The PS 321 Craft Fair is happening today starting at 11 am at the school on Seventh Avenue and 1st Street. This is one of the best craft fairs in Brooklyn. Typically a great many talented artisans show up there. I always spend too much. But that’s a good thing, I guess. Support the school, … Continue reading PS 321 CRAFT FAIR TODAY
Brooklyn author Michael Thomas’ book Man Gone Down was selected as one of the ten best books of 2007 by the New York Times Book Review. Thomas’ book is about a young black father of three in a biracial marriage on the eve of his thirty-fifth birthday looking for a job and a way to … Continue reading MAN GONE DOWN: ONE OF NY TIMES TOP TEN BOOKS OF 2007
In today’s New York Sun, Francis Morrone, addresses the recent Internet-and press-backlash against Park Slope in a column titled, "In Defense of Park Slope." For those who don’t know him, Morrone, one of the Park Slope 100, is a historian, journalist, author, lecturer, teacher, and blogger with a special interest in the connections among architecture, … Continue reading FRANCIS MORRONE GOES TO BAT FOR PARK SLOPE
Marc Kaminsky, one of the Park Slope 100, will be reading at Teachers and Writers Collaborative on November 9 at 6 p.m, in celebration of the publication of his new book of poetry and fiction, Shadow Traffic, from Red Hen Press. 2020 Visions: Marc KaminskyNovember 9 at 6:00 PM Marc Kaminsky is a Brooklyn-based poet, … Continue reading MARC KAMINSKY: 2020 VISIONS AT TEACHERS AND WRITERS
Jennifer Kliegel, owner of the Dance Studio of Park Slope, lives to teach dance. So when she found out that she was being pushed out of her space at 808 Union Street by rising rents she knew what she had to do. She began looking for a new space in earnest. And that’s not the … Continue reading JENNIFER KLIEGEL: PARK SLOPE REAL ESTATE SURVIVOR
There’s an article about Simone Dinnerstein in Tuesday’s New York Times. She, along with her parents, Simon and Renee Dinnerstein, were on the Park Slope 100. Her recording of the Goldberg Variations is being released on Telarc. If you want to be a concert pianist when you grow up, there are certain rules. You do … Continue reading SIMONE DINNERSTEIN IN THE NEW YORK TIMES
Mayor Bloomberg today accepted the resignation of Debbie Almontaser, the principal of the Khalil Gibran International Academy slated to begin classes in September. At 3:10 p.m. the Department of Education released this statement by Amontaser, who was one of the Park Slope 100. This morning I tendered my resignation to Chancellor Klein, which he accepted. … Continue reading DEBBIE ALMONTASER RESIGNS: KHALIL GIBRAN PRINCIPAL OUT
Singer, rapper, songwriter, producer and musician, Lauryn Hill has eight grammy awards, four children with Rohan Marley, the son of Bob Marley, and one heck of a critically acclaimed album under her belt called The Mis-Education of Lauren Hill. On top of all that, on Monday night she performs free in Brooklyn! The Martin Luther … Continue reading LAURYN HILL PERFORMS FOR FREE IN BROOKLYN TONIGHT!
Kim Maier, Director of the Old Stone House, tells me that “Hamlet is really, really good — well beyond student production if you get a chance to see it’s on Saturday at 8 pm.” Kim, I’ll be there. But look: They’re doing Shakespeare all day. This Shakespeare thing at the Old Stone House is INCREDIBLE!!!. … Continue reading SHAKESPEARE EXTRAVAGANZA IN JJ BYRNE PARK
I got this email from Hillary, my favorite blue haired cashier at Shawn’s Liquors. She is one of the Park Slope 100 and a passionate lover of animals. I’m sending out a mass email to everyone I know who has pets or doesn’t but loves animals. A new pet store at 255 Flatbush right before … Continue reading PROBLEM WITH PET STORES SELLING PUPPIES
Piper Theatre Productions’ home base is currently The Old Stone House in Park Slope Brooklyn and they are presenting Macbeth on the following nights. Macbeth Directed by John P. McEneny, one of the Park Slope 100. Wednesday, July 11th @ 8:00pm Friday, July 13th @ 8:00pm Saturday, July 14 @ 8:00pm Wednesday, July 18 @ … Continue reading PIPER THEATER’S MACBETH IN JJ BYRNE PARK TONIGHT
Just a little something I put together in my spare time. A cool cultural event or two for every one of the 31 days in July. I will be updating constantly. Please send any events you know about to louise_crawford@yahoo.com or leave a comment. Click below. Soon, there will be an icon right underneath the … Continue reading OTBKB’S BROOKLYN SUMMER GUIDE 2007
I’ve got the scoop but I’m not allowed to say until early next week. It’s a performer I adore and a real coup for Debby Garcia, Executive Director of the Seaside Summer Concerts and Martin Luther King, Jr. Concert Series. She asked me to hold off for a couple more days. Sorry to be uncharacteristically … Continue reading SUMMER CONCERT SCOOP SORT OF
Gary Giddins, one of the Park Slope 100, was a bartender/hairdresser at The Gate, Third Street’s beer garden and groovy gathering place. But he’s moved on. Gary is NOW a bartender/hairdresser at Commonwealth on Fifth Avenue and 12th Street in Park Slope. “I know it’s not exactly Paul leaving the Beatles,” he wrote in an … Continue reading GARY GIDDINS NOW AT COMMONWEALTH
Nice piece in the Brooklyn Paper by Nica Lalli about OTBKB pick for the Park Slope 100, Jonathan Blum, the Fifth Avenue artist who’s been on Fifth Avenue since 1999. He does the dog pictures and the forehead paintings you know and love.
A WOMB WITH A VIEW (May 22 – June 3), by Debra Barsha, a Park Slope composer and music teacher who was included on the Park Slope 100, explores a year in the life of a lesbian’s journey through the process of alternative insemination. From collecting donor samples in her living room, to having her … Continue reading A WOMB WITH A VIEW: MUSICAL ABOUT ALTERNATIVE INSEMINATION
It looks like the Khalil Gibran International Academy finally has a home at the Brooklyn School of the Arts on Dead Street. Phew. It’s been a long and contentious road but the two Parent-Teacher Associations at the Boerum Hill school are backing the plan to house the school in its building, despite complaints that they … Continue reading KHALILI GIBRAN SCHOOL FINALLY HAS A HOME
Mole333 on the Daily Gotham, a news and activism blog "fueled by you" had a post yesterday about Marty Martkowitz called "When Clowns Go Bad: Marty Markowitz Goes on a Rampage." The blogger says that Markowitz lashed out recently at a meeting of Community 6 and sent out letters firing "anyone who has shown any … Continue reading MARKOWITZ ON A RAMPAGE: SAYS THE DAILY GOTHAM
What’s all this I hear about a new middle school and high school going into the building that houses PS 282, a local elementary school on Sixth Avenue and Lincoln Place? Two parents at PS 282 wrote a letter to Chancellor Klein and sent it to me. I don’t know the whole story but I … Continue reading NEW MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL MAY GO INTO PS 282 IN PARK SLOPE
I attended the Park Slope Civic Council’s brunch/meeting last Saturday. The PSCC is a publically supported organization with a membership of more than 700 families. The approximately 30 trustees are drawn from this membership. Organized as the South Brooklyn Board of Trade in 1896, the Council is one of the oldest civic associations in Brooklyn. … Continue reading 7 in 2007: PARK SLOPE CIVIC COUNCIL INITIATIVES
The Dance Studio of Park Slope is losing their lease. The owner of the building, which is on the corner of Union Street and Seventh Avenue the Dance, wants to turn the second floor space occupied by the Dance Studio into an office space. The For 25-years, the Dance Studio, has been teaching ballet, modern, … Continue reading THE DANCE STUDIO NEEDS A NEW HOME
I met Marty Markowitz in the Green Room at WNBC where both of us were being interviewed by the very nice John Noel for News Forum Now, a Saturday morning show that is also viewable on the WNBC website. I was surprised that Marty had never heard of "Only the Blog Knows Brooklyn" – being … Continue reading IN THE GREEN ROOM WITH MARTY MARKOWITZ
The other week, I asked Pat Salmon, who works at Park Slope Copy, whether he looks at blogs. It was a coy way to bring up the subject of the Park Slope 100. I am frequently in the shop — but I never brought it up before. The store was too crowded or I was … Continue reading SALMON LIKE THE FISH
OTBKB fave and one of the Park Slope 100, Steve Buscemi, is in New York Magazine this week. “The Sundance Kid, the headline reads, “Still the toast of the festival, even if he understands that it’s not really about him anymore.” The story by Logan Hill says that Buscemi is in two Sundance films this … Continue reading BUSCEMI IS GOING TO SUNDANCE, AGAIN
You’ll find both of them in an article in this week’s New York Magazine, called, “Join A Brownstone Shtetl,’ part of their Inner Peace special issue. The story is about Rabbi Andy Bachman my blog fave and the newish rabbi at Congregation Beth Elohim. Author Douglas Rushkoff and family are new members of the congregation … Continue reading WHERE DO YOU FIND BOTH DOUGLAS RUSHKOFF AND RABBI ANDY BACHMAN?
I got so many responses to the Park Slope 100 and many new names. One of the many who should have been on the list was Park Sloper, Ellen Frudenheim, the author of “The Brooklyn Guidebook” (a 500 page guide to Brooklyn). She has a new book out called “Queens: What to Do, Where to … Continue reading ELLEN FRUDENHEIM
For obvious reasons, the Park Slope 100 is being renamed. It is now the Park Slope More Than 100. It was already more than 100 names – if you include couples and teams and group listings. So the name change is apt. PARK SLOPE 100 IS NOW THE PARK SLOPE MORE THAN 100.
It’s funny to get hammered for the things I was anticipating that I would get hammered about. As expected Gawker wrote something unflattering. But hey, that’s what they do. I wrote this earlier today: Rest assured: The List is sure to contain mistakes-a-plenty and ommissions. It will provoke hurt feelings, angry feelings, annoyance, aggravation, accusations, … Continue reading GETTING HAMMERED
Here’s the cover of the Atlantic Monthly that inspired the Park Slope 100. I saw it, I read the list and I immediately got inspired to do a list for greater Park Slope. Interestingly, my first reaction to the list of 100 Influential Americans was one of annoyance. I guess it’s a natural reaction. The … Continue reading THE ARTICLE THAT INSPIRED THE LIST
So it seems that THE LIST has caused a stir. I guess I expected that. But I didn’t expect to be called an elitest sycophant. Luckily, I’ve developed a pretty thick skin. I am processing all the critical comments, the positive ones, and the new names. My reaction to the new names is this: I … Continue reading THOUGHTS ON THE LIST