Pumpkin and Apple picking at the Y tomorrow.

Here's another Fall activity to add the the list.  The Dodge YMCA on Atlantic Avenue is having a pumpkin patch and apple picking celebration tomorrow, Saturday, October 27th 12pm-3pm.  No it's not a field trip, they'll be doing it in their gymnasium (pictured above).  It's $7 per child and they'll have tons of activities, such as bouncy house, musical games, face painting, cotton candy, balloon animals, and arts and crafts.  Each child can also pick out one pumpkin and four apples.  There is always a nice turnout for these YMCA events.  Should be fun.

New Salon on Clinton and Atlantic.

Salons are popping up a lot throughout the area.  It seems like every corner we turn there is a new one.  We recently blogged about Fox and Jane on Court Street, which took over the old Nectar spot.  Here's one we spotted on Clinton Street right near Atlantic Ave.  It's a cute little place called Color Haven, painted the lovely color lilac on the outside.  It's simple and clean on the inside.  The sign below says "complimentary blow dry with any color service".  Not sure if that applies all the time but it's probably a good bet.

Smorgasburg is here!

Smorgasburg, which as you may be able to tell from the name originated in Williamsburg, has been slowly making it's way towards us.  They had expanded to DUMBO and starting this weekend, October 6th, they'll be at Pier 5!  You'll have about a month and a half to take advantage of this deliciousness every Sunday between 11am and 6pm.  The great part about this location, something  that the others lacked, is a lot of seating.  They have dozens of long benches at Pier 5, as you can see below, with shade and beautiful views!

Oktoberfest Dinner.

Just because summer's over and the Atlantic Antic has come and gone doesn't mean that festival's are also a thing of the past.  October is here which means Oktoberfest! There will, no doubt, be many Oktoberfest celebrations throughout Brooklyn.  Here's just one sign we saw.  This seems like a tame dinner celebration as opposed to a drunken brouhaha.  The Zion German Evangelical Lutheran Church in Brooklyn Heights hosts this event.  It advertises dinner, dancing and raffles.  To learn more check out their website.

New Restaurants.

There are so many places opening up or "coming soon" in and around the neighborhood, it's almost hard to keep up.  Here are some pics we've snapped in the last week alone.  The place above is in Red Hook on Seabring and Columbia.  Camila's Cafe.  From the looks of their facebook page it will be a coffee shop of sorts.  The place below on Smith Street right next to Flight 001, is Hanco's.  They started out in that very small space at 85 Bergen and look to be expanding.  And lastly, the one below that, Taperia, is tapas on Montague. 

Fornino Pics.

Last time we blogged about Fornino in Brooklyn Bridge Park they weren't quite open yet.  They have a window that serves ice cream, ice and popsicles that's been open for a while.  They now have a lunch menu and have been pretty crowded for the last part of the summer.  Here are some pics above and below.  It's great space, as you can see, with indoor and outdoor seating.  This is location number three in Brooklyn, the first two being in Williamsburg and Greenpoint.  If you haven't tried this place you really should while it's still relatively warm out!

New Pizza coming to Atlantic.

A new pizza Napoletana-style restaurant is opening at 145 Atlantic Avenue pretty soon. Can't tell what's going on behind the brown paper but the new awning is up that says Luzzo's Brooklyn so it'll be any time now.  There is a Luzzo's in the east village that gets great feedback.  You can tell it's yummy from the pizza pic from their facebook (below). We'll try this!

Farmer's Market on Pier 6.

There's a newish farmer's market, as you can see in the pics above, at Pier 6 on Sundays.  When we went last week they had picnic tables set up and it looked really nice.  One vendor sells homemade pop tarts and another has great looking breads.  There was also a table with a huge variety of pickles and a fish monger!  There were a few other tables set up but it was pretty small in general.  Delicious array of treats, though!

Della Pietra's Gourmet Meats Pics!

We popped into the new butcher and gourmet goods shop at 193 Atlantic last week.  It's only been open for about 3 or 4 weeks now.  It looks beautiful inside and out.  You can't tell from these pictures but their windows has a really nice aged beef case displayed.  Everything looked delicious, especially those golden roasted chickens!  Check out the pics below.  They really don't do the place justice though, it was a little too dark to get good shots of that meat selection.

YMCA Pool Party!

Saturday August 24th between 4pm and 7pm the Dodge YMCA, at 225 Atlantic Avenue, will be having a pool party.  Now most of the special events at this facility are open to the public but the flyer we saw said "bring family and friends" so we're not sure if you have to show up with a member to get in or not.  We just gave them a call to ask but the gentleman we spoke with wasn't quite sure.  You may have better luck getting an answer, (718) 625-3136.  If you are a member or know one then you'll definitely be able to enjoy this big refreshing pool.

Fornino at Pier 6!

We spotted this sign a few weeks ago at Pier 6.  For those that don't know, Fornino is a delicious pizzeria located in Williamsburg, Greenpoint and now soon-to-be Brooklyn Bridge Park. It's rated ain several publications as being one of the best in New York.  Last weekend the bottom part was open serving ice cream but the top has yet to be opened.  Coming soon though! Bring it on!

Firefighter Cook-off Tomorrow!

July 31st is the third annual Fairway Firefighter Cook-off! It starts at noon tomorrow at 480 Van Brunt. Firemen from Brooklyn Heights and Red Hook square off on the grills.  Much like Iron Chef, there will be a secret ingredient revealed at the cook-off that they will have to use.  Winners receive a $500 Fairway gift card and a donation from Fairway to the charity of the winner's choice.  Should be fun! Come on down!

New Mural Coming to BQE Underpass.

Where the BQE meets Atlantic Avenue we saw this sign above that states "Mural Coming Soon".  This underpass can definitely use some beauty.  Since Pier 6 opened up, this western most section of Atlantic Ave has gotten a lot more foot traffic and it's a great spot for artwork.  The note reads on "see www.groundswellmural.org for details. We checked this organization out and learned this: Groundswell "brings together artists, youth, and community organizations to use art as a tool for social change. Our projects beautify neighborhoods, engage youth in societal and personal transformation, and give expression to ideas and perspectives that are underrepresented in the public dialogue." Can't wait to see what they come up with.

Wine Dinner at Red Gravy.

We received an invite to this wine dinner at Red Gravy, 151 Atlantic Ave, and thought we'd share it with you. It's on July 16th starting at 7pm and will be featuring wines from 5 different regions of Italy.  Wine makers will be present so those interested in learning about these wines will be able to ask plenty of questions we're sure.  It's $125 per person plus tax and gratuity.  If this sounds like fun you can RSVP at 718-855-0051.

New Butcher coming to Atlantic!

Happy 4th everyone!  While many of you may already have the idea of grilling juicy burgers on your agenda today, we'd like to share this find with you. There is a new butcher opening in a few weeks at 193 Atlantic and from the blurbs we read on their website, it sounds fantastic. Along with their prime dry aged meats, they will also carry gourmet edibles (cheeses, breads, etc.) as well as butchering tools and utensils. 

Bareburger closes doors temporarily.

After waiting for months for the new Bareburger on Court Street neat Atlantic to open they only opened for a short time before the brown paper went back up on the doors and windows.  The sign outside last week said the "exciting things are happening" and they will re-open with "COOL improvements".  Air conditioning? We can't really guess what could be going on behind that paper but definitely strange that something needs improving after being open for such a short time.  We're growing curiouser and curiouser.

YMCA Summer Deal.

The Dodge YMCA is promoting a summer deal right now.  The basics are join for the summer, which is now until September 2nd, and there is a flat fee of $200 for individuals and $275 for families.  No joiner's fee or monthly fees are added onto that, although you'll have to ask about whether you automatically get charged if you don't cancel membership with advance notice before September if you don't want to continue.  It's a really good deal actually, a lot less than the usual membership fees.  If you've wanted to check it out now is the time.

Brooklyn Bridge Park Film Series!

We blogged earlier this week about the Red Hook Flicks outdoor movie schedule and we'd like to share the Brooklyn Bridge Park "Syfy Movies with a View" schedule as well.  It's a beautiful place to watch a free outdoor movie and their line-up is equally awesome (see below).  Our favorite part is that you have a say in their final film.  The vote this year is between Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Good Will Hunting, or Lost in Translation.  Voting begins August 22nd and movies that were rained out will also be added to the list.

July 11
Ferris Bueller's Day Off

July 18
Enter the Dragon

July 25
Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory

August 1
8 Mile

August 8
Roman Holiday

August 15
Rocky

August 22
Vertigo

August 29
PUBLIC VOTE!

Citibike is coming!

Here's a pic we took of the latest addition to the Pier 6 area.  A Citibike rack!  We were so excited about this bike share program when we heard about it a very long time ago, before it was even called Citibike, and after many delays and postponements it's finally coming..for real.  This is a really perfect location too. It's right at the entrance to Brooklyn Bridge Park, which is a great place to bike around, although you have to watch out for those pesky pedestrians.  It's also on the Greenway and you can easily bike to Red Hook from this point too.  Can't wait to see how this program goes.

New Pediatrics on Atlantic.

We've been seeing pediatricians opening up in this neighborhood more and more to meet the demand of the growing number of children and babies.  There are the small offices, such as Dr. Philippa Gordon at 300 Court which recently opened and has just two doctors, a cozy waiting room, and a few examination rooms.  The latest sign we saw on Atlantic and Boerum Place (above) looks like it's going to be a large group because of the size of the space.  One good thing about this place is, according to another sign, they'll have "after hours urgent care".  We also noticed another large space opening on Atlantic and Nevins.  It'll be great for parents to have so many options.