s see if we can help.

Yet many scolds are blaming Miley. But to Smartmom’s way of thinking, Cyrus is the victim in this American Kabuki.

And Smartmom knows because her 16-year-old son, Teen Spirit, just shaved his head.

No, that’s no metaphor. The other night Teen Spirit called and told Hepcat that he shaved his head.

“Not exactly shaved. But my hair is really, really short,” he said.

Smartmom nearly fainted when she saw her firstborn looking like a military recruit. In recent years, Teen Spirit has hid behind his hair like Violet in “The Incredibles.” It’s been his invisibility shield, the sheath that protects him from the world.

But that was then, this is now.

And just as America asked Miley Cyrus, “Why did you do it?!” Smartmom is wondering what could have been going through her son’s mind.

And then she realized that this seemingly self-destructive act made all the sense in the world. Both Teen Spirit and Miley Cyrus are adolescents. Both felt the need to reinvent themselves and show the world that they won’t be defined by their public personas (in Miley’s case, she’s not happy always being Hannah Montana; in Teen Spirit’s case, it was clearly time to throw off the look of the slacker dude who just doesn’t care).

Who can blame either of them for wanting to reinvent themselves? Isn’t that what being an adolescent is all about? Like Miley, Teen Spirit doesn’t want to be a character in “The Smartmom and Hepcat Show” anymore. He wants to write his own sitcom (dramedy or mini-series) and create himself.

And that’s the message of the Vanity Fair pictures: Sure, she’s partly unclothed, but you can’t see anything unchaste.

Smartmom was sorry that Miley chose the pages of Vanity Fair to do her growing up. But then again, teens in Park Slope have to become adults under the skeptical gaze of their Park Slope parents, their budinsky parents’ friends, and their neighbors (that’s like Vanity Fair, right?)

Posing semi-nude for Annie Leibovitz, shaving your head on a whim. What’s the difference? It’s all part of growing up and trying to discover who you really are.

Indeed, Cyrus has nothing to apologize about — except perhaps the half-baked apology she made this week.

“[The] photo shoot was supposed to be ‘artistic,’ and now … I feel so embarrassed,” she said.

Embarrassed? About what? She may not go to high school or live like a normal teen, but Miley Cyrus has every right to play with her inner and outer identity like every other kid.

Change your hair. Change your clothes. Change your persona. Change your mind.

It’s all part of the identity game.

Now, if you want to cast blame, look no further than Disney, Vanity Fair, Annie Leibovitz and Billy Ray…

Civics and Urban Life

The Latest Blogfest Details

Poster_4_2
The Third Annual Brooklyn Blogfest 2008 is an event for bloggers,
blog-readers, those interested in Blogging, and those passionate about
Brooklyn. It is open to one and all and everyone is warmly welcomed. No need to RSVP or be personally invited.

Date and Time: Thursday May 8th, 2008 at 8 p.m.

Location: The Brooklyn Lyceum. 227 Fourth Avenue at President Street just steps from the R-trains Union Street station.

For cool Blogfest T-shirts: www. cafepress.com/blogfest261705408v0_150x150_front_5

More info: Louise Crawford at 718-288-4290 or louise_crawford(at)yahoo(dot)com

What to Expect: Here’s the line-up for the program. The show begins at 8 p.m.

Video: Place Matters: Blogging My World by Blue Barn Pictures

Brief Welcome: Only the Blog Knows Brooklyn (Louise Crawford)

Speaker: Creative Times (Eleanor Traubman)

Speaker: Bed-Stuy Blog (Petra S.)

Video: A Walk Around the Blog Promo by Brooklyn Independent Television

Speaker: New York Shitty (Miss Heather)

Speaker: Gowanus Lounge (Robert Guskind)

Speaker: Gersh Kuntzman, editor of The Brooklyn Paper

Video: A Word from WNYC’s Brian Lehrer

Speaker: Top Ten Tips for New Bloggers presented by So Good (Heather Johnson)

Speaker: Outside.in, a resource for bloggers who blog about where they live

Video: A Tribute to Brooklyn’s Photo Bloggers with music by Brooklyn’s Ready Fire Aim  (video produced by Brooklyn Optimist)

Speaker: Bloggers Reach Out: The Brooklyn Blogade presented by Flatbush Gardener

ANNUAL SHOUT-OUT: Your chance to share your blog with the world introduced by Luna Park Gazette

Food and Fun: There will be light refreshments and other
goodies from Maria’s Mexican Bistro, Red Mango Bakery, Brooklyn Fudge,
and beer courtesy of Outside.in

After the presentation there will be plenty of time for networking,
beer, delicious snacks courtesy of Maria’s Mexican Bistro, Red Mango
Bakery and Brooklyn Fudge and conversation.

Many Thanks to Our Blogfest Sponsors: Only the Blog Knows Brooklyn, Blue Barn Pictures, Outside.In, Brooklyn Optimist, Gowanus Lounge, Michael Sorgatz, Brit in Brooklyn, Bed-Stuy Blog, Red Mango Bakery, Brooklyn Fudge, Maria’s Mexican Bistro, DJ Solo P from Groovalicious and the Community Bookstore.  

Poster designed by Michael Sorgatz.