A surfer silhouetted by the late afternoon sun, Far Rockaway Beach, Queens.
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Crossing into Brooklyn Last Night at 3AM
Yup. We knew that the Manhattan-bound lanes of the Brooklyn Bridge were closed nights and some weekends due to repairs but for some reason we didn’t realize it was closed the other way, too.
The schedule of night-time and weekend closures is complicated so you better check the NYC DOT site for updates so you don’t get screwed like we did last night.
At 3AM after our 14 hour drive from Chicago (accomplished in one day, mind you) we wanted to drive across the beautiful Bridge, a visually stunning way to enter Brooklyn at night.
Okay, I begged Hepcat to take the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel but no, he wanted to fill his eyes with a gorgeous view even after such a long trip. But it was closed Brooklyn Bound (which surprised us).
We ended up taking the FDR to Houston Street, going down Allen Street…and finally made it onto the Manhattan Bridge…
After 1400 miles of driving over the last few days what’s a couple more miles.
For those who don’t know, the Manhattan bound side of the Brooklyn Bridge be closed nights and some weekends. Like I said, check the DOT schedule for details
Last Night to Dance Under the Stars on Fifth Avenue
One last night of hot jazz, blues, pop and R&B with L.A. Blacksmith in JJ Byrne Park (AKA Washington Park) on Park Slope’s Fifth Avenue and Third Street. The entertainment and the weather promise to be hot so dress light and get ready to dance.
The festivities start at 6 with kids programming. The adult, dancing portion of the program begins at 7PM and continues until 9PM.
See you there…
Creative After-School Program: Art in the House
Artist/educator Debby Albenda introduces Art in the House, a new after-school creative arts program at the Old Stone House in Park Slope.
I worked with Debby on PS 321’s annual poetry magazine, Pandamonium, and I know her to be a talented artist and a lovely person.
An arts educator, who is also a professional graphic designer and artist (she worked at the beloved but now defunct Nickelodean Magazine for years) Debby aims to put a contemporary spin on historically relevant techniques, including painting, print-making, embroidery, sculpture and other craft activities after-school on Mondays for 2nd and 3rd graders and Tuesdays for 4th and 5th graders.
The 10-week program will follow the public school schedule. To register, call OSH at 718-768-3195 or e-mail info@theoldstonehouse.org. For more information: http://www.artinthehouse-osh.org/?p=5
Continue reading Creative After-School Program: Art in the House
Leon Freilich, Verse Responder: The Ashy Sidewalks of New York
The Ashy Sidewalks of New York
East Side, West Side,
All around the town,
No smoking’s allowed in the office,
Fewer teeth are turning brown.
Men and women addicts
Scared that they’ll pop a cork
Puff–then drop cigarette butts
On the sidewalks of New York.
Current Weather in Park Slope: Air Quality Alert
Brought to you by the Feldman Family from their local weather tower.
Bklyn Bloggage: neighborhoods
Lucky penny paintings: Pardon Me for Asking
Breast feeding in public: Effed in Park Slope
Shane the repo man: Bushwick BK
Another Walgreens gone: Sheepshead Bites
No cabbies to Brooklyn: Brownstoner
Inside the mysterious world of Trader Joe’s: McBrooklyn
There goes the neighborhood: NY Shitty
The Coney Island Illusicination: Amusing the Zillion
Everyone is Talking ’bout Bedbugs
Seems like everyone, I mean EVERYONE, is talking about bed bugs. Finally, the EPA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have weighed in on what seems to be a rampant problem in NYC.
According to the NY Times, they have issued a joint statement on bedbug control. “It was not, however, a declaration of war nor a plan of action. It was an acknowledgment that the problem is big, a reminder that federal agencies mostly give advice, plus some advice: try a mix of vacuuming, crevice-sealing, heat and chemicals to kill the things. It also noted, twice, that bedbug research “has been very limited over the past several decades. Ask any expert why the bugs disappeared for 40 years, why they came roaring back in the late 1990s, even why they do not spread disease, and you hear one answer: “Good question.””
In the statement, however, they attribute the rise in bedbugs to a variety of issues including:
–increased resistance of bed bugs to available pesticides
–greater international and domestic travel,
–lack of knowledge regarding control of bed bugs due to their prolonged absence
–continuing decline or elimination of effective vector/pest control programs at state and local public health agencies.
Read on for the actual statement…
Jazz and Meditation Together
Adam Bernstein’s Jazz Mindfulness Program (JMP), now entering its second year, is set to begin a new semester in October. Bernstein, a well-known musician and jazz educator, has created a program designed to bring music and mindfulness practice together in a new way to nurture young people in their day-to-day lives. Students have the opportunity to play jazz while learning mindfulness meditation.
“When students learn mindfulness at a young age, they can experience both the joy of music and also get beneath the chatter and judgment that can suppress the creative, open mind,” says Bernstein. “The skill of mindfulness can help them in their daily lives, too. One of my youngest students, who was being very hard on herself about her schoolwork, told me that when she stopped to notice her breath, she was able to calm down.”
OTBKB Music: Looking Ahead to September
Although there’s still a bit of summer left ahead of us, on Wednesday it will be September. That means it’s time for the September edition of the monthly music calendar over at Now I’ve Heard Everything. Check out 25 shows, and get ready for Rosanne Cash‘s visit to our borough as part of the Brooklyn Book Festival on September 12th (which this year has five panels devoted to writings about music). And speaking of Rosanne, if you are not following her on Twitter, you are missing her very funny take on what’s going on.
–Eliot Wagner
Bklyn Bloggage: arts & culture
What’s going on Friday: Brooklyn Vegan
The glass of art: Truth and Rocket Science
Cat Celebrezze: Art in Brooklyn
Birthday salutations from a year ago: Do the Math
Portal Land: Brooklynometry
Who is watching the watchers: Brooklyn Bachelor
Bob Dylan and the Beats: Deep in the Heart of Brooklyn
Mystery Swap at the Community Bookstore
Ezra, the new (or soon to be new) owner of the Community Bookstore wrote in with news: “and we don’t mean the arrival of Jonathan Franzen’s Freedom, Suzanne Collins’ Mockingjay or Wolf Hall in paperback (though they have perked things up considerably in a month to which, usually, the adjective torpid barely does justice). No, we’re referring to the return of the mystery swap, a bookstore institution whose abrupt disappearance several months ago left Slope sleuths scratching their heads…
OTBKB Music: Linda Pitmon Times Two
The best drummer playing around town these days? For my money that honor goes to Linda Pitmon of Steve Wynn and The Miracle 3 and The Baseball Project. Linda’s originally from Minnesota and a long time Upper West Sider, although I have seen her play and attend shows here in Park Slope. You can see her in action with The Baseball Project playing Steve Wynn’s signature song Tell Me When It’s Over posted here at Now I’ve Heard Everything.
But if you want to see Linda hit the skins live, she’s playing with The Pretty Babies, an all-female Blondie cover band at Le Poisson Rouge tonight. I’m not a big fans of tribute bands, but I’ve seen The Pretty Babies before and I can recommend them. They’re not only musically quite good, they are just flat out a lot of fun, and Tammy Faye Starlite does a great job as front woman/lead vocalist as well. You’ll find more details here at Now I’ve Heard Everything.
–Eliot Wagner
No Words Daily Pix: Photograph by Hugh Crawford
Bklyn Bloggage: home & design
RFP Issued for Tobacco Warehouse in Dumbo:McBrooklyn
Annie’s porch: CasaCara
Hello Kitty house: Reclaimed Home
Dining table ding ding ding: Limestone Adventures
Napkin origami: Swiss Miss
Good bones: Apartment Therapy
Best of offices: Design*Sponge
An anthropologist’s take on homemaking: NY Times
Nested doors at Moxie Spot: McBrooklyn
Tom Martinez: How Many Muslims Do You Know?
Since 2003, Rev. Tom Martinez has served at Brooklyn’s All Souls Bethlehem Church. He is an active participant and organizer of the annual Children of Abraham Peace Walk.
A reporter interviewing me on Staten Island in front of a building whose ownership is disputed (the Catholic Church sold it to a local Muslim community then reneged on the sale) asked me if I had anything else to say to the people who oppose the mosque. I don’t remember exactly what I said. Of course a month later I thought of the perfect thing to say:
“Well, yes, there is one last thing I’d like to add. I encourage everyone who’s opposed to the creation of new mosques or community centers to ask yourself, ‘How many Muslims do I know?’ If the answer is zero, then I’d encourage you to make an effort to actually get to know someone who’s part of a local Muslim community. Tell them you’ve decided not to pass judgment until you meet and speak with someone from their community. You might be surprised by how warmly you will be received and the impact the experience will have on your perceptions.”
I was at another press conference just yesterday, this one was just a few blocks away from my church here in Brooklyn. My friend Mo Razvi, the Executive Director of a local Pakistani organization called COPO had asked me to stop by.
Mo was thrust into the limelight in wake of 9/11. Family members whose loved ones were picked up for questioning came to him for legal assistance. At the time he was a trusted businessman on Coney Island Avenue, one of the most demographically diverse neighborhoods in the continental US and home to a large community of Pakistani-Americans.
In addition to serving as a liaison between ordinary citizens and various law enforcement agencies (he proved so helpful in these matters he was eventually asked to complete a training course offered by the FBI), he also documented over 800 hate crimes carried out against Muslims in his neighborhood and throughout Brooklyn.
Continue reading Tom Martinez: How Many Muslims Do You Know?
No Words Daily Pix: Photograph by Hugh Crawford
Vox Pop Closed Down by the IRS For Good
Vox Pop Cafe, the iconic Cortelyou Road cafe, bookstore and performance space was once again closed down by the IRS and it looks like this closure is permanent.
Liena, who writes the Ditmas Park Blog had this to say about what seems to be Vox Pop’s final closure: “After the latest seizure by the marshalls this morning, Debi Ryan says she has had enough. And before any of you snarky commenters put fingers to the keyboard, I just wanted to say that I have never seen anyone work harder at making Vox Pop work for our community – to be the space to meet, talk, learn, listen – over coffee or not. The neighborhood simply is not the same without it. What will become of it, time will show. Right now though – leave a kind note for them.”
For the past year or more the cafe has been closed numerous times by the IRS for non-payment of back taxes. There were many “Save Vox Pop” town hall meetings and benefit shows and the cafe, under the leadership of its new manager, Debi Ryan, was able to revive again and again after these setbacks. The IRS leans were a result of the previous ownership (and financial mismanagement) of Vox Pop by Sander Hicks, who is no longer an owner of the cafe (note: you can also read about Hicks in a New York Observer article by Alexander Zaitchik. In 2009, the cafe was transformed into a “for-profit collective” with shares owned by various community members.
In 2004, Sander Hicks and his then-wife Holley Anderson started the cafe with seed money from the sale of Holley’s family farm. In fact, the children’s loft section in the cafe (which looks a little like a barn) is actually from that farm. The original conception was a cafe/bookstore/performance space/community center and self-publishing mecca (called Publish Yourself) that would morph into a national franchise of political cafes.
Vox Pop was the first cafe of its kind on Corteylou Road and it quickly became a community destination with its decidedly progressive politics, free trade coffee and vegan menu. Since opening, The Farm on Adderly, Sycamore, Purple Yam and other neighborhood spots have opened and Corteylou Road now has a growing mix of ethnic businesses, basic service shops run by longtime shopkeepers and new shops catering to the gentrifying neighborhood.
It can’t have been easy for Hicks to walk away from his unique creation. It was no doubt the best thing for him and for the cafe. In Ryan, he found the perfect successor to keep his vision alive. It was a peaceful transition of power with a board made up of long-time Vox Poppers including Sander’s ex-wife, Holley.
Continue reading my interview with Debi Ryan from March 30th, 2009.
September 11th Memorial Poetry Reading
The Brooklyn Arts Council announces a reading of poems about September 11th written by local poets to be held on Thursday, September 9, 2010 from 7 – 8:30pm at P.S. Bookshop in Dumbo, Brooklyn (76 Front St.).
Continue reading September 11th Memorial Poetry Reading
OTBKB Music: Ted Leo’s Broadway Parody, Amy Speace’s Guitar for Sale and John Hiatt’s Perfectly Good Guitar
A few days ago, I noted that Ted Leo had, in a long rambling post, announced that he’s worked on a musical film project of some sort. To make a long story as short as possible, Ted’s post was a head fake. What Ted has done is produce an extremely funny music video which parodies “half-assed musicals which cheapen [the] music and embarrass everyone involved” (perhaps this one). See Ted’s video (which includes a prominent Park Sloper) here at Now I’ve Heard Everything.
I got an email from singer-songwriter Amy Speace earlier this week and she’s selling a pretty special guitar (a Taylor GS Western Red Cedar/Indian Rosewood with Taylor’s Expression II pickup system installed). Maybe you’re interested; if so the details are here. If not, you can see the video of John Hiatt’s Perfectly Good Guitar here.
–Eliot Wagner
Bklyn Bloggage: food & wine
Wicky Wacky Chocolate Cake: A Cake Bakes in Brooklyn
Dinner at Luna Rossa: Eat It: Brooklyn Food Blog
Alice Waters’ Gazpacho: Serious Eats
Perfect Pesto: Bushwick BK
Yummus is chic and delicious: Bushwick BK
Fornino (Park Slope): Brooklyn Exposed
Upper West Side Two Boots: NY Times
No Words Daily Pix: Photograph by Hugh Crawford
Video Forum’s Joe & Steve Need a Kick Start
Joe and Steve who work at Video Forum on Park Slope’s Seventh Avenue are in a band called Blind Giant. They’ve been writing music together for 5 years now and are ready to record their debut album. But they need your help. And that’s where Kickstarter comes in.
Kickstarter is an interesting new way to fund creative ideas and ambitious endeavors. It is based on the notion that a good idea, communicated well, can spread fast and wide; that a large group of people can be a tremendous source of money and encouragement.
It’s an all-or-nothing funding method where projects must be fully-funded or no money changes hands. Read more and find out about Joe and Steve’s project. They’re a couple of terrific guys who work very hard and make Video Forum one of the last great remaining video rental shops.
Continue reading Video Forum’s Joe & Steve Need a Kick Start
Going to Manhattan at Night: Don’t Take the Brooklyn Bridge
The Brooklyn Eagle reports that as part of a $508 million repair project, all Manhattan-bound lanes of the Brooklyn Bridge will be closed at night beginning August 23, —from 11PM until 6AM in the morning—continuing until 2014. 2014? Is that a misprint. That’s an awfully long time.
To make matters worse: there will also be 24 weekends when the Manhattan-bound lanes will be closed all weekend.
The New York City Department of Transportation (DOT) warns motorists to “avoid the need to enter Manhattan on closure weekends.”
For pedestrians and bikers there’s good news: the center walkway will remain open.
The lanes to Manhattan closure will run from 11 p.m. until 6 a.m. Monday through Friday. Weekend closures begin at midnight and end at 7 a.m. on Saturday and 9 a.m. Sunday — except for those weekends when the Manhattan-bound lanes will be closed both day and night.
Continue reading Going to Manhattan at Night: Don’t Take the Brooklyn Bridge
Poet John Ashbery to be Honored at Brooklyn Book Fest
The office of the Brooklyn Borough President has announced that John Ashbery, the Pulitzer Prize winning poet, will receive the annual Brooklyn Book Festival “BoBi” Award on Saturday, 9/11 and appear on Sunday 9/12 in conversation with author Paul Auster
Each year, the Brooklyn Book Festival “BoBi” award is given to an important author. Previous BoBi recipients are Edwidge Danticat (2009), Walter Mosley (2008), and Paul Auster (2007). Ashbery will also participate in this year’s festival program, in an on-stage conversation with Paul Auster, Sunday, September 12.
The fifth annual Brooklyn Book Festival will take place on Sunday, September 12, with an all-star literary lineup, including Salman Rushdie, Naomi Klein, Colson Whitehead, Mary Gaitskill, Paul Auster, Rosanne Cash, Paul Krugman, Sarah Silverman, Gary Shteyngart, Francine Prose, Dennis Lehane, Pete Hamill, Jennifer Egan, John Ashbery, Russell Banks, Michael Connelly, John Hodgman, Kristen Schaal, Per Petterson, Sam Lipsyte, Sloane Crosley, Sandra Rodriguez, Paul Harding, Maaza Mengiste, Amy Goodman, Marlon James, Jean Valentine (New York State Poet Laureate), Elizabeth Nunez and many, many more, as well as Children’s and Young Adult Lit stars like Rebecca Stead, Sara Shepard, Jacqueline Woodson, Jon Scieszka, Jenny Han, Mac Barnett, Tad Hills, Chris Raschka, Michael Rex, Matthew Reinhart and Francisco X. Stork. Continue reading Poet John Ashbery to be Honored at Brooklyn Book Fest
Bklyn Bloggage: neighborhoods
Councilman Lew Fidler’s $60,000+ side job: Sheepshead Bites
61st Precinct offering free etching: Gerritsen Beach
Strange neighbors: NY Shitty
Band most likely to start a cult: Free Williamsburg
Myrtle-Wyckoff hub gets bus upgrade: Bushwick BK
A bumper crop of Brooklyn peaches: Pardon Me for Asking
Slope needs doggie daycare?: Effed in Park Slope
Jacobs vs. Adolphe for Assembly: Ditmas Park Blog
A plaza for Kensington?: Kensington Prospect
Andy Levin’s Coney Island: NY Times
No Words Daily Pix: Photograph by Hugh Crawford
One Year Later Brooklyn Still Loves Michael Jackson
As he did last year, filmmaker Spike Lee is organizing a gathering to honor Michael Jackson’s 52nd birthday in Prospect Park. The second-annual “Brooklyn Loves Michael Jackson” celebration will take place on Sunday August, 29th from noon until 5PM in the Nethermead (no, not Neverland). DJ Spinna will be spinning the star’s hits. Just enter at 16th Street and Prospect Park Southwest and follow the music.
OTBKB Music: The Gin Blossoms, Rosanne Cash, Ted Leo and 50 Fictional Bands
It’s the dog days of August with so many people away that you can actually park in Park Slope. Things look they might be a little quiet this week too. But four years ago this week, things weren’t so quiet as The Gin Blossoms (who have a new record, No Chocolate Cake, coming out at the end of September) played The Apple Store down in Soho, where they performed their hit from the early 90s, Hey Jealousy. See the video here at Now I’ve Heard Everything.
Rosanne Cash, currently on tour to promote her just issued book, Composed has already lined up her next music project; Ted Leo worked on a musical film project of some sort which will be announced today and Paste Magazine has posted a list (complete with videos!) of the 50 Best Fictional Bands. You’ll find details for all that here at Now I’ve Heard Everything.
–Eliot Wagner
Saturday Night in the Slope/Gowanus
On Saturday night Hepcat and I decided to head out for an evening of music and food on the shores of the Gowanus. We were curious about the bands Asobi Seksu and Golden Triangle that were playing outdoors on President Street and we knew that vendors from the Greenpoint Food Market would selling be their home-made specialties at this event organized by Mean Red Productions.
Our evening walk in the Gowanus area was lovely. We passed the Trash Pony Bar on Fourth Avenue, which is Root Hill Cafe’s evening bar and music venture, and caught a little bit of music by Matthew Brookshire from Chapel Hill, NC.
Walking across Carroll Street is always a treat. We passed Monte’s Venetian Room, a now-defunct neighborhood Italian eatery, that I went to with my dad years and years ago. As we neared Bond Street we could hear the throbbing guitars and high pitched vocals of Yuki Chikudate, Asobi Seksu’s singer. When we got to the entrance at 8:40 we realized that the show was set to end at 9PM (duh we should have looked at the poster that was on the blog) but we paid the steep admission fee ($15) anyway just to see what it was like.