More Details on Radio Shack Robbery, Brooklyn Heights

The Brooklyn Eagle reports that those police helicopters buzzing over Brooklyn Heights yesterday morning were related to the robbery that took place at the Radio Shack on Montague Street.

The Eagle reports that the robbers -- holding an employee at gunpoint -- cleaned out the cash register and stole several iPods. It’s believed the crooks also used an UPS truck to drive out of the neighborhood.

More here. 

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All Hallows Eve Bash at One Brooklyn Bridge Park

The Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy's Junior Committee sent us this information about their first Halloween party -- the All Hallows Eve Bash. The bash will be held at One Brooklyn Bridge Park (360 Furman Street, entrance through retail on waterside of building) on Saturday, October 30, 8:00pm-1:00am
 

More details from the Junior Committee:

Enjoy cocktails - including Blood and Sand, a signature Halloween cocktail provided by Highland Park Scotch Whiskey, music, dancing, a costume contest, video decoration by local artist Geoff Matters, festive atmosphere and more. All proceeds support free public programming in Brooklyn Bridge Park.

All ticket prices include admission, drinks, music, food, dancing and costume contest.

- Mischief Maker: $400 Friend Pack for 10 - (deadline pushed to 10/29 due to popularity)

- Prankster: $100 VIP tickets (includes a special gift bag with the new book, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart Presents Earth (The Book): A Visitor's Guide to the Human Race, Highland Park Scotch Whiskey, Conservancy-shirts and more.)

- Trickster: $50 in advance/ $65 at the door

Buy Tickets here


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Radio Shack on Montague Street Robbed Tuesday Morning

The Radio Shack on Montague Street in Brooklyn Heights was robbed in a brazen Tuesday morning heist, according to the Brooklyn Eagle.

The Eagle says that the robbers used a UPS truck and may have worn UPS uniforms.

More here.

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It's Coming!!! A Pre-Halloween Stroll Around Brooklyn

In case you weren't aware of it, Halloween is coming. People seem to be throwing themselves into it a bit more than usual this year.

 The window at Perfect Paws in Brooklyn Heights (don't forget the Howl-o-Ween Doggie Costume Parade this Saturday!) features a pumpkin bearing the words, "Trick or Treat, Smell My Feet." It's stuffed with rubber chickens and a witch.

This window ledge on Atlantic Avenue always puts on a good display, no matter the holiday.

They weren't quite finished with this stairway but it's shaping up nicely.

 Maybe the scariest thing in this window is the "Grade Pending" sign.

If you need a costume or a wig, better get it now. You know how those lines get at Ricky's right before Halloween!

 Ricky always goes out of his way to make you feel comfortable.

 There he is again, a little taller this time.

An employee said that the most popular costumes are Lady Gaga and Snooki.

But we liked these best.

Another satisfied Ricky's customer.

Photos by MK Metz

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Owner of Gold's Gym Criticized for Donating Millions to Anti-Gay Political Group

Gay groups have publicized a petition demanding answers from Gold's Gym about the $2 million donated by its owner -- Robert Rowling -- to American Crossroads, Salon reports. American Crossroads, says Salon, is spending millions to elect GOP candidates who are anti-gay  -- like Roy Blunt, who wants to rewrite the U.S. Constitution to ban gay marriage.

Gold's Gyms are located all across the country. Pictured above is the gym on Livingston Street in Downtown Brooklyn, one of two Gold's Gyms in Brooklyn.

The online petition has gained about 3,000 signatures

The petition says that Gold's "markets and caters to LGBT customers," but unfortunately, "the candidates that Rowling's money is being used to elect are some of the most vehemently anti-gay politicians in the country."

Photo courtesy of Google Maps

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Smith Street Soup Festival Our New Favorite Brooklyn Thing

What a great idea -- the Smith Street Soup Festival was a blast and the soups were outstanding. Saturday afternoon crowds of people walked up and down Smith Street in Boerum Hill, getting little cups of soup at 21 participating Smith Street restaurants.

We sampled delicious pasta fagiole from Lunetta, spinach and lentil soup from Bar Tabac (shown above), mulligatawny from Raga, lobster bisque from Verde, a creamy vegetable soup from Athena and many more. All it cost was $5 for a little blue wristband.

Some restaurants set up tables on the sidewalk, while others set up inside. There were long lines in front of many but they moved very fast (it was just soup, after all). The lines attracted more soup eaters who wanted to know, "What's going on here? How do we get some soup?"

The restaurants started running out a little early. They probably didn't anticipate how popular this event was going to be.

The Soup Festival -- instigated by Bette Stoltz, of the South Brooklyn LDC -- was a benefit for the HS For International Studies Culinary Arts Program and the South Brooklyn LDC.


UPDATE: PMFA has the winners of the gold and silver "ladels" here.


Photos by MK Metz

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Good Times at Packer's Pumpkin Patch, Brooklyn Heights

This weekend was just full of kid-friendly Halloween-themed activities in Brooklyn, and the weather gods smiled down on all of them. Here are a few photos from a Brooklyn Heights favorite, Packer's annual Pumpkin Patch. Every year the Pumpkin Patch takes over Joralemon Street, several floors at Packer Collegiate Institute and the back school yard.

Kids decorated apples with marshmallows, gumdrops and the ever popular cocktail umbrellas.

Joralemon Street was full of bouncy rides and carnival games. Every year we wish we could do this one.

The Packer PTA puts unbelievable effort into the Pumpkin Patch. This boy had a conversation with a friendly little ghost at one of not one but two haunted houses.

 This popular contest features two kids vying against each other to see who will be the first to pump up their balloon till it pops. Every time a balloon burst, it was incredibly loud and very satisfying.

Saturday, the Harvest Festival at Brooklyn Bridge Park was also a big hit.

- Packer Pumpkin Patch 2009 
- Packer Pumpkin Patch 2008  

Photos by MK Metz

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Kanye West at Brooklyn Bowl, Taxi Problems, and More Brooklyn Briefs

- Kanye West appeared onstage at Brooklyn Bowl Sunday morning, wearing a "hubcap-sized gold eagle's head pendant, a gargantuan two-finger pyramid ring and what appeared to be a hooded black terrycloth bathrobe." (Video) Rolling Stone

- Turns out the floor of the Narrows and Gravesend Bay has been littered with thousands of rounds of live ammo since a military accident in 1954. NY Post 

- Brooklyn Bridge Park Corporation has hired a firm to explore how the park can be funded with sources other than high-rise housing. Brooklyn Eagle 

- Man claims a taxi dragged him, injuring his head, after refusing to take him to Brooklyn.  Gothamist 

- Sheepshead Bay mosque is back on.  Brooklyn Paper

- Holy Hipsters! Religion is breaking out in Williamsburg.  NY Post

- 'Best Pizza in Williamsburg' opens its doors. Brooklyn365  

- So the world may not actually end in 2010.  NY Magazine

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Harvest Festival at Brooklyn Bridge Park a Hit

Families by the hundreds trekked to the fall Harvest Festival at Brooklyn Bridge Park's Pier 6 Saturday morning. There was a sweet little pumpkin patch on a grassy hill, which toddlers loved, along with activities like arts and crafts, face painting, and pumpkin decorating.

 Kids decorated picture frames in an activity provided by Half Pint Kids.

Pumpkin decorating.

 Ditch Plains (Drop-In) fried up mini-dogs.

The Deedle Dee’s provided entertainment.

It was one of the first of several Halloween-themed events taking place in Brooklyn this weekend.

Photos by MK Metz

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Brooklyn Halloween Events This Weekend (October 23 -24)

Halloween starts early this year, with two full weekends of events, especially for kids.

On Saturday there's a Harvest Festival at Brooklyn Bridge Park's Pier 6, the Gravsend Inn Haunted Hotel at City Tech (pretty impressive, even for grownups), Halloween plays, a pumpkin patch fest, spooky stuff at the NY Aquarium, Ghouls and Gourdes at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden and Packer's Pumpkin Patch festival.

Complete listings of these and more can be found at the Brooklyn Eagle (all Brooklyn events) and Mommy Poppins (NYC events)

Photo by MK Metz

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