MTA Dicks Over Clinton Hill

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g train flooded Most people write about this two days ago, but I was toiling away at work and didn't have time to get a post up.

The MTA, in its monthly meeting today, will present a "Doomsday Scenerio" budget and plan that calls for reduction in service on the G line by 50%!

I've never heard anything more ridiculous.  Most neighborhoods serviced by the G have seen population increases, and transit ridership is at an all-time high.

In difficult economic times, it's best practice to increase funding for public transit infrastructure, which bioth creates jobs and reduces reliance on cars.

And aside from that policy stuff, the G train has been awfully crowded lately as it is.

Fort Greene CSA Podcast

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Non-profit e-hub Idealist.com offers a podcast on the formation of the new Fort Greene CSA: Real Food and the Fort Greene, Brooklyn CSA

In recent years, communities across the five boroughs have become more concerned with eating "locally" and developing a sustainable food system for all New York City residents.  Community Supported Agriculture--the model of pairing groups of community residents with small local farms--continues to gain in popularity all over the city as an alternative to supermarket shopping.  But how exactly does CSA work?  What does membership in a CSA model mean for community residents?

In the latest Idealist.org Community Podcast, guest contributor Cambra Moniz-Edwards follows Fort Greene CSA Coordinator Jen Datka as she explains the ins and outs of one of Brooklyn's newest CSAs.  For more information on CSAs in the five boroughs, and on developing a sustainable agriculture system in New York City, visit JustFood.org.

Myrtle Ave Holiday Windows Contest!

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From MARP, who has extended their entry deadline for this program: We're still looking for artists for our inaugural Holiday Windows Contest! We've added a prize to sweeten the deal: the winning artist/team of artists will receive a packet of gift certificates totaling $250, valid at participating Myrtle Avenue businesses! See below for details on how to apply. Send us your holiday window ideas! _____________________________________ Calling all artists, art teachers, art students, and other artistically talented folks! This is a fun and simple way for you to share your talents with the entire community during this holiday season! We re starting a new holiday tradition on Myrtle Avenue the Myrtle Holiday Windows contest! We re looking for local artists who are willing to help us bring some holiday cheer to the avenue by using temporary paint and holiday lights to create festive storefront windows. We ll supply up to $100 for paint, brushes and lights. The art-making is as much part of the excitement as the final product! All the painting will take place on Saturday, 12/6 from noon to 5pm, and we ll invite visitors and shoppers to come out and watch the storefronts come to life! People will be able to vote via text message for their favorite, and the winning designers will be featured on our website. The art will be displayed until early January 2009. See details on how to apply below. Applications are due by Sunday, November 16th. Please share with others who might be interested! Guidelines: -Preference will be given to local artists. -Artists muse use the removable paint and LED lights provided by the Partnership (all products applied to the windows must be removable and must not damage the glass in any way). Painting will take place on the INSIDE surface of the storefront window.

-The Partnership will supply lights, paint and brushes totaling no more than $100 per storefront. -If selected, artists must commit to painting their assigned window on Saturday, December 6 between 12 and 5pm. -Final designs must be approved by the participating merchant, and artists are strongly encouraged to communicate with merchants during final design process (we'll facilitate communication). How to apply to become a Myrtle Holiday Windows ARTIST: Please send the following VIA EMAIL to Meredith@myrtleavenue.org:

1. Name, address, telephone and email contact information 2. Select up to three Myrtle Avenue businesses that you would like to work with (or you can let us pair you with a Myrtle merchant if you don t have a preference) 3. In 350 words or less, tell us about your proposed design ideas for the storefront window. All designs must be done using temporary paint and incorporate holiday lights, and should reflect a holiday theme. Sketches are not required, but feel free to send one. Be creative! 4. Photos or links to examples of your past work Please apply ASAP! We hope to confirm all artists by Friday, November 21st.

Skinny Condos on Fulton

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Last year, I briefly noted the new building of skinny condos on Fulton between Clinton and Waverly.  Now, they're ready for purchase! condos for sale

I couldn't imagine what the apartments must look like in such a narrow building, so I jumped at the chance to stop into an open house last weekend while walking by.

They aren't huge, but felt surprisingly spacious.  The model unit I saw even had 2 full baths!

However, I noticed one glaring problem.  The stairs leading up to the loft area were so narrow and steep that they may as well have been a ladder!  One too many cocktails and I'd come tumbling down immediately.  (Though at least the loft has a bathroom, eliminating the potential need to go up and down the stairs in the middle of the night.)

Fort Greene Association Meeting: 11/17

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BROOKLYN, NY - The Fort Greene Association [FGA] is proud to announce its next Open Meeting entitled: ENERGY SOLUTIONS - Turning being green into greenbacks. The meeting which is to be held at Lafayette Avenue Presbyterian Church, 85 South Oxford Street on Monday, November 17, 2008 at 7:30PM will feature a panel of experts from the Community Environmental Center as well as local experts from the FGA's own Green Fort Greene / Clinton Hill taskforce.

The panel will include Henderson Callender from the Community Environmental Center who will describe how 1-4 family energy audits and energy improvement work can lead to cash savings.  The feasibility and application of solar thermal, photo voltaic, and ground source energy solutions in Brooklyn will also be discussed. www.cecenter.org

GreenStreet president Robert Politzer has dedicated his company to doing only green projects and will lead a discussion on green new construction as well as green renovations.  GreeneStreet has built an American Lung Association Health House and installed renewable systems throughout Brooklyn.  Mr. Politzer will lead a discussion   www.greenstreetinc.com

Tess Barton from Community Energy, a provider of green power either through ConEd Solutions or RECs (Renewable Energy Certificates) sold by Community Energy will discuss green energy choices.  Community Energy maintains contracts with wind farms in New York State and across the country and is the recommended source of green power for projects seeking LEED certification.  www.newwindenergy.com

Jed Marcus chair of Green Fort Green / Clinton Hill will describe how this volunteer project of neighbors working together to reduce the neighborhoods' contribution to global warming is having great success in the Neighborhood and beyond.  www.greenfgch.org

Also on the agenda: - FGA Elections of their new and energetic Board

- An update from the Steve Sachs of the FGA Retail Committee on the search for a location and prospective new name for the new bookstore coming to Fort Greene

- Captain Anthony Tasso from the 88th Precinct will discuss and take questions regarding public safety issues in the neighborhood

What:   Fort Greene Association General Meeting - Energy Solutions, turning green into greenbacks - Open to all

When:  Monday, November 17, 2008 - 7:30PM

Where:  Lafayette Avenue Presbyterian Church 85 South Oxford Street (between Lafayette and Greene Avenues) Fort Greene, Brooklyn For further information please the Fort Greene Association at 718.875.1855 e-mail:  news@HistoricFortGreene.org web www.HistoricFortGreene.org Serving Greater Fort Greene, Fort Greene Association

Y-M-C-A!

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Awhile back, I asked about gyms in the neighborhood(ish).  I had planned on trying out a few and reporting back, but that never actually happened.  Instead, I signed up for the Y on Bedford and Monroe back in July. Overall, I am super pleased!  First of all, you absolutely cannot beat the price.  Join with a family member/friend/significant other and get a family membership -- it ends up being around $30 a month for each member.  The gym just opened in 2007, and has a gorgeous pool, is super clean and new and has a whole list of available classes, from yoga to spinning to swimming.  There are also a ton of cardio machines - treadmills, elypticals, etc - and most of them have built-in TVs so you can watch TV on your own machine.  This makes the time fly by.  Even Equinox downtown didn't have this feature, so I was impressed.

The Y also offers a Total Fitness program, which allows you to develop a workout plan with trainer over the course of 12 weeks.  You meet every three weeks to reevaluate and add new moves to your workout.  My overall experience with this program thus far has been kind of...meh...but it did motivate me to totally push myself on the cardio machines (in the past, I'd maybe do level 5 out of 25, and now I do level 18!).

My only criticism thus far is the size of the general workout area.  The weight machines are so packed in that you can hardly walk through them, and there aren't a whole lot to begin with.  The machines I want to use are often occupied.  There's a lot of unused space in the facility, like a huge area with tables in the basement that is never being used.  I say use the main floor space for weight machines only, and put the cardio downstairs (or vice versa).  Oh, and one more thing- there is no place to stretch!

For the price and the overall newness of the place, it's worth it.

For those of you who think it'll be a schlep, let me introduce you to the wonder that is the B52!  It stops along Greene until Franklin, when it cuts south to Gates.  It drops you off on Gates just past Bedford, one block north of the gym.  On the reverse, it cuts up Classon, and it seems to run fairly regularly.

A Favorite on Clinton

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always for rentThis has always been one of my favorite buildings in the neighborhood.  I always imagined it would be romantic to live in one of the turret apartments.  In my early days in the neighborhood I'd walk past almost every day (when I falsely assumed that the C was better than the G).  Now I'm almost never down that way (I lazily wait for the G at Hoyt-Schermerhorn).

There seems to be a perennial "for rent" sign in the window. Can they really not fill this gorgeous place?

Fulton Rising?

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A few weeks ago, a reader emailed to tell me there was a new coffee shop on Fulton about a block from Outpost.  When I went looking, though, I couldn't find it!  Maybe that's because I was looking east, instead of west. Brownstoner posted about Desserts by Michael Allen last week, and this must be the place the reader was talking about.  It's at 1015 Fulton, between Downing and Grand.

michael allen desserts

I made it my first stop on a walking/photo trip Sunday afternoon, and it was absolutely wonderful. The woman behind the counter couldn't have been friendlier, and the interior is warm and inviting.  I met owner Michael Allen, too.

friendliest service ever!

michael allen

The blackboard menus were announcing that holiday catering orders are being taken now, and they had some wonderful gingerbread houses on display.

I took a custard cup and a mini-cheese cake to go (the cake was AMAZING).

tiny cakes

Also received these comments from a reader, which I thought I'd share:

"The mini (gratis) madeleines were yummy (and I'm not a huge madeleine fan) and the eclair - was one of the tastiest I've had anywhere. The croissants (plain and chocolate) looked perfect (will have to try them, um tomorrow!) and they also had soups."

Also, THEY HAVE BREAD.

Choice Opens Third Location on Atlantic!

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Received two emails from readers regarding an intriguing building on Atlantic Ave.  This is one of them- On my way to JFK yesterday, driving up Atlantic Avenue, I saw a red building called Choice Atlantic, which seemed to be a coffee shop/bakery. Is this the same people as Choice and Choice Green? It was somewhere around the Bedford or Nostrand intersections.

Could it be?  I checked it out yesterday afternoon.  Sure enough, there's a large, red building on the north side of Atlantic just west of Classon.  I came up on artist Aimee Leigh German painting the signage on the outside of the building.

new choice!

It IS a new Choice location, and is slated to open in a few weeks. Aimee told me the Atlantic location will be more focused on catering and baking (and some of the current cooking will move from the Grand location here, which is great, because does that mean there will be more seating at Grand??), but will still have a walk-in eatery.

choice atlantic

Wow. What will Atlantic Ave look like in one year?  In five?

Prison Ship Martyrs Monument Centennial

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Ever wondered what that giant tower in Fort Greene Park is?  The one that was hidden under scaffolding for ages? It's the Prison Ship Martyrs Monument, and it turns 100 years old this coming weekend!

The Fort Greene Park Conservancy has scheduled several events for this coming weekend, most of them on Saturday and free.  The monument, which has been dark for 70 years, will be relit and the park will host a number of tours and family-friendly events (many of them with a "olden days" theme).

Here is the schedule thus far: Come be a part of history and honor our country as we re-light the monument, which has been dark for over seventy years! To commemorate the 100th anniversary of the 1908 dedication of the Prison Ship Martyrs Monument, a grand celebration will take place on November 15, 2008 in Fort Greene Park. The majestic Stanford White-designed Monument which stands in the heart of the Park is one of the most important and sacred memorials in our country. It honors the remains of over 11,500 POWs, interred in a crypt beneath the Monument, who perished for the cause of freedom during the American War of Independence.

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2008 5:30-7:30 PM - Kick-Off Reception at MoCADA, 80 Hanson Place. Prize-winning art works inspired by the experiences of the British Prison Ship Martyrs during the American Revolution, created by neighborhood high school students; free, refreshments.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2008 RAIN OR SHINE Full Day of Free Spectacular Activities in Fort Greene Park 10:00 AM - To reserve for limited space events, sign-up sheets will be available in the Visitors’ Center. 11:00 AM - NYC Department of Parks and Recreation unveiling of the Monument eagles. Noon – 3:45 PM - Visitors Center: Family Roots Project: Explore your family’s roots, free genealogical workshops and assistance with individual searches conducted by professionals from the African Atlantic Genealogical Society; entertainment stage: Jazz by Jeff Newell’s New Trad and Wade Barnes’ Brooklyn Four plus One, Brooklyn High School of the Arts band, performers from Irondale Theater; * Guided bus tours of the Brooklyn Navy Yard; Revolutionary war re-enactors; activities for families – meet Mr. Walt Whitman; Ranger-led tours of the park; *a horse and buggy will be available for family fun and to provide transport for people in need of help to reach the Monument Plaza. *Limited space events 3:15 PM - Fife and drum led procession and parade of flags from South Oxford Park to Fort Greene Park Monument Plaza for the beginning of the formal tribute. 3:30 – 3:45 PM - Monument stairs: Flag-posting ceremony 4:15 PM - Formal commemoration: U.S. National Anthem sung by Tony Award winner Cady Huffman; keynote address by Dr. Edwin G. Burrows, the 1999 Pulitzer Prize winner and author of recently released “Forgotten Patriots; The Untold Story of American Prisoners During the Revolutionary War;” 21- gun salute; wreath-laying; color guards; solemn military pageantry and much much more! 5:00 PM - Re-lighting the Eternal Flame of the Prison Ship Martyrs for the first time since 1921, and the return of our eagles after a four-decade struggle by undaunted Fort Greeners. 5:30 – 7:30 PM - Reception: Brooklyn Technical High School, 29 South Elliott Place immediately following the re-dedication of the Monument and the re-lighting of the eternal flame, in the fabulous Art Deco lobby of the school. Food provided by the chef/owner of the restaurant Eletteria, Akhtar Nawab, former sous-chef for Tom Coliccio at Craft. Entertainment will be provided by noted cabaret singer, Victoria England. For this reception there is a charge of $25, which must be paid in advance. For reservations call Ruth Goldstein at 718.596.0899. 7:30 PM - Free Concert: Brooklyn Technical High School Auditorium, 29 South Elliott Place. World Premier of “Brooklyn Bones: Requiem for the Prison Ship Martyrs” by composer Alvin Singleton, text by Patricia Hampl, commissioned by the Fort Greene Park Conservancy to commemorate the Centennial. It is a work for chorus, orchestra and solo tenor.

For more info on the monument itself, click here.

Fort Greene PUPS Calendars on Sale!

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The 2009 Fort Greene PUPS calendar debuted at the Great PUPkin and was a huge success.  I'll say it's one of the best the organization has done (both because I worked on it, and because we accepted user submissions and collected a lot of amazing photos of local dogs!). As always, the calendars will be available locally and will also be sold at the Brooklyn Flea this Sunday:

We're excited to announce that the 2009 PUPS calendar will be on sale at the Flea this Sunday, November 9.  Come and get yours at the PUPS table that will be set up outside the Flea's main entrance beginning at 10 AM.  The calendar is also available at Who's Your Doggy on Willoughby and Adelphi and at Gnarly Vines on Myrtle Avenue.    This year's calendar is filled with more photos of our community canines then ever and makes a great holiday gift.  Plus, the money raised through calendar sales helps support our activities, which include donations to area shelters and to individuals who have rescued dogs in our neighborhood.
See you in the park (and hopefully at the Flea),
Nancy Peterson
President, PUPS
The calendar can also be purchased online here.

Art Opening at Frank White: TONIGHT

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

The Sharpie Manifesto
Friday November 7, 2008 7pm to 10pm
frank white

936 atlantic avenue @ st. james (between washington av & grand) brooklyn, new york 11238 map

The Sharpie Manifesto is a public declaration of the sub-conscious ideologies of artist Kim Gunness-Reece, expressed thru Sharpie markers. Indulge in the collective work of random sketches on a variety of media.

Kim is Frank White's official graphic designer and the first woman to exhibit in the gallery!

Join us for the opening reception and meet the artist.

Shipping Store on Myrtle

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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!

Oral Histories and a Theater Performance

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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.