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 090413 : Grand Army Edition

Not too many beautiful blue days like today left so enjoy it when/if you can!

Next week is primary time and somehow Bill Thompson got into my building to leave campaign lit. 

Speaking of the primary I hope all you independent minded folk realize you won't be effectively be able to vote for mayor since NYC is a party only primary.

That's right, and since turnout is expected to be low, and we're. Dem-Ind heavy city it's likely approximately 10% of the voting public will be the ones to choose our next mayor.

How ya like dem apples?

Photo Wednesday 062613 : Boysen Berry Late Edition

I'm sick. argh. Either too much airconditioning and 90 degree days or a little too close to a old flemish gent but either way I'm at about %50 potency.

But it is Wednesday and I have a Photographic mission.

This weeks Photos for Wednesdays are of a subject I've wanted to write about for a while now.
The Boysenberry. Each year, late into Spring, after trees have sprouted leaves and sweaters all but disappeared a curious berry appears dotting certain Brooklyn streetscapes. Equally curious is how the berry buds suddenly appear first leaf green then red and finally a mixture of color spanning the blackberry to raspberry spectrum.


That's appropriate but more on that later. As with most things on this blog I have a personal remembrance on the subject. Each school year my child mind full of the impending ever important summer vacation, I'd be startled from my distraction by the berry sight of trees with low hanging fruit. So much fruit in fact that the tree branches would bend generously toward the street below, graciously offer a sweet flavorful break in the day.

Almost more fun than plucking grape sized fruit and popping them direct to my mouth, was the horrified looks I'd get from passersby, 3rd and 4th generation urban dwellers who were likely without the benefit of a weird year spent on a farm as I'd had, or random trips to the Caribbean as were often orchestrated by family, or maybe the people which with terror and my berry red lips just had no expectation that anything nourishing could come from a Brooklyn street.

Since then, I've looked forward (and up) to the trees impending blossoms. This year is the latest bloom I can recall, I blame climate change, and the berries don't disappoint.

You'd think with all the locally sourced fervor taking over Brooklyn in the last few years there'd be no end to the appearances and usages of Boysenberries on tony tables but nope all that hype is saved for rhubarb and ramps. (Ramps? really?)

A few years ago I brought up the berry topic with a friend and fellow native brooklynite. I called them Mulberries. He insisted they were Boysenberries. A wiki search proved him correct, much to my dismay. The same wiki page informed me not only that these Berries were Boysen, but that there were white variations of the same.

Of course a week or two later, the moon lighting my bike path home, I came across two men on the sidewalk, standing the dark shade of a broad tree. They were in a curious discussion and I slowed. Surrounding them on the concrete ground was a familiar stipple pattern of small dark stains. Weary, it is still Bk after all I got within earshot and just as I overheard them they noticed me, one motioning me over saying, "you know what these are?" "They're berries. Not just any berries, the mythic white ones I'd recently learned of. "You can EAT them." the night stranger offered. The Alice Carrol-esque element of his enthusiastic suggestion aside I joined them, not in the eating, too soon and too late to be eating from trees with strangers. But we chatted as they chewed and before I was on my way.


Speaking of that tell-tale pattern of berry stains on the ground; I'd always presumed it was the result of fallen fruit from the wind blowing or perhaps the juicy fruit was simply too heavy for it's spindly stem but as I was taking the photos featured here, I got my answer. Fruit was falling like late August rain, in uneven in large and small droplets all while I took photos. Finally I felt the urge to look up to where many berries were falling from and I came eye to eye with this guy, the culprit.


That squirrel seems to be enamored with his territory and I don't blame him, it's not on every block that you find Boysen. I have a memorized few streets where the easily accessible fruit treats can be reliably found. One is the corner of Eastern Parkway and Washington. Another is in front of the church (St. Teresa's) on Classon near Sterling Place. And there's a few more in people's yards but I'm keeping those on the hush.

I've since learned the Boysenberry is in fact a hybrid man made fruit. A combination of such fruits as Raspberries, Blackberries and currants. Made by one Rudolph Boysen, who started the work before it eventually became the concern of the same Walter Knott for whom Knott's Berry Farm is named.

The fruit was cultivated in the 1920's which may explain why it's so plentiful in brooklyn front yards as a large number of homeowners especially brownstone owners were planting fruit trees of various climate friendly varieties.

For years I've meant to do a full on harvest ending in a juice or a pie but this year the fruit came on later than expected and I'm a little slow today so get a start on next year and grab them while you can. Hurry the squirrels and pigeons have ganged up!

Photo Wednesday 5/8/13 : CosPlay Edition

Creative CosPlay @ BBG Sakura Matsuri 2013, originally uploaded by b'klynborn.

It's fun that CosPlay has found an annual home in the Brooklyn Botanic Garden's Sakura Matsuri Festival.

I have so many great pics from that day I can fill a year of Wednesdays with them.

Costumed escapism can be so much fun.

How are YOU not like yourself?

Via Flickr:
BBG Sakura Matsuri 2013

Photo Wednesday 03/23/11 :"The End is Far Away" Edition

"The End is Far Away", originally uploaded by b'klynborn.

Jeez I had this photo taken and post written this morning and the day got away from me.

I've mentioned many reasons for having "photowednesdays" on this blog. some reasons are current events love of Brooklyn and keeping my idle hands from being the devils playthings. I've probably also mentioned it's not always easy to find a new pic of something Brooklyn-centric or born that's interesting. I never want photo Wednesdays to turn into a catalogue of cliched pics of the bridge or the arch.

all this to say i wasnt clear or looking forward to this photo wednesday. its winter i work almost nonstop and so whatever uniqueness goes on i feel i miss lately. sometimes i cant imagine what there is to see that hasnt been seen already in Brooklyn, and then there's images like this I found today.

I'm a morning facebook checker and I found a professional friends announcement that his mom had passed. a few weeks back I and thousands like me lost a great friend and I couldn't help notice the last few weeks on facebook how many personal condolence messages there have been.

then on a bit of a tangent there's slot of conversations I've found myself in lately with people expressing the end of days coming in 2012 (which I'm not a believer in) and the frequency of these conversations, not the actual topic, but that so many people are subscribing.... leaves me a little speechless.
all that to say this morning I felt as grey as the day.

and then there's image and it's message waiting to be seen.

happy Wednesday y'all

Photo Wednesday 10/15/08 Fall Preview

Jeez...
I know it's been said over and again, but it is work to keep a blog up-to-date.

Having said that, I am behind on PhotoWednesdays, because I have been so busy living life and taking photos that there hasn't been time to post.

So here in pictures is Early Fall Bk Style. Enjoy.

(FYI its 2014 and I just noticed the links to the photos have evaporated, when I have time I'll put them back for now just type "Photo Wednesday" in the search field above and look it all the neat pictures)

Photo Wednesdays: Fort Green; what's the story for summer?

Just prior to last summer, as I recall, the area surrounding the monument at Fort Green Park was fenced off. The reason given was renovations, but a side effect of that closing, was to prevent what had been an annual ritual of summer from continuing.

That ritual was the house music sessions, that had been a lively friendly exuberant way of socializing, reclining and of course dancing.

I went up to the top of the park (located of course betweehttp://www.blogger.com/posts.g?blogID=3998432848415030405n DeKalb and Myrtle in Ft. green, and took some pictures, since thelast I heard the renovations were to be completed this summer. This is what I saw:


Doesn't look like it. And it doesn't do anything to reduce the concerns and rumors that the "renovation" was part of an effort to remove dancers and dance culture from the park.


What do you know about it?

Ikea and photo wednesday cometh together!

Ah today's the day, ikea comes to the city proper, specifically to Red Hook Brooklyn.

I gotta be honest, I am of the fickle set of likes and dislikes that drives me to protest a Wal-Mart but welcome an Ikea. Which I guess means I like swedish meatballs more than corn.

Anyway, today wednesday june 18th is opening day so couch hungry brooklynites; run out and get yo'self some, cause they're giving them all away. Okay they're giving like, one away, but it's one more than anybody else, and after you scarf down those cinnamon buns you'll need somewhere to rest your buns, right?

Today's Photo Wednesday
I call this one: "The shimmering clash of human industry and nature."

Which is why today's photo in keeping with the Red Hook theme, comes from the Gowanus Canal which flows around Red Hook and on into Brooklyn's Gowanus / Carroll Gardens neighborhoods.

This pic is also an attempt to spread the wealth of photo wednesdays further around this great city of Brooklyn and to remind us of Red Hook/Gowanus's recent past of industrial abuse. Now that the Ikea's here, let's hope we don't find any "Hopen" floating in the canal.

Hump this! BK Photo Wednesdays

Wednesday is picture day!

I've decided it and so it shall be,
from now on I'll be posting at least one Brooklyn photo every week on wednesdays.
Yeh I ain't the first to do it by a long shot, but this provides specific delivery date
for new views and gives y'all a chance to see what I love about Brooklyn
So as Slick Rick once said, "herrrrre we go..."

Today's selection is:
"Springtime in Fort Green" (Cheesey, no?)
The view comes from DeKalb Av right in front of the Brooklyn Hospital
with a sliver of Brooklyn Tech HS in the background as a bonus.
More neighborhoods in the weeks to come...