Closing Bell
November 6, 2009
Closing Bell: Flea Fun In The Fall Sun
Phew. It's been a rough few weeks of dodgy weather (and weather reports) but it's finally looking like we have back-to-back dry days coming up this weekend. With the hard part out of the way, we can just step back and let The Flea vendors do their thing! Joining the usual cast of characters this weekend are the folks behind Atlantis in Red Hook, an online purveyor of curiosities, a vinyl-head known as the Record Grouch, an antiques dealer from the Chelsea Garage and a new Red Hook Food Vendor serving up arepas and chuzos. All good, baby. All good. The Brooklyn Flea is held on Saturdays from 10 to 5 at the Bishop Loughlin Memorial High School in Fort Greene (176 Lafayette Avenue between Clermont and Vanderbilt Avenues; take the C or G trains to Clinton-Washington) and on Sundays from 11-6 in Dumbo underneath the Brooklyn Bridge at the corner of Water and New Dock Street. Map and directions here.
November 5, 2009
Closing Bell: Greening of Greenpoint
Over in Greenpoint, Sargent William Dougherty Playground (which is located here) is getting a makeover, notes New York Shitty. The underused 0.76-acre park appears to be getting five large planters.
November 3, 2009
Closing Bell: Gentrification Indicators
Over on Nostrand Park, they're trying to put together a list of indicators that your neighborhoods being gentrified. The author suggests three (including coffee shops and blogs) and luckily no one's mentioned flea markets yet. Other suggestions?
Photo by rymerster
November 2, 2009
Closing Bell: Windshield Spam Backfires
Here's one thing we learned today: If you want people to vote for you, you might not want to put political fliers designed to look like parking tickets on their windshields. "Thank you for giving me a very clear favorite in this election - your opponent," one South Slope resident wrote to Gothamist about Council candidate Joe Nardiello's marketing tactics. A Brooklyn Heights resident who emailed us was equally peeved — and surprised when he got the following email response from Nardiello:
What would you do? if the media is allowing our local pols to 'stick a spigot in your back'... without featuring the story? Do you want a defender and a fighter of your rights -- or not? I went straight to YOU. You would have simply received an annual bill, in the Spring if I'd not done this. Think twice. Your local government is plotting over the next few months to charge YOU and everyone that visits you, real $$ -- which may amount to $400-500 per car owner. Everyone that visits you, will need a Temporary Residents Sticker, etc. I'm sorry to have shocked you, and clearly upset you. But, Squadron-Lander-DeBlasio have set the stage for a HUGE payday for the MTA on our backs, and ONLY our backs. The only person in NYC government that can stop this -- is me. The choice is yours.
October 30, 2009
Closing Bell: Flea A.M. (After Martha)
To say that vendors were energized by Martha's visit last Sunday would be an understatement, so there's lots of momentum and enthusiasm heading into this weekend. In addition to all the usual flea market-y goodness, there are several cool new vendors making their Flea debuts: Tomorrow in Fort Greene, we can't wait to check out Brooklyn Slate, which makes cheeseboards, sushi platters and the like out of slate sourced from Upstate New York. And on Sunday we'll be making a bee line to check out the two new furniture makers before heading over to dive into the huge collection of a new record dealer. For more new vendors, click here. If you're coming early, don't forget to check out the scavenger hunt items on the Flea Blog. The Brooklyn Flea is held on Saturdays from 10 to 5 at the Bishop Loughlin Memorial High School in Fort Greene (176 Lafayette Avenue between Clermont and Vanderbilt Avenues; take the C or G trains to Clinton-Washington) and on Sundays from 11-6 in Dumbo underneath the Brooklyn Bridge at the corner of Water and New Dock Street. Map and directions here.
October 29, 2009
Closing Bell: Halloween in Clinton Hil
While many Brooklyn neighborhoods have long-standing Halloween traditions, one of the best has to be the annual makeover and performance at 313 Clinton Avenue. This year, the circus-themed event will take place every half-hour between 5 and 8 p.m. Other events in the area include the Fort Greene Park Halloweed Festival from 12-3 in the park, the Great Pupkin Dog Costume Contest at 11:30 on the steps to the monument in the park, and the Society for Clinton Hill Halloween Walk which kicks off at 5 p.m. at the corner of Dekalb and Hall.
October 28, 2009
Closing Bell: The Pumpkins of Cobble Hill
It's time for what's become an annual Cobble Hill tradition: the great Kane Street pumpkin line-up. Every year (except one) since 1998, local artist Jane Greengold along with home owner Chip Gray have carved 100 or so pumpkins to line the fence of 176 Kane Street at the corner of Strong Place in Cobble Hill. They're lit on Halloween night and then left their to atrophy and die. As the tipster who sent this in wrote, "It's a very temporary, very local work of public art."
October 27, 2009
Closing Bell: Greenpoint Convent Goes to the Artists
A former convent at 21 Monitor Street in Greenpoint has been taken over by a group of artists who are putting on a show called system: system; Flavorpill has a slideshow of show before it opened. The 25-artist group show opened this past weekend and is open next weekend from noon to 6 p.m. as well. Neato.
Sneak Peek of system:system in Greenpoint Convent [Flavorpill]
October 23, 2009
Closing Bell: Win Some, Lose Some
Fort Greene can't seem to catch a break in the weather department: Tomorrow's looking like another crap day but hopefully we'll get a few hours of dry weather in. Sunday, however, is looking like prime Flea weather so we're gearing up for the most over-subsribed Flea under the Brooklyn Bridge ever. (This has something to do with the fact that She Who Shall Not Be Named has shifted her appearance from Saturday to Sunday as a result of the forecast.) Anyway, there will be more merch and food than ever under the bridge, so come check it out. Now that's Living! The Brooklyn Flea is held on Saturdays from 10 to 5 at the Bishop Loughlin Memorial High School in Fort Greene (176 Lafayette Avenue between Clermont and Vanderbilt Avenues; take the C or G trains to Clinton-Washington) and on Sundays from 11-6 in Dumbo underneath the Brooklyn Bridge at the corner of Water and New Dock Street. Map and directions here.
October 22, 2009
Closing Bell: Fulton BID in Action!
This must be their first day in action, because two readers sent in photos of Fulton BID employees doing their best to up the quality of life along the somewhat beleaguered commercial strip. Second photo on the jump. Good stuff!
October 21, 2009
Closing Bell: Party Time for PACC
The Pratt Area Community Council has been around for 45 years and tonight they're throwing a bash at the Irondale space at 85 South Oxford Street in Fort Greene to celebrate. You can buy tickets here (or at the door) and learn more about the event here.
October 20, 2009
Closing Bell: Another Curbside Memorial
On the way to the office this morning we pedaled past this small memorial in front of 97B Vanderbilt Avenue, site of last evening's shooting. As The Local reported, a 28-year-old man who lived there was shot by a 20-year-old man who fled the scene. As of earlier today, he had not been apprehended.
October 19, 2009
Closing Bell: In Memoriam
Today marks one week since the shooting at Parkside Donut and Kennedy Fried Chicken, at 188 Parkside Avenue in Lefferts Gardens. An impromptu memorial has grown next door to the restaurant for Brian Scott, a.k.a. Cozmik, an 18-year-old rising star of urban inline skating. Two other men were shot, both in stable condition.
Rising Inline Skater Is Fatally Shot in Brooklyn [NY Times]
October 16, 2009
Closing Bell: Rain, Rain, Go Away
We'll admit that it's not looking like ideal flea market weather this weekend, but you never know: It was supposed to rain today and never did. Anyway, we're a rain-or-shine market, so we'll remain optimistic til the end. As usual, we've got scavenger hunt items for the finding, and we're loving all the press The Flea got over the past week, including top billing on the Lonely Planet website today. Over on the Flea Blog, we were surprised to learn of this guy who's lived a block from Bishop Loughlin since the Flea began and only visited for his first time last weekend. The Brooklyn Flea is held on Saturdays from 10 to 5 at the Bishop Loughlin Memorial High School in Fort Greene (176 Lafayette Avenue between Clermont and Vanderbilt Avenues; take the C or G trains to Clinton-Washington) and on Sundays from 11-6 in Dumbo underneath the Brooklyn Bridge at the corner of Water and New Dock Street. Map and directions here.
October 15, 2009
Closing Bell: Google Bike Routes
Streetsblog ran a post yesterday pointing to a Google blog post that suggests bike routes and directions will be coming to Google maps some day. Right now, Streetsblog says, New Yorkers can use the site Ride the City for bike directions, but the options for most cities in the nation are slim. And in case Google needs more encouragement, Streetsblog directs us to an online petition for Google to add bike trip tools, which already has over 50,000 signatures
Google Bike Routes Almost Here [Streetsblog]
Your World, Your Map [Google LatLong]
October 14, 2009
Closing Bell: Brooklyn Film Race
Today is the last day to register for Brooklyn Film Race 2009, an annual event in which filmmakers have 24 hours to make a short piece. Filming will begin this Friday at 10 p.m., and screenings will take place some time in the next week. First place prize is $2,500 cash plus a pile of filmmaking-related schwag.
Image from last year's entry, Bare Walls, by The Back of the Bus, created in 12 hours
October 8, 2009
Closing Bell: a Bike, a Voyage
If you've passed Traif Bike Gesheft in South Williamsburg recently, you've probably seen Hayden Cummings on the curb, tinkering with some sort of bicycle contraption. He's building an engine and trailer for an around-the-country bicycle journey, during which he will perform as a one-man band (the trailer will have a drum mounted in the side and Cummings has made a guitar out of a camping stove—a functioning camping stove, that is—and he'll also have his saxophone and flute tucked in the trailer) and generally travel the country without spending money. He is homeless, dumpster dives for food, volunteers at community centers in whichever city he is inhabiting, and has salvaged all the parts for his contraption. The engine will run on salvaged biodiesel, waste vegetable oil, and solar energy. Cummings has also set up the battery and engine so that he can pedal-charge the battery by placing the back wheel on a stand and pedaling. When we stopped to talk to him, he gave us more details than we can reproduce here, but if you stop by the bike shop, you can always ask him yourself—if you stop by soon, since he's planning on departing shortly.
October 7, 2009
Closing Bell: Lighting Up The Bridge
The celebration of the Manhattan Bridge's 100th birthday continues: Tonight the bridge becomes a canvas for four artists whose works will be projected onto it. The display, which will run from 7 to 10 p.m., is called Bright Nights and is brought to you by Random Number.
October 6, 2009
Closing Bell: Flatbush of Yore
We biked past this three-sided, free-standing mural on the corner of Parkside and Ocean in Flatbush the other day and snapped a picture along the way. The mural has storefronts like Woolworth's, Sears, and Bill's Discount as well as what looks like older homes and local citizens. Specter, the artist who created the paintings, also known as Gabriel Reese, writes on her site that the mural illustrates "stories and memories from senior citizens in Flatbush," and it looks like she received either cooperation or funding from the Department of Transportation and the International Studio & Curatorial Program. It's definitely a nice addition to the wide swath of sidewalk outside the Q train station, and worth a look if you're in the area. GMAP
October 5, 2009
Closing Bell: Atlantic Antic 2009
Check out this YouTube video of Sunday's 35th annual Atlantic Antic. What'd you think of it this year?
October 2, 2009
Closing Bell: Shoptober at The Flea
We're psyched for a bunch of new vendors this weekend at The Flea. In particular: A vintage psychedelic poster seller, a Russell Wright specialist and a high-end rug dealer offering some of his stock at Flea-friendly prices. Oh, and the Red Hook Lobster Pound will be debuting its lobster bisque this weekend as well. As always, if you get there early you have a shot at winning the scavenger hunt; this week's items viewable here. The Brooklyn Flea is held on Saturdays from 10 to 5 at the Bishop Loughlin Memorial High School in Fort Greene (176 Lafayette Avenue between Clermont and Vanderbilt Avenues; take the C or G trains to Clinton-Washington) and on Sundays from 11-6 in Dumbo underneath the Brooklyn Bridge at the corner of Water and New Dock Street. Map and directions here.
October 1, 2009
Closing Bell: Film Festival Double-Header
The New York Post points out that it's film festival weekend here in Brooklyn: we've got the Red Hook International Film & Video Festival at 499 Van Brunt Street and the Coney Island Film Festival at 1208 Surf Avenue. The Post highlights films such as Coney Fest's “The Prince of Mermaid Avenue”, about a Major Meats butcher famous to locals, or Redhook Fest's local films including a piece about late Gowanus Lounge blogger Robert Guskind. Check out the festivals' sites for full listings, and enjoy! It's certainly good weather for film festivals.
Cannes Do! Two Film Festivals in Brooklyn [New York Post]
September 30, 2009
Closing Bell: Williamsburg Street Fair
A few days ago, we noticed that they were setting up for a little street fair at Bedford and Taylor in Williamsburg but we haven't been by in a few days. What's this all about? Has it opened yet? GMAP
Latest Restaurant Additions
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Chickadee Chick
added November 6, 2009 12:00 PM in Park Slope -
Vutera
added November 5, 2009 12:00 PM in Williamsburg -
Park Cafe
added November 4, 2009 12:00 PM in Park Slope -
Bahia
added November 3, 2009 12:00 PM in Williamsburg -
Aqualis Grill
added November 2, 2009 12:00 PM in Fort Greene -
Wombat
added October 30, 2009 12:00 PM in Williamsburg -
Organic Heights
added October 29, 2009 12:00 PM in Park Slope -
Giardini Pizza
added October 28, 2009 12:00 PM in Carroll Gardens -
Rye
added October 27, 2009 12:00 PM in Williamsburg -
Bati
added October 26, 2009 12:00 PM in Fort Greene