Need some K-town gear?

We don't know of anyone else that promotes Kensington t-shirts so if you're looking for a holiday gift for a true K-town supporter try cafepress.com (this is the Kensington page).

Brooklyn Sampler - Got Kensington

We just got word the Brooklyn Sampler, a curated a box of goods made by Brooklynites, includes work by two Kensington neighbors! Heather Mullen has included her one of a kind hey punkin! onesies and Naomi Strom, one half of the jewelry-making team of wabisabi brooklyn, included earrings, rings and necklaces in the box. Check out the details of the box and these talented lady's at the linked sites.

Praise and Comments!

Dear Kensington Blog,

I have been a great fan and participant since your first posting. I love the sense of community it has offered me and my immediate neighbors- a virtual coffee shop of sorts. You have helped us define who we are and what we hope to be. It has been a great blog and I admire and appreciate all of your hard work. It saddens me that a handful of folks have managed to hijack this forum and temporarily destroy the good will and generous spirit which are the true heart of Kensington. So many community building relationships have emerged from this blog that serve as proof positive that with time and patience the emergence of a new, vibrant, and welcoming Kensington is inevitable.

Thanks again for all of your hard work!
M on Chester

Thanks M from Chester. This blog is a labor of love and much more work then people imagine. We also can't make everyone happy which is why we really want contributions and help, email us please! Anyway, the comments section is something we struggle with.... What is the deal w all the snarky comments? We constantly get emails to have a log in and we hesitate on that b/c we don't necessarily want to be mediator or regulator. Plus the open forum has allowed for some real positive interactions that we think would cease with that extra step of logging in. We'll do our best to delete the more absurd and rude but sometimes life takes over and we don't even look at the blog for a full day while at work. That being said follow the rules of kindergarten and play nice!

Kensington Stories

Good news and bad news. Ron created a spin off blog and the won't be profiling his stories here any longer. We'll be updating you w his updates and he's got a new one up right now.
Kensington Stories (by Ron Lopez)

Here's a little bit of the new one.... Some Bad Habits
As I sat in my third grade classroom in PS 179 I could hear them roaring towards us. From my desk I could look out the window and see their long yellow roofs. They parked in front of the school entrance way on Avenue C. With their diesel engines just clattering away, I knew it was my time to go. On every Wednesday at 2 o’clock my stomach would start to hurt. It was time for the public school Christians to leave our sanctuary of bliss and head North up East 3rd street to The Immaculate Heart of Mary school.

Walks with My Father

(Blogger note: Forgive us we are in a rush and can't flip the image from here but wanted to display the photo).

The memories are faint and hard to recall. When I picture them it’s like watching an old black and white movie. I remember walking next to him and looking at the belt he wore, I remember holding his hand as we would walk up to Church and inside one of the small newsstands that dotted the Avenue.

There was one in particular that I recall, it was where the tiny shoe store is across from Golden Farm. It had a tiny counter and a few chrome plated stools. They were round at the top and you could spin them around. The tops of the stools were padded with either a black or dark red vinyl. When my dad waited for his change I would gently spin the seat tops while peering under the counter for a glimpse of the hundreds of pieces of dried gum people left behind. “Hey Dad can I see the Camel?” My father would usually hand me the pack of cigarettes to look at. I remember staring at the Camel with the two columns on each side of it. Back then there was no surgeon generals warning on the pack, so a kid could look at it without a parent fearing a question about why you smoke. My father would gently tug me out the door and we would start our journey back down East 4th to our house.

The trips to the candy stores or newsstands as we call them today were fairly frequent for my Dad. You see my father smoked at least two packs of cigarettes a day,and filter-less of course. The news stand next to the bank and the jewelry store was another destination for my Dad and I. I think it’s the only original news stand that I can still remember from the early 60’s. Sometimes my Dad would buy Chesterfield’s, he would always let me look at the pack which I closely studied of course. And sometimes on the way home we would stop by the Beverly Theater to see what was playing. The marquee always cast a huge shadow with it’s lights blinking like a Coney Island arcade. There was a long wide entrance which lead into the theater. It gently sloped up to old time wooden and glass doors. You could always see the concession stand from the sidewalk too, it was probably where the counter is for the “Deal 99 cent store”. And no matter what time of day it was or even if the place was closed you could always smell popcorn in the entrance way.

By the time we would reach East 2nd street my Dad would be puffing away. Billowing smoke like an incinerator from the apartment buildings on Ocean Parkway, out of his mouth, out of his nose and sometimes looking like his ears too. My father was always off to work too, and no matter what time of the day it was. And of course, he had to finish his cigarette before he left the house. “Your father works like a donkey” that’s all I heard my grandfather Paco say about his son. “Education is what will make you succeed in life”. “Your father refused an education and look at him now” I guess my grandfather was talking about college, because my Dad did go to High School. John Jay in Park Slope. But then again, I never knew if he ever graduated.

My Dad worked two jobs and sometimes three, he worked in a restaurant called McPherson’s down by Trinity Place in Manhattan by day, and by night at the Trinity Place post office as a “part timer”. He also did catering work on weekends and even co-owned a coffee shop atone time on Vanderbilt right off Atlantic. So I didn’t see my Dad much, and if I did he was usually sleeping between jobs on a Lazy Boy in the living room. For my brother and I there was no catch in front of the house and there was no playing tag at Greenwood Park. And we knew better not to even ask my father.

One day when my brother and I came home from PS 179 we heard my mom on the phone crying to her sister. We looked in their bedroom and my father was lying in the bed, he was crying too. In those days no one told a little kid what was going on and you dare not even ask. All I heard from my mom was “Daddy's not feeling well and won't be going to work for a while". You see, it all started my father was offered a full time position at the Trinity Place Post Office. There was a routine physical he was ordered to take before he could become a full-time employee. Problems breathing were followed by X-rays. A "spot on his lung" was detected and before you knew it there were tests followed by more tests. Doctors in those days didn't "beat around the bush" like today. Dr. Weisel on Plaza street in Prospect Heights told my Dad straight to his face that he would be "dead in three months". My Dad refused chemo, but did opt to have one lung removed, and I will always remember that scar. It went from his chest all the way around his back, it just looked like train tracks around a mountain through the eyes of a kid. But hey, at least he was home for my brother and I, and that's all that really mattered to us.

Eventually though death did arrive and on August 24th 1965 at the age of 39 my Father died. Just about three months after he was told he would, leaving a seven, nine and two year old without a father. Oh, sure, I know there are old photos of my brother and I together with my Dad building a snowman in our back yard at 399. There are also ones taken upstate at our country house with me on his shoulders. But the truth is nothing sticks in my mind more than those simple walks to Church Avenue holding my Dads hand and smelling stale popcorn by the Beverly. For there are no photos of those times, but just the memories of a seven year old boy who barely knew his father.

Ron Lopez

Halloween Pics?

Anyone got Halloween pics to share? We started handing out with a bunch of our building mates in the front at 6pm and were out of about 15 bags of candy within an hour! We saw some great costumes including the little ones from our place (a ladybug, a pumpkin, a dragon, and bear!). Please send so we can post! (We'd love some good group shots).

Special Delivery?

From the Inbox:
I live near East 7th and Church and got an interesting surprise in the mail today. I'd already checked the mail, so I was surprised when I went outside and saw a brown paper bag stuffed in my mailbox. At first I was pissed that someone had decided to use my mailbox as a wastebasket, but when I pulled out the bag I realized that it was filled with about 40 of the NYC Condoms that are distributed for free throughout the city. Also included was a business card for Nigel Harris at MovinWeight Entertainment (www.movinweightent.com). So maybe it's an odd question, but was I the only one given the gift of contraception today, or did anyone else come home to a bag of lubed condoms stuffed in with their credit card statement.

Horrendous Accident on Albemarle

Did anyone else see the horrendous accident that went down on Albemarle today near E2nd St. around 4:30? We suspect a car driving west on Albemarle slammed into a car driving north on E2nd. The car on Albemarle must of been going at a pretty good speed b/c when we drove by seconds after it happened both cars were flipped. We hope everyone is ok but also hope people get some sense and stop speeding down side blocks w so little visibility. Kudos to fire and cops for getting to the scene within 5 minutes of the accident. If anyone has the skinny please post.

Kensington T-Shirt Redux

So we did this t-shirt post in July and got some major interest. There has actually been a call to get some Kensington t-shirts made and sell them locally. Here where the top five from when we ran the post.

FRONT: Kensington (Brooklyn)

BACK: 1. The parents here are only just beginning to get annoying.

2. Peace in the Middle East ='s 11218

3. Where S.T.D. means booze

4. Just blocks from the Ocean... Parkway

Or all on the front

5. Kensington (Brooklyn), where there's a Mosque on Church (Avenue)

Let us know which one you like or if there are additions. Keep in mind we'd like this to be kid friendly (does that rule out #3?). Most importantly, if anyone out there is into design and wants to donate their talents please send us a graphic of how you'd put it together (we'd like to incorporate a photo or illustration if that'd work).

Missing Dog

A small grey poodle named Sabrina has been missing since Friday night from her home on E7th near Ocean Pkwy. See full post w picture here. If you’ve seen Sabrina, or think you may have, please call Denise and Youri at 347-244-3520. You can also e-mail them at: ShamanDhia@yahoo.com or denisemortillaro@yahoo.com

Worst or Artist Expression?

From Brownstoner: Leonard Lopate has just kicked off a contest to find the worst buildings in New York City.
Is there a building in New York that you thinks is really ugly, or has a fatal design flaw? Think that house or parking garage in your neighborhood is an eyesore? Then take a photo, and send it to us!

We go back and forth w the above house on E8th St. Do you think is a nominee or interesting artistic expression? (By the way! We have to update the picture also b/c the owner just painted on American flags underneath each porch light).

A lesson for the singles

Ok so it didn't happen in Kensington but ....

Bad guest A 34-year-old St. Marks Avenue woman told cops that she had met a man on Aug. 24 at an unidentified bar. She shared a cab with him back to her place, which is between Fifth and Sixth avenues, at around 3 am. While she was in the bathroom, he filled his bag with her equipment and cash. She reported the crime three days later.

Like the potential for some booty wasn't enough (oh gosh, we hope he didn't take her stuff and run after the fact!) the guy this lady brought home steals her stuff! To all the single lady's in the hood - don't bring boys home right away! Let him take you to dinner first. If he pays that'll show you can trust him. (Direct dating questions to kensingtonbrooklyn@gmail.com its a new service we're offering free of charge).

NY Taxi Drivers Strike - Kensington a stream of yellow

NY Taxi drivers have decided to strike which contributed to the streets of Kensington being much brighter this morning. Seriously, on our little 4 block walk we spotted at least 6 parked yellow NYC taxis! Who knew how many drivers lived among us? (Should be posting some pictures this evening after the normal gig).

'Newbies' take over local drink spot, Dennys

So we got word the impromptu Kensington evening at Denny's was pretty successful. About 6 people showed up and had drinks until the wee hours. We did get back that the locals were pretty territorial of the jukebox! Also had a good laugh that blog reader Holly dropped her drink and was down graded to plastic cups the rest of the evening! We think that is hysterical. Add any other good stories to the comments section.



So we want to try this again some Friday evening or Saturday at Shenanigans when us bloggers will actually be around... next 2 weekends are sort of booked but maybe the 21st before Yom Kippur? And maybe this time we can do it a little earlier for the lame-o's who like to be in jammies by 10.30pm (namely us on a Friday).

Young and in Kensington! What to do? How to meet?

This is the most frequently asked question we get so we wanted to share and get others thoughts on coming together.

From the inbox:
I have recently moved to Kensington. I happened upon this blog while I was searching for a nearby grocery. I have really enjoyed learning about the neighborhood, and this community blog made the transition a little bit less imposing. Anyway, I am in my early twenties, and I was wondering if there were any people close to my age around this neighborhood. (It doesn't really seem like it!) I am also wondering if anyone has suggested a meetup scheme in addition to this blog, where young-ish members of this community can get together for related interests (environmental, career oriented, or just to hang out). New York justs seems such a lonely place sometimes!

First off we think there are lots of twenty-ish kids in the hood (we see 'em all the time at Golden Farm). The problem is invariably that we don't have a lot of hang out places in Kensington. Also its mostly the families that find a connection through their kids unlike say us 20 and 30 year olds who don't just bump into one another and ask to chill. Anyway, we've been very lucky with our building which has changed to include lots of young couples since we moved in. (We have lots of impromptu evenings sharing pizza in each others apartments and got a backyard BBQ this summer). Others we hear are fans of Sheninigan's karaoke on Saturday nights at 10pm. The recent Artist Socials held monthly at various locations within walking distance have been a hit and you don't have to be an artist to go. (We went to Thai Tonys and we have no artistic talent). What do other suggest?

On a side note we've been kicking around the idea of organizing a Kensington softball game at Greenwood field but have no bats, balls or team organizing abilities. If there is interest it might be fun (and way easier) to do a get together at Denny's and finally dispel all the myths. We still owe Jake and Noisejoke drinks anyway!

Local Blogger Focus

We tend not to write about our general life events and such... it is a neighborhood blog! Regardless doesn't mean we don't have musings or opinions about things other then a local coffee shop or say, littering. One thing we've tended to think about quite a bit these days are babies and play dates. We don't have babies but since almost everyone we know is having (or had) babies we're always wondering how to arrange our play dates (cough cough drinking) with or with out friends said babies. We also have gotten into many a conversation w the new parents about meeting new friends w babies. Anyway, we read the following post on a local neighbors blog and it made us laugh. Pretty sure you can apply it to most new 'relationships' and its funny to think that even once married or partnered we all still have anxiety. Enjoy!

They're Just Not That Into Us (What Kind of Emergency Happens at the Gap?)

Kensington Contributors Needed

In response to Bloomberg's 311 Scout Program comes recently launched People's 311. This things seems like it will essentially be a flickr photo pool documenting 311 conditions around the city. (Check out the very beginning stages here). Anyway, the project doesn't have any contributions from Kensington and could really use some help from us. Here's what they need:
* street potholes
* dead or dying street trees
* illegal outdoor advertising
* peeling paint in public places (subways)
* damaged or open fire hydrants
* missing or dangling traffic signs
* sidewalk hazards
* fallen over newspaper boxes
* illegal dumping
Seems like we got some of this stuff happening pretty close by... carry the camera around and upload to the pool! Maybe we'll get a pothole or dead tree filled/ replaced.

Guest Bloggers/ Ideas for Posts

A lot of your posts are wackily petty. Sure, I want the city to replace the trees and I think Backfat is a doofus. BUT, I think there are issues in the nabe worth blogging about that are more important than cars w/out license plates and possibly-abandoned bikes. IMHO, of course. Kumera

We hear the gripes and read the comments so now is your chance (cough cough Kumera)! That's right we're going on vacation for a much needed rest from bloggin', city life and all things Kensington. All next week you can send us emails with complete posts (include pictures if possible) and we'll post 'em! You can sign the post or have us put it up anonymous, your choice. We'll need posts for all next week and the following Monday August 27th.

On a side note we always take and welcome (with open arms) your suggestions. The contact info is posted on the upper right hand corner of the blog. In our defense we heard from residents about the trees, the unlicensed vehicles and the graffiti. Though we 'man' the blog we're really simply a filter and post what we get. We'd love to know what other ideas people have that are worth bloggin' about here. kensingtonbrooklyn@gmail.com

Catch and Release

We got a tip but are unable to confirm that the ASPCA will be in the neighborhood today doing a catch and release neutering and spaying stray cats. Got info on this one?

The New Yorker

Anyone else think this New Yorker cover is sort of similar to Kensington demographic? Obviously, we run a much wider gamut but all the same...