Bklyn Designs 2009: Eco & Family-Friendly

danielmoyerdesign&fabrication

Crowds of design-lovers have been checking out the furniture, lighting, wall coverings, etc. at BKLYN DESIGNS this weekend. Sunday is the last day, so make sure to head out to Dumbo. This year's event features 45 Brooklyn designers, smaller than last year's show but they're a choice lot.

The furniture and layouts were inspirational. ("Didn't know you could do that.") Nice to see an eco-friendly trend as well, with lots of reclaimed wood, industrial materials and even tennis balls. (More about the green highlights at the Brooklyn Eagle).

Takeshi Miyakawa Design

Nebu Chamdelier umproject.com

There's a Mother's Day storytime at Iglooplay on Sunday, plus a flower-designing seminar from 2 - 4 p.m.; other events on Sunday here. You can catch the Brooklyn Flea Sunday in Dumbo as well (76 and 81 Front Street).

Eric Manigian Studio

Hugh Hayden Design

Lots of fun kids stuff as well -- seems like everyone wanted to sit on Hugh Hayden's ball-pit furniture (our phrase). Arginton's children's furniture was nicely situated at Jane's Carousel.

- Extreme Makeover in Dumbo (Bklyn Designs 2008)

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Brooklyn's Walt Whitman Park -- New Design Calls For 'Great Lawn,' Fountain

Bids will go out this summer for a $4.5 million facelift for Walt Whitman Park, the 2.9-acre rectangle south of the OEM Building between Cadman Plaza East and Adams Street, according to the Brooklyn Eagle.

The Department of Parks’ preliminary design (see the Eagle for the schematic) calls for "a planted median at the Cadman Plaza East entrance, a green, mound-shaped oval in the middle of the park surrounding a 'great lawn,' and a fountain that will double as a sprinkler for children."

The city gave the long-neglected park to the feds several years ago for use as a parking lot while the new federal courthouse was being built. In 2007, federal officials promised the city $2.5 million to fix the park up once they were done with it.

While one of the goals is to integrate Walt Whitman Park with Cadman Plaza Park across Cadman Plaza East, there seem to be conflicting plans for the street. One plan is to de-map Cadman Plaza East for use as a landscaped bike and pedestrian mall; the other calls for ramped up security, including “ballistic bunkers” at either end.

A New Day Dawns for Walt Whitman Park -- Brooklyn Eagle

- Walt Whitman Park Finally Loses Its Parking Lot

Photo by MK Metz

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Fake Bird, Brooklyn Heights

Two of these fairly realistic birds are wired into a tree on Orange Street in Brooklyn Heights.

Photo by MK Metz

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Gargoyle, Soda Fountain King, Green-Wood Cemetery

John Matthews, who was buried at Green-Wood Cemetery in 1870, invented the soda fountain and popularized carbonated beverages, which earned him the nickname "The Soda Fountain King." According to Find a Grave, his monument was designed by Karl Muller and cost $30,000.

From a fascinating article at American Heritage:

"It is, to be sure, no mean monument, for above a recumbent marble likeness of Matthews rises a granite Gothic canopy and spire to a height of thirty-six feet, richly carved all over with gargoyles, evangelists, expiring Matthews relatives, flora, fauna, and elaborate bas-reliefs representing great moments in the life of the deceased. Designed and partially executed in his own workshop, this imposing potpourri looks very much like one of Matthews’ own “cottage” soda fountains at the height of that eclectic art form. But the benefactor’s true monument is to be found in nearly every drugstore, luncheonette, and department store in America; his handiwork lives on every Main Street."

Photo by MK Metz

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Yassky: Fireworks Should Remain At Their 'Rightful Home'

Moving the fireworks to the West Side is so not cool. Years of tradition would be shot -- BBQs, buying hot dogs near the Promenade, hanging out at Empire/ Fulton Ferry State Park, conning our way into some party overlooking the waterfront.

The restaurants and vendors in Brooklyn Heights, DUMBO and Williamsburg must be in a state of shock. Got this in the email today:

Council Member David Yassky today issued the following statement regarding the decision to move the Fourth of July fireworks show from the East River to the West Side:

“The annual Fourth of July fireworks show on the East River and over the internationally-recognized Brooklyn Bridge is one of our City’s greatest spectacles. Moving the show to New Jersey would negatively impact thousands of tourists and residents who come to Manhattan and Brooklyn to enjoy the show, and the countless local business that stand to benefit from the event. I urge Macy’s to split the show so that Brooklyn residents are not robbed of this important tradition and influx of economic activity during this moment of economic uncertainty.”

Photo by MK Metz

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Peter Luger Doing 'Better Than the Mafia?' And More Brooklyn Briefs

- Is Peter Luger "doing better than the Mafia?" Desperate times at Morton's. The Three Tomatoes

- Disorder in the court: Arguments became a bit heated in Brooklyn Supreme Court Tuesday after a hearing in the lawsuit against a real estate developer in Park Slope. Brooklyn Eagle

- This year's Viking Fest takes place on May 16 at Owls Head Park in Bay Ridge. Brooklyn Paper

- Types of Brooklyn Girls -- sort of a 1902 version of Gossip Girl -- in Brooklynology.

- Take the Gangster Walking Tour of Red Hook where you can "relive the infamy of gangster-era Red Hook and the life and times of beatnik mobster Joey Gallo." Brownstoner

- The Flatbush Rezoning Proposal public hearing is this Thursday at Borough Hall. Flatbush Gardener

- Streetsblog says that Albany has reached an MTA deal. Streetsblog

- Belgian block reconstruction starts this week in DUMBO. DumboNYC

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20 Henry Street Sales Office Dismantled -- UPDATE

Last November everyone was invited to the Open House party for 20 Henry Street (Peaks Mason Mints/“candy factory” building), held at the Sales Office at 114 Henry Street. There was a live band and wine tastings, while down the block demolition of the courtyard at 20 Henry Street -- once the site of artwork and landscaping -- was underway.

Monday, however, workmen carted lumber out of the shuttered and papered-over Sales Office (above).

Last month work at 20 Henry Street stopped. AIG, which put millions in equity into the deal, sued the developers Shelly Listokin, Stan Listokin and David Tropper, according to Brownstoner.

Meanwhile, bits of lumber seem to be making their way around the scaffolding and off the roof, and there's the occasional complaint from someone worried about falling into that enormous pit they've dug where the courtyard used to be.

UPDATE: The owner of 114 Henry Street, Stuart Venner, told the Brooklyn Eagle Tuesday that 114 Henry was “going to be an office, and 116 is going to be an apartment.”

UPDATE: Big Hole in the 'Candy Factory' Roof

- Open House Party for 20 Henry Street, Brooklyn Heights
- 20 Henry Street Courtyard Plowed Under
- Work Begins at 114 Henry Street; DOB Disapproves Plans
- 20 Henry Street Was NOT On Fire
- High Winds Cause Scaffolding Problems in Brooklyn


Photo by MK Metz
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McBrooklyn, Not McMaine -- Updated

Earlier today we were informed that a photographer in Maine had linked their website to the McBrooklyn blog in such a way that it appeared that McBrooklyn or the work on it appeared to be the work of the photographer.

Our tech partner told us that the link had been deliberately written, so we went out of our way to make clear that we had no connection to this photographer.

This afternoon, she contacted McBrooklyn to say that she had no idea how this happened as she no longer uses her website. This evening the errant website was taken down and no longer links to McBrooklyn.

Here's the interesting part:

It now appears that the photographer's website was "hijacked" by a spammer to link to our web site for fraudulent purposes (for a full technical explanation see here).

We thank commenter epc for noticing the line of code used by the spammer, and also a technically savy correspondent (who wishes to be unnamed) who helped us greatly. And again, thanks to the photographer for dealing with her hosting company so quickly.

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Hipster Grifter Turns Herself In

We can all sleep tonight: The infamous hipster grifter has turned herself in to authorities in Philadelphia, according to the Brooklyn Eagle. She told a blogger friend that she turned herself in to police in Philadelphia because “things were getting ridiculous,” and because she did not want to do it in New York.

According to Gawker, Det. Matthew Evans of the Salt Lake City PD's financial crimes unit says his department is working to bring Ferrell back to Utah.

- She May Be a Crazed Hipster Grifter, But That Works for Her


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Rain Over Cadman Plaza Park, Brooklyn

It's going to rain every day this week except Wednesday.

Photo by MK Metz
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