Updates from the Fort Greene Food Co-op Committee

Behind on my email since starting a new job, so I missed posting about the co-op meeting that was last night. (Sorry!) Here's more info on the progress being made, with info on the various committees one can join:

-- A Telephone Number We now can be reached by phone! You can leave messages and have someone get back to you by calling the coop voicemail at 718-208-4778.

-- Google Groups Some committees have found it useful to organize and communicate via Google Groups -- these groups are a way for committees to have email discussions and allows them to post group documents. Also, you can go back and see what each group has been discussing. The addresses for these groups are below. They are open to anyone; to join, click the link and follow the sign-up procedure. If you would like to be put in contact with the co-chairs of any of these committees, please send an email to clintongreenefoodcoop@gmail.com.

Steering Committee http://groups.google.com/group/clinton-hillfort-greene-coop-steering-commitee

Merchandising Committee http://groups.google.com/group/clinton-greene-food-coop-merchandising

Location/Lease Committee http://groups.google.com/group/clinton-greene-food-coop-locationlease

Outreach/Membership Committee http://groups.google.com/group/clinton-greene-food-coop-outreachmembership

Business/Finance Committee http://groups.google.com/group/clinton-greene-food-coop-businessfinance

Governance Committee http://groups.google.com/group/clinton-greene-coop-governance

IT Committee http://groups.google.com/group/clinton-greene-food-coop-it

That's it for this week, but there's a lot happening and we're eager to share what the many future members of the coop have been working on -- keep your eyes out for more updates soon. Thanks, Scott Lamb Outreach Committee

Yellow Brick ... Storefront

Maybe a neighborhood old timer can tell me what this yellow brick storefront used to be on Clifton and Grand. Bodega maybe?

This landmarks sign has been posted for several months now. What's going on inside?

Mysterious Wreck on Bedford

I smelled this building before I saw it, on Bedford and Gates (1124 Bedford). It's the smell of damp, rotting wood. I've smelled it before when old haunted houses get pried open for renovations.

The place is huge. According to Brownstoner, the building was once the Bed-Stuy Community Mental Health Center. A Google search for the organization puts it currently at 1121 Bedford, just across the street (the same address as the YMCA). How long was this building in use? How long has it been closed?

Liquor and Wine on Grand

On a walk yesterday, I happened by the liquor store on Greene and Grand. I had remembered someone telling me several months ago that the place had really improved and was offering some good stuff. I stopped in to look around. I'm no wine connoisseur but I did find one bottle of this tasty white wine that I've been buying at Gnarly Vines:

I'm not even sure this place has a name and it's definitely not of the breed of new yuppie wine shops. But if you live nearby, service is friendly and selection seems decent.

Kif: Review Coming Soon

I haven't been to Kif yet, the restaurant that finally took over the Liquor's space on DeKalb.  I've heard mostly good things so far -- that the food is good and that they have hookahs. (FYI, Zaytoons on Myrtle also has hookahs.)

Hope to check it out in the next week or so for myself.

Friday Photo

(spring!)

Room Design at RePop

Since moving into my apartment four years ago, I've had a difficult time finding a good arrangement for my bedroom. When I mentioned it to the RePop guys, they told me they'd be starting a room design service for just this reason. In addition to curating their amazing shop, they're expanding to help clients create and arrange rooms in their homes. They're fixing to help clients curate their homes, based on what kind of vibe customers are looking for. They'll not only rearrange furniture, but search for the perfect vintage pieces. Realizing it was probably time to upgrade my mismatched bedroom set, I agreed to give them a try.

I told them I wanted a more midcentury, warm vibe, but had no idea where to start.

A few weeks later (after I had painted), they sent me off for the day and styled all of the new pieces they had picked out for me (many of which I didn't see ahead of time).

Before:

After:

They also installed some vintage wallpaper in my entryway.

Before:

After:

Fees for installation are pretty reasonable, and after spending DAYS painting the bedroom by myself, it was pretty sweet to leave the house for the day and come back later to a brand new apartment!

RePop 68 Washington Ave (bt Park and Flushing) 718-260-8032

Fort Greene Park in the '70s

Do check out CHC's latest posts, specifically the photos from Fort Greene Park in the 1970s.  He has some really good personal stories about the 'hood from back in the day.

Neighborhood Gyms

Someone asked me recently about neighborhood gyms, and as it turns out, it looks like I may be joining one of them soon (I currently belong to a gym near my office, but I'm starting a new job next week!).  I hope to visit them both this weekend, but in the meantime, here are my general thoughts on each: Crunch Fort Greene 691 Fulton St.

• Open extended hours
• Ability to work out at other Crunch locations (ie near my new office)
• Fun, funky classes
• Could be pricey
• Decent selection of morning and evening classes
• So-so weekend class schedule

YMCA Bed-Stuy 1121 Bedford Ave.

• Much more affordable monthly membership
• Pool
•  Seemingly good community programs for kids and teens (not applicable to me, but beneficial for families)
• Very affordable personal training available
• Brand new facility

These are my vague impressions thus far.  The affordability of the Y is a big factor, but so is the convenience of extra locations with Crunch for working out near both work and home.

Have a particularly good or bad experience with either?

B38 LTD!

Here comes a bus complaint again, but dude, this one is totally legit! Have you ever tried taking the B38 down DeKalb in the morning?  The bus schedule says "Frequent Service," but that's kind of a misnomer.  What it means is that frequently one will have to wait for 15 minutes, at which point three B38 busses will come roaring down the street, the first one packed and the next two empty.  I've never been able to figure out why this can't be modified.

And, my prayers have been answered!  Yesterday, the MTA kicked off B38 LTD service along DeKalb and Lafayette!   In BS/CH/FG, the stops are at Nostrand, Bedford, Classon and Vanderbilt, and then the bus runs all the way down to Flatbush!

Has anyone tried it out yet?

HOLY FLEA!

Today's weather was freeeeezing (and I think it got exponentially colder in the hour I was there). It didn't discourage the crowds, however. Holy CRAP was it crowded in there! The food vendors, especially the waffle place and Choice made bank, with long lines stretching halfway down the track field. I purposely left my wallet at home, but had I brought it, you bet I would have been in line for some warm food and drink. As well as walked out with a ton of gorgeous jewelry. I saw a lot of really great stuff, notably the jewelry and many of the t-shirt tables. Some of my personal favorites:

(drink and dream, above)

(lois aronow ceramics, above)

(lost the card for this place, but they do gorgeously reupholstered vintage chairs)

Was it just me, or was it a bit hard to navigate? I felt like I had trouble figuring out how to see everything.  A word of warning -- there are no dogs allowed.  Plenty of people carried their small dogs inside, but leave your giant pup at home.  I suppose I understand not wanting a bunch of pee and poop inside the flea, but it would be really nice to bring the dogs along.

It was strange to see so many hipsters out and about on Lafayette Ave.  A tip -- if you have a car, secure your street spot before the flea starts every Sunday.

(props to Jon Butler and Eric Demby for organizing!)

Brooklyn Flea Starts SUNDAY!

After months of waiting, Brooklyn finally has its own flea market.  Clinton Hill resident Brownstoner has set the whole thing up and it kicks off SUNDAY.  The market will be open every Sunday, rain or shine, from 10am-5pm at Bishop Loughlin Memorial High School (Lafayette bt Clermont and Vanderbilt). Two hundred (!!!!) vendors have signed on, and vendor categories include vintage furniture and salvage, antiques and vintage clothing, records and music, new furniture and lighting, a Design*Sponge collective (featuring my personal friends Lena Corwin, Sesame Letterpress and others), new clothing, jewelry, bicycles (awesome!) and more.

I can't believe how lucky we'll be to have this resource in our 'hood!   So many of Brooklyn's coolest shops, vendors and artists have signed on.  I envision myself doing all of my Christmas shopping right here.

Market layout and a list of vendors can be found here.  NY Mag article on the flea here.

Fort Greene in the Onion

Gotta love the Onion and their scathing satire. Fort Greene made a recent issue. Check it out here.

Green Fort Greene + Clinton Hill Meeting

Want to get involved in making the neighborhood a greener, more environmentally friendly place? Check out Green Fort Greene + Clinton Hill, a group focusing on tree planting, recycling and affordable sales of fluorescent lightbulbs at neighborhood retailers. Greetings Neighbors,

Much going on and much to do. Come to Lafayette Avenue Presbyterian Church, 85 South Oxford Street, 6:30 p.m., April 8 to plan a greener spring for our neighborhood. See how a small amount of your time will advance an effort which is making a big difference.

Demanding Change on the G Line

This is the perfect example of something lots of people have posted already, but people are asking why I haven't posted, and I'm sure people will note that once again this is cut-and-paste-news from elsewhere. Anyhow, next week G train riders will have a great opportunity to testify as to why the G train needs increased service (and length) now and in the future. The G has long been seen as the "red-headed stepchild" of the subway system, and it is important to make our voices heard in order to obtain the attention we deserve. Hopefully representatives from each community served by the G will be able to attend. We need to show a united front along the G route!

I don't know about you, but it feels like I have to wait longer and longer every day at rush hour coming home from work. (I maintain that morning service on the G is actually better than the crappy C.)

So here is the cut-and-paste info. Hope you can make it.

Hello Everyone:

Thanks to the advocacy of the Save the G Coalition (www.savetheg.org ) , NYC Council Transportation Committee Chair John Liu will hold an oversight hearing on G train service. Witnesses from the MTA have been asked to speak about ridership data, plans for the future, conditions, and other issues regarding G line service. I'm emailing many of you who have expressed frustration about mass transit decision-making and about service along the G and F train lines.

Time/Date: Tuesday, April 8 at 1:00pm

Location: Council Chambers, City Hall

Re: What is the MTA doing to improve service on the G line?/

City Council Resolution #1262 (Sponsored by Council Members James, Liu and Mendez) calls on the MTA to immediately improve service on the G line and to suspend implementation of service cuts.

Some of you ride the G train and are frustrated by its limited service. Some of you haven't thought much about the G train – probably because while it serves an ever more important commuter route between Brooklyn and Queens (without going through Manhattan!), it runs infrequently and is only four (4) cars long. Due to service cuts in Queens, it also stops just short of increasingly important destinations and transfer options.

The MTA tells us that it will extend G train as a back up to interim F Express service to Church Ave in Brooklyn while it repairs the Viaduct over the Gowanus Canal and the station at Smith/9th Street. That's great, but it's not nearly enough. Evolving growth (in Williamsburg and Greenpoint, Fort Greene, Clinton Hill and Bedford Stuyvesant and along the F train's route) dictates that G train service will become more needed, not less – but the MTA has no plans to do this.

Come out to the hearing on April 8th and tell the NYC Council about your experiences, your commute and the places you have had trouble getting to because of poor service between Brooklyn and Queens.

Please help by:

• testifying at the hearing

• attending the hearing and show your interest, even if you don't wish to speak

• submitting written testimony if you can't attend the hearing in person

• helping to advertise the hearing by flyering, blogging, emailing, etc.

Please help make this hearing a successful advocacy opportunity for G riders, and for improving public transit for Clinton Hill and for all Brooklynites!

I'm a little irked at the 1:00 pm meeting time, but I'll still try to check it out on my lunch hour.

First Friday @ RePop: April 4

FIRST FRIDAY, April 4, 2008: "New York Evol Dog"

RePOP is pleased to announce the April exhibition featuring the fine art of New York Evol Dog. Based in Brooklyn New York Evol Dog is the working name of the duo made up of Lindsay Jones and Gautier Pellegrin, Having met on myspace during the summer of 2005 the two pursued a sustained and intense correspondence via that medium; in doing so they created a language made up of a choice of images, music and words that invaded each others reality. Through this pure interaction based solely on art, a love story started that they decided to pursue in the "real" world after having met one early morning of summer 2006. The duo now works together, creating dreamy collages from their collection of old images, pictures, engravings, etchings and objects. Artist reception is 7:30 - 11pm every First Friday of the month. So come on down to the Navy Yard, grab a glass of wine, mingle with the artist and get your vintage groove on. DATE: April 4 TIME: 7:30 - 11pm LOCATION: RePOP 95% Recycled MORE: 68 Washington Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11205

PS11 Silent Auction!

PS 11, on the block surrounded by Greene, Waverly, Gates and Washington has (from what I've heard) been making great strides. Tomorrow, they're hosting a silent auction fundraiser, and the auction prizes sound pretty sweet. This is a great way to support our local kids.

"Furnish a Classroom, Furnish the Future"

The auction takes place this Friday, April 4th, from 6-9pm at Lafayette Avenue Presbyterian Church, 85 S. Oxford. Admission is $15 in advance, $20 at the door. To purchase advance tickets online, please go to our website, www.PS11Brooklyn.org. All proceeds go to buy books and furniture for PS11's classrooms.

This event is not to be missed! Just a few of our fabulous items:

2 tickets to The Little Mermaid on Broadway, including a backstage tour!

Tickets to the Broadway musical Spring Awakening

A private wine tasting in your home for six people, donated by Gnarly Vines

A fall weekend at a gorgeous house in the Hamptons

A one year family membership to the Bedford Y

A $500 shopping spree at Steve Madden

Plus dozens of books, CDs, works of art, gift certificates to local businesses, handmade pieces of jewelry, and much, much more!

There will also be wine and finger foods donated by local businesses, and music!

And for anyone interested in PS11 for their kids, this is a great opportunity to meet some PS11 parents and see what fun, fabulous people we are! :-)

"Furnish a Classroom, Furnish the Future"

We really, really need the support of the community at this event. Thank you so much.

Doll Neighborhood

CH artist and community muralist Ellie Balk has an interesting art collaborative opening this weekend. As usual, Ellie's work incorporates innovative ways of representing diverse communities and their interactions: A group of New York area artists are currently exploring the idea of collaboration surrounding the creation, interaction and display of a collection of unique, handmade dolls. Doll Neighborhood is a social as well as artistic experiment, a meeting of minds as well as creative designs. The project is like a sewing circle, in that it welcomes unguarded dialog and supports a community of artists, as they sew together not only fabric, but also words, all the while speaking and listening to a range of uninhibited, uncensored voices, informed by individual and collective art. A dynamic exhibition will open at the Village @ Gureje on April 4 that will include not only the dolls, but also a video that will include the dolls interacting with each other. Doll Neighborhood may continue as an ongoing doll collaborative, meeting and exhibiting around NYC. Ellie Balk and Kristin Brenneman Eno, Curators

April Events at Tillie's

(sorry it's not nicely formatted- having a busy day!)April 2008 Events Tillie’s of Brooklyn

248 DeKalb Avenue

Brooklyn, NY 11205

(718) 783-6140

www.tilliesofbrooklyn.com Music

Friday, April 4th

Tom Blatt Project

Tom Blatt, bass guitar

Malon Hoard, saxophone Westbank Johnson, trombone

Mary Lou Manahan, keyboard

Lee McClune, flute, electronics

Andy O’Neill, drums

Dave Painchaud, trumpet

Tm Blatt project appears all over the city at venues such as Pianos, the Bowery Poetry Club, and Goodbye Blue Monday in Brooklyn.

Friday, April 11th

Eyal Maoz Crazy Slavic Band Eyal Maoz - guitar Ron Caswell - tuba Ziv Ravitz, drums

Mesmerizing compositions from this prodigiously gifted composer and guitarist. Music by Israeli-born Maoz has been featured on MTV, NPR, and at the 2007 NYC Jazzfest, most recently.

Friday, April 25th

Damian Quinones

Damian Quinones: Vocals/Guitar/Electric Piano

Joe Lee: Electric Bass

Naren Rauch: Guitar

David Beauchamp: Drums

"Urban folk music" equally at home in a solo acoustic setting as it is full volume with the band. Quinones’ songwriting is part 60's pop, in the vein of Gainsbourg, Bacharach, Lennon/ McCartney, Davies, and Hayes/Porter; part 70's Nuyorican funk (in the mold of Willie Bobo, War, and Harlem River Drive; and has elements of electronic music, jazz, Tropicalia, and Reggae.

All performances start at 8 p.m.

Cover: $5, $3 with student ID Art Andrea Spiros Paintings

March 31st – May 3rd 2008

Andrea Spiros is a Brooklyn-born artist currently living in Clinton Hill. She studied at The Whitney Museum Independent Study Program, and participated in a group show at The Whitney. She has studied painting and drawing at Brooklyn College with Lee Bonteque, design at The School of Visual Arts, and Medical Illustration at LIU.

She has shown her work at the Queens Museum of Art, The Hillwood Art Museum, and The Foundation for Hellenic Culture in NYC. Internationally, she as exhibited at The Contemporary Museum of Art in Thassaloniki Greece, at Holland Tunnel in Paros, Greece, and at Sans Quoi Gallery, Okayama, Japan. In the last few years she has shown in several local art centers such as Brooklyn Academy of Music, Pratt Institute, Sideshow Gallery, D3 Gallery, and other in Bed Stuy, Dumbo & Williamsburg. She is dedicated to community art, and the independent art movement. Artist’s Statement

My recent paintings are concerned with psychic space, using hybrid abstract imagery as schematics for philosophical ideology. For example: I combine dualities such as internal and external, past and future, to symbolically model unseen worlds. The symbolism, though abstract, is specific. The cosmic juxtaposed with the cellular expresses a connection. They are composed of the same material, exhibiting a unity that seems to initiate connection.

Reception

Saturday 4/5

7 – 9 p.m.

Open Mic

Thursday, 4/10/08

Thursday, 4/24/08

Sign up: 8:00 p.m.

Performances: 8:30 p.m.

Host: Nick Noir

No cover.

For more information on any events, call Patricia Mulcahy at 718 783-6140. Tillie’s is in Fort Greene, Brooklyn. Directions are under “Getting Here” on the website at www.tilliesofbrooklyn.com.

Mother of Three Killed

I know many of you are growing tired of all of the crime-related posts, but so many of you have emailed me about this that I've decided to post it. A Bed-Stuy mother of three was randomly shot and killed when she stopped by an impromptu memorial for the rapper slain on Fulton St. Sunday night.

Article here.