'Another Day on Willow Street' at the Fringe Festival

Park Slope actor and playwright Frank Anthony Polito wrote in to tell us about a play that he's written and will be appearing in/producing along with his partner, Craig Bentley, at the NYC Fringe Festival this coming August 10-26th, called "Another Day on Willow Street."

Set in Brooklyn Heights at the dawn of the New Millennium (some of the scenes take place right on the Heights' Promenade), the play tells the story of two couples--one straight, one gay--who struggle to learn the meaning of love, sacrifice and living for today...before it's too late. Fred Backus and Pamela Sabaugh (married since 2005) will play the straights.

Frank says he began writing the play during his 2nd year of studies at Carnegie Mellon in Pittsburgh, where he received his MFA in Dramatic Writing in 2006. This will be the premiere production, following a staged reading on July 28th at The Dayton Playhouse in Dayton, OH. You can read more about it at AnotherDayOnWillowStreet.

In the New York International Fringe Festival (FringeNYC) more than 200 companies from all over the world perform for 16 days in more than 20 venues.

Lemon Bars of Doom in Carroll Gardens

Apparently, Mayor Bloomberg has announced that Naidre's (Henry and Sackett, Carroll Gardens) is the city's first official Thunderdome. We support that move, but as always, warn all comers to beware the Lemon Bars of Doom.

Photo by MK Metz

Much 'To Do' in Dumbo

In "To Do" -- a project by Illegal Art -- the windows of 70 Washington on the Front Street side in Dumbo were covered with Post-It notes (6,272 of them) several days ago (see Dumbo NYC). Since then, people have been writing their own To Do lists on the Post-Its, things like, "Get a job," "Be honest" and "Dump Bush." Here are a few (photos by MK Metz, click to enlarge):

Brooklyn in Brief, Tuesday

-The DOT-green Pearl Street Triangle will be formally unveiled tomorrow, Dumbo-style. Music by Halcyon the Shop; food by Brooklyn Browns, a mobile gourmet sandwich shop. Dumbo NYC

- Gowanus Lounge and Williamsburg activist Phil DePaolo dispute the so-called DOT "condo crackdown" in Williamsburg. Gowanus Lounge

- Funny doings in Brooklyn Court -- Jerry Capeci, publisher and sole reporter for GanglandNews.com, won't have to testify in a notorious gangland/FBI murder trial he's been covering, again. Brooklyn Eagle

- Are people getting cranky about the floating pool? Gowanus Lounge

Where Does Brooklyn Stand on Congestion Pricing?

If the mayor receives enough federal funding to move his congestion pricing plan forward and if it then is approved by a commission, then the 51 members of the City Council will vote on where they stand on charging cars $8 and trucks $21 to drive into or out of Midtown Manhattan on weekdays. For the plan to pass, 26 council members would have to approve it.

So where do we stand? Gotham Gazette called every single New York City Council member. Of the 47 City Council members who responded, only 23 council members took definite positions.

Of the 16 council members polled from Brooklyn, 3 were for the measure (or leaning in that direction); 5 were against it, more or less; and 8 were either undecided or didn't respond.

Full results here.

Photo by Tjeerd, Creative Commons License

Tribes of New York, Each With Its Own Map

We’re not eight million people sharing a single metropolis—we’re seperate tribes, each living in our own private Idaho, says New York Magazine, which has mapped out the city for ten different urban archaeotypes: the Design Maven, the Cheapskate, the Hedonist, the "It" Girl, etc.

Cheapskates live in a universe of "$2-a-pound clothing, $2.25 dinners, and almost-free dental work," while hedonists see the city as a "constellation of pleasures: custom-made sheets from Bergdorf’s, truffle dinners at Del Posto."

Our favorite map -- Rebel Youth -- is Brooklyncentric, of course; hotspots include serious clubs and gritty bars, alternative shows and parties, and anti-Establishment art centers.

Find your map here.

Atlantic Yards' Developers Next Frontier: Human Biology

Sewage wastewater from the proposed Atlantic Yards project will flow towards the Gowanus Canal, rushing into the same antiquated pipes that are already overwhelmed, especially after a heavy rain. (Gowanus residents have even reported "10-foot geysers of sewage.")

Atlantic Yards developers plan to mitigate this in many ways, such as by installing water storage tanks, waterless urinals, low-flow toilets and showers, etc. But one big problem remains, according to Scienceline (via No Land Grab) and it's a stumper: "They can’t reduce the amount of solid waste produced by residents."

Can dietary restrictions be far behind?

Photo of the Gowanus Canal courtesy of the NYC Department of City Planning

Green Balls Behind Heights Library

These green balls are the new garden behind the Brooklyn Heights branch library, replacing bare cement and dirt. The green balls are confined to diamond-shaped areas, marked off by pieces of wood. The project is part of a "reading and learning garden," and was planted by the Horticulture Society of New York.

Photo by MK Metz

Brooklyn in Brief, Monday a.m.

- A "high-ranking city official" says that developer Joe Sitt's glitzy Coney Island redevelopment is "dead in the water." NY Daily News via Gowanus Lounge

- Assaults. leaks, broken elevators, live animals thrown from balconies: life as usual at Coney's Sea Rise. Brooklyn Eagle

- What can Develop, Don't Destroy Brooklyn (anti-Ratner) and the Carpenter's Union (pro-Ratner) agree on? Both oppose the NYC Economic Development Corporation's plans for Duffield Street. Duffield Street Underground

- Manhattan Bridge bikeway to reopen today. Streetsblog

- A neighborhood activist who would like to derail plans for a high-rise development at the old Domino Sugar site has erected a seven-story, red LED sign that screams, “SAVE DOMINO.” The Brooklyn Paper

- Lowes, the Big Box Home Supply store is coming to the outdoor parking lot next to Kings Plaza. The blue fencing is now around the property and the land is flattened. GerritsenBeach.net

The Big Dig in Front of the Brooklyn Historical Society

The extensive backhoeing and other work on the sidewalk in front of the Brooklyn Historical Society on Pierrepont Street in Brooklyn Heights will be going on till February, 2008.

According to the NYC Department of Design and Construction (project number PV467-BH4), the project will cost from one-half to one million dollars. Officially, the work encompasses: "Installation of bluestone sidewalk paving over a new concrete base." But a sign at the site says that new ornamental railing, ADA ramps, curbing and site drainage are also included.

Photo by MK Metz