No Words Daily Pix: Photograph by Hugh Crawford
Prospect Heights House Tour: Rain or Shine (Hey It’s Mostly Indoors)
The Prospect Heights biennial house tour is TODAY: Sunday,
October 18th from 12:00 PM to 5:00 PM.
Rain or shine.
Appease your curiosity. See how the other half lives. be voyeuristic. Get ideas. Dream.
The self-guided tour will
include 11 wonderful homes and apartments. As one of Brooklyn’s premier
brownstone neighborhoods, Prospect Heights’ historical and aesthetic
significance was recognized by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission on June 23rd when it created the expansive Prospect Heights Historic District. Prospect Heights was recently featured
on the show “This Old House” and was commended by LPC Chairman Tierney
for its “architectural integrity and diversity, scale, tree-lined
streets and residential character.” From restored Victorian brownstones
and limestones, to stylish new row houses and apartments, to the
impressively modern “On Prospect Park” by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Richard Meier,
Prospect Heights is indeed an architectural smorgasbord.
The tour will
include all this and more and will showcase the unique character of
Prospect Heights even as the imposing and controversial Atlantic Yards project proposes to make its own mark on the neighborhood.
Hepcat Is Not Taking This Couch Search Lying Down
Here's this week's Smartmom from the Brooklyn Paper:
So Smartmom popped the question by cellphone.
“You wanna go look at couches?” she asked.
There was a long silence and then a big surprise. He was all for it.
They decided to meet at 2:30 at Room & Board on Wooster Street.
Smartmom kept her expectations very low. She figured they’d look
around, Hepcat would feign disinterest, and they’d be on their way.
Smartmom got to Room & Board right on time. Hepcat didn’t. Great. Now he was going to make her wait.
So friggin’ passive aggressive, she thought.
At 2:58 she considered leaving just to spite him. Instead she decided to just be very Zen about the whole thing.
Hepcat walked in at 3:05.
“So where’s the couch?”
The Zen was working. She just browsed. Hepcat browsed. She didn’t
express any opinions. He didn’t express any opinions. They quietly went
from couch to couch. They sat. They looked. They moved on.
Indeed, Room & Board has many couches with many names and
personalities. There’s the Anson, which Hepcat thought looked like the
inside of a Lamborghini. The Brooks is post-Modern, while the Clarke is
slightly nautical. The Hahn is whimsical, while the Melrose is very
sleek. And the Kinsey is, er, very 1950s.
On the second floor, a rather friendly looking couch caught Smartmom’s eye — the Townsend.
“I may not be as stylish as the Andre or the Hutton,” the Townsend seemed to say. “But I’m very comfortable! Great for watching TV and reading.”
Smartmom was intrigued enough to sit down on the Townsend. It was low
and roomy in a soft chenille fabric with a classic modern form.tried lying down on it — it was perfect for napping.
She
tried reading on it — it was perfect for perusing The New Yorker and
The Brooklyn Paper.
Then she wondered what Diaper Diva, her sister the movie set decorator, and Manhattan Granny, who likes Bauhaus, say?
But Smartmom knew it didn’t really matter; this was her and Hepcat’s
decision. Besides, a couch is isn’t just about décor, it’s about
comfort and family time. It’s about intimacy and touch. It’s about
doing something different, having something new. Together.
“Hey what do you think of this couch?” she called over to Hepcat.
“Not bad,” he said sitting down. “It is very comfortable. And I like the arms. They’re flat. You can put things down on them.”
The longer they sat on the Townsend, the more they liked it.
“Let’s sleep on it,” he said.
“The couch?” Smartmom said.
“No. Let’s give it some time. See how we feel next week,” he said.
“You wanna come back next week?” she asked shocked that he’d actually return to a furniture store.
Smartmom couldn’t wait for their next date at Room & Board.
New Day is Oct 25: Pick Up a Shovel and Make Kensington Beautiful
Daffodil Day is rained out. The rain date is October 25 for Daffodil Day in Kensington.
Join
your neighbors as we plant daffodil bulbs on Church Avenue and its side
streets. In the spring, watch the flowers that we planted bloom!
From 9:00 a.m. to noon, volunteers will
- loosen soil in tree pits
- plant daffodil bulbs
- go to Connie's Cafe for free coffee and a muffin!
Wear clothing and shoes that you don't mind getting some dirt on. If you can, bring
- a hand cultivator
- a trowel
- a bulb borer
- anything else that's useful for digging and planting
- extra gardening tools, if you have them, for your neighbors to use.
We'll meet at 9:00 a.m. in front of Astoria Federal Savings, at the corner of Church and McDonald avenues.
Connie,
the owner of Connie's Cafe (corner of Church Avenue and E. 5th Street),
has graciously agreed to donate coffee and muffins for the volunteers.
This
neighborhood event is sponsored by KARMABrooklyn (Kensington Area
Resident/Merchant Alliance) and WKAG (West Kensington Action Group).
Harvest Fest Today: The Ponies Are Coming, Rain or Shine!
The Ponies are Coming,
Rain or Shine!
Harvest Fest! 11 am – 3 pm in JJ Byrne Park or the Old Stone House. Third Street and Fifth Avenue.
If it rains, we'll be inside with music, face painting, arts & crafts, and costume making. Call us for more information 718-768-3195.
No Words Daily Pix: Photograph by Hugh Crawford
How Bad Are the Subways This Weekend?
I know that this weekend there are NO F Trains between Jay Street and Church Avenue meaning that the F train IS NOT stopping at 4th and 7th Avenues in Park Slope. There are shuttle buses, however. Here's what it says about these other lines:
and 
possible delays due to necessary maintenance work
Until further notice
Due to necessary maintenance work customers may experience 5 to 7 minute delays
from the times listed in the published timetable.
Oct 19 at Noon: Lander, Pechefsky & Nardiello to Take Standardized Tests!
All three candidates for the City Council in the 39th district are public school parents. However, the current CFB Voter Guide, delivered to households this past week, misprinted information and said that Brad Lander was the only public school parent of the bunch.
That was accurate of the candidates for the Democratic primary but not accurate of the three now facing the general election. In other words: Pechefsky (Green), Brad Lander (Democratic) and Nardiello (Republican) have kids in public school.
They will hold a press conference on Monday, October 19th at noon in JJ Byrne Park (3rd Street and Fifth Avenue) to set the record straight.
To dramatize the fact. all three candidates will take a standardized test while sitting in school desks. It should be quite a sight. The event is just one block from MS 51.
John Turturro To Join Walk Don’t Destroy 5 Today
Today actor, writer, director and Brooklynite John Turturro will join Walk Don't Destroy 5, Develop Don't Destroy's annual Walkathon to raise funds for the legal fight against the Atlantic Yards Project. Mid-route there will be a protest at Bloomberg's Atlantic Avenue campaign office. Afterwards, there's an after-party at Habana Outpost.
WHAT:
Walk Don’t Destroy 5
Develop Don’t Destroy Brooklyn 5th Annual Walkathon Fundraiser
Raising grassroots funds to wage the legal fight against Ratner's Atlantic Yards proposal
WHEN:
Saturday, October 17, 2009, 1:45 – 4:00pm
WHO:
Walk with start with speeches at 2pm by:
Actor, Writer, Director Brooklynite John Turturro
State Senator Velmanette Montgomery
NY City Councilmember Letitia James
DDDB's Daniel Goldstein
WHERE:
Walk and Speeches Starts at Brooklyn Borough Hall
(Columbus Park, the Plaza on the North side of Borough Hall)
Walkathon After Party:
(757 Fulton Street at South Portland Ave.)
WALK ROUTE: The 2.23 mile walk route
will start at Borough Hall, along Atlantic Avenue, through some of the
neighborhoods bordering the Atlantic Yards site, the project footprint
itself and concludes in Fort Greene at Habana Outpost.
will start at Borough Hall, along Atlantic Avenue, through some of the
neighborhoods bordering the Atlantic Yards site, the project footprint
itself and concludes in Fort Greene at Habana Outpost.
Midway
through the walk, the walkers will stop to protest outside of Mayor
Bloomberg's Atlantic Avenue campaign office because of his undying
support for the Atlantic Yards project (campaign office at: 525
Atlantic Avenue, between 3rd and 4th Avenues).
through the walk, the walkers will stop to protest outside of Mayor
Bloomberg's Atlantic Avenue campaign office because of his undying
support for the Atlantic Yards project (campaign office at: 525
Atlantic Avenue, between 3rd and 4th Avenues).
The Makers Market at the (OA) Can Factory on Third Street
Every Sunday 11am until 6 pm: curated makers market of art and design with lots of interesting artisans and designers including Miss Wit, the t-shirt queen of Red Hook, come together at The Makers Market at (OA) Can Factory on Third Street at Third Avenue. Check out these vendors and more:
Ugly Duckling Presse
uglyducklingpresse.org
May Luk Ceramics
takemehomeware.com
Christine Vasan Jewelry
christinevasan.com
Ugly Duckling Presse
uglyducklingpresse.org
Wabisabi Brooklyn
Jewelry
wabisabibrooklyn.com
Lynn Goodman Porcelain
lynngoodmanporcelain.com
Meow Meow Tweet
Soaps
meowmeowtweet.com
Swayspace
Letterpress
swayspace.com
SchoolHouse Kitchen
schoolhousekitchen.com
Pictured:
T-shirt: Miss Wit
Lamp: warpeDesign on Etsy
Plates: http://loisaronow.com
Necklace: http://louisefischercozzi.com
Walk Don’t Destroy 5, Recycling & Give a Plant a New Home
Thanks to Eric McClure of Park Slope Neighbors for this rundown of what's going on this weekend.
1) Join Us Tomorrow for Walk Don't Destroy 5
This is it! Our Park Slope Neighbors team for Develop Don't
Destroy Brooklyn's Walk Don't Destroy 5 is just $3 short of being the
walkathon's top fundraising team! Will you help put us over the
top? Better yet, will you walk with us tomorrow as we raise
funds for DDDB's legal effort against Atlantic Yards?
Destroy Brooklyn's Walk Don't Destroy 5 is just $3 short of being the
walkathon's top fundraising team! Will you help put us over the
top? Better yet, will you walk with us tomorrow as we raise
funds for DDDB's legal effort against Atlantic Yards?
It's truly crunch time in the fight to stop Bruce Ratner from
building a basketball arena and acres of parking lots in low-rise,
brownstone Prospect Heights. Just two days ago, the New York
State Court of Appeals heard oral arguments in the challenge to the
project's use of eminent domain. The previous day, four local
elected officials, NYPIRG's Straphangers Campaign and DDDB filed suit
against the MTA, seeking to void the sale of the Vanderbilt Yard to
Forest City Ratner for a fraction of its value.
building a basketball arena and acres of parking lots in low-rise,
brownstone Prospect Heights. Just two days ago, the New York
State Court of Appeals heard oral arguments in the challenge to the
project's use of eminent domain. The previous day, four local
elected officials, NYPIRG's Straphangers Campaign and DDDB filed suit
against the MTA, seeking to void the sale of the Vanderbilt Yard to
Forest City Ratner for a fraction of its value.
DDDB is funding 100% of these lawsuits — but their ability to
keep pressing the fight is wholly dependent on raising funds from
people like us.
keep pressing the fight is wholly dependent on raising funds from
people like us.
There's still time for you to sign up and walk with us tomorrow.
We need every walker — and every dollar.
We need every walker — and every dollar.
To join the Park Slope Neighbors team or to make a general
donation in our name, please click here.
donation in our name, please click here.
To visit the Walk Don't Destroy 5 home page, click here.
Please join us!
2) Give a Plant a New Home — Baltic Street Community Garden
Giveaway, Saturday and Sunday
Giveaway, Saturday and Sunday
We wrote in depth earlier this year about the fate of P.S. 133,
which will be demolished later this year to make way for a new, larger
school building. The creation of the new school will also
necessitate the relocation — and down-sizing — of the Baltic Street
Community Garden, which has been rooted in P.S. 133's school yard
since the 1970s. The gardeners are hoping to find homes in the
neighborhood for the plants that won't fit in the new plot, and
they'll be giving away a host of fabulous greenery this weekend.
From the Garden's web
site:
which will be demolished later this year to make way for a new, larger
school building. The creation of the new school will also
necessitate the relocation — and down-sizing — of the Baltic Street
Community Garden, which has been rooted in P.S. 133's school yard
since the 1970s. The gardeners are hoping to find homes in the
neighborhood for the plants that won't fit in the new plot, and
they'll be giving away a host of fabulous greenery this weekend.
From the Garden's web
site:
Many of our most beautiful plants came to us as gifts and
cuttings from people in the neighborhood, and we hope that we can give
back by distributing them throughout the area, for your tree pits,
front and backyards and decks.
Pictured below are some of the plants we'd like to find
homes for. We have many more, including day lilies, echinacea,
the amazing trumpet vine and wisteria vine, periwinkle, and bridal
wreath. There are several trees as well. Click here for a fuller
inventory.
We'd also like to share tools (rakes, shovels, trowels, a
wheelbarrow) and the pavers that make up the garden's
walkways.
The carefully tended soil, rich with frequent additions of compost
from our own bins, can enrich many gardens, containers and tree
pits.
The Baltic Street gardeners invite you to come on
Saturday, Oct. 17, and Sunday, Oct. 18, from 11-5. The entrance is on
Baltic Street, just east of Fourth Avenue. We have some containers,
but if you can, bring your own.
3) Electronics Recycling this Saturday; Harvest Fest
Sunday
Sunday
Due to the likelihood of lousy weekend
weather, the Park Slope Civic Council has decided to curtail the Fall
Civic Sweep that it had planned for Saturday. However, they'll
still be accepting electronics for recycling at the Prospect Park
YMCA, at 357 9th Street between 5th and 6th Avenues, between the hours
of 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.
weather, the Park Slope Civic Council has decided to curtail the Fall
Civic Sweep that it had planned for Saturday. However, they'll
still be accepting electronics for recycling at the Prospect Park
YMCA, at 357 9th Street between 5th and 6th Avenues, between the hours
of 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.
In addition, other neighborhood businesses
and organizations will be collecting items for recycling on
Saturday:
Electronics recycling by 3R Living at the
Old Stone House in Washington Park
Used battery recycling at J & R Television at 108 7th Avenue
Greenmarket.
The Old Stone House will also be hosting
the annual Harvest Fest on Sunday, between the hours of 11 a.m. and 3
p.m. In the event of rain, the activities, including music, face
painting, arts and crafts and Halloween costume-making, will take
place inside the Old Stone House.
No Words Daily Pix: Photograph by Hugh Crawford
OTBKB Music: Music for a Transit Snafu Weekend
It's the second transit snafu weekend in a row with most of the subway
lines not doing things that they usually do or doing things that they
usually don't do. Here in the Slope, the F and G trains are being
replaced by shuttle buses from Jay Street (F) or Bergan Street (G) to
Church Avenue. The festivities start at midnight tonight and last
though Monday morning at 5am, so be sure to check with the MTA before
you leave home. With that out of the way, here are some suggestions
for the weekend.
Friday – Sydney Wayser: Sydney's main instrument is piano and her band
consists of electric guitar, upright bass and drums. Her songs combine
elements of classical, show music, rock and chanson française (Sydney's
father is French and she spent some time in Paris growing up). But the
most impressive instrument in Sydney's band is her voice. Extremely
expressive and perhaps a touch breathy, it is the hook that ultimately
pulls you into her music.
Sydney Wayser – Mercury Lounge, 217 E Houston Street (F Train to Second Avenue, use the First Avenue exit), Friday 8pm, $10
Saturday – "Hans and Sven:" The website for The Rockwood Music Hall
lists Hans and Sven playing, but if you Google that name you will
quickly find out, courtesy of The Living Room's website that Hans and
Sven are really Pete and J. If a picture is worth a thousand words I
guess a video is worth, what, maybe 10,000? So here is one I posted
previously. Expect high energy pop rock, and since it's The Rockwood on
the weekend, a crowd.
"Hans and Sven" – The Rockwood Music Hall, 184 Allen Street, (F Train
to Second Avenue, use the First Avenue exit), Saturday 11pm
Sunday – L'il Mo and The Monicats: Monica Passin leads this excellent
band. Expect to hear country, rockabilly, blues, retro pop and
perhaps something else as well by the time the set is over. And I'll
repeat what I've said before, this year's L'il Mo and the Monicats
album, On the Moon, is one of the year's best.
L'il Mo and the Monicats – Spike Hill 184/186 Bedford Avenue (L Train to Bedford Avenue) Sunday 9pm
–Eliot Wagner
Leon Freilich, Verse Responder: Gone With The Window
State registration stickers are
slipping off car windows. –news item
Gone With The Window
In Dublin "the centre cannot hold."
About that no one bickers.
Maybe
we're lucky in New York,
Where it's only DMV stickers.
Leon Freilich
Halloween Lecture at Green-Wood Cemetery
How ghoulish. How spooky. How perfect. Spend Halloween at Green-Wood Cemetery on the big day: Saturday, October 31 at 1:00pm.
Event: Halloween at Green-Wood, Part 1
What: Lecture
Start Time: Saturday, October 31 at 1:00pm
End Time: Saturday, October 31 at 3:00pm
Where: Green-Wood Cemetery
To see more details and RSVP, follow the link below:
http://www.facebook.com/n/?event.php&eid=200422440328&mid=141b23cG61983188Ga5b077G7
Tom Martinez, Witness: Brooklyn For Peace Rainy Vigil
Weekend List: Wild Things, Book Swap, Rocky Horror and Comedy
MOVIES: This weekend you can catch Where the Wild Things Are, the new film by director Spike Jonze of Maurice Sendak's childhood classic, at the Pavilion.
The Informant there or at BAM Rose Cinema, where it's playing with Bright Star (Dir. Jane Campion), Michael Moore's Capitalism: A Love Story and Coco Before Chanel with Audrey Tatou.
THEATER: At the Brooklyn Lyceum: Rocky Horror Picture Show but not the movie. It's LIVE at 9:30 on Saturday night. Fourth Avenue at President Street. But just like the movie, the producers urge you to dress up and come ready for RHPS-style audience participation.
BOOK SWAP: The Cobble Hill Association is sponsoring a free Book Swap on
Saturday, October 17, 2009 at the Long Island College Hospital (LICH)
Sitting Park located at Henry and Pacific Streets in Cobble Hill, from
11 AM until 3 PM.
Saturday, October 17, 2009 at the Long Island College Hospital (LICH)
Sitting Park located at Henry and Pacific Streets in Cobble Hill, from
11 AM until 3 PM.
The idea for the Book Swap is simple: bring a book and get a
book. LICH staff members will also be on hand to meet the community
and will conduct free blood pressure screening and an asthma
information table at the park. Books will also be available for sale
at $1 or less. All proceeds and remainder books will be donated to the
Hospital by the Cobble Hill Association.
book. LICH staff members will also be on hand to meet the community
and will conduct free blood pressure screening and an asthma
information table at the park. Books will also be available for sale
at $1 or less. All proceeds and remainder books will be donated to the
Hospital by the Cobble Hill Association.
This low-key, neighborly event is the perfect time to meet
neighbors and support our local hospital, too. In case of rain, the
Book Swap will be held at the same time and place the following
Saturday, October 24th.
COMEDY: Jason West & Dykes on Mics event on Sunday at 7pm at Ginger's Bar, 353 5th Avenue between 5th & 6th Streets.
This Weekend: Fun Free or Cheap Activities in Brooklyn
Wendy Ponte, the Brooklyn Frugal Family Examiner, writes for magazines and newspapers on
topics including parenting and childbirth, travel, culture and
lifestyles.
Here is what is happening for free (or cheap) this weekend in Brooklyn:
Friday, October 16th Brooklyn-based violinist and composer Skye Steele
is…
Keep Reading »
Friday, October 16th Brooklyn-based violinist and composer Skye Steele
is…
Keep Reading »
No Words Daily Pix: Photograph by Hugh Crawford
The Pepto Bismol House is NOT for Sale!
Huh? What? But OTBKB and the Daily News said that it was for sale. I'm confused now. What's going on?
Well, the Brooklyn Paper is saying that owner Bernie Henry pulled the house off the market because of a supposed dispute with a grandson. Here's an excerpt fromt he BP story:
Don’t believe everything you read: The famous “Pink House” of Garfield Place is not for sale.
Bloggers and even the Daily News were buzzing this week that Bernie Henry, who famously painted his classic Park Slope brownstone salmon pink in the 1960s, was selling the empty nest and moving to a smaller place nearby.
But the house is not on the market, a real-estate source told The Brooklyn Paper, because Henry’s grandson is under investigation for forging key documents that have put a cloud over who has legal ownership of the building.
Henry, 92, said he couldn’t speak about the matter on Wednesday because his ailing wife had just died
Oct 22: Pechefsky to Duke it Out With Brad Lander
David Pechefsky, Green Party candidate for City Council in the 39th district, will go head to head with Democratic candidate Brad Lander, at the Central Brooklyn Independent Democrats (CBID).
This is CBID's monthly meeting but it is open to the public. The discussion will focus on David's strongest point: reform of the Council and the role of the Speaker. This topic has generated a lot of press and is a point where the two candidates strongly disagree, so don't miss it.
The debate takes place at the Park Slope Methodist Church, 6th Avenue and 8th Street on October 22nd at 8 p.m.
Tonight at 8 pm: Poetry Punch at the Old Stone House
So what is Poetry Punch?
It's BRW's annual FUN poetry party curated by Michele Madigan Somerville.
How about a nice poetry punch?
When is it?
On
Thursday October 15th at 8 p.m.
Who's reading?
Come hear poets Edmund Berrigan, Louise Crawford, Bill Evans Sharon Mesmer, Wanda Phipps, Joanna Sit, Michael
Sweeney and Jeffrey C. Wright. It's an awesome group.
How about a nice poetry punch?
Where?
At
the Old Stone House. Fifth Avenue and 3rd Street in Park
Slope. Suggested donation of $5. includes punch, wine and snacks.
718-768-3195
How about a nice poetry punch?
This
is ALWAYS a fun, festive reading. A fun night out. These poets write
smart, interesting, juicy, and entertaining poetry. It's good stuff and
there will, of course, be good punch.
Brooklyn Frugal Family Examiner Says: Homemade Cleaning Products Save Money!
Wendy Ponte, Brooklyn Frugal Family Examiner, says that making your own cleaning products can save you money. And isn't it nice to know that safe, non-toxic cleaners make your home (and the environment) greener?
For a great recipe for an All-purpose cleaner, check out Let's Go Green Together.
Oct 22: Pulitzer Prize Winning Poet Philip Levine at Pacific Standard
Pulitizer Prize winning poet, Philip Levine will be reading on October 22 at 7 p.m. at Pacific Standard (82 Fourth Avenue in Park Slope between Bergen and St. Marks), a micro brewery that also has a very active and interesting fiction and poetry reading series called "Chin Music."
News of the World, is Levine's 20th book. He divides his time between California and Brooklyn. The son of
Russian immigrants, Levine was born in Detroit and worked in the city's auto plants in the 1950's where, he says, he discovered that the people he was working with "were voiceless in a way."
Levine will be reading with Steve Gehrke and Jason Koo.
Cobwebs, Skeletons, Mutated Limbs & Recreated Childhood Mementos at Urban Alchemist
The “G-Train Salon” presents intimate discussions with emerging artists from the Park Slope oasis, Urban Alchemist Design Collective. This month, artist Andrea Burgay ushers in the Halloween season with a ghoulish display of cobwebs, skeletons, mutated limbs and recreated childhood mementos. Join us for a discussion and Q & A with the artist as she walks through this poignant landscape haunted by memories, nostalgia and “Hungry Ghosts.” www.gtrainsalon.blogspot.com
WHO: Mixed-media Artist Andrea Burgay at Urban Alchemist Design Collective
WHAT: “Hungry Ghosts,” solo exhibition and salon discussion
WHEN: Saturday, October 24, 2009
7:00pm Cocktails
8:00pm Salon discussion led by artist Andrea Burgay
Exhibition on view through November 19, 2009
WHERE: Urban Alchemist Design Collective
343 5th Street (Off 5th Avenue)
Brooklyn, NY 11215
No Words Daily Pix: Photograph by Hugh Crawford
Leon Freilich, Verse Responder: Bay Ridge Beats Park Slope in Recycling
Despite the influence of the Food Coop, Park Slope
does worse in recycling than Bay Ridge, which is
coop-less. That's the result of a massive Sanitation Dept.
search of garbage cans.
"I guess we've still got our work cut out for us," says
Park Slope Civic Council president Ken Freeman.
Joe Holtz, founder and messiah of the Coop,
is thought to be considering pulling up his cross
and shifting the cult to Brooklyn's left coast.
is thought to be considering pulling up his cross
and shifting the cult to Brooklyn's left coast.
Mayoral Debate: Live & Kicking, Off Stage & On
Brooklyn Beat of the blog Deep in the Heart of Brooklyn was at the mayoral debate last night. Here's an excerpt. Go to his blog for more text and pix:
"When I arrived at El Museo Del Barrio,the building was ringed by
police, media service trucks, and political supporters. Little groups
of construction workers huddled on 5th avenue, clearly tired after a
long day on the job, with Mayor Mike posters. On 104th street, a crowd
of proud East Harlem pro-Thompson activists raised a pro- Bill,
anti-Mike ruckus, breaking into cheers whenever passing motorists
honked their horns in support."
police, media service trucks, and political supporters. Little groups
of construction workers huddled on 5th avenue, clearly tired after a
long day on the job, with Mayor Mike posters. On 104th street, a crowd
of proud East Harlem pro-Thompson activists raised a pro- Bill,
anti-Mike ruckus, breaking into cheers whenever passing motorists
honked their horns in support."
New Lethem Slammed By New York Times: Will Read It Anyway
Michiko Kakutani in the New York Times really didn't much like Jonathan Lethem's new book, Chronic City. I loved Lethem's Fortress of Solitude (and so did Kakutani), Lethem's opus about growing up in Brooklyn in the 1970's. So I have every intention of reading Chronic City even if it is about Manhattan. First I have to finish Middlemarch and Big Machine by Victor LaValle.
…Mr. Lethem’s Chronic City seems like an insipid, cartoon
version of Manhattan: recognizable in outline (with snooty Upper East
Side dinner parties, a wealthy businessman turned mayor and all manner
of eccentric artists and has-beens, socialites and socialists), but
garnished with odd details (snow in the summertime, a tiger roaming the
streets, an apartment building for dogs) that feel more like whimsical
embroiderings than genuinely interesting or illuminating inventions
version of Manhattan: recognizable in outline (with snooty Upper East
Side dinner parties, a wealthy businessman turned mayor and all manner
of eccentric artists and has-beens, socialites and socialists), but
garnished with odd details (snow in the summertime, a tiger roaming the
streets, an apartment building for dogs) that feel more like whimsical
embroiderings than genuinely interesting or illuminating inventions