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!

Revamps Planned for Brooklyn Parks

New York City is launching a project to renovate public spaces, and several parks in Brooklyn are getting a makeover! The first three are to be Bartlett Playground and Pen Triangle in Williamsburg and Lewis Playground in Bed Stuy, with community meetings already being held to determine the next spots as well.

Batter Up in Prospect Park!

This is exciting news for baseball fans in the Brooklyn area. Fields 6 and 7 in Prospect Park are back and ready for use. All sorts of people were on hand to cut the ribbon including elected officials, little league players and park workers. Friday, they had a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the two fields.

Now, the two field shave new dugouts with benches and water fountains. They have fresh fences and new infields.

As Eddie Albert, the President of the Prospect Park Baseball Association told Patch,

"When you have 194 teams, scheduling 194 teams every week is real chore, because the fields in most of Brooklyn are not really in great shape. Now that these fields can accommodate every size, from softball all the way out to hard ball, 90 feet, we have the flexibility to do so much more."

Learn all the details here and get ready for the next pitch!

Alexander Wang Fashion Show Comes to Brooklyn

Alexander Wang's Spring 2018 New York Fashion Week runway show is underway in Brooklyn! Top WangFest models include Kendall Jenner, Kaia Gerber and Bella Hadid.

Greenest Block in Brooklyn Announced in NYC

The Greenest Block in Brooklyn is a contest held by the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. More than 20 years old, the competition measures the green-ness of all Brooklyn streets, and this year's winner was Stuyvesant Avenue. Nestled between Bainbridge and Chauncey, this block does not appear to be dramatically more green than any of its neighbors.

Nina Browne, community program manager at the botanic gardens, runs the contest and trains the judges each year. In a visit to Stuyvesant Ave. for the New York Times, Browne explained that a winning block's title comes from more than just its vegetation level; it comes from its citizen participation.

"It boils down to people more than plants," she says. "It's where you get that tangible sense of love. Which block felt the most unified? Where is that sense of community really most palpable? That's urban resilience right there."

"It's really about people power," she added. "It's a testament to what people can do, despite not having dirt to dig in."

Stuyvesant Ave. block captain Serge Vatel explained that the communal goal is "to set the bar for the entire Stuyvesant Heights."

"It's our lobby," he added. "It's the gateway to our neighborhood-- the first block people see on their way to work in the morning. It's like a watermark for our neighborhood: It tells everyone, new and old, 'This is our standard of leaving.'"