Views of a born and bred Brooklynite. (umbrooklynborn@gmail.com) This blog satisfies my need to hear and air feelings of B'klyn from the people whose life experience were born here. Hopefully it'll balance to some of the revisionist historical musings I've seen as if Bklyn barely existed before the 90's. Brooklyn as Tabula Rasa. If we can all live as best possible while appreciating the past and neighbors we've inherited that would be great too.
I was in the parade which feels like many more than ten days ago. Not in the parade in the teen aged sense of the days when I'd hope the barricade and join the mostly other non participant paraders, but in a more age mature stroll with my niece and nephew down the parkway lanes, enjoy the people watching and food scents.
From my point of view, having walked back and forth from Franklin to Nostrand and back, as well as taking the train out to Utica Av, (with the exception of a lack of information dolled out to the rank and file officers on where crowds could permissibly cross streets) the parade was a grand success.
I have lots of pics (Senator Chuck Schumer was hilarious with the bullhorn in my opinion) and I'll put up a gallery soon, but I've settled on this shot from high above Franklin Av and Eastern Parkway.
I totally missed the Do the Right Thing 25 years in the making block party. Not only did I miss it, I wrote the wrong date on this blog. Apologies. Everyone down for 2039 right!!?? Ah.. yah.
Back to the block party, Public Enemy Performed their classic "Fight The Power" as featured in the film, DJ Spinna keep the party amazing, Brooklynites enjoyed an unexpected bonus reunion day with familiar longterm Brooklynite faces meeting up from around the Borough. And if that wasn't enough The artist formerly know as Mos Def: Yasiin Bey spun the packed crowd into a musical frenzy with some of his classics and more than a little dancing to LL's also classic, "Rock the Bells". I know all this from my Facebook timeline of the folks in attendance while I was far away.
Speaking of throwbacks, The New York Times wrote another article about how Crown Heights isn't just about rioting anymore, which I guess makes the previous 5 articles they've published saying the same thing just wishful opinion engineering? Or maybe they've been so busy reminding people for 23 years that 4 days of protesting, 2 days of looting, 1 horrible act of vehicular homicide that went unpunished (innocent 6 year old Gavin Cato's death at the hands of a driver who avoided scrutiny by fleeing to Israel) followed by a terrible mob attack on an innocent student Yankle Rosenbaum (who was stabbed and later neglected at Kings County Hospital where he died) all of which occurred in an area less than 10% of the neighborhood is all Crown Heights is about, that they need this many articles to set the record straight. Except thats not the purpose of the article, it's really about making prospective buyers feel good about the area.
Speaking of Independence, the fourth of July happened! And for the first time in a kindergardener's age, the fireworks launched from the East River as opposed to shining so much light on our beloved Jersey (Really Hoboken) neighbors. I wanted to capture great images from the show that was, including the sparkling pyrotechnics cascading off the Brooklyn Bridge itself, (first time I've seen this since the Bridge's centennial celebration back in '83) but my life got in the way (or more accurately a wedding in the family in of all places, upstate, 4th of July Weekend) so here's some cool video from folks with better views than I.
More coming up this month, The Brooklyn Bodega HipHop Fest (is being held in Williamsburg this year and if you want tickets, hurry, they're selling out fast. Last year's lines we're pretty expansive.)
"Back to the Future is screening in McCarren Park in Williamsburg, kicking off their outdoor movie season (tonight FREE!)
The FREE Wingate Concert series kick's off next week with Kenny "Babyface" Edmonds headlining and theres a variety of great of other stuff (Ex: Summerstage events all around the city) I'll try to make time to post.
Or hey send me an email with your event at umbrooklynborn @ gmail.com and I'll post it here, free of charge.
This Photo for Wednesday obviously comes from this week's snow storms. Love this pic, I was on my way to an errand when I decided to hop off the subway and take the bridge. Stinging snow, obscured city, frames hands, icy camera. Good times! It got so dark the lights came on, it's actually about 12:35pm in this pic.
Click through and you'll see the other one I like of the mail-carrier living up to that mythic poem.
In addition to the new snow falling today, supposedly more snow's on the way this weekend. I blame the groundhog for being mad that the Mayor dropped him. Stay safe.
Yesterday's snow ensured another week of kids sledding, diy sidewalk navigation and our friends on facebook grousing about winter. Eh whaddaya gonna do? The fact that we've had about 7 total inches of snow the last two years has helped collectively toughen us to winter so we'll all just have to summon our inner Yukon explorer, or pretend to at least.
Today's photo for wednesday comes from the winter scape that is Bedford Avenue & Sterling Place and the majestic Studebaker Building.
My intended post isnt ready, and I'm saving the holiday thoughts for next Photo Wednesday, it being Christ day and all. So here's some picts I came across of gang bangers in Brooklyn, of the 1950's.
Bruce Davidson is a photographer, now 80 he lives out of state, but once upon a day, he made his home in Brooklyn, and chose to photograph gang members after hearing news of gang fights in the city.
"These extraordinary photographs document the fascinating lives of a teen gang living in Brooklyn, New York, in the 1950s.
The images are part of a collection called Brooklyn Gang, and were taken by renowned photographer Bruce Davidson, 80, who has dedicated his career to documenting New York City life and culture.
This collection is especially interesting as it follows a group of teens, who called themselves the Jokers, who lived in the city in 1959."
The Brooklyn Botanic(al) Gardens held its "Rose Night" members event this past June 5th with picnicking, pageantry and music provided by the period appropriate musicians of the "Dew Drop Society"(pictured above). They were awesomely fun, I half expected F. Scott Fitzgerald to be tapping his toe behind a tree whilst taking notes.
I took more than a few photos that night. The lighting and fashions of some really made for some throwback imagery and that's a little of the point of the event.
Rose Night (if you haven't checked the link above) is a celebration not only of the beauty of June blooming roses of all shapes, sizes and colors, but it's also a call back to the era the Rose Garden was dedicate, back in 1927.
In addition to music and roses the annual event consisted of kids events, beverages, (including a rose-like florally fragrant vodka martini which was a fave) and a hat contest. Attendees were encouraged to wear period clothing and at least go all out with the hats. I spotted and spoke with a few Easter Parade alums who came bespoke in their bonnets. (Winner of the Hat Contest pictured above. Congrats!)
I didn't quite understand the mechaniations of the hat contest, but it was won, fun was had, and there was enough Flappers, Charleston steppers and kids in what seemed to devolve into a conga line to bring smiles to everyone's faces.
There's so many photos, and I really got into adjusting them to push the period look further) that I couldn't decide which to show so below's a slideshow of the best views I saw that night, Enjoy:
Can't wait till next year. And if you're a fan of Brooklyn Botanic Garden events in general, you don't have to wait for one. Their calendar is full of nearly daily happenings so check em out.
As a kid I noticed these one day when I decided to read them instead of passing them as I had hundreds of times previously. It was shocking to me that they had been laid decades ago, and in brought up a cheesy yet civic-prideful sense of happiness in my elementary school self. So today's Photo(s) for Wednesday come from Eastern Parkway.
The plaques were created and dedicated for Brooklyn residents who perished in "The War to End All Wars". Many of America's WWI soldiers were laid to rest overseas and so memorials like these were dedicated across the nation. Down the western end near the Museum new benches, widened sidewalks and a bike-lane have been added. Parking signs were reposted today. Included and repositioned are the World War I memorial placards.
Over the years tree root growth, erosion and occasional vandalism have disturbed the placards and I'm happy to see there refurbishing was part of the Eastern Parkway makeover. Each placard is aligned next to a tree as they were originally. A subtle memorial as was originally intended.
Eastern Parkway the nation's 1st parkway built in 1866 expressly for "pleasure-riding and scenic driving" by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux has been undergoing successful remodeling and refurbishing for years now and it's looking great.
From wikipedia's Eastern Parkway Entry:
The world's first parkway was conceived by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux in 1866. The term parkway was coined by these designers as a landscaped road built expressly for 'pleasure-riding and driving' or scenic access to Prospect Park (also designed by Olmsted and Vaux). To these ends, commerce was restricted. The parkway was constructed from Grand Army Plaza to Ralph Avenue (the boundary of the City of Brooklyn) between 1870 and 1874. Olmsted and Vaux intended Eastern Parkway to be the Brooklyn nucleus of an interconnected park and parkway system for the New York area. The plan was never completed but their idea of bringing the countryside into the city influenced the construction of major parks and parkways in cities throughout the United States.[4]
Speaking of trees and thoughts of days past in the vicinity of Eastern Parkway; Tonight is the Brooklyn Botanic(al) Garden's Member's Rose Night, were attending members will be treated to music in celebration of the era in which the Cranford Rose Garden opened in 1927.
From the Garden's website:
Enjoy live ragtime and jazz with Dewdrop Society. Don your best bonnet to participate in our second annual hat contest—kids can make their own at our specially equipped craft table. Picnicking is permitted and a cash bar will be available.
I'll be the one in the top-hat. Be a member enjoy the Garden. Cheers!
Today's Photo Wednesday today comes from a the Dance Africa Street Fair outside of BAM which had a new visitor this year, the sometimes ubiquitous CitiBikes of the new and endlessly photographed BikeShare program. My first impression upon encountering the bikes was about the same as the kid above, glee.
Immediately I thought myself brilliant for thinking the bikes are a ride unto themselves, "hell they're a flash-spin-class waiting to happen!", I thought. "Geez, I'm clever" I mused, wearing my shoulder joint out from my back slaps. Then I saw this:
So... ah, yah. I guess at least it means for at least one brief provable moment, the erudite minds behind the NewYorker and I aligned. Seriously though, who's down for the flash spin class?
I never considered that a city full of stationary bikes (for those not willing to plunk down for the ride) could be so much fun. I expect video to follow from all corners of the bike sharing city. Maybe even my own..
For what it's worth I noticed this is my 400 post and the blog has been going from 6 years which is slightly more math than I'm willing to average out but yeh, theres that. Enjoy your May, it's soon to part.
By now if you live in Manhattan or northern Brooklyn (that's Greenpoint, Williamsburg, Brooklyn Heights, D.U.M.B.O., Fort Greene, Clinton Hill, Bedford-Stuyvesant, for the noobs : ) ...you've probably heard or seen the Bike Share docks provided by Citibank.
The Bike Share program starts next week for those members who've signed up for the annual program.
The program in short allows a user to take one of the hundreds of bikes available at sites the aforementioned areas and ride as result of a pre-paid membership or one the spot payment. The idea is to share, not hang on to, so the bikes have no lock, you're expected park the bike the bike share dock closest to your destination. Members can hop on a bike an bring it back as many times as like during the span of their rental, be it a week or a year.
I caught the Bike Share-Elves in action last month as they were installing the docks and I'm blown away with how many docks there are and how much coverage there is in the initial neighborhoods.
Of course this being New York, and the subject being related to Bikes people wouldn't feel complete without complaints. Mostly from people who see the program as being a clear sign that the Four Horsemen will be wearing helmets and navigating Bike Lanes.
Fueling some complaints I've heard and read is the fact that no one loves Citibank. Let's face it, they're fairly unlovable. But in this case I don't see any effective other way than for a corporation in need of loving to fund the startup costs. So far to my eyes, it's working, I've counted six bike rental stations, with at least 20 docks within one mile in Fort Greene & Clinton Hill. I've seen more over in midtown and financial district, so if you just consider commuting there's seems to be a potential for a lot of usage.
The other big complaint is that the bike docks are taking away from the city, in terms of culture and (heaven-forbid) parking spaces. People said the same thing about cars taking spaces from horses. I've witnessed a few places where I wish the bike docs weren't on the sidewalk (Lafayette Av between Hanson and Fort Greene Pl) but overall we're in a transforming city and world. Parking spaces are not a right, (which we all know living in New York) and I'd pick a bunch of bikes over a bunch of cars in most cases.
Regarding the parking spaces, I can't understand when people who don't even have a license to drive complain about parking, but hey we're New Yorkers. When I asked those complaining they said it's the cost of revenue from those parking spaces that they were upset about. So even though that only makes sense for spaces with parking meters, I checked with some people in the bike-share know, and they informed me that Citibank is paying the city for the use of the parking spaces. There, happy?
Besides the number of bike docks that have gone up in less than a month's time, I'm impressed by the bike itself (above), which looks just all purpose enough to be a good ride for most, and sturdy on the streets. citibike's site has details on the bikes the docks and all the membership options.
The rental bikes come with a bell and front and rear lights that work
without batteries (the motion of the wheels power them) so you'll be
street legal. In case you didn't know an under reported law was passed a
few years back making it illegal for an adult to ride a bike in NYC
without a bell and lights. Here's a link to additional rules for bike riding in NYC.
At first I found it surprising that there are no bikes in the massive bike parking lot behind the Barclays Center, then it hit me, Barclays is a bank too. Funny I thought they all colluded.
So I can't wait for the Bike Share to kick-off next week. I'll be rocking my t-shirt (special for early joiners) and ready to roll. I'm sure there will be hiccups, shortages of bikes in some areas, just like when all the cabs are in one section of the city, and yes, someone will steal a bike, probably several. All that aside the gains for the city (and the Citi) far out weight the negatives, at least until a bike dock threatens the life of your loved one, but no matter what The NYPost says, that didn't happen.
Today's
Photo Wednesday comes courtesy of the very photogenic Brooklyn Botanic Garden, I couldn't stop taking pics of the tulips, they're amazing!
The Brooklyn Botanic Garden is also having a PLANT SALE TODAY & TOMORROW 5/2 so don't
delay get on down and get some of the best most beautiful flora from the
experts.
There's also a LOT of cherry blossoms and early roses in bloom too. Enjoy!
Before tonight's deluge there was sun and warmth. And during these last few days of warmth I snapped this photo of two people basking in the warming glow of the sun and each other.
Despite the occasional rain, spring is in the air.
I tend to rail against condo developments for their usually high prices relative to local incomes so in the name of balance here's a large residential building nearly complete on Putnam near Classon Av (old Bedford-Stuyvestant-new Clinton Hill). It's called, appropriately, "Putnam Court"
According to the information on posted at the construction site, there are (or at one time were) 24 studio apartments as part of the development available for people who make under $28k annually.
The development on Rockwell Pl. (Near the Downtown McDonald's on Fulton) also a similar affordable housing allocation.
How many people who could really benefit from these deals, do you think know about them?I'll do some more research and see how this information becomes available to the public and publicized.
I very much like the design of the building and its attempts to match the surrounding architecture in a modern way. Frankly I'd love a lot more of the new and recently new Brooklyn condos and rentals if they blended as nicely as Putnam Court.
In addition to providing housing to an a lot that previously was dilapidated and under used, part of the building sits on what had been a vacant lot there for decades) the development is a block away from the Clinton Hill Food Co-op, also on Putnam Ave.
So I just did some quick googling for more info about this project, and boy Brownstowner and I are really in sync lately, they just posted an article about this yesterday. From their article I find that the low rent for the studios translates to $618 per month income dependent.
Its been a while since the last "Photo Wednesday" so considering I didn't stop taking photos (everyday even!) I am stocked with visual moments to share from many points Brooklyn.
"M. H. Koski, Inc" was apparently a pawn shop, this Brooklyn Eagle link shows an advertisement for the business from 1946.
I wanted to post a shot from what I think is about as far away in Brooklyn as a person can be from everything and still be in Brooklyn, but for now this one I picked up wins the day. I know this corner intimately.
I recall being about nine and standing across the street from this corner waiting and desperate to leave. Standing next to my little feet was a box big enough to hold a starship and it did. The Millennium Falcon. My mother bought it from Mays' Department store (Corner of Fulton St & Bond) and we'd stopped off from the bus to meet a friend of hers. The only thing that made the wait tolerable was the thrill I got from each kid walking by who's wide eyes spied the classically 70's photo of the spacey plastic hunk of junk.
I was headed down Putnam (which I still can't believe no longer awkwardly flows into Fulton Street, when I noted this space of wall that had not been painted over since I'm guessing at least the 60's. That day as a kid there was a billboard covering that patch of wall. When I moved to my second adult Brooklyn apartment up the block on Grand a billboard still covered it. When I saw the painted old sign beaming waves of yesterday outward I had to take a shot of it.
Brownstowner and Faded Ad Blog beat me to publishing the pic (steamed) so here's links to them as well: http://www.fadingad.com/fadingadblog/?p=10347 & http://www.brownstoner.com/blog/2012/03/signage-archaeology-on-grand-avenue/ Brownstoner was kind enough to point out that corner of the expose sign was an open air drug market in the "70's and 80's" a commenter posted they should include the "90's, 00's & 10's" yeah... as mentioned I lived right up the block, and I swear a more industrious and consistently staffed drug spot I've never seen. Hell I've worked in corporations were people weren't at their station as often as these guys were (are?). My question has been and still is what kind of economic model were those corner hustlers working in the 90's? They'd have more guys on the corner than customer regularly, yet everyone seemed paid. That's Buffet math.
Also
I'm going to include a little "Best of.." Photo Wednesday this one from
February 3rd 2010 when the Lowes Kings Theater was featured. I'd taken a
few cools shots of the exterior and meant to post it, when months later
the new broke that the formerly palatial long since condemned theater
on Flatbush was poised to be restored to greatness. A few months back
the plans were confirmed. Here's a quick look back with a personal story
to boot:
I want to share this with you. Above are a
few of the several wonderful, intricate, transformational works of
artist El Anatsui of Ghana now on display at the Brooklyn
Museum - make your eyes and mind happy, check them out before they're
gone.
I won't tell you about the details of the work, they're better seen and experienced in person.
El Anatsui has been creating works of various types, materials and messages for decades, it took a while for the world to catch on to him and I'm glad he persevered and continues to create.
I don't want to alarm you, but summer is more than half over.
Like so many summers before this, too much is going on, all the time, even with rain-delays, for my one man operation to live it, record it and present it. The idea of doing a summer review in September came to mind, and then I realized the problem with that; nothing worse than looking back on a summer you can be part of, especially with the Fall chill creeping in. SO my suggestion to you and all is to take note of the days we have left, think of the sun and fun to come, and go get some (or some more) before it runs out.
One particularly summery place this year in Brooklyn has been Fort Greene Park, often over shadowed by it's bigger cousin Prospect, Ft. Greene Park has been a constant source of music, community and more a few times, really good eats. Below are pics from the Soul Summit and a few from the Fort Greene Fest held back in July.
The Soul Summit, a non-denominational church revival-slash- family reunion disguised as a House Music dance party (aren't they all though?) was a major event every Sunday from July to August for one brief Summer back round 2003 or so. But neighborhood grumblings pruned it down year after year until now it's nearly as easy to miss as Haley's Comet or some other fast moving celestial phenomenon. That being the case I went out and what essentially looks very much the same and different every year. In a word, it's "Family".
this photo came from the dance circle and the young brotha in the photo had been moving through the circle punctuated by drums and some rhythms only felt. The moment captured in the shot was that last step at the end of his motions.
Here is one of those cool brothas, a house head and dancer extraordinaire. I've seen him at various spots across the city and across the years, always accompanied by house music and i dont even know his name. Good shot though, lotta twisting and turning frozen in time.
I noticed this as I was decending down into the subway one day a few weeks back, a paper crane. was someone trying to tell us something?
Speaking of the subways and what not, I just learned that only two years into his six year contract MTA Board head Jay Walder is leaving for a gig outta town. He will stay on until October of this year, then he's Hong Kong bound.
The articles below all reported the story when I missed it last week (when I was probably in the middle of the eighth shower that day)
You'll see in the articles above the range of opinion on the story as views differ on what this says about Walder and more importantly the effect it will have on mass transit riders in the city.
Some are trying to make him out to be the railyard equivalent of LeBron James (<--Btw this clip is very amusing if you havent seen it) for taking his talents elsewhere, but as the Gothamist article points out he was make $500k in London then left that job to come here and work for $350k and Hong Kong is offering almost a million annually.
Plus the transit works union, (and I am prounion) has a big sway over the agency thanks to the necessity of the MTA for city life and their contract is coming up at the end of the year while the MTA still struggles to pay off the debt incurred by huge borrowing over the last ten years, (thanks Pataki).
If you dont know Walder is credited with an attempt to modernize the MTA specifically city buses and subways. Things I havent liked under his watch, the cut off of bus service in the boroughs, and shortening of schedules but most of that was the result of budget cuts and a lack of public fighting to keep necessary services. As well as the constant problem with the MTA, that they are not politically accountable to anyone because they are a half private half goverment agency.
Things I have liked under Walder's watch, continued modernizing of the trains (I'm not a fan of robo trains though) and the update and addition of schedule clocks, (mentioned in a previous post) which every major city's subways (London, Tokyo, etc) have. I also like the realtime bus tracking and priorety bus lanes in the city. This and more was the promise and expectations that surrounded Walder's arrival as MTA head.
But yeah, Walder's a native New Yorker, and we know a few things with certainty; when the road's about to get bumpy and what a good deal looks like. I can't fault him for his choice but I'm not very optimistic that Cuomo will find anyone nearly as able to run this city's MTA and complete the turnaround Walder attempted to start.
Looks like NYer's will have to fold up our hopes and dreams into another, this bird has flown.
So a few weeks back I mentioned the opening of "Candy Rush" a store specializing in Candy and Ice Cream, especially long forgotten treats like those hard candy drops that come on a role paper and (even though they are new versions) the Dip Stik ! (pictured above, and called "Fun Dip") Basically Dip-Stiks were a pouch with two or three sections, each with a powdered koolaid like mix of flavor and suger. The pack also had a white oblong hard candy wand which you used to scoop out the powder and eat it.
Definitely unhealthy, totally fun, especially when as 5 year olds we learned that liking the candy stick made the powder easier to harvest.
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