Want to get a jump on Black Friday shopping, and enjoy some Danish delicacies and drinks as well? The Danish Seamen’s Church, 102 Willow Street (near Clark) will hold its annual Christmas Fair, or Julmarked, this coming weekend, 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM both Saturday, November 23 and Sunday, Novembe24.

Shop unique Scandinavian designs, knitwear, gift items, holiday ornaments, Danish candy, and traditional food products for the Christmas Dinner at the annual Danish Christmas Fair. Or bite into delicious “æbleskiver” (puffed apple pancakes) – a traditional Christmas treat that all Danes give out at any social gathering through the holidays, and sip on hot glögg – the Danish take on mulled wine. It’s served in our covered, cozy backyard at the Danish Seamen’s Church.

The Fair promises “hygge overload.”

Photo: C. Scales for BHB

New York Magazine‘s Curbed asks “Why is 194 Columbia Heights Abandoned?” in an article that aims to solve Brooklyn Heights’ longest standing mystery. And who did they talk to about this vexing question and how did they find him? None other than our most prolific commenter Andrew Porter via the BHB Open Thread Wednesdays.

See excerpt below and read the entire article at this link. The upshot is that the owner, Austin Moore, is still alive and makes incremental repairs and payments for property tax arrears to stave off a foreclosure or demolition. Why doesn’t he just sell the damn house? Nobody knows.

This kind of thing would stand out in many parts of the city, but here? The house next door sold for $12 million in 2018. The incongruity of an abandoned eyesore in one of Brooklyn’s most desirable Zip Codes has become a point of obsession in the neighborhood — for more than 40 years. “It’s been like that since I came here,” says Andrew Porter, a writer who has lived in the same rent-controlled apartment nearby since 1969 and has been speculating over the condition of 194 Columbia Heights for nearly two decades as a frequent poster on the Brooklyn Heights Blog, which is itself fixated on the house (the site’s Open Thread Wednesdays are basically a clearinghouse for recent gossip). The neighborhood association has long been frustrated with the situation. The mailman has theories. No. 194 is the ultimate street-level mystery: In the most real-estate-obsessed city in the world, in one of its prime locations, with some of the fussiest residents, it seems incomprehensible that anyone would let a house like this rot. And for this long.

Photo from Google Maps.

Thanks to the Brooklyn Heights Association for this tip:

Councilmember Lincoln Restler and his team are holding a virtual town hall this fall to connect with neighbors and to discuss the issues most important to you. They will share updates about what their office has been working on and have City agencies on hand to address all of your questions and concerns.

The town hall will take place this coming Thursday, November 21, starting at 6:30 PM. If you want to participate, please register here.

Councilmember Restler and the Brooklyn Heights Synagogue are co-sponsoring a winter coat drive. You may donate “[n]ew and lightly used coats for high needs schools” in children’s sizes 4-16 or all adult sizes. Donations will be accepted through November 27 at 410 Atlantic Avenue Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, or at the Synagogue, 131 Remsen Street (between Henry and Clinton) Monday through Friday from 9:30 AM to 5:00 PM.

The 2024 Brooklyn Folk Festival, presented by the Jalopy Theatre and School of Music, drew large crowds to St. Ann & the Holy Trinity Church Friday evening through Sunday evening. It also created its share of excitement, as shown by the audience members up and dancing in the photo above, to the sound of Shiva Lakhan (at center on stage) and friends doing classical Indian songs and Chutney, an amalgam of traditional Indian music with West Indian Calypso and Soca that originated with diaspora Indians in Trinidad.

Beareather Reddy, described as “Champion of the Blues,” gave a soul stirring set that concluded with a nail-you-to-the-wall rendition of B.B. King’s “Rock Me Baby.”

La Banda Chuska, said to be “a fireball of post-punk energy and subversive playfulness, a sort of tropical funk meets The B-52s,” lived up to that description and had people of all ages up and dancing.

Nora Guthrie, daughter of Woody Guthrie, gave a two hour presentation that proved to be worth every minute, “My Name Is New York, Ramblin’ Around Woody Guthrie’s Town.” She described every place he lived, from his arrival in February of 1940 at the invitation of an actor friend in whose Manhattan penthouse he spent a few days, through his many Manhattan residences and on Mermaid Avenue, Coney Island, until his death in 1967 at Creedmoor Psychiatric Center in Queens Village. She also mentioned the many interesting characters, some of whom, like Pete Seeger and Bob Dylan, went on to become folk music legends, he got to know and influence during his time in New York.

The youngest solo performer at this year’s Festival, was Riyae Park. She did a splendid set of folk songs, displaying both her mature voice and skill on guitar.

David Amram, a composer, conductor, multi-instrumentalist, and musicologist, described by the Boston Globe as “the Renaissance Man of American Music,” accompanied by a crew of superb musicians that included his son Adam on conga drums, presented a set as delightful as it was eclectic. He opened with his arrangement of Sonny Rollins’ “St. Thomas,” followed that with a waltz, then did his splendid take on Woody Guthrie’s “Pastures of Plenty.” After several more numbers, he closed with “Pull My Daisy,” the song he wrote with Allen Ginsberg and Jack Kerouac for the 1959 short film with the same title. On this, Adam’s drumming was augmented by his young son with a bongo.

On Sunday afternoon Hopalong Andrew and friends put on a lively show for kids (and adults).

The Down Hill Strugglers are usually a trio, but on Sunday evening Walker Shepard, son of playwright Sam Shepard and actress (and former Lion’s Head waitress) Jessica Lange, was away on other business, so the Strugglers were a duo of Eli Smith, who has served as Festival Director for sixteen years, on banjo, and Jackson Lynch on fiddle. The two of them put on a sparkling show, beginning with an original song, “I’m Getting Ready To Go.” This was followed by traditional songs, including, to this train buff’s delight, “Casey Jones.” They ended their set with a rousing rendition of the old favorite. “Going Down the Lee Highway.”

Zarah Alzubaidi, a native of Iraq, accompanied by some first rate instrumentalists, gave stirring renditions of Iraqui songs, along with songs from the Gulf States.

The Festival concluded with a performance on piano, by composer and pianist Thomas Feng, of music by Emahoy Tsegué-Maryam Guèbrou, an Ethiopian nun who died last year at the age of 100. It can only be described as celestial.

These are but a few of the many performances that made this year’s Brooklyn Folk Festival wonderful.

This Thursday, November 7, from 5:00 to 8:00 PM, the Brooklyn Women’s Exchange, 137 Montague Street (between Clinton and Henry) will have its Holiday Open House.

[C]elebrate the holidays with us and be one of the first to shop our wide selection of one-of-a kind ornaments, holiday decor and handmade gifts. Enjoy bubbles and bites as you mingle and browse.

The Exchange has expanded holiday shopping hours from November 11 through December 24: Monday to Friday noon to 6:00 (Thursdays until 8:00 December 5th to the 24th); Saturdays and Sundays 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM. The Exchange will be closed December 25 through January 1. You can shop online anytime here.

The Brooklyn Folk Festival returns to St. Ann & the Holy Trinity Church, Clinton and Montague streets, this coming Friday evening, November 8, with performances continuing through Saturday and Sunday. There’s a complete schedule here. Among the performers will be long time Folk Festival favorites Nora Brown (photo above by C. Scales for BHB), The Down Hill Strugglers, Feral Foster, and Jerron Paxton.  Among others on the program are performers of old time and contemporary folk music, blues, bluegrass, jug band, afrofusion, conjunto, Cajun and creole, ragtime, New Orleans soul, rock and roll, and rhythm and blues. An especially intriguing (for your correspondent) entry is for 9:30 PM Friday in the Parish Hall, where La Banda Chuska “merges the sounds of vintage Peruvian cumbia and psychedelic chicha with 1960s Latin American and Middle Eastern surf rock.” The music programming concludes on Sunday evening, starting at 9:10, with “The Music of Emahoy Tsege-Mariam Gebru,” who was “an Ethiopian composer, pianist and nun who passed away in 2023 at the age of 100, her music will be played by pianist and composer Thomas Feng.”

In addition to the music, there will be presentations with discussion in the Workshop Room. Among these will be: from noon until 2:00 Saturday Nora Guthrie, daughter of Woody Guthrie, will present “My Name Is New York: Ramblin’ Around Woody Guthrie’s Town”; from 4:45 to 5;45 PM Saturday there will be a “Democracy Story Circle” where you can “Join Arts & Democracy and Naturally Occurring Cultural Districts NY to share stories about the election and beyond”; and at 7:00 Saturday evening you can attend a “Can-Jo Workshop” with “Perfessor” Zeke Leonard, who will teach you how to “[b]uild your own one string banjo out of a can.”

Tickets for the Festival may be purchased here.

According to the NYC Department of Transportation website a large number of Brooklyn streets will be entirely or partially closed tomorrow (Thursday, October 31) for some period of time in order to facilitate Halloween trick-or-treating. The only street in Brooklyn Heights affected is Joralemon, from Hicks down to Furman. It will be closed to vehicular traffic from 4:00 until 8:00 PM. The closure is at the behest of the Willowtown Association.

Photo: C. Scales for BHB

America is at a crossroads. Regardless of who wins the upcoming election, our house is still divided. How can we, the regular people, respond?

Over 150 citizens gathered at Plymouth Church on Sunday, October 27 for a screening of “Undivide Us,” a documentary about combatting toxic polarization. The ecumenical event was also sponsored by inter-faith partners including Grace Church Brooklyn Heights, First Unitarian Church Brooklyn and St. Ann & the Holy Trinity Church. Volunteers, merchants and donors across the neighborhood helped to usher, donated food and spread the word.

We began with a powerful community prayer by assembled faith leaders in our community who prayed for unity in our nation.

Neighborhood clergy gathered for community prayer for unity

The were so many neighbors gathered to watch the film that we had to pull in more chairs four times. Standing room only!

Filmmaker (and Park Slope neighbor) Kristi Kendall  and I followed the screening with a Q&A, with so many thoughtful discussion points from our audience.

Afterwards, we gathered for fellowship in Plymouth’s gym for a community tea party. Strangers continued the discussion at tables, eating and sipping together and engaging in dialogue, seeking to disagree better.

What a gift and opportunity to practice how to be citizens in community with each other, regardless of who wins the election. We were reminded that disagreement is not division and that we can disagree better through discourse, engagement and self-governance and by treating our neighbors well.

I wrote an op-ed in Sunday’s New York Daily News (read it HERE) about the importance of the film, the significance of the tiny nonpartisan and interfaith event in the face of massive, partisan rallies and the historical connection of Plymouth’s Civil War history to today’s events.

Since you’ve already heard from me, I offered my Brooklyn Heights Blog spot to two voices from the next generation who attended the “Undivide Us” screening and tea party.  Here is what they saw and learned from Sunday’s event.

A Reflection from Charlotte McGuire

Charlotte is a Brooklyn Heights eighth grader at Packer Collegiate Institute. She is interested in theater, debate and crafts.

As an eighth grader  who is invested in the upcoming U.S. Presidential election, I thought the “Undivide Us” documentary was instructive because of its inclusive and empathetic viewpoint.

It is now just days before  the election. Just in the last few weeks, I’ve seen an increase in Trump/Vance signs, and just as many new Harris/Walz signs across our neighborhood and in the news. Social media is buzzing with hashtags, trends, and viral videos relating to the candidates. It seems like everyone has an opinion about the election, and no one is willing to change it or listen to a differing view.

The media often portrays the two parties with a bloodthirsty, out-to-get-you, CNN vs. Fox News mentality. As the documentary illustrates, news outlets accentuate those with stronger opinions and louder voices for their profit. But I learned by watching the film that only 20% of Americans are too polarized. On the contrary, 80% of Americans want to understand each other’s point of view.

”Undivide Us”  highlighted this difference by taking the time for the documentary participants to think about why the other side might think that way. If this compassionate approach was used on a wider scale in America, I think it would result in a greater understanding of each other, and therefore more unity.

In Sunday’s inter-faith gathering at Plymouth Church where I watched “Undivide Us” with my neighbors and New Yorkers from across the city, I saw a room packed with people in front of a pull-down projector, brimming with energy at the idea of learning something new.

Just before the screening, we prayed in community with several faith leaders that “we will not see our vote as a weapon or another voter as a threat.” Even though I cannot vote yet, I hope we can spread this message of love over hate, of respect over spite, and of compassion over isolation.

This is how we become undivided.

A Reflection From Monique Le

Monique is a dedicated accounting professional with a background in real estate and a passion for writing. Born and raised in California, she now resides in Brooklyn.

Blogger Monique Le with Filmmaker Kristi Kendall

A vibrant crowd swarmed the calm and serene neighborhood of Brooklyn Heights on Sunday afternoon. Curious locals, visitors who had read about the event online and in the New York Daily News and people of all ages gathered at Plymouth Church for the screening of “Undivide Us.” Guests trickled in throughout the film and by the time it was over, there was standing room only.

Social media, religion and other cultural divides have often triggered the emergence of polarization. As the election season comes close to a close, existential stress and tensions are at an all-time high. I think our obsession over wanting to better our country has ultimately silenced us due to fear of being judged and misunderstood. As a nation, we have robbed ourselves of the First Amendment and infringed on our own right to free speech. In the documentary “Undivide Us,” director and filmmaker Kristi Kendall faced the problem of toxic polarization head-on, seeking to find a way through the chaos we’ve created in what has become the divided states of America.

In the film, Professor Ben Klutsey, Director of the George Mason University Program on Pluralism and Civil Exchange and Dee Allsop, CEO and Founder of Heart + Mind Strategies, traveled to the most politically driven cities and brought forth controversial topics amongst focus groups who share different viewpoints. The goal was to use psychological insights to develop strategies that enable the individuals to get an understanding of the opposing view–to focus on people rather than politics. The participants realized  that they share similar values and have much more in common.

Watching the film, I learned that we as Americans often believe the opposing party dislikes and disagrees with us more than they actually do. We believe we’re more polarized than we actually are—and that misconception can drive us even further apart. To solve it, we have to be able to sit down together and be open to understand diverse perspectives and ideas without criticism or judgment. In order to bridge America’s growing divide, we must seek to understand rather than be understood.

At the inter-faith screening at Plymouth hosted by several local congregations, visitors settled into their seats, eagerly waiting for the film to start. At the community tea party afterwards, the documentary was highly praised and thoroughly enjoyed by the visitors who gathered to discuss the film with Kristi, while others lined up for refreshments and nibbles.

I left the event recognizing that we must reclaim our voices and keep true to our beliefs while striving to find common ground. One conversation at a time, we can make a difference. Where there is mutual respect, there is hope for civil discourse and hope for an undivided America.

###

Thanks for coming says volunteer Sadie Horton

For more information, visit the Undivide Us movie site HERE or watch the film on PBS HERE.

Copyright Caroline Aiken Koster. All Rights Reserved. X: @aikenkoster Insta: kostercaroline 75

There will be a free, all ages Halloween celebration tomorrow (Tuesday, October 29) from 3:30 to 4:30 PM in the Multipurpose Room of the Brooklyn Heights Library, 286 Cadman Plaza West (between Clark and Pierrepont streets).

Come one, come all and join us for a fun filled, silly yet spookylicious Halloween event with our very Own Hype Girl “Bubbles”. Children and grownups will dance, sing and laugh alongside Bubbles and her crazy adventures.

There will also be a craft table. Come in costume or as-you-are. No reservations are required.

The last Open Streets Montague of 2024, this  Sunday, October 27 from 11:00 AM until 5:00 PM, will, appropriate to the impending Halloween, feature a “Spooktacular” presented by Montague Diner, which will be serving warm drinks and Halloween treats all day long. Among the activities will be a dog costume contest, face and pumpkin painting, a sing along, and a spooky reading presented by Books Are Magic. There’s a full schedule and more information here. Another Halloween related activity will be presented by Brett McMullen, A.I.A. of McMullen Architecture, who will be on Montague between Henry and Hicks from noon until 5:00 and help those of all ages to design and build a haunted house. Photo and more information here. Thanks to the Brooklyn Women’s Exchange, 137 Montague, between Clinton and Henry, from noon until 5:00 you can meet Dennis J, Taylor, “a talented woodcarving artisan who handcrafts unique figurines.” More information here. As they have throughout the season, Chama Mama will have a free lemonade stand, with tasty morsels of cheese bread, between Henry and Hicks from noon until 4:00.

Last but certainly not least, a “bloodmobile” will be in front of St. Ann & the Holy Trinity Church, 157 Montague (near the corner of Clinton) from 11:00 AM until 5:00 PM. New York City is having a “blood shortage emergency.” All blood types are needed, but type “O” donors, whose blood is in especially short supply, will be given rewards. If you want to donate, please register here; there’s more information here.

Montague Street will be closed to vehicular traffic between Clinton and Henry streets and between Henry and Hicks streets from 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM Sunday. Parked cars on those blocks will have to be moved before 10:00 AM.

I always enjoy the New York Times feature on how famous-ish folk spend their Sundays, although I often don’t always buy its breezy curated pseud0-glamour and am sometimes a smidge jealous of all that hi-low routine and relaxation.  But, finally getting to the weekend pages a few days late this week, I stumbled onto one I can relate to and almost replicate with proper motivation—a chic travelogue to my own neighborhood!

If you missed it, check out the NYT feature on the Sunday life of Chris Perfetti, who plays a sixth-grade teacher on the mockumentary show Abbott Elementary. When he’s not filming on the left coast, Perfetti’s living about half time in a walk up near Atlantic Avenue in New York City’s greatest neighborhood—-Brooklyn Heights.

Perfetti takes us on a tour of local faves like coffee at Salter House, running and picnicking in Brooklyn Bridge Park, treats from L’Appartement 4F and a sad, late discovery about the demise of Perelandra. (Yes, R.I.P. indeed, friend.) Onward he jaunts to Pips, Popina, Henry Public, Montague Diner and Montero Bar and Grill.

Man has good taste. Eats well. Sleeps late. Boom–Brooklyn.

I don’t know where he’s getting all those salad greens, but I’m guessing the stalwart Key Food or Trader Joe’s.

Read it online, in your recycling bin or anywhere else you get this weekend’s news a few days late like me.

Past, present, now, then, truth, science, history, algorithms, chaos….if any of these topics seem relevant the first week of November, you might want to skedaddle down to Willow Place for a couple of hours with Tom Stoppard’s Arcadia.

The Heights Players will be presenting what some say is his greatest work, down in the pastoral reaches of Brooklyn Heights. See it November 1 – 10. Tickets are available at the Heights Players site.

Directed by Noel MacDuffie, it’s a perfect diversion, with folks named Thomasina, Septimus, Ezra, Hanna, Valentine and more.

Off you go, to get your tickets now!

This Sunday’s (October 20) Open Streets Montague will include several attractions arranged by City Council Member Lincoln Restler. Starting at 1:00 PM between Clinton and Henry streets, the Bindlestiff Family Cirkus will present a free “Flatbed Follies” (see photo) performance, featuring “acrobats, jugglers, clowns, and contortionists” as well as a “singing ring-mistress.” From noon until 3:00 PM between Henry and Hicks streets, Council Member Restler and the NYC Department of Transportation are sponsoring free fittings and distribution of bike helmets for all ages. No advance registration is required; children must be accompanied by an adult. From noon to 3:00 between Clinton and Henry Council Member Restler and Bike New York will present a Bike Bonanza, giving kids an opportunity to trade bikes and offering them free riding lessons; bring your own bike and helmet. You must register here; children must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian. Finally, thanks to Council Member Restler, from noon until 3:00 between Henry and Hicks you may get free compost; one or two forty pound bags which you must arrange to transport yourself. You want? Please reserve here.

Other events at this week’s Open Streets include a free concert by JAW, the “teen band sensation,” under the tent between Henry and Hicks starting at 3:00. From noon until 3:00 in front of Chama Mama, 121 Montague (between Henry and Hicks) there will be a stand giving free lemonade “and tasty bite-sized Khachapuri (cheese breads).” From noon until 5:00 in front of 115 Montague (between Henry and Hicks) L’Apéro by L’Appartement 4F will be selling “to-go tahini cookie sundaes and charcuterie boxes featuring our signature selection of saucisson and cheeses” as well as “natural biodynamic (and unbelievably delicious) wine” which you may take to the Adults Only “Sip Spot” at the corner of Montague and Henry.

Montague Street will be closed to vehicular traffic between Clinton and Henry streets and between Henry and Hicks streets from 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM Sunday. Parked cars on those blocks will have to be moved before 10:00 AM.

Photo © John Huntington; used with permission.

UNDIVIDE US: NYC (Brooklyn Heights) Film Screening  + Inter-faith Community Tea Party + Talk Back with Filmmaker Kristi Kendall at Plymouth Church

When: Sunday, October 27, 2024
Where: Plymouth Church Reception Room, 75 Hicks Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201
Hosted by Plymouth Church, a National Historic Landmark

Co-Sponsored by Brooklyn Inter-faith Partners including Grace Church Brooklyn Heights, First Unitarian Church Brooklyn and St. Ann & the Holy Trinity Church. Another congregation? Join us!

Join National Landmark Plymouth Church and interfaith partner congregations for a free screening of Undivide Us, a documentary about how regular people can respond to toxic polarization. Join us for an afternoon of unity across the political divide.

America is at a crossroads, with partisanship, division and political violence threatening to drown out our democracy, spiritual lives and hope for community. Regular citizens can help create dialogue. Disagreement is not division. Undivide Us is a timely and urgent plea to reclaim the nation’s soul through open discourse, civic engagement, and self-governance.

Learn more at https://undivideusmovie.com/ which is now showing at colleges, churches, community centers and gatherings nationwide.

During the screening, we will take back the tea party with a Community Tea Party provided by neighborhood congregations and merchants.

Afterwards, filmmaker Kristi Kendall, a Park Slope neighbor and former 20/20 producer, will join us for a Talk-Back Discussion.

Click to Get your tickets today! Tickets at Eventbrite. Free and all are welcome!

This Saturday afternoon, October 12 starting at 2:00 (doors open at 1:30) at the Brooklyn Heights Library, 286 Cadman Plaza West (near Clark Street) Theater 2020, Brooklyn Heights’ own award winning professional theater company, will present a reading of “Critters and Kindness,” a new adaptation of tales from Aesop’s Fables (including “The Hare and the Tortoise”; see image) by Lynn Marie Macy, Theater 2020’s Resident Playwright, and directed by Theater 2020’s Co-Producing Artistic Director Judith Jarosz.

With help from some puppets and stuffed critters, we will learn timeless life lessons about kindness, perseverance, and wisdom. Great for kids and adults alike!

It’s free, and no reservations are required. The location is fully accessible and the performance takes approximately one hour.

Image: Milo Winter (1919)

This Sunday, October 13, Open Streets Montague will feature many opportunities for exercise to get and stay in shape and therapy for restoration or preservation of wellness, offered by local providers. It’s all free, but you must reserve times in advance. There’s a full schedule and make reservations here. Starting at 3:oo, under the tent between Henry and Hicks, Rogue Connections will perform “your favorite folk and rock hits.” Once again, all day, Chama Mama, at 121 Montague (between Henry and Hicks) will give free lemonade to kids who have lunch there with their parents (this offer stands through December 31), and, from noon until 5:00 L’Apéro by L’Appartement 4F will be serving up delicious “Sunday Sundaes,” charcuterie boxes, and biodynamic wine in front of 115 Montague, between Henry and Hicks. You may take your wine to enjoy at the adults only Sip Spot on Montague at the corner of Henry, between Henry and Clinton.

The Brooklyn Heights Association’s annual Designer Showhouse, located at 182 Clinton Street (photo), between State and Schermerhorn streets, described with photos in Mary Frost’s Eagle story and open through November 3, will host two events worth notice in the next few days. On Monday evening, October 7 starting at 7:00 there will be a Consignment Evening with The RealReal. On Tuesday afternoon, October 8 starting at 3:00 Gautier Coiffard of L’Appartement 4F will share his baking skills and teach you to make delicious chocolate chip cookies.

Photo: ToriSikkemaPhotography_ProjectPlant_BrooklynShowhouse-23 (1)

This Sunday, October 6, you may bring your pet, a favorite stuffed animal, or a photo of either to the front of 157 Montague Street, between Clinton and Henry, at 1:00 PM, to receive a blessing from The Rev. Canon John Denaro (photo above), Rector of St, Ann & the Holy Trinity Church, in honor of St. Francis of Assisi. More info here.

From noon until 5:00 PM on Montague between Henry and Hicks you can get a look at the sports sensation that is sweeping the nation by watching the Montague Open Pickleball Tournament (sorry; all slots to participate are full).  Meanwhile, between Clinton and Henry, kids 12 and under can sharpen their soccer skills with Super Soccer Stars.

Hungry or thirsty? There’s much on offer. From noon to 5:00 PM Chama Mama’s Lemonade Stand, in front of 121 Montague, between Henry and Hicks, will offer “some fresh made lemonade and tasty bite-sized treats, including Khachapuri (cheese breads), skewers, and honey cake.” Chama Mama will also offer free lemonade for kids with their parents’ or caretakers’ lunch order. And, as every Sunday, L’Apéro by L’Appartement 4F will be outside 114 Montague, between Henry and Hicks, from noon to 5:00 PM,”serving to-go tahini cookie sundaes and charcuterie boxes featuring our signature selection of saucisson and cheeses.” Your correspondent, his wife and daughter can all attest to the deliciousness of their offerings.

Traffic will be closed (except for emergency vehicles) on Montague between Clinton and Henry and between Henry and Hicks between 10:00 AM and 7:00 PM.

Frédéric Chopin (portrait above at age 25 by his fiancée, Maria Wodzińska, 1835) was, over the course of his 39 year life, a prolific composer of music, much of it for solo piano. This week, Thursday, October 3 through Sunday, October 6, the Ocean Music Foundation will present a Chopin Festival at St. Ann & the Holy Trinity Church, 157 Montague Street. The festival will include ten concerts, one discussion, and a number of master class sessions to which the public is invited. Admission to the concerts and discussion is “pay-what-you-wish” with a suggested donation of $20. There’s a complete schedule here.

Perfect for a prelude to Halloween, Noel Coward’s Blithe Spirit opens October 4 at the Heights Players. The production is directed by Michelle Maccarone.

Ouija-board level chaos is the spirit of the day as the classic comedy of one husband, two wives, and a seance gone awry appears down the hill on Willow Street.  It’s a perfect “happy medium” as we enter the pumpkin spice season.

The show runs October 4 – 13th and tickets are available HERE.  Arrive 15 minutes early for each performance and enter The Society for Psychical Research and experiment with a trip to the other side.

Fun and chaos are guaranteed….nothing spooky about that!

]]> http://brooklynheightsblog.com/archives/100325/feed 0 http://brooklynheightsblog.com/archives/100311 http://brooklynheightsblog.com/archives/100311#comments Fri, 27 Sep 2024 16:02:59 +0000 http://brooklynheightsblog.com/?p=100311

This Sunday, September 29, at 1:00 PM, rain or shine, there will be a ceremony at the corner of Monroe Place and Pierrepont Street to unveil a sign giving Monroe Place the honorary name “Mary Anne Yancey Place.” Ms. Yancey, a long time Brooklyn Heights resident who lived with her now late husband Richard C. Yancey and three now adult children on Monroe Place, died in 2013. Her many civic, cultural, and educational activities are described in the linked Eagle obituary.

Photo: courtesy Richard C. Yancey, Jr.

This year’s Atlantic Antic (photo above from a previous year) will take place on Atlantic Avenue between Hicks Street and Fourth Avenue this coming Sunday, September 29, from noon until 6:00 p.m., rain or shine. Local merchants will be represented, with special deals for the occasion, along with food, music, dancers, visual artists, clothing vendors, and fun sites for kids. There’s a festival map here. It’s sponsored by the Atlantic Avenue Local Development Corporation.

The Brooklyn Book Festival will have its always popular Children’s Day on Saturday, September 28 from 10:00 AM until 4:00 PM at Brooklyn Commons. There’s a schedule of events here. The Festival Day is on Sunday the 29th from 10:00 AM until 6:00 PM at locations on Borough Hall Plaza, Columbus Park, and Cadman Plaza East, as well as nearby indoor venues. There’s a complete schedule here.

Open Streets Montague this Sunday will transform Montague between Henry and Hicks into Rue Montague, as L’Appartement 4F invites you to “[e]xperience the magic of Paris on Montague Street … [s]avor fresh crepes, enjoy live music, and learn French with CouCou — all without even needing a passport.” As was done last Sunday, sundaes, charcuterie, and wine will be served, and you may take the wine to the adults-only Sip Spot near the corner of Montague and Henry. Traffic will be closed (except for emergency vehicles) on Montague between Clinton and Henry and between Henry and Hicks between 10:00 AM and 7:00 PM.

Photo: Chuck Taylor

Plymouth Church, 57 Orange Street (between Henry and Hicks) is inaugurating the Henry Ward Beecher Lecture Series “to inform a 21st Century audience of all ages on the history of the church, the history of New York City and Brooklyn, and the history of the United States.” Beecher, who served as Plymouth’s minister from its founding in 1847 until his death in 1887, is represented by the statue near the center of the photo above. To the statue’s left in the photo is a relief depicting a seated Abraham Lincoln. In February 1860 Beecher, famous for his passionate opposition to slavery, invited Lincoln, a former Illinois congressman and unsuccessful senatorial candidate who was known to have antislavery views, to speak at Plymouth. The venue of the speech, which is credited with Lincoln’s winning the Republican presidential nomination three months later, and the Presidency in November, was changed to Cooper Union in Manhattan where it was believed it would attract a larger audience. The day before the speech Lincoln worshiped at Plymouth. Pew 89, where he sat, bears a plaque with his signature.

The first Beecher Lecture will be on Wednesday, October 16, starting at 7:00 PM. The speaker will be historian Harold Holzer, former Senior Vice President for Public Affairs, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, and now Director of Hunter College’s Roosevelt House Public Policy Institute. He is author of many books, most recently Brought Forth on This Continent: Abraham Lincoln and American Immigration. The lecture is free, and reservations are not required. Doors open at 6:30 PM at 57 Orange Street.

Photo: C. Scales for BHB

On April 15 your correspondent took this photo of a “big rig,” a diesel powered tractor with an attached, very long, cargo carrying trailer, trying to navigate the corner from Montague to Hicks Street. Now Mary Frost in The Eagle has chronicled how this same truck, which makes deliveries to Key Food Montague,

has been unleashing chaos on the streets of Brooklyn Heights for over a year, and residents near Montague Street, the neighborhood’s main shopping strip, are bursting with frustration at the city’s seeming inability to solve the problem.

Ms. Frost’s story describes how the truck has damaged other vehicles while making tight turns, and blocked emergency vehicles, forcing them to take circuitous routes. She quotes City Councilmember Lincoln Restler, who noted that trucks of that size are not allowed on narrow streets like those in Brooklyn Heights, that he has worked with the Department of Transportation to modify provisions for delivery truck parking, unfortunately to no effect, and with the 84th Precinct to improve enforcement. State Assemblymember Jo Anne Simon is also quoted, saying “the law banning oversized trucks from city streets is not new” and that “it’s being ignored.” She suggested it was up to Mayor Adams to take action.  Ms. Frost also quotes Brooklyn Heights Association Executive Director Lara Birnback, who said, “[t]he BHA has raised this issue numerous times with all of the involved stakeholders and unfortunately, the issue continues to frustrate.”

Finally, Ms. Frost quotes the owners of Key Food Montague, who say they have tried many times to get the truck’s owner, Unified Natural Foods, Inc. (“UNFI”), to deal with the problem. Co-owner Enrico Palazio said he sent UNFI a letter reading, in part, “[w]homever [sic] assigns our driver please instruct them not to block Hicks Street.” However, it doesn’t seem this instruction could always be followed so long as the “big rig” is being used. If parked vehicles are making the turn from Montague to Hicks difficult, the driver’s only option would be to continue to the end of Montague and try to turn onto Pierrepont Place, which could present the same problem.  The only effective solution to the problem is to return to the earlier practice of using smaller trucks. This would necessitate more frequent deliveries, and be more costly.

Perelandra Natural Foods, 175 Remsen Street, in business in Brooklyn Heights since 1976, will be closed permanently following close of business this Sunday. The news was broken by reader “Banet” on Open Thread Wednesday, who is quoted in the Brooklyn Daily Eagle as saying a cashier at the store said Perelandra hadn’t lost its lease but that it couldn’t afford a rent increase. The cashier also said the departure of St. Francis College had hurt business, as faculty and staff were regular customers. The Eagle story gives other local residents’ reactions to the news.

Correction (9/19/24): Perelandra is closing on Sunday 9/29/24. An employee also mentioned that the opening of FoodTown on Clinton Street was the “final nail on the coffin.” Here’s the letter to customers posted on their door today.

This coming Sunday, September 22, L’Apero at L’Appartement 4F

will be outside serving to-go tahini cookie sundaes and charcuterie boxes featuring our signature selection of saucisson and cheeses. Grab a can of natural biodynamic (and unbelievably delicious) wine to enjoy on the Promenade or at the Montague Sip Spot adults only area at the corner of Henry Street.

Kids get a benefit, too. Free lemonade with your parents’/guardians’ lunch. This offer lasts through December 24.

Traffic will be closed (except for emergency vehicles) on Montague between Clinton and Henry and between Henry and Hicks between 10:00 AM and 7:00 PM.