Clinton Hill Garden Walk

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Check out some of the neighborhood's most wonderful private gardens on this upcoming walking tour:

Brownstone Brooklyn Garden District presents its self-guided 13th Annual Garden Walk. Spend a Sunday afternoon being inspired by the creativity of this neighborhood's urban gardeners. The stops on the tour include single, double and triple-lot city refuges. Pick up a self-guided map at the corner of Washington Avenue and Lafayette, just outside the entrance to the G train, and enter into a a wonderland that cannot be seen from the street.

This year's stroll features 15 private gardens in the historic district of Clinton Hill, Brooklyn. In addition to private gardens, many of which also feature the artwork of their creators folded into their greenery, the tour includes several vibrant community gardens, a newly planted garden entitled, Symbols, Parables and Healing, sponsored by BBGD in partnership with Teen Challenge, the drug recovery and prevention program at 444 Clinton Avenue, The Pratt sculpture Garden, green graffiti art installations and a Living-Couture Fashion Show in a neighborhood church.

All proceeds from the Garden Walk fund activities that support, encourage and facilitate local gardening, urban farming and environmental art.

Tickets are available in advance for $15 at:

http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/107257

and for $20 the day of the event.

Pet Stores: A Comparison

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There's been a lot of internet chatter both here and on the Local about how the neighborhood now has "too many pet stores."  I don't disagree necessarily, but I don't want to wish failure on the new guy just because I'd rather see something else in the space.  Plus, as someone who often buys heavy pet care items (cat litter), and has both a cat and a dog, I'm all for competition if it means the prices, stock and service gets better.  Not to mention an option close-by. So which store is the best overall? I decided to stop at every local pet store (and a few grocery stores) to compare prices on some of the items I buy most to see which shop was Top Dog.

Here's what I was looking for:

petsupplies

  • Wellness dry food, small (47 oz) or medium (6lb)
  • Feline Pine cat litter, 7lb bag
  • Wee Wee Pads, 50-count

Associated (Waverly Ave) Wellness (small) 15.59 Wellness (medium) N/A Feline Pine  4.19 Wee Wee Pads N/A

Nycpet.com (Myrtle Ave) Wellness (small) 12.99 Wellness (medium) 20.99 Feline Pine  8.99 Wee Wee Pads 25.99 (Bonus: friendly in-store cat)

Who's Your Doggy (Willoughby and Adelphi) Wellness (small) N/A Wellness (medium) 17.99 Feline Pine 8.99 Wee Wee Pads 24.99 (Bonus: SUPER friendly in-store cat)

ABC Pet Supply (DeKalb Ave) Wellness (small) 11.99 Wellness (medium) 15.99 Feline Pine 7.99 Wee Wee Pads 19.99

Kiki's (DeKalb Ave) Wellness (small) 13.99 Wellness (medium) 16.99 Feline Pine 6.99 Wee Wee Pads 32.99 (Bonus: buy 10 bags of food, get the 11th free)

Elly's Market (DeKalb Ave) Wellness (small) 16.99 Wellness (large) 18.99 Feline Pine 4.99 Wee Wee Pads N/A

Interesting.  ABC did the best overall, offering the lowest price on 3 of the 4 items I was looking for.  The rest of the stores offered  range of pricing.  The price variation was small enough that I'd probably pick the closest store to me for most of this (aside from the Wee Wee Pads, which I would NOT buy at Kiki's, and the Feline Pine, which I WILL go out of my way to buy at a grocery store and not a pet store).

If you do your own price comparison based on your regular buys, let us know what turns up.

Lunchtime With Tillie: Anima, Round 2

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  lwtanima2-tillie

Hey there, neighborhood of ours! Just when you were probably thinking, "Is Van ever coming back from his honeymoon?" here I am, with Tillie in tow. Excuse our absences, but in case you weren't aware or missed that honeymoon reference a sentence ago, I was off getting hitched to Tillie's mom, or as I sometimes like to refer to her now, "Mrs. Tillie's mom."

Anyway, we're back and Tillie and I are ready to do more eating. And you're about to witness something for the first time in LWT history: a return trip to a restaurant we've already visited, Italian restaurant Anima on Myrtle Avenue.

Why the return, you might ask? Well, Tillie and I have been to a LOT of the restaurants in the tri-neighborhood area, and for some of those back in the early days, her meals mainly consisted of blueberries or Cheerios. As she's grown to become quite the gourmand, I thought it would be good to revisit from time to time some of the places she didn't get to sample the goods. And if a restaurant is doing something new and different than from our original visit, all the better. Such was the case with Anima.

If it escaped you, the restaurant has installed a wood-burning oven and is now making pizza. My love for the pie and my intentions of bringing that feeling to Tillie are well documented, so I won't go into the details about how excited I was to try their take on my favorite dish. Let's just say when the dinner discussions around here come up, I had been suggesting to Tillie's mom literally every night, "Hey, let's try the pizza at Anima!" For whatever reason, it didn't work, so it was up to me and T to make it happen.lwtanima2-food

 

We went out there on that nasty rainy day last week and when we arrived, the place was empty, save for one couple who looked to be wrapping things up. We got all settled in the big dining area near the new oven, which Tillie pointed at and said "hot" because of the fire.

There wasn't much menu perusing to be done save for the pizza section, so my eyes went there. There were a few options that definitely looked appealing, but the Diavola, which had onions, spicy salami, olives and a spicy sauce, stood out. I debated whether to order that or not as the emphasis was on "spicy" and I did have a 19-month-old I was planning on sharing it with. To be on the safe side, I got it half plain and half with the hot stuff. I also ordered a bowl of carrot soup for Tillie to eat. (More on that later.)

The waiter brought us out some bread to snack on and I tried dipping some in olive oil for T, but she really wasn't having that. No worries, I could respect her choice. I was in a pretty happy mood—not that I would get worried about a kid not dipping their bread in the olive oil! Rather, the music coming over the speakers was, well, music to my ears! Hope this doesn't damage my street cred among the parenting set, but I'm a huge fan of music from '80s English bands, and whatever satellite station the radio was set to kept my jams coming in full force.

When we first got in the place, "Heartbreak Beat" by the Psychedelic Furs was playing, which lifted the rain clouds for me. Then the Cure, Flock of Seagulls, the Smiths—the hits just kept on coming! There was even more from the Furs with "Pretty in Pink." The melodies of the songs were inspiring Tillie to rock it out a little in her high chair, just like her old man was in his big seat!

We were having a good time, then the pizza arrived. It looked as close to perfect as a pizza could (I know, it's sad that I appreciate the aesthetics of a pizza so much)! I took a bite of my half first because I wanted to see if it would possibly be too much for my spicy-curry-eating dining companion to handle. It did have  a kick to it, so I decided to avoid giving it to her. I cut her a bite of the plain half, which worked great for her as I couldn't feed it to her fast enough. I couldn't blame her because the pizza was really, really good.

I don't want to sound like I'm too carried away, but the pizza was truly excellent. The cheese, the sauce, the salami, the char of the crust: just wonderful. We were enjoying the pizza, we weren't even thinking about the soup I ordered. Actually, come to think of it, whatever did happen to that soup? It never showed!

I asked the waiter if that was coming and turned out there was a mistake. The soup of the day was actually barley, but the board with the specials listed had the wrong one on there. When the waiter came out to tell us what happened, I  told him no worries, we were good with just the pie. I put the kibosh on my half and Tillie made a nice dent in hers before I finished it up for her.

Bellies full, we sat back and listened to the sweet sounds of Duran Duran and reflected upon our meal. We got the check and I thanked all the workers there for a good meal and the exceptional service they gave me and Tillie.

So, seeing as how I did go there again, I guess it's obvious that I'll be making return trips in the future. Don't worry, there won't be a Round 3 written up for Clinton Hill Blog! I would recommend anyone around should go there and definitely have the pizza. My tab was 12 bucks and we both ate off the pizza. The staff has always been so accommodating to us there as well, and if you like your music served up '80s-English-band style, I'm sure they could do that for you, too!

Bird Town

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On Saturday, I checked out the birdhouse-making event that was part of Myrtle Avenue Bird Town.  It was awesome!  The artists were on site constructing bird houses and feeders, and when I arrived around 11:30, the tables were packed with kids.

That didn't stop me, though, from sitting down myself to paint a house.  And a handful of adults followed once I started.

birdhouses

While there, I got to see some of the actual bird houses that are a part of the installation.

This (above) is a bat house!  Awesome.

Feliz Brooklyn

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outside Feliz On Saturday, I happened past the mysterious new store on DeKalb, once home to Urban Spring and Picnic, two failed eateries.  I had heard rumors that it was a shoe store, but that clearly wasn't the case once inside.  The store, called Feliz Brooklyn, celebrated its opening that day and offers a small selection of shoes for kids and adults, jewelry, aprons, Tocca candles and lotion, greeting cards, home decor, antiques and more. Owner Lilly Genevieve said that the store will carry some items year-round, while other items will be sole seasonally (sandals, umbrellas, etc). Her husband, from Argentina, built all of the display shelving.

The store was bustling with people, and most passers-by stopped in to take a peak.  Maybe people were curious as to what was next for the space.  Or maybe retail, and not food, is the right fit for this particular storefront.

Feliz on DeKalb

Feliz Brooklyn

Feliz Brooklyn 185 DeKalb Ave felizbrooklyn.blogspot.com

Greene Hill Food Co-Op Meeting: 5/19

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5/19 GENERAL MEETING: REACHING OUT AND SIGNING UP NEW MEMBERSLet's Grow! Bring your ideas about how to reach and sign up new members. When: Wednesday, May 19, 7:00-9:30pm 
Where: 138 So Oxford St, Brooklyn between Fulton St and Atlantic Ave (South Oxford Space, Great Room, 2nd FL) On the agenda: 
Committee brief updates, plus: 
- Brainstorm how to engage people so the Co-op flourishes. The Co-op is its members. 
- How to answer questions about the the Co-op, and spread the word 
- Formation of the Membership Committee (now that we have members) Bring your checkbook! Sign up as a member and get an official Founding Member button. 
The web site is relaunching very soon with an online application and Paypal.

UPCOMING GENERAL MEETINGS Mark your calendar! Tuesday, June 15 
138 South Oxford Street (between Hanson Place and Atlantic Ave) 
Studio G 
7:00-9:30 PM Work credit will be given

SONYA Stroll: May 15 and 16

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I have a fond place in my heart for the SONYA (South of the Navy Yard Artists) Stroll, since I did my first stroll shortly after moving to the neighborhood in 2004.  Plus, it's such a cool way to get inside some of the neighborhood's most interesting artist spaces.  And a chance to support local artists.  There's usually art for all price points - $10 earrings and $1500 paintings alike. The stroll takes place on Sat and Sun, 12-6, rain or shine.

Check SONYA's website for a map of artist locations. (My personal favorite stop is the Candy Factory building, 124 Washington Ave).

PACC Gardening Event

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Emily at PACC emailed me a little roundup of their Earth Day planting event with some photos:

Pratt Area Community Council celebrated Earth Day with its second annual gardening event on Saturday, April 17th. Last year tenants, PACC staff and volunteers spruced up Gibb Mansion's gardens for Earth Day. This year, on a cloudy morning, more than 25 volunteers joined tenants and staff at 15 Quincy Street to get their hands dirty "greening" one of PACC's affordable rental buildings. The team turned over garden beds in front and in back of the building, then planted flowers and trees including arborvitae, coreopsis, petunias, marigolds, flowering plum and cherry trees. Walk by the building on Quincy or Lexington to see what a difference a few hours of gardening makes!

Buka: Have You Been Yet?

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Reader Ursula just reminded me that Buka's having its soft opening on Fulton.  She says:

i don't  see anything about it on your blog yet, but Buka on Fulton is now (softly) open. i peeked inside, it looks nice, exposed brick, wooden floors & bar - it was all pretty bare on sunday... i'm attaching a pic of menu & window... personally while we already have Joloff right on the corner of st.james/fulton (i was really hoping for something else...), and here's yet another african restaurant, this one looks "classier"... so let's hope it's tasty and becomes a good dining/drinking option in this neck of CH.

I meant to give it a try late last week, but the focus on spicy on the menu dissuade me for the time being.  The prices look really reasonable - bravo.

Have you been yet?  What's your reaction?  I'll try to go in the next few days.

Here's the coverage from B'stoner.

Bird Town on Myrtle Avenue

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(image from MARP's blog)

Now this is an awesome public art project- an eclectic collection of bird houses! The houses appear at Myrtle and Carlton (apparently that little traffic triangle is called Person Square Triangle), and at Myrtle and St. Edwards at the entrance to the park.  Plus, the artists will be doing an interactive workshop during the SONYA stroll next weekend!  Rad.

Here is the info from MARP (long, but worthwhile):

The Myrtle Avenue Brooklyn Partnership and the New York City Parks Public Art Program present Myrtle Avenue Bird Town, a temporary installation by artists Daniel Goers and Jennifer Wong. From May 1st through December 2010, dozens of playful birdhouses will live in trees at the Person Square Triangle (Myrtle and Carlton Avenues) and the northwest corner of Fort Greene Park (Myrtle and St. Edwards). An opening reception for the installation will take place on Thursday, May 6th at Sans Souci Restaurant (330 Myrtle Avenue) from 6-8pm, and an open workshop with artists will take place on Saturday, May 15th from 10am-4pm.

Goers and Wong will use recycled materials and experimental building techniques to create a micro-community of birdhouses in two locations along Myrtle Avenue. This colorful and whimsical collection of birdhouses will be the site of an ongoing performance as birds feed, nest, build, and care for offspring in these spaces. This exhibition will attract and engage passers-by to observe Fort Greene’s local bird population and contemplate the ecological relationship between birds and the urban environment. “Bringing public sculpture to Myrtle Avenue is part of the Partnership’s larger public art initiative to invest in the creative capital of the neighborhood and rethink our public spaces with art” says Meredith Phillips Almeida, the Partnership’s Director of Community Development. Throughout the duration of the exhibition, the Partnership will organize educational workshops in the community that will teach children and adults about local bird species and environment awareness. The artists will hold their first community workshop on May 15th from 10am-4pm as part of the South of the Navy Yard Artists Annual Studio Stroll. Participants of all ages can stop by at any point to build their own bird houses and meet the artists.

An opening reception will take place at Sans Souci (330 Myrtle between Carlton and Washington Park), a bar/restaurant featuring Caribbean cuisine, on Thursday, May 6th from 6pm-8pm, and is free and open to the public. Arrive early to take advantage of happy hour specials and light refreshments. The artists will be on hand to discuss their work, their process, and the environmental message behind the piece.  Throughout the duration of the 8-month installation, the artists are documenting the exhibition’s progress and activity on a dedicated website, www.myrtleavenuebirdtown.com.

The Myrtle Avenue Brooklyn Partnership’s Public Art Initiative represents a multi-faceted program to establish the avenue as an access point to cultural activities for community members of diverse socio-economic backgrounds. Through efforts to bring public sculpture, art installations, studio art, and creative street furniture elements to the public spaces and sidewalks of the 20-block retail district, the Initiative aims to increase access to art for the entire community, and to support small business by driving foot traffic to the commercial corridor. For more information about the Partnership, visit www.myrtleavenue.org. Parks & Recreation’s temporary public art program has consistently fostered the creation and installation of temporary public art in parks throughout the five boroughs. Since 1967, collaborations with arts organizations and artists have produced hundreds of public art projects in New York City parks. Committed to the exhibition of art by emerging and established artists, Parks & Recreation has supported projects ranging from international exhibitions in flagship parks to local, community works in neighborhood parks, playgrounds, and traffic islands.

Free Yoga in Fort Greene Park Begins Tomorrow!

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Last year,  yogi Lindsay Sage offered free yoga in FG Park.  I went a few times and it was amazing - there is nothing like spiritual exercise outside.  Thankfully, she's back starting tomorrow.  See you there!

Hari Om Brooklyn Yogis!

Yoga in Fort Greene Park is eager to start its second season!  I hope you are as excited as I am to soak up the warmth of an outdoor practice.

Begins this Tuesday -- May 4 (until mid-July) Weather permitting 7-8PM Fort Greene Park -- near the Prison Ship Martyrs Monument Bring mat (or use the grass) There is no charge but this year I will be accepting donations

Please feel free to pass this along to your friends that live or work in Brooklyn.  Also -- FYI -- I teach Yoga in Riverside Park (my other home -- at 115th Street) on Wednesday evenings (6-7) and 6:15PM every other Sunday at my studio (http://www.iyiny.org/, though that's indoors and not nearly as fun).

Looking forward to seeing you!

xLindsay