Photo Wed 012914: Lonely Soldier on Schermerhorn Edition

With scheduled construction of a hotel to the left of it (from this angle) and the largest tower in Brooklyn slated to go up to it's right, this lonely little building is at more than a few interesting intersections on Schermerhorn Street at Downtown's edge.


In Downtown Brooklyn, Schermerhorn Street is a heat sink, to borrow and adjust the term for a computer part who's principal purpose is to suck all the heat to one location. In computers this is useful because heat sinks sit on or next to fans and vents, that allow the heat to be dispersed. Lonely Livingston Avenue, sitting parallel between the active avenues of Fulton Street and Atlantic hadn't been as useful for decades.

In my life time of several decades it's been home to city offices, like the Board of Education (now moved to midtown in an effort to reign in their ranks) and state service offices like medicaid, unemployment and the bureau of child welfare. Other than that, the back side of a municipal parking garage, occasionally wafting with the fragrance of urine, a small sadly neglected city park, and a few other odds and ends were all I could tell you about Schermerhorn  until about ten years ago when the condo boom erupted in downtown Brooklyn. Since then there are a few tony developments. For example the "Be@Schermerhorn" is complete with an anchor retail tent in the style of a whole-foods-esque, which made me laugh because I remember when a hotdog and a person in need of medical attention was much of what you could reliably find on Schermerhorn, and those days weren't long gone when that particular condo and market went up. Which could account for some of the issues they had filling the vacancies before an angel swooped in and saved them.

I found myself downtown this week. "Found" being a disingenuous term for my guilty pilgrimage to Brooklyn's own ShakeShack, which besides staying delicious, stands as in this era as an appropriate if unofficial greeter to the western edge of Fulton Street and the Downtown Brooklyn shopping area.

Travel home by chilly bike (I'm a blogger remember) I came across many freshly vacant lots, (which I've learned from Brownstowner are owned by Steiner Development and slated to be discount hotels) some already deep in the throws of new residential construction. There wasn't much time for me to take in the flurry of new before I can across this lonely outpost.

I also found this sate-photo I've highlighted to be pretty hilarious as you can see where the lonely soldier stands in regard to the development.

This gritty little building shares the block with the mega development "The Hub" as reported on Gothamist (seen below) which as shown in this rendering will not only be a major real estate development but the new largest tower in Brooklyn (It'll be 52 stories) will push the borough's vertical profile further to the stratosphere.

That of course means it'll become a commercial destination. With BAM, "The Theater for a New Audience" on Rockwell as well as the high-rise residential tower 66 Rockwell all one block away it's guaranteed to be a hot spot. And that doesn't even include the Two-Trees mega BAM tower slated to go up across the northern nub of 3rd Avenue and Flatbush, which would add another cultural center, replacement library (there's debate about whether it's a replacement library or not) and residential tower. This area now has potential to be a consistently vibrant and enriching center in the way it hasnt been since the 50's when it was just around the corner from rows of Brooklyn's theater district. All of this development no doubt benefiting from tax exemptions, and the market cultivated by buildings like "Be" and the Barclay Center just (technically) three blocks away.

Personally I'm curious to know how all all this will embrace the African Street Fair that has been part of BAM's spring Dance Africa event for over a decade. Since the Two-Tree's project is aimed at the footprint of the street festival, it would make sense to me that some sort of connective supporting relationship be made.

Other than concern for Dance Africa and the annual street festival, I got no gripes about all this mind you. I don't want massive condos towering over and killing classic city and neighborhood sight-lines in Prospect or Crown Heights and the like, but this is Downtown, it's were massive projects should be. Hopefully since so many are residential the city has plans in the works to address the reality of the thousands new people who will be using nearly century old infrastructure in that area, and new school with all those some of the cash from all those new tax payers would be good too.

Vaguely I recall seeing a few residents on Schermerhorn and my guess (+mischieveous hope) is at some point in the down and out 70's or 80's a resident bought this building, thus ensuring a place in the glistening tomorrows to come. Of course it could be that some speculator came along at the right moment and there's nothing romantic about this building, but eh, in a life less ordinary, I'll vote for the romance.

So maybe it's good if there's a hold out relic from the past sticking up like a thumb against the new. Judging from the generic glass-rectangle-rific architectural design of many of these new projects it might be the easiest way for new comers to see what character looks like.

Photo Wednesday 03/10/10 : Meeting the Deadline Edition

Funny thing about life, time and our perceptions of it all. I think it's funny that we interact with deadlines. That we judge ourselves by our stage of completion in approximation to deadlines becomes absurd in the face of the finality of most human endeavors. Are we trying to demonstrate foresight? Are we priming ourselves to be the pinnacle of human punctuality? Are we covering our ass? Maybe it's a combination of all.

We even make artificial deadlines, which is a little like buying presents for ourselves and pretending Santa did it, then dressing as Santa while having a congratulatory cookie snack, which we left for ourselves and finally avoiding mirrored surfaces, less the whole farce shatter.

I'm suddenly surrounded by deadlines. When I worked in publishing my favorite work-phrase was "dropdead" which was the penultimate deadline. Implying if work were not complete by that time the Apocalypse would ensue thereby making arguments about fonts, serifs and leading all woefully moot.

These days my favorite work phrase is "frame fucking".

Life is motion, rather than look at a time coming why is it so hard to visualize the time that's always passing?


The photo above comes from a building I never fail to forget exists. It's tucked into the beginning or end of Nevins street. I would love to know Nevin's history but I don't save for the fact that the Fox Studios theater was here in the 30's

The building has that kind of Bavarian exterior you can find in Crown Heights, Astoria and Forest Hills in Queens. I wonder if the building is on borrowed time.

Missed it Mondays: Wknd of 7/25-7/26 Edition

I myself missed alot of this weekend, what did I not miss? I did catch the block party on Grand Av in Clinton Hill, organized by local merchants.
and I did not miss getting caught in the rain as you'll see in the video below.

Weekend One-Liners 6/6-6/7

This weekend's one-liners:
Today and tomorrow, Atlantic Art Walk: http://atlanticavenueartwalk.com/home/

Tomorrow Sun 6/7 1st Annual Brooklyn Beer Experiment: http://www.thebrooklynbeerexperiment.blogspot.com/ [gmap]

Photo Wedns: 6/3/09 Holes in the wall, Sing-alongs & more

Holy Jeebus! It seems I had what the internet (or those who surf it) wanted to see and the result was a flex of spontaneous and awesome page viewing attention. How? Last week's photo wednesday was this image (gratuitously reposted to the left)

Of course I think it's a cool photo, I took it. It's also great street art with a sense of humor and all that, which is why I posted it. But I think everything I post is great, give or take a few exclamation points. So imagine my shock when I saw that this one photo, in one day accumulated more views than almost everything I've ever posted and every photo I've ever shot. Over 9,000 views on Sunday May 31st alone. In the grand scheme of internet views, not a lot I know, but I'm still working from the theory that there's only five of you who actually read this, and two of you have the same last name as me.

Interestingly none of that resulted in increased views of this blog... I tracked the source of the eyeball explosion, reddit.com So thanks reddit users.

This Wednesday's main photo comes with a news story:


The photo above is taken from Jay Street (in Downtown B'klyn), looking at the wall of the Northbound F Train track.

See those four jagged but rectangular shapes? They're holes in the wall. And behind a pot of gold? A window to throw it out of? Meh. The construction behind that wall of the Jay Station, to which the A,C & J (usually) run, is to build a tunnel connecting to the R & M lines at Lawrence Street. It's an old news story I somehow missed and here's the old link provide by the Brooklyn Eagle
For those willing to add another transfer at DeKalb Av or Atlantic Av, will provide an extension cord like connection between the A, Q, & D trains. Which in theory is somewhat awesome, but you know how theories go.

Construction is ongoing so by now those holes are probably closed up. But it's a reminder of how much more there is to the subway system infrastructure than we see. For example up to the 90's Jay Street was were all the money in the system was brought and counted as the MTA's headquarters used to exist in the building above Jay Street. Described by Hollywood in the film "Money Train":

...which I will probably still prefer over the remake of "The Taking of Pelham 1,2,3"

MTA headquarters has since been moved over to a new building at Livingston, which as I recall has the old G line tracks under it.

Since I'm behind in my writing I'm gonna drop some photos that have been waiting for me:

This photo is from Fort Greene (of course) during a sunday movie night when "Coming to America" was shown at Habana Outpost. (And not a Gitmo joke in the house!)

For those who don't know, "Coming to America" is a significant piece of American pop cultural in general and especially if you are of brown color or culture and you were young in the 80's. It's ridiculous which is the point. The amount of movie lines that are quoted by random assemblages of people is impressive by itself (and you probably know more than you realize).

The screening at Habana was packed with folks who seemed to have permanent tans and used to dance the "Wop", so it makes sense that the crowd began singing the song from the scene above.


But how could you not want to sing abut a Queen who's "free from infection"?

And Finally Here's a photo that I didn't write, it's about Willowtown:

In short. It's a residential development in Brooklyn Heights that makes the folks there all excited. Here's the details as wiki puts it. I was shocked to find yet another neighborhood sub-section, this time in Bklyn Heights, and I intend to rant about (unlike this example) how neighborhood sub-sections become separate neighborhoods in the minds of real estate folks and new comers. Soon come.

DANCE AFRICA in and around BAM! This Weekend!

Feel that 84 degree sun? Before you leap from that digital box and squeaky office chair I wanted to remind you that Brooklyn's beloved Dance Africa festival is happening inside and outside BAM this Memorial Day weekend.



Expect good looking people, performances, crafts, an outdoor shopping bizarre and a ton of island and soul food so good, best to get on line now.

Ashland Place and Lafayette Avenue outside and inside BAM.

For more info check their link [www.bam.org].

Below more pics from last year, don't say I didn't tell ya!


Local Colors


Food Crowds






Rhythms for Everyone

PhotoWedns 3/11/09 Grey Skies are Gonna Clear up Edition

The forecast for this week in the BK seems to be various shades of grey, just the sort of thing to give greater appreciation for skies of blue. Here's some blue sky over the rapidly rising new residences in Downtown Brooklyn.

On the left the Avalon Fort Greene and on the right the Toren Condos

Urban skies interest me in the way they're often framed, essentially becoming a map of the negative space of cities. I find the contrast between buildings and open spaces interesting as well.

Least I confuse anyone keeping track of my feelings toward mega-buildings, while I'm not a huge fan of clustered residential towers, in the Upper East Side, Chelsea or wherever, in this part of Downtown Brooklyn it generally doesn't bother me as this was a under-utilized space on which sat businesses that were not major growth providers for the surrounding neighborhoods. The Avalon (on the left) is especially huge, and I can only hope not ugly in it's final design, but I have to accept that if these things are going to be built, at least they be built in areas like underused commercial downtown as opposed to residential neighborhoods.

Now ask me about the development a block away that is going up in the space of what was the area's main supermarket and hear my blood boil.

PhotoWednesdayXmas Eve 08 Edition (Ho Ho Ho & a cake full'a rum)

I'm not big on Christmas. There. Smite me down oh jolly elf of western commerce! Go on fat man, make your move!! um ready for you, elfin magic is no substitute for street skillz!!

What I am big on (as my three point five devoted readers can attest) is telling stories about the spirit of Brooklyn past.

This Wednesday's photo was taken on Fulton Street in Downtown Brooklyn at what was once the Abraham & Straus department store, which is now a Macy's.
Is there even a store in Brooklyn for kids to go to and see Santa anymore? And is he progressively multicultural like this one was in the mid 70's? Granted given my politics today, I doubt I'd want to expose my phantom children to the big red hoax but it's such a cute scene, no wonder parents cave.

The look on my face is me staring at his hat, (I was fascinated by the faux fur, in drawings I imagined it was like a white tire around his head, I was weird) but most of my time on Afro-Santa's knee was spent telling him he wasn't Santa cause he was black. Hopefully somewhere in the coming Obama age there's a Mexican kid trying to negotiate a Korean Santa thus demonstrating how far we've really come.

"A&S" as it was referred to for years, to understate, was a major store, rivaling all others of it's day. Real old Brooklynites will remember it as the big name on a Fulton Street crowded with stores like Korvette's, McCory's, Mays (not to be confused with Macy's) and Woolworths. All those stores are gone, no sadness, things change. But the A&S building still stands, it's a great grand Art Deco structure and worth it to check out even if you don't need to shop and if you want to get some history check the wiki entry for it here. Even better the NYTimes goes into architectural detail here.

All that to say I remember the photo, the day, being a kid and not really being excited to go see santa as much as I was excited to be outside, to see all the people shopping, walk thru that huge A&S first floor, take the ancient escalators, or even better, the elevators each had operators with that according fold gate they'd manually shut. I remember that experience and my family most of all. My grandmother took me have the photo taken. As we were leaving the apt my uncle, about 18 at the time insisted on coming and kept telling me what to do during the photo (that's his head from the left).

I remember that and more, all good times. I'm skimping on the story because the point is I hope these next days will bring you peace, warmth and if nothing else memories to love.

When Worlds Collide, Kevin Powell stays Real

So as promised last July 4th weekend was intoxicating and as a result I'm still not quite up to divulging and the funtastic details, but an email I just got reminded me of one moment from the weekend that was.

(Above AfroPunk Skaters from the "5Boro" team which is this wed's photo selection)

I slid on into the AfroPunk skate park built in downtown Brooklyn
for the annual Afro Punk festival (til July 13th) where seemingly
disparate worlds were merging in the ways that only Brooklyn can offer.

On the one hand you had unadorned skaters grinding and into the air and on the other you had helmeted Grammy winners (Vernon Reid) feet coolly on the ground and in between it all, none other than candidate for congress, Kevin Powell.

Congressional candidate Kevin Powell (center) Keeping it Real between worlds of Brooklyn

I've noticed that Kevin Powell (yeh I can't help but refer to him with both names)
is a regular presence in the neighborhood as well as in local community affairs.

Kevin Powell and Vernon were rappin (ol'skool definition) and so rather than step in I waited to test him on the issues. He was cool enough to give me a pound and ask how I was doing in a totally believable manner, ( I skipped the part about my childhood traumas ) and before I knew it he was seemingly answering the "what are you doing here?" question by revealing that he was digging the skate demos and that he had been a skater as a kid. I admitted the same, and in our shared moment of realization, that we each were two of a handful of urban black skaters in the early 80's, we embraced and launched into bluesy rendition of "Kick, Push" which swayed me toward voting for him. Okay we didn't but in my imagination we did and Vernon laced the track.

Kevin Powell did share (in addition to his skater cred) his opposition to the current Atlantic Yards project. Making my vote for him more likely although it would be great if anyone had been asked to vote on Atlantic Yards at all.

Finally I couldn't help but ask what he thought of the upcoming "Real World: Brooklyn Edition." Kevin of course was an original cast member as all us ol' folks remember from the mythic 90's and according to reports the next time the world gets "Real" it will happen just a few blocks from where we were standing. Kevin Powell tolerated my question which for him (he's a noted author and columnist) has to be the same as:

Photo: Theo Wargo/WireImage.com

Takeshi Murakami being asked what he thinks of being Kanye's "album cover artist".

Without missing a beat Kevin Powell responds "Hey... Brooklyn's where it's at!" Indeed, Brooklyn is where it's at, I couldn't agree more. And with that natural and diplomatic answer, um sold.

So yeh, based on this thorough vetting and the fact that in my three BK decades I've never even seen my current Congressman (but I seem to run into Kevin Powell in the neighborhood on the regular) I have to officially throw the full weight of the "UBB" blog behind his candidacy and implore you the readers to do the same.


The race is on...

Hopefully that means all five of you will remember to vote this Fall for Kevin Powell, and of course any other cool African-American community activists you find on the ballot.

skate or vote but don't just die!

Btw if you want to see the man in person and contribute to his cause check below:

WEDNESDAY, JULY 9TH, 2008
KEVIN POWELL FUNDRAISER HOSTED BY DAVE CHAPPELLE
7-10PM
THE MADISON/EUGENE
27 West 24th St bsetween 6th Ave and Broadway
***$50 young professionals under 30***
$100 general admission
$1000 VIP admission to hang w/Chappelle & Powell
$2300 VIP reception & photo w/Chappelle
visit www. kevinpowellforcongress. org/contribute to RSVP
featuring a live performance by
EMILY KING
w/ DJ REBORN spinning (***Yay Reborn!***)

(FOLLOW UP: Added Thu 7/10)

So the idea of actual support for Kevin Powell's campaign led me to pay to attend the fund raiser listed above. I really wanna support the brother, but the event was a mess and hopefully not reflective of him. After a long wait I had a short stay and left before the night really went downhill. For more check Gawker, I'm gonna go look for Dave Chappelle.