So I went to see the candidates. The candidates for City Council in the 33rd District that is. For those who don't know the 33rd district covers the North Slope, Boerum Hill, Brooklyn Heights, DUMBO, Vinegar Hill, Williamsburg and Greenpoint.

That's some interesting district. And there are seven interesting candidates vying for David Yassky's seat. Monday night was my first look/see and it was an interesting event at the auditorium at St. Francis College on Remsen Street in Brooklyn Heights.

Only six of the candidates were there (Steven Levin had other plans apparently) and the event was sponsore by Central Brooklyn Independent Democrats. There were about 100 people there including the candidates, the press and the public.

Here are the names of the 6 men and one woman who are running: Evan Thies, Jo Anne Simon, Ken Diamondstone, Doug Biviano, Ken Baer, and Issac Abraham.Steven Levin is running but was unable to attend the forum.

For the most part the candidates agree on just about everything,. And that's a fact. But they're very different types of people with different styles, different abilities, different personalities.

There are, of course, differences between them. Issac Abraham, the first ever Hasidic candidates, opposes same sex marriage, which all the others support vehemently. In fact, Ken Diamondstone is an openly gay candiate. But for the most part, they're all on the same page when it comes to the Atlantic Yards, community driven development, the New York Housing Authorities, bringing economic sustainability to Brooklyn, livable streets, affordable housing, rent stabilization, and more.

So first impressions. First impressions. 

Evan Thies: A senior adviser to City Council Member David Yassky (who hasn't endorsed him), he's the candidate with experience in the Council. Clearly, he's got a handle on the  housing and development issues in Brooklyn and knows the cast of characters well.  He comes across as a knowledgeable and capable candidate with a low key and sometimes wry way of articulating his ideas.

Jo Anne Simon: A civil rights lawyer with years of experience in Brooklyn community politics and education, she's tough and smart and  portrays herself as a good listener, someone who likes to work with others and think things through Her delivery improved as the night progressed and her best topic is education, a subject she knows well. By the end I was convinced that she's a good fighter for what she believes in though it was hard during this forum to know her exact views on issues like Atlantic Yards and Superfund status for the Gowanus Canal. 

Ken Diamondstone: A developer of"socially responsible, affordable housing" and a longtime progressive and fighter "for human rights and economic justice," he's got  the passion and the wild card energy that makes him an interesting candidate to watch. He knows the ropes of affordable housing and development in this city and reveals the details with well articulated anger. 

Doug Biviano: Born and bred in Brooklyn, he worked as an civil engineer in Colorado before returning to Brooklyn to raise his kids and get them educated in the New York City public school which he seems to love. "Brooklyn is the fabric I am made of," he said at one point. He has a great respect for the institutions of New York City and is very convincing when he speaks out with controlled anger (and optimism) against profit driven luxury towers, Atlantic Yards and housing in Brooklyn Bridge Park.

Ken Baer:  A longtime member of the Sierra Club and opponent of the Atlantic Yards, he's a long-time environmental activist and strong proponent of community control over development. Of the group, he was the least comfortable as a speaker, though he did present himself as "someone unafraid to speak truth to power."

Issac Abraham: From Williamsburg, he's the first ever Hasidic candidate and a child of Holocaust survivors, For 35 years, Abraham has been a volunteer activist and fighter against developers and the New York City Housing Authority. He's also worked as an EMT and on  security patrols. He's got an old-world Jewish sense of humor and a strong, vibrant personality to match.

Steven Levin was unable to attend the forum.