Brooklyn Hall of Fame

Brooklyn's Di Fara Pizza

2009-07-31T07:07:00.004-05:00

The New York Times has a large article today detailing the exquisite, and expensive, pizza at Brooklyn's Di Fara pizzaria. At 5 bucks a slice it better be good! All the pizza there is made by the restaurant's 72 year old owner and chef Domenico De Marco. You can read the full Time's article HERE.

Julias Schulman, Brooklyn Born Photographer, Established the Look of Modern California, Dies at 98

2009-07-17T07:44:00.008-05:00

Born in Brooklyn on Oct. 10, 1910, Julius Shulman is credited with creating and idealizing the very notion of what was California, Mid-Century modern. You can read the full obituary HERE

A Tale Of Two Flea Markets

2009-07-16T09:08:00.008-05:00

There are two large scale flea markets happening in Brooklyn these days. The New York Post keeps score and dissects the goods, the crowds, the winner and the loser. You can read the Post article HERE.

The Little Engine Behind The Cyclone

2009-07-16T09:02:00.003-05:00

"'In the engine room of the Wonder Wheel in Coney Island, a mere 60-horsepower engine moves 200 tons of steel. It's a low-maintenance system, with the engine taking a little oil daily." From the NY Times. More HERE.

Short Al from Brooklyn

2009-07-06T10:58:00.000-05:00

The New York Times has a charming piece HERE, on Short Al, aka, Albert Kaufman, a FANdroid and regular caller into WFAN's sports radio, who suddenly and mysteriously disappeared.

Profile of Hassidic Williamsburg

2009-07-04T19:20:00.005-05:00

The New York Times lays out, HERE, a day for tourists who want to sample Hassidic Williamsburg.

Busy Baby Boom In One Brooklyn Hospital

2009-05-25T11:40:00.003-05:00

(AP) -"The stork deserves a summer vacation after a record 74 newborns were delivered in 48 hours at a Brooklyn hospital.
The Maimonides Medical Center called in staff reinforcements and opened an extra wing after the 60-bed birthing suite was filled to capacity during a surprise baby surge last week. Hospital spokeswoman Eileen Tynion says that veteran staff often swap stories about spikes in baby births, but couldn't recall such a tyke-storm as the one that began on Tuesday. She says once or twice a year about 65 babies are born over 48 hours. The usual tempo for the hospital is about 20 bundles of joy a day. Tynion says the closures of two Brooklyn hospitals might have helped stoke the surge. She says there were no complaints from moms".

Brooklyn's Big Business Prayer Boss

2009-05-25T06:00:00.005-05:00

A recent profile in the new York Times examines the Rev. A.R Bernard and his Brooklyn mega church. With 10,000 customers/ parishoners, "the Rev. A. R. Bernard leads the Christian Cultural Center in East New York. He believes in treating his church members like customers: “We say, ‘FedEx-fast, Disney-friendly. Because what he does is peddle a product. Not a proprietary product, of course, but the same product as every minister: a relationship with God." “We all get our meat from the same warehouse,” he said. “Lamb is lamb. Beef is beef. It’s how we prepare it.” You can read the full article HERE.

Table Tennis For Two

2009-05-25T05:54:00.003-05:00

From the NY Times. "In the birthplace of Michael Jordan, where basketball is king, Brooklyn’s Brad and Brandon Belle are virtually unknown.

Yet the Belle brothers, 14-year-old identical twins and table tennis prodigies whose stellar play has opponents doing double takes, have quickly become the Venus and Serena Williams of their sport." The New York Times has more HERE.

Larry King Wax's Poetic About Being Straight Outa Brooklyn

2009-05-21T12:01:00.007-05:00

The Daily Beast, caught up in the P.R machine's campaign to promote Larry King's new book, has a detailed account of a swell reception held for King in the "art-filled living room" of Howard Rubenstein's fifth avenue apartment.

“If you had told me when I was a little kid in Brooklyn that I would be in an apartment with an art collection like I’ve never seen in my life, hosted by a famous Jewish guy who gets other people out of trouble...” the proud author kvelled in his remarks to the crowd, “That the police commissioner would be here! In my neighborhood, if you said the police commissioner would be here, they would not show up!” Larry went on: You can read more HERE. I'm reminded, again, of a quote from Jay Z's 'Brooklyn, We Go Hard'; "I'm a Brooklyn boy, I may take some getting used to." Indeed!

Brooklynite of The Week - David Geffen

2009-05-13T08:29:00.004-05:00

He may, or may not, save the New York Times. Rumors and speculation are flying and motives and strategies are being questioned. One thing that is for certain though is that music impresario, and Hollywood, heavy weight David Geffen hails from Brooklyn!

"Geffen began his entertainment career in the mailroom at the William Morris Agency, where he quickly became an agent. In order to obtain the WMA job, he had to show proof of graduating college. Geffen forged a letter and submitted it to WMA. His colleagues in the mailroom included Barry Diller and Elliot Roberts, who later became David Geffen's partner in a management company. He was a hard worker, and spent his vacation time working in the mailroom of the Beverly Hills office of the WMA. He left William Morris to become a personal manager and was immediately successful with Laura Nyro and Crosby, Stills and Nash. In the process of looking for a record deal for young Jackson Browne, Ahmet Ertegün suggested that Geffen start his own record label." You can find out more about David Geffen HERE and HERE.

"In Brooklyn We Read Books"

2009-05-13T08:13:00.003-05:00

Brooklyn Based makes the case for Brooklyn's continuing relationship with the printed word and the efforts of one small Brooklyn publisher, Melville House, to keep the flame burning.

Where Do Brooklyn's Hasidim's Get Their Hats From?

2009-05-11T07:54:00.000-05:00

From Bruno Lacorazza of course. Mr. Lacorazza, who comes to Brooklyn via Columbia, via Miami, is one of the few makers and distributors of the traditional, black only, hats favored by Brooklyn's devout Jews. The New York Times has the full story and slide show HERE.

Streetcars Returning To Brooklyn?

2009-05-08T08:05:00.005-05:00

From the Transport Politic comes news that the possibility of street cars returning is under consideration. "New York City Transportation Commissioner Janette Sadik-Kahn, visiting Toronto, said that she wanted to consider the rebuilding of a streetcar transit network in Brooklyn, having learned that the street-running trains were quite efficient at attracting people away from their cars and in pushing transit-oriented development." It makes too much sense. While we are sceptical we cant help but wax romantic about the notion of the return of a Brooklyn icon. Get ready Trolly Dodgers!

An Embarrassment of Riches In Brooklyn Design

2009-05-07T08:16:00.008-05:00

Chandelier by Jason Miller

Today's New York Times article, "Made In Brooklyn" details this weekend's Seventh annual 'Bklyn Designs" show. It goes on to say that

“Brooklyn has become a space and a place where the thoughts and the ideas matter,” said Courtney Sloane, the principal at Alternative Design, who helped judge the Bklyn Designs entries. “At this moment, there’s definitely a shifting from what’s in Manhattan, to what’s happening in other boroughs.”

If the old "Gray Lady" has finally gotten around to noticing the cultural shift in New York City from the previous Manhattan centric construct to a more Parisian style city of multiple, cultural hotspots then you can be certain that the change is firmly, and perhaps irrevocably, in place.

Brooklyn Gangster Tour

2009-05-06T08:15:00.006-05:00

"Crazy" Joe Gallo

From the Brooklyn Real Estate blog Brownstoner comes notice of a "Gangster Walking Tour of Redhook"

"This isn't your regular walking tour. Presented by Freebird Books, Tom Folsom, author of The Mad Ones: Crazy Joe Gallo and the Revolution at the Edge of the Underworld, will lead the tour over the classic Gallo turf where you can "relive the infamy of gangster-era Red Hook and the life and times of beatnik mobster Joey Gallo." Meet in front of Carroll Park this Saturday, May 9th at 1 p.m. This event is free and open to the public but please RSVP by calling 718-643-8484 or emailing info@freebirdbooks.com."

Remembering the "Godfather of Gospel" Rev. Timothy Wright

2009-05-03T08:18:00.003-05:00

NEW YORK (AP) - Hundreds of people are remembering Grammy-nominated gospel singer the Rev. Timothy Wright at the Brooklyn church where he was pastor.

Ben Vereen was among those who paid respects at a viewing Saturday at the Grace Tabernacle Christian Center Church of God in Christ. The actor and dancer had known Wright for years and tells Newsday "his spirit will always be with me."

Remembrances are set to continue with a second viewing and a concert tribute Sunday. Wright's funeral is scheduled for Monday.

Wright died April 24. The 61-year-old "Godfather of Gospel" had been paralyzed from the neck down and in poor health since a July 4 car crash that killed his wife and grandson.

Son David Wright says he feels joy at knowing his father is no longer suffering.

Booked In Brooklyn - 'Brooklyn: A Novel' by Colm Toibin

2009-05-03T06:14:00.007-05:00

'Brooklyn' is the name of a new novel by the Irish writer Colm Toibin. The novel tells the story of Ellis Lacey who in 1951, "reluctantly finds herself swept up in an unplanned adventure to America, engineered by the family priest and her glamorous, "ready for life" sister, Rose. Eilis's determination to embrace the spirit of the journey despite her trepidation--especially on behalf of Rose, who has sacrificed her own chance of leaving--makes a bittersweet center for Brooklyn. Colm Tóibín's spare portrayal of this contemplative girl is achingly lovely, and every sentence rings with truth. Readers will find themselves swept across the Atlantic with Eilis to a boarding house in Brooklyn where she painstakingly adapts to a new life, reinventing herself and her surroundings in the letters she writes home. Just as she begins to settle in with the help of a new love, tragedy calls her home to Enniscorthy, and her separate lives suddenly and painfully merge into one. Tóibín's haunted heroine glows on the page, unforgettably and lovingly rendered, and her story reflects the lives of so many others exiled from home." --Daphne Durham

The New York Times Sunday Book Review further examines the book HERE.

The B in Brooklyn Stands for Business

2009-04-27T12:29:00.006-05:00

msnbc.com has a look at Brooklyn's continuing effort to develop the Brooklyn Navy Yard into fertile ground for the incubation of new industries and businesses. After decades of seeing business flee to New Jersey and else where, it is a stragey that seems to be paying off for both New York City and Brooklyn. You can find out more about the Navy Yard at their web site HERE

Tyson = Brooklyn

2009-04-25T09:31:00.015-05:00

If there's one individual who encompasses the varied characteristics and all spice ingredients of the borough of Brooklyn it is Mike Tyson. He is sensitive, over sensitive, occasionally brutal, weak, made of "iron," child like, intelligent, idiotic, fearless and afraid all at the same time. If we ask ourselves: "why are we so fascinated by this fatally flawed man," the answer is simple. To examine Mike Tyson is to look at ourselves. Or as Flaubert famously said: "Madame Bovary, c'est moi."

A Masterpiece In Jeopardy

2009-04-22T09:55:00.007-05:00

Once again a developer's want of more money is threataning the quality of our Borough. This time Two Trees Management, after successfully paying off a number of politicians, and exploiting the concern and need that local that parents have for a middle school, is eager to erect an 18 story tower right up against the Brooklyn Bridge. News Week has an eloquent piece HERE by David McCullough, author of "The Great Bridge." Those interested in voicing their concern can get contact information HERE.

"I Father, I Brooklyn Dodger Them..."

2009-04-20T09:09:00.005-05:00

A recent article in The New York Times recounts and analyses the prolific and daring steal of home base executed successfully a record number of 19 times by Brooklyn Dodger legend, and Brooklyn Hall of Fame inductee, Jackie Robinson.

"I father, I Brooklyn Dodger them
I Jack, I Rob, I sin
Awww man, I'm Jackie Robinson
Except when I run base, I dodge the pen
Lucky me, lucky we, they didn't get me
Now when I bring the Nets I'm the Black Branch Ricky
From Brooklyn corners, burnin branches of sticky"

Jay Z from "Brooklyn, We Go Hard"

Coney Island To Get Even More Circusy

2009-04-20T09:03:00.003-05:00

Imagine that! Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey circus will be setting up shop in Coney Island On June 18, for a summer run through Sept. 7.

“For the first time the Greatest Show on Earth is coming to one of the greatest neighborhoods in New York City — Coney Island,” Mr. Bloomberg said. “It’s all part of our program that we’re committed to restoring Coney Island’s vibrancy.”

You can read more about it: HERE

Iron Mike Makes It To the Big Screen

2009-04-17T12:26:00.004-05:00

James Toback's 'Tyson' opens next Friday, April 24th. The Wall Street Journal goes toe to toe with the film HERE.

"Brooklyn Virgin Discovers Naked Dancing"

2009-04-08T10:48:00.006-05:00

Yet another exotic travel piece, this time at Vanity Fair, that details the oddity of a dyed- in- the- Wool Manhattanite experiencing Brooklyn for the first time. Really? We thought they were done with these kinds of fish out of water travelogues 10 years ago! More interesting though is the fire storm and backlash that was ignited by the article. Mediabisto lays it all out HERE.

Spring Officially Begins in Brooklyn!

2009-04-06T08:46:00.001-05:00

The world famous Cyclone roller coaster was opened in Coney Island yesterday when Ms Cyclone and Brooklyn Borough president Marty Markowitz broke the traditional bottle of authentic Brooklyn chocolate egg cream against the coaster's lead car. Ultimate Roller Coaster has the full details.

Booked In Brooklyn - L. J. Davis

2009-04-06T08:35:00.003-05:00

"So woefully forgotten are L. J. Davis’s novels of Brooklyn that not even he has copies on hand in his apartment.' So begins the tale in the New York Times of the rediscovery of the work of Brooklyn author L.J. Davis. Now in the winter of his life the author's four critically successful but obscure novels are poised for the kind of sales and attention that alluded them in Davis's earlier career. We can only wonder how many other L.J Daviss are out there toiling away in Brooklyn? Hang in there. Your time will come. Perhaps. When you are elderly and nearly broken.

Brooklyn Identity Crisis - Who Do the Mets Think They Are?

2009-04-03T06:26:00.015-06:00

The Mets designed their new stadium to look like Ebbets Field. Do they wish that they were the Brooklyn Dodgers? It kinda looks that way. No need to retell the old tale of heartache and woe that almost cut the heart out of Brooklyn. We do understand that for many Dodger fans the invention of the Mets was a solace and balm to their wounded souls. But enough. Really. It's a little bit creepy and off putting. The Mets will never own that special place that the Dodgers occupied. Dressing up Dodger like may help some but in the end it's like wearing a wig and someone else's shoes. Be your self Mets and win! Then all will love you. Most, anyway. There are 2 interesting pieces in the New York Times that partly dissect the Dodger/ Met identity crisis.

The first is a series of detailed drawings of the New Citi Field (already being called Debbets Field) and it's Similarities to Ebbets field. "Citi Field: A Brooklyn Accent in Queens" and a nice little video piece called 'The Evolution of Citi Field'

INDUCTED INTO THE BROOKLYN HALL OF FAME

2009-04-01T03:00:00.001-06:00

Over 4,000 votes were cast! They have been tallied and it is with great pleasure that we announce the first 5 inductees into the Brooklyn Hall of Fame.

They Are:

Walt Whitman

Jackie Robinson

Arthur Miller

Norman Mailer and

Lena Horne

Congratulations! We will have regular and continuing profiles of this year's inductees. We will also post our new list of possible Inductees for 2010 very soon and are open and excited to hear your suggestions!

Brooklynite Of Interest - Ronald Tavel

2009-03-30T13:16:00.000-06:00

"Ronald Tavel, a playwright and screenwriter who brought a bawdy sense of the outrageous to some of Andy Warhol’s early films and helped mold the Off Off Broadway avant-garde theater movement in the 1960s and ’70s, died Monday on a flight from Berlin to Bangkok. He was 72 and had lived in Bangkok for the past 12 years. Born in Brooklyn on May 17, 1936, Mr. Tavel was a son of Goodman and Florence Stern Tavel. He graduated from Brooklyn College in 1957 and received a master’s degree in creative writing from the University of Wyoming in 1959." You can read the rest of the obituarty at The New York Times.

Manna From Heaven? No, Try Brooklyn Instead

2009-03-30T09:24:00.000-06:00

The New York Times has a story on City Harvest's recent efforts to donate Kosher food to those in need in Brooklyn's Orthodox Jewish neighborhoods.

Brooklynite Of Interest - Helen Levitt

2009-03-30T08:50:00.005-06:00

The great American photographer Helen Levitt past away on Sunday, March 29. She was 95. She "was born on Aug. 31, 1913, in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn. Her father, Sam, a Russian-Jewish immigrant, ran a successful wholesale knit-goods business; her mother, May, was a bookkeeper before her marriage." Although her nominal subject matter was almost exclusively the streets of Manhattan it was her great talent in observing and describing the life of the city in the 1930's and 40's that made her pictures so terrific. You can read the full obituary HERE at the New York Times.

Reality, Brooklyn Style

2009-03-30T08:06:00.000-06:00

According to the Examiner "reality shows are busting into Brooklyn."and " Filming in Brooklyn is nothing new. What's new, however, is that TV networks are no longer tinkering in post-production to make Brooklyn look like Manhattan. The game of make-believe is over, and Brooklyn has all of a sudden become depicted on TV as the hip (and often "hipster") place that many New Yorkers already know it to be. Finally TV networks have decided to let the rest of America in on the secret."

New Hot Spot For Brooklyn Pop

2009-03-30T07:25:00.000-06:00

Fans of the recurring concert series at the now closed swimming pool in McCarren Park wil be able to keep on rocking. A new location has been found to continue what had become a staple of summer in Williamsburg. The shows will be held this summer in a park between North Eighth and North Ninth streets. Find out more HERE.

Picture Brooklyn - Manhattan Bridge, 1922

2009-03-26T11:43:00.003-06:00

This Cyanotype of the Manhattan Bridge, looking East towards Brooklyn, was made in 1922 by Eugene de Salignac.

Who Was the First Hipster In Williamsburg? Barry Manilow. Of Course

2009-03-26T06:03:00.007-06:00

Brother Barry sets the record straight in a recent interview in Details Magazine.

"Q: You didn't have a lot of money growing up.
A: Oh, none. Zero. Zip. Nothin'. I come from nowhere Brooklyn, New York. Williamsburg, Brooklyn. These days Williamsburg is kind of a hip area, but when I grew up there, the taxi drivers wouldn't even go over the bridge, it was so dangerous.

Q: So you were the original Williamsburg hipster.
A: I wasn't really a hipster. I was a geek."

SO NOT TRUE!

Brooklyn Hall of Shame -Brooklynite of Project Runway Fame Denies Using Cat as a Weapon

2009-03-26T05:54:00.005-06:00

Kenely Collins, a "Project Runway" finalsit spoke after her court hearing on Wednesday and denied using her cat as a weapon in a spat with her Ex. Meeow! NEWSDAY has more.

Brooklyn To Be A Bit Less Watchtowery

2009-03-26T05:36:00.005-06:00

It seems as if the Watchtower Society, better known as the Jehovah's Witnesses, may be moving many of their offices to Rockland County. The group has run it's world wide operations from Brooklyn for 100 years! They have been selling off bits and pieces of their real estate empire for the past few years now. The big question of course is what does this mean for the real estate business of Brooklyn Heights, Dumbo and Down Town Brooklyn where most of their properties are? Developers start your engines! You can find out more at The Journal News.

Atlantic Yards? "I don't think it's going to happen."

2009-03-25T12:09:00.004-06:00

So says Star Architect of Atlantic Yards, Frank Gehry. Atlantic Yards and Honesty together! Refreshing to see. Brownstoner reports.

Brooklyn Boy Pens "The Kid Who Saved Superman"

2009-03-25T12:07:00.002-06:00

A new Superman book is drawing inspiration from a Brooklyn special education student and the blind teacher he considers an everyday hero.
Eighth-grader Hakeem Bennett, 13, won a national essay contest and will appear as the title character in the upcoming title, "The Kid Who Saved Superman." Full Story HERE.

Mayor Threatens To Burden State With Park

2009-03-25T11:57:00.002-06:00

Should be a no brainer for a state that is bust. "Mayor Bloomberg ratcheted up the heat in his bid to take over Brooklyn Bridge Park yesterday, threatening to halt city funding unless state officials hand over full control." The Daily News has the full story.

Nets Move to Brooklyn "Will Happen"

2009-03-16T10:49:00.000-06:00

In 20011. This is according to the team's Chief Executive Officer Brett Yormark. Bloomburg.com quotes Yormak as saying “We’ll be there for the ‘11-’12 season. We’ve pre-sold 20 percent of our suites. We’ve got eight of our 14 founding partnerships already completely signed. Next week, we’ll announce our ninth.” We've heard much of this before but you can't deny the confidence in these statements. Let's see what happens.

Coney Island To Get A Bit More Freaky. And Showy!

2009-03-13T08:30:00.003-06:00

According to the A.P a "West Coast sideshow act wants to set up shop just two blocks away from Coney Island's reigning oddball act famous for its army of fire eaters and sword swallowers." Is the boardwalk big enough for both acts? Only summer will tell.

The Movies Come To Brooklyn - Bela Lugosi Meets a Brooklyn Gorilla (1952)

2009-03-12T09:43:00.000-06:00

"Kill or be killed. This is the law of the jungle." Okay, this one doesn't actually take place in Brooklyn but has there ever been a better movie title? Bela Lugosi plays a mad scientist in the jungle who stumbles across a couple of comedians (intended to resemble Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis) and proceeds to use them as lab mice in his experiments.

Booked In Brooklyn - Paule Marshall

2009-03-12T07:09:00.003-06:00

Brooklyn author and MacArthur "Genius Grant" winner Paule Marshall has been getting a lot of well deserved attention as of late for her latest novel "Triangular Road." Ms. Marshall first arrived on the scene with her semi autobiographical novel "Brown Girl, Brownstones." The book told the tale of a second generation West Indian girl growing up in Brooklyn. You can listen to, and watch, her interview on WNYC HERE or read more asbout her in today's NY Times HERE.

Rupert Murdoch Buys Brooklyn

2009-03-11T07:55:00.003-06:00

The observer reports that Murdoch's News Corporation has purchased the Brooklyn Paper. It seems like a logical fit to us. Of course we wonder how long it will be until they stop publishing an actual paper and become a web only entity?

Person Of Interest - Alan Landers - The Winston Man

2009-03-10T08:11:00.002-06:00

Alan Landers was born Allan Stewart Levine in Brooklyn in 1940. He hit the big leagues modeling in New York in the 1950's and is best known as being the face and persona of "The Winston Man." In addition to his Winston work he modeled for Playgirl and had a small role in Woody Allen's 'Annie Hall.' After being diagnosed with Lung cancer in 1987 he spent the last 22 years of his life trying to educate children about the dangers of smoking. You can find out more HERE and HERE.

The Number of Art Galleries Continues To Grow In Brooklyn

2009-03-09T06:52:00.000-06:00

The New York Times had a recent article that described how "Art Galleries With Less of a Profit Motive are Flourishing in Brooklyn." We've seen similar trends in the past. The only difference was that in the past these "off Broadway" galleries flourished in the off the beaten path neighborhoods of Manhattan. The 60's and 70's gave birth to SOHO. In the 80's the East Village percolated with a burgeoning and ecclectic gallery scene. In the 90's the art world abandoned an exhausted and played out SOHO and moved to Chelsea where "art galleries with less profit motive were flourishing" So what does this mean for Brooklyn and the neighborhoods of Bushwick, Williamsburg and, to some extent, Dumbo? If the past is present then profit motives are soon to follow and youth and cache will give way to strollers, higher rents and a sense of passe. You can read the full Times article HERE.

Painting by 80's East Village art star Mark Kostabi

Bronx Borough President Lives In Brooklyn!

2009-03-06T08:28:00.005-06:00

picture by Uli Seit for the New York Times

While this revelation, brought to us by the NY TIMES, leaves us stumped for words the one thing we can say is that the man has good taste! We love you Bronx but, lets face facts, your no Brooklyn. While this may be something of an awkward situation the Times reassures us that it is perfectly legal. Now if we could only send our borough president to the Bronx!

Newark wants Our, I Mean Their, Nets!

2009-03-05T12:15:00.003-06:00

Bruce Ratner continues to assert that the Nets are coming to Brooklyn. Not if Newark Mayor Corey Booker has his way. "Booker is undaunted. He spoke confidently about luring the Nets. He was passionate in describing the economic and psychic impact they would have on the city..." you can read more HERE at the NY Times.

Twins Peak - Top Sister Cops Kickin It and Representing NYPD

2009-03-04T08:14:00.002-06:00

Two 23 year old identical twin sisters and rookie police officers have been selected to represent the NYPD at the World Police and Fire Games in Vancouver, British Columbia, this summer. Michelle and Teresa Frizziola are both fourth-degree karate black belts. Michelle and Teresa work at different police precincts. One is assigned to Brooklyn and the other to Manhattan. The NY Post has more HERE

Pizza Hall of Fame

2009-03-03T11:15:00.003-06:00

According to New York Magazine "Di Fara’s owner and pie godfather, Dom DeMarco, will be inducted into the Pizza Hall of Fame tomorrow. He will be introduced by a representative of the next generation of Brooklyn pizza chefs, Nino Coniglio, who recently opened Pizzeria Del Corso in Marine Park. Trade publication PMQ Pizza Magazine calls DeMarco “the Cal Ripken of the pizza business.”

New Documentary on Williamsburg

2009-03-02T07:42:00.003-06:00

According to the Village Voice "Brooklyn director Marcin Ramocki isn't trying to ridicule Williamsburg in his new documentary, Brooklyn DIY (debuting at the Museum of Modern Art tomorrow)" Really! Check out the film's "Brooklyn DIY" site HERE.

Brooklynites Do It In A Dollar Van

2009-03-02T07:34:00.004-06:00

From the Borough of Brooklyn comes Dollar Van Demos: a showcase of talented musicians, rappers and comedians performing inside a dollar van with real passengers. Check it out HERE.

Brooklyn dog makes top three in search for face of Milk-Bone

2009-03-02T07:31:00.003-06:00

Find out more at the Baltimore Sun.

Running In Brooklyn

2009-03-02T07:24:00.003-06:00

A stranger from an island called Manhattan goes for a run in an exotic and curious local named Brooklyn. More here at the Advocate.

What Brooklyn Neighborhood Has the Most Celebrities?

2009-02-24T08:35:00.007-06:00

Hands down it is Greenwood Heights. More famous people Live in Greenwood Cemetery than any other section of Brooklyn. It was said that "it is the ambition of the New Yorker to live upon the Fifth Avenue, to take his airings in the Park, and to sleep with his fathers in Green-Wood." Wikipedia notes that "It was a popular tourist attraction in the 1850s and was the place most famous New Yorkers who died during the second half of the nineteenth century were buried." Here is a very short list of just a few of the folks "who are at rest" there.

Jean-Michel Basquiat, Henry Ward Beecher, Leonard Bernstein, DeWitt Clinton, Peter Cooper, Charles Ebbetts, William Livingston, Samual F.B Morse, Alice Roosevelt, Henry Steinway, Lewis Comfort Tiffany, and William "Boss" Tweed!

You can read about others who are here at the Cemeteries own "Hall of Fame."

Hip Hop Over To IHOP

2009-02-24T08:28:00.005-06:00

Today is IHOP's "National Pancake Day." Both IHOP spots in Brooklyn will be serving up free pancakes from 7 AM until 10 PM. One IHOP is located at 276 Livingston Street, and the other is at 2101 Ralph Avenue. Enjoy!

'Caught In The Act'

2009-02-24T08:19:00.004-06:00

Bric and Brooklyn Independent Television is showing 'Caught In The Act: Art In Brooklyn' Their desciption of the show states that the "Brooklyn's art scene is one of the most vibrant and diverse in the world. Each month, Caught in the Act profiles a cross-section of key Brooklyn professionals in fine art, dance, music, theatre—and new forms of expression combining all of the above. From established institutions of international stature, to the emerging artists and companies that have long made our borough’s arts scene so exciting, Caught in the Act catches them in the act of creating, displaying, interpreting—and enriching—the cultural life of Brooklyn. You can find out scheduling information and more HERE.

Brooklyn Boy Was Under Their Thumb

2009-02-24T08:04:00.016-06:00

The Washington Post has a review of Bill German's new book 'Under Their Thumb.' It is his first person account of "how a nice boy from Brooklyn" started the fanzine 'Beggars Banquet.' German started publishing when he was 16, in 1978, and continued to publish for 17 years. He became chummy enough with the band that his Zine eventually became "the" offical publication of the Rolling Stone's Fan Club.

Mashing Up the MoMA On Atlantic

2009-02-24T07:53:00.008-06:00

From ARTINFO comes news, and some great pictures, of the creative endeavors of a few Mashers. They have appropiated / Mashed theMoMa advertisements in the Atlantic St. subway station to create some fun new works. The photographs are by Kris Wilton.

"Are You Dying, Or Just Staying in Brooklyn?"

2009-02-23T14:28:00.005-06:00

A recent piece in Slate talks about last weeks suicide in Prospect Park of Brooklyn, model Paul Zolezzi and it's odd relationship to the "peculiar space that Facebook occupies: both fact and figment, reflection and projection. You can read the entire article HERE.

Brooklyn Was Home To America's First Large Movie Studio

2009-02-23T10:12:00.002-06:00

The first large movie studio in America, the Vitagraph Studio , was built on East 14th Street in the Midwood section of Brooklyn in 1903. It was sold in the 1920's to Warner Brothers. In the 1950's it was used by NBC Television. In the 1980's it became the home of The Cosby Show and continues, to this day, to serve as an active production center. You can find out more HERE.

'The Sofa That Ate Brooklyn"

2009-02-23T09:01:00.000-06:00

The Ny Times profiles the cohabitation of a Brooklyn couple and the $28,000 sectional sofa that they scored for 1000 bucks.

Winey In Brooklyn

2009-02-23T08:39:00.003-06:00

From Fermented Thoughts comes an additional tale of making wine in Red Hook, Brooklyn. "Former Sound Technician for Peter Frampton and Billy Joel and now turned Wine Distributor, Mark Snyder (a local New Yorker), decided making wine in Brooklyn was just the thing to do. Historically, the area was a home to Kosher wine production and much as I’ve witnessed in small town Italy, homemade wine is an integral part of the culture and apparently thrived among Italian-American immigrants in Brooklyn during years past.

Brooklyn International Film Festival Wants You To be Submissive

2009-02-23T08:26:00.007-06:00

The Brooklyn International Film Festival wants your film submissions. The deadline is March 15th.

Bodkin of Brooklyn Is Eco-Chic

2009-02-23T08:12:00.007-06:00

Brooklyn based Bodkin received a lot of attention during fashion week with their forward thinking designs that utilize eco-conscious materials. "Such as silk blessed by the Dalai Lama, recycled PET plastic bottles, and organic cotton. Brooklyn-based Bodkin is a shining example of eco-chic in the fashion world. Bodkin’s designer, Eviana Hartman, started the label just a year ago, and already Bodkin is making a splash as the first eco-conscious recipient of the Ecco Domani award. The label’s Fall/Winter 2009 collection was exhibited last week at the Horticultural Society of New York."

Brooklynite of The Week - Anthony Casso and The French Connection

2009-02-23T07:04:00.000-06:00

Anthony 'Gaspipe' Casso, "the once fearsome Brooklynite underboss of the Lucchese family, is now serving multiple life sentences amounting to 455 years for murder." Aging and not in good health Mr. Casso holds the key to unravel a knot of secrets that are most famously associated with the 1971 film 'The French Connection.' The film that also gave us Gene Hackman as iconic detective Popeye Doyle and helped to cement the perception of 70's New York as a decaying playground run amuck with lawlessness and disorder.

'Gaspipe' Casso may hold the answer to one of "New York’s most scandalous mysteries: how 400 pounds of heroin and cocaine, much of it seized in the so-called French Connection drug bust in 1962, were spirited out of the police property vault for resale back on the street. By the time the record theft was discovered in December 1972, the drugs — then valued at $73 million — had been replaced with flour and cornstarch. You can find out more HERE.

Tiny Brooklyn Book Publisher Buys Major Newspaper Chain

2009-02-20T13:26:00.006-06:00

Yesterday Dumbo Books of Brooklyn announced, with tongue firmly in cheek, that they were acquiring the California Newspaper Chain. The "Press release" goes on to say that "The financially troubled small press publisher Dumbo Books of Brooklyn, in what insiders describe as a last-ditch effort to avoid filing for bankruptcy, today announced that it was acquiring the California Newspaper Chain in a stock swap valued at an undisclosed amount."

"Dumbo Books is a publisher of literary books headquartered in Brooklyn. The California Newspaper Chain's properties include its flagship Los Angeles World-Telegram & Star, The San Jose Journal-American, and The Miami Globe-Democrat."

Merchants of Brooklyn - Visuals

2009-02-20T13:10:00.007-06:00

Today we received some screenshots of the new Paleo Entertainment game 'Merchants of Brooklyn' Now we know what the Brooklyn of 3100 is going to look like! Kinda like Brooklyn of 2009. But with more muscles.

Shmaltz Brewing Company Is Feeling Bubbly

2009-02-20T12:34:00.007-06:00

The Shmaltz Brewing Company, maker of Coney Island Lager and He'Brew is, according to their press release, prospering nicely. We are glad to hear that since they pony up a part of their proceeds to help Coney Island USA

Picture Brooklyn - Woolworth and Municipal Buildings From Brooklyn Bridge

2009-02-20T10:21:00.004-06:00

Its In The Bag

2009-02-20T07:58:00.003-06:00

A Brooklyn man is suing the NYPD over excessive bag searches. Jangir Sultan had his bags searched 21 times by the police while riding the subway. Read more HERE.

Next: The Brooklyn Bridge ?

2009-02-20T07:53:00.005-06:00

A reporter from the Daily News "walked out of the city’s register of deeds with title to the $2 billion Empire State Building. His fake purchase document, with a fake notary public stamp and a fake “witness” signature (of “Fay Wray,” star of the original “King Kong”), took 90 minutes to convert to an official deed, which came as a great surprise to Empire State Land Associates, to whose shocked representative the reporter “returned” the property the next day."

Obama's Sec. Of Education Travels to Brooklyn Today

2009-02-19T10:47:00.003-06:00

President Obama's Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan, will visit Brooklyn's Explore Charter School this afternoon. The visit comes after a meeting earlier today with Mayor Bloomberg. The get together presumably is to discuss how the federal stimulus package will help the New York City schools.

Weiner Wants Islanders In Brooklyn

2009-02-19T10:32:00.008-06:00

Newsday.com reports that U.S Representative, Mayoral Hopeful, and Hockey Enthusiast, Anthony Weiner says that he's "looking for the Islanders moving to Brooklyn." He told WFAN radio that the current economy made it unlikely that the entire Atlantic Yards project would be built as planned, but there probably would be a new arena to house the Nets basketball team. So why not add a hockey team?

Picture Brooklyn

2009-02-19T09:53:00.005-06:00

'Brooklyn Gang' by Bruce Davidson, 1959

'Bus Stop' In Brooklyn

2009-02-19T09:01:00.005-06:00

For the first time in over a decade, William Inge returns to Brooklyn with The 'Gallery Players' revival of his classic drama Bus Stop. The Gallery Players' limited engagement of Bus Stop runs March 14 - 29, 2009: Thursdays, Fridays at 8pm, Saturdays at 2pm & 8pm and Sundays at 3pm. You can find out more HERE.

Yeah But Is It Art - More Brooklyn Graffiti Chatter

2009-02-19T08:53:00.004-06:00

The Pace Press dives further into the debate and takes a nostalgic look at Brooklyn and the graffiti of "the good old days."

A Brooklyn Boa Constrictor

2009-02-19T08:43:00.005-06:00

It's not yet known how or why the 4 -1/2 foot snake took residence underneath the cushions of a couch in a home in Bensonhurst. It was discovered when two seven year old friends "felt something moving beneath them as they watched tv. After shaking out the cushions they found the intruder, which fell in a ball on the floor." It's suspected that it found its way into the home via the plumbing after being flushed into the sewer system by a neighbor who had tired of it. You can find out more here at MSNBC.

Black History Month - Destination Brooklyn

2009-02-19T08:37:00.004-06:00

Hulu, the online NBC and Fox joint venture, is presenting a "Brooklyn-based Black History Month tour that puts a new focus on bringing more business to New York's other African American cultural center."

Merchants of Brooklyn - Terror, Destruction and Mayhem!

2009-02-19T08:19:00.005-06:00

Paleo Entertainment, an independent game developer, is busy promoting its upcoming debut game the 'Merchants of brooklyn'. It takes place in the the year 3100 and "a dystopian New York is confronting an environmental crisis that has forced the population to literally inch closer to the sky through a massive network of bridges to avoid the toxicity of the surface. Cloned Neanderthals roam the streets, and society has developed skyward in massive vertical settlements. The violent change in society has created a feverish need for laborers to assist the wealthy elites on the upper levels." They also promise "Blood and gore, intense violence, sexual themes, partial nudity and strong language" This is the future? It sounds like Brooklyn today.

This Guy Wants To Party With You!

2009-02-18T15:28:00.005-06:00

And maybe hit you up for a few bucks as he launches his campaign and celebrates Brooklyn's 175th birthday.

Grand Army Plaza to Become Less Crappy

2009-02-18T08:06:00.003-06:00

The city will place Brooklyn's first pay toilet in Grand Army Plaza. "The city plans to install the borough's first automatic public toilet at Grand Army Plaza, giving locals and tourists a clean place to take care of business - for the bargain price of 25 cents for 15 minutes." Is this a good idea or will it only serve as a refuge to perform "other" bodily functions? The Daily News leaks the rest of the story HERE.

Man Jumps From Brooklyn Bridge

2009-02-18T07:57:00.004-06:00

"A 22-year-old man survived a jump from the Brooklyn Bridge into the East River Tuesday, New York City police said.
What's surprising is not so much that he survived but that this kind of thing doesn't happen more often given the climate of the day. The story comes from Newsday.com.

What Up G ?

2009-02-18T07:47:00.003-06:00

Not much. The Daily News pronounces the G train is good as dead. "or close to it" Politicians and pole huggers alike have staged recent protests to try and beat back recent proposed cuts in service. Is the G the the neglected stepchild of the transit system or what?

Opera Grows In Brooklyn

2009-02-18T07:42:00.003-06:00

"On Friday, March 20, 2009 at 8:00PM, three Brooklyn opera groups, American Opera Projects (AOP), Opera on Tap, and Remarkable Theater Brigade, will come together for OPERA GROWS IN BROOKLYN, an evening of all new opera scenes and songs from contemporary composers. The show will be held at the Galapagos Art Space's new home in Brooklyn's ultra-hip DUMBO neighborhood. Tickets are $20 ($15 for students/seniors)" You can find out more HERE.

Brooklyn 'Feels Like Home' for Norah Jones

2009-02-17T13:26:00.005-06:00

From Brownstoner comes word that the chanteuse has picked up a lovely home in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn. Welcome Home.

Brooklyn Lava Flow

2009-02-17T13:11:00.005-06:00

From NY1 comes word that "the all-female dance troop "LAVA" is erupting in a new show at the Brooklyn Lyceum."

Times Also Digs Brooklyn Tunnel

2009-02-17T13:00:00.013-06:00

We recently posted about Bob Diamond of Brooklyn Rail and his tour of an underground, long-forgotten tunnel, located 30 feet below Brooklyn's Atlantic Avenue. Yesterday the Times dug deeper into the story.

Brooklyn Lobster -Shot In Brooklyn

2009-02-17T12:39:00.008-06:00

From the Brooklyn Paper comes the story of a 20 pound lobster who currently resides in a tank at a restaurant in Dyker Heights. The lobster, named Craig, is being repatriated after restaurant owner, Gina Ng, contacted PETA. On Tuesday they will pick up the giant lobster and return it to the cold waters of the Atlantic.

Below is a clip from the movie 'Brooklyn Lobster.' Shot in Brooklyn. The film, starring Danny Aiello and Jane Curtain, tells the tale of a families struggle to keep their business, Giorgio's Lobster Farm, afloat. The seafood shop, in the Sheepshead Bay neighborhood of Brooklyn, has been in the Giorgio family for generations, and Frank, who takes enormous pride in Giorgio's, has had ambitions of expanding the business by adding on a restaurant. However, the bank has called in the loan Frank took out to build the dining room during a business downturn. Anxiety and hilarity ensue.

Bedbugs Bite Hardest In Central Brooklyn

2009-02-17T12:31:00.005-06:00

Bedbug complaints are up 34 percent according to an advocacy group called New York vs. Bedbugs. More HERE.

Culinary Boot Camp In Brooklyn - But Is It Kosher?

2009-02-17T12:22:00.003-06:00

This one is. From Crown Heights Info comes a tale of the Center for Kosher Culinary Arts and it's stated goal of helping men and women "develop cooking skills and repertoire." Drop the brisket and give me twenty!

Brooklyn Was Burning

2009-02-17T12:16:00.005-06:00

From Ephemeral New York comes an account of the great Brooklyn Theatre fire of 1876.

Urban Sketchers - Effed To Manhattan

2009-02-17T12:13:00.005-06:00

More great work from Urban Sketchers.

Person Of Interest - The Curious Case Of John Forte

2009-02-17T11:56:00.010-06:00

Recently we posted about the interesting personal history of Brooklyn musician and producer John Forte. He walked free last month when George W. Bush commuted his sentence. The 34 year old rapper and producer, who studied violin at Phillips Exeter Academy on a full scholarship, was arrested at Newark International Airport in 2000 after accepting a briefcase containing $1.4 million worth of liquid cocaine. He was sentenced to 14 years in prison. In today's The Daily Beast Forte has a peice called "How I Went From Prep School to Prison" in which he details and discusses....how he went from prep school to prison. Most interesting is his autobiographical accounts of Brownsville and growing up in Brooklyn in the 1980's when "the violence that began to define the era was a game changer, one that required incredulous family members to “please identify the body.”

Does Bushwick, 1992 = Brooklyn's Future ?

2009-02-17T08:52:00.003-06:00

The Time's seems to imply that it might. Or at least they want to scare us into thinking that it's a possibility. In a piece in the Sunday paper they spoke with 5 people "who have made the economics of New York their specialty." They each give their crystal ball a rub and toss out a "guesstimate" of what the city might look like down the road. The Times soothingly illustrated their article with this bleak, Edward Keating picture of post riot Bushwick in 1992. Just in case we weren't nervous enough.

Dodgers Leave Town And Leave Broken Hearts Behind. Again!

2009-02-17T07:26:00.000-06:00

Once again the Dodger's have walked away from a city and the people who loved them. This time it's Vero Beach, Florida that was abandoned by baseball's biggest lothario. Dodgertown had been the official spring training facility of the Dodgers for 61 years. Today Dodgertown is as silent as a ghost town. The team picked up stakes and moved to a new facility in Arizona. "It's post-mortem blues," groundskeeper Steve Carlsward said, wearing a faded Dodgers cap. "I work every day keeping up a field that nobody plays on, maybe never will again." We know how you feel Steve. We know. You can read more about it HERE. Take out a hanky.

Uncle Sam Wants Brooklyn Immigrants

2009-02-16T10:48:00.000-06:00

Barely able to meet its recruiting goals the military has reached back to a technique it last employed during the Vietnam war. "The military will begin recruiting skilled immigrants who are living in this country with temporary visas, offering them the chance to become United States citizens in as little as six months." We are, and have always been a borough of immigrants. If there is one defining characteristic of Brooklyn this may be it. So we can't help but wonder: What price citizenship? Is this a fair deal or a raw deal? The picture below, by Rob Bennet, is from the article in The New York Times. It shows Staff Sgt. Alejandro Campos, in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn.

Brooklyn Apple

2009-02-16T10:36:00.000-06:00

There's so much hopeful chatter, discussion and debate on this subject that even CNN/Money.com has now picked it up.

"But what about Brooklyn? The most populous of the five boroughs (pop. 2.5 million) would be, as any cabbie can tell you, the fourth largest city in the United States if it weren’t yoked to Manhattan, Queens and the rest. It is home to tens of thousands of Mac users of every stripe — teachers, students, writers, artists, designers, musicians, mobsters — yet it has zero Apple Stores."