Community

Brooklyn at it’s Best: Free Outdoor Theatre, Music, and Movies

July 14, 2017 By Caitlin Leonard Filed Under: Community Tagged With: Celebrate Brooklyn, Movies, Piper Theater

Brooklyn is the place to be this summer when it comes to free outdoor events. The cultural hub is offering chances to take in free outdoor movies, world-class concerts and unforgettable outdoor theatre performances. Delight in the best of the arts while relaxing and enjoying the sun, and even head to the Upper West Side in July for a rare ice cream festival!

A Summer Movie Under the Stars

https://nitehawkcinema.com/williamsburg/movies/a-summer-movie-under-the-stars/
There will be four outdoor screenings of family-friendly films starting on July 19th in Prospect Park. The movies will focus on themes linked to the park’s culture – including baseball and the Prospect Park Zoo. Each screening will take place following a live music performance at 7:00pm. The films will be shown at sundown in the green space of Long Meadow, south of Grand Army Plaza. The series also marks the 150th anniversary celebrations of the Prospect Park Alliance, an organization which employs professional staff to ensure daily smooth operations of Brooklyn’s largest park.

July 19th – 7:00pm – Music: DJ Jane Elizabeth Film: The NeverEnding Story
July 26th – 7:00pm – Music: Doo Wop band Film: The Sandlot
August 2nd – 7:00pm – Music: Morricone Youth Film: Moonrise Kingdom
August 9th – 7:00pm – Music: Brooklyn United Marching Band Film: Zootopia

BRIC – Celebrate Brooklyn! Festival
https://www.bricartsmedia.org/events-performances/bric-celebrate-brooklyn-festival
BRIC, a non-profit arts and media organization, is a leader in free cultural programming in Brooklyn. Founded in 1979, it has been bringing the community together and presenting work that reaches hundreds of thousands each year. BRIC is perhaps best known for its annual Celebrate Brooklyn summer concert series taking place at the Prospect Park Bandshell.
Now in its 39th year, the BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn Performing Arts Festival is one of the only free summer outdoor concert series in New York City. It will feature a wide array of musical artists and styles from around the world throughout the summer – as familiar as the hottest indie bands, and as unique as the greatest jazz artists. The series will also include several benefit concerts, including a performance by Grammy-winner Esperanza Spalding on July 28th with Andrew Bird.
Prospect Park is a historical location designed in 1865 by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux. The vision for the space was for it to become the center of Brooklyn’s cultural scene. The Bandshell was added in 1939 and renovated in 1983 and is a popular site for outdoor concerts and has been the location of many live shows over the years. Through artistry and a sense of a shared identity the BRIC festival continues to showcase music from the many cultures that make Brooklyn a unique place to live.
For performance info: https://www.bricartsmedia.org/events-performances/bric-celebrate-brooklyn-festival

Piper Theatre Main Stage Productions:
http://pipertheatre.org/current-productions/
This year’s Main Stage productions from Piper Theatre include the musicals Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, and The Brontës. Bring a blanket or low lawn chair and a snack to enjoy, and visit the concession stand for beverages. (No pets allowed).

Priscilla, Queen of the Desert
8:00 pm: July 6th, 7th, 8th; July 13th, 14th, 15th. July 20th, 21st, 22nd
Based on the 1994 motion picture, Priscilla, Queen of the Desert uses well known pop favorites as its score – including hits like Downtown, I Say a Little Prayer for You, and I Will Survive. The story of two drag queens and transgendered women addresses homophobia as they ride a lavender-colored bus named Priscilla across the Australian desert. This musical has been performed all over the world and won a 2011 Tony Award for Best Costume Design.

The Brontës – A Musical
8:00 pm: July 9th, 16th, and 23rd
Theatre in Asylum’s workshop production of The Brontës, a musical will be presented by a cast of seven. With music by Lucas Tahiruzzaman Syed and lyrics by Sarah Ziegler, the story is inspired by the line, “Literature cannot be the business of a woman’s life,” which served to reject Charlotte Brontë’s attempts to be published. The musical portrays how she then went on to write Jane Eyre and incite her sisters’ writing endeavours and careers.
Performances will take place at the Old Stone House in Brooklyn at 336 3rd street, between 4th and 5th Avenue.

Summer Ice Cream Blizzard
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/nyc-summer-ice-cream-blizzard-tickets-32053812817?aff=es2
July 16th 10am-1:00pm
The perfect way to celebrate National Ice Cream Day, the 2nd annual NYC Summer Ice Cream Blizzard brings out the best artisanal ice cream makers and creative flavors. Taking place at the Grand Bazar NYC market on the Upper West Side, the event will be free, with the chance to make a donation to public schools. The market is open every Sunday year-round and also features works from local artists, designers, antique dealers with artisanal food purveyors.

The New Picture Show: Nitehawk Cinema Comes to Park Slope

March 14, 2017 By Ryder Miller Filed Under: Community Tagged With: cinema, Pavillion, theater

The cinema, in its experiential glory can be a magical event. It provides a means to communicate in a rich contextual way with others. One should remember that the movies can be a communal experience. The release of a new film in some cases can be a real social and historical event, and it would be a shame to lose that in a world of Netflix and Amazon Prime.

Pavilion to be Renovated and Open again in 2017.

Current plans for the $10 million renovation will include a bar and restaurant inside, a balcony view of Prospect Park, and an elevator to the top floor.

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in 2017 park slope and the surrounding community will enjoy its own nitehawk cinema outpost.

[/pullquote]Battle won, the neighborhood will still have a movie theater with a wide variety of films showing on its seven screens later this year. It is a victory for the cinema which has faced dire times in recent times and a constantly changing entertainment landscape. It is also a victory for the neighborhood and movie fans for whom seeing films on the big screen are memorable and impressionable experiences. Going to the movies can still be enjoyed locally by Park Slope families.

The theater has come a long way since its beginnings as the Sanders and will reopen just short of its 90th birthday. Back in 1928 it had only one screen and showed only silent films. Some of the famous titles of that time, some still popular, included The General, Metropolis, and City Lights. The Pavilion Theater was even there for the historic ushering in of “the Talkies” where audiences could experience sync sound for the first time.

Despite its historical significance, the Pavilion had obviously become run down throughout the decades. There was vandalism and dwindling maintenance given to spills, litter, and wear and tear. Occasionally the seats were damaged. The theaters did not always have lights, and it was unpredictable whether there would be coming attractions or not. Faithful regulars, though, appreciated occasional bargains and the added convenience of not taking a train out of the neighborhood to watch a new movie.

Nitehawk founder and owner Matthew Viragh was happy to step in and expand his Williamsburg success to Park Slope and said the timing was right to enter into a long-term lease with the new owners of the building. Renovations have been contracted to Brooklyn-based Think Architecture, who plans on preserving the iconic, historic exterior while adding some much-needed updates. The new theater’s appearance will still harken the grand old days of movie-going, but with the renovation underway it should also have the new movie technology modern patrons expect.

The new Nitehawk will offer a dine-in experience and also serve alcohol, just like the Williamsburg location, as the theater successfully led the push to overturn a liquor ban in theaters and became the first dine-in theater to open in New York State in 2011.

“The size of the venue will also allow for quality hollywood blockbuster first-run films as well as independent films. As always, we’ll be very judicious in what we choose,” said Viragh.

The big question is whether Nitehawk will be able to fill enough of its new 650-seat venue despite the current downward trend of ticket sales nationwide. At the now-closed Pavilion one could catch a matinee for $9 compared to the $15 one has to pay in the afternoon in Manhattan. Other Brooklyn theaters — like the Kent Theater on Coney Island Avenue — also offer bargain shows and bargain days and could serve as alternatives for the Pavillion’s former following.

Afterall, to its faithful regulars, the Pavilion was a boon even if the experience at the theater could be described as a little “divey”. Although it was a little nerve racking to watch an action adventure film with only a few other people — the emptiness of the theater making one feel isolated — some of the new chairs could be very relaxing. Personal experiences there have even been described as “peculiar, but magnificent.”

Strange to say, but the last days of the Pavilion might be missed, especially by the low-budget crowd. A fancy new theater might be safer and neater, but not everybody will be able to afford it. Given the theater’s history and location, there is likely to be some pushback from families who must shell out a fair bit of cash now for the new 3D and IMAX action features. Still, while taking someone to see a film there definitely won’t be “five bucking it” for the night — but it won’t be a terribly expensive date either, considering pricier date-night options in the city. The new addition of alcohol might also be a draw for some.

In the end, The Flick by Annie Baker could be an entertaining commentary on the fate of the Pavillion, as it tells the daily drama of the staff in a fictional Massachusetts movie theater challenged by the new entertainment landscape. The staff in the play was up to some of the same things that people see in the films on the big screen. (Incidentally, the play won The Pulitzer for Drama in 2014 with its characters dealing with the change to digital filmmaking.)

An upscale new theater in the neighborhood might provide a more sanitized and safer experience, but, will it attract new people? With inflation and the cheap availability of streaming services, some might not opt to make it to the big screen anymore. In 1928 a film cost only a quarter which adjusted for inflation was about $4, no less.

Film is something that is shared among people; it is something that people can have in common. It is also a way to see things through the eyes of others. Those who don’t take in a story from the “eyes” or in the “shoes” of others can miss the opportunity to expand their awareness and understanding of the world they live in. One will soon be able to do this again first without leaving the neighborhood.

www.nitehawkcinema.com

We are They: Post Election Thoughts 2016

November 14, 2016 By admin Filed Under: Community Tagged With: Democrat, fear, hate, racism, Republican, sexism, xenophobia

By Mark Nepo

I have felt compelled to speak since the election of Donald Trump but every time I try, my heart sinks and I don’t know what to say. I was born in Brooklyn, New York, six years after World War II, after the defeat of Hitler and fascism, six years after the Holocaust, in which I had family perish. As a child, I saw unfathomable images of how the Atomic bomb obliterated Hiroshima. In grade school, we practiced hiding under our desks, as if that would keep us from being incinerated. I came of age in the sixties, part of a hopeful generation who questioned the war in Vietnam. I later saw the Berlin wall come down, and witnessed the first African-American president sworn in on the steps of a White House built by slaves. During my lifetime, there has been a slow, steady awakening of community that has upheld America as the land of the free. Through all this, I have grown to understand that, different as we are in what we believe, there is no they. We are they.

Given this paradox inherent in freedom, I have tried to stay true to what I know while listening to the opposite views of others. But the underpinnings of this election fall below politics, below Democrat or Republican. Because half of us have elected a man whose way in the world is built on fear and hate, whose tolerance for difference is tissue paper thin, whose understanding of strength is based on vengeance.

As I witness the level of racism, sexism, xenophobia, and unchannelled anger that is spilling out of us as a nation, I fear that Donald Trump has poked and stirred the darker angels of our nature. Now we are taking our turn, as civilizations before us, in the ever-present challenge to give in to fear or to empower each other to be brave enough to love, brave enough to discover and accept that we are each other.

For no matter where we come from, no matter how we got here, we all yearn to be seen, heard, and respected. We all long to belong and to be understood as whole and good. We all long to be needed. And all our gifts are needed to contribute to the tapestry of freedom.

So I am afraid today, afraid the noise of hate is drowning out the resilience of love that is always near. I fear that we are tripping into a dark age. If so, then, as medieval monks kept literacy alive during the dark ages in Europe, those of us committed to a life of care are challenged now to keep the literacy of the heart alive.

At a basic crossroad

For all the things we care about, all the endeavors of respect that we treasure, all the humble ways of finding strength in our kindness—all our efforts of heart matter now more than ever. We are at a basic crossroads between deepening the decency in how we care for each other, and the contagion of making anything different from us the enemy. And, as history has shown us, if we don’t recognize ourselves in each other, all is lost.

We must remain open and steadfast in the face of fear and violence. We must never make a principle of what turns us dark. And we must keep voicing the truth of human decency, no matter the brutalities that try to quiet us. Without this commitment to care and truth, we will become as heartless as those now lost in anger.

Most of all, we must pick each other up when we are heavy with despair. For the sun doesn’t stop shining because some of us are blind. Nor will the grace of democracy vanish because some of us are violently afraid to be in the world.

Still, we are they. And the timeless choice between love and fear, individually and as a nation, is not a choice of policy. It is the choice of decency that keeps us human. In the face of this dark disturbance that is upon us, I implore each of us to be kind and truthful, to be a lantern in the dark, and to call out prejudice wherever we see it. In addition to whatever ways we each are called to gather, participate, legislate, or protest, I implore each of us to never stop watering the seeds of human decency.

I implore us to stay devoted to the proposition that when filled with love, we can work as angels here on earth, using our care-filled hands as wings. Never forget that we are more together than alone.

Read Mark’s article: In Conversation with Life

Park Slope Votes

November 2, 2016 By Meghan Cook Filed Under: Community Tagged With: community, Democratic, election 2016, feminism, GOP, Park Slope, party, Republican, voters

Every four years November acts as a pivotal month in our nation’s political calendar. The months of lively debate leading up to the election often cause tensions to flare in communities across America, and never has an election stirred up controversy and vitriol as much as this one has.

Yet, despite all of this, the majority of local residents seem squarely unified against a particular candidate in the running for the future President of the United States. It should not come as a surprise, that in a community as diverse and unique as Park Slope, that a certain resentment would be felt towards Donald Trump — a man who has distanced himself from nearly every minority group with reliably divisive rhetoric.

There are a number of Americans who admire Trump for saying what others won’t, and for not shying away from the more turbulent areas of conversation that most politicians avoid. But there are also those who find this mindset distasteful.

“I don’t like Donald Trump, especially for the Mexican people,” said Luis Correa, 64, local resident and taxi driver. “He speaks poorly of us.” Correa identifies as an Independent but he finds himself drawn towards Hillary Clinton, finding her likable and attentive. “She works for honest, hardworking people. She works for my community.”

For many, the upcoming election results are cause for concern, with supporters on both sides keeping their nominees aloft in the polls. But for Correa, the future is clear. “I’m not worried,” he said firmly, rapping his knuckles decisively against the top of his taxi cab. “Hillary Clinton will be our next president.”

Lizette Chaparro, 26, works for a non-profit affordable housing company and is a proud Democrat. She said that her party has “long championed the well being of the working class and has reached out to communities of color.” She plans on voting for Clinton come fall, “for obvious reasons.” She is genuinely a supporter of Clinton’s policies and calls her “the most experienced candidate running for office,” but she also is driven by a desire to “make sure Donald Trump doesn’t end up in the White House.”

Chaparro also praised Clinton for championing women’s rights. “As a future mother, I worry about equal pay and maternity leave,” Chaparro said. “If Hillary Clinton wins the White House she’ll do a lot for working women. She’s very focused on giving women equal rights and opportunity in the workplace.”

David Hoffer, 58, is a computer technician who has been a Democrat for his entire life. He believes in the Democratic party because “they seem to care more about people and want to truly do good for us.” He paused for a moment before admitting, “At least most of the time.”

Hoffer expressed his discontent with the current voting system in place. “It’s all gone digital. I know technology progresses, we all progress, but if you look at any other field where technology is a large component – there’s always going to be people who try to supersede the rules. It’s too easily hackable; it’s hard to challenge discrepancies.” Hoffer said frustration in the voting system is nothing new, referencing the Florida election recount of 2000 and the controversy over hanging chads, stating that gray areas such as this hamper true democracy.

When asked about his thoughts on Trump as a presidential nominee, Hoffer could not help but laugh and respond, “Where to begin? I think he’s the biggest pathological liar and bigot there is. The fact that so many support him makes me wonder about our country.” For Hoffer, his vote is less a personal choice and more about choosing the lesser of two evils. “I’m not a big fan of Hillary, but choosing between the two? No question.”

Local graduate student Riyana Dasgupta, 23, believes that this election has “struck a chord with many people for a variety of reasons” and that it is much more than a popularity contest. “The presidential candidates’ policies and character brings out the morality of their supporters,” said Dasgupta. “And I think this election has a lot to do with morals, in addition to electing a new Commander-in-Chief.”

Dasgupta described Clinton and Trump diplomatically, stating that, “One of the candidates has well thought out policies, a solid temperament, and a positive character that can truly enact change in this country. The other candidate, however, has policies that have the potential to do more harm than good and a quick, haughty temperament.”

However Park Slope residents personally felt towards either candidate, each expressed encouragement in every American’s right to vote. “I would like to see more people, older and younger alike, come out and vote,” said Dasgupta. With support mounting on both sides, whether passionate or resigned, this election in particular will ride on the citizens who actively stand in line for the voting box come November 8th.

Bulldogs for Bastille Day

July 13, 2015 By admin Filed Under: Community Tagged With: Bastille Day, benefit, Cobble Hill, dogs, pets

All Smiles for the French Bulldog Party! — All smiles for the French Bulldog party!

Instead of storming the Bastille, these Frenchies were storming the water bowls in Cobble Hill last Saturday. For their fourth year in a row the fine goods store By Brooklyn held a French Bulldog party to raise money for a non-profit animal-related organization. This year, they raised money for Badass Brooklyn Animal Rescue, a non-profit organization that rescues all breeds of dogs from high-kill shelters in the United States.

Ever passionate, the French Bulldog community in Brooklyn turned out to the party in full force. Several of the attendees had their own Instagram presence, like the fashionable Walter, the affable Enzo, and the petite puppy, Frank. Overall, the event attracted thirty-two French bulldogs — Oh. And 100 non-canine guests attended as well.

Sniff, sniff. Do I know you from somewhere?

While the human attendees may not have been the main attraction, there were plenty of sponsors who donated to cater to their tastes. One Girl Cookies and Stinky Bklyn donated the cookies and cheese, respectively. After all, sweets and cheese are pivotal to La Fête nationale, right? While wine was definitely available, guests were also treated to sake from Dassara Ramen and beer from the Gowanus-based Threes Brewing. Most importantly, however, there were plenty of dog treats and water bowls on hand to please all the pups.

Wine, Sake, and Beer were available to drink - as well as Water, of course. — Wine, sake, and beer were available to drink – as well as water, of course!

Between all the bullies, their owners, and other guests who just wanted to come and see the dogs, the benefit raised $1,100 for the Badass Brooklyn Animal Rescue. Whether they’re Frenchies or not, the real winners are Brooklyn’s dogs.
If you happen to be the owner of a Schnauzer or a Dachshund, keep an eye on By Brooklyn’s Facebook page. They have a similar event planned for Oktoberfest in October!

Fun in the Sun

April 21, 2014 By admin Leave a Comment Filed Under: Community

Though frozen sidewalks and mismatched mittens may not hint at the upcoming summer, school is out in only a few months. Soon complaints of frostbitten fingers will become whines of overheating and dehydration and pleas to go to the pool, the park, and anywhere with air conditioning will certainly become rampant. Though controlling the New York City weather may be a little out of reach, planning your kids’ summers, to be exciting, social, educational, and memorable, is easily achievable. From the artist to the athlete to the all-around all-star, Park Slope and its surrounding neighborhoods have plenty of fun and affordable options for kids of all ages.

Brooklyn Arts Exchange
Artistic kids will enjoy Brooklyn Arts Exchange (BAX) Summer Arts Program, for kids entering grades K–6. Guests artists, specialists, and counselors will lead campers in daily classes explore art, media, theatre, music, circus arts, and much more. Each week culminates in an informal performance or gallery to show off to family and friends what busy, creative campers have been working on. An extended day program is also available, offering later pick-up for working parents.
youth.bax.org/general-information/school-breaks/summer-arts-program
Program Dates: June 30–August 15

Brooklyn Boulders
Kids who are climbing off the walls—or just in search of a bit of adventure—can attend Brooklyn Boulders Summer Adventures in Gowanus. Named one of ‘Time Out New York Kids: Best of 2013!’ this camp is an invigorating and adventurous experience for all kids! Brooklyn Boulders offers 22,000 square feet of rock climbing, complete with safety gear and strictly-enforced rules—a bit of reassurance for concerned parents! Climbing camp is dedicated to providing a fun and challenging experience for campers of all skill levels. This year, the camp will also partner up with Homage Brooklyn Skateboard Academy to offer a dual skate/climbing camp.
brooklynboulders.com
Program Dates: BKB Summer Adventures Session 1: June 30–July 3 Session 2: July 14–July 18 Session 3: July 28–August 1 Session 4: August 11– August 15 Session 5: August 25–August 29 BKB X Homage
Session 1: July–July 25 Session 2: August 18–August 22

Butterbeans
Get young cooks out of your kitchen and into someone else’s at ButterBeans Kitchen Food and Garden Summer Camp, which offers a complete farm-to-table summer experience for kids ages 6–10, and takes care of the mess! Food-focused activities include planting seed, harvesting fresh food, cooking seasonal summer lunches, and writing unique cookbooks. Kids will enjoy individual sessions with local food experts, getting hands-on with chickens and worms and learning the tricks to great composting. Fun “Top Chef ” challenges will help teams of kids create inventive lunches and snacks, and perhaps prep them for the next “MasterChef Junior.”
butterbeanskitchen.com
Program Dates:Session 1: July 7–July 18, Session 2: July 21– August 1, Session 3 : August 4–August 15, Session 4: August 18 –August 22

Park Slope Day Camp
For a traditional day camp experience, Brooklynites ages 31/2–14 can enjoy all the summer activities at Park Slope Day Camp. Those wanting a more specific experience can also register for the camps Sports Academy or Circus Camp programs. The camp also offers a free morning shuttle to local campers. Groups are split up by age. Camp activities include tennis, arts and crafts, music, theater, sports, nature, self-defense, climbing on the camp’s climbing wall, and field trips to locations like the beach or zoo. Instructional swimming as well as clubs for campers to join to suit their unique interests are also offered throughout the day.
parkslopedaycamp.com
Program Dates: June 30–August 22, selectable by week

Piper Theater
Acclaimed local theater Piper Theatre at Old Stone House offers kids ages 7–17 the opportunity to enter new worlds of imagination and wonder through their summer performance camps. Professional teachers will guide students in creating full-scale productions performed outdoors on the professional stage at the end of July. A new program this summer partnering with Off The Page offers a workshop for campers to create the show they will perform in! Specialized intensive workshops also include Shakespeare, Hands-on Film, an advanced workshop performing Amadeus, and an advanced musical workshop performing Hair.
pipertheatre.org
Program Dates: June 30–July 26

STREB
Brooklyn’s STREB Lab Camp offers a unique circus performance program, encouraging campers to engage with their surroundings and bodies in new and unique ways. Campers will build confidence and independence swinging from the trapeze, walking the tightrope, and goofing around in clowning gear. Kids can spend the summer performing in STREB’s circus for six one-week sessions, each of which culminate in a Friday performance and continue to build on practiced skills each consecutive week. Students who want to continue building on these skills can also continue with weekend and afterschool classes throughout the year.
streb.org
Program Dates: July 6–August 15, options for weekly sign-up

For kids ready to leave the house for a bit of time, several East Coast sleepaway camps are popular with Park Slope kids (and parents).

Beam Camp
Creative kids ages 7–17 learn to make their ideas a reality at Beam Camp, which specializes in fine and manual arts. Now in its tenth summer, the camp is celebrating a decade of innovation and community. Workshops are staffed by full-time and visiting professional architects, videographers, builders, engineers, designers, and other innovative makers from diverse backgrounds and skillsets. Campers will also collaborate on a commissioned, one-of-a-kind, large-scale Beam Project, unique to every summer. July’s project will be immersive mechanical light machines, and August will focus on a floating vessel combining the principles of Leonardo da Vinci with modern components. Future engineers, artists, and kids with curiosity will be happy to make this New Hampshire camp their summer home.
beamcamp.com
Program Dates: Session 1: July 2–27 Session 2: July 30–Aug 24

Camp Med-O-Lark
For over 50 years, Camp Med-O-Lark has been known throughout the country as a premiere summer arts institutions. Located in Washington, Maine, the lakefront property offers arts electives for kids 8-16. Unlike many traditional camps, Med-O-Lark does not host inter-camp sports competitions and tournaments but focuses on individual leadership and self-expression rather than competitiveness. Campers live in cozy cabins with bunk beds and participate in creative activities like dance, music, fine arts, circus arts, culinary arts, and performance arts. A skate park, sports field, and waterfront sports are also all available. Two, four, six, and eight week sessions are offered.
medolark.com
Program Dates: Session 1: June 27 –July 23 Session 2: July 25 –August 20

Camp Onas
Young Brooklynites ages 7–13 venture out to Bucks County, PA every summer to attend Camp Onas. The 72-acre property has been operating since 1922 and is accredited by the ACA. Onas offers a wide range of programs in arts, drama, sports, aquatics, and outdoors skills like hiking, gardening, and fishing. Overnight pioneer camping programs and day trips also allow campers to explore the world outside Onas. Camp Onas is rooted in the Quaker values of simplicity, peace, equality, and community, and aims to provide kids with a fun and memorable summer home and lifelong friends. Eight to nine campers live with counselors under the stars in the sleeping tents and pavilions, and boys and girls live on separate sides of camp, each with their own modern shower house. The rest of camp life is co-ed, including family style Dining Hall meals and camp-wide events. One-week sessions are also available to help ease younger campers into being away from home.
camponas.org
Program Dates:
Session 1: June 22 – July 5
Session 2: July 6 – July 19,
Session 3: July 20 – August 2,
Session 4: August 3 – August 16

Summer Camp Guide

Day Camps

14th Street Y
Manhattan, NY
14streety.org

Aviator Sports
Brooklyn, NY
aviatorcamps.com

Backpacks & Binoculars
Brooklyn, NY
backpacksandbinoculars.com

Beansprouts
Brooklyn, NY
beansproutsnurseryschool.com

Brainy Academy
Brooklyn, NY
brainyacademyny.com

Brooklyn Arts Exchange
Brooklyn, NY
youth.bax.org

Brooklyn Arts for Kids
Brooklyn, NY
brooklynartsforkids.com

Brooklyn Beanstalk
Brooklyn, NY
brooklynbeanstalk.com

Brooklyn Boulders
Brooklyn, NY
brooklynboulders.com

Brooklyn Conservatory of music
Brooklyn, NY
bqcm.org

Brooklyn Craft Farm
Brooklyn, NY
brooklyncraftfarm.com

Brooklyn Cultural Adventures Program
Brooklyn, NY
bklynpubliclibrary.org/bcap

Brooklyn Dance Foundry
Brooklyn, NY
brooklyndanceproject.com

Brooklyn Game Lab
Brooklyn, NY
brooklyngamelab.com

Brooklyn Players
Brooklyn, NY
brooklynplayers.com

Brooklyn Robot Foundry
Brooklyn, NY
brooklynrobotfoundry.com

Brooklyn Stars
Brooklyn, NY
bk-stars.com

The Brooklyn Strategist
Brooklyn, NY
thebrooklynstrategist.com

Butter Beans Food & Garden Summer Camp
Brooklyn, NY
butterbeanskitchen.com

Camp Half-Blood
Brooklyn, NY
camphalfbloodbklyn.com

Camp Intrepid
Manhattan, NY
intrepidmuseum.org

Camp Olympia
Brooklyn, NY
campolympiany.com

CBE Congregation Beth Elohim
Brooklyn, NY
congregationbethelohim.org

Child’s Play NY
Brooklyn, NY
childsplayny.com

Choice Scholars Day School
Brooklyn, NY
choicescholars.com

Construction Kids
Brooklyn, NY
constructionkids.com

The Co-op School
Brooklyn, NY
thecoopschool.com

Dancewave
Brooklyn, NY
dancewave.org

Engineering for Kids
Brooklyn, NY
engineeringforkids.net

Fastrackids
Brooklyn, NY
fastrackids.com

Free Spirits music
Brooklyn, NY
freespiritsmusic.com

Food Art for Kids
Brooklyn, NY
foodartforkids.com

Homage Brooklyn
Brooklyn, NY
homagebrooklyn.com

International School of Brooklyn
Brooklyn, NY
isbrooklyn.org

Juguemos A Cantar
Brooklyn, NY
juguemos.org

Kim’s Kids Summer Camp
Brooklyn, NY
kimskidscamp.com

Kings Bay Y
Brooklyn, NY
kingsbayy.org

Lango
Brooklyn, NY
langokidsnyc.com

Liu Children’s Academy Summer Camp
Brooklyn, NY
liu.edu

Mark Morris Dance Group
Brooklyn, NY
markmorrisdancegroup.org

NY K!ds Club
Brooklyn, Queens, & Manhattan, NY
nykidsclub.com

Park Explorers
Brooklyn, NY
parkexplorers.com

The Park Slope Day Camp
Brooklyn, NY
parkslopedaycamp.com

Piper Theatre Productions
Brooklyn, NY
pipertheatre.org

Pixel Academy
Brooklyn, NY
pixelacademy.org

Prospect Park Zoo education
Brooklyn, NY
prospectparkzoo.com

Spoke the Hub
Brooklyn, NY
spokethehub.org

Streb
Brooklyn, NY
streb.org

Shibley Day Camp
Brooklyn, NY
shibleydaycamp.com

Textile Arts Center
Brooklyn, NY
textileartscenter.com

Tinkergarten
Brooklyn, NY
tinkergarten.com

urBan martial Arts
Brooklyn, NY
urbandojo.com

Overnight Camps

Beam Camp
Strafford, NY
beamcamp.com

Berkshire Hills Eisenberg Camp
Copake, NY
bhecamp.org

Camp Eagle Hill
Elizaville, NY
campeaglehill.com

Camp Kodiak
Ontario, CA
campkodiak.com

Camp med-o-lark
Washington, ME
medolark.com

Camp Onas
Bucks County, PA
camponas.org

Camp Wekeela
hartford, ME
campwekeela.com

Eden Village Camp
Putnam Valley, NY
edenvillagecamp.org

Pinemere Camp
Stroudsburg, PA
pinemere.com

Windsor Mountain International Summer Camp
Windsor, NH
windsormountain.org

Park Slopers For Obama!

October 14, 2012 By admin Filed Under: Community

We asked a number of the artists who illustrate for us to rend their take on a Obama campaign poster. Some of the artists included their comments on President Obama and the upcoming election. We thank all the artists that participated.

Obama-Daquino — **Artist: Andrea D’aquino**

It pretty much goes without saying that most Brooklynites, Park Slopers in particular, are Democrats. It is assumed that if you ask anyone on the street, in shops, or at playgrounds in this small town in a big city, they will proudly, happily and unabashedly say “I’m a Democrat!” Why, I know a New Yorker who voted for a dead guy rather than vote Republican. I wanted to put this theory to the test and hit the streets, the shops, and the social media. My mission was to ask people here in Park Slope, are they voting for Barack Obama? And if yes, could they please tell me why? The answers, almost — almost (more on that later) were a resounding “YES!” and “More than happy to. Why, thanks for asking.”

I know, I know. This is stating the obvious, “Gee, a Brooklyninte voting Democrat?! Why, I never…” It is redundant — sorry. But I wanted to get quotes, actual cogent thoughts, as to why Barack Obama is, in fact, so awesome, just in case anyone is a “swinger” as my foreign friend puts it — she means “Swing Voter”, of course (sorry, this is not that kind of story.) So, a post or two on my social media page, a couple of electronic communications, and many, many face-to-face “why is this woman coming up to me and talking to me?” moments later, I give you the following:

Before I hit the bricks, I took a shortcut and turned to my husband, Peter, a trial lawyer, and asked him. “Seriously? You need a reason?” “YES! Pretend I’m six.” My six-year-old quickly chimed in, “Well my reason is I trust him.” Whoa, rewind. “What?” “I trust that he is spending our money on new schools, museums, and hospitals.” Dumfounded, I asked him where he got his information, and he told me that is just what presidents do, and that’s what his class talked about when the children wrote him letters in kindergarten this February (Obama not only wrote back, but also sent a bunch of great photos. Thank you public school and amazing kindergarten teacher!) Now, back to my husband who is an intelligent (and handsome) father of two, slightly over 39 years old: “In  Barack Obama’s first four years in office, he has done more to make my life and the lives of my children better. [Not his wife’s????] Barack Obama established the credit card bill of rights that prevents credit card companies from imposing arbitrary rate increases on customers.  I benefit from that. [Yay! I can buy more stuff and not feel guilty. Sorry, I digress.] He signed into law healthcare reform that, among other things, ensures that nobody in my family will be denied health care coverage based on a preexisting condition, and that my kids can stay on my health plan until they are 26 if their employer does not offer health insurance.”

Obama-Kircher — **Artist: Ashley Kircher**
President Obama is a compassionate, measured, articulate and educated leader. These qualities are what make him the best equipped to lead a country that is only becoming more diverse, in a world that is increasingly connected. His moderate stances on issues, sometimes leaving him in the position of pleasing no one, are the wisest in a time when pleasing a political party can mean reducing an issue to black and white. Things do not get simpler, only more complex, and someone with a flexible mind should be the one to guide.

That’s a lot of good stuff. In 20 years, when my son is 26 I hope we will be retired and living off my son and not needing to pay his insurance. Unless, of course, he indeed decides to become a lunar paleontologist, in which case he will still be in school and we will still be working to pay for his education (unless Obama becomes president!) I digress.

All kidding aside and editorial comments omitted, I continue with Kevin. Kevin not only owns and runs a hiking tour and gear rental shop called Gear to Go Outfitters, located on Garfield Place, he is also a former lawyer, and…wait for it…a veteran. And he’s super smart and articulate (ladies, as of press time he is single). I knew his reply would spell it out — he is smart, but he was also in the military, so he cuts through the crap. He had this to say: “ I think the theory that the Republicans would be better for small business died with Ronald Reagan.  Trickle-down economics has been shown to be a failed policy that only benefits those at the top. I can’t stay in business if only the top 1% can afford to purchase my products and services.  The more people who have disposable income, the better my business and the economy, overall, will do.” Yes, Kevin!  Raise your hand if you have disposable income! Anyone? Anyone? No? Well, don’t worry; Kevin still sells things you need (portable wine flask, rain gear, head lamps and kids’ lunch box items), so shop local! He continued on, saying that “Obama also appeals to me as a veteran.  Though he never served, he does seem to deliberate before using force which I much prefer to Bush’s ‘shoot first and justify later’ policy.  There’s supposed to be a contract of sorts between those in the military and the civilian population of our country.  As a member of the armed forces of the United States, I was prepared to lay down my life to defend my country, but it’s supposed to be for a damned good reason.  Historically, those presidents who have served in the military (I don’t consider George W. Bush in that category) have been the least likely to use force and have done so only when it appeared absolutely necessary.  I want a president who takes a minute to think whether it’s absolutely necessary to send us into battle. A president who seeks to exhaust all alternate solutions besides the use of force, and a president who then evaluates whether the ends the use of force seeks to obtain justify the potential sacrifice of our nation’s finest men and women. Obama has demonstrated these attributes.” Well said and well spoken. I owe this guy at least two beers.

Obama-Pincsak — **Artist: Jackie Hahn**
Americans are notorious for seeking out quick fixes for change. Whether it be losing pounds fast with a diet pill or winning the lottery, our lack of ability to see the scope of the greater problem, and subsequent bitterness when we don’t see immediate results, has hindered our progress and turned us into skeptics and pessimists. President Obama is able to visualize a bright future that is fundamentally different from the past. This drastic shift in perspective is ultimately what our impatient nation needs, but we also need to trust and understand that this change will not happen overnight.

Amanda, who is a mother of two and runs Row New York, a non-profit empowering youth from under-resourced communities through the sport of rowing. She is a born and raised New Yorker with a Harvard advanced degree, a 30-something mother of two, and a long time Park Slope/Windsor Terrace Resident. Amanda had this to say: “Why Obama? Because, for the most part, I agree with his policies. I support gay marriage, a woman’s right to choose abortion, cap and trade legislation, higher taxes for the wealthy, keeping religion out of schools, making healthcare accessible, and gun regulation. I really believe that Obama has the interests of more Americans at heart. Like Obama, I am opposed to privatizing Medicare. I think Obama cares about the greater good for more Americans than Romney does. Romney would be good for those who are doing well — wealthy Americans, big business — but those people are already okay. I am more interested in those who don’t fall into that category … first generation college students, the poor, the sick, the elderly. As Michelle Obama talked about in her convention speech, ‘we can’t get through the door of opportunity and slam it behind us.’” This woman was very passionate, informed and very suspicious of the one Subaru on her block who has Romney/Ryan sticker.

Another female 30-something mother of two, who has lived in Park Slope for 11 years, agreed. Steph, a columnist for Brooklyn Paper and blogger for GoldStar4trying.com, also had a soft spot for helping others (maybe it’s a mom thing, but shouldn’t we ALL care about taking care of those in need?) Steph said, “I’m voting for Obama because he still has hope that every single person in this country deserves a chance. Is he the perfect leader? No. Does he have all the answers? No. But unlike Romney and his cohorts, Obama is at least trying to figure programs that help the ‘poor, lazy, slobs’ making less than $250K a year, so I’m giving President O my vote and a big gold star.” I hope Steph gives the Park Slope Reader a gold star. She is a really good writer and dresses cool.

Marcus, a 26-year-old Asian-American male (he asked to be indentified as such) who works in one of our important community centers, told me why he was voting for Obama. First of all, he blames Bush for his prior period of unemployment and credits Obama’s legislation for obtaining this new, current job. Marcus was required to attend career readiness workshops while he was unemployed, and he says if it weren’t for that, he never would have gotten the boost he needed. And we would be deprived of his welcoming smile and attention to detail when we lose our membership cards … He also stated, “Bush got eight years to put us in this hole, why can’t we give Obama eight years to get us out?” Good point! Marcus also told me that his older, conservative Chinese parents registered and voted for the first time in 2008. “That says a lot,” he said.

Ellen, a retired school teacher and former real estate broker who currently leads tours at the Brooklyn Museum, said “Obama wants to improve the economy for everyone, to make sure everyone has healthcare, protect the environment, improve education, keep bank regulations in place, make sure the social safety net stays protected, and protect the rights of all people, including women and gays. Romney will take care of the rich, the corporations, the oil companies, the bankers, and let everyone else go to hell. A Romney presidency would deprive us of everything that is good about America.” Spoken like a true Brooklynite! Her colleague Jim, also a retiree and a 44-year resident of Park Slope, was the first one to talk about Obama on a personal, human level, which I found interesting and touching: “His sense of humor and the obvious sense of mutual love and respect he exhibits with his family [as well as] his calm and coolness in a crisis” are some of the reason Jim likes the guy and will give him his vote. Why, yes! These are indeed qualities the leader of this great nation should have, not something to be taken for granted. Jim made another good point: “His life story, which shows the power of the American Dream — the idea that anyone, no matter his or her origins, has the potential to succeed through hard work, determination and persistence.” Now, THAT’S a role model I want for my kids. By the way, people who seem soft spoken are NOT when it comes to politics or art.

Obama-Leigh — **Artist: Torie Leigh**
I don’t know if I’m going to vote in the upcoming election. If I do I’ll vote for Obama, but not because I think he’ll protect my rights, or the rights of others, but because he’s the lesser of two evils. Politics leave me feeling stuck between a rock and hard place because the conspiracy theories make more sense to me that what I see in mainstream media.

I do need to mention the few residents I encountered who did not feel the lOve (capital O intentional). Three people, who shall remain anonymous, are “sitting this one out”. They are a bit disillusioned with the whole democracy thing. When pressed for a reason, one Park Sloper, wrote this to me: “If people would stop to see how the candidates are both bought out by the same corporate sponsors and how misled they are by a highly unethical media, they might actually make demands on our government that are unseen in today’s system. People are co-opting into thinking that they are creating change when they go flip a lever every four years, and that’s just the way our government wants it.” He is an active member of Occupy Wall Street and is, himself, being a part of the change he wants to see by protesting and writing about these issues. I admire a man who stands by his principles and actually acts upon them.

So IT IS true! Yes, Virginia, there are NO Republicans in our neighborhood! Well there’s one, but she was raised in New Orleans and is re-registering as “Independent and will probably be voting for Obama.” But we are Park Slopers, after all, and are tolerant of other people’s beliefs, even if they are not our own. All kidding and digression aside, I did talk to a lot more people and they are ALL going to vote for Obama. I wonder if the owner of the Windsor Terrace Subaru has that bumper sticker because they lost a bet, or alternatively, if that’s what they truly believe, then maybe they really are the one percent and should support their neighbors’ businesses, nonprofits and cultural institutions.

Sh*t Park Slope Parents Say

March 23, 2012 By admin Filed Under: Community

It all started with Susan Fox. Fox, who manages the website ParkSlopeParents.com, had been following the slew of Sh*t videos (her favorite being Sh*t Guys Don’t Say) popping up on the Internet and wondered what those Park Slope parents would say if they had a video of their own. You know, those parents who offer responses like, “Sorry, can’t, have my child care shift at the Coop” or “Meet you at Mommy and Me yoga class.”

So she posted the Sh*t New Yorkers Say video to her list serve – which goes out to approximately 5,100 members and generates 50 e-mails on any given day and posed the question for fun. What came next ended up fueling the script for the Sh*t Park Slope Parents Say video written and produced by Katie Goodman and Soren Kisiel. The pair, who own and produce Broad Comedy, a five-woman sketch comedy troupe, also starred in the video with Goodman’s cousin Julie Kay.

“Susan saw Katie’s current show, “I Didn’t Fuck it Up,” at the Triad Theater, contacted us and said ‘hey would you like to make this? It seemed like great fun,’” Kisiel said, adding the pair just happened to have time to pull it off. “She handed over all those ideas and we wrote some of our own and off it went.”

According to Fox, she received more than 40 e-mails with suggestions just 24 hours after posting that e-mail on the list serve. She contacted Goodman, who Fox had first met online, then at a holiday party, culminating with seeing Goodman in action at her comedy show. By Feb. 3, Goodman had signed on and by Feb. 5, Kisiel and Goodman sent a script to Fox for her reaction. The video was shot on Feb. 7 by James Schlittenhart and as of Feb. 9, the now infamous Sh*t Park Slope Parents Say video, which is just under four minutes, was born.

“It is like the fastest thing we’ve ever done because most of our stuff is highly complex music videos which takes months,” Goodman said. Some of her well-known music videos through Broad Comedy include “Soccer Mom Ho” and “MILF,” which Fox had seen and loved – and ultimately prompted her to see Goodman’s one-woman show.
“Katie and Soren are so talented,” Fox said. “I would love to see her take off. She’s so good at physical comedy as you can see in the video.”

Goodman was excited to take on the project but made sure that many of the ideas came from Park Slope Parents since she and Kisiel just moved to Carroll Street in August. Though new to Park Slope and P.S. 321 where their 9-year-old son attends, the family had stayed in the area while performing a show last year. They currently split their time between Brooklyn and Bozeman, Montana.

In deciding upon content for the video, she and Kisiel opted out of rehashing material that was already done in the other Sh*t videos – such as the ‘oh, we don’t have a TV’ and ‘a big stress on organic food and bagels.’

“We tried to pick stuff we hadn’t seen and that was really specific to parents and Park Slope parents in particular,” Kisiel said. “We wanted to keep things as specific as possible to the community.”

The pair poked fun at everything from organic milk being on sale for $6.99 to parking the car, to taking a food processor a neighbor left outside to the slapstick bit of Goodman fumbling with a baby carriage up a hill in Prospect Park.

“What I like about the video is that it shows we can make fun of ourselves and not take ourselves so seriously,” Fox said. “The whole series with the car is really true, the stroller down the stairs with too much stuff, all of those things are what Park Slope parents live. It allowed us to make fun of ourselves and to laugh at our sometimes obsessiveness over things.”

The blue “boy’s” hat bit was a nod to the 2006 controversy that spun out on the list serve regarding someone finding the outerwear and describing it as “Found: boy’s hat.” What ensued was a heated discussion about gender politics and a write-up in New York Magazine and Gawker.

“People have been picking on those Park Slope parents for basically ever since that came out,” Fox said of the hat incident. “We are on year number six of being the bane of jokes about entitled parents.”

Still Fox said the video has generated a lot of positive responses – as of Feb. 19, the video received 72,000 hits on YouTube and for the most part, the responses have been positive.

“Around the neighborhood, on the street, we have been getting recognized quite a lot,” Kisiel said. “People actually come up with their own – ‘oh you left out the double-wide stroller,’ that kind of thing.”

But Kisiel said he was surprised at the interest of people outside of the neighborhood. The Gothamist wrote posts about discouraging the video from being made. “I was just making it for the people in the community,” he said.
And those within the community have enjoyed it. Even the blog F’d in Park Slope wrote they got it right in their Feb. 10 post on the video for mention of the “Nannygate Scandal,” or “Our nanny does my [Coop] shift,” even if earlier they were raging against the possibility.

Kerri Doherty, managing editor of the blog, said though these “Shit Everyone and Their Mom Say” videos are way beyond expiration date, she admits she can’t help but watch them and in this case, Kisiel and Goodman represented well.

“Sh*t Park Slope Parents Say was playful and funny for the most part, though they did mention a few things that weren’t parent-specific (bitching about parking and restaurants closing, or noticing that Boardwalk Empire was shooting nearby). I liked the almost subtle cameo of the infamous Pepto-Bismol brownstone. I myself don’t have kids but based on what I’ve seen in this neighborhood, I’d say their video was pretty spot on.”

The Observer also picked up on it and noted the short amount of time it took for Fox to get the video out and Curbed NY appreciated the boy’s hat mention and the pink house cameo.

“It’s funny, the people in the neighborhood like it because it’s fun and playful and people outside the neighborhood that have some bizarre interest in not liking this neighborhood also like the video,” Kisiel said. “So that’s been funny to see.”

For more information about Broad Comedy and Goodman’s one-woman show “I Didn’t Fuck It Up”, visit www.broadcomedy.com.

Veggies On Top

July 11, 2011 By admin Filed Under: Community

I like to think I have an open mind. So last Spring when The Edible Guy called to pitch veggie-centric gardens I didn’t blow him off completely.

“I have this gardening idea. Sorta a response to the urban farm culture .” He began.

“Great, I only have a couple minutes though,” I said. “It’s Spring after all.”

“People want to interact with their gardens more … have you noticed?” he asked. “That’s why this happened. They don’t just wanna stare at a pretty shrub from afar. It’s like their agrarian ancestors are coming back, or The Food Co-Op’s got to them, or something. They want a relationship.”

“Not enough to look beautifull?” I deadpan.

“Nah.” he said. “Not anymore. You know,” he went on, “everyone’s hunched over their computers for hours on end. Now everyone has a hankering to connect with the Earth. All that’s missing is access. That’s where we come in. So what if all they have is a little balcony, rooftop thing? Its not about how many string beans. Its about having the sustenance that is string beans at your beck and call. Along with the heirloom tomatoes, and zuchini of course.”

“Of course,” I said, trying hard to sound neutral even as I decline interest in preparing for his urban farm movement. “What will you grow exactly?” I ask, drifting back to the site plan I’d been working on.

“Something besides boxwood,” he blurted and hung up

I had all but forgotten our conversation when fate intervened. By now it was winter and Julia, a friend and potential client was on the line.

“Can you come over and look at our rooftop?”

So in December I went to her home and we started piecing together a plan for her Boerem Hill rooftop .

“I want vegetables.” she said firmly, as if to stop me before I got too far. “Lots of them. It’s really important to me that I feel connected to this. I don’t want a garden that we just look at, you know?”

Unfortunately, I did. Adding a few herbs is one thing, but a garden focused on edibles does not a low-maintenance, rooftop/balcony make. My brain was whirring, “If this happens we’ll end up with a high maintenance mess and she’ll blame me.” Further, the space was small. Once the patio chairs and table were out there wasn’t much room left. Julia and her husband were two of the most reasonable people I knew. Could it be that The Edible Guy was right? Was this “desire to connect” thing larger than reason? Surely once Julia understood the pitfalls she would scale back her plan.

A week later I came back again to help her line a planter box. As we cut plastic tarp I leaked my concerns bit by bit.

“The tomatoes need to be tied up every couple days…” I started.

“Uh-huh” She said.

“You will need to spray for bugs, fungus, that sort of thing regularly, and the zucchini vines are insane, they’ll grow everywhere. Okay?”

“Okay, Just tell us what to do,” she cheerfully replied.

“And you’ll have to water twice a day,” I tried again. Then, pulling out the stops. “Look Julia, if we plant too many veggies it’s gonna look wild and cluttered. Nothing will look framed, or anchored, there will be no color palette, no context – it will basically be a big mess .”

“That’s okay. It will be fine.” She smiled.

So it was. Veggie or bust.

A few days later I started my “research.” All over the blogoshpere were pictures of oddball Brooklyn veggie projects. Not only on roofs, but inside trucks, even boats! Encouraging, but not what I needed. Thinking I’d better get some real help , I visited Lis Thomas at Brooklyn Botanic Gardens. The resident veggie expert at BBG, Lis carefully explained the importance of choosing heirloom varieties instead of hybrids and helped me weigh the pros and cons of starting from seed.

Like me, Lis had previously grown rooftop veggies, and undoubtedly with a lot more success, so that was comforting. That I was asking her about this as if it were a novel idea wasn’t. It reminded me a lot of the The Green Roof phenom. Ten years ago everyone said Green Roofs were the next big thing. Eventually I succumbed to peer pressure on that one as well. Today only a handful exist around Brooklyn and to date I’ve only installed one. Cost is one problem but there is another: they’re unattractive.

Then I realized something. As much as the edible rooftop chatter had taken off, the installations themselves hadn’t much materialized. At least not beyond a few pots or the occasional planter box. Julia was the only one I knew trying something more ambitious.

Edibles aren’t unattractive but they have lots of unattractive habits. Further, using them en masse forces the basic tenets of design to take a back seat. When this happens, for example, a Japanese maples’s cascading elegance matters less than whether or not there’s room for beets in its container. Likewise, a Skyrocket Juniper’s stately appeal is a moot point unless a clump of thyme can go at its base.

Some of this was bound to happen. The nearly ubiquitous application of a small group of plants may be one reason people went looking for radical alternatives. Manhattan, for example, is the single largest consumer of a species of boxwood known as “Green Gem.” It’s a rather spindly dwarf cultivar and despite a host of more attractive substitutes its used for hedges everywhere.

In some ways the excitement over edibles is precisely because of their bad habits. It’s a backlash against the idea that gardens need be structured. The most spectacular images in nature are those accidental meetings between structure and chaos. One doesn’t exist without the other and neither idea should ever be struck down.

Joseph Schilling is the owner of Woodland Landscapes and a judge for the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens’ “Greenest Block in Brooklyn Contest”.

The Park Slope Eater

June 28, 2011 By admin Filed Under: Community

This summer is poised to be an exciting time for food lovers in Brooklyn, but does that really surprise you? Whether you want to eat, drink, or shop, here’s what the innovators of the industry are up to around the borough.

Dean Street is a Place to Call Home

Dean Street (755 Dean St) may have only opened in January, but if you spend just a few minutes at this restaurant and bar in Prospect Heights, you’ll feel like you’ve been going there for years. Maybe it’s the homey atmosphere created by the wooden tables, vases of flowers, and dark brown leather. Despite having completely renovated the building when co-owners John Longo and Rob Gelardi bought the place in the Fall of 2010, they have taken care to infuse the décor with nods to the building’s 120 year old history through exposed brick, Fleur de Lis wallpaper, and copper pipes. Even the smallest details have a retro vibe, from the jukebox in the corner to the reclaimed bowling lanes rescued from an old alley in Brooklyn that are now used as the counters for the café and prep stations.

Or, maybe it’s the community that makes you feel right at home. Longo and Gelardi grew up together in Long Island and now, after having worked their way through the restaurant business as waiters, bartenders, and bar owners, decided to open up a restaurant of their own. They are committed to supporting the local food scene, and have filled their space with professionals that have been working in the industry for years. Chef Mike Franzetti brought his French-Italian taste to the pub-fare of Dean Street from Stuzzechiera in TriBeCa, and has worked at Chestnut, Lupa, Washington Park, and Palladin before that. Their in-house baker, Ann, has worked around Brooklyn and now creates breads, scones, and muffins for the café. On tap at the bar is all local beer, including three types from Kelso, brewed a block away. Their organic ingredients are sourced from no farther than Pennsylvania, including their meat which is free from hormones and antibiotics.

The building has been a beloved neighborhood hang-out through its past three reincarnations as a restaurant since 1990, and its latest iteration as Dean Street stays true to the role this corner has played for decades. Open nearly twenty-four hours a day, it attracts a low-key crowd of locals seeking out its reasonably priced food without sacrificing quality. The day starts at the café at 7am, where patrons can enjoy Stumptown coffee, baked goods, and standard lunch items like salads and burgers starting at noon. Happy hour starts daily at 4pm and lasts until 8pm, where drafts and well drinks are only $4. Dinner begins to be served at 6pm, where you can choose from hearty entrees between $12 and $20 like chicken with mushroom gravy, trout with collard greens and cranberry beans, or beer braised short ribs with polenta. Or, enjoy classic bar snacks with a twist like corn dog poppers, crab cakes with lemon aioli, and fried cauliflower. An especially nice touch is that happy hour starts again at midnight and lasts until 2am with the same deals as the traditional time. Stay until 4am and then head home for a quick nap before starting over again, because that’s about the only thing Dean Street doesn’t offer.

Because Regular Old Booths Are Just So “Manhattan”

Brooklyn is already home to the Brooklyn Flea, Grand Army Plaza Farmers’ Market, and hundreds of independent food entrepreneurs, but what if you wanted to have access to all of these things in one place? While you’re at it, could you throw in an extra dose of creativity and transform an eyesore into an innovative micro-city? These may sound like lofty requests, but the answers to both of these questions lie within UrbanSpace’s latest project, Dekalb Market, coming to downtown Brooklyn at the end of the summer.

Inspired by their previous ventures of Container City, Old Spitalfields Market, and Camden Lock in London, where the organization turned downtrodden areas of the city into bustling marketplaces, UrbanSpace saw potential in the supply of unused shipping containers throughout the city and the space of the former parking structure of the old Ablee Square mall at Flatbush and Dekalb. They have been recruiting favored shops and vendors from around the borough, like SourPuss Pickles, Robicelli’s cupcakes, Dalaga, and 3rd Ward, to set up shop in a container of their own to create a main thoroughfare of retailers as the anchor of the market. Surrounding them will be small-scale restaurants serving takeaway meals, a performance space, and even an incubator farm that will supply the food vendors with ingredients. The entire operation will strive to be as sustainable as possible, using efforts like rainwater collection and green electricity.

Along with being another place to shop and eat, Dekalb Market wants to set itself apart by becoming an educational community center. Not only will the auditorium serve as a venue for local bands, organizations, and events, but they are asking all of their participants to try and create an educational component to their booth. The farm will be at the forefront of this by teaching guests about urban agriculture, providing cooking demos, and hosting various activities for kids. 3rd Ward’s plot will be an interesting experiment on how to bring together design, technology, and farming in new ways. Joe’s Coffee is also getting in on the fun by giving barista classes.

The community was even sourced for the creation of the market. In the Spring, UrbanSpace held a contest to design a container that could be featured in the space. The entries were narrowed down to five finalists by a panel of specialists, including representatives from Etsy, BAM, Cool Hunting, and Good.is, and were then voted on by the public. The winner would receive a container license rent-free for six months, a $3,000 construction budget, a one-year membership to 3rd Ward and the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce, and free consultation and building materials. After a tight race, the winner ended up being BBox Radio, an independent broadcasting station that would celebrate the creative, entrepreneurial nature of the market and its neighborhood.

All of the efforts of Dekalb Market will be building on their core values of entrepreneurship, quality, community, and sustainability. Brooklyn is already pulsing with these qualities, and this will be an opportunity for its people to learn even more from one another and experience what the city has to offer. The market will essentially represent the rapidly growing desire to do-it-yourself and get back to the land, but its leaders discourage looking back to the previous movement of the sixties and seventies, of which this current push is so reminiscent. Instead, they want to focus on the modernity of this time around, and how the resources and cohesiveness available today are setting us up now for success and a hopeful future. Keep track of the exciting developments at dekalbmarket.com.

When Vanilla Won’t Cut It

“I eat ice cream for breakfast, lunch, and dinner,” says Sutheera Denprapa while sitting in her weeks-old ice cream shop and restaurant, Sky Ice, in Park Slope. A few years ago, she turned her love of ice cream into a hobby by making creative new flavors with an old-fashioned machine in her Queens apartment. After taking six months to perfect the recipe, she thought she stumbled onto a hit with her Thai Iced Tea flavor, so she started selling it to restaurants around the neighborhood. When one of her friends raved to her about this great new ice cream she tried, unaware that she was speaking to the creator herself, Denprapa decided it was time to expand. Having worked in Cobble Hill, she was familiar with Park Slope and figured its open-mindedness and kid-friendly vibe would be a good home for her creative pursuits in desserts.

Sky Ice has many things to offer, but it’s best to start with the ice cream. The shop serves sixteen flavors at a time, with about six rotating daily as Denprapa comes up with new ideas. There are always sorbets and vegan options, and everything is made in the tiny kitchen with all organic ingredients, no corn syrup, and no artificial flavoring. The result is smooth and creamy, but very light. For the less adventurous, there are some excellent stand-bys like salted caramel, mango, and coconut pineapple, but what makes this particular ice cream store special is its more exotic flavors, particularly the ones that are inspired by Denprapa’s Thai upbringing. Tropical fruits like lychees, papaya, or even durian –the notoriously stinky spiky thing you can sometimes find on Canal Street- make for a lovely treat, for example. Or, if you’re feeling really brave, why not try some of the savory options? Basil is particularly refreshing, and black sesame seaweed or even mixed vegetable are both surprisingly tasty.

Denprapa’s playfulness with her flavors extends to the rest of the dessert menu, where she offers a number of different variations of ice cream treats beyond the boundaries of a cup or cone. The sushi plate may look like lunch, but it’s created entirely out of sweet ingredients. The “seaweed” is rice paper roll surrounding sweet coconut sticky rice with a center of kiwi, strawberry, and lychee ice cream. A scoop of black sesame ice cream takes the place of wasabi, while a dollop of green tea chocolate sauce is made to look like soy sauce. There’s also the snowman with two scoops of ice cream, coconut flake snow, a face made up of almond slices and chocolate chips, and fruit leather for a scarf. Or, there’s the fish soup, with a scoop of ice cream floating in apple juice with gummy fish swimming around it.

It’s easy to get distracted by the inventiveness of Sky Ice’s dessert, but their dinner menu shouldn’t be ignored. They use rare, imported ingredients and traditional techniques to create healthy twists on Thai favorites. Their non-fry fried rice is all steamed with no oil, and gets its flavor instead from fresh water chestnuts, pineapple, raisins, and peas. They also have a non-fried version of curry puffs, and offer a green curry with rice noodles dish. If you feel inspired to try Thai cooking at home, you can find a small selection of groceries with hard to find ingredients like curry paste, fish sauce, and seaweed.

Check out what today’s flavors are on Facebook (facebook.com/SKYIcenyc), and then stop in the cozy shop on Fifth Avenue and St. Marks Place. Th e funky vintage décor makes a perfect spot to relax for an afternoon during these hot summer days.