Cinco de Derby, a Kentucky Derby Viewing Party at NU Hotel Brooklyn

NU Hotel Brooklyn will be hosting Cinco de Derby, a mashup event that is a combination of a Cinco de Mayo celebration and Kentucky Derby party.

Simultaneously celebrating the running of the 143rd Kentucky Derby and the Mexican independence day holiday, Cinco de Derby will serve up both Margaritas and mint juleps in this fiesta to watch the greatest two minutes in sports, the Kentucky Derby. The patio will be open and feature games for guests to play.

Highlights of the Day Include:

- Viewing of the 143rd Kentucky Derby
- Drink specials: Tequila Juleps and Bourbon Margaritas
- Complimentary Cinco de Derby snacks
- Games on the patio

The party is free and open to the public.

Downtown Brooklyn

RSVP: Cinco de Derby Tickets


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Hamilton: The Trolley Tour. Coming to Brooklyn Soon

Photo courtesy of Green-Wood

Here's an interesting, real history alternative or supplement to Broadway's "Hamilton": beautiful Green-Wood Cemetery has cooked up a Hamilton-filled trolley tour.

Although the lead, Alexander Hamilton, rests elsewhere, many family members and those who crossed his path are interred within Green-Wood’s 478 acres.

Green-Wood Historian Jeff Richman is the guide. Participants will visit Robert Troup, Hamilton’s college roommate with whom he had a lifelong close relationship; William Peter Van Ness, who was Aaron Burr’s “second” during that fateful duel in which Hamilton was slain; Hamilton’s son, John; Hamilton’s grandchildren, Elizabeth and Schuyler; and many others. You’ll also learn about Hamilton’s role in the Battle of Brooklyn – fought on land that is now part of Green-Wood.

The event takes place Saturday, May 13, from 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

The trolley tour is $25; $20 for members of the Green-Wood Historic Fund and members of the Brooklyn Historical Society.  Reservations are recommended.  If the trolley tour is not sold out, walk-ups will be accommodated on a first-come, first-served basis. To make an online reservation or to find out more information, visit www.green-wood.com/toursevents or call 718-210-3080.


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Brooklyn's New Unicorn Horn Store; Can't Dance in Brooklyn; Jehovah's Witnesses News; and More Brooklyn Briefs

Morning wisdom. Photo by MK Metz

 - Brooklyn man posing as teen extorted child porn out of young girls, authorities allege. [Daily News]

- A new store for unicorn horns is coming to Brooklyn, of course. [Time Out]

- Map: Where is it legal to dance in Brooklyn? Almost nowhere. [Patch]

- The NY Post says ‘stealthing’ is the newest dangerous sex trend. [NY Post]

- Jehovah's Witnesses start closing their Brooklyn Heights tunnels. [Brooklyn Eagle]

- Barbra Streisand at 75: A girl from Brooklyn makes it big. [DW]

- U.S. Jehovah’s Witnesses fear for safety of Russian followers after court bans religion. [Brooklyn Eagle]

- This weekend at House of Vans Brooklyn: Todd Francis’ "The Worst of the Worst” with special guest performance by Ho99o9 and The Blackouts. [House of Vans]

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Brooklyn Dental Scam; Another Pervy Brooklyn Tech Teacher; Bogus No Parking Signs In Cobble Hill; Domino Park; and More Brooklyn Briefs

Endless flowers. By MK Metz

- Brooklyn Tech teacher busted asking student for ‘workout’ pics. [NY Post]

- Brooklyn dentist indicted for hiring unlicensed men to perform procedures on Medicaid patients. [Daily News]

- Some of the first votes in French presidential election were cast in an old church building near the Gowanus Canal on Saturday morning. [Slate]

- Bogus No Parking signs at LICH site piss off Cobble Hill residents. [Brooklyn Eagle]

- New York Rep. Yvette Clarke told a town hall meeting in Brooklyn that taxpayers “cannot continue to pay” for President Donald Trump’s family’s business and travel arrangements. [Roll Call]

-The Brooklyn Broadway Islamic Center was destroyed in a fire on Saturday. Now a LaunchGood campaign is crowd-sourcing funds to rebuild. [LaunchGood]

- The Brooklyn district attorney’s office has told prosecutors to avoid, when possible, the deportation or detention of immigrants charged with certain misdemeanors or nonviolent crimes. [NY Times]

- Developer releases big plans for Domino Park in Williamsburg. [Brooklyn Eagle]

- Brooklyn Bridge Park announced the full lineup for its 18th annual outdoor screening series, "Movies with a View." Schedule here. [TimeOut]

- NY Attorney General Eric Schneiderman is investigating Trump’s possible ties to organized crime, which could involve RICO charges. [Bipartisan Report]

#Great Job #NYPD Harbor's Brooklyn Bridge launch #317 when they rescued a jet skier who fell into the East River in the vicinity of Wall St. pic.twitter.com/SX3FQs7bFG

— NYPD Special Ops (@NYPDSpecialops) April 24, 2017

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Did Charter School Delete Video Showing Crime? Plus: Asshole Neighbor; The Pigeon In the Kitchen Dilemma; and More Brooklyn Briefs

Goodmorning
Wish a nice day to all friends #Brooklyn Botanic Garden pic.twitter.com/ytBIGO3nJi

— PicPublic (@PicPublic) April 20, 2017

- Brooklyn charter school deleted video showing students sexually assaulting girl on bus: lawsuit. [Daily News]

- Asshole neighbor painted another Brooklyn brownstone owner's wall black, without her permission. [Daily Mail]

- Report: As homelessness increases, Brooklyn stands to lose thousands of units of affordable housing. [Brooklyn Eagle]

- Williamsburg woman comes back from long trip to find a pregnant pigeon in her kitchen, using an orange pasta strainer as a nest. [CBS]

- Parents say Crown Heights school did not disclose abnormally high levels of lead in water supply. [Pix11]

- Sheepshead Bay, old and new: Condos where El Greco Diner stood. [Brooklyn Eagle]

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David Byrne To Appear at BRIC OPEN Festival in Brooklyn

David Byrne, photo courtesy of BRIC

 David Byrne (co-founder of Talking Heads) will be sharing his "Reasons to be Cheerful" at the BRIC OPEN Festival on Apr 27 at 7:30 PM.

The BRIC blurb says, "David Byrne brings us a refreshing reminder that, despite troubling times, there are still many good, inspiring things happening in our community and in the world."

Check out this page to read about his recent amazing activities and RSVP for this free event.

Reasons to be Cheerful will be followed by an OPENing Night Dance Party with DJ Geko Jones.

BRIC House Stoop, 647 Fulton Street (enter on Rockwell Place). NOTE: Capacity on the BRIC House Stoop is limited, so arrive early.


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Squibb Park Bridge Finally Reopens; Shortcut to Brooklyn Bridge Park

The popular "bouncy" Squibb Park Bridge finally reopened after almost three years.

No one knows exactly WHY it took so long to repair the $4.1 million bridge that connects Brooklyn Heights to Brooklyn Bridge Park, but there it is.

Photo by MK Metz

 The timber bridge doesn't bounce nearly as much as it used to but it's much more stable, engineers from Arup, the engineering firm brought in by the park for repairs, told the Brooklyn Eagle.

 McBrooklyn took a stroll along the bridge today and found it was sound. Kids jumped up and down on it trying to get some action, but not much bounce was found.

Photo by MK Metz

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Panic in Coney Island; Schneiderman Leads Trump Opposition; Machete Attack on Fulton Street and More Brooklyn Briefs

Paul Manafort's Brooklyn neighbor... pic.twitter.com/HnATDTvVe1

— Eric Umansky (@ericuman) April 16, 2017

- False reports of gunshots being fired at Coney Island's amusement park set off a stampede on Sunday, with screaming crowds racing in all directions. [Daily News]

- Fight Back Bay Ridge: With Donovan absent, Brooklyn constituents plan town hall. [Brooklyn Eagle]

- Dem AGs, with Eric Schneiderman in the lead, join front lines of Trump opposition. [The Hill]

- Police are asking for the public's help in identifying a man wanted in connection to a machete assault on Fulton Street. [News 12]

- Two thieves break into Midwood synagogue, beat caretaker with broomstick. [Daily News]

- ICYMI: City memo suggests BQX may not be financially feasible after all. [Politico]

- ICYMI: Brooklyn Heights Association's Pier 6 lawsuit to stay in Manhattan. [Brooklyn Eagle]

- A 15-year-old boy has been arrested and charged with the murder of a Brooklyn man whose body was found buried in a snowbank last month. [Daily Mail]

- Rep. Dan Donovan has asked the MTA to study the impact of reestablishing a two-way toll on the Verrazano Bridge. [Brooklyn Paper]

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Home Sales Rocket; Living in a Brooklyn Church; Wild Brawl Ends in Death; and More Brooklyn Briefs

Brooklyn Botanic Garden by @rtanphoto #newyork #nyc pic.twitter.com/zEl5lpghLy

— NYC Daily Pics (@NYCDailyPics) April 14, 2017

- Home sales in Brooklyn jumped the most in seven years while the supply of listings hovered near a record low, pushing buyers toward bidding wars. [Bloomberg]

- Man stabbed to death in wild brawl outside Brownsville building. [Daily News]

- The $10.7 million condo and other Pierhouse tales. [Brooklyn Eagle]

- You can live in a 19th century Brooklyn church for $822 per month. [Time Out]

- This guy attacked and robbed a woman on the A train. Do you recognize him?  [NYPDNews]

- A 42-year-old ex-model accused of murdering a Brooklyn man he was staying with after meeting him at a club stabbed him 20 times in a drugged rage. [Daily News]

- ICYMI: Cops evacuate sections of Brooklyn Bridge Park on Tuesday due to large, disorderly crowds. [Brooklyn Eagle]

- The passenger dragged off the United flight suffered a concussion, a broken nose and the loss of two teeth, his lawyer says. [The Hill]

It's the first day of good weather in Brooklyn pic.twitter.com/UZPU1ZXS62

— LEGEND (@ChriStylezz) April 11, 2017

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Trash Bugs in Cobble Hill

 These bags were piled up on Court Street in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn, in front of a private school on Thursday.

Upon closer inspection, we saw they were labeled, "Trash bugs do not open."

So many thoughts. About the shape of the bags, what was in them, what kind of bugs, how many ...

We did not open the bags. We took the photos and then walked quickly away.

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Easter Egg Hunt at Fort Greene Park, Brooklyn, this Saturday

Bring the kids to Fort Greene Park this Saturday for Councilmember Laurie Cumbo's District 35 Easter Egg Hunt.

Join BAM for arts and crafts, enjoy storytime or sign up for a library card with the Brooklyn Public Library, hop along to music from a DJ, and enjoy magic and face painting. The Easter Bunny might make a special appearance...

There will be 2,000 prize-filled eggs available for the taking. BYOB - Bring Your Own Basket.


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Saturday: Spring Festival & Family Day at Amersfort Park, Flatlands, Brooklyn

On Saturday, April 15, enjoy the spring weather, music, arts and crafts, games and an Easter Egg hunt at Amersfort Park, E. 38 St. bet. Ave. I and Ave. J in Flatlands, Brooklyn.


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Rock & Roll Hall of Fame at Barclays; Serial Police Impersonator; Brook-Krasny's Fall; and More Brooklyn Briefs

The time has come, the time has come, the time has come today. Fantastic @lcdsoundsystem show at beautiful new venue Brooklyn Steel. pic.twitter.com/cvrkTc7u6T

— Casey Landman (@ChickPhilA) April 11, 2017

Brooklyn Steel. [DNAinfo]

- Police impersonator steals thousands from Brooklyn businesses. [CBS]

- Barclays Center hosts 32nd annual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. [Brooklyn Eagle]

- Brooklyn’s development boom will likely resume soon as lawmakers pass a 421-a tax break. [Brownstoner]

- An employee of an East Williamsburg building supply company died Monday after a flatbed truck struck him in a parking lot. [Daily News]

- A woman was grazed by a bullet in Brownsville after a fight broke out nearby on Monday night. [abc7]

- Mom and grandma fight off maniac who tried to grab baby in Brooklyn subway. [Daily News]

- Inside Alec Brook-Krasny’s stunning fall from grace. [Brooklyn Eagle]

- Brooklyn Bazaar is relaunching its night market for the season. [Time Out]

- Alec Baldwin at BAM this Sunday. [BAM]

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Park Slope, Brooklyn is as Big as Monaco

Map data copyright Google

 Once in a while we play with Wolframalpha.com, the computational knowledge engine, to figure out something pointless.

Today's useless exercise was computing the area of different Brooklyn neighborhoods.

We started with Brooklyn Heights. Wolfram Alpha quickly figured out the neighborhood's area is 180 acres, or .28 square miles.

What's nice is W/A then goes on to give us comparisons:

- The area of Brooklyn Heights is, for example, equal to 1.2 times the total floor area of the Pentagon.

- It's also 1.7 times the total area of Vatican City.

- It is also 13 times the area of the base of the Great Pyramid of Giza.

Nice to know!

Plugging in different Brooklyn neighborhoods, we found that Cobble Hill's area is smaller than Brooklyn Heights, at 89 acres.

But the area of Bedford-Stuyvesant, at 4.2 square miles (a whopping 2,700 acres), is equal to one eighth the area of Manhattan.

Whereas Park Slope is 639 acres, equal to one square mile or .... the area of an adult male cougar's home range! Or the total area of Monaco!

To research weird factoids or perform calculations yourself, visit Wolfram Alpha and type in an English language query, such as "area williamsburg, brooklyn, nyc."

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Get Ready for More 'Planned Flyovers' Over NYC

A Cessna 208B SKS Caravan by Shawn from Airdrie, Canada

Notify NYC tells us that we can expect "planned flyovers" in the wee hours of the morning (between the hours of 1 a.m. and 6 a.m.) from now until August. The city says  a low-flying Cessna 208 aircraft will be conducting "laser mapping of the NYC shorelines in all five boroughs. The aircraft will be flying at an altitude of approximately 1,475 feet and will be using a laser to measure erosion."

At the same time, Notify NYC also warns us of another set of planned flyovers that started April 8 and will continue until April 15, from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., centered over Midtown Manhattan. In this case, the flyover will be conducted by a tan/brown/yellow PA 27 Piper Aztec aircraft with tail #N170TA.

Recent Activity

There have been numerous flyovers in recent months. There was a flyover on March 30: "Three helicopters at low altitudes conducting aerial photography," we're told.

And on March 25, eight Alpha Jets conducted a flyover in the vicinity of the Hudson River and the Statue of Liberty.

Just the day before, on March 24, we were told to expect "three helicopters at low altitudes conducting aerial photography."

Another flyover was set for March 13, this one with 10 military helicopters which were conducting an "exercise over NYC at an altitude of 500-1,000 feet."

And another one on March 5: the same tan/brown/yellow PA 27 Piper Aztec aircraft with tail #N170TA, flying over.

Wow, what a lot of flyovers! (We're assuming that some of this activity has to do with Trump, since it picked up with his election as president.)

So there's no need to be alarmed. If you see a plane buzzing your building, it's likely just your government (and your taxes) at work.


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Sorry for Delay, McBrooklyn Has the Flu....

Sorry we haven't been at our post for a few days, we're down with the flu here in McBrooklynland.

Hang on, we'll be back as soon as possible!

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Record-Breaking DUMBO Sale; Spaghetti Donuts; Brooklyn Bridge Park Boathouse and More Brooklyn Briefs

It appears a small pond is growing at Brooklyn Bridge Park, to the surprise of the owners of these vehicles. Construction materials have also been swamped. Photo  by MK Metz 

- Tick tock: DUMBO's Clock Tower penthouse sells for a record-breaking $15 million. [Brooklyn Eagle]

- Police are looking for a thief who broke into a Borough Park synagogue and made off with religious texts worth almost $250,000. [CBS]

- VIDEO: NYPD cop pulls out Taser while shooing Brooklyn students along, asks 'Do you wanna ride the lightning?' [Daily News]

- The geniuses at Brooklyn’s Pop Pasta have made a donut out of spaghetti. [The Daily Meal]

- Gowanus artist furious as muddy water floods her home and studio. [CBS]

- First look at Brooklyn Bridge Park Boathouse. [Brooklyn Eagle]

- Huge ice ball from Gowanus Expressway smashes through window, hitting young girl in the face. [NY Post]

- Businesses, buildings evacuated in Williamsburg after gas main break on Saturday. [News12]

And on April 1, we read:

- Following the success of Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams curing his type 2 diabetes after adopting a vegan diet, the New York City Council has unanimously passed a bill that will result in the entire borough eschewing all animal products by the end of 2017. [VegNews]


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