Brooklyn Heights Blog

No, I'm not asking you to justify your loyalty to the team just because they're having a very bad season so far.  (Indeed, I'm even sort of willing to give you credit for wearing that blue and white cap in these trying times.)  I'm asking how you can root for a team that was the most hated rival of our beloved Brooklyn Dodgers before the third most evil man of the twentieth century (well, maybe fourth, since the poll was taken before Pol Pot's atrocities), Walter O'Malley, moved them to Los Angeles.  How can you love a team that plays on the mainland, as opposed to our Long Island?  (Yes, Brooklynites, we are on Long Island: what bridges or tunnels do you traverse to get to Nassau County?)  Perhaps most importantly, how can you support a team that plays in the league that has the despised Designated Hitter Rule?

Update:  Vince, seconded by Just Me, (see "Comments"  below) points to a vein of Bomber loyalty among Italian-American Brooklynites of a certain age, in some cases transmitted to their offspring, yea, even unto the second or third generation.  The reason?  The Yankee Clipper (not to be confused with Sal the Barber). Evidently, the presence of the Reading Rifle on the Dodgers' roster (joined in the Bums' last Brooklyn hurrah, 1956, by the aforesaid Sal, who has the misfortune to be remembered by trivia buffs as the loser in Don Larsen's perfect Series game) failed to counteract this.

More: Sal Fasano, a transplant from cheesesteak heaven, asks why I object to the DH rule. Let me count the ways. Better, let me send you here, where I state my case, and defend it against several untenable objections, with a little help from, of all people, a Tigers fan. Of course, the DH does have one great virtue: it has extended the careers of several outstanding athletes.

Galapagos Art Space, the venue that helped to create the Williamsburg art scene, is moving to a Walentas-owned building in DUMBO.  According to Campbell Robertson's article in today's Times, rising rents in Williamsburg made Galapagos' owner Robert Elmes consider relocating, perhaps as far away as Berlin.  Two Trees Management, the Walentas organization, initially tried to lure him to the former Board of Education building at 110 Livingston Street, but Elmes finally settled on a 15 year lease for the 102 year old former horse stable at 16 Main Street, next door to the St. Ann's Warehouse building, also owned by Walentas.  Elmes expects Galapagos to be moved into its new digs by spring or summer of 2008.

The arrival of Galapagos should be a significant contribution to DUMBO's ascendancy as an arts center. 

BHB Photo Club pic by Dietrich via Flickr 

 
The Brooklyn International Film Festival will be expanding into the Heights the year. The fest will debut 150 films between June 1 - 10 (complete list).  “It’s a serious festival,” Marco Ursino, BiFF’s executive director tells The Brooklyn Daily Eagle,  “It’s cinema for people who think.” 

On June 5, the Brooklyn Heights Cinema will play host to the Italian film Salty Air (trailer above) directed by Alessandro Angelini. The following night, the BHC will premiere another Italian movie, Cover Boy…Last Revolution (trailer) directed by Carmine Amoroso.

We knew about 5 Guys Burgers and Fries and the dental clinic but new info from the Brooklyn Eagle tells us that a "natural" cosmetics store, Korres, will also be opening on Montague Street soon.

Brooklyn Eagle: …Coming to Montague: Limited details were given for the new businesses coming to the street, which include Korres Natural Products, said to be opening its first New York City outlets in SoHo and on Montague Street. The shop will be at 140 Montague, formerly the Rose Valley floral store.

Vital Dent is renovating the space at 147 Montague into a cosmetic dental service clinic, while across the street at 138 Montague a 5 Guys hamburger and fries outlet is also in the process of renovating their space.

Blah…blah…blah… another week another OTW…. plenty of things to talk about including:

Mrs. Fink is very excited that all the neighborhood dogs are out in full force enjoying the weather. She'd like to know who your fave nabe pooch is…

Kustard King has no soft serv…. the controversy continues…

Pigeon poop killed tourist on Brooklyn Bridge in the 1980s. Thank Claude Scales for giving you another thing to be paranoid about…

Cadman Plaza Astroturf — toxic wasteland or family fun destination? 

The Long Island Restaurant…. come on, you know you have a story about it….

We're NUMBER ONE!!

The Nannies of Brooklyn Heights photo exhibit… discuss…

Any plans on taking the Hamptons Jitney from Brooklyn Heights?

ForgottenNY has a great feature on the history of Atlantic Avenue and mentions BHB fave hangouts Magnetic Field and FloydNY. It also has some background on Mrs. Fink's favorite eatery, The Long Island Restaurant. 

This morning, walking on Remsen Street towards the Greenmarket, I heard the familiar voice of Borough President Marty Markowitz. He was on a platform facing Borough Hall along with several other dignitaries, including Keyspan Energy CEO Bob Catell and Brooklyn Botanic Garden President Scot Medbury. (Hidden behind the model to the right is Brooklyn Cyclones General manager Steve Cohen.)  They were there to promote the "Brooklyn Best" festival happening in Prospect Park and nearby this coming weekend. Events begin Saturday night, June 2, with fireworks in the Park starting at 8:45, followed by a free screening of "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" on outdoor screens in the Long Meadow. Festivities continue all day Sunday, June 3, beginning with a "Tour De Brooklyn" bike ride (check in at Grand Army Plaza starting at 8:30 A.M.; the ride begins at 9:30). Live entertainment will be presented on the Main Stage at the Grand Army Plaza entrance to the Park from 11:00 A.M. to 6:00 P.M., and miniature golf courses featuring Brooklyn icons will be set up nearby, next to the Bailey Fountain. "Fab Fashion Shows" featuring the creations of Brooklyn designers (examples of which were shown today - see photo) will be presented at the Brooklyn Museum Plaza at 2:00 and 4:00 P.M.

… in parking fines according to today's New York Sun: 

New York Sun: Brooklyn Heights Leads in Parking Fines: The New York City Police Department has doled out more parking summonses in the Brooklyn Heights area this year than in any other precinct in New York City, an analysis of police statistics shows.

As of May 20, 19,672 parking summonses have been issued in the 84th Precinct, which encompasses the Brooklyn Heights and Boerum Hill sections of Brooklyn. The total is more than double the amount of summonses issued in the majority of precincts in the city, and it surpasses by about 3,000 the number of summonses issued so far in the heavily trafficked Midtown South precinct, which encompasses Times Square and Madison Square Garden.

With about 1,000 more parking summonses issued in the Brooklyn Heights precinct this year compared to the same period last year, the neighborhood has surged ahead of the two precincts in which police handed out the most violations last year, the Kensington and East New York sections of Brooklyn.

Parking summonses in Brooklyn Heights have been on the rise for the past two years, the statistics show, increasing by about 25% during that period. Some experts say the spike is likely the result of a standoff between community members and the police over the alleged abuse of government-issued parking permits in the neighborhood.

Brigate Bocce took its game to Cadman Plaza Park on Memorial Day to see what the game would be like on artificial turf. 

The park's new "grass" while looking lovely from afar, smells like a tire store, gets really hot and has more bounce to the ounce than Bootsy Collins.

Capo Homer Fink, Qfwfq and Mrs. Fink enjoyed a few games in a nice shady area of the park. Regulation bocce bounced like Spaldeens on the Cadmanturf, causing Fink and Qfwfq to bellow with laughter after the first throw.

Locals stopped and watched the exhibition match with many asking about the rules of the game and fanatics were curious about taking to the newfound "court" themselves.

Nevertheless, the turf is downright freaky. Rubber pellets (aka fake dirt) are already stroon across the concrete areas of the park. We hope that reports of its toxicity have been greatly exaggerated. 

Music in video from Star Wars The Musical.