This looks rather awesome.  The weather is unseasonably warm, making it the perfect night to check out some local, walkable events.

(Waverly Ave)

If you get a chance, pick up a copy of today’s AM New York.  There’s a big profile of Clinton Hill, and a special Q+A section with yours truly.

Read it online here.

Reader/photographer David noticed a new shopping store on Myrtle near Hall and sent me this photo:

I’m intrigued, for many reasons:

1. There’s a USPS logo on the outside!  Does this mean we can bypass the local post office??
2. Will they offer PO boxes? (answer: YES)
3. Why exactly is it called “Sandbox?”  That word doesn’t particularly make me think of shipping, but whatever.

I had a business breakfast on Smith Street and saw another Sandbox, so it’s clearly a chain (new chain?).  There was once a different shipping/mailbox store on Myrtle but it was never open (and closed awhile back).

Myrtle Minutes offers more info, plus a coupon!

Received this in my inbox, and sounds pretty cool:

The Civilians want to hear from you. Brooklyn is changing fast. We are creating BROOKLYN AT EYE LEVEL a theater show inspired by interviews about the transformation of Brooklyn and the controversial Atlantic Yards Project. If you have something to say about the communities surrounding the proposed project (Downtown, Ft. Greene, Clinton Hill, Crown Heights, Prospect Heights & Park Slope), we want to listen. We want to talk to long-term residents, recent arrivals, players in the Atlantic Yards story, as well as those who work or live in the area. Eager to hear from all perspectives. If you want to be interviewed send us an email with a little information about yourself to Michael Premo, Project Coordinator: Premo(at)thecivilians(dot)org.  For more information: www.brooklynateyelevel.org . These interviews will be performed along with original music and dance by Urban Bush Women live at the Brooklyn Lyceum, December 4th – 7th.

Noticed that many of the storefronts on Myrtle are featuring large paintings?  It’s all part of a month-long public art installation!  I like how the art hangs in both the street’s newer, fancier establishments as well as storefronts like the laundromat.  A very cool way to tie the avenue together!

(photo by MARP)

For the next month, three blocks of Myrtle Avenue will play host to the artwork of Fort Greene-based artist Anne LaFond as the first exhibit in our new Myrtle Windows Gallery program. Myrtle Windows Gallery aims to create an open-air art gallery that ‘breaks down the walls’ of the traditional private art gallery to bring two-dimensional art to the public arena via the storefront window, where it is accessible to anyone simply walking down the street.

LaFond’s paintings touch on issues of social justice and consciousness like the effects of violence and the New York working class experience. Paintings in the “Subway Series” exhibit are dynamic and colorful depictions of everyday people on their daily commute on the New York City subway with a focus on how they interact with each other and the daily news.

The paintings will be on display until November 17, 2008 in the following ten storefronts, all located within three blocks on Myrtle Avenue between Hall Street and Clinton Avenue: Anima (458 Myrtle); Five Spot Supper Club (459 Myrtle); Joseph Tyler Salon (456 Myrtle); Karen’s Body Beautiful (436 Myrtle); Karrot Health Food (431 Myrtle); Miracles Unisex Barber Shop (473A Myrtle); Move with Grace Dance & Yoga Studio (469 Myrtle); Optimum Care Rehab (474 Myrtle); Thai 101 Restaurant (455A Myrtle); Three Stars Laundromat (439 Myrtle). The paintings are all available for sale by the artist, with a printed guide to the gallery and pricing inside each participating storefront.

I know many people in our neighborhood volunteered their time to help get Obama elected, and I send them a sincere thanks for their efforts.  It paid off, bigtime.

Here’s to 2009!

This is the most exciting election I’ve ever lived through, and I intend to show some solidarity locally.  I’m sure many of you are looking to do the same.  Despite my call for election events, no one sent me anything   Here’s the info I DO have:

Tamboril: election party, live DJ, starts at 5:30pm
candidate cocktail specials all night: obama slama, mccain “maverick” juice, biden bounce and the palin “i could see russia from my house” martini.
2 for 1s happy hour 5:30 to 7:30pm

Moe’s:
In ’04, this was the place to be.  They already have signs up.  Check it out tonight!

Le Grand Dakar: PIERRE THIAM INVITES YOU TO HIS PLACE TO VIEW ELECTION NIGHT RESULTS.
WHERE:          LE GRAND DAKAR
285 GRAND AVENUE
CLINTON HILL, BROOKLYN
718.398.8900
WHEN: TONIGHT AT 7 PM UNTIL
WHAT:            WATCH HISTORY UNFOLD AS SOON AS THE VIRGINIA POLLS CLOSE AT 7
DJ AYO  provides a long set of socio/politico commentary/satirical danceable funk from the 70s and 80s before embarking on the celebratory AfropunkSalsaElectroreggaefied disco sound system

I left the apartment at 6:15 this morning, thinking I could potentially beat long lines closer to commute time.  I even brought gym stuff, assuming I could zip on over to the Y before work.

However, this is what greeted me (and a few other neighbors who walked over with me):

A line, stretching ALL THE WAY DOWN WAVERLY AVENUE!!

While I might normally be annoyed (I mean, really, the voting system in NY State is inefficient!), it was an awesome experience.  I saw several neighbors, everyone was chatting and taking photos, people were thrilled to see those long lines.  There were even families taking photos together inside the gym to mark the historic moment.  Folks were also looking out for their elderly neighbors and allowing them to move up to the front of the line since the wait was so long.

Clinton Hill is the place to BE for this election.

VOTE!!!!