Calling all volunteers!

Yesterday we blogged about our role in GO Brooklyn.  We found out today that you can become involved too!  They need volunteers that weekend to help run the Neighborhood Information Table.  Basically what you'd be doing is hanging at a table at 61 local "surrounded by good food, drink, and local folks... giving out maps, helping people to register to vote, etc.  And handing out free Tattly (temp) tattoos!"  Does that sound like something you'd be interested in.  Then read more below about times and contact info.


* 4 people to work 12:00-2:30 on Saturday, Sept. 8
* 4 people to work 2:30 -5:00 on Saturday, Sept. 8
* 4 people to work 12-2:30 on Sunday, Sept. 9
* 4 people to work 2:30-5:00 on Sunday, Sept. 9

When you find folks who are available to help, please have them contact me
directly at ETraubman@gmail.com

GO Brooklyn Tour.

We recently blogged about the GO Brooklyn, which is a "community curated open studio project", but didn't know at the time that we'd be participating.  We we are proud to announce that we are!  Check this out.


Tour Given by Victoria Hagman and Edith Bellinghausen.  Come on a historic tour of Red Hook and Gowanus artist studios during GoBrooklyn and see not only amazing local artists' spaces but learn about the buildings they work in. Many artist studios in Brooklyn today are located in buildings that previously were used for other forms of production. The adaptive reuse of these buildings has created great spaces for the artist as well as retained the urban fabric. Learn more about these buildings on our tour.

The GO project is will be on the weekend of September 8th and 9th and this particular tour is on Sunday the 9th.  You can meet us at The Brooklyn Ice House, 318 Van Brunt Street, at 1:30pm and we will begin the tour at 2pm moving to our first stop FLOOD ZONE (107 Pioneer Street).  We're so excited to be a part of this.  For more info on GO click here.

Opening at 305 Van Brunt!

We've got some breaking news here.  Brooklyn Slate will taking over the space at 305 Van Brunt Street.  The company is exactly what it sounds like, a Brooklyn based business producing various slate products such as coasters, cheese boards and more.  They already have a studio in Red Hook on Bay Street and they are currently shipping their goods out.  Now they'll have a storefront on Van Brunt!  You can learn more about them here.

Dry Dock and Good Fork Dinner

Spots for this dinner may go quickly so if it interests you reserve soon.  Dry Dock has teamed up with The Good Fork to put together this dinner and wine pairing.  It's an evening with winemaker Robert Eden of Chateau Maris, his wines (of course) and a special menu from The Good Fork, one of our favorite restaurants in Red Hook!  The info is below.

Mon 9/17 Robert Eden/Chateau Maris Winemaker dinner @ The Good Fork 7pm includes:

• 4 Courses paired with wines
• Special "pre-dinner" tasting at dry dock at 6:30pm
• Exclusive deals on Chateau Maris wines. 

Cost: $65 per person (tax and tip not included).  

For more info call Dry Dock at 718-852-3625. 

To reserve a space call The Good Fork at 718-643-6636. 

PortSide New York is still auctioning.

Please show your support for PortSide New York.  Their pop-up museum at will be vacated on the 31st of August so you only have until the 30th to buy their waterfront artifacts and local art.  They are looking for a home for the MARY A. WHALEN,  the only oil tanker in the world hosting public programs. For a preview of what they have for sale or to get more information about them click here.


Selling is underway!
until Thurs 8/30 8pm
PortSide SOS Pop-Up
145 Columbia Street, Brooklyn, NY 11231

Follow Up on Brooklyn Bridge Park Pool.

We blogged about the opening of the public pool at Brooklyn Bridge Park and then about the pros and cons we saw trending on local blogs and such.  Now we have an insiders opinion.  A couple of friends went with their children a couple of weeks ago and here's what one of them had to say.

It was definitely clean and inviting.  We went on a weekday and it was crowded but not overcrowded.  The lifeguard told us it gets crazy on weekends.  The sandy area was nice, the food stand, albeit very pricey, was good.  Here's my complaint.  We heard that they give out wristbands to avoid long lines.  We thought 'perfect!'  We figured we could go grab a wristband and wander around the park and let the kids run around until our time slot came up.  Unfortunately the way they have it set up is that you still have to wait in line for a wristband.  At 1:30 they give wristbands for the 2pm slot.  So, we waited in line until 1:30 (we got there at 12:45 and they had run out of the 1pm slot).  The kids were restless and there wasn't a shady spot or any chairs available so we waited in the sun for nearly 45 minutes.  Then we still had 30 minutes until it was time to swim.  Not really enough time to go wander.  The set up doesn't make sense.  Why can't you just walk up and get a wristband for whatever the next time they have available is?  What's the point of the wristbands if you still have to wait in a line?  I hope they fix this for next year.  It was a nice pool but they've made it too difficult.

Library Reopening Soon?

After passing by the Carroll Gardens Library daily since June 15th, when they shut their doors for renovations, we've gotten used to seeing them working on the roof.  Today, no workers and the roof looks to be cleared off.  Are they reopening soon?  We were told they'd be closed for 2 months and, since it's been a little over that, we assumed it was give or take (mostly give) a week or two.  There is nothing on their website that announces a reopening date.  Has anyone heard anything?  If so, please share!

Fireballs in Gowanus.

If you hear some loud explosions in the area tomorrow, don't be alarmed.  We received this notification yesterday.

Notification issued 8/21/12 at 1:00 PM. Tomorrow, August 22nd, the filming of a movie will simulate an explosion with a fireball effect on private property near Columbia Street and Gowanus Bay in Brooklyn. The stunt will happen once during the hours of 2-4pm; FDNY will be on site. 
 
I hope these notifications are reaching the masses though.  A few people who we talked to hadn't heard anything about it and it would a pretty scary thing to hear...and even worse to see from afar.  So, we're spreading the word.  Please share this!

The Children's Garden!

We reported back in May that the lot at Sackett and Columbia is set to be turned into a children's garden.  We were very excited when we found out and couldn't wait to see the eyesore of an empty lot be transformed into something great for the community.  We don't have to wait any longer! Alright, well, maybe a little bit longer.  But,  as you can see in the pic above, the transformation has begun and folks were working on it last weekend.  A lot of people came to help out.  Man, we love our hood!  The Columbia Street Children's Garden is on it's way!

Zero Guys.

 Photo: Hugh Merwin

It looks as though the Five Guys Burgers and Fries that opened on Court Street not too long ago is no longer.  We've heard that the place is now closed, gutted, and has a sign on the door thanking people for their patronage and asking us to please visit their Montague location.  This is both surprising and not so surprising at the same time.  Given the excellent location right a cross from the Cobble Hill movie theater (perfect spot to grab a quick meal when you're running late for a flick), it's very family friendly and has a good reputation for being pretty delicious, it's strange that they only lasted a little over a year.  The place, however, never seemed that crowded and with all the competing burgers in the area, made with better quality ingredients, it's not too surprising.  Oh well.  Grubstreet also wrote about the closing (above pic) and seemed a little shocked too.  We've got enough burgers, now we can only hope for a really delicious Indian restaurant!