Monday, February 29, 2016

A Moment In Time: The Encounter

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Puppy love on Smith Street
"He licked my hand!" she said and was obviously delighted.


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First Signs Of Spring Can Be Detected In Carroll Gardens

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Of course, winter is not over yet, but there is no denying that spring is in the air. Everywhere in Carroll Gardens,  one can find the first signs that the season is slowly changing.  In the neighborhood front yards, croci just started blooming,  snowdrops opened up, and the tops of daffodils are peaking out of the ground.  Just in the last day or two, the delicate yellow flowers of witch hazel have appeared.
The buds of the camellia in my own front yard are getting ready to open up. So are the buds on the magnificent magnolia at the corner of Carroll and Smith Streets.
The birds have definitely noticed the change in the air.  Their chirping has definitely gotten much louder of late. Have you noticed?

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Carroll Park Looking For Local Artists To Help Create Public Art Out Of Trash Cans

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Exactly ten years ago, I was involved in a great project by Friends of Carroll Park, the non-profit organization run entirely by volunteers who keep our public space looking great.
In 2006, the Parks department replaced Carroll Park's trash cans with metal barrels that looked kind of drab, so FoCP put out a call to local artists to create art out of them.  The response was overwhelming and the result was outstanding.  We celebrated the success with a public unveiling of the cans, followed by a small ceremony.  It was all very lovely.

Most of the cans have survived the elements all this time. Seeing them still makes me smile every time I walk across the park.  Unfortunately, they have now begun to rust out and need to be replaced.
That is why Friends of Carroll Park is relaunching the project.

If you are a local artist or just a creative person who would like to give back to your community for the glory and joy of displaying your art in our public park, please submit a sketch of your design by Saturday, March 26.
FoCP will let you know by the following Wednesday, March 30 whether your design has been selected. You will have approximately one month after that date to get your work done. The unveiling ceremony is currently scheduled for Saturday, May 14.
Feel free to follow up with any questions you may have.

HEY, ARTISTS!

We’re looking for local artists to create a piece of public art using new trash cans. (The existing artist-painted cans in the park have lasted 9 years, but sadly they are now rusting through.)

You supply the talent, we supply a new 32-gallon metal barrel.

This is a great opportunity to give back to the community. Have fun, meet other artists and know that you have done something great for one of Brooklyn's oldest parks.

Interested? Let’s talk.
carrollparkbrooklyn@gmail.com
Friends of Carroll Park



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Thursday, February 25, 2016

Picture Of The Day: On A Red Hook Wall

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Spotted on a rainy day in Red Hook.


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A Moment Back in Time: Who Remembers Rainbow Market And Aiello's Food Store On Court Street

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A while back, I came across this great photo of Court Street between Union and Sackett Streets, which still show two stores that were in business when I first moved into the neighborhood in the mid-80s.
There was Rainbow Market, a produce store where Charlie, one of the employees, would flirt with all the female customers.  The store is now occupied by the Brooklyn Strategist
Then there was Aiello's Food Store, a large delicatessen, that once belonged to an Italian family, but which had been taken over by a Russian couple, who did not have the best people skills and ended up running the business into the ground.
In the photo, one can also detect the old pharmacy, Renaissance, which was run by two lovely ladies.  It closed about ten years ago.
The blue and white building on the right hand stands pretty unchanged today.  It belonged once to the Longshoremen's Union, but has houses a Church of Jesus Christ of Later Day Saints.
Who remembers these businesses and the people who ran them?


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Bar Halyards Celebrates 5 'Crazy' Years In Gowanus Tonight (And The Oscars This Sunday)

(photo credit: Bar Halyards)

Bar Halyards at 406 3rd Avenue in Gowanus is celebrating its 5th Anniversary tonight and will be offering a free pint of Carlsberg to the first 100 people that show up to claim it between 6 and 10 pm. So stop on by on your way home tonight and join in the festivities.

Then on Sunday, February 28, Halyards will be throwing an Oscar Party, which you won't want to miss. Show up at 7pm and  have one of the special "Best Pic" drinks, aptly named  'The Big Short', 'Mad Mez', 'The Martian'.
"Come dressed however you please (black tie welcome if you're so inclined) and start filling out your ballot for winner predictions while you watch famous skinny people parade down a red carpet and lose feeling in their cheeks on our giant projection screen."

Find all info about the event here,


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Monday, February 22, 2016

Picture Of The Day: All You Need Is…

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Please take some love!
Sweet flyer spotted on Clinton Street in Cobble Hill



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Where Once A Temperamental Mechanic Repaired Motorcycles On Carroll Street, A New 4-Story House Will Rise

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Looking at Carroll Street between Hoyt And Bond in 2014.
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Above, 316 Carroll Street when it was the home of the 'moody' motorcycle mechanic
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Demolition work at 316 Carroll Street in February 2015
Stalled construction in February 2016
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For many years, the one story brick garage at 316 Carroll Street between Hoyt and Bond Street in Carroll Gardens was home to Motorcycle Works Limited.  The motorcycle repair shop belonged  to a man named Tom, a a rather  moody motorcycle mechanic, who seems to be revered by some for his skills, but criticized by others for his sometimes 'rude' behavior.
Tom eventually relocated his shop to 21st Street in Brooklyn and the garage on Carroll Street stood empty for a while.

In early 2015, a crew began doing interior demolition work and plans were filed for a "4-story, 3-family extension on top of the existing one story commercial building." Astoria-based Anthony Cucich is the architect of record.
Construction, however has hit a few snags, as the NYC Department of Buildings has issued a fair number of violations on this project.  Currently, a partial stop work order is posted on the construction fence.

Meanwhile, Tom, the mechanic for the' thick skinned only", has relocated to 21st Street in Brooklyn.
Do you remember him?




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Friday, February 19, 2016

Have You Ever Eaten At Queen Italian Restaurant On Court Street?

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Years ago, an Italian neighbor here in Carroll Gardens told me that the best Italian restaurant in the immediate area was, by far, Queen at 84 Court Street.  I never actually followed her recommendation because the prices on the menu do seem a bit high,  but every time I walk past, I tell myself that I should just walk in one of these days.
I have admired the restaurant's old fashioned neon sign for years, especially since it is one of the only unchanged store sign left on Court Street since I moved here 30 years ago.

According to Queen's web site, the restaurant opened its doors in1958 by the Vitiello family. It is still a family-owned restaurant, which serves its guests "the tastes and flavors of all the twenty regions of the Italian peninsula."

I would love to know if you ever eaten at Queen? What are the best dishes here? How does this eatery compare to some of the other Italian restaurants in the immediate area?  If you have never been, have you ever been tempted?



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Celebrate Purim At Hannah Senesh Community Day School In Carroll Gardens

Bring the children to The Hannah Senesh Community Day School on Saturday, March 20 for its annual Purim Festival hosted in partnership with the Israeli American Council. The event is suited for kids aged 2 to 10. The cost is $5 per person. No rsvp necessary.

The event will feature a variety of crafts and art workshops, costume parade and carnival games run by local artists and community organizations, including:
*Music with Timbalooloo at 9:30 am*Play Me a Story presents: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz – In this Americana-style folk story, wefollow the adventures of young Dorothy Gale and her dog, Toto, as their Kansas house is swept
away by a cyclone and they find themselves in a strange land called Oz. Another audience
favorite! Begins at 10:30 am
*Arts & Crafts: masks, crowns, groggers, face painting, and more.
more information on the celebration here.

Purim Sunday at Hannah Senesh Community Day School
342 Smith Street, Brooklyn
Sunday, March 20th 9am-12pm



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