Millions in Brooklyn and Outer Boroughs to Starve Wednesday

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The city girded itself for mass panic as the news leaked out over the weekend that FreshDirect will close next Wednesday to allow the company’s 1,800 employees to go to a company picnic.

According to Crain's NY Business, the shut-down is meant to be a celebration of FreshDirest's fifth year of business. But the revelation shook Brownstone Brooklyn to its core.

"OMG!" was the typical shocked reaction.

A correspondent from Brooklyn's delivery-excluded 11216 zip code laughed diabolically, shouting, "NOW you see how it feels! Hahahaha!"

Free Music in Cobble Hill Park

Click photo to see dates and times of upcoming performances.

Photo by MK Metz

The Awesome 'Swoon' in Brooklyn Bridge Park

'Swoon,' a most unusual theater/dance/performance piece by Australia's Strange Fruit was awesome Saturday in Brooklyn Bridge Park. In the 20 minute performance, the four-member cast swayed eerily on poles above the crowd, acting out themes of love, despair and redemption.

In case you missed it, here are two video clips from one of Saturday's performances.






Photo and videos by MK Metz

Mayor Says 'Nowhere to Go for Lunch' in Brooklyn Heights, Downtown Brooklyn!

The Mayor and his staff are enjoying the peace and calm of Brooklyn Heights, reports the Brooklyn Paper. (They're staying in the OEM Building off Cadman Plaza East -- technically Downtown Brooklyn -- for a couple of weeks while the Mothership is being repaired.)

“The only problem we have is there is nowhere to get lunch,” said one officer who was relocated to the OEM building from City Hall.

Nowhere to go for lunch! OMG! Whatsa matter you guys!!!

Please, Mayor and staff, if you're reading this, make sure you visit several of the restaurants on this list before you leave next Friday:

Rice Dumbo 81 Washington Street: Mayor, you are SO in the delivery zone. But why not walk down to 81 Washington Street in DUMBO? Go out to Cadman Plaza East (the one they've blocked off with all the police stuff?), take a right and walk under the overpass. Take you five minutes and you'll be there. I recommend the Indian chicken curry -- chicken in a luxurious, creamy, mild curry, with mushrooms and raisins, served topped with yogurt, banana, almonds and raisins - mango chutney served on the side.

Teresa's, 80 Montague Street: Forget the sandwiches. The best little perogies in Brooklyn Heights. Get 'em boiled and served with applesauce and onions. The blintzes have been called "sublime." And don't talk to me about the borscht! Hard boiled eggs in the borscht, Mayor.

Lassen & Hennigs 114 Montague Street: It's the best take-out deli on the street, maybe in Brooklyn, been here for more than 50 years, with sandwiches named for Brooklyn neighborhoods -- like the "Boerum Hill" (fresh turkey with cranberry sauce, red onion, lettuce, tomato and mayo on a honey raisin roll). So order out!

Tutt Cafe 47 Hicks Street: Best Middle Eastern food in Brooklyn Heights. Many like the Lambajin - a 10" Middle Eastern pizza with lamb, onion, tomato, parsley & spices. Get some Loomi to drink.

Monty Q's 158 Montague Street: Do you like organic field green salads with dried cranberries, blue cheese and rasberry vinaigrette? I recommend adding the grilled chicken. An absolutely fabulous salad, just right for summer.

Grimaldi's Pizzeria 19 Old Fulton Street: You kiddin' me? They start lining up at 11 o'clock, while the staff fires up the coal brick ovens. Grimaldi's was rated as "New York City's Number One Pizza" by Zagat and Citysearch. You just walk down Cadman Plaza West, for God's sake! (It turns into Old Fulton.)

Fortune House 82 Henry Street: Called the "best Chinese take out in Brooklyn Heights." It's not Chinatown, but it's clean and the food is good, solid Chinese comfort food. Norman Mailer used to order the Moo Shu pork for lunch (the Moo Shu chicken is also great). It's no more than five minutes from the OEM building. All the judges eat there.

Any other suggestions for the Mayor?

Previous post on this topic: Just a Few Changes as Mayor Comes to Brooklyn

Photo of mussels courtesy of Lassen & Hennigs

'Swoon!' at Brooklyn Bridge Park Saturday

Australia's Strange Fruit presents "Swoon!" Saturday in Brooklyn Bridge Park at 4 p.m., 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. This is one of those must see-it-to-believe-it performances.

Strange Fruit is an open-air performing arts company that performs work that fuses theater, dance, and circus, using elevated sway poles. "Swoon!" is a 20-minute performance which takes place up in the sky.

For more information visit the sponsors, the Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy.

Photo courtesy of Strange Fruit.

Brooklyn Bridge Park Beach, a.m.

Little white umbrella stumps emerge from the sand of One Brooklyn Bridge Beach Brooklyn Bridge Park Beach, Thursday morning 9 a.m.

Previous Brooklyn Bridge Park postings here.

Photo by MK Metz

Nature's Bounty in Brooklyn

Crops that would make any farmer proud grow in a little community garden in Willowtown, Brooklyn.







Photos by MK Metz

Chapin Family to Gather on Governor's Island for Big Sing

The Chapin family (Tom, Steve, Jen, daughters Abigail Chapin, Lily Chapin and Jessica Craven, plus longtime bassist Big John Wallace) are all coming together on Governor's Island to celebrate the music of Brooklyn's late beloved Harry Chapin. The family (and Harry's original band) will be singing "Taxi," "Cats In The Cradle," "Mr. Tanner," "Circle" and other favorites.

The concert will take place 1:30 July 14th as part of the Island's American Folk Music Festival, called "Folks on the Island."

See Brooklynvegan for other Governor's Island concerts.

Photo of Tom Chapin and friends by Mil8, Creative Commons license.

Brooklyn Bikers Seeing Green

Could be that the NYC Department of Transportation actually listened to groups like Transportation Alternatives, which advocates painting bike lanes a solid color in order to improve visibility and curb blockage by motor vehicles. The bike lane above runs along Henry Street in Brooklyn Heights.

Looks like it might be working. While a car did drive into the bike lane, it quickly -- "Oops!" -- swerved back out again.

UPDATE: The Brooklyn Eagle has posted a short article that says, "The city Department of Transportation is testing color schemes that would make bike lanes more visible and keep cars away." More here.

UPDATE: A tip that the Tillary Street bike lane was also painted turns out to be mistaken. Only Henry Street in Brooklyn Heights has been "greened" so far.

Previous posts on bike lane issues in Brooklyn here.

Photo by MK Metz

Everybody Gonna Hula to Brooklyn Trader Joe's

Racked (via Gothamist) breaks the news from a "reliable tipster" that a press conference will be held Thursday at 10:40 a.m. at the Trader Joe's Brooklyn site on Atlantic Avenue and Court Street. The conference, led by Brooklyn's very own beach bum Marty Markowitz, is to officially announce that the tropical-themed store will be opening at the site of the old Independence Savings Bank.

Racked's tipster says there'll be a parade with music from a Brooklyn-based Caribbean steel drum band, starting outside Marty's office at 209 Joralemon Street at 10:30 (Marty will be wearing Hawaiian garb) which will travel to the TJ's site at 130 Court Street.

More here.

UPDATE: To see a photo of Jed Walentas, Jim Poppe, Assemblymember Joan Millman; Councilmember Bill de Blasio and Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz wearing Hiwaiian shirts, click here.

Three previous Trader Joe's posts here.

Photo by MK Metz