Tonight! The Brooklyn Collective Holiday Event

Special Performance: Job in Red Hook - Tue, Dec 17th at 6pm

A Special Performance of the Book of Job (Job in Red Hook) will commemorate the year anniversary of Hurricane Sandy at the Friends of Firefighters (199 Van Brunt St Brooklyn, NY) next Tuesday, Dec 17th at 6pm. Tickets are free, but are seats are limited and must be reserved by emailing info@friendsoffirefighters.org.

More details at: https://www.facebook.com/TheaterOfWar

7th Annual Columbia Waterfront District Tree Lighting

Show the love to our fantastic neighborhood by......... eating free food, dancing to awesome music, and winning fun prizes! 

December 13, 6pm-7:30pm, marks the Columbia Waterfront Tree Lighting Party, hosted at the Human Compass Garden by Carroll Gardens Association Inc. 

There will be yummy food provided by outstanding and generous restaurants including Mazzat, Jake's BBQ and Brooklyn Southern, toe-tapping fodder by the Dan Kurfist Trio, and, of course, a beautiful Christmas tree. Into fire trucks? Well, the FDNY local 202 will be escorting none other than Mr. Santa himself to the party, complete with surprises for the little ones.

To view the poster and see more information go to:

http://www.carrollgardensassociation.com/7th-annual-columbia-waterfront-district-tree-lighting-on-friday-december-13th-from-6pm-to-730pm/

Park Bagels: Six Months Out and Already a Neighborhood Staple

When Stefano Mannino came to Red Hook last winter to size up some for-sale kitchen equipment offered by the then going-out-of-business South Brooklyn Bagel Cafe at 75 Hamilton Avenue, he had no idea he was heading towards the resting place of his third Park Bagels branch. As soon as he saw the

incredible location and space left by the previous business, however, he signed on the dotted line and started to build.

And lucky for us: a little over six months after their opening day, the cafe is doing a roaring trade in fresh, made-to-order breakfast and lunch fare, provided by some of the friendliest people in the City.

The bagel cafe has become a go-to spot for the longshoreman who work the nearby Red Hook cargo docks (the only operational dock left in Brooklyn--all the rest are on the New Jersey side of the Hudson), locals and commuters on their way to and from work, moms, dads, caretakers and kids, as well as those of us who simply cannot resist a good bagel, sandwich or cup of coffee.

Stefano Mannino

Speaking of coffee, if you have already been here and you think their brew is something to rave about, you’re not the only one. “99% of people say our coffee is amazing”, says Stefano Mannino, owner, with the remaining 1% coming in on the “too strong” side of the tracks. Their sourcing team went through over 100 different brands before finding the perfect one, and have settled on a selection that will simply melt your soul. An easygoing $1.25 (plus tax = about $1.36) gets you a cup of regular coffee, and $2.00 will place a delicious, nutty, ka-powwwerlicious espresso into your hands.

All three Park Bagels locations were opened and are run by Mannino, with the help of his two brothers, Vinny and Frankie. Mannino opened his first cafe in 2004 on 86th Street in Brooklyn, and last May he cut the tape on a Staten Island location just a few steps from the Saint George Ferry Terminal.

Vinny Mannino

The Red Hook menu is still being finalized as they continue to take into account all the suggestions and requests being made by patrons, so keep an eye out for exciting new items. Recently added: french toast. They offer tofu cream cheese and soy milk for the dairy-averted, and are currently working on a couple of vegan dishes as well.

Plans are under way to revamp the two already well-used seating areas, and are projected to be ready for spring 2014. The aim, says Mannino, is to make the cafe and garden “more of a destination” with greenery, an inviting, open design, twinkling lights, and easy stroller access. Those with kids, take note!

Park Bagels

75 Hamilton Ave.

Brooklyn, NY 11231

Hours:

M-F 6am-5pm

Sat 7am-3pm

Sun Closed

Donate a Coat to a Family in Need

Red Hook Playgroup & Jalopy are co-organizing a coat drive! The drive is running now through December 21st. People can bring their clean & gently used coats (child or adult) to Jalopy at 315 Columbia Street during their hours of operation (noon to midnight). The coats will benefit Brooklyn Families in need this winter.

Eat Pie and Shop at P.S.29 December 8

On Sunday December 8th, PS 29 is hosting its fifth annual Eat Pie and Shop holiday event. It's a pie social, celebrity-judged pie contest, artisan gift fair, professional portrait studio and children's activity (face painting, kids' choice pie contest, batiking) wrapped into one awesome family event.

Eat Pie and Shop at PS29
Sunday December 8, 11am - 4pm
425 Henry Street, between Baltic and Kane
www.eatpieandshop.org

* Pie Social: Taste delicious homemade and premium pies for $5 a slice or 5 for $20. Both sweet and salty options, so come for lunch and desert. Plus frozen custard from Shake Shack.
* Celebrity-judged pie contest: At 1pm, Gail Simmons, judge of “Top Chef,” Melissa Clark, food columnist for the New York Times and other kitchen pros will name the best pie of the pie contest. Come toast the winner and taste the winning pie.
* Artisan Holiday Gift Fair: Take care of your holiday shopping while the kids do crafts. More than 30 vendors from Brooklyn flea markets will be displaying and selling their handmade goods, including jewelry, clothing and beautiful paper products as well as books and classic toys from fork + pencil.
* Children's Crafts and Activities: Face painting, glitter tattoos, batiking and a Kids Choice pie contest of kid baked pies.
* Professional Portrait Studio: You can get a portrait of your child/children taken during the event. $30 for one high-resolution image which you can print, email, gift to grandparents, etc.
* Toys for Tots: U.S. Marines will be on hand to pick up all donations of holiday gifts.

All proceeds go to PS 29 programs. For more information, contact ps29eatpieandshop@gmail.com or visit www.eatpieandshop.org.

Help Red Hook Strategize for the Future!

TOMORROW, November 19, 7-8:30pm
New York Rising Community Reconstruction Program at the Miccio Community Center 
(110 West 9th Street between Henry & Clinton St.)

The NY Rising Community Reconstruction Program is helping communities impacted by Superstorm Sandy to rebuild and become more resilient through innovative community-driven plans that consider current damage, future threats to community assets, and the community's economic future. Over the past several months Red Hook's Community Committee has taken the community's input and with the help of our Planning Advisors, have identified and documented the Needs and Opportunities, local to our waterfront community.  You can see the final document published here - http://stormrecovery.ny.gov/nyrcr/community/red-hook. 

The Event will be a series of round table discussions so we can talk, neighbor to neighbor about our visions, and ideas, and explore our future reconstruction. 

The next step is to create a set of Strategies, linked to our Needs and Opportunities. These Strategies will lead to specific projects to help us reach our resilient community goals. Identifying these Strategies is critical to laying the foundation, and we need your voice and input.

Visit the Red Hook Community Reconstruction Program website for more information about the program, project and up to date process at redhookcrp.wordpress.com.

Join the conversation using #NYRising
Twitter.com/NYStormRecovery
Facebook.com/NYStormRecovery

If you want to provide more detail and input, see this interactive map where you can give detailed ideas on the shape of Red Hook's future: http://redhook.nyrisingmap.org/page/about

Informational Meeting about Rules and Regs for Bars and Restaurants

We love our local bars and restaurants, but living near a popular hangout can sometimes bring noise and other disturbances. Brooklyn Community Board 6 will host an informational meeting for Columbia Street Waterfront District residents on Monday night at the 76th Precinct. In an effort to better understand the rules and regulations governing restaurants and bars in our districts, representatives from the 76th Police Precinct will be on hand to answer any questions in respect to noise and other related issues. 

DATE: Monday, November 18, 2013
TIME: 7:00 pm
PLACE: 76th Police Precinct, 191 Union Street (between Henry and Hicks Streets)

Paper Shredding, Electronics Recycling, Rummage Sale and Bake Sale to Benefit Open House Nursery School

Protect Your Identity. Help Your Community. SHRED IT!
WHEN: Saturday, November 16, 10am-2pm
WHERE: Open House Nursery School, 318 Warren Street (between Court and Smith)
WHAT: Paper Shredding, Electronics Recycling, Rummage Sale and Bake Sale!

To raise funds for the school and as a service to the community Open House will have a professional shredding truck parked outside the school. Bring old bank statements and other confidential papers for shredding. In addition, we will collect small electronics for recycling. There will even be a rummage sale and delicious baked goods!

DOCUMENT SHREDDING. $10 for the first box/bag and $5 for each additional. ALL DOCUMENTS SHREDDED WHILE YOU WATCH!

RUMMAGE SALE. Come by and rummage for clothing and other treasures. All unsold goods will be donated to Wearable Collections.

ELECTRONICS. Acceptable items include inkjet/laser printer cartridges, GPS, iPhones, iPods, digital cameras, MP3 players, headphones, iPads and other tablets, and laptops. All items will be recycled responsibly.

All proceeds support Open House Nursery School and their financial aid program. Open House Nursery School is proud to be one of the few preschools in the neighborhood to provide financial aid. Part of their mission is to support families with limited income, as well as those who may encounter a sudden unexpected economic downturn.

Halloween Fun in the Neighborhood

You're invited to our neighborhood Columbia Waterfront Halloween Party and Parade on Sunday, October 27 from 10:00am to 12:30pm at Mother Cabrini Playground. Starting at 11 am, the Underground Horns band will lead the neighborhood costume parade. Come in costume, bring percussion instruments and get ready for a good time. 

This event is organized by volunteer members of the Urban Meadow Community Garden. Face painting, baked goods, coffee and hot chocolate and Urban Meadow t-shirts will be for sale with proceeds benefiting the Urban Meadow.Cabrini Playground and the Urban Meadow are on President Street between Columbia and Van Brunt.
http://urbanmeadowbrooklyn.blogspot.com/




Love Thy Pet's Halloween Party is Saturday, October 26 from 1:00pm to 3:00pm.
Bring your costumed pet between 1 and 2pm for the costume contest.
Guess the weight of the Pumpkin for a chance to win the door prize!
Enjoy cake, coffee, dog cake, and Doggy Goody Bags.
You can also get a free, professional photo shoot of your dog in costume, taken courtesy of Taryn Truese-Smith.
Love Thy Pet is at 164 Union Street (between Hicks & Henry)
http://lovethypetbklyn.com/
718-596-2399

Clayworks on Columbia's Children's Clay Class presents The Halloween Show
in the Clayworks Gallery Window October 30 - November 10. 

http://clayworksoncolumbia.org./

Spooooky... what other Halloween events are happening in the hood? Please let us know in the comments. Happy halloween, everyone!

How would YOU spend $1 million in the neighborhood?

Our City Councilmember Brad Lander's Participatory Budgeting process has begun! There is still time to submit ideas for improvements to the neighborhood. On the District Council 39 PB website you can post an idea, see what your neighbors are proposing, and support or comment on their ideas. The deadline is November 3rd. 

Through Participatory Budgeting, community members propose ideas and vote for how to spend at least $1,000,000 of the public budget in our Council District. If you have an idea about how things could work better in your community, share it on the map. Check out the guidelines to see what ideas can be funded. Your idea will be then reviewed, alongside all the others, based on its feasibility, the need it would address, and the number of people it would benefit. The top projects will be put on a ballot, and next April, all residents of the 39th Council District will be able vote on which to fund.

Go forth and make a real difference!

Rhombus Space -- New Gallery in Red Hook

www.rhombusspace.com

183 Lorraine Street

3rd Floor of the Art Spaces/Studio Complex
Red Hook

Jessica Campbell, YEAH NO TOTALLY, 

varying materials and size, 2012/2013

Poetry Slam exhibit (closed)

Ann Stewart, Tethering Corollaries II,
etching and aquatint on paper, 18 x 24"
Fine Lines exhibit (open Oct. 18)

Samuel Jablon, Poet Sculpture, variable 

dimensions, enamel on plywood, 2013

Poetry Slam exhibit (closed)

Katerina Lanfranco -- artist, curator and founder of Rhombus Space, in Red Hook -- is excited to be able to showcase and promote the work of artists whom she sees as truly contributing to the contemporary art dialogue. She opened Rhombus Space on September 20th of this year, and just wrapped up the space's first show, Poetry Slam, which closed Sunday, October 13. The show explored four artists' use of text in their visual art, and pieces included paintings, drawings, sculpture, installation and video. Featured artists were: damali abrams (lower case intentional), Jessica Campbell, Samuel Jablon, and Mwamba-Salim Wilson.

Lanfranco says that what gives Rhombus Space it's strength is "the dialogue that emerges from the grouping in each show", and invites people to not only focus on the individual artists and works, but on how they interact, how they compliment and inform each other.

Rhombus Space's forthcoming show, Fine Lines, is slated to open October 18, and aims to carry patrons "between familiar form and elegant abstraction" by exploring line as the primary artistic element and building block of the works shown. Featured artists will be Helen Dennis, Nils Folke Anderson, Jason Peters, and Ann Stewart, each of whom utilizes architectonic design and architectural references in their work, with the aim to bring the world of line and shape that is all around us into new and unexpected perspectives. Works will range from painting, drawing and printmaking to photography and sculpture.

Lanfranco is also hugely pleased to announce that the gallery will be participating in the Gowanus Open Studios event this weekend. The event is free, and will be open October 19 and 20, 12-5pm. Many of the other spaces and studios in the 183 Lorraine Street complex will be opening their doors for the event, so bring some snacks, some friends, yourself (or any combination thereof!) and enjoy some great hours of art absorption.

A few more teasers from Fine Lines:

Nils Anderson, Untitled, Acrylic on canvas, 7"x21"

Nils Anderson,Bench, Painted wood, 17"x13"x48"

Helen Dennis, Grand Central, NYC, photographic drawing, 40 x 48"

Jason Peters, untitled, silver ink on black paper, 11 by 11 by 16.5

Poetry Slam (closed)

September 20 -- October 13, 2013 

More information about this show and the artists can be found at:
http://rhombusspace.blogspot.com/2013/09/rhombus-space-presents-poetry-slam-w.html

Fine Lines
October 18 -- November 17, 2013
Reception: Friday October 18
6:00-8:00 PM
More information about this show and the artists can be found at:
http://rhombusspace.blogspot.com/2013/10/rhombus-space-presents-fine-lines.html

Gowanus Open Studios
October 19 -- 20, 1013
12:00-- 5:00 PM
More information about this event can be found at:
http://artsgowanus.org/gowanus-open-studios

Red Hook Playgroup Tours Now Available

Red Hook Playgroup is a progressive preschool founded by Red Hook parents, and the school has become an active part of our community. They are members of the community gardens and take their kids to Mother Cabrini Playground and field trips in the neighborhood. Priority is given to Columbia Waterfront and Red Hook residents, and they are now scheduling tours for families interested in applying for the 2014-2015 school year. Tours will take place from October to early December. See teachers and their classrooms in action, learn about RHP's educational philosophy and approach, and discuss any questions you have about the program and policies with RHP's Directors.

Visit www.redhookplaygroup.org to find more information and an application form. Once your form is submitted, you will receive an email within a few days confirming your tour date. 

Red Hook Playgroup is located at 295 Columbia Street between Woodhull and Summit. 

Brooklyn Collective 9th Anniversary Party

The Brooklyn Collective on Columbia Street is celebrating their 9th anniversary with a party on Friday night! Welcome 40 new collections from local artists and enjoy complimentary cocktails, live music and raffle prizes. 

Friday, October 4, 6-10pm
Brooklyn Collective
212 Columbia Street, Brooklyn, NY

http://www.brooklyncollective.com/

BBBB Bonanza at Summit Garden this Saturday!

The Summit Street Garden is planning a BBBB Bonanza! That would be a Bluegrass Blues Bulb Bake Bonanza! 
Summit Garden is selling bulbs for your garden and baked goodies at their Fall Fundraiser event this Saturday, September 28th 9:30am-4:30pm. (Rain date is Sunday, September 29th.) Enjoy your cookies with live Bluegrass music in the garden at 2pm. 

Summit Street Community Garden is at the corner of Summit St. & Columbia St.

If you can’t make it to the Bonanza you can still support the fundraiser at Summit Garden's online Bulb Sale: http://tinyurl.com/BBBB2013

All proceeds will be used to beautify Summit Street Garden.

Street Magic: Public Art on Columbia Street Sidewalks

Photo by Rafi Magnes

One evening in late April 2012, on my walk home, I noticed dozens of chalk arrows under my feet, in a rainbow of colors, pointing ahead. As I followed the arrows, the words "street magic" appeared repeating in different colors and configurations. Later I learned that a local young person had put on a sidewalk magic show that afternoon. The next morning I returned to photograph the arrows, but where the arrows had been a perfect square of sidewalk had been removed and the gap was ringed by construction tape. The next day a new square of slate-blue sidewalk magically appeared. Carved into it was a perfect silhouette of the tree growing next to it. This was one of six sites in a public art project by Nobuho Nagasawa, titled Timecast.

You have probably walked over these works hundreds of times over the past year and a half. There are six of them scattered throughout the Columbia Waterfront District, four of them on Columbia Street, one on Van Brunt at Degraw, and one on Hamilton Avenue outside the Backyard Garden.

Nagasawa's press materials describe the work and her process:
The shadow of newly-planted native New York trees was precisely traced at a certain time of the day on the bluestone sidewalk, and became visible as permanent silhouettes on the sidewalk. These tree silhouettes are sandblasted in the bluestone, which is not only quarried in New York, but has been used historically as a paving stone in this neighborhood, as well as in landmarked locations, such as around the New York Public Library and Bryant Park. I want the shadows to be literally 'set in stone,' and to appear as 'jewels' set in time, and to give the impression of time frozen, which is a historical record.


Photo by Rafi Magnes




Photo by Rafi Magnes

I wanted to know more about these tree shadows and how our quiet neighborhood had come to be the home for these works. I was able to reach Ms. Nagasawa by phone and she explained that "in 2004 this neighborhood was the site of a competition to design a work of public art." She won the commission, awarded by 1% for Art. The work of choosing sites and planting trees began, and in 2007 Nagasawa was awarded an Excellence in Design Award, an annual prize given by the City of New York Art Commission Award since 1982.

"It took a long time, the project was delayed because of unanticipated subsurface conditions, poor soil conditions under the ground." They also had to wait until street construction projects were completed before they could move ahead. In 2008, she and Signe Nielsen, the Columbia Street Project Landscape Architect and Vice President of the City of New York Design Commission handpicked the trees from Gowanus Nursery (formerly on Summit St, now on Van Brunt Street) and chose the sites.

"The site at Columbia and Baltic is first one - we call it 'Site One.' The next site is the one I spotted first, at Columbia and Sackett. The third one is by Union Street."

Site 6, at Van Brunt St and Degraw, is different than the others. It is closer to the waterfront. "People should slow down, pause. You can see Governor's Island and Statue of Liberty." But the other striking difference is that here there is no longer a tree, just the carving of its shadow "in memoriam." Nagasawa says, "At Site 6 we planted a Red Oak tree, and somebody came and cut the tree down; it was not an accident. We called the police and investigated." The act of vandalism was tough on Nagasawa. "It is like a little baby for me, tracing the shadow like making a cast of a baby's feet when it is born." The loss of the tree made Site 6 more of a political piece for her. "It brings attention to the fragile ecology. These trees are vulnerable."

Also part of the project are two time capsules, one at Site 5 (Hamilton and Van Brunt) and Site 6 (Van Brunt and Degraw), each in a bottle. "During the installation of the stone, one of the branches of the King Maple it was accidentally broken off. So I placed the tree branch and an artwork of mine, a glass nail I made, and an original site plan in that bottle." In Site 6's time capsule there is also a photograph of the installation.

I told the artist that I noticed rainwater pooling in the tree shapes, glistening. Did she imagine that happening? "I did, and I imagined in the wintertime, water getting in and freezing. i think it will be really beautiful, a frozen tree shadow."

What does she think it will mean for the neighborhood? "I want people who live there and walk there every day, a baby in stroller growing up into a teenager and seeing how it has changed. Since the trees will not continue to cast the same shadows as they grow taller, the shadows will become fixed markers by which the effects of time on the streetscape become apparent as the years pass."

Nagasawa spent the eight years visiting our neighborhood to plan and execute the project. I asked about her favorite place here. "I love the fact that there are so many little community gardens. That's what I noticed. I was really surprised about that. A lot of people have a green thumb here! I enjoyed talking to locals and actually became friends with some, exchanged emails. It was nice to meet the Columbia Street community. They seem really appreciative of the art. I hope they embrace it."

Read more about Nobuho Nagasawa at http://www.artnet.com/awc/nobuho-nagasawa.html.

The Word on Columbia Street Needs YOU

We are seeking more neighbors to blog about the best neighborhood in Brooklyn, perhaps the world!

Help us keep The Word on Columbia Street going as the only blog dedicated to news and history of our fascinating corner of Brooklyn.

Contact andreaoncolumbiast at gmail.com if you are interested in being a part of our team. We are all volunteers who love this neighborhood. You can write about what interests you: local businesses, family events, local history, etc.

Columbia Waterfront Fall Festival and garden tours Sept 14

Carroll Gardens Association is holding its Fifth Annual Columbia Waterfront Fall Festival on Saturday, September 14, 2013 from 12 PM to 6 PM. 

The Fall Festival runs from Degraw Street to Union Street on Columbia Street and from Columbia Street to Hicks Street on Union Street in the Columbia Street Waterfront District of Brooklyn. This is a free community event that's always a lot of fun. Last year the local restaurants were selling food outside, local hula hooper Celia was demonstrating techniques for the kids, and there was a stage with live music.

To complement the festival this year, from 12:00-1:30 pm, all of the community gardens in the Columbia Waterfront District will be part of a walking tour. The guided tour will begin at the Human Compass Garden on the corner of Columbia Street and Sackett Streets and will make a stop at each of these gardens along the way: the Amazing Garden, Summit Street Garden, Pirate's Cove Garden, the Backyard Garden, the Urban Meadow and then will end at the South Brooklyn Children's Garden. At each garden there will be current members to give a presentation about that garden, answer questions about what is going on in the garden and how to get involved. 

Amazing Garden's Best Grilled Sandwich Competition Sept 7

Next weekend, get yourself down to the Amazing Garden on Saturday, September 7th for their THIRD annual grilled sandwich competition!

How it works: three chefs compete for the title of best grilled sandwich (meat) and best grilled sandwich (vegetarian). This year's competitors: Lauren Rauh (Iris Cafe), Josh Kaplan (Dassara), and Morgan Jarrett (Nightingale 9). As sandwiches come off the grill, ticketholders get to sample them and vote on which was tastiest.

Entry: $15. It's a fundraiser, and all revenues will be used for maintenance and repairs of one of the most popular community gardens in our part of Brooklyn.

Benefits: continuous delicious food, live music, and beverages courtesy of Brooklyn Farmacy.

Time: 3 pm, Saturday September 7th

Location: The Amazing Garden, at the corner of Carroll St. & Columbia St. in Brooklyn.

Five Questions for Kings Coffee

If you ever walk down Carroll Street between Columbia and Van Brunt, you may have noticed a tiny espresso bar called Kings Coffee. Co-owned by brothers Dominic and John, Kings Coffee sells beans and coffee that they will lovingly brew for you have a few minutes to linger. We asked them to answer our Five Questions for a Local Business. 

1. How did Kings Coffee come to be in the Columbia Waterfront District?

My Great Grandfather, John Vitale, was an artist who immigrated to the United States from Napoli. He opened his photo studio on the 2nd floor of 221 Columbia Street and settled his family into the 3rd floor. Thus, Great Grandpa John established my family's roots on the Waterfront. As my brother John and I set out to find a home for Kings Coffee, fate steered us from other neighborhoods and led us back to where Great Grandpa John had his start.

2. What should we know about your coffee? Will you be selling beans as well as cups of coffee?

My brother and I spent two years apprenticing under a Master Italian Roaster in Bensonhurst whom everyone affectionately calls Mister Joe. After 50 years in the business, Mister Joe decided it was time to retire. And so, he taught John and I his traditions and trusted us to continue his legacy. Mister Joe has an incredible pallet and during his career he perfected two blends of coffee. These two blends of coffee, Mister Joe's Espresso and Mister Joe's Americano, as well as, a single origin Decaffeinato, can be purchased at Kings Coffee.

Kings Coffee also has a small Espresso Bar where you can purchase cups of coffee, mostly in the Italian style with a notable exception, the Breükelen Dutch. A nod to Brooklyn's roots and brewed with the first CoffeeGa Ridge 3.2 in the country, the Dutch Cold Brew method produces one of the finest cups, both smooth and flavorful with noticeably less acidity. You can purchase flasks of the Breükelen Dutch concentrate so you can take the experience with you on life's adventures. Better yet, come back with your stories and your bottle and we'll gladly refill it at a discounted rate.

3. What is your favorite spot in the Columbia Waterfront?

We are lucky to have Chris and his team at Christopher Webb Films as our neighbors. Having creative minds gathering just down the block – or with us when they escape for coffee breaks – is infectious and inspiring.

4. What's your favorite meal in the Columbia Waterfront?

Less of a meal and more of a snack. I have an awful sweet tooth and a wonderful chocolate factory to cater to it. The chocolate from Cacao Prieto is decadent and pairs wonderfully with our Breükelen Dutch, an indulgence you can only experience on the Waterfront.

5. Anything to add?

We will be celebrating our One Year Anniversary on August 4th. We would love to see you and your readers there.


Kings Coffee is offering Word on Columbia Street readers $1 off your next purchase at Kings Coffee when you mention The Word on Columbia Street, good until July 31st, 2013. Conditions apply. Limited one per customer.

Thanks, Dominic!


Kings Coffee is at 37 Carroll St (between Columbia and Van Brunt)
Website coming soon at http://www.kingsroasters.com/

Rooftop Films at the Waterfront Museum!

Rooftop Films comes to Red Hook on Thursday, August 1 at the Waterfront Museum aboard the 914 Lehigh Valley Barge #79, In the water at 290 Conover Street. (Next to Fairway.)

The Expedition to the End of the World (Daniel Dencik | Denmark | 88 min.) NY Premiere
Rooftop sets to sea for this spirited documentary about a three-mast sailboat full of daring artists and off-beat scientists exploring territory only recently revealed by polar ice melts.

*Preceded by:
Reindeer (Eva Weber | 6 min.)
A poetic study in movement and sound, this film takes you on a journey to the twilight expanses of the Lappish wilderness to experience the ancient practice of reindeer herding or ‘husbandry’.

7:30PM: Doors Open8:00PM: Live Music by Biet and Black
8:30PM: Films Begin
10:30PM-12:00AM: After Party at Brooklyn Crab (24 Reed Street) courtesy of Red Stripe & Tito's Vodka

Tickets and more information: http://rooftopfilms.com/2013/schedule/the-expedition-to-the-end-of-the-world/

South Brooklyn Children's Garden Bug Fest

The South Brooklyn Children’s Garden (SBCG) announces its inaugural bug festival,Saturday, July 20, 2013, from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. This SBCG public event will celebrate bugs for the central role that they play in the environment and in the SBCG garden. This event is open to the public and free.
“As our plants mature during July, bugs are standing room only in the garden. There's no better time than now to demonstrate the importance of bugs in the garden and food cycle," said garden founder Shannon Mulholland. “We are looking forward to inviting the neighborhood into our garden to learn about bugs and to enjoy all the garden has to offer."

Bug Festival activities will include:
Bug Costume Contest and Parade at 12 noon
Lady Bug and Praying Mantis Release
Butterfly Exploration
Arts and Crafts
Live music by The Dad Beats
Food will be provided by Margaret Palca Bakes, Italian ices by House of Pizza.

WHEN: Saturday, July 20, 11am – 2pm (rain date Sunday, July 21)
WHERE: South Brooklyn Children’s Garden, 204 Columbia Street (Corner of Sackett and Columbia Streets)

The South Brooklyn Children’s Garden is a community garden founded in August 2012 with a mission to provide a physical and education space for local children to learn about gardening, food cultivation, how it effects the environment and our local ecology. It is a member of New York City’s Green Thumb Program, a division of the Department of Recreation and Parks.http://www.southbrooklynchildrensgarden.org/.

Sunday Early Morning Implosion Scheduled for Governors Island

Tomorrow morning, Sunday, June 9th at 7:36 am, the tallest non-historic building on Governors Island is scheduled to be demolished by implosion opening up space for 30 acres of park to be added and views of the Statue of Liberty. While we may not hear or see the actual implosion from our windows, they are going to be broadcasting it live for your viewing pleasure on the Governors Island blog. They will open the feed up at 7:20 am so grab that cup of coffee and watch the live implosion (the first in the city since 2001) or if you want to see it first hand their blog lists the top 5 spots to view it from:


TOP 5 PLACES TO VIEW THE IMPLOSION
5) The foot of Pioneer Street, Red Hook, Brooklyn
4) Brooklyn Bridge Pedestrian and Bike Path, Brooklyn Heights, Brooklyn
3) Liberty State Park, Jersey City, New Jersey
2) Battery Park Promenade, Lower Manhattan
1) 7:30 AM Staten Island-bound Staten Island Ferry

Summit Street Community Garden Tag Sale

The Summit Street Community Garden Tag Sale is slated for Saturday June 8, from 9-3. However, if the rain is still falling the rain date is Sunday, June 9. 

Stop by for deals on books, clothing, CDs, LPs, jewelry and household items, as well as children's books, toys and clothing. They'll also have homemade pickles, jams and baked goods. Items will be priced to sell, but they're willing to bargain! All proceeds benefit the Summit Street Community Garden.

For more info:
http://summitstreetgarden.blogspot.com/

Give Our Columbia Street Trees Some Love

Columbia Street tree mulching flyer

Get together with neighbors on Saturday, June 14 for a tree-mulching party, sponsored by the Parks Department. Work will be done from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., starting at the corner of Columbia and Woodhull, and hey, free coffee and donuts. Ask for Wylie!

For more info email wylie.goodman [at] parks.nyc.gov. 

Last Minute Alert! Spring Carnival till 3pm!

BROOKLYN SPRING CARNIVAL FOR LITTLE KIDS

http://www.familiesfirstbroooklyn.org/

 

On Saturday, June 1st the Annual Spring Carnival will take place on Baltic Street, between Court and Clinton Streets in Cobble Hill. Sponsored by Families First, which is located on Baltic Street, the day is a celebration of family and community for families of toddlers to kindergarten-aged children.

 

The Carnival features the kids’ favorites: baby animals in a petting zoo, a bouncy house, face painting, spin art, tattoos, mini-carousel, carnival games, arts & crafts, a bake sale and balloons!

 

 

The Annual Spring Carnival is the principle fundraiser for Families First, a not-for-profit organization established in 1981 to provide families with children’s classes, workshops for parents, and an indoor PlaySpace.  Parents, caregivers, and young children, six months to 5years, find a warm and supportive educational environment here that prepares them to successfully enter the school age years. Other sources of support for Families First are membership and program fees, grants and donations. We would like to thank Ridgewood Savings Bank and Goldman Sachs for underwriting assistance for the 2013 Spring Carnival. Proceeds from the event will be used to support parent/child education programs at Families First.