BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn!

BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! is coming back for its 40^th year!!!! This performing arts festival – an annual occurrence – is again offering locals an incredible array of music, film, dance and other cultural festivities from international artists.  Food and crafts will be on sale from local artisans too.

This year, some of the highlights include: free Prospect Park Bandshell concerts (with Aimee Mann, The Breeders, Common, Fischerspooner among others) which began at the beginner of summer on June 5 but continue through August 11 (25 of which are free with a suggested $5 donation at the gate). The others are to raise money for the future free events at the festival.

Leslie Griesbch Shultz, BRIC President explained:

 “For four decades—since the summer of 1979—the Festival has represented the best of what Brooklyn and America can be: a welcoming supercollider of ideas and cultures, informing and enriching each other. We are grateful for all the support BRIC receives to keep the festival free and accessible to all New Yorkers.”

Come Join the Smorgasburg!!!

You know that summer is here when…

For Brooklyners it’s when the Smorgasburg starts (which is April actually!).  If you’ve not been yet be sure to hop on down to East River State Park (90 Kent Avenue) on a Sunday. And if you have been, you probably know what we’re talking about.  It truly is a wonderful, fun, summer-kinda-feeling open air food market.  So fun indeed that around 20-30,000 people come every single weekend!

Featuring more than 100 local vendors (coz we do like to keep it local if we can), it was dubbed “The Woodstock of Eating,” by The New York Times.  The event is organized by Brooklyn Flea in conjunction with Prospect Park Alliance.

And if you ever have a craving for “deep fried cookie dough, cheese pies and lobster nachos,” then that really is the place that has it all!

Summer Happenings in Brooklyn

Summer is well underway and as we all know, it can get extremely pricey when the kids (and adults) want to go to events that cost money.  So we try on this blog to provide options of things to do that are either cheap or free.

For the upcoming week, starting tomorrow, this is on offer:

1.      If you’re looking to go out Friday night and don’t to break the bank, why not switch your entertainment fun to Friday morning and enjoy a free concert in Central Park?  On 13^th July the Backstreet Boys are playing at 7am.  Get up early and have your fun before the sun gets too hot!

2.      Saturday July 14^th you can enjoy the FAD Market: Summer Pop Up – another free event – from 11am to 6pm. You’ll be able to view art, jewelry, clothing and other stuff from independent makers.

3.      And then on Sunday July 15^th there is NYC’s Summer Ice Cream Blizzard at the Grand Bazaar NYC where you can take a pick of the city’s greatest “artisanal ice cream makers,” all in one spot.

Just remember: you don’t have to break the bank to have fun in Brooklyn in the summertime.  You just need to keep your eyes peeled for the latest on great events.

Brooklyn Black Revival

A revival of black pride is happening in the Brooklyn, NY region.  Some recent examples of the festivals increasing awareness in this genre include: the Afropunk festival; Juneteenth festival; Black and Latino Gay Pride and more.  Organizations are working toward this too, such as Harlem Capital Partners and All-Star Code.

According to an NYU Sociologist, Jacob William Faber:

“We’re in a sociopolitical moment where there’s greater acceptance of black people having pride in themselves. It sounds silly — or sad, really. It should be normal. But we live in a world where saying ‘black lives matter’ is controversial. It’s a rebuttal to the idea — the false choice — that if you want investment you have to accept displacement.”

And it seems to be working.  The US Census Bureau’s recent survey of business owners found a huge nationwide escalation of black-owned businesses between 2007 and 2012 from 1.9 to 2.6 million, mainly from black women.  Indeed, there have been 24 (out of 35) female black entrepreneurs profiled by Black-Owned Brooklyn.

In addition, according to the Mayor’s Office of Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprises in 2017 Brooklyn had 319 black owned contractors (a large jump from 2015’s 295 stat).  Sean Combs (who is currently developing an app to help locate local black-owned businesses) said:

 “I want to be an authentic, unapologetic warrior for black culture. This is not about taking away from any other community. We’ll still go to Chinatown. We’ll still buy Gucci! But the application will make it possible for us to have an economic community. It’s about blacks gaining economic power.”

Summer Fun for Kids

The summer can be a treacherous time for parents, trying to find numerous activities to keep the little ones entertained. It’s long, it’s hot and it seems ever-so-expensive all the time as well. So what is going on in the Kensington, Brooklyn neighborhood that is good for kids?  What are the best hangout places offering airconditioning and a cup of coffee for parents to ease the summer vacation pain?  Here we take a brief look at some options.

Metro Parents offers a Daily Events listing of great things to do with kids that are cheap or completely free.  You can join events like the free info session on the upcoming African Diaspora’s summer camp in July.  For those wanting to send their kids there, between July 9 to 20^th, your children will be traveling through the wonders of Africa and its cultures, through movement, song and crafts.  The Hakuna Matata: Kings, Lions and Other African Wonders is a fantastic opportunity for kids aged between 3 and 7.

Later on in the summer is the Singing Frogs and Talking Fish: Diving Through the Caribbean Sea.  Between July 23 to August 3, kids will enjoy frolicking through the Caribbean Sea through music, movement, drum-making and so much more!

Tomorrow you can check out the weekly Drop-In Art, Poems and Stories for kids aged 6 to 9 at Park Slope.  The participants get to read a book and then make a craft out of it.  Fun for all, no need for advanced booking and $15 fee.

Pop-up Pool

The Pop-up Pool at Brooklyn Bridge Park is set to become a more  permanent feature of the area.  Since 2012 it has gained such popularity in the summer months that locals will be able to enjoy it for two more seasons in its current location.  While there are plans for demolishing the site after this summer session for the Pier 2 uplands, a permanent pool is to be brought to the neighborhood at Squibb Park (that is attached to the waterfront via the Squibb Park Bridge).

Thanks to the huge efforts of locals via the Love Our Pool campaign, this has been – and will continue to be – a community endeavor.  The BBPC will hold meetings with the community to get their advice on what they think would make the pool great. Once information has been gathered, a designer will be chosen and the pool will thereafter be built.  It’s a process but it will be worth it when it reaches its culmination. 

Kensington Mixed-Use Structure Permits

A three-story mixed-use structure located in Kensington’s 1121 36^th Street has received permits.  A mere eight blocks from the Church Avenue subway station, the applications were approved from the Mina Group LLC to build the 39-feet tall structure.  It will provide six apartments, each spanning approximately 1,086 square feet.

The structure should be completed by January 2019 through Asher Hershkowitz Architect PLLC.

Columbia Street Waterfront District

A new exhibition is arriving at Columbia Street Waterfront District from a local.  Elliot Arkin – an artist hailing from Brooklyn – just returned to his roots to feature “The Spanish Gardener.” This 10-foot sculpture of Pablo Picasso mowing the lawn. The exhibition was opened on June 1^st and will continue until July 15^th.

Arkin does not just do art though.  He is actually a real estate salesperson at Brooklyn Heights Real Estate on Montague Street. Of this position he explained:

“I’ve been in Brooklyn since 1983, when I graduated from Amherst College. Originally, I lived above the Queen restaurant [on Court Street in Downtown Brooklyn]. Now, I own a little building at Hicks and Union streets, the one that has La Petite Crevette on the ground floor.”

For other artistic appreciations, a non-local – Erwin Wurm – is putting out his Hot Dog Bus for the summer.  Free hot dogs will be available in Brooklyn Bridge Park between June 9^th and August 26^th in an effort to get people to view “the human body as a piece of art, specifically as a sculpture.  The venture is in conjunction with the Public Art Fund.

Love Kensington? Become a Patch Mayor!

Patch seeks to bring local news stories to its locals in Kensington and Windsor Terrace.  What better way to bring news to the locals than from the locals?  Now there is an opportunity to do just that.

If you live in the Kensington Brooklyn area and love it there, would you like the opportunity to share what you know and how you feel about it with others? Tell people in the area about local upcoming events?  Now you can.  Residents are being called upon to be more involved in their neighborhood and be, well, “neighborly.”  Patch has found that it is actually the locals who really do know the most about local happenings!  And that’s why it wants to create Patch Mayors who will tell others about the local fundraising event, a new kids happening, or where there are  new buildings that could disrupt everyday life happening.

What will you get from it?  You will finally have a platform through which you can share and inform with other members of your community.  You can choose to write about anything you want related to the neighborhood.  And most of all, you can use it as a sounding board to try your hand at journalism!

Free Kayaking!

Brooklyn Bridge Park has done it again.  This 85-acre park founded 8 years ago and designed stunningly by Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates really changed the entire feel of the neighborhood and when it first opened 6 acres back in March 2010, it was a true winner for the entire area. One really can spend hours there.

And now that the summer is upon us there is more to enjoy.  Being outdoors is the best and with the parks spray areas, roller rinks, sports fields and more, what better activity than to get out your paddles and enjoy some free kayaking right here at Pier 2.

This offer begins at the end of this month.  On May 31, 2018, Thursdays from 5:30–6:45pm, Saturdays from 10am–3pm and Sundays for Kayak Polo from 11am–3pm (kids 11 and over from 12:30–1:30pm), there is no excuse not to say adios to your screens and come on out and enjoy the wonderful waters.

As long as you follow the boathouse rules there’s absolutely nothing to stop you having fun in America’s great outdoors!

Smorgasburg Market

Brooklyn’s Smorgasburg market has returned!  Every Saturday on the Williamsburg watefront and every Sunday in Prospect Park from April until October, the “largest weekly open-air food market  in America” brings food from 100+ local vendors to the 20-30,000 visitors.
This will be the 8^th year of the market. Established by Jonathan Butler and Eric Demby as a spinoff of the Brooklyn Flea Market, it has been described as “The Woodstock of Eating” by The New York Times.
This year the newest additions include kakigori (Japanese shaved ice treat) and grilled lobsters. The classics that have been loved for years are returning too such as: the Bolivian Llam Party, Good Batch and Ramen Burger.

Brooklyn’s “Other Art Fair”

The Other Art Fair  began on 3 May (and is ending today) at Brooklyn Expo Center.   It is quite different from other such art events as, according to fair founder Ryan Stanier, they “offer up artists on their own, rather than through dealers.” 

Debuting in New York in 2017, it is hosted by the Saatchi Art enterprise of London and has 130 artists from around the world displaying their wares ranging in price from $250 to $10,000. The idea behind it is to provide a “springboard for talented emerging artists” since it increases their visibility toward collectors.

The other stand out part of the fair is the entertainment provided by local D.J.s along with Scott Campbell, a Brooklyn tattoo artist. Amber Vittoria was on hand to sketch visitors’ portraits at no cost.

The Other Art Fair is being held later on in the year in Bristol, UK, Melbourne, Australia, Chicago, USA, London, UK, and LA, USA.

10th Annual Brooklyn Folk Festival!

Earlier this month Brooklyners and other locals were able to enjoy Brooklyn’s 10^th annual folk festival.  For a long weekend of April 6^th to 8^th, there were concerts, jams, square dancing,  and even – for the first time – a Brooklyn Fiddle Contest. Beer was donated to Brooklyn folk by the Lagunitas Brewing Co., and the kids enjoyed a puppet show presented by the Boxcutter Collective.

Contributors to this amazing festival this year included: the Steel City Jug Slammers, Jackson & the Jacks, King Isto’s Tropical Spring Band, The HickHoppers, Feral Foster, Wyndam Baird, The Horse Eyed Men, Poorboy Krill and many, many more.

With thanks to all the sponsors including: The Folk Music Society of New York, Inc.,  the Howard Gilman Foundation, Rose Brand, Down Home Radio Show and Snowman Fabricators.

For those who missed it, not to worry, next month sees the Swamp in the City: A Cajun Music Festival on May 18-20^th.

Earth Day!

Today is Earth Day and this year’s theme is End Plastic Pollution.  Brooklyn has a lot of events to mark the occasion and to help find ways to change attitudes to how we deal with plastics.  Ultimately the hope is to find ways to substantially reduce plastic pollution.

One event – the TNOS Earth Day Fashion Show – is happening today in East Williamsburg at the Legendary Republic between 3 and 7pm.  Here, both local and independent designers and models will be able to show their clothing through the platform on the importance of the preservation of Mother Earth.

Tomorrow, one can join in the Bike to Work event.  Meeting at 8.30 in the morning at Prospect Park (441 Flatbush Avenue, Willink Entrance), this year the annual event is being started by borough President Adams. The idea behind it is the same as it always is – how to promote greener ways to move around Brooklyn and outer areas. 

Celebrating Bengali New Year

Yesterday Brooklyners were privy to celebrating Pahela Baishakh, the Bengali New Year right at home.  The Avenue C Plaza was open for revelers who came dressed in red, wearing masks to get their faces painted and enjoy Bangladeshi music, along with an all-female Samba drumline performance.  The event ended with a parade to Church Avenue and back.

The event was organized by the Bangladesh Institute of Performing Arts (which was actually founded exactly 25 years ago in New York).  Jill Reiner helped to organize the event and made some of the dance masks that were used.  She said she really loved it this year and remarked on how “wonderful” it was to “see such a diverse group.”  She added: “People are beginning to introduce themselves to elements of a culture they don’t know about.”

Brooklyn Restaurant Group Gets New Head Chefs

The Brooklyn restaurants owned by Andrew Tarlow are generally regarded as some of the biggest shapers of Brooklyn's local dining climate. They are also responsible for the exposed brick and mortar trend that has since become international. Over recent months, Tarlow's empire has been through some changes, with new chefs entering the kitchens of all of his restaurants, which include Diner, Marlow & Sons, Reynard, Roman's and Achilles Heel.

Aside from the new chefs, whom we'll address soon, former Diner chef Caroline Fidanza is returning to the scene as culinary director for the restaurant group after closing her popular sandwich shop Saltie.

Achilles Heel has appointed former pastry sous chef Desire Tuttle, while Reynard's kitchen will now be run by Christina Lecki. Patch Troffer from San Francisco will manage Marlow & Sons, and Roman's former sous chef Frank Reed was promoted earlier this year. Adam Baumgart will take over Diner.

Tarlow said: "These people have a distinct voice, and we more or less have been in the process of changing menurs every day. I think you can see everybody's own touch- I would hope so. I don't want Patch to be making Ken's food. But, I think there's a stylistic approach that they fit into for those restaurants."

"If I would say where the future should go, the story should be about them (the chefs), because they're doing the hard work. I walk around and get complimented for their hard work. They're not in the dining room, so it's hard for them to get the compliments, but it's interesting," Tarlow added. "It's just not me."

Sake Arrives in Brooklyn

If you're into sake, your day has arrived. Brooklyn now has a sake brewery that has opened in the Industry City called Brooklyn Kura. They are being made with all American ingredients and will even have a taproom soon.

There are about 15 sake breweries in the States right now, most of which are in California. Brooklyn Kura, at 68 34th Street near Fourth Avenue, will be the first one in New York. Founders Brian Polen and Brandon Doughan are certainly hoping it will take off!

Shower Bus for Homeless Underway in Brooklyn

Last week, Brooklyn President Eric Adams announced a new project aimed at restoring dignity and respect to local homeless people. His administration, Brooklyn Community Services, or BCS, is joining forces with Turning Point Brooklyn to build a mobile dual-shower bus for the homeless. 

The project will cost $385,000, $308,000 of which will be funded by Adams’ capital budget for Fiscal Year 2018, and another $77,000 will be donated by the City Council. The converted bus will take a year to complete, and will join Turning Point Brooklyn’s “We Care About You” campaign which provides showers, clean towels, shampoo and soap, shaving kits, socks and underwear, laundry services and other amenities in Sunset Park. 

The shower bus will aim to help those in other locations. 

“We are going to target those locations where homeless are located. We’re going to go to food pantries, hospitals, different locations where we find homeless going to try to find some type of basic shelter,” Adam explained. “You cannot get a job if you can’t walk into a space to deal with your basic hygiene needs. You can’t sit in a classroom, you can’t get on the train, a bus, if you can’t deal with your basic hygiene needs.

“This bus is going to become a symbol where our homeless men and woman will be able to identify a safe space not only to clean themselves, but to also start the process of holding on to their dignity,” he added.

Lower Priced Whole Foods Opening in Brooklyn

For those of you looking for a whole food location that doesn't break the bank, it may be just around the corner. Whole Foods has been opening a slew of budget stores called 365 and one of them is coming to Brooklyn! On January 31 it will open just down the street from the Atlantic Terminal. This location will have 30,000 square feet at the bottom of the Ashland Place high-rise.

They plan to have the first location that isn't on the West Coast of Next Level Burger, a plant based burger location. They also have said they will have a Juice Press and Orwashers bakery. Yum. They plan to have over 100 types of beer, 30 artisan cheeses, lower priced meat and produce and a lot more. It's definitely worth a stop to see how it goes.

Taking the Polar Bear Plunge on New Year's Day

New Yorkers don't get put off by the absolutely frigid temperatures. Or at least that's the message that New York is offering as the annual New Year's Day polar bear plunge comes up tomorrow. Two New Jersey towns have actually canceled their annual plunge due to the incredibly cold temperatures sweeping the East Coast at the moment.

But, the president of the Coney Island club said there is no way they will cancel. As Dennis Thomas said,  “We’ve never canceled a swim due to the weather and we’re not going to start this year. We’re going ahead with it and we expect a huge turnout.”

Thomas explained that the plunge has been taking place for 114 years, and it will take place this year as scheduled.

Snapshot of Kensington

For those new to Kensington, Brooklyn, or even for old-time residents, this video put together by a NYC-based YouTuber, takes us through the Williamsburg neighborhood.

New Brooklyn Business Offers Real-Time Train Updates in Local Stores

A Brooklyn startup has tied its success to local subway delays. The company, called The NYC Train Sign company, creates LED real-time train countdown signs for stores, bars, restaurants and even homes using commuter data. Based in Bushwick, the company was founded by Timothy Woo in 2016 when he realized that unreliable L train schedules and poor cellphone service often left people waiting at subway stations for much longer than necessary. 

The goal of the startup is to help people take control of their schedules by knowing exactly when their train is going to arrive. NYC Train Sign co-founder and head of marketing Dara Denney explained that the intent is not to "hate on the MTA," though the "system needs to be fixed to improve the average New Yorker's quality of life. NYC Train Sign was created to take back some control we lose while dealing with delays, stalled trains and trains that never come."

According to Woo, more than 15 stores currently have one of the signs on display. Online sales have also soared since last month.

Local businesses have stated that the signs have helped to support their business as well.
"Customers might squeeze in another round because they can see that they have the time," explained Pizza Party owner Kristen North. "It's a no-brainer. I just think of all the times I've left a bar just to end up sitting on the subway platform for the amount of time if could have taken me to have another drink."

Houdini Kitchen Laboratory partner and manager Massimiliano Bartoli added that the signs are particularly beneficial during the winter. "In cold weather, people wait until the last minute to go to the subway," he said. "It's a great idea. It's like the cherry on the cake when you see it."

New Apple Store Coming to Brooklyn

Apple has announced the grand opening of their new retail location in Downtown Brooklyn. The official grand opening will be next week on December 2 and the store will be located at 123 Flatbush Avenue, in the heart of Brooklyn.

Last year, Apple opened a store in Williamsburg, but this one is even more centrally located near the main shopping artery of the city.

Environmental Activists March Across Brooklyn Bridge On 5th Anniversary of Hurricane Sandy

Thousands of activists marched across the Brooklyn Bridge this weekend in an effort to raise awareness of climate change and spur the government in to action on the 5-year anniversary of Hurricane Sandy. The hurricane, which swept across NYC and left nearly $75 billion of damage in its wake, was only one of numerous large storms which hit the United States and Caribbean over the last few years.

The environment advocates claimed that these natural disasters are directly linked with climate change, and that society needs to make a change in order to prevent further disaster.

Executive Director of New York Environmental Justive Alliance Eddie Bautista said:
"Here we are on another warm day in October, and we know why! Five years ago tomorrow, the city was visited by a severe weather event, the likes of which we had never seen, and then this past summer we have seen hurricane after hurricane devastating the global South and communities of color throughout the lower parts of the United States."

Rosa Zuchuk, an activist, explained:
"We're here today to be part of this reminder to our city and state.... we're here as part of the defense of our city against this."

Brooklyn Buildings

Proposals for a 68-storey skyscraper in Brooklyn were recently released by architectural firm Kohn Pedersen Fox. To be known as the Brooklyn Point tower, it will be the second tallest building in the region (the tallest one being the 1,000 foot SHoP Architect skyscraper). Open House New York was just completed. Marking its 15th anniversary, the public is now invited to take a peek into some of the city’s architectural gems over the years which have been “repurposed and transformed.” Around 200 buildings took part in this – and these are usually closed to the public. One example was the Jefferson Market Library Tower which – originally erected in 1877 as a Venetian Gothic building – has since been home to: a courthouse, fire tower and a women’s detention center. Meanwhile, another NY architecture firm has done something entirely different. A single-family home has been constructed completely out of abandoned shipping containers. Nicknamed the Carrol House, LOT-EX constructed this on Williamsburg Street, as the area was designated specifically for it. Featuring a ground floor kitchen, dining and living room, a media room with tiered seating, the first floor has two containers for children's rooms as well as a playroom. On the top floor there is an open plan master bedroom and dressing room. Container walls are used for privacy and each level has a dedicated outdoor space. So it seems like all around Brooklyn buildings are certainly making headlines!