One of the many rewarding aspects of living in this neighborhood is that Center for Brooklyn History is at our doorstep.

This Friday through Sunday (April 19 – April 21), CBH is hosting University Open Air, which provides “immigrant teachers, professors, and academics, who were trained outside of the U.S., an opportunity to share their knowledge with the public by welcoming students to enjoy free classes.”

Here are some of the offerings:

Healing: Meditation on the Three-Syllable Mantra. A Simple Method of Healing Oneself and Others taught by Dr. Chok Tenzin Monlam from Tibet.

Makings Music From Our Surroundings taught by Matteo Liberatore from Abruzzo, Italy.

Unlocking Subconscious Potential: Empowering Emotional Wellness and Stress Management taught by Liuba Kostanda from Ukraine.

Chinese Tea Ceremony taught by Julia Adams from Beijing, China.

Sound Map of Salsa Music in New York taught by Marcelo Arroyave from Colombia.

Check out all of the courses and register at this link.

University Open Air is a Brooklyn Public Library program in conjunction with the Prospect Park Alliance.

The New York Police Department’s 84th Precinct, which covers Brooklyn Heights, will have a Community Council Meeting, to which all are invited, this coming Tuesday, April 16 starting at 6:45 PM at the 84th Precinct, 301 Gold Street. The “[a]genda items include a Cop Of The Month presentation, review of crime statistics to date, and Q&A.” Thanks to Brooklyn Community Board 2 for the tip.

Stop the Chop NY/NJ advises us that on Tuesday, April 16 starting at 10:00 AM the New York City Council will hold a hearing on proposed legislation that would ban unnecessary (tourist and charter) helicopter flights, including all such flights to or from the Downtown Heliport directly accross the East River from Brooklyn Heights, and the 34th Street (East Side) Heliport, which generates much traffic that passes above or near the Heights. There will be a 9:00 AM rally in City Hall Park before the hearing. You may testify in person at the hearing, participate by Zoom, or, if work or other commitments prevent it, submit written testimony. Full details on how to participate are on Stop the Chop’s website here.

Photo Credit: Stop the Chop NY NJ

Theater 2020, the award winning professional stage company under the joint artistic direction of Brooklyn Heights residents Judith Jarosz and David Fuller, will present Stephen Sondheim’s A Little Night Music (see cast photo, courtesy Theater 2020) for a short run from Thursday, April 18 through May 12 (16 performances only) at the Mark O’Donnell Theater, 160 Schermerhorn Street. From Theater 2020:

Inspired by the 1955 Ingmar Bergman film Smiles of a Summer Night, A Little Night Music is a celebration of love and second chances. This Multi TONY Award winning musical is a longtime favorite of Sondheim and all musical theater lovers everywhere. Featuring some of Sondheim’s most beloved melodies, the story follows the adventures of renowned actress Desirée Armfeldt, and the colorful characters in her life. Filled with much emotional churning, soul searching, and comedy, in the end, the plot twists unravel, true love reigns, and the summer night smiles. Best suited for ages 10 and up

There’s a full schedule and you may purchase tickets here.

The New York City Department of Transportation has announced that the Queens bound lanes of the Brookyn-Queens Expressway will be closed between Atlantic Avenue and Sands Street from early morning Saturday, April 13 to early morning Monday, April 15 to accommodate repair work. During that weekend expect much more traffic on our principal southbound thoroughfare, Hicks Street, and likely more on Clinton Street.

This coming Monday afternoon, April 8, Brooklyn will be under an almost total solar eclipse (see photo). The Brooklyn Heights Library will host an eclipse watch gathering for teens in the Juneteenth Grove of Cadman Plaza Park, at Cadman Plaza West and Tillary Street. Participants will be given free eclipse viewing glasses. The viewing event begins at 3:00 PM and ends at 4:00. Go early to get a paper plate on which to write your worries. After the eclipse, you can tear it up.

Photo: Brooklyn Public Library

The Brooklyn Heights Association has announced that Jeremy Lechtzin is the new President of its Board of Governors. His President’s Message is here. According to the BHA:

He is an architectural historian and technology lawyer. Jeremy focuses his history work on early Brooklyn, currently writing a data-driven analysis of every house built in Brooklyn Heights and creating a digital map of the lost streetscape of the Village of Brooklyn as it existed in 1816.

He was honored as one of the BHB Ten for 2021 “for his passion for and vast knowledge of Brooklyn’s architectural history.” He also had a guest post on BHB in 2011 opposing construction of a “too massive” townhouse at 27 Cranberry Street. The Landmarks Preservation Commission denied plans for its construction.

Photo courtesy of Jeremy Lechtzin

According to New York YIMBY developer Jonathan Landau has filed for permits to construct a 47 story mixed commercial and residential building at 205 Montague Street (see photo from Google Maps). While the building now there fronts on Montague, it extends along Cadman Plaza West to Pierrepont Street. It presently houses TD Bank’s branch. Word is that TD will move to another space on Montague. We suspect, and hope, that it will be the space at 183 Montague, formerly occupied by Citibank, which has a pre-built banking layout.

While we don’t have a rendering of what the new building, to be designed by Hill West Architects, will look like, Brownstoner did an illustration of a 700 foot tall building, the maximum allowed for the site. The proposed building is to be 672 feet tall.

One matter of historical note: the building that stood on the site of the present 205 Montague, and that had the address 215 Montague, held the headquarters of the Brooklyn Dodgers until they moved to L.A., and was where the Dodgers made history by signing Jackie Robinson, the first Black baseball player to be signed to a Major League contract. There’s a plaque on the present 205 Montague commemorating this. We presume the new owner will preserve it and put it on the new building.

The Brooklyn Heights Association’s annual Egg Hunt will be held this coming Saturday, March 30 at Pierrepont Playground (entrance near corner of Columbia Heights and Pierrepont Street) starting at 11:00 AM. There’s always a long line, so plan to arrive early. There will also be a bake sale. If you would like to participate in it, please sign up here.

Photo: The Seasonal Home.

So two guys walk into a bar—the Lapin Agile (“Nimble Rabbit”) in Paris circa 1904. If it sounds like the beginning of a joke, it is—or at least the latest play at the Heights Players. Picasso at the Lapin Agile, written by comedian Steve Martin, is up next at our beloved neighborhood theater. Come to Willow Place April 5-14th. Tickets are available here.  Come and meet Pablo Picasso, Albert Einstein and many more before they are anybody special and talk about art, science, inspiration, love and promise of what is to come! Will there be any women? Let’s find out.

Come and see a wacky, absurd comedy that explores possibilities—plus a visitor from the future who shakes things up in his blue suede shoes. I know I bought my tickets.  Buy yours here! See you soon at the Heights Players. Tickets are $20, $18 for seniors. Possibility: free.

As reported by the Eagle, this Wednesday evening, March 20, the “acclaimed storytelling nonprofit The Moth” will be at St. Ann & the Holy Trinity Church, corner of Clinton and Montague streets, for an event in which “[f]ive storytellers will take the stage to tell tales of finding real beauty in moments when our lives change forever — for better or for worse.”

Books Are Magic will be at the event, selling copies of The Moth’s newly published story collection, A Point of Beauty: True Stories of Holding On and Letting Go. Doors open at 6:30 Wednesday evening; storytelling begins at 7:30. There’s more information and buy tickets here.

From St. Ann & the Holy Trinity Church:

As we noted in our post about the BHA Annual Meeting, the Montague Diner, which will occupy the space at 148 Montague Street formerly home to the Happy Days Diner, is slated to open this coming Friday, March 15. Grub Street gives us a preview of the new interior (see photo by following the link; note, it’s only “free for a limited time”), which its owners, some show people and some restaurant pros, intend to have “the look and feel of Great Depression era coffee shops and restaurants.” The article also gives a glimpse of the projected menu. Breakfast will be diner staples like “pancakes and eggs”; the dinner menu will depart from typical dinerdom with offerings like “olives, roasted chicken, steak frites.” Initially the owners (perhaps carrying out the “Depression era” theme) didn’t think a TV would be appropriate, but they are reconsidering after the father of one of them insisted there had to be a TV so he could watch Giants games.

Updated with photo: Mary Kim for BHB

Despite steady rain last Saturday afternoon, an almost full house was present at the McKinney Chapel of the First Unitarian Congregational Society for the Repast Baroque Ensemble’s concert “Telemann, The Faithful Music Master”. The musicians who participated are, left to right in the photo: Gabe Shuford on harpsichord, guest artist Jeffrey Girton on violin, Sarah Stone on cello, and Natalie Kress on violin.

The concert consisted entirely of music by the German Baroque composer Georg Philipp Telemann (1681-1767), although it presented a variety of styles. These ranged from traditional Baroque through Polish dances, heroic marches, and “burlesque.” Each musician got at least one “star turn”: Ms. Kress in the Polish dances, in which she rhythmically slapped her violin with the bow, a technique called col legno; Mr. Girton in the Violin Sonata in A Major; Mr. Shuford in the “Ouverture burlesque” for solo harpsichord; and Ms. Stone in the Cello Sonata in D Major.

Repast will return to Brooklyn Heights on Wednesday evening, May 22, with “Shipwrecks and Sea Shanties.” More details here later.

Despite the protestors who prevented Senator Kirsten Gillibrand from speaking (see previous post) at the Brooklyn Heights Association’s Annual Meeting, much else was accomplished. As reported by Mary Frost in the Eagle, BHA president Koren Volk (photo), whose term ends soon, although she will remain on BHA’s board of directors, gave an account of BHA accomplishments over the past year, but focused her talk on the ongoing challenges and opportunites facing the neighborhood. She noted that the Federal Department of Transportation had rejected the NYC DOT’s request for funding to reconstruct the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway’s cantilevered section below Brooklyn Heights, and credited this to community opposition, including that of the BHA. She announced the launch of the BQE Environmental Justice Coalition, which will unite the Heights with other communities along the BQE to the north and south in concerns about the highway’s environmental impact. The launch event will take place at 11:00 AM on Wednesday, April 10, at the triangle at the intersection of 3rd Avenue and 16th Street.

Ms. Volk also spoke about the BHA’s “Public Realm” initiative, noting that a survey conducted by the BHA showed support for improved pedestrian access on Montague and other neighborhood streets. She said the BHA is committed to, as the Eagle story reports: “expanded sidewalks, more loading zones [to reduce double parking], traffic calming measures and ‘daylighting’ at intersections.” She credited City Council Member Lincoln Restler, who was present, along with the Cadman Park Conservancy, and the city Department of Parks for the replacement of the artificial turf in the park, and thanked dog owners for keeping their pets off the new turf. Ms. Volk also praised new businesses opening in the Heights, and announced that the Montague Diner, taking the former Happy Days Diner space and becoming a “bistro” during evening hours, will open on March 15.

There was a question and answer session during which, as the Eagle reports, it was asked “what’s happening with the Bossert Hotel (no one knows), and if a new homeless shelter is planned in the neighborhood (not that the BHA is aware of).” BHB stalwart Andrew Porter asked if more bishop’s crook lampposts would be installed in the North Heights. He was told that a contract was going out to bid, but it could be some time before any new lampposts are installed.

The meeting concluded with the Civic Service Awards, which were presented by Heights resident and former WNET-13 staff announcer Tom Stewart. One went to the Brooklyn Public Library in honor of its “Books Unbanned” program, which allows electronic access to books banned locally anywhere in the nation. It was accepted on behalf of BPL by Rachel Tiemann, librarian and branch manager of BPL’s Brooklyn Heights Branch. The other award went to The Service Collective, organized by two Heights moms, Sarah Robertson and Amanda Jones, who wanted ways for their kids to engage in community service. Through The Sevice Collective, kids are now, as the Eagle story notes, active in projects “from filling the community fridge, to gardening, shopping for homebound neighbors and creating ‘adopt an animal’ cards for local shelters.” Ms. Jones accepted the award. The Service Collective was also honored as one of the BHB Ten for 2023.

War in the Middle East made an unscheduled and unexpected incursion of the sanctuary of the First Unitarian Congregational Society, Brooklyn at the Brooklyn Heights Association’s Annual Meeting. What prompted this was that a speech by U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand was on the agenda. Before the meeting started a woman climbed up to the pulpit and began an impassioned speech decrying U.S. support for Israel and the horrors that war had inflicted on civilians in Gaza. In the photo, Lara Birnback, the BHA’s executive director, is standing behind her, imploring her to let the meeting proceed. Eventually, police officers escorted her from the pulpit, handcuffed her, and led her away.

The meeting proceeded through its agenda of local concerns, about which more in a later post, uninterrupted until Senator Gillibrand was introduced and began to talk. She managed a few sentences until another protestor (photo above) stood up from the audience and accused her of being complicit in atrocities in Gaza.

The Senator tried to respond, saying she supported a cease-fire and wanted to see a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but was repeatedly interrupted by protestors scattered throughout the audience. Some were answered by other audience members shouting, “Free the hostages!” Each protestor, after a minute or so, was escorted from the audience by police. None resisted, but all shouted “Free Palestine Now!” as they were being led out. Senator Gillibrand invited the protestors to dialogue with her after the meeting.

The Rev. Meagan Henry, First Unitarian’s Assistant Minister, Religious Education and Pastoral Care (photo above), took the lectern, said she was deeply saddened by the war in Gaza and sympathized with the protestors’ concerns, but hoped they would respond to the Senator’s invitation to dialogue.

Senator Gillibrand and Ms. Birnback went to a table and two chairs under the pulpit for a dialogue on matters of local concern. The Senator had just begun to speak about the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway issue when another protestor began shouting. It was then apparent that Senator Gillibrand would not be allowed to speak on any subject, so she had no choice other than to leave the meeting, which then turned to the more pleasant matter of civic awards, about which more later.

Photos: C.Scales for BHB

Christoph Niemann, who was a full time Brooklyn Heights resident for several years, but now, along with his family, divides his time between Berlin and the apartment he maintains here, will have a show of his recent works at Janet Borden Inc., 91 Water Street in DUMBO. The show will open this Thursday evening, February 29 from 6:00 to 8:00.

The photo above (C. Scales for BHB) is of Niemann’s whimsical cat’s cradle to Brooklyn Bridge, which charms the vestibule of the building where he has his Brooklyn Heights apartment. You may see some of his recent works on his Instagram page.

This Saturday, March 2, starting at 3:00 PM at the McKinney Chapel of the First Unitarian Congregational Society, 121 Pierrepont Street, the Repast Baroque Ensemble will present “Telemann: the faithful Music Master,” a concert of works by the early 18th century German composer Georg Philipp Telemann:

Master of all forms and national styles, Georg Philipp Telemann was one of the savviest and
most prolific composers of the Baroque. His cosmopolitan music was disseminated to his fans
through his serialized self-published Der getreue Music-Meister, which ran for 25 issues and
included pieces for nearly every common instrument of the time. With its solo sonatas, chamber works, and programmatic pieces (such as a suite depicting the recently published—and wildly
popular—Gulliver’s Travels), this innovative collection truly offers something for everyone.
Repast presents a kaleidoscopic array of works from this collection, including a grand Ouverture-
Suite, intimate sonatas and chamber music, and Heldenmusik, a musical portrayal of the heroic
temperaments.

The musicians for this concert will be Natalie Rose Kress on violin, Stephanie Corwin on bassoon, Gabe Shuford on harpsichord, and Sarah Abigael Stone on cello and viola da gamba. Tickets are available here, or may be purchased at the door.

There were several dramatic murders down on Willow Place just a couple of weeks ago, but at least this next one will be announced.

Don’t miss A Murder is Announced, the latest from the neighborhood’s enchanting community theater, the Heights Players. This is an Agatha Christie caper, so channel your best Miss Marple and mark your calendars for March 1-10—Fridays and Saturdays at 8 PM and Sundays at 2 PM plus an additional Saturday show at 2 PM. You can check out their website here for all the details and buy tickets.

The multiple murders in the most recent show– A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder–were delightful, as murders go, and all nine members of the D’Ysquith family were played by one actor, who was wacky and charming—not to mention acrobatic.

My husband kept whispering, “this is kind of like an early version of Saltburn.” (You can look it up—very trendy, dark comedy movie. And not for the little ones…trust me.) Except, of course, not really like it at all—except for the murders.

But anyhoo….by all means, head on down to 26 Willow Place in our fair hamlet and let’s see who is gonna die dramatically this week—and who done it.  I am sure the production will be a lively caper!

So gather your vicars and constables and widows and tweed and get on down the hill and check it out.

What’s Brooklyn Heights without a bit of drama?  See you there!

This Friday evening, March 1, the Brooklyn Art Song Society will present “February House”, a collection of songs by artists who lived at or were associated with the house at 7 Middagh Street, later demolished to make way for the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway, which got its name from the fact that several of its inhabitants had February birthdays. The house was owned by George Davis, a literary editor, who resolved to have as many interesting people living there as possible. The result is described in Sherill Tippins’ book February House. Among those who lived there during the early 1940s were the poet W.H. Auden, the composer Benjamin Britten, the novelist Carson McCullers, and the ecdysiast Gypsy Rose Lee who, while resident there, wrote her mystery novel The G-String Murders.

The concert will be held at the First Unitarian Congregational Society, 119 Pierrepont Street (corner of Monroe Place). Beginning at 7:00 there will be a pre-concert lecture by Tippins. The concert will begin at 7:30 and will include several works by Britten, as well as songs by Kurt Weill who, while not a resident of the house, was a close friend of Davis and no doubt was a guest there on occasion. Four of the Weill songs on the program are based on poems by Brooklyn poet and legend Walt Whitman.

You may purchase tickets here.

“Whenever Happy comes to me for a cuddle I whisper my thanks to him for all he has done for Maya.”

Thus began Naomi Shrenzel’s story about her son Maya and their kitten Happy, a story of how the kitten and the boy changed each other’s lives, a story that won $50,000 for the Brooklyn Cat Cafe, a grant that will help the Cafe continue to change the lives of humans and animals in our community.

Maya began suffering from panic attacks when he was in fourth grade, attacks that got so bad that Maya stopped eating and drinking; his health deteriorated to the point that he was at risk of hospitalization.

“When Maya was distracted, he was much calmer,” wrote Shrenzel, “so we decided to try feline friends.”

“We visited the Brooklyn Cat Cafe and saw a group of five kitten brothers. We fell in love and brought our foster boys home. They were tiny, fitting into one carrier. Four brothers quickly ran out to explore. The lone kitten left was Happy, the smallest and weakest of the bunch. Maya’s heart melted as he joined Happy on the floor to coax him out of the carrier. In that moment, our child, who needed such patient, gentle caretaking, began his own journey as a caretaker.”

Both Happy and Maya thrived, the mutually beneficial relationship helping them both grow stronger and more confident. Now in 10th grade, Maya recently experienced a night-time panic attack, but gone were the fearful, desperate reactions from the past.

“’I remembered to do my breathing and I went and got Happy, he stayed with me,’ Maya said with pride.”

You can read Maya’s full story here, and the story of the Cafe’s 2023 win here.

Each year, Petco Love in partnership with BOBS® from Skechers® sponsors a campaign that calls for pet adopters to share how their adopted pets have changed their lives for the better. This is Brooklyn Cat Cafe’s fourth consecutive win, and the Cafe is one of 25 nationwide winners from thousands of entries.

“What makes our rescue work rewarding is that cats like Happy find homes where they not only thrive, but also make a positive difference in the lives of the people who love them,” said Anne Levin, Executive Director of Brooklyn Bridge Animal Welfare Coalition and Brooklyn Cat Cafe. “There are far too many sick kittens like Happy still on the streets of New York City. This lifesaving investment from Petco Love will help us to save many more lives and provide needed services to other rescue groups trying to do the same.”

Since its founding in 2007, the Brooklyn Bridge Animal Welfare Coalition, the nonprofit that runs Brooklyn Cat Cafe, has rescued nearly 10,000 cats, creating nearly that many happy endings for New York City’s at-risk cat population. In addition to the cafe and adoption program, BBAWC also offers We offer low-cost spay/neuter services for owned pets as well as surgical and medical services to rescuers working with homeless cats.

Follow the Cafe and its adorable feline inhabitants on Facebook, X, and Instagram.

Montague Street BID’s annual meeting this year will feature an honorary contributor of Brooklyn Heights Blog, Martha Foley, by virtue of being married to BHB’s Claude Scales for a very long time. Martha has also contributed many photos and tips to Claude over the years that generated many a blog posts. Not only one half of this Brooklyn Heights power couple, Martha is a historian and archivist, and a longtime volunteer of the Brooklyn Women’s Exchange.

Also on the agenda for the meeting, property owners and Montague Street merchants will vote on BID goals, budgets and activities for 2024.

When: Wednesday, February 28 · 3pm

Where: Brown Harris Stevens, 129 Montague Street, Lower Level

Register at this link.

If you can’t attend in person, a link to join by Zoom will be emailed to you after February 21st.

The annual meeting of the Brooklyn Heights Association will be on Monday, March 4, starting at 6:30 PM. It will be held at the First Unitarian Congregational Society, 119 Pierrepont Street (corner of Monroe Place). There will be a livestream link provided for anyone unable to attend in person. All are invited, whether BHA members or not. If you wish to attend in person, RSVP here. We will provide the livestream link when it is available.

As we reported earlier, the meeting will feature an address by U.S. Senator Kirstin Gillibrand. If you have a question you would like to ask Senator Gillibrand, you may submit it here.

Also on the agenda is the presentation of Community Service Awards to The Service Collective (also recognized by us as one of the BHB Ten for 2023) and to The Brooklyn Public Library. There will also be a raffle for gift cards to local businesses. Following the meeting there will be “a casual reception with drinks and snacks in the beautiful Chapel and historical Frances White Room at First Unitarian. This is a great opportunity to meet your Brooklyn Heights neighbors as well as talk with BHA staff and board of governors.”

The New York Police Department’s 84th Precinct, which covers Brooklyn Heights, will hold a quarterly “Build the Block” Meeting this Friday, February 16 at 2:30 PM at the Brooklyn Heights Branch of the Brooklyn Public Library, 286 Cadman Plaza West. PO Justin Mateo, the 84th’s Community Coordination Officer, will be there to discuss issues concerning neighborhood safety. The 84th Precinct Community Council will hold a monthly meeting on Tuesday, February 20 at 7:00 PM, at Borough Hall; enter at 209 Joralemon Street. All interested community members are welcome at either or both meetings. If there is a neighborhood safety issue you would like to raise at the “Build the Block” meeting, but cannot attend because of a work or other commitment, you may raise it at the Community Council meeting.

What’s on your mind? Comment away!

Accoring to amNewYork Metro the Federal Highway Administration has rejected the City Department of Transportation’s request for funds to redesign and rebuild the “central section” of the Brooklyn Queens Expressway, the 1.5 mile section between Atlantic Avenue and Sands Street that includes the cantilevered stretch below Brooklyn Heights. In December 2022 the DOT revealed three possible plans for a rebuild of the cantilevered section. None drew enthusiastic community response. Later a controversy arose over whether the rebuilt central section would have its original six lanes (three in each direction) or four, to which it had been reduceed while emergency repairs are done. (The feds’ denial of funding does not affect funds for the emergency repairs being done now.)

As the amNewYork story notes, there was substantial community opposition to any plan to rebuild the central section of the BQE in its present location. It quotes Brooklyn Heights Association Executive Director Lara Birnback as calling it “basically a highway expansion project.” She also said she believes “wide community opposition” could have been a reason for the project’s not being granted the requested funding. The story also quotes Mona Bruno of the DOT, who noted it was “common to have to apply for grants multiple times, particularly for a huge project like the BQE.” Ms. Bruno also said the rejection “would not impact the project timeline, which sees construction starting in late 2027 and completion optimistically projected for 2032.”

According to Brownstoner, former Brooklyn Heights Association executive director Judy Stanton opposed any development on the site, characterizing the gardens along Grace Court as a “microclimate” that should be protected. Other local residents expressed some support for development, noting the need for more housing, although one said a single family townhouse would do little in that regard. The owners of the proposed townhouse also own the adjoining townhouse at 36 Remsen Street, which they are converting from ten residential units to four.

This coming Saturday, February 3, Grace Church, 254 Hicks Street (corner of Grace Court, between Joralemon and Remsen) will present its annual Winterfair from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Items for sale at the fair include clothing (adults’ and kids’), toys, books, CDs and DVDs, household goods and tchotchkes, sporting goods, flowers and plants, baked goods, and more. Admission to the fair is free, and all are invited. There will be luncheon cafes for adults and for kids with refreshments for sale.

If you have items you would like to donate for sale you may take them to the church this week during the afternoon and leave them in the places designated for your types of donations. There’s more information here.