Avian expert extraordinaire Heather Wolf has two upcoming events. This Wednesday, February 28, as part of her continuing “Warbler Wednesday” series at Estuary at ONE 15 Brooklyn Marina, 159 Bridge Park Drive (foot of Joralemon Street), from 7:00 to 9:00 PM, with a talk by data artist and bird enthusiast Jer Thorp. There is no cover charge.

On Saturday morning, March 2 from 9:00 to 10:30 Ms. Wolf will lead one of her always productive bird walks through Brooklyn Bridge Park. Gather in front of Bargemusic, on Pier 1 near the foot of Old Fulton Street. It’s free, but to manage size tickets are required. Get yours here.

Almost thirteen years ago our founder, John “Homer Fink” Loscalzo, reported about a proposal to build a large plus-sign shaped floating swimming pool that would sit in the East River off of Brooklyn Bridge Park. The pool would use East River water filtered to remove bacteria and other pollutants. This idea seemed to have died. Now, according to AFAR Magazine, it has received support from Governor Kathy Hochul and Mayor Eric Adams, and $16 million has been allocated “to build the pool, a smaller version of which will be constructed and tested this summer, in preparation for opening the full pool to the public in the summer of 2025.”

Image: + Pool.

Heather Wolf, author of Find More Birds and Birding at the Bridge, will lead a bird tour in Brooklyn Bridge Park this Sunday morning, January 14. There are many species wintering in the Park. Ms. Wolf has recently seen these: Cooper’s Hawk, Gadwall, American Woodcock, American Kestrel, White-throated Sparrow, and Great Blue Heron. The tour begins at 9:00 AM; meet by Bargemusic near the Fulton Street entrance to Pier One. It’s free, but you must register here.

On Wednesday evening, January 17, Heather will be at Estuary at ONE 15 Brooklyn Marina, 159 Bridge Park Drive (foot of Joralemon Street) for a “Warbler Wednesday Happy Hour” from 7:00 to 9:00. Members of the Repast Baroque Ensemble will be there to perform a sample of what will be in their “Bird Fancier’s Delight” concerts, in Brooklyn Heights on Saturday, January 20 and in Manhattan on Sunday, January 21. More about the conceerts here on BHB later. Admission to the Happy Hour is free, but you must get a ticket here.

Mary Frost’s Eagle story contains what she calls some “chilling” information about the City Department of Transportation’s and Mayor Adams’s plans for the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway beyond the urgent repair work now underway. The bad news for Brooklyn Heights is that these plans would include demolition of the Brooklyn Heights Promenade (although it would eventually be replaced by “something bigger and better”) and temporary removal of the bridge that carries Columbia Heights over the BQE, along with the Harry Chapin Playground and part of Squibb Park. This would eliminate direct access by foot, bicycle or auto, from the Heights to the Fulton Ferry District, DUMBO, and the northern parts of Brooklyn Bridge Park, including the new skating rink and Jane’s Carousel. It would also deny Heights dog owners any practicable access to the Hillside Dog Park. The purpose of this is to create clearances that would accommodate larger trucks (although ones that would supposedly comply with the now enforceable weight limits, presuming those limits, which could protect a rebuilt BQE from future damage, would remain in effect).

The good news is that we have allies. Communities all along the BQE to our north and south, as Ms. Frost reports, have a common interest in avoiding the increased air pollution and noise from an expanded BQE. We also have allies in the Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy, Borough Hall, the City Council, and the State Senate and Assembly. The national Public Interest Research Group has, responding to a nomination by the Brooklyn Heights Association, included the proposed expansion of the BQE among its “Highway Boondoggles of 2023.” A newly formed group, the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway Environmental Justice Coalition, has sent an open letter to Governor Kathy Hochul with this request:

We urge your office and agencies to work together to (1) release any recently submitted grant applications for federal funding, and (2) create a comprehensive community-led plan centered on racial justce and equity that addresses the environmental and health impacts of air pollution, reconnects our communities, and meets our climate targets.

Heather Wolf, author of Birding at the Bridge and Find More Birds, who has seen over 150 species of birds in Brooklyn Bridge Park.will lead a tour of fall migration birds in the Park this Sunday, November 19, starting at 9:00 am. Meet in front of Lizzmonade, near the foot of Old Fulton Street. The tour is free, but the size of the group is limited, so you should reserve tickets here.

This Saturday, October 21, from 11:00 AM until 4:00 PM, the Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy will present its annual Harvest Festival on Pier Six, near the foot of Atlantic Avenue. The festival will feature music, dance events for all to join, arts and crafts, storytimes, a pumpkin patch, face painting, and more. Admission is free. There’s a schedule of activities and map here.

Photos: top two and bottom left, John Eng; bottom right, Alexa Hoyer.

Gothamist reports that former DOT Commissioner Hank Gutman, who served under Mayor Bill de Blasio, opposes the three alternative long term Brooklyn Queens Expressway plans proposed by Mayor Eric Adams’s administration. All of these plans would keep the “Central” portion of the BQE following its present route around and below Brooklyn Heights. Mr. Gutman notes that federal regulations would require the traffic lanes on a rebuilt BQE to be wider than they are now, so that even a continuation of the present two lane configuration would result in a wider highway. Should the DOT revert to a three lane configuration, the highway would be “dramatically wider.” He suggested that repairing the existing cantilevered roadway instead of replacing or rebuilding it, which would require conformity with federal lane width requirements, might be the best plan. He noted that rebuilding schemes required the creation of a temporary highway to serve traffic during the rebuilding. DOT’s initial plan to put such a highway on the location of the Brooklyn Heights Promenade was withdrawn after intense community opposition. DOT’s present plans would put the temporary highway over part of Brooklyn Bridge Park.

The 23rd season of Movies With a View kicks off at Brooklyn Bridge Park on Thursday, July 6th.  This year’s lineup is around the theme “We Are Family” and offers a wide variety of films that will “turn on your heart light” or alternatively get your heart pumping. Doors are at 6:00 pm. Movies begin at sunset. Gather on the Pier 1 Harbor View Lawn with your friends, and family, have a picnic, and ENJOY!

• July 6: E.T. Extra-Terrestrial (PG)
• July 13: Smoke Signals (PG-13)
• July 20: Top Gun (PG)
• July 27: Psycho (R)
• August 3: GoodFellas (R)
• August 10: Despicable Me (PG)
• August 17: Everything Everywhere All At Once (R)
• August 24: Public Choice with the following options: 90’s favorite The Addams Family (PG-13), Greta Gerwig’s Little Women (PG), or 1996’s Romeo + Juliet (PG-13). Voting will open online in early August on the event page

Outside food and drink are allowed but NOT outside alcohol.  This year Movies with a View has partnered with the Time Out Market to offer selections of food, wines, and beers available for purchase. Be sure to check the event website for more information.

From Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy:

The beloved outdoor summer film series, Movies With A View, presented by the Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy, is back for its 23rd season, across eight consecutive Thursday evenings in July and August at Pier 1 Harbor View Lawn in Brooklyn Bridge Park.

This year the theme of “We Are Family” brings together a wide range of films celebrating family and relationships in all of their diverse forms. From dynamic work buddies engaged in friendly competition to a heartwarming tale of a newfound friend with a penchant for Reese’s Pieces, to thrilling stories of criminal enterprises and a mother’s epic journey through the multiverse to save her daughter, there are movies for all to enjoy. Guests are invited to immerse themselves in the enchanting world of cinema under the starry sky at Brooklyn Bridge Park for free. Each evening, the lawn opens at 6:00 PM on a first come, first serve basis, and the movie begins at sunset. Ahead of the film, guests can enjoy a special guest DJ courtesy of Brooklyn Radio, film shorts curated by BAM Film, and of course a gorgeous sunset overlooking the river!

The 2023 Movies With A View line-up presents:

July 6: E.T. Extra Terrestrial a 1982 sci-fi/family/adventure favorite, rated PG (profanity and some depictions of violence). The story follows a young boy named Elliott, who befriends an extraterrestrial creature stranded on Earth known simply as E.T.. Elliott helps him navigate the new, unfamiliar world of Earth and search for a way home, all while keeping his existence a secret. Directed by Steven Spielberg, the film cast includes Dee Wallace, Henry Thomas, Peter Coyote, Robert MacNaughton, and Drew Barrymore. Pre-show music by DJ Edica+. BAM Film short: Nighty Night by Matt Porter.

July 13: Smoke Signals a 1998 coming-of-age drama and indigenous themed film, rated PG-13 (violence). It tells the story of two young Coeur d’Alene Native American men, Thomas Builds-the-Fire and Victor Joseph, who embark on a journey from their reservation in Idaho to collect the ashes of Victor’s estranged father, Arnold Joseph. The film explores themes of identity, family, and forgiveness, as they travel together and confront their shared past and the complex relationship each had with Arnold. It won the 1998 Filmmakers Trophy, Audience Award, and Grand Jury Prize at Sundance Film Festival, 1998 Best Artistic Contribution Award and Tokyo Grand Prix at Tokyo International Film Festival, and 2018 National Film Registry by National Film Preservation Board, among other awards and nominations. Directed by Chris Eyre, the cast includes Adam Beach, Evan Adams, Irene Bedard, and Gary Farmer. Pre-show music by DJ Ayanna Heaven. BAM Film short: Bisonhead by Elizabeth Lo.

July 20: Top Gun the 1986 military action classic, rated PG (action sequences, language and some sexual content). Tom Cruise stars as Pete “Maverick” Mitchell, a talented United States Navy fighter pilot who is selected to attend the prestigious Top Gun Naval Flying School. Maverick, along with his co-pilot Goose, navigates the intense and competitive world of aerial combat training. Not just a thrilling action film, Top Gun is also a story of personal growth and self-discovery. Directed by Tony Scott, the cast includes Tom Cruise, Kelly McGillis and Val Kilmer as Maverick’s rival, “Iceman”. Pre-show music by DJ LionDub. BAM Film short: Land We Love by Douglas Bernardt and Filipe Zapelini.

July 27: Psycho the classic 1960’s black-and-white psychological horror/thriller flick, rated R (violence). It is regarded as a groundbreaking film that revolutionized the horror genre, introducing elements of psychological terror and subverting audience expectations. The film begins following on-the-run embezzler, Marion Crane, who has stolen a large sum of money. On the run, she checks into the isolated Bates Motel, managed by the strange and peculiar Norman Bates. Marion soon discovers she’s gotten herself into more than she bargained with in this simple twist of horrifying fate. Directed by the Master of Suspense himself, Alfred Hitchcock, the cast includes Anthony Perkins, Janet Leigh, Vera Miles, and John Gavin. Music by DJ: Carter Van Pelt. BAM Film short: Staycation by Zach Fleming.

August 3: GoodFellas the popular 1990 crime/drama film, rated R (adult material, sexual material, violence, language, use of drugs). Directed by Martin Scorsese, and based on the true story of former mobster, Henry Hill. The movie follows Henry’s life as he gets involved in organized crime and rises through the ranks of the Italian-American Mafia in NYC. Told across several decades, this audience favorite starsRobert De Niro, Ray Liotta, and Joe Pesci in his Oscar-winning performance as the manic Tommy DeVito.  Pre-show music by DJ 100dbs. BAM Film short: Enough by Anna Mantzaris

August 10: Despicable Me a family-friendly animated comedy favorite, rated PG (rude humor and mild action). The movie follows longtime supervillain Gru as he formulates a plan to steal the Moon. He adopts three orphan girls to use as pawns in his plan, but finds his commitments change with his new family in tow. Directed by Pierre Coffin and Chris Renaud with voicework by Steve Carell as the infamous Gru, as well as Jason Segel, Russell Brand, Julie Andrews, Will Arnett, Kristen Wiig, Miranda Cosgrove, and Dana Gaier. Pre-show music by DJ Baby K. BAM Film short: Lost & Found by Andrew Goldsmith & Bradley Slabe.

August 17: Everything Everywhere All At Once the 2022 critically acclaimed multi-genre film spanning fantasy, family, action, and comedy, rated R (violence, sexual material and language). Winner of seven Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Film Editing, not to mention two Golden Globe Awards, five Critics’ Choice Awards (including Best Picture), a BAFTA Award, and a record four SAG Awards (including Best Ensemble). The film follows Evelyn Quan Wang, a middle-aged Chinese American immigrant who while being audited by the IRS, discovers that she must connect with parallel universe versions of herself to prevent a powerful being from destroying the multiverse. Directed by Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, the cast features Best Actress Michelle Yeoh, Stephanie Hsu, and Ke Huy Quan. Pre-show music by DJ MissHap. BAM Film short: The Feeling of Being Close to You by Ash Goh Hua.

August 24: will be a Public Choice with the following options:  90’s favorite The Addams Family (1991, comedy/fantasy, PG-13), Greta Gerwig’s Little Women (2019, romance/drama, PG), or Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo + Juliet (1996, family/drama/romance, PG-13). Voting will open in early August. Pre-show music by DJ Devon James. BAM Film short: A Subway Story by Eugene Kolb.

Guests are encouraged to bring their own picnic blankets and kindly reminded that chairs and dogs are not permitted on the lawn, and glass bottles and outside alcohol are never allowed in the Park. Complimentary bike parking is offered by Transportation Alternatives at the Pier 1 Turnaround lot off Furman Street.

Since its launch in 2000, Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy’s Movies With A View series has entertained over 650,000 moviegoers, making it one of the most popular programs the Conservancy offers, and one of NYC’s favorite outdoor film series. Movie-goers can show their support by providing a tax-deductible gift to the Conservancy, supporting over 400 arts and culture, education, and recreation programs run by the Conservancy in Brooklyn Bridge Park for thousands of New Yorkers to enjoy each year.

Photo by John Eng, courtesy Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy.

In Douglas Adams’s Hitchhiker sci-fi trilogy he imagined something called an “SEP field.” A spaceship surrounded by such a field became invisible because it was “Someone Else’s Problem.” The Brooklyn-Queens Expressway, it seems, isn’t covered by a single SEP field, but by a multiplicity of them, depending on the point of view. For those of us living near the triple cantilevered portion it is an environmental problem consisting of air pollution, noise, and vibration. For those living elsewhere who rely on the BQE to commute by car, and for businesses that rely on it for delivery or shipment of goods, it is a problem of maintaing and possibly improving traffic flow. To them our environmental concerns are SEP, as are their transportation concerns to us. The City’s Department of Transportation is required to take environmental matters into consideration, but its principal concern, like that of the drivers and business owners, is traffic flow. Those living north and south of the cantilevered portion would like to see the impact of the BQE on their neighborhoods minimized, perhaps by covering the trenched parts or by burying the elevated ones. A complicating factor is that those parts of the BQE are under state control, while the “central” part from Atlantic Avenue to Sands Street is under city control. This means that different sets of elected and administrative officials, who may have different concerns, must be involved in reaching any comprehensive solution.

A particular matter of concern for Brooklyn Heights, Fulton Ferry Historic District, and DUMBO residents and businesses is the Department of Transportation’s plan, described in Mary Frost’s Eagle story, to take down the “bridge” that carries Columbia Heights over the BQE in order to raise it a few inches to accommodate larger trucks. This would also entail destroying the Harry Chapin Playground, which DOT says will be replaced with an improved version. For the duration of the demolition and re-construction it would block direct access between the Heights on one side and on the other the Fulton Ferry Historic District and DUMBO, as well as the northern parts of Brooklyn Bridge Park, including Jane’s Carousel. It would also block access between PS 8 and the Park, and deny use of the Hillside Dog Park to Heights residents and their pets. All this is not to mention the extreme discomfort the demolition and reconstruction process will cause residents of the North Heights. Former DOT Commissioner Hank Gutman is quoted by Ms. Frost as describing this plan as his “favorite proposal for sheer chutzpah.”

This Saturday, May 13, from 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM, weather permitting, there will be a Kite Festival at Pier 5, the soccer field pier near the foot of Joralemon Street, in Brooklyn Bridge Park. If you don’t have a kite, there will be kites for sale. You can also learn how to make your own kite, in the Caribbean style. There will be lots of other activities and entertainment for children and adults. Food trucks will be there. Admission is free. There’s more information here.

Photo: C. Scales for BHB.

Would you like to spend a spring Saturday morning on a walk through Brooklyn Bridge Park viewing bird life, guided by Heather Wolf, author of Birding at the Bridge? During the past week Ms. Wolf has spotted many species of birds in the Park, including the Downy Woodpecker (photo above by your correspondent on a walk with Ms. Wolf several years ago), Golden-crowned Kinglet, Eastern Phoebe, White-throated Sparrow, Red-winged Blackbird, Common Grackle, and Red-tailed Hawk. The walk will begin at 9:00 AM Saturday morning, April 1. The group will meet in front of Lizzmonade on Pier One, near the Fulton Ferry entrance to the Park. It’s free, but to limit attendance to a manageable size tickets are required. Tickets will become available on line at 10:00 AM Tuesday, March 28. Click here for tickets.

What could be better than to get up early this Saturday morning, which promises to be chilly but sunny, and meet Heather Wolf, author of Birding at the Bridge, in front of Lizzmonade near the Old Fulton Street entrance to Brooklyn Bridge Park at 9:00 AM for what promises to be an enjoyable walk through the Park, spotting some of the many varieties of birds to be found there in winter? You will also be helping to gather scientific data. Your correspondent joined Ms. Wolf on a winter bird walk in 2017 and found it quite enjoyable. There’s no fee, but if you want to participate you must make a reservation.

This Saturday, October 22, the Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy will present its annual Harvest Festival on Pier 6, near the foot of Atlantic Avenue, starting at 11:00 AM.

Enjoy free live music performances by Stoop Kidz Brass Band and Brooklyn Contra, story time by Brooklyn Public Library as well as Drag Queen Story Hour, lawn games by Dodge YMCA, a Conservancy Education Center touch tank with critters from the East River, and a wide variety of family-friendly partner activities at booths throughout the Pier.

There’s more information, a schedule, and a map here.

Photo by Alexa Hoyer

Yes, indeed! We have the Brooklyn Book Festival, with Children’s Day on Saturday, October 1 and Festival Day on Sunday, October 2. Also on Sunday we have the Atlantic Antic. For dance enthusiasts, and for those who would like to learn more about dance, and perhaps try some steps, the Mark Morris Dance Group will be at the Harbor View Lawn on Pier One, Brooklyn Bridge Park on Saturday afternoon from 2:00 to 5:00. Starting at 2:00 and at 4:00 the group will perform dances, including excerpts from “Dancing Honeymoon” (photo). Between 3:00 and 4:00 members or the MMDG will conduct an “adaptive dance workshop.” The workshop

is open to everyone and does not require any previous dance experience. It will include a teaching artist demonstrating from a seated position to welcome all levels of mobility to experience this class. The lawn is ADA accessible via the promenade around the pier.

This event is free, and no advance registration is required.

Brooklyn Bridge Park’s summer Movies with a View series ends Thursday, August 25. You are invited to vote on what will be the last movie shown in the series. The choices are: (a) Back to the Future (PG); Mamma Mia (PG-13); and Mission impossible (PG). You may vote here; voting closes at 5:00 PM this Wednesday, August 17. This Thursday’s (August 18) movie is The Mitchells vs. the Machines; the winner will be announced at that showing.

This coming Tuesday evening, August 2, starting at 4:30 PM, the 84th Precinct Community Council will present “National Night Out” at Brooklyn Bridge Park Pier Five’s Picnic Peninsula featuring free:

BBQ, beverages, snacks, ice cream, Spanish ices, games, and more!
Performances by Kay Sublime and drill teams Gowanus Wildcats and Brooklyn Diamonds.
Free COVID testing kits and masks.

For the elderly and disabled, transportation will be provided. To reserve your transportation seat call 718- 875- 6850 as soon as possible.

From Brooklyn Bridge Park + AfroLatin Jazz Alliance:

St. Ann’s Warehouse presents a free concert, Fandango at the Wall, this Saturday at 7:00 p.m. at Pier 1. With the Statue of Liberty as its backdrop, 30 musicians from the U.S., Mexico and beyond will reunite to celebrate a lush blend of jazz big-band and the 300-year old Son Jarocho sound of Mexico. Fandango at the Wall has its roots in a cross-border Fandango, or jam session, that has been performed annually on both sides of the Tijuana/San Diego border wall since 2008.

Performers will include:

Arturo O’Farrill and the Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra

Conga Patria Son Jarocho Collective: Patricio Hidalgo, Ramon Guitierrez, Tacho Utrera, Wendy Cao Romero, Fernando Guadarrama, and Jorge Francisco Castillo

Mexican trio The Villalobos Brothers

Grammy-nominated American jazz violinist Regina Carter 

American cellist and composer Akua Dixon 

Iraqi-American oud virtuoso Rahim Alhaj 

Iranian-born tar and setar player Sahba Motalebbi 

July 9, 7:00 – 9:00 p.m., Pier 1, Harbor View Lawn, rain or shine. For more information and to register for free tickets, visit this link.

(Photo: Arturo O’Farrill and the Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra by Todd Van Hoosear via Creative Commons.)

It’s heartbreaking. Ever since Macy’s moved the fireworks barges up the East River, people still came in droves every year. Entire families with grandmas and tots, lugging beach chairs and coolers, setting up on the promenade as early as 2:00 p.m. Let’s hope they get the message in time this year. All reports are that the fireworks will not be visible from the Promenade or Brooklyn Bridge Park this year. Here is Macy’s (Macy’s’s?) handy graphic on where the barges will be set up and where to watch.

From Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy:

The Brooklyn Americana Music Festival’s Women’s Stage returns on June 25 and 26 at Pier 6 Liberty View Lawn!

Join Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy for the 8th Brooklyn Americana Music Festival on the weekend of  Saturday, June 25 and Sunday, June 26, for two days of free live music.

From Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy:

Movies With A View is officially back for a full season!

Thursdays, July 7–August 25, 6:00 PM,

Pier 1 Harbor View Lawn

Join Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy on 8 special Thursdays, July through August 2022! This season is back for its 22nd season with the theme “Away We Go.” Enjoy and join us for:

• July 7: Before Sunrise
• July 14: The Bourne Identity
• July 21: Crazy Rich Asians
• July 28: How Stella Got Her Groove Back
• August 4: Jurassic Park
• August 11: Thelma and Louise
• August 18: The Mitchells vs. the Machines
• August 25: Public Choice (Back to the Future, Mamma Mia!, Mission Impossible)

Lawn doors open at 6pm and the movie begins at sundown (around 8:30pm). Smorgasburg will provide tasty treats and drinks all evening along the Pier 1 promenade, now starting earlier at 5:00pm, featuring a selection of NYC’s favorite food vendors! Beer and wine concessions will be available for purchase for adults 21 and over.

For each night, the pre-movie lineup includes a DJ brought to you by Brooklyn Radio, and a short film by local filmmakers, selected by BAM Film. See specifics on each event page.

Free bike valet will be available thanks to Transportation Alternatives.

This event is part of the Festival of New York!

Full details and FAQ’s at this link.

Cadman Park Conservancy’s Second Annual Juneteenth Celebration

Sunday, June 19th, 12:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. at Cadman Park

The Cadman Park Conservancy will celebrate Juneteenth with “world renowned” DJ Tedsmooth, a free yoga class, children’s activities, performances, and more. Black-owned businesses, including Drip Coffee, NYC and Pixie Pods Kids, will be there to showcase their merchandise and services. You can also bid on this fantastic photograph of Tom Fruin’s Watertower by Hector Gonzalez (@nu_yo_rican) and other silent auction items.

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A post shared by Cadman Plaza Park (@cadmanplazapark)

Purchase a snazzy t-shirt to help fund the event here.

Juneteenth: Brooklyn and the Abolitionist Movement at BBP

Sunday, June 19th, 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. at Brooklyn Bridge Park, Pier 1.

“Juneteenth is a commemoration of the emancipation of enslaved African-Americans in the United States. Join the Urban Park Rangers on a walk discussing Brooklyn’s significant history to the abolitionist movement in the United States. Registration is required.” See full details here and register at this link.

Photoville, a free outdoor photo exhibit, will return to Brooklyn Bridge Park starting this Saturday, June 4, with an opening community celebration from 1:00 to 10:00 PM that will feature special exhibits and programs, an interactive photo booth, a styling workshop, and during the evening, music. Admission is free, and food will be available for sale by Smorgasburg. Photoville will be at locations throughout Brooklyn Bridge Park, and at other sites throughout the City, through June 26.

Also returning, presented in conjunction with the Festival of New York, beginning this Friday evening, June 3, from 5:00 to 8:00 and continuing on the first Fridays of July (the 1st) and August (the 5th), are Summer Fridays, events at the Greenway Terrace, Pier 3, presenting DJs, live music, poetry reading, and comedy, with different lineups each night, all curated and hosted by Madison McFerrin. These events are free, but RSVPs are strongly encouraged. There’s more information and you may RSVP here.

This coming Saturday afternoon, May 14 from 2:00 to 6:00 don’t be surprised if you hear some sounds that make you think you’ve wandered into a revival of The Music Man. Brooklyn Bridge Park will be having its second annual Brass Bands Festival. Performances will range from Pier Six to Pier Three, all just below, and audible from, the Heights. If you want to wander down to the Park to get closer to the action, it’s all free. There’s more information here.

The Friends of Jane’s Carousel promise that Jane’s Carousel Day will be “full of celebration and free rides for the community.”

This Friday, April 22 is Earth Day, and there are many activities at Brooklyn Bridge Park for adults and children to celebrate it. They include yoga and a “meditative nature walk” with Chelsea Piers Fitness, an “Earth Day Storytime” with Brooklyn Public Library, a book giveaway with Brooklyn Book Bodega, and many others. There’s a full schedule here.

Photo: Martha Foley

Because of a long standing conflict your correspondent was unable to attend Thursday evening’s Brooklyn Heights Association Annual Meeting. Fortunately, The Eagle’s Mary Frost was there to provide an excellent summary. As always for the past several years, the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway was a prominent topic. The Eagle story quotes BHA President Erika Belsey Worth:

The BHA has not wavered in our determination to pursue a more responsible and sustainable solution to the problem of the BQE … We continue to work with our neighbors in the ‘BQET,’ which is the Coalition for the BQE Transformation.

Ms. Belsey Worth also praised the addition of a bike lane to the Brooklyn Bridge, which has reduced the Manhattan bound auto lanes from three to two. The Eagle quotes her as saying this “benefits both bike riders and the crumbling cantilever underlying the Brooklyn Heights Promenade.” Presumably, the benefit to the Promenade results from drivers coming from the south and going to Manhattan deciding to pay the toll and take the Brooklyn-Battery — excuse me — the Hugh L. Carey Tunnel rather than face a horrendous traffic jam.

The BHA’s priorities, according to the Eagle story, include, among others, preserving the Promenade and its view plane, providing better access to Brooklyn Bridge Park from Atlantic Avenue, and new access to the Park directly from the Heights. This latter, we believe, is likely to mean, as discussed in an earlier Eagle story by Ms. Frost, a connection from the Promenade at the Montague Street entrance. This, to provide accessibility, would likely involve a bridge and an elevator tower.

Ms. Belsey Worth paid tribute to two Heights residents who were active in community affairs and whom we lost during the past year. Jack Kenny was alert to “quality of life” issues and strong in opposition to the proposal to build a temporary six lane BQE in place of the Promenade. Ben Crane rallied opposition to the plan to let developers put high rise buildings on the piers below the Heights, thereby blocking the view plane from the Promenade. The Eagle story quotes former BHA Executive Director Judy Stanton as saying Mr. Crane “gets as much credit for Brooklyn Bridge Park as can be poured on him.”

Traffic expert Sam Schwartz has been engaged to study Montague Street traffic patterns and to develop “designs for the four blocks from Court Street to Montague Terrace.” The objective, according to Ms. Belsey Worth as quoted in the Eagle story,

is to create a pedestrian-friendly zone that encourages people to linger and to shop so that our existing businesses will flourish and our new businesses will fill the remaining empty spots.

Ms. Belsey Worth also urged neighbors to patronize the shops in the Clark Street subway station arcade, “which are suffering a devastating loss of business during elevator construction.”

The meeting also featured community service awards, which we mentioned in our earlier post, along with discussion by two prominent journalists about the pressing issue of climate change. For more about these, see Ms. Frost’s Eagle story.

For a mere $25 you can stand on the roof and enjoy one cocktail on ice while admiring “incredible views of the Manhattan skyline and the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges.” Should you not have come with adequate winter clothing, “1 Hotels partnered with Moose Knuckles to provide luxury coats for visitors to borrow for their time outside.” If you want to go first class, get together with some friends and get a “VIP Table” – $200 or $50 per person – carved from ice, with ice sofas and stools. Along with your cocktail you’ll get “a caviar amuse-bouche, sustainably sourced from Pearl Street Caviar.”

Should this all sound a bit over the top sybaritic, know that

1 Hotels has also partnered with Oceanic Global, a non-profit aimed to protect the oceans. A percentage of proceeds from The Polar Lounge will benefit Oceanic Global’s educational programs and industry solutions.

Of course, if you want to skip the freezing rooftop, you can simply contribute to Oceanic Global directly.

The Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy will present its inaugural Holiday Fam Jam on Tuesday afternoon, November 30, from 3:00 to 5:00 at the Pier 3 (at left in photo) Plaza. “Party Like Brooklyn, Baby will be spinning your favorite tunes” so you and your family can “shake your post-turkey day tail feathers.” Admission is free, but attendance is limited because of COVID restrictions, so you must register in advance (click on the “30” button on the calendar); a limited number of walk up admissions may be available.

If you’ve been to the Brooklyn Heights Promenade or Brooklyn Bridge Park lately you’ve almost certainly noticed a very large – 240 feet long, in fact – yacht docked at the ONE°15 Brooklyn Marina, near the foot of Joralemon Street. The photo, taken by your correspondent from the Promenade, shows its mast towering to the Promenade’s height. The Eagle’s Mary Frost has the story.

If this vessel looks familiar, it’s because it is the Planet Nine, featured in Christopher Nolan’s action film Tenet. In the film, Planet Nine served as the floating lair of supervillain Andrei Sator (played by Kenneth Branagh).

A friend has advised us that Planet Nine is available for charters starting at $600K for a week. So far, it seems, no one has bit.