Buschenschank is spring ready!

Brooklyn Buschenschank has opened it's windows for the season and boy is this space opened up! The new spot, which opened only months ago, had frosted windows that you couldn't see in or out of and we had no idea they were planning on taking the windows out for the warmer months. What a great idea! As you can see above the windows were very large so without them it almost seems as though it's an outdoor beer garden now. So, they'll have this new perk for the spring and summer and come fall and winter they'll shut the place back up for that more tavern-like feel that people are attracted to in the colder months. Good job guys! Checking out their new look and those long wooden tables...we're thinking we need a beer!

New Bike Shop.

At 149 Smith Street there will be a new bike shop taking the place of a small organic market. BikeSmith, which is a great name, will sell a repair bikes. The sign is up but we aren't sure how ready they are to open shop. So far our neighborhood has a few bike shops already but not in the vicinity of this spot, so it should do well. We also heard that they may be doing rentals in the future. We're all for anything making Brooklyn more bike friendly!

New Kids Store.

We got some great photos (see above and below) of this new store on 192 Amity Street near Court. It's called Picnic and it has really cute kids and baby clothing and accessories. We really liked the set up inside. It was very colorful but simple and easy to browse. Nice window display too! They're having a grand opening reception of sorts this coming weekend with snacks and bevs. So, if you'd like to check this place out for yourself this Saturday or Sunday would be the time to do it!

Franny Performs.

Our friend, Franny, who has obviously been very busy will be participating in some performances over the next couple of months in different spaces around New York. Thought we'd share this with you.

4.8 | 2pm | $15
BNWRep's Tea Reading Series
presents Street Scene
by Elmer Rice

***

4.18-28 | 8pm | $15
Jimmy Maize's adaptation of
Spoon River Anthology with
100 ACTORS!

***

4.29 | 2pm | $15
BNWRep's Tea Reading Series
presents Waiting for Lefty
by Clifford Odets

***

5.18 | 9:30pm | $15
The Latvia Project
presented by
Dixon Place's Works-in-Progress
and warner|shaw

Cobble Hill Inspiring Dumbo.

We've just learned from Grubstreet NY about some recent similarities between Cobble Hill and it's not too distant neighbor, Dumbo. First bit of news is that One Girl Cookies just opened their second location at 33 Main Street. This is right next to a soon-to-be a Brad McDonald run restaurant that will be serving seasonal American fare. McDonald, of Atlantic Avenue's Colonie, will also be opening a second restaurant in Dumbo at 5 Front Street. The Front street restaurant will be entirely different from the other two as it will serve Mexican fare. No need to worry, though, neighbors. We are only sharing with Dumbo not giving anything away. Brad McDonald will still be at Colonie and One Girl Cookies isn't going anywhere either. Sharing is good! Now if they'll only trade and give us a Jacques Torres Chocolate or a Vinegar Hill House!

NYC Bike Share

NYC Bike Share is supposed to be coming this summer. This is actually the first we've heard of the program, which is already going on in Boston and DC. According to their website there is expected to be 600 or so bike stations throughout the city to pick up and drop off a rented bike. Membership is required. Think zipcar for bikes? They had a community meeting last week to figure out where the best locations throughout Cobble Hill and Park Slope would be. If this program is affordable enough it would be a really great addition to the neighborhood as a lot of people have storage issues when it comes to owning a bike. Unfortunately, though, there won't be any options for bikes with child seats. Does anyone have any more info on this project? Any meeting attendees that would like to share details?

5K at Brooklyn Bridge Park.

Brooklyn Bridge Park has a lot lined up for the spring but probably the most exciting is their first 5K run. Saturday, March 31st, the Eileen C. Dugan Memorial 5k will start and finish near Jane's carousel. Former State Assemblywoman and Carroll Gardens native, Eileen C. Dugan passed away of breast cancer in 1996 and this is year 14 of the race, which will raise money for breast cancer awareness. Registration is $25 and will only allow 200 entrants so act fast. Here's info on how to register.

Register in Person/Pick Up Number and T-Shirt:

Thursday, March 29 (2:00 pm to 4:00 pm)
Friday, March 30 (3:00 pm to 7:00 pm)
Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy, 334 Furman St.

Saturday, March 31 (7:30 am to 8:30 am)
Brooklyn Bridge Park (Empire Fulton Ferry section)

Registration Online
At www.brooklynbridgepark.org

Registration by Mail
Contact Richard Loyd at rloyd@bbpc.net or 718-802-0603 ext 3 for information.

Dinner at Maybelle's

We always love walking by Maybelle's and reading their sign outside. It's usually pretty funny with a geeky flair. This sign, however, is particularly exciting. As of last week they are serving dinner! Since they've been open, just over a year now, they've been serving up breakfast sandwiches, baked good, lunch sandwiches and really delicious coffee. And they've been doing pretty well, they're usually crowded. I guess they're hoping to pull in a whole new crowd. We know they have beer and wine and dinner specials. We'll visit them soon and check out the menu (we're assuming they'll have an altogether different menu since the regular menu is so geared towards lunch and breakfast?? But we aren't sure.).

EPA Gowanus Canal Meeting

On a similar topic to yesterday's blog, there will be another important community meeting this Thursday. This time it has to do with, not only beautifying the neighborhood, but cleaning it up. The Gowanus canal in particular. This is very important for everyone living in the area. Stay informed ans have your questions answered.

Thursday, March 22, 7:00 PM
EPA Red Hook public information meeting on the GOWANUS CANAL SUPERFUND SITE at the Red Hook-Miccio Community Center (Gymnasium) 110 West 9th Street, Brooklyn, NY

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) invites you to attend a public information meeting to discuss the cleanup of the Gowanus Canal and its potential impact on the residents of Red Hook. Representatives from EPA will be on hand to talk about possible clean up options to address the contamination in the Gowanus, followed by a question and answer session.

Columbia Connector Meeting Tonight

Do you want to be involved in your community? Yes? Then come out tonight for an important meeting concerning the Columbia Street Connector project. Join your neighbors at 6:30 tonight at The Red Hook Initiative, 767 Hicks Street. Here's some more information we got from an email about what to expect at the meeting.

Monday evening’s presentation will include a design vision for the Columbia Street Connector, the stretch of Columbia Street between Lorraine Street and the Erie Basin Pier, including the Greenstreet at Halleck, in Red Hook. Options will be presented for greening the corridor, calming traffic, connecting residents to the waterfront, and connecting the Red Hook neighborhood to the Brooklyn Waterfront Greenway route.This stretch of Columbia Street has low traffic and wide sidewalks. The land uses in the northern three blocks are mostly industrial and commercial and the pedestrian experience there and on the Esplanade could be improved significantly with vegetation and other treatments.

Because this is an important junction with the greenway, Brooklyn Greenway Initiative and Regional Plan Association seek the Red Hook community’s input on what improvements would be desirable to make this an attractive route and destination for Red Hook residents. In April 2011, Red Hook community members met to develop a plan to improve this part of the neighborhood. At the March 19, 2012 report-back meeting we will update you on the progress of the plan and how we can work with you to get it implemented.

St. Patrick's Day at Lucey's Lounge

So, Saint Patty's Day is on a Saturday this year. That means we can celebrate all day!!!! By all means pace yourselves. Also, drop by our friends new bar that will have it's grand opening on this holiday Saturday. It's called Lucey's Lounge and it's right around the corner from the Bell House at 475 3rd Avenue between 10th and 11th Streets. It opens at noon and of course they'll have drink specials all day long. They'll also have free food all day long so back to the pacing yourself topic. No better way to do that than by complimenting that green beer (literally or figuratively) with some free food! So, go check them out this Saturday! Have fun and be safe.

Momofuku !!!

There have been rumors floating around for quite some time that a Momofuku Milk Bar was coming to Carroll Gardens, although to be perfectly honest this is the first we've heard and all we have to say is "Oh my god....Mmmmmmmmmmmm!!!!". According to Eater NY, one of their readers discovered that they are officially listed in the Department of Health system under the address 360 Smith Street (as seen above in the photo taken from eater.com). No idea yet on when they would be opening but the prospects are making our mouths water.

Le Pain Quotidien opening soon.

Brooklyn Heights, 121 Montague between Hicks and Henry Streets to be exact, will soon be getting their very own Le Pain Quotidien. It's a good sized spot formerly taken by Jennifer Convertibles. This chain, which means "The Daily Bread", sells pastries, sandwiches, and breads mainly. It's supposed to open this month, but we always insist on seeing before we believe when it comes to opening dates. We are sad to see Jennifer Convertibles go. There aren't many stores that cater to the cozy New York apartment lay outs for such affordable prices. But we believe they still have locations at 229 Livingston and one in Park Slope at 418 5th Avenue, which are both pretty close by.

PS 58 Save the Date!

Saturday March, 24th will be the PS 58, AKA The Carroll School, PTA Spring Celebration and Auction. You can help out your neighborhood elementary school by coming out to The Invisible Dog Art Center from 6:30-10pm and participating in this silent auction. If you need more incentive then helping out adorable elementary school kids (geez, you need more incentive than that??) there will also be a cocktail reception. We aren't quite sure what to expect at this auction but we'll give you details as we hear them. If anyone out there has any more to share about this event please comment and let us all know!

An Informed Vote.

Later this month voting will begin to decide how we're going to spend 1 million dollars for projects for the area. Community leaders and members have already been hard at work sorting through the many many ideas for what to do with this budget and they've come up with project to put on the ballot at the end of this month. If you aren't already savvy to these plans you can attend a meeting to find out more. More info about this meeting below.

Serving the neighborhoods of Cobble Hill, Carroll Gardens, Park Slope,
Windsor Terrace, Borough Park, and Kensington

The ballot will include everything from new technology for district schools to improvements to local parks. There are voting locations all across the district and early voting at my office, so there should be a location that is accessible to you. And join us for the Participatory Budgeting Expo on Wednesday, March 14^th, from 6:30 - 8:30 PM at the Park Slope Armory, to learn more about the projects that will be on the ballot (visit BradLander.com/PB for more information).

Get Ready to Scrabble.

We've seen the usual pub trivia nights, open mic nights, and live music at our bars in the neighborhood but here's something new. PRB (People's Republic of Brooklyn), a bar and restaurant at 247 Smith Street, is holding weekly Scrabble tournaments. Every Tuesday you can drop some letters while downing some brews and snacks. We can't find anything about a start time. Their website still has Tuesdays listed as Karaoke nights, so this scrabble thing must be a new venture. They do request you sign up though so you can ask for a go time then. If you want a spot email tuesdaynightscrabble@gmail.com. Not sure if it's something you can just show up for so definitely email if you're sure you want to play and not just watch.

Sweets on the Move.

We covered some pretty sweet topics this week so far, doughnuts and ice cream. What's missing? Cake, of course. Well, we have some news on that front also. Kakes, a wedding and concept cake bakery located at 187 Sackett is moving and the space is up for rent. No news yet as to where they are moving but the sign out front says to tune into their facebook page for updates. There is where you can also see some of their beautiful creations. We loved walking by their storefront and seeing the wedding cake display along with some very fun alternatives. As you can see in the picture above, right now they have a hamburger as well as giant doughnut and coffee cup to name a couple. We will miss these sweet sculptures!

$1 oysters in Carroll Gardens!

According to grubstreet new york, one of our very favorite blogs, The Bourgeois Pig has just started a new Sunday promotion. $1 oysters from 3pm until close! Now, you can go to this recently opened restaurant, located at 387 Court Street, on Sundays and feel very bourgeois while sucking down oysters without paying bourgeois prices. No word on how they are doing yet. We haven't been by their during peak hours yet, but this new oyster offering is sure to pack the house on Sundays at least. Also, last week they had $2 off martinis and tapped a special leap day Tallgrass keg. Check out their facebook for more specials.

The great doughnut debate.

(photo above taken from villagevoice.com)

Dough Doughnuts, a relatively newish bakery located at 305 Franklin Avenue in Bed Stuy, is making it's rounds in our hood. Stinky Bklyn started carrying these decadent baked goods a little while back and this past weekend Farmacy was also selling Dough Doughnuts instead of their usual Peter Pans. Now, there is no question that these doughnuts are delicious. They are the new "it" doughnut one could say with a large selection of very unique flavors such as Cafe au Lait, Dulce de leche, and Hibiscus. Still some were disappointed when they walked into Farmacy on Saturday craving a Peter Pan doughnut and found the new Dough variety instead. Farmacy said it's something they are "trying out" so we'll see if the Peter Pan's come back. Here's the debate. Cake or yeast? What are your thoughts?

Spring is coming! Bring on the Ice Cream!

Okay, so we have good news and we have bad news and we have some more good news after that. The good news is spring seems to be well on it's way. Highs are set to be in the 60's later this week and, although we don't want to jinx anything, it seems we have evaded a harsh winter and can start to look forward to springtime! Now here's a bit of bad news. We heard that Blue Marble was giving away free ice cream last weekend but we heard a day too late. (Booo.) On Saturday they gave away 50 mini marbles and soft serves. Now back to some good news. This giveaway was to celebrate their reopening for the season!!! So, you can now head over to Blue Marble, at 196 Court Street, and get a high quality delicious scoop or two.

Party at Camp.

Camp, a bar at 179 Smith Street, is one of our favorites. It has a woodsy cabin theme with lots of dark wood, brick and a fireplace. That along with the fact that you can make your own smores, play big buck hunter, and have a board game night with your friends, makes for a warm and cozy atmosphere and is aptly named. Well, this Saturday, March 3rd, they're having a party. They normally have a great selection of music but this weekend they're doing something special. They're promising British rock, freakbeat, northern soul, and rare groove at this party called Move on Up. No word on what time this all starts but we're assuming it'll go on throughout the night. Go get you fill of brit rock while roasting a marshmallow or two!

Dr. Seuss Event!

Here's another great event going on at the Carroll Gardens branch library. This time it's for kids. To celebrate Dr. Seuss's 108th birthday, this Friday March 2nd, the library at 396 Clinton Street will hold a read-aloud of all our favorites. Bring your kids to the auditorium in the library basement from 4-5pm for this special story time. They're promising a surprise during the event but hearing Dr. Seuss read aloud should be reason enough to come out and join in on the fun!