Ping Pong Wednesdays!

Walking by Alma recently and this sign just popped out!  The sign has been up for a while since it says "starts in November".  But somehow we just noticed it though, it sounds awesome, so we thought we'd share for anyone else who didn't know.  Ping pong tournaments??!! Yes please!! Even if just to watch.  It's the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of every month and sign up begins at 7pm.  Bar tab prizes! Sorry for all the exclamation points...we're pretty psyched.

The Americans.

"The Americans" will be filming again today all over the Columbia Waterfront District. Up and down Hicks, Columbia, and some side streets are blocked off.  Last time we blogged about the filming we had seen signs near Carroll Park but also reported of film-related explosions happening on Union and Columbia.  At the time we thought that was from a different shoot but found out later that it was from the same FX series.  They are taking over the neighborhood!

Opera in the Neighborhood!

I remember walking past 219 Court Street a couple of years ago and hearing the sounds of a full operatic chorus practicing coming from this unassuming building. Taking a closer look I realized that it was in fact a theater for the Vertical Player Repertory, an indie opera company that stages full productions at different venues. The latest production will be at Proteus Gowanus, 543 Union St (at Nevins). They'll be performing Francesco Cavalli's La Calisto July 8, 10, 14 and 16th at 8pm with rain dates July 9, 11, 15, and 17th. You can get tickets by calling 800-838-3006 or going to brownpapertickets.com. Go support some local independent opera! We're lucky to have them!

Fultummys!!!!- hopefully yummy in the tummy!

After month's (about 8) of renovations and banging next door it looks like Fultummy's is opening sometime this week says the owner. They have 1 lighting violation they need to clear with the city but after that it looks like they will ready to open their doors. Considering how bad Piccolo was anything is an improvement but it is really going to be great for the block considering the closing of Reds and several other empty store fronts.
Welcome Fultummy's!

Is Carroll Gardens West "brokerspeak" for Red Hook?

This came up on the streeteasy.com forum today. I think we all could use a little clarification.

First of all: don't blame the brokers - blame Robert Moses!

Carroll Gardens, Red Hook, and Cobble Hill were once referred to collectively as "South Brooklyn". When the BQE/Gowanus Expy/Brooklyn Battery Tunnel severed Red Hook from the rest of the land mass, the adjoining neighborhoods took on their new identities. But what to call the lil' strip of Columbia Street and its appendages, cut off from its host body? Not Columbia Heights - that's an actual street in Brooklyn Heights. The CG/CH West denominations are helpful if you're looking for school zones - part of the strip is in PS29 (like Cobble Hill), the other is in PS58 (like Carroll Gardens). "Columbia Street Waterfront District" is what the business owners call it, and while it's clunky at least it's accurate. Of course, the waterfront itself is occupied by American Stevedoring, but that's another matter.

For those of us who live in and love this neighborhood, being on the "wrong" side of the BQE is a plus. Better parking (yes, we have cars), better access to recreation/biking, water views, big container ships unloading their freight at night by the twinkling lights of the cranes. Same schools, lower prices. Good unpretentious food - Margaret Palca's rugulach, House of Pizza's deep fried calzones, DubPies' meat pastries, Pit Stop's kid-friendly garden with petanque courts - nice people, and not as hard to get to as people think.