Brewery on Waverly!

Who knew Waverly Ave between Fulton and Atlantic was such a hotbed of intrigue! The filming of TV shows (Hammered for HGTV, Cover Shot for TLC), the Preemie Martini, etc. My latest discovery: A BREWERY! Reader houseowax tipped me off to this place, and after a whole lot of Googling, I made contact with the brewers. A few Fridays ago during the ice storm, houseowax and I set off for a tour (and tasting). Their building on Waverly used to be a dairy:

The brewery is called Greenpoint Beer Works, as Kelly Taylor (who built the facility and manages operations) makes Greenpoint his home. Inside, GPW brews all of Heartland Brewery's beers (where Taylor got his start) as well as their own new brand, Kelso of Brooklyn.

Right now, they're only set up to brew kegs, but Kelly tells me bottling for Kelso is in the works. It's the next step in the business plan.

Used barley is occasionally used for bread by the employees or given to local community gardens for compost, but most often is given to farmers to use as pig slop.

We tried the Barlywine (10% alcohol = fast buzz!) and Scotch Ale- a smooth ale with very little hops and a nice roasted barley flavor. Both were delicious!

They also make natural sodas:

Taylor does offer special tours here and there, but the brewery is not yet equipped for regular visitors. He mentioned potentially looking into opening some sort of summer beer garden situation, but was unsure if people would come. Houseowax and I were thrilled with the idea, so if you think you'd patronize, give a shout-out here so we can tell him how awesome business would be. I also mentioned having a CHB 1-year Anniversary party there, to which he seemed receptive (July-ish. Be There).

For now, you can enjoy Kelso's brews on tap at 67 Burger in Ft. Greene and Soda in Prospect Hts, and at other semi-nearby bars and restaurants. For more info, check out their site.

(I am tagging this under "nightlife," in the hopes that there will be a beer garden.)

Seder/Holy Thursday in a Box

Should you decide at the last minute that you'd like to celebrate Seder or Holy Thursday, or can't find access to the proper ritual items, St. Joseph's College is offering this cool service: If you are not ready for Passover, go to St. Joseph's College at 245 Clinton Avenue on Monday, April 2 between 12:00-1:30p.m. You can purchase for $1 "Seder in a box." Included are all the ritual items and printed prayers for your own home Seder. The Seder in a Box is also applicable to the Christian Holy Thursday ritual.

More New Wine

Gnarley Vines should be open this summer, according to their website. Anyone know what's up? It's slated to open at 350 Myrtle between Carlton and Adelphi.

Open Invitation at Haunted Church

Nothing's really changed at the haunted church on Clinton between Greene and Gates. There's still trash everywhere, and the building sits in disrepair. BUT, I did notice recently that the gate on the right side of the building had been forced open, and it's been hanging open for weeks now. I am positive that there are junkies and/or ghosts inside. Does anyone know for sure if anyone's hiding out in there?

Tennis Alternative

The courts in Fort Greene Park are usually packed on summer days, but I've discovered a small hidden gem on Cumberland just south of Fulton, in that development of modern-ish townhouses! There are two tennis courts tucked in there, as well as a small but very green and well-kept park.

This is such an odd little area (nice, but seems isolated).

Anyway, in case you want to play some tennis today...

Call for Historical Essays

Since lots of readers are interested in neighborhood history (as am I!), I thought I'd put out a call for some resident-penned essays on the Old Days of Clinton Hill. The essays can be about whatever you'd like and if they are compelling, I will try to post them verbatim without editing. It would be nice if they were well-developed, maybe 500-1,000 words. I can credit authors however they'd like. I can't promise to publish everything, but hopefully neighbors will be motivated to submit some cool stuff. I'll see how it goes, and hopefully I can turn it into a regular feature.

Send your submissions to:

clintonhillblog (at) gmail (dot) com

An Open Letter to a Shady Building

Dear Shady Building on Waverly: Who owns you? You sure look like you have a lot of potential! Boy, I'd love to win the lottery and get my hands on you and make you into a really rad urban home. Maybe with a green roof? Please stay all creepy and haunty and cemented up until I can afford you. It's gonna be awhile. And please, don't turn into something douchey.

xoxo- Lesterhead

(Seriously though, what is INSIDE of this place??)

Free Zagat Access for Restaurant Week

(sorry I didn't post this sooner- I am just now feeling better!) Don't forget to take advantage of BK Restaurant Week, which runs through March 30.  Until then, Zagat's is offering free online access to reviews of the participating restaurants!

Click here to check it out.

I always participate in the Zagat surveys, and I love to see if they've used any of my "witty phrases" when the new editions come out.

Friday Photo

(Lexington near Grand)

Second lesson to be learned from break-ins

So, I called the 88th Precinct and said, have you heard about the rash of break-ins lately and have you done anything about it? (I used the word "rash" because it seems like there have been a lot based on the comments.) And the officer informed me that when lots of people call to report break-ins, they do put more cops on the street or in cars patrolling the street to stop them. But people don't always report them... so it continues to happen. And he wasn't aware of any "rash" of break-ins, which tells me people are being too quiet about it. So, if your car has been broken into, or you know someone whose car has been broken into, have them report it. The number is 718-636-6511.

Another Thing We Need

This is my only post today, as I am home sick after a nasty bout of food poisoning/stomach flu.  You know you're a NYer when you find yourself vomiting in a nasty MTA trash can on the subway platform.  Twice.Anyway, I've recently thinking that a bike shop/bike repair would make a killing on Myrtle.  The closest place I know of is on Vanderbilt south of Atlantic, and last spring there was a line down the street on the first warm day for tuneups.

Go to it, people.

Car break-ins

It goes without saying that if you park your car on the street, you're opening yourself up to the possibility of a break-in. When I first moved to the hood, I saw few fancy cars parked on Washington, but as the years went on I began to see nice wheels like Land Rovers parked overnight. Which gives the impression that it's safe to leave a nice car on the street in Clinton Hill. But this week, a woman I know on Irving Pl. had her car broken into. Granted, it's a Beamer, but it made me wonder: did I have a false illusion of safety? Was this a fluke? Or is it just that as you get further from the heart of CH and closer to Bed-Stuy, you've got to be on your guard more? Has anyone else been broken into lately, or heard of someone who has? One lesson to be learned from all this (aside from garaging your car) is that the people (or person) who broke in only took that case that houses the user's manual for the car, presumably thinking she kept her spare key in there, which some people do (though she didn't thankfully). But she did keep her insurance, title and registration in it. Perhaps not the best place for those things.

Brownstoner Revealed!

Linked from Brownstoner.com, an article revealing his identity.  He's a neighbor, so say hi if you see him.

Brooklyn's Other Museum of Brooklyn

Back in August, I came across this strange building on Steuben. All that blue is a bunch of words made with tape (props for creativity and resourcefulness). It's called Brooklyn's Other Museum of Brooklyn. The website lists this house as the museum's headquarters, so it sent me on a bit of a wild goose chase.

I finally visited the museum a few months ago, but never got around to posting about it.  Here's what I wrote:

Spent any time in northern Clinton Hill/Wallabout?  Then you may have seen a plethora of political rants spelled out in blue painter's tape at various locales. Beginning with a small section of the brick wall in front of the Navy Yard's Admiral's Row, the taped words now cover two entire townhouses on Steuben Street, admonishing the Mayor and government.

The building is labeled "Brooklyn's Other Museum of Brooklyn," and the rants focus on promoting preservation of Admiral’s Row.  Inside, a rickety set of stairs leads to owner Scott Witter, who waits in a chilly second-floor space for visitors.

An ancient bomb hangs overhead not far from the second floor museum entrance, and the sight of it finally makes sense of the museum’s name – B.O.M.B.

As it turns out, B.O.M.B. is dedicated to Witter’s efforts and publicity in preserving Admiral’s Row.  The space is filled to the brim with binders full of copied letters written to local and national politicians (No, Laura Bush did not write back), photos and documents. Beautiful renderings of homes on Admiral row from their glory days line the walls in the back room, as does an impressive illustration of the olden days at Wallabout Market.

Witter is a man passionate about his surroundings.  He even did a day of jail time for his original protest graffiti, in the old-school medium of spray paint. Having spent the last 40 years of his life as a Clinton Hill resident, Witter is a true historian.  Need information on what’s gone on here in the last several years?  He’s your man. He’s also on a committee that aims to turn Wallabout into a historic landmarked district.

One of the most fascinating aspects of his collection is his archive of The Hill, a local quarterly paper that I can never seem to find aside from the waiting room of the Brooklyn Veterinary Hospital. Scattered across a pool table at B.O.M.B. are several issues from the 1980s, many of them detailing the same issues Clinton Hill faces today.

Oddly enough, there’s not a single item in the “museum” from the Brooklyn Navy Yard or Admiral’s Row.  One would hope that Witter had obtained some intriguing artifacts to promote his cause, but instead the museum is more of a collection of “old stuff” – a cluttered table full of statues, ashtrays and broken china, broken chairs, mannequins and the like.

Witter owns several buildings in the area, including 111 Hall Street (a white house with strange windows), which is listed incorrectly as the museum’s headquarters on its website. Turns out he plans to keep the museum moving around while he renovates his properties. Seems like he’s good at keeping people on their toes.

Aching to be a Gallery

The former Karrot's locale on Grand Ave has yet to be filled. Too bad, since it's located right in the cool hubbub of Grand, near Choice, Grand 275 and Dakar. A friend and neighbor of mine has big dreams of turning the space into a gallery and/or an artist' market, where local artists can rent tables to sell paintings, jewelry, clothing, etc. I think that sounds great. Anyone else have similar thoughts? Plus, won't it be "nice" to be right across the street from "Mirror's on Grand?" (Which, btw, is still sitting dormant.)

TV Pilot Being Filmed Today

A neighbor tipped me off to a massive film crew setting up last night on St. James and Washington, saying, "Probably just Law and Order, but it looks to be bigger than that." So I checked it out. Sure enough, there were countless trailers, equipment, etc on Lafayette, Washington, Clifton and St. James this morning.

This flier was taped to neighbors' doors:

Regency Television Productions, Inc. is currently in production of a FOX Television pilot titled New Amsterdam, starring Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (Firewall, Kingdon of Heaven and Wimbledon) and directed by Lasse Hallstrom (An Unfinished Life, Cider House Rules, Chocolat). This project is the first venture into American television for the Oscar-nominated director. The series, written by Allan Loeb and Christian Taylor, centers on John Amsterdam, a man cursed with immortality who works as a homicide detective in New York.

Sounds like a mix of L&O and Heroes, which is fine by me. Plus, if it's filmed in CH, I will watch.

I think this house on Washington is being used as the set, inside and out:

Buzz and reviews sound good so far.  Here's more info on the show:

Hollywood Reporter

IMDB

13 Lexington

I've noticed 13 Lexington (between Grand and Classon) a few times, and I can't seem to figure out what it is. Apartments? Artist space? It looks simultaneously nice and sketchy.

Restaurant Coming to Waverly and Greene!

Remember that bodega on the southwest corner of Waverly and Greene? The one with the green storefront that closed down and emptied out when the building went up for sale? Looks like a restaurant is in the works, AND they've applied for a liquor license. Is this allowed, being so close to the school? I guess it is if they've applied. Wonder what kind of cuisine this will be, and what the clientèle will be. Students getting sandwiches after school? Or a place for nice dinners? I originally fantasized about this decrepit storefront turning into something interesting, so I may *almost* get my wish. We shall see...

hip kids (and moms)

got kids? know somebody who's got kids? or expecting a kid? you should check out still hip, a just-getting-off-the-ground local kids-and-maternity resale shop run by two local mothers. they're still running presale events out of marcie's house for now, so you have to go their website and fill out an invite form to get the location info. but it takes all of two seconds, and then you get to go check out all of the great merch they have. we went last week and made out with a whole summer wardrobe for $20.... sunday, march 25th 11pm-5pm stillhipbrooklyn.com

Waverly Poo, cont.

Miss Heather of New York Shitty read my rant about all the poo on Waverly and asked for some photos.  So I sent them, taken on the west side of the street on just a two block radius, before this latest storm. Check it out here.

(I am filing this under "crime," since it IS illegal not to pick up your dog's crap.)