Bouncing back to Brooklyn: CasaCara
The inner anatomy of the Statue of Liberty: Style File NYC (new blog)
Life in the living room: Brooklyn Limestone
Clouds: Swiss Miss
I made this, I am proud: My Coney
Are there really skinny mirrors, fat mirrors?: Apartment Therapy
Before and after kitchen tables: Design Sponge
Thanks to the Brooklyn Paper for running a story about Writing War, the November 11th Brooklyn Reading Works at the Old Stone House. It should be an excellent event:
Parades are nice on Veteran’s Day, but commemorate the day in Park Slope-style by attending a reading from five authors who know war best.
The veterans-turned-writers will present their prose and answer questions at the Old Stone House on Nov. 11 at 8 pm.
“These authors can help us understand war in a way that we may not see in the news, or on TV,” said organizer Louise Crawford. “They’ve come back, and are going to tell us something we don’t know.”
“But are Park Slope residents ready to listen?
The neighborhood didn’t support America’s recent wars, but Crawford hopes that the community can set politics aside and look at the conflicts through the soldiers’ eyes.
“They have a lot to say about a war that’s been on our consciences,” Crawford said. “And I think a good writer may make you understand points of view that you can’t even imagine.”
“And the vets will do that by personalizing battles that are usually talked about on a scale of troops and battalions, according to Matt Gallagher, author of “KABOOM: Embracing the Suck in a Savage Little War.”
““It’s a personal story about me and 20 other guys trying to do the best we could in a pretty s—ty situation,” he said.
• Juris Jurjevics, the founder of Soho Press and a Vietnam vet.
• Phil Klay, an Afghanistan vet.
• Roy Scranton, an Iraq war vet who has written for the New York Times Opinionator blog.
• Jacob Siegel, an Iraq War vet.
“It’s not going to be pretentious,” Crawford said. “But the question-and-answer session should be the best part.”
“Writing War: Fiction and Memoir by Vets of Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan” at Old Stone House [336 Third St. between Fourth and Fifth avenues in Park Slope, (718) 768-3195], Nov. 11 at 8 pm. Tickets are $5 (suggested). For info, visit theoldstonehouse.org.
Yesterday, fortuitously, I happened upon the opening of Somewhere Else, the latest show curated by Krista Saunders and Jill Benson of G-Train Salon at Urban Alchemist, a Fifth Avenue shop that sells artisan jewelry, clothing and objects d’art.
Fanny Allié, a young French artist who now makes her home in Brooklyn, was assembling clay alphabet letters into a sentence for display in the front window of the store. She has created five sentences that tell a very short story, which will appear during the course of this, the latest G-Train Salon exhibition.
I was intrigued.
As pictured above, the letter are clustered in an interesting looking pile that could be the artwork itself. That the artist arranges them into an ambiguous narrative is even more compelling.
Allié told me that she likes to use language in her work though she is not a writer. “I write for myself, notes, journals. I like words and I think in English now,” the native-French speaker told me. In her artist statement she writes: “I explore the notion of trace that indicates the existence of others and my own. Trace also shows the passing of time. Many of my projects suggest the course of time as they examine memories, past actions or incidents, and events that happened at a specific and recorded time.”
Although the artist doesn’t live in Park Slope she pointed at that she used Park Slope locations in the story (Fifth Avenue. Ginger’s Bar. Stone Park Cafe): “I want people who walk by to connect to the story,” she told me.
The story now on display in the window of Urban Alchemist begins: “The stranger was walking on Fifth Avenue in my direction when he got close enough he started talking to me.” Stop by the Park Slope shop to see what happens next.
The G-train salon made its debut in a living room on Flatbush Avenue and it is committed to showing the work of emerging artists from Brooklyn and Queens (hence the name G-train) in intimate and unusual settings. A discussion with the artist is an important part of the concept and adds immeasurably to the experience, the curator told me.
Brought to you by the Feldman Family from their local weather tower.
Read the Brooklyn Ink’s report on the economy in Brooklyn now. They asked Brooklynites: How ya doin? Are we poorer than we were three years ago? Are our houses worth less? Is it more expensive than before to raise our children? Here is an excerpt from their informative report. Click here to read more.
We learned that the unemployment rate in Brooklyn is 10 percent, higher than the national average of 9.6 percent. Almost 40 percent of Brooklyn residents are receiving some kind of government income support, such as food stamps and unemployment benefits, up from 23.5 percent in 2000. Public transportation will cost more starting Dec. 30, with a single-ride MTA ticket going up to $2.50 and a 30-day pass to $104, up from the present $89. The Northeast estimate for raising a child from birth until 17 years of age is $191,490, up from $149,700 in 2005. The national estimate is $160,410, up from $139,110 in 2005. When it comes to the health of the housing market, location is the defining factor. The properties dominating the market in Williamsburg and Greenpoint are new and relatively luxurious. While western and southern Brooklyn have seen a steady increase in sales and prices, neighborhoods east of Flatbush Avenue, such as Crown Heights and East New York, are still dealing with foreclosures and dropping home values. There are 654 homes in the pre-foreclosure, auction or bank-owned stages of the foreclosure process in Bedford-Stuyvesant.
Super sad true praline story: A Cake Bakes in Brooklyn
Polish stuffed cabbage: A Kitchen in Brooklyn
Perch Fall prix-fixe: All About Fifth
Thomas Beisl becomes Berlyn: NY Times
Good morning muffins from Blue Sky Bakery: Serious Eats
Banya love: Ditmas Park Blog
Thanksgiving help and provisions: Purple Kale Kitchen
The Book of Knish: Kickstarter
Leslie Mendelson is one of my favorite local musicians. In years past you could find Leslie playing her original piano-based songs (including a great one about Coney Island) and some inspired covers around town often. But she took much of this year off and tonight emerges from woodshedding for only the second time in 2010. This time she’s calling her band Melody Kills. Get all the details on tonight’s show here at Now I’ve Heard Everything.
–Eliot Wagner
Brooklyn is blue because the Republicans took over the House and the Tea Party swept many races, here’s a little sugar with your tea: Brooklynites voted for the following Democratic winners. Go to New York 1 to see all the regional results.
Gov: Andrew Cuomo
Comptroller: Thomas DiNapoli
Attorney General: Eric Schneiderman
US Senate: Chuck Schumer
US Senate: Kirsten Gillebrand
Congress: Yvette Clarke (Dist 11)
Congress: Jerrold Nadler (Dist 8)
Conress: Nydia Velazquez (Dist 12)
State Senate: Velamanette Montgomery (Dist 18)
Sate Senate: Daniel Squadron (Dist 25)
State Senate: Eric Adams (Dist 20)
State Assembly: Joan Millman (Dist 52)
State Assembly: James Brennan (Dist 44)
State Assembly: Felix Ortiz (Dist 51)
State Assembly: Hakeem Jeffries (Dist 57)
And Green:
Gubernatorial candidates Howie Hawkins and Gloria Mattera (for Lt. governor) got 50,975 votes and Greens got their ballot lines back!
Brought to you by the Feldman Family from their local weather tower.
I voted at John Jay High School this morning. Remember JJHS voters: you have to enter through the 4th Street entrance now.
At 10AM there were about 100 people voting. I stopped at the information table for a reminder of which district I’m in and I was directed to the wrong line. The guy who was taking addresses seemed to have great difficulty hearing numbers and street names.
After waiting for about ten minutes on the wrong line I was redirected (at the information table by another person) to go to the correct line, where there was hardly a wait. The woman at that desk found my name quickly and handed me a paper ballot.
I went to one of the portable desks-on-wheels and filled out my ballot. There were no real surprises on the ballot except I wasn’t up on all the judges and just voted on the Democratic line except for Elon Harpaz on the Working Families line because I know of him and have heard that he’s a brilliant lawyer.
Leaving the school, I noticed that kids from the High School for Research were having a cake and coffee sale. Spotted at the polls: Paul Auster AND Steven Buscemi.
My vote has been counted.
Mike, bikes and ballots: Sheepshead Bites
Halloween 2010: Gerristen Beach
Election: Bushwick quiet, rowdy in Ridgewood: Bushwick BK
Halloween in Carroll Gardens: Pardon Me for Asking
Dumbo links: Dumbo NYC
Whoever smelt it, dealt it: Effed in Park Slope
The week in car crimes: The Ft. Greene Local
Voting at PS 321 seemed to be going smoothly this morning. My sister arrived at 8:30 AM and there was a large crowd of voters there.
“I went to the private voting area/writing table and filled out my ballot. I was told to check the other side of the ballot, where the charter revision questions are.
“One of the scanners seemed to be broken but the other 3 were working. I put my paper ballot in the scanner and after a few seconds the screen read: Your vote has been counted. I thought that was very nice. I walked out with a friend who said that he missed the old way of voting: pulling the curtain, pressing the levers, pulling the large stick.”
If you’ve been to any of the local polling places please let us know.
I got this from Moveon.org this morning. Maybe you did, too. It’s a helpful guide to voting.
Today, November 2nd, is Election Day! Make sure to get out and vote. Voting is pretty simple, but if you have any questions, here’s an outline of helpful information. Please share this information widely–forward this email, and post it on Facebook and Twitter.
(Reading this on your mobile phone? You can get voting info here: m.google.com/elections)
Where and when do I vote?
* Find your polling place, voting times, and other important information at http://pol.moveon.org/votinginfo2010.html, using an application developed by the Voting Information Project.
* You can also get your polling location by texting “where” to 30644 from your mobile phone.
* These resources are excellent, but not perfect, so to double-check information, you can use the Voting Information Project application to find contact information for your state or local election official.
What do I need to bring?
* Voting ID laws vary from state to state, but if you have ID, bring it. To find out the details, check out your state’s info at http://www.866ourvote.org/state.
* You can also find more information by calling or checking out the website of your state election official. Look up their contact information here: http://pol.moveon.org/votinginfo2010.html/
What if something goes wrong?
* Not on the voter list? Make sure you’re at the right polling place, then ask for a provisional ballot.
* Need legal help? Call 1-866-OUR-VOTE or email help@866ourvote.org.
On your ballot
* The League of Young Voters has put together a site where groups and individuals can post do-it-yourself voter guides. Check out your state here: http://theballot.org/
How can I help get out the vote today?
* Make calls to voters right from your home: http://pol.moveon.org/2010/call/start.html
And a quote to remind us all how important it is to vote today…
“Because if everyone who fought for change in 2008 shows up to vote in 2010, we will win this election, I’m confident that we will.” –President Barack Obama
What to expect when you vote today? Check out It’s a Free Country’s General Election Guide
Even though the NYC Lab School (which favors students in District 2 in Manhattan) takes very few students from Brooklyn we decided to take a look just to torture ourselves. What torture.
Like Beacon, The Lab School is a solidly good academic institution with an excellent curriculum and engaged teachers. It is a small and selective school that, according to the principal, has a culture where learning and being smart is considered cool. They also have PSAL sports, clubs, AP classes and the opportunity to study at local colleges.
Even more, they offer excellent services for students with learning issues and the principal spoke openly about giving those students the skills and support they need through collaborative team teaching classes and special services.
In session the school has a crowded energy and the students look happy and engaged in the classrooms. The school building is undergoing renovation so the place is a bit of a mess and seemingly too small for the number of kids (500 or so) that are there.
Continue reading High School Tour Confidential: The Lab School
We were warned. That’s why we got to the Beacon High School tour early. When we arrived at 4:20, there were already hundreds of people on line.
Luckily they let groupings of us into the building at 4:50, when we were divided again into smaller groups (of about 40 parents and students). First there was a brief introduction by the school’s assistant principal and some words from two impressive high school seniors.
Our group then met with a math, spanish, history and science teacher in their classrooms. Their talks were brief and to the point. With each teacher there was a group of exceptional students, who also got a chance to speak and answer questions. In just about every class, students are required to present performance-based projects to a panel of teachers which seems to develop excellent public speaking skills in the students (just an anecdotal observation).
The tour was over by 5:40 and we had an excellent impression of the school. Brief and to the point. Good job, Beacon! With one caveat, when we walked outside the line had grown exponentially and there were people lined up all the way to Amsterdam Avenue and 62nd Street (and the school is on 61 Street between Amsterdam and 10th Avenue). People I knew expressed anger over the fact that this was the only tour for people from Brooklyn and they were forced to stand on line for an hour or more to see the school.
So, we were lucky to get there early because we got in and out early.
Beacon is a highly selective school (Regents exempt) with high academic standards and a rigorous curriculum. That said, it has a decidedly non-competitive atmosphere and does not rank its students. They do, however, make applicants jump through hoops to qualify for the school (portfolio, an essay, an interview that includes an essay) and there are only 1,100 kids in the entire school. It looks like they have adequate space for that number of students in their very pleasant building, which is light and somewhat airy.
Continue reading High School Tour Confidential: Beacon High School
How’s this for a funny reason to vote from Babeland:
We’d all like a silver bullet to create jobs, fix the economy, and ensure access to affordable healthcare, but it’s not going to happen if you don’t vote. That’s why Babeland says that if you fulfill your civic duty, they’ll reward your efforts with a free Silver Bullet Vibrator.
All you have to do is tell them you voted.
If you visit their retail stores on election day, Tuesday, November 2, tell them that you voted and they’ll and they’ll give you a FREE silver bullet vibrator ($15 value), no purchase necessary.
Online: At Babeland.com, they’ll include the silver bullet vibrator with any purchase on November 2, simply type in the code “110210” at checkout. While supplies last.
If you wanted to see Norah Jones, the past few days were the time to do it. Norah was part of last Thursday’s Petty Fest tribute to Tom Petty (on the occasion of Tom’s 60th birthday), and on Saturday, Norah was one of the performers who took part in Radio Happy Hour. More details and a photo await you here at Now I’ve Heard Everything.
The next 14 days are chock full of live music. If you don’t want to leave Park Slope there are three standout shows: Tuesday November 2 (tomorrow!) you’ll find Jonathan Richman at The Bell House; on Sunday, November 7 you can witness the Bloodshot Records Fall Pageant with The Bottle Rockets, Graham Parker, Scotland Yard Gospel Choir, Cordero, Lydia Loveless, and special Guests to be announced at The Bell House; and on November 10 San Francisco’s not to be missed Chuck Prophet and Stephanie Finch play Union Hall. Check the frequently updated November Music Calendar at Now I’ve Heard Everything for more live music.
Deni Bonet is a singer songwriter who plays electric violin with attitude (both rock ‘n’ roll and New York). She’s also recently taken up the ukulele. Deni has played along with folks you probably know: Cyndi Lauper, R.E.M., Sarah McLachlan, Robyn Hitchcock and Richard Barone. She is finishing up her new record, It’s All Good. Here is a clip of Deni playing her song, Alone.
–Eliot Wagner
Think about advertising on OTBKB, one of the most popular hyper-local place-blogs in Brooklyn with thousands of daily hits and a devoted following of daily readers who swear by OTBKB’s stories (and recommendations) on local civics & urban life, arts and culture, food and drink, parenting (long live Smartmom!) and shopping.
The best way to do this: Take out ad. Prices available on request. If you don’t have an ad, we’re happy to design one for you.
OTBKB welcomes advertisers of all stripes including real estate, restaurants, shops, arts organizations, freelance creatives, accounting services, health and wellness, books and more.
Brownstone Brooklynites know and trust OTBKB! Its devoted readers are well educated, creative and community minded. They care about family, education, quality entertainment, the food they eat and their well being in body, mind and spirit.
A clickable banner ad, vertical skyscraper ad or a box ad, is a great way to get noticed in Brooklyn. It’s inexpensive, easy and fast. Your ad could be up within six hours. Prices available on request. Call Louise Crawford (718-288-4290) or email: louise_crawford(at)yahoo(dot)com
Here are some general election guides that might be of help tomorrow WHEN YOU GO TO VOTE!
Your general election guide: It’s a Free Country
Guide for last minute voter: Gotham Gazette
Your general election guide: It’s a Free Country
Guide for last minute voter: Gotham Gazette
Revisionist history on Nets’ effort to land Lebron: Atlantic Yards Report
Cuomo leads over Paladino but battle for NY controller tight: Daily News
Stewart’s rally in Washington: It’s a Free Country
Craig Hammerman, District Manager of Community Board 6, sent this list of civic-minded, athletic (running), and misc.(a spades tournament) things going on this month…
Free Flu Shots, Friday, November 5, 11am to 2pm, Borough Hall Rotunda, 209 Joralemon Street. First come, first served.
Moving Forward on Fourth, Saturday, November 6, 9:30am, 4th Avenue & 9th Street. Park Slope Civic Council’s walkabout featuring 4th Avenue. Reservations required.
Prospect Park Duathlon & Gotham Cup Challenge, Sunday, November 7, 7am, Prospect Park, Willink Rink area.
The ING NYC Marathon, Sunday, November 7, 8:30am to 2pm, 4th Avenue – Go Prospect Park Track Club!
Cleanup in Coffey Park with Red Hook Dog, Sunday, November 7, 9am to 10am, Coffey Park, Verona-Richards-King-Dwight Sts.
Veteran’s Day Ceremony, Thursday, November 11, 11am, Carroll Park, Smith-President-Court-Carroll Sts.
The Amazing Brooklyn Race, Sunday, November 14, 12:30pm to 5pm, under the arch at Grand Army Plaza.
BQE Enhancement Workshop, Monday, November 15, 6:30pm to 8:30pm, Long Island College Hospital, 339 Hick Street, Conference Rooms A+B. Final meeting.
Groundswell Annual Art Auction, Thursday, December 2, 7pm to 10pm, Patron Reception 6pm to 7pm, Affirmation Arts Ltd., 523 37th Street, NYC.
Wow: Park Slope is fun on Halloween. Trick or treating on Seventh Avenue, trick or treating on side streets, haunted houses, puppet shows, you name it: Park Slope is Halloween-Central.
Last night was crazy fun for kids and adults. It was also exhausting and overwhelming for many of the youngsters as it was a long day in costume and the excitement can turn quickly into tears of meltdown and frustration from too much candy, too much walking and too many expectations.
The littlest ones seemed to be running out of steam (or in meltdown mode) just as the parade began at 6:30 on 14th Street and later turned down Third Street. But they persevere and by parade’s end seemed barely able to make it home for bedtime.
At just about the same time, the teenagers were ready for the shaving cream wars in the playground (front and back) of PS 321 and elsewhere.
At the parade, the Paprika Marching Band made joyful, percussive sounds and a floating bedbug sniffing dog, with Gersh Kuntzman’s voice booming out of it, was quite the sight and sound.
Third Street’s sidewalk and street was crammed with costumed revelers marching in the parade or watching from the sidelines.
Barrio, the Third Street Mexican restaurant with the outdoor patio, was packed with costumed eaters watching the parade while consuming margaritas and tacos.
In our front yard, there was a get-together for parents with children under two. Friends stopped by and watched from our building and I enjoyed the babies dressed as pumpkins, as fairies, as lady bugs…
That first Halloween as a parent can be quite a thrill.
As for costumes my favorite was the team of “Food Coop Walkers,” a group wearing day-glow orange Food Coop vests pushing shopping carts, I saw a Tevye playing a violin, a wonderful jellyfish…
Waiting for No Words Daily Pix to return with his bounty of Halloween images…
The Park Slope Halloween Parade begins tonight at 6:30PM at 14th Street and 7th Ave. It will travel north to 3rd Street, then turn left, continuing down 3rd Street to end the Old Stone House (Washington Park (formerly JJ Byrne) at 5th Avenue between 3rd and 4th streets).
Earlier in the day there are a bunch of events in front of John Jay High School:
3:00pm – 6:30pm Free Photos in front of John Jay High School
3:00pm – 3:55pm Registration for the Costume Contest
4:00pm – 5:00pm Costume Contest
5:00pm – 6:00pm Musical Performance by Ethan’s Motley Rockin’ Show (also in front of John Jay)
