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Civics and Urban Life

A Victory for Bloggers

The Daily News picked up a story from Ink Lake via Gothamist but neglected to attribute the story. Here’s an excerpt from Ink Lake about what happened:

When I wrote on Wednesday about the missing shoe on the Upper West Side, I was glad to see the story was picked up by Gothamist. That night, I got e-mail from Moshe Billet, the shoe-finder, saying the Daily News must have read my blog, because they had contacted him. I wrote back, saying that I was sure they had first seen it in Gothamist.

So the next day, I was happy, and not surprised to see the story in the News, and on their web site. But I was kind of surprised to see nothing mentioning that this was in fact, my story.

I called the News’s City Desk, and asked to be connected to Bill Hutchinson, the reporter whose byline the story ran under. I got his voice-mail, and left a message.

After a couple of hours, I hadn’t heard back from him, and was getting more and more annoyed. I called Hutchinson again. This time, he picked up…

Read the rest at Ink Lake

arts and culture

Black Book: Emerging Bands from Various Nabes

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While Williamburg may be considered the  current indie-rock capital of America, there are other nabes in Brooklyn, where you can find great music. Black Book has a list of bands from places like Astoria, Queens, Cobble Hill, Brooklyn and the West Village. One of the artists mentioned is Park Slope’s Michael Roi.

Artist/Band Name: Michael Roi
Hood: Park Slope

Who you are: I’m a singer/songwriter from Jupiter, Fla., influenced by Neil Diamond, Neil Young, Nick Cave, Tom Waits, and George Jones.

What drew you to Park Slope?: I never thought of Park Slope as a musical hotbed. I was drawn more to the culture, the artist community, the lack of noisy tourists and especially the tap water. While I live in Park Slope, I enjoy crashing on couches all over Brooklyn. Some friends asked me to write a parody Beatles tune that paid tribute to Sheepshead Bay. While it’s probably as far from the epicenter of the indie music scene as you can get, it’s one of my favorite places to hang and play music. I guess inspiration is where you find it.

Civics and Urban Life

Current Weather in Park Slope: Heat Advisory

Brought to you from the Feldman Family weather tower in Park Slope.

URGENT – WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEW YORK NY
506 AM EDT TUE JUL 6 2010

…HOT AND INCREASINGLY MORE HUMID…

.A WARM RIDGE ALOFT AND SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE OVER THE MID
ATLANTIC STATES WILL KEEP HOT AND INCREASINGLY MORE HUMID
CONDITIONS ACROSS THE AREA THROUGH MID WEEK.

NYZ072>076-062315-
/O.CON.KOKX.HT.Y.0002.000000T0000Z-100707T2300Z/
NEW YORK (MANHATTAN)-BRONX-RICHMOND (STATEN ISLAND)-
KINGS (BROOKLYN)-QUEENS-
506 AM EDT TUE JUL 6 2010

…HEAT ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 PM EDT WEDNESDAY…

A HEAT ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 PM EDT WEDNESDAY.

THE COMBINATION OF TEMPERATURES AROUND 100 DEGREES AND GRADUALLY
INCREASING HUMIDITY LEVELS WILL PRODUCE HEAT INDEX VALUES OF
100 TO 104 DEGREES TUESDAY AFTERNOON. HIGH TEMPERATURES WEDNESDAY
AFTERNOON ARE EXPECTED TO REACH IN THE MID TO UPPER 90S…WITH
HEAT INDEX VALUES OF 95 TO 99 DEGREES. OVERNIGHT LOWS WILL BE IN
THE LOWER 80S TONIGHT AND TUESDAY NIGHT.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

Civics and Urban Life

Fourth of July, Again

When I was a  young mom I fantasized about a house with a backyard. I believed that my children would be happier and healthier if they had outdoor space to run wild in, a garden lush with hydrangeas and home grown tomatoes, and a playroom big enough for all their toys and even a ping pong table.

Yes, a ping pong table.

I thought about this last night at my apartment building’s annual fourth of July barbecue.

As usual, Mr. Kravitz set up a make-shift serving table with boards from the basement placed artfully on top of three garbage pails covered by an orange plastic table cloth.

When Mr. Kravitz fired up the grill, neighbors brought wine, beer, and platters of meats, vegetables, and salads downstairs as if on cue and the serving table was filled with a veritable potluck feast

It was a hot night and Mr. Kravitz’s face was turning deep red as he turned an assortment of grilled lamb burgers, Hebrew National hot dogs, turkey burgers and corn on the grill.

By 7PM the front yard was jammed with an enthusiastic group of adults and children from the building and nearby buildings busily eating, drinking and talking.

I have been to so many of these barbecues. Not only have I lost count but they all blur together. The children sort of blur together, too.

In my mind’s eye, I could see a young Teen Spirit and his best friend who moved away standing by the Weber carefully wrapping graham cracker sandwiches of marshmallows and Hershey chocolate in Reynolds Wrap and tossing them into the fire.

In my mind’s eye, I could see OSFO and her best friend standing at the Weber carefully wrapping graham cracker sandwiches of marshmallows and Hershey chocolate in Reynolds Wrap and tossing them into the fire.

Last night I watched the latest generation of young children standing at the Weber carefully wrapping graham cracker sandwiches of marshmallows and Hershey chocolate in Reynolds Wrap and tossing them into the fire.

I  imagined it as a black and white movie—faces and hands dissolving one to the other—symbolizing the passage of time and the continuation of childhood traditions and skills.

During the barbecue Teen Spirit and a friend stopped by. At 19, he looked tall and handsome in a red and white striped shirt and his grandfather’s wing tip shoes.

“Hey, do you want to have something to eat?” I asked Teen Spirit and his friend hopefully.

“No thanks. We just came from a barbecue and are on our way to another,” he said.

Teen Spirit and his friend disappeared into the apartment building. He has a busy and complex social schedule that takes him to other parts of Brooklyn and Manhattan. In August he will leave for college.

I felt a pang. I never gave my son a house with a backyard. This patch of concrete was his yard, his childhood yard…

Continue reading Fourth of July, Again →

Civics and Urban Life

News From Brad Lander

From time to time I hear from Brad Lander, who is in his first months as City Councilmember for the 39th District. He even has an interesting blog. Here Brad discussing the recent passing of the NYC budget.

Yesterday, the City Council passed the $63 billion, Fiscal Year 2011 budget for New York City.  Considering the difficult fiscal circumstances we are facing, and the deep cuts the Mayor had initially proposed, the final budget is much better than it might have been.  We were able to substantially restore many critical services – libraries, pools and parks, firehouses, adult literacy, cultural institutions and many important social services – while keeping the City on sound fiscal footing.

I am especially pleased to report that we were able to restore essential day care slots that hundreds of families in our community rely on, and that the “Double-D” pool on 3rd Avenue will remain open.  In each of these cases, we heard loud-and-clear from so many of you how important these services are.

Of course, the news is not all good.  There are substantial cuts across-the-board – to senior centers, affordable housing, legal services, parks, and public schools – cuts that will have real and painful impact. And we will face even greater challenges next year, with larger deficits and a still-shaky economy … long-term challenges that will require hard choices about how to achieve the right balance.  As we move forward, I’ll continue to remember that 89% of the nearly 2,000 people who responded to our budget survey would prefer a “fair share” plan that asks for a bit more from those with the most ability to pay, before we risk the core services and institutions that keep our city strong.

Still, given the circumstances, and so much budget dysfunction elsewhere, I’m proud of what the City Council, working with the Mayor, was able to do – both of the very democratic and inclusive process (thanks to the thousands of people who contacted us), and of the strong results we achieved for our city in trying times.

As part of his job, Lander has officiated at quite a few local graduations:

Amidst the sometimes-frustrating scrum of City budget negotiations last week, I had a great counterweight that served as a profound reminder of the value of local democracy: public school graduations.  I was honored to speak at several 5th & 8th grade graduations, and one kindergarten stepping-up ceremony.

My teary-eyed takeaway is this: public education is the crown jewel of local democracy.

There is simply no comparable way of living up to our core democratic values – that everyone is equal, that the future can (despite everything) be better than the past, and that by acting together as citizens, we can achieve extraordinary things.

arts and culture

Two Remarkable Sisters

Yesterday we spent the day with two remarkable sisters: my mother Edna and my Aunt Rhoda.

Born in Brooklyn’s Methodist Hospital, Edna and Rhoda grew up in the Midwood section of Brooklyn. Rhoda attended Madison High School, where she met her future husband. Edna was in the first class of Midwood High School.

Their father, Sam, owned a plumbing chemicals company and was called “the Mayor of 24th Street” for his friendliness and concern for his neighbors. He was a kind and generous man, always beautifully put together with a warm, memorable smile.

Their mother, Anna, was a skilled housewife, loving mother/grandmother, working woman and avid reader. She grew up on Westminister Road in a green house with a billiard room on the third floor.

Here Rhoda remembers the Great Depression (quoted in a Time.com feature, Remembering the Great Depression):

In 1932, we lived in a two-family house in Flatbush, Brooklyn. I remember seeing well-dressed men on bread lines, selling apples on the corner of Canal and Broadway in Manhattan, near where my father had a factory. He owned a chemical company, and had to let his employees go—both the workers and the salesmen. He would go out during the day to try to get orders for his plumbing and heating products and come back with one worker. They’d work most of the night on the third floor of the walk-up to package the chemicals.

I remember my mother walking down 24th Street in Flatbush, collecting clothing and shoes for a refugee family. [And I remember] I was going to have a birthday and my mother said, “Don’t expect any presents, because the banks have closed.” It scarred me for life. It made me very conservative in my spending. I’m concerned for my grandchildren having this debt that’s going to be passed on to them.

Rhoda married her high school sweetheart and raised three children in Westchester. She still lives there, though her husband died three years ago. Always a socially conscious and politically involved individual, for many years she worked as a district office manager for Representatives Richard L. Ottinger and Nita Lowey.

Yesterday, we visited Rhoda in the airy, light filled apartment she now lives in. On a shelf there is a photo of her with Hillary Clinton and Nita Lowey alongside a plethora of photographs of her children and grandchildren. There is even a arty photo of OSFO on the subway (taken by Hugh Crawford) in Rhoda’s bedroom.

She is now a District Leader, which is an un-paid elected official who performs a set of duties on behalf of his or her political party. Each district gets to elect two district leaders, one male and one female, with the same responsibilities. The district leader serves a two-year term. Currently she is collecting signatures for a ballot petition.

We spent a lovely day with the two sisters. Rhoda, dressed in a red and white striped shirt, looked absolutely fantastic. Edna, dressed in her signature black t-shirt and white pants, looked elegant as well.  Both move with grace and ease and are up to date on all the news and culture that’s fit to print (in the New York Times and more).

We ate lunch at a local gourmet shop and spent the day talking about politics, family, friends and books. While Ducky and OSFO took a dip in the apartment building’s rooftop swimming pool, I heard stories about my grandparents and my grandfather’s business, which at one time was located in a loft building on Canal Street. My mother, Hepcat and I took a stroll in Rhoda’s local Target.

It was a pleasure to spend the day with these two remarkable sisters.

arts and culture

The 4th of July List: Roseanne Cash, Hot Dogs, Cyrus

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Governors Island

On Sunday, July 4 at 2PM (the beach opens at 10 AM) Roseanne Cash performs a free concert on Governors Island. And…

On Sunday, July 4 at 4PM there’s a free show by She and Him with Zooey Deschanel (500 Days of Summer) and MWard.

Coney Island

On the fourth:  Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog Eating Contest. Get there early. Needless to say it’s a popular event.

Film

I Am Love, Winter’s Bone, Cyrus at BAM; Toy Story 3, The Twilight Saga: Eclipse at the Pavilion

Sunday,  Jul 4 at 9:30 PM at BAM: Eldridge Cleaver directed by William Klein (1969) 75min. Under pressure from FBI’s counterintelligence program, Black Panther Eldridge Cleaver and his wife Kathleen left the United States for Algeria. There, he set up the International Section of the Black Panther Party which quickly became the hangout of revolutionaries from the Vietnamese and African liberation movements. Klein’s moving interview follows up with Cleaver during the Pan-African Cultural Festival in Algiers, where he expounds upon the Vietnam War and Black Power during a time when “revolution was the main theme of the day.”

Shopping

On Sunday, July 4: The Brooklyn Flea, a source for for top antiques, vintage furniture and clothing, handmade goods, jewelry, design objects, and locally grown and prepared foods, will remain at the Williamsburgh Savings Bank in Fort Greene on Sundays only.

The Brooklyn Paper Suggests:

If you’re a betting man, head on over to Willie’s Dawgs instead and sign up for the Park Slope spot’s hot dog eating contest lottery pool, with the spoils (a $100 discount at Park Slope Veterinary Care) going to whoever correctly predicts the amount of hot dogs it will take to win Coney Island’s fabled event (last year it was 68, and everyone knows that Chestnut will eat 74 this year). The hot dog joint plans to donate all proceeds from the lottery to the Sean Casey Animal Rescue organization, which helps keep man’s best friends safe.

Later, head to Floyd Bennett Field for a Fabolous day. That’s no misprint: the Brooklyn MC will co-headline the third annual Brooklyn Music Festival at Aviator Sports. He’s joined by the infamous Shaggy, whose hit song “Wasn’t Me” lit up the charts in the late 1990s, and B.O.B, the young budding rap star from Atlanta who topped the charts in 2010 with his soulful ballad “Nothin’ on You.” Other acts include Tony Matterhorn and Lady Saw, two Jamaican dancehall deejays who plan to ignite the dance floor, and Jamaican crooner Barrington Levy.

For those looking to move, put on your Fourth of July dancing shoes and head out to Bushwick for a patriotic powwow of massive proportions. The Sunday Best crew is at it again with its self-proclaimed “best doggone backyard barbecue in Brooklyn,” at its new home at Brooklyn Fire Proof. Burgers, corn on the cob and, of course, hot dogs will be on the grill, while special DJ guest Rich Medina will keep the tunes pumping from 3 pm into the night — but ending early enough for you to catch some fireworks.

And for a good old-fashioned picnic, head to Bay Ridge for state Sen. Marty Golden’s third annual gathering. Blues Circus, the Groove, High Tides, Piranha Bros., The Ridge, and Frank Marra and His Band will provide the tunes, while hot dogs, hamburgers, sausage, drinks and ice cream will be available.

Fireworks: Although the Hudson River once again plays host to the Fourth of July Macy’s Fireworks Spectacular, you can still enjoy the patriotic pyrotechnics from numerous waterfront parks, as the shells will reach heights of up to 1,000 feet, creating more than a mile of dazzling fiery joy visible from the Brooklyn shore.

North Brooklyn parks like East River State Park, Grand Ferry Park and the lesser-known Transmitter Park in Greenpoint offer the clearest views of the fireworks, set off between W. 24th and W. 50th street across the river. Financial district skyscrapers partially obscure the view from Brooklyn Heights Promenade and the new Brooklyn Bridge Park, but southern Brooklynites can flock to the 69th Street Pier in Gravesend for a straight peep up the river.

The 26-minute show starts at 9:20 pm, so pack some watermelon, head over to watch the sunset, and make a night of it.

Smartmom

Smartmom Opens the Bible – The High School Bible, That Is

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The Oh So Feisty One came home from school the other day with “The Bible,”

No, not that bible.

OSFO came home with a doorstop of a book called Directory of the New York City Public High Schools 2010–2011, which is the so-called Bible of the high school admissions process that awaits OSFO and her family next fall.

The poor girl was bent over from the weight of that thing in her backpack. But her cheeks were flushed and she seemed to be in a great mood.

“We got the book today,” she told Smartmom excitedly as she came in the front door.

With the book in hand, OSFO seemed willing to face the fact that she’s a hop, skip and a jump away from high school. While she be willing to face it, Smartmom is having a harder time.

High school. Can you believe?

That’s a major milestone in life, and Smartmom can hardly fathom that her girl is actually that old.

Where did the time go? Is this the little girl I carried? Sunrise? Sunset?

It would be easy to get all misty eyed and sentimental about the whole thing. But there’s no time for that because Smartmom needs all her energy and her wits about her to deal with what is sure to be an incredibly difficult, “only in New York City” kind of process.

Indeed, much of OSFO’s eighth-grade year will be spent touring schools, auditioning, studying for tests, preparing portfolios, filling out applications, and waiting to hear what school she’ll be going to.

As “The Bible” says: “Eighth grade is an exciting time. As a student and applicant in New York, you have more high school options available to you than if you lived in any other city in the world!”

Smartmom read those words and sighed. Deeply. While it’s great that there are so many high school choices, she sometimes wishes there was just a good, zoned high school that her daughter could go to in the neighborhood. Isn’t that the way it is in most of America?

Only in New York is the high school application process more complicated, more laborious and even more stressful than getting into college. Joyce Szuflita, who runs NYC School Help, a service for Brooklyn parents, said at a recent high school workshop for parents at OSFO’s school:

“After this, getting your kids into college will seem EASY.”

Smartmom knows how true that is. She’s been through the process once already with Teen Spirit and she still has mild post-traumatic-stress.

Not to mention her post-traumatic stress from the middle school application process she went through just three years ago with OSFO. In case you’ve forgotten, OSFO was magically disappeared from the Department of Education computer and never received an admissions letter. As far as the city was concerned she didn’t exist.

That was pretty dispiriting, but OSFO managed to get into a great middle school and, well, the rest is history.

Buddha knows, she’s glad that OSFO is excited about this major transition in her life and she’s been studying “The Bible” carefully and learning about all the high schools that are out there.

And there’s so much to read about: Edward R. Murrow, Midwood, Brooklyn Tech, Brooklyn Latin, Bard 1, Bard 2, Frank Sinatra, Frank McCourt, Laguardia, Beacon, Telecommunications to name just a few …

Smartmom, Hepcat and OSFO are going to be looking at a lot of high schools next year. Because it’s so competitive, students are required to select 12 schools to which they’d be willing to go. That’s pretty tough if your kid gets her heart set on one or two schools. But as Szuflita said at the workshop, “You need to be comfortable with every school on your list because you never know. And you don’t want any surprises.”

Wise words. But it’s not easy to visit 12 schools, let alone pick 12 schools that OSFO would want to go to.

Well, they did it once for Teen Spirit, and now it’s OSFO’s turn to make some important choices in her life. For now, they’ve got The Bible and they’ve got all summer to read it.

It sure to be pretty dog-eared by next fall. But that’s okay. They’re going to get through this together and Smartmom can hardly wait to begin. Not.

Civics and Urban Life

Hot & Humid Weather Starting Sunday: Cooling Centers Open

A message from Craig Hammerman, District Manager of Community Board 6:

Please be advised that the City’s network of cooling centers will be opening on July 5th, per their announcement below.

Try to avoid being outdoors during the hottest part of the day, remember to use sun screen and hydrate, hydrate, hydrate!

Following this weekend’s 4th of July celebrations, New Yorkers can expect a week of hot and humid weather. Temperatures will climb into the 90s on Sunday and will remain in the mid- to high 90s for most of the week, with heat indices in the upper 90s.

Cooling Centers: New York City cooling centers will open Monday, July 5, until further notice to help New Yorkers beat the heat. Call 311 or use the cooling center finder beginning Monday at 9 AM to find a cooling center near you.

Conserve Energy: During periods of extremely hot and humid weather, electricity use rises, which can cause power disruptions. Use air conditioners only when you’re home, and only in rooms you’re using. If you want to cool your home before you return, set a timer that turns on no more than 30 minutes before you arrive. Turn off nonessential appliances.

Health & Safety: Stay out of the sun if possible and remember to drink plenty of water. Check on neighbors who may be vulnerable to the heat.

arts and culture

The Weekend List: Rooftop Films, West African Soul, Underground

Arty Parties

On Saturday, July 3: MoMA P.S. 1 in Long Island City begins their  Warm-Up series with live music from Delorean, Janka Nabay and the Bubu Gang, and Glasser. There’s also a  Pole Dance exhibit in the courtyard.

Also on Saturday night, July 3rd: the  Brooklyn Museum has two local dance acts: Analogue Transit and Dynasty Electric, music, film and more, as part of their First Saturday Series.

Governors Island

On Saturday, July 4 at 2PM (the beach opens at 10 AM) Roseanne Cash performs a free concert on Governors Island. And…

On Saturday, July 4 at 4PM there’s a free show by She and Him with Zooey Deschanel (500 Days of Summer) and MWard.

Coney Island

On the fourth:  Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog Eating Contest. Get there early. Needless to say it’s a popular event.

Film

Rooftop Films at the American Can Factory presents  striking program of short films, self-constructing buildings battle for fidelity, makers of mold-o-form plastic deer muddle their love, and Werner Herzog plays a discarded plastic bag desperately seeking the meaning of existence.

I Am Love, Winter’s Bone, Cyrus at BAM; Toy Story 3, The Twilight Saga: Eclipse at the Pavilion

Saturday, Jul 3 at 9:30 PM at BAM: Underground, a documentary on the Weather Underground—then members of the FBI’s “Most Wanted” list—features shrouded interviews with Bill Ayers, Kathy Boudin, Bernadine Dohrn, Jeff Jones, and Cathy Wilkerson. After production of the film was completed, the footage was subpoenaed by the government with the hopes that it might lead to arrests—but the filmmakers refused to hand it over. Within a couple years of the film’s release, the Weather Underground dissolved.

Shopping

On Sunday, July 4: The Brooklyn Flea, a source for for top antiques, vintage furniture and clothing, handmade goods, jewelry, design objects, and locally grown and prepared foods, will remain at the Williamsburgh Savings Bank in Fort Greene on Sundays only.

Music

Friday, July 2 at 7:30 (gates open at 6:30 PM) at Celebrate Brooklyn: The Fab 5 and Uzalu, vintage party mix recordings to their credit, The Fab 5 embody the history of reggae and live up to their billing as “Jamaica’s #1 Showband, celebrating 40 years of quality music.” The extraordinary percussionist Junior “Gabu” Wedderburn, master drummer of Broadways Lion King and founder of the Jamaican roots collective Ancient Vibrations, gets things started with his latest project, Uzalu, a cornucopia of rhythm.

Saturday, July 3 at 8PM at Barbes: West African Soul by Badegna led by Malian singer and percussionist Makane Kouyate, Badegna plays predominantly Malian music with some jazz influence brought by the New York based keyboard player John Austria and tenor sax player, Marco Chelo.

Saturday, July 3 at 10PM at Barbes: Authentic Samba and Pagode from Rio with all the flavor and ginga (swing) necessary to keep your feet moving. It’s the sounds of Rio in New York; a shortcut to Lapa (a traditionally musical Rio neighbohhood). It’s the party within. Not to be missed if you want to exorcize the gloomy vibes of winter.

arts and culture

OTBKB Music: Weekend Suggestions and News and Notes

If you’re sticking around this holiday weekend, there is some pretty good live music which awaits you, including Alejandro Escovedo, Willie Nile,  Spottiswoode and His Enemies,  Rosanne Cash and The Demolition String Band.  More details and the latest from musicians Milton, Kristin Diable and Alana Stewart over at Now I’ve Heard Everything.  NIHE will be taking a break for the holiday weekend.  You’ll find the next post there on Tuesday morning, and I’ll be back here at Only the Blog Knows Brooklyn on Wednesday.

–Eliot Wagner

arts and culture

Music Shows at Seaside This Summer

They’ve got a lot of interesting shows at the Seaside Concert Series (across the street from the Coney Island Aquarium) this summer.

On July 22nd, it’s  The Beach Boys live with something called the Happy Together – 25th anniversary tour, including elements from the following bands: The Monkees, The Turtles, & Paul Revere and the Raiders.

As previously mentioned here, Aretha Franklin (August 12) will grace the Seaside stage, as well as the stage at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Concert series in Wingate Park (August 9th). For the oldies crowd: there’s Neil Sedaka, Brenda Lee (July 15), and for blues aficionados there’s George Thorogood and the Destroyers.

Of interest to many will be John Legend’s show on August 5th at Seaside. Here’s some info at this acclaimed performer:

American pop/soul singer-songwriter-performer-social activist John Legend was still attending the University of Pennsylvania when Lauryn Hill invited him to play piano on “Everything is Everything,” from her Grammy-winning solo album The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. John quickly established a reputation as an in-demand session player, adding his distinctive vocal and/or piano stylings to recordings by Alicia Keys, Jay-Z, Kanye West (who signed Legend to his R&B/hip-hop label) and others.

Released on his 26th birthday (December 28 2004), John Legend’s debut album, Get Lifted, rocketed to #4 on the Billboard Top 200 and became America’s #1 Top R&B/Hip-Hop album in January 2005. A critical and commercial triumph, Get Lifted earned John an astounding eight Grammy nominations — he won Best New Artist, Best Male R&B Vocal Performance (“Ordinary People”) and Best R&B album — while selling more than three million copies worldwide.

John’s second collection, Once Again, entered the Billboard Top 200 at #3 shortly after its release in October 2006, peaking at #1 on the R&B Album Sales chart. The album earned an RIAA platinum certification while securing two Grammy nominations: “Save Room” (for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance) and “Heaven” (which won Best Male R&B Vocal Performance).

John racked up his fifth overall career Grammy win in 2006 when “Family Affair” — a track he’d cut with Joss Stone and Van Hunt for Different Strokes by Different Folks, a Sly & the Family Stone tribute album — took home top honors in the Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals category. In 2009, he won his sixth Grammy — in the Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals category — for the single “Stay With Me (By the Sea)” by Al Green featuring John Legend.

Civics and Urban Life

How to Open a Business in Brooklyn

A June 28th article in Inc.com says that  “Brooklyn is as much a brand as a location.” Hey, we knew that. And so did that vodka company that sponsored the Brooklyn Blogfest. But the article, How to Open a Business is quite interesting. Take a look/see.

For Alexis Miesen, Atlantic Avenue had all the makings of the quintessential Brooklyn thoroughfare that combines the charm of a small town with the pace of city life. With its colorful boutique storefronts, diverse dining options, smattering of coffee shops, and antique stores, she expected to see happy families strolling along the street sharing ice cream cones.

There was one problem: There was no ice cream anywhere around.

“It’s filled with all these fantastic bars and restaurants and shops and it just has this really great kind of energy. They have all these great amenities to the community but no great ice cream shop,” she said. “This is a gap in what other people are offering.”

Less than three years later, Miesen and her partner Jennie Dundas had opened not only an ice cream shop on Atlantic Avenue, but also had rapidly expanded the franchise to two other Brooklyn locations, feeding summertime crowds that often form lines winding out the door. Blue Marble’s organic, grass-fed dairy-based ice cream has been praised on The Martha Stewart Show, CNN, and in a bevy of New York publications.

Brooklyn has become as much a brand these days as a location. Slap the word “Brooklyn” on a piece of clothing and it’s instantly edgy, and quite likely to sell. New York City’s most populous borough remains a popular place to start a business, and Miesen and Dundas are emblematic of the grassroots, DIY entrepreneurs across the borough who’ve found a niche, and a loyal fan base that helps spread their brand along the way. (Check out Inc.com‘s slideshow on Brooklyn’s Best Entrepreneurs.)

The surge of creative energy, young artists and recent graduates is putting Brooklyn on the map not just for its booming music scene but also as competition with San Francisco to see who will lead the next Internet revolution.

Business owners say starting a venture in Brooklyn requires creativity, a careful study of neighborhoods, and a good deal of Web 2.0 savvy. We talked with several successful companies about why the county of Kings is a bubbling cauldron of entrepreneurship, and how to get in on the action.

Food and Drink

Effed in PS: Mack’s to Become High End Italian

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According to Effed in Park Slope (via a tipster) the owner of Mack’s, the casual bar/restaurant on Seventh Avenue, which opened about six months ago, has teamed up with new partners, who are in the process of turning the eatery, into a high-end Italian restaurant.

Hey, then it will be just like Elementi, the restaurant that was in there previously.

Apparently the owner didn’t even tell the staff. According to the Effed Tipster, in the middle of the night the owner “dragged all the food and liquor out” and “the place has been locked up since Monday with no signs or explanations.”

You heard anything?

arts and culture

OTBKB Music: July Music Calendar

There’s a lot of music around next month:  Rosanne Cash is going to Governors Island for a free July 4th show, The Swell Season and Sonic Youth are coming to the neighborhood to play Celebrate Brooklyn, Kathleen Edwards is playing a show on a cruise around Manhattan, and the Siren Music Festival is at Coney Island.  Information about those shows and 27 others can be found at the July Music Calendar over at Now I’ve Heard Everything.

–Eliot Wagner