Flatbush CommUNITY Garden, located at the end of Albemarle and E 16th St in Ditmas Park, is holding a Winterfest fundraiser at Sycamore on Sunday, February 19. Stop by to have a drink, enter a raffle full of local prizes, and to learn more about the garden:
Come for drinks specials, delicious baked goods, pick up some seed bombs or a coupon book to support our garden, and win a raffle prize! We can also tell you more about the garden, as we expect to have spaces for next spring.
Amazing prizes are donated by your favorite local businesses: Qathra, Pilates on Rugby, TB Ackerson, Purple Yam, Brooklyn Banya Russian Baths, Latin Fever Dance Studios, the Castello Plan and the Farm on Adderley.
Several incidents of anti-Muslim vandalism have been spotted around the neighborhood recently, and tonight Councilmember Brad Lander will be holding a vigil to gather the community to stand up against the hatred. The vigil is tonight, February 8, at 6pm at the intersection of Beverley and Church, the site of some of the graffiti.
The religiously offensive graffiti has been seen around the site of the vigil–I saw some on a phone booth on Beverley, and a neighbor sent in photos of more on a mailbox nearby on Ocean Parkway. In such a diverse and tolerant community, this comes as something of a shock, and one that Lander says we must not let continue.
“Hate has no place in our community. Kensington is one of Brooklyn’s most diverse and vibrant neighborhoods–with strong Jewish, Christian, and Muslim populations, with long-time and newer residents, including immigrants from Bangladesh and Latin America. We celebrate this community’s vitality and cross-cultural exchange.
“We will respond vigorously to bigotry targeting any group. Recently, Brooklyn has seen multiple anti-Semitic crimes–and the community has responded with appropriate outrage. Now, in the face of this Islamophobic attack on a member of Kensington’s Bangladeshi community, we must unite again.”
Lander suggests transforming the space where the vigil will take place into a mini-plaza–which, if this is the space in front of the Walgreens, has been a work in progress for some time–creating a space that would be “created by and for the neighborhood’s diverse communities.”
The next Prospect Park Litter Mob meets from 9am to 12pm tomorrow, Tuesday, February 7. Volunteers are always welcome and encouraged to join the effort to clean up the Midwood section of the park. Of course that’s tough for most people on a weekday, but if you’re available, do consider helping.
The 70th Precinct sends word that today, Sunday, February 5, from 10am to 3pm, there is a march along Coney Island Avenue between Avenue H and Ditmas Ave, in celebration of the the Prophet Muhammad’s birthday.
Known as Mawlid or Milād an-Nabī, it is a day for Muslims to focus on the life of the Prophet–his teachings are central to the celebrations. The day is observed during third month of the Islamic calendar, and the actual date varies.
The Immaculate Heart of Mary Girl Scouts are having a fundraiser tomorrow, Saturday, February 4 from 1-4pm. Stop by, treat yourself to some pampering, and help the girls raise funds for their trip to Washington, DC trip to
celebrate the 100th anniversary of Girl Scouts in the USA.
There will be classes for all ages, and make-it-yourself spa products like body glitter and bath salts. Additionally, Zookie’s Catering, featuring IHM parent Chef Germaine, will be on hand with healthy, delicious gourmet foods for sale.
Schedule of events:
1-4pm Spa & Health Stations (make your own beauty products, arts & crafts, manicure, etc.)
1:30pm AMERIKICK KARATE will be demonstrating an anti-bullying/self defense class for kids 2pm CYNTHIA KING DANCE STUDIO (hip hop dance class) 2:30pm KINGS BAY Y at Windsor Terrace (boot camp with the swimming & basketball guru/coach) 3pm SPORTBALL – classes encourage kids’ love of sports and promotes self-esteem
Kings Bay Y at Windsor Terrace will be at this event all day answering questions about their programs, including summer camp.
Girl Scouts’ Spa, Health & Fitness Day
Saturday, February 4, 1-4pm
Immaculate Heart of Mary, Ft Hamilton Pkwy between E 2nd & E 3rd St
$5 per person for Fitness Pass (includes entrance and all classes); $10 per person for All Access Pass (includes entrance, all classes & one trip to each spa & health station)
Raffle chances and food available for an additional purchase.
PS 154 in Windsor Terrace is hosting its annual Prospect Park Craft Fair in May, and they are currently accepting applications from artists who would like to vend at the fair.
They’re looking for people who sell original art and crafts (no mass merchandise). PS 154′s PTA website says “there are typically around 50 vendors who display everything handmade, from painting to knitting, pottery to jewelry and from t-shirts to hats.” The vendor fee is just $80, and proceeds go to help fund the arts program at the school. Applications are due Thursday, April 5.
If you’d just like to shop, save the date for the fair: Saturday, May 5, 10am-6pm.
Council Member Brad Lander has joined NY Communities for Change to support the workers at Golden Farm, and this week they plan to increase the pressure on Golden Farm by making sure that the neighborhood knows about the workers, their rights, and the fair pay, basic benefits and continued protection on the job in the future that they are requesting..
This week, they are organizing people to knock on doors in Kensington to help spread the word:
Weekday Shifts: 12-3pm or 5:30-7:30pm
Thursday, February 2
Friday, February 3
Wednesday, February 8
Thursday, February 9
Friday, February 10
After a few high-profile accidents on the Park Drives in Prospect Park last year, the Road Sharing Taskforce was created to examine how the full range of Park users (runners, walkers, competitive cyclists, recreational bikers, etc.), use the Park Drives, and how it can be done safely.
On Tuesday, February 28 at 6pm, the Road Sharing Taskforce will present the recommendations it made to Parks and DOT on how Park users can safely utilize the Park Drives. If you use the Park in any way, you are welcome to attend the meeting.
Taskforce Members include:
• Department of Parks and Recreation (Prospect Park Administration)
• Department of Transportation (DOT)
• Fellowship For The Interests of Dogs & Their Owners (FIDO)
• Jack Rabbit Sports
• Kissena Cycling Club
• New York Police Department (78th Precinct)
• Office of Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz
• Office of NYC Council Member Brad Lander (39th District)
• Park Enforcement Patrol
• Prospect Park Alliance Playground Committee
• Prospect Park Community Committee
• Prospect Park Senior Residence
• Prospect Park Track Club
• Transportation Alternatives
Public Meeting: Sharing the Park Drives
Tuesday, February 28, 6pm
Picnic House in Prospect Park
For more information, contact Prospect Park at 718-965-8951 or info@prospectpark.org.
The Dirt Talk Series digs into 2012 with a second discussion at Sycamore in Ditmas Park, this one featuring Dr. Charles Merguerian of Hofstra University and Duke Geological Laboratory to provide an ample overview of regional geology. The talk will zero in on the geology and soils of Brooklyn.
For those who would like to spend their Valentine’s Day nearly naked with a bunch of strangers, Gemini & Scorpio are bringing back their Steamy Valentine’s Night at the Russian Baths. They’re hosting a party at the Brooklyn Banya on Coney Island Ave, complete with vodka bar, pierogies, and a marching band:
We will have the banya to ourselves, with a few hand-picked professionals on hand for the optional platzas and massages. Enjoy: Russian, Turkish and Swedish steam rooms, jacuzzi and cold plunge pool; poolside dance floor; rooftop smoking deck; hookah lounge and chillout rooms; authentic and delicious Russian food in a private restaurant room with a view of the dance floor.
The Hungry March Band, Brooklyn’s own legendary street brass marching band, will get you sweating faster than the saunas, and we’ll keep the dance floor sizzling with ethno-mesh DJ sets till 2am while we dole out pierogies for everyone. There will be an open vodka bar 9-10pm.
Only 100 tickets are available pre-sale; 50 more at door. Three ticket levels: $85 for 7pm entry, open vodka bar, multi-course Russian banquet; $45 for 9pm entry and open vodka bar; $35 for 11pm entry. More details on each ticket tier are on the Gemini & Scorpio website.
February event cancelled due to heat! Winter Jam 2012 at Prospect Park, scheduled for February 4, has been cancelled due to the crazy “winter” weather we’ve been having.
“It is simply too warm to make snow, and the long-range weather forecasts and current ground temperatures make it extremely unlikely that snow could be made,” Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe said in a written statement.
It’s been a weird year for winter weather around the country. Are you missing the snow?
It’s too soon to know if Winter Jam NYC 2012 will have any natural snow on the ground, but they’ll make sure there is plenty of the machine-made stuff so you can enjoy winter sports in Prospect Park. The free annual festival takes place the first Saturday of February (the one weekend the Q train work is taking a break).
You can try out winter sports like cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, skiing, and snowboarding for the first time, right in our backyard. Equipment is provided at no cost, or bring your own. More experienced skiers and snowboarders can register to compete in the Prospect Park Jam, hosted by Red Bull.
There will also be some vendors selling snacks at the Pride of New York Winter Market, a Zagat Warming Lounge, and information about NY state ski resorts.
Winter Jam NYC
Saturday, February 4, 11am to 4pm
Prospect Park Long Meadow (by the Picnic House)
We are outraged by the fact that employees at your store have worked for many years earning well below the minimum wage.
Furthermore, we are alarmed that your employees have been harassed and threatened for standing up for their fair wages and demanding benefits on the job.
This is why we stand behind the workers and support their lawsuit for their backpay and campaign for a contract with benefits.
We believe that all workers deserve a living wage and fair contract. Our communities support small local businesses that respect workers rights, as loyal customers we demand that your business set an example for fair labor standards.
If you feel he should pay what he owes and provide workers with basic benefits and continued protection on the job in the future, you can sign the petition here.
Additionally, there will be a community meeting tomorrow about the situation at Golden Farm. Councilmember Brad Lander will attend the meeting–today he wrote about his support of the workers, saying that “none of us want a good deal coming at the cost of a fair paycheck for the store’s staff.”
Community Meeting in Support of Workers at Golden Farms Grocery Store
Wednesday, January 25, 8:30pm
95 Sherman Street, between Terrace Place and 11th Avenue RSVP here
Littering doesn’t stop during the winter months, so neither does the Prospect Park Litter Mob, who will be meeting tomorrow morning to clean up the Midwood section of the park.
The weather should be fairly mild, so if you are available, please consider joining their efforts. Surgical gloves are provided, so is hand sanitizer, but bring your own warm or work gloves.
The Litter Mob meets tomorrow, Tuesday, January 24 at 9am on Center Drive (directions here). Please contact Inge De Taeye at ingedetaeye [at] gmail [dot] com if you’ll be going.
The knitting and crocheting circle returns to the Kensington Library this Thursday, January 19. With support from support from the Cortelyou Friends Group, crafters at any level are welcome to drop in to the downstairs meeting room between 5:30 and 7:30pm for conversation, tips, and instruction.
The group will continue to meet on the third Thursday of the month.
Are you a local artist who would be interested in opening your home or studio one day this spring? If so, artist and neighbor Sherry Davis wants to hear from you.
She’s hoping to put together an ArtWalk, in which artists open their homes and/or studios to the public for viewing and, maybe, buying.
“Artists often have reproductions for inexpensive purchases, and the walk could be timed to coincide with Mothers Day shopping,” she writes.
The boundaries would potentially include part of Windsor Terrace (on the Kensington side of the Prospect Expressway) through Kensington to the Cortelyou Road/Ditmas area.
If you’re interested in participating, email Sherry at brooklynartistsherry@gmail.com with your name and addresses (or local studio). She’s also looking for ideas for a larger local exhibition space, as well, so feel free to contact her with ideas.
Households and small businesses are encouraged to bring unwanted or broken electronics like computers, mobile phones, and televisions to Prospect Park this Sunday, January 15 between 10am and 4pm for the Lower East Side Ecology Center’s 9th Annual “After the Holidays” e-waste event.
They do not accept home appliances such as microwaves, refrigerators, or air conditioners. A list of what is and isn’t accepted can be found here.
The drop-off point is on the other side of the park at Prospect Park West and 3rd Street.
This Saturday, January 14 at 1pm, the Green-Wood Historic Fund will host an afternoon with author and historian Ben Feldman at Green-Wood Cemetery for a talk and question-and-answer session, where participants will join Feldman in uncovering the long-lost stories of Green-Wood’s permanent residents.
Feldman will discuss the forgotten characters in his two books, Butchery on Bond Street and Call Me Daddy, in addition to his current research. Following the talk and Q&A session, he will lead a trolley tour to the graves of the subjects of his research.
The talk is free. Tickets for the trolley tour are $15 for Green-Wood Historic Fund members and $20 for non-members. Reservations for the trolley tour are strongly recommended and seating is limited. If the tour is not sold out in advance, walk-ups will be accommodated on a first-come, first-served basis.
To make an online reservation or to find out more information, visit green-wood.com/toursevents or call 718-210-3080.
A new year means a new season of Brooklyn Dirt Talks at Sycamore in Ditmas Park. The first one will be on Wednesday, January 18, and it’s free to attend.
Created by Kensington’s own Cantaloupe Alone (aka Naomi Donabedian) and hosted by Meera Bhat of Prospect Farm in Windsor Terrace, the first Dirt Talk will feature John Ameroso, who is responsible for about 18 tons of produce grown in NYC a year, and who has been sowing gardens since 1976. He’s got a lot of experience as an urban farmer, so drop by to ask some questions.
Gloria Fischer, the owner of the 1902-built Japanese house at 131 Buckingham Road just across Coney Island Avenue in Prospect Park South, said the impetus for her house tours came from hearing people wonder whether its inside matched its outside.
The outside is indeed spectacular. Over the years that Ms. Fischer and her husband have owned it (since the early 70s), it has drawn lots of press, including a write-up by Christopher Grey, the architectural historian at the NY Times. The interior decoration is a mélange of art deco, French Orientalism, hits of vintage American advertising, and the house’s original dragons. A life-sized Italian espresso machine rules the dining-room.
Trailing an art-deco scarf in the blue/green patterns of a peacock’s tail, Ms. Fischer is every bit as grand as her house and its pedigree. A former director of the Flatbush Development Corporation, Ms. Fischer was instrumental in getting Prospect Park South declared an historic district by the NYC Landmarks Commission in 1979 and listed on the National Register in 1983. Prospect Park South runs from Coney Island Avenue to Buckingham Road and from Church Avenue to Beverley Road.
A former teacher at the NY Ethical Culture Society, Ms. Fischer still aids local cultural and service institutions, including CAMBA, and continues her teaching: currently to young immigrants on the Lower East Side.
An interesting aside: The first owner, Dr. Frederick Strange Kolle, also had a hand in building the Grand Prospect Hall in Park Slope.
The next house tour is scheduled for Saturday, January 7 at 11am and 1pm, weather permitting. Email Ms. Fischer at 131tour@gmail.com for reservations. She and her house are well worth meeting.
Mulchfest, the annual Christmas tree recycling event from the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation, the New York City Department of Sanitation, and GreeNYC, is taking place on Saturday and Sunday, January 7 and 8, 2012.
The closest site for us is at Park Circle (the circle at Coney Island Ave and Parkside), and is one of the sites where they will be chipping the trees. You can drop off your tree, and bring home a bag of mulch–if you don’t have a yard that needs it, consider laying down the wood chips around a new street tree.
The 32-foot menorah at Grand Army Plaza will be lit tomorrow to celebrate the first night of Chanukah. Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz will be on hand at 6pm on Tuesday, December 20 to honor the 27th year that “Brooklyn’s largest menorah” has been lit. Adding to the fun, each night of Chanukah there will be live music and hot latkes, plus special gifts for all children who attend the lighting.
The 40th anniversary of Victory Day, when East Pakistan seceded from West Pakistan after nine months of war and became independent as Bangladesh, is being celebrated tonight at PS 230. Neighbor and frequent commenter Abu Khaliquzzaman has put together the event with the organization Sandip Association of North America, and he invites everyone in the area to join in the celebration.
The event is a great opportunity for people to better “understand our 3,500-year-old rich culture and 1,400-plus years of the Bengali calender,” Abu told us in an email.
Starting at 6pm, the program will include a cultural show featuring tasty samples of Bangladeshi cuisine, and several area politicians are expected to attend.
Victory Day at PS 230
Friday, December 16, 6pm
1 Albemarle Road
Additionally, Marie, who has been leading this group of volunteers to clean up litter in the Midwood section of the park, will not be able to organize the group again until February. If you can commit to a few Tuesday morning trips, and maybe send out a recruitment email, take a few photos, and update the Litter Mob blog, please let her know.
Cold weather and hot baths–must be time for another Gemini & Scorpio party at the Brooklyn Banya on Coney Island Ave. It’s next Saturday, December 17 from 7pm-2am, and it’s the only one until Valentine’s Day:
Break out your bikini or swim trunks, and join our hand-picked crowd of artsy, funky (and nearly naked) New Yorkers for the glorious return of Gemini & Scorpio’s legendary Russian Baths party.
We will have the banya to ourselves, with a few hand-picked professionals on hand for the optional platzas and massages. Enjoy: Russian, Turkish, and Swedish steam rooms, jacuzzi and cold plunge pool; poolside dance floor; rooftop smoking deck; hookah lounge and chillout rooms; authentic and delicious Russian food in a private restaurant room with a view of the dance floor.
We’ll keep the dance floor sizzling with live Balkan brass bands & ethno-mesh DJs till 2am while we dole out pierogies for everyone. There will be an open vodka bar 9-10pm.
Only 100 tix on presale; 50 more at door. Three ticket levels: $85 (7pm entry + open vodka bar + multi-course Russian banquet) /$45 (9pm entry + open vodka bar) / $35 (11pm entry). More details on each ticket tier are on our website.
This is the kind of party you always imagine, but can never quite find in real life…and the only one where you’ll come out cleaner than when you came in.
PS 130 is holding its Holiday Bazaar this Saturday, December 10 from 10am to 3pm. Admission is free, and there will be free winter crafts, temporary tattoos, and entertainment. Neighbors will be selling a wide variety of goods, and food will be on sale all day–including a chili bar, heros, a bake sale, hot cocoa, and more.
And Santa is flying in specially to be on hand all afternoon (with a break between 12-1pm) for photos–framed pics will be available for $5.
Neighbors are invited to a fun Chanukah party at the Y on Prospect Ave:
The Kings Bay Y at Windsor Terrace is pleased to invite the entire community to a cultural celebration of Chanukah. The event will take place on December 18th from 10 am-12 pm at 1224 Prospect Ave (on the corner of Vanderbilt) and will feature fun family activities including: a glow-in-the-dark dance party with live DJ, a drum circle, storytelling, sing-a-long, arts and crafts, raffles and other activities for families! Free giveaways include: dreidels, glow sticks, latkes, and toys for the kids. FREE ADMISSION. The children from our After School Program ask that you please bring a non-perishable food item for them to donate to charity.
If you have any questions or would like more information, contact 718-407-6377 or info@ywindsorterrace.org.
The holiday season gets underway this weekend with two annual traditions at Immaculate Heart of Mary on Fort Hamilton Parkway:
Breakfast with Santa Saturday, December 10, 10am-12:30pm
In the school gymnasium
Tickets: $7 for Children under 13, $10 for Adults
Includes a Continental Breakfast and a Gift for the Kids
50/50 Raffles and Pictures with Santa
All children must be accompanied by an adult
Tickets must be purchased by Wednesday, December 7.
Annual Christmas Concert & Tree Lighting Sunday, December 11 at 4:30pm
In the Church
Festive Holiday Concert: “From the Heart”
Join the parish music ensembles as they celebrate the season and dedicate their new piano. The concert is open to the public, and is followed by the lighting of trees and angels outside the church.
Join Compost for Brooklyn for a panel discussion on New York City trash on Thursday, December 8 at 7:30pm at PS 217. They’ll be giving tours of the C4B garden prior to the talk, beginning at 5:30pm at Newkirk and East 8th Street. RSVP here.
Doing some research on rooftop farming and I came across this Times article about rooftop greenhouses. Given how capital-intensive growing on rooftops is, is it too hard to imagine a future where we are complaining about corporate rooftop farms? One venture capitalist involved projects a billion dollars of sales by 2020. Imagine feeding the entirety of NYC w […]
I was raised in Suffolk county, mostly, in the nowhere city of Centereach. As soon as I could drive I began heading out to the North Fork to photograph (my Minolta x-370 and black and white film) the old barns, decaying farmhouses, rusting implements, and the sea. There was, then, hardly a place to eat and no one on the roads. Sometimes I would go with a cou […]
I receive a number of hits for soil testing services and I think that's great. It's an important part of growing in urban areas. I would like to include more information on soil testing, and link to the Cornell's labs, but I find their website absolutely cryptic -I cannot figure it out! I would also use their services, but I cannot find my way […]
I shopped at a grocer on Long Island this weekend after going out to the North Fork. When I was a kid, this same store was oriented toward working class Italians, and today it is still that, but also reorienting toward Asian and Central and South American food products. It is where I saw my first sheep head in cellophane for sale, complete with eyeballs and […]
Recently I began using a mobile device and that has made me much more conscious of the look of my blog via mobile. Today's stats show that 48% of my page views have been on an iphone or ipad. That's high, it's usually closer to 5%, but even that has grown in the last few months from only 1%. I've been communicating with Marie of 66squaref […]
A few thought people having sex in the garden was unlikely, but, finally the evidence is in - condoms and napkins in proximity. I gotta get me one of those pickers we use in the park. On a good note, the crocus are blooming. […]
...Is the way to lose that and not gain this. :Yoshida Kenko, no. 188, Essays in Idleness Some of you may know that I've taken up garlic growing this past year. My plot upstate is a borrowed one, and as such requires less commitment than one for which I could be paying. In other words, in Kenko's words, I get to take this and keep that. This weeken […]
Dear KWT CSA members, It’s that time again – 2012 CSA sign-up is now open!The Kensington Windsor Terrace CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) offers two pick-up options:Wednesdays 4:00-6:00 p.m. at the East 4th Street Community Garden. Members are asked to commit to one volunteer shift during the season; Wednesday shifts are from 3:30 to 6:15 p.m. Pick-ups […]
Last autumn I was on a garlic seed production research tear. I came across a company in china called Pretty Garlic. Log onto their website to read the mythical origins of pretty garlic -something about a sick girl saved by garlic. In reading their how-to-grow garlic page, I was a little surprised by the frank use of the term "human wastes" as suppl […]
