Ghost Bike Arrives in Sunset Park

This is the first Ghost Bike I've heard of in Sunset Park. It's in honor of Pedro Fernandez-Pacheco, who was struck and killed by a livery cab on July 10, 2008. The Ghost Bike is on 54th and 7th. Thanks to Lauren Jaded's photostream on flickr for the photo.

Watch out for those livery cabs. Just a couple of days ago a grandmother walking in Bay Ridge was hit and left in the street on Ridge and 75th Street. It happened a little after 7 PM on the 16th (Tuesday evening). She's in critical condition at Lutheran, and she's being treated for head injuries. If you saw or heard anything about it, please call the police with the information.

Wall-E is the Friday Movie at El Pequeno Artista

Celebrate Friday's arrival with your kids by bringing them to El Pequeno Artista's showing of...

WALL-E

on a big screen, old fashion projector

Friday 5:15 pm
$6 / person

Juice box included for children
Bring your own snacks and eat while you watch!

El Pequeno Artista is located at 249 20th St. @ 5th Avenue. www.elpequenoartista.com

Bring in the New While the Old is Still for Sale

This building on 6th Avenue and 46th Street has had two sets of "Condo for Sale" signs up since spring or even earlier. Along with the skinny condos for sale around the corner on 46th Street, very few - if any? - have sold. It's not clear whether they are still available for rent...have they already rented?

Anyway, since June of this year, the corner lot on 6th and 46th has been growing into a multi-unit building for which I had high hopes due to the quality of the fencing and planning. Now, the Fedders a/c shields have gone up, and even though there is a balcony on the first floor, and the brick has a certain pattern that shows more than a thrown-together care for the aesthetic, I have been let down. Sure enough, this seems like it will be just another crop of less-than-stellar, yet overpriced condominiums that may very well end up as rentals.

A Stoopful of Packages

I'd like to see how this looks at night. This display is carefully arranged, and it tries to encompass the spirit of giving. I'm thinking of asking the owners to let me pose the kids on the stoop for the annual card sending extravaganza. Keep the USPS in business, I say.

When One Store Closes...

With the closure of one of the gift/music/electronics shops on 5th Avenue (this one on the corner of 45th Street), another one will be opening just across 45th Street! The large commercial space that used to house Pollo Campero will be split between the new and in full swing Amalgamated Bank and the yet-to-open Sunset Electronics Appliances Inc. Don't confuse it with 49th Street Electronics and Appliances, also on 5th Avenue.


The awning states there will be car audio (much used in Sunset), LCD TVs, and all the top name brands. I wish them well, but the amount of store fronts closing or that have been trying to get rented out seems to be rising. The new Lechonera seems to be holding its own, so maybe they'll do well.

5th Avenue Stars and Snowflakes

12.12.08, originally uploaded by aprilzosia.

I love the combination of traffic lights and holiday lights. Thanks to flickr's aprilzosia for making the shots available!

Deadly Stabbing on 47th Street

It was in the name of love. On Saturday night, a husband, who is also a father of three, was stabbed to death. Apparently, although it seems the investigation is still very, very active, Lin Zhen Ren tried to help a friend who was in an altercation about a woman. When a neighbor came out, after hearing Ren's cries, he said he saw one person running away.

Tis the season for jealousy and adrenelin and testosterone, I guess. It's a tragic situation, and hopefully those involved will give up the information needed to hold those who did this responsible. Read the (scant on detail) story in the Post here.

Minimalist and Gung-Ho Decorating

I spotted this solitary ornament in the tree-bush in front of a home on 43rd Street. The more extravagant display below is courtesy of a house on 58th Street. They also had a fantastic Hallowe'en display.

Dead Brownstone Has Had Work Stopped

This very rained-on Stop Work Order at 5405 6th Avenue has been up since November. True enough, work seems to have stopped for now, but I wasn't able to find any record about why the work was stopped. (update: oh yes I did. And part of it has to do with smoking.) The sign itself is so faded that it's difficult to make any words out. Only "entire job" and the address are clear. Well, that and DO NOT REMOVE. Perhaps it's because one sign was ripped down within a day? Or, perhaps it was because the inspector noticed the "marble" facade going up on the ground floor? The horizontal light fixture is hanging precariously as well. Sad that this is what the previous building made room to allow.

Reminder: Sunset Park Lights Up

The Friends of Sunset Park are at it again, and that's a really good thing.

If you want to help out with the lights, sing some songs, or get more information about volunteering with Friends of Sunset Park, email friendsofsunsetpark@yahoo.com.

from the email:

Lighting Up The Park on Friday, December 19th at 6pm in Sunset Park

enter near the 41st St + 5th Avenue entrance (just up the steps) for a 3-tree progressive lighting event. We will first light the tree by the lower path (near 5th Avenue), continue up the hill and light the tree (mid park- 5/6 Avenues and conclude at the lighting of the tree located in front of the Recreation Center (7th Ave. at 43rd St.). No matter which part of the Park you're near, all will be able to view at least one tree light the night this the Holiday Season.

Please spread the word throughout your respective networks. We will be e-distributing a printable flier in the next few days. All are welcome!!

• Are you interested in accompanying the crowd in singing holiday tunes (from different countries/various languages)?
• Would you like to read a brief poem/sing/play solo?
• Would you be able to help hang the lights a couple of days before the 19th?
• Do you have outdoor-quality white or multi-color lights that you'd like to give-away?

Email friendsofsunsetpark@yahoo.com if you are interested in responding, making suggestions, or want more information about participating.

The Other Kind of Sunset Stripper

There have been a lot of car windows needing replacement (did a new car glass place open up in Sunset ?), but this car needs a few extra bits. Check out Gunset Park's photo of a happy red car whose owner may be feeling very, very sad.

Sunset Christmas Lights

It's nothing compared to near-by Dyker, but Sunset has a few lights and decorations out as well. This is a cute stoop on 44th Street.

Need an End of the Year Tax Deduction? Consider the Fresh Air Fund

What's the connection to Sunset Park, you ask? Well, we happen to have quite a few local kids who participate in the program. Some even include my students! Their reviews of the experience are uniformly positive. This is a fantastic program, and it deserves support. If you are looking for a donation opportunity, check out the information and the link below.

http://freshair.smnr.us

You can give a child the experience of a lifetime with your gift to The Fresh Air Fund!

Every year, The Fresh Air Fund gives thousands of inner-city children the priceless gift of fun – and opens the door to a lifetime of opportunities. Whether it’s a two-week trip to the country to visit a volunteer host family, or a fun-filled and educational stay at one of our camps, our programs make for unforgettable memories – and open a world of new friendships and fresh possibilities. We are a not-for-profit agency and depend on tax-deductible donations from people like you to keep our vital programs flourishing.

Your year-end gift will allow us to invite even more children to experience Fresh Air summers full of learning, fun and new friends. Thank you so much for your generous support.

The Fresh Air Fund is also looking for hosts for the summer:

Thanks to host families who open up their homes for a few weeks each summer, children growing up in New York City’s toughest neighborhoods have experienced the joys of Fresh Air vacations. More than 65% of all children are reinvited to stay with their host family, year after year. There is no such thing as a "typical" host family. If you have room in your home - and your heart - to host a child, you could be one too.

Fresh Air children are boys and girls, six to 18 years old, who reside in low-income communities in New York City and are eager to experience the simple pleasures of life outside the city.

Shara Worden is Doing the Rounds

When new movies come out, the actors show up on talk shows and entertainment shows. When a tour comes to town, or a new album is released, the musicians are interviewed by TimeOut and, apparently, Gothamist. Shara Worden is doing her duty as My Brightest Diamond's leader.

Check out how TONY highlights Shara Worden's apartment, and read the Gothamist Q&A here.

The image is the cover of A Thousand Shark's Teeth, the new album from My Brightest Diamond.

Sunset Garden Hopefuls Meet Tomorrow

While regular meetings to work on a Sunset Park (technically Borough Park?) will be the last Saturday of every month once the new year begins, December's meeting is tomorrow at 10:30 AM.
Here's the run-down:

When: Saturday, December 13th at 10:30 AM
Where: Meet at the Chinese bakery on 9th Avenue between 37th and 38th
What: Share information and report back to the group about several items including:

Meet and greet for new members, update on contacts, historical information of the site, plans and drawings of the garden, naming the garden.

Speak Out about 3rd Avenue Issues and Concerns

Community Board 7 invites you to a PUBLIC SPEAK OUT on 3rd Avenue Issues on December 15th.

Come share your thoughts and concerns about the current conditions and the future of 3rd Avenue in Sunset Park.

Come to PS 1's Auditorium at 309 47th Street (between 3rd and 4th Avenues) on Monday, December 15th at 6:30 PM.

Participants (this means you!) are allowed up to three minutes to speak. Written testimony of any length is encouraged.

For more information, please call the Board Office at 718-854-0003 or email communityboard7@yahoo.com

Winter Activities for the Wee Ones

Cold weather means fewer trips to the park and more time figuring out how to keep the kid(s) occupied without numbing their brains and frying yours. Well, thankfully, one solution has arrived. El Pequeno Artista's winter 2009 schedule is set!

El Pequeño Artista is the place that has offered a free story-time in Spanish on Wednesday mornings for the last year. They also offer classes ranging from cooking to movement to Spanish to music. They also have movies on Friday evenings (or is 5:15 still the afternoon?).

Families who have taken classes previously have an extra incentive: Returning families get $12 off the chosen workshop if you register and pay by December 20th.

Check out the schedule; the classes run from January 20th through March 28th. Also, make plans to attend one of the free trial classes during the week of January 12 through the 17th. The trial schedule will be posted soon.

El Pequeño Artista is located at 249 20th Street @ 5th Avenue. Call 718-965-1406 for more information. It's an easy bus ride down 5th, or just take the train to Prospect Avenue or 25th Street. (I prefer the bus.)

Local Slide Show from a Local Photographer

If you're longing for Sunset Park in warmer weather, check out this slide show from Vanessa at veesvision. It takes you through a few seasons, and it's a lovely tour around the neighborhood.

McGovern Weir Explained

For some reason, I thought that this structure (McGovern Weir, the photo is from flickr on uberzombie's photostream) traveled here from the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair, but I will acquiesce to more learned fans of the glass building. Anyone who has walked past the 5th Avenue florist outside of Green-Wood Cemetery's main entrance must have wondered about the dome of glass that houses the McGovern Florist shop. It's pretty darn cool.

Check out the handy explanation of its history on GowanusLounge. The text comes from Ruth Edebohls, the Coordinator of Urban Tours at the Center for the Urban Environment. She, in turn, acknowledges the work that Andrew Dolkart performed in his report to the Landmarks Preservation Commission in 1982.

Sunset Park DJ Interviewed by Fellow Musician

I'm surely far too un-hip to know about DJ/Rupture (or is it just Rupture?) on my own, but I do hear about certain people and events thanks to neighbors and some old-school mixed with new-fangled research skills. (And that's how I found this fantastic portrait of DJ/Rupture. I thank orienomada at flickr for sharing images with the public.)

DJs, to me, mean radio personalities and unseen mixers of dance tunes at Body and Soul (not the current party, when it was cheaper, in Tribeca, and not at Webster Hall). And this video highlights a local guy who seems to do a little of both. The reason I am sharing this is because the clips of his music that are included in the interview are pretty darn excellent. The veggie dance animation is a little art school-ish, but who cares? At least it's veggies.

The beginning of the interview (which begins with a smart, colorful backdrop choice of the music mural up from 5th Avenue) is on 45th Street, and follows Rupture on the R train and into Manhattan to do his show at WFMU (I think that's the set of call letters I saw on the video). About Sunset Park, he talks about the huge amount of stores that cater to Latin Music around us. In fact, there are fewer now than just a few years ago. This Dutty Artz video is worth a few minutes of time, anyway. Here you go. And if you want to know more about him after seeing it, do a search or just go here.

St. Jacobi Hosts its Messiah Community Sing-In on December 14

Need some help getting into the holiday spirit? Want more music in your life? Prefer holiday music when its indoors and live? Like free events? Well, stop by St. Jacobi's Messiah Community Sing-In on December 14th at 4 PM. The Sing-In will be conducted by Dr. Thomas Schmidt, the director of music for St. Peter's Lutheran Church in Manhattan.

St. Jacobi is located on 4th Avenue at 54th Street, and its concerts are free and open to the public.

Belated Photos of the CUE Sunset Park Walking Tour

Sunset Park, Brooklyn Walking Tour, originally uploaded by GreenScaper.

GreenScaper very kindly gave me permission to post his photos. His set of the Sunset Park, Brooklyn Walking Tour is definitely worth a look.

I like this photo in particular because of the many layers of residential, industrial, water, New Jersey, and sky. Let's hope we keep this view for a long, long time.

And Now: The Rainbow Cafe is for Rent

I guess the $3 Million sales price was a bit much right now. If you want to rent the Rainbow Cafe, however, it is still available.

Sunday Art Tour - Sunset's Tabla Rasa is on the Green Loop

If you want to check out some art for free, Sunday is one of the best days to take part. Tabla Rasa Gallery is the Sunset Park offering to this smART tour. Tabla Rasa is currently showing Nobis Solo; the accompanying photo is from that exhibit. The HUB for the Green Loop (which includes Sunset Park) is the Brooklyn Museum of Art. So, if you want to sign up for it, you can get a visit in to the BMA as well as the other Green Loop stops (which goes through Crown Heights, Park Slope, Gowanus, Sunset, and Flatbush) and then "hop off" for Tabla Rasa on your way home.

It seems like you have to get on at the beginning, but perhaps I'm reading it wrong. You can, however, hop on and off to enjoy whichever galleries on the loop you wish to see. Madarts on 18th and 5th has been especially good on previous open houses, so I recommend stopping there. Then you can get something to eat at Ellis or get a coffee at Southside (on 6th Avenue) while you're at it.

See below for more information. Or, you can download the PDF here: http://www.visitbrooklyn.org/pdf/smART_Program.pdf

Make sure you register!!

smART • December 14, 2008 • How to Participate

• Register by phone: 718-802-3530 or email: smart@visitbrooklyn.org

You must give your name, phone number or email, and specify which hub
and time you want (e.g., 2pm BLUE loop). Please note that you may only
make reservations for 2 people. Seating is limited - we will accommodate
people without reservations only after seating people with reservations!

• Buses leave on the hour: 1pm, 2pm, 3pm, 4pm and 5pm*

Please arrive at the hub location at least 15 minutes before departure.
Schedules for each loop will be handed out on the bus.

*The 5pm bus is the last trip for the day – please be advised it has NO return loop! • Enjoy hopping on & off the bus within each line’s loop! Please note this is not a door-to-door service. (Galleries will be within approximately three blocks of each stop)

SPAN Hosts a Tribute to Human Rights

From the flyer and email, it seems like the screening of "Rezoning Harlem" is the extent of the tribute. The title and sub-title, on the other hand, make it sound like there will be discussion and information session. This tribute is called Housing is a Human Right! Check out the information about the event that's happening tomorrow night.

Housing is a Human Right!

WHAT DOES THE CITY HAVE

PLANNED FOR SUNSET PARK?
The proposed changes in the zoning of Sunset Park threaten

to bring us high rents, luxury condos and much higher rents.

Featuring a screening of
REZONING HARLEM
a film by Tamara Gubernat and Natasha Florentino
Learn about how the current rezoning plan in Harlem will hurt

local small businesses and residents.

Wed. Dec. 10, 2008 6:30 PM
Trinity Lutheran Church
4th Ave bet 45-46 St. Sunset Park, Brooklyn
R Train to 45 St.
Sponsored by the Sunset Park Alliance of Neighbors (SPAN)
For more info call 718-853-0949 or email spanbrooklyn@yahoo.com

Refreshments and Childcare will be available

Does the Music Annoy You?

Let me just say that I am an avid fan of The Brian Lehrer Show. He's even my friend on Facebook. Really. But I think that Brian Lehrer had a slow day yesterday. He had a decently long segment based on one of his friend's complaints (a friend who happens to live in Sunset Park!) about the holiday music that the Sunset Park BID has been playing on 5th Avenue since Thanksgiving.

Considering that the Sunset Park BID is not alone in piping holiday music along a shopping avenue, and considering that it also happened last year, it's not really news. However, since I always have WNYC on in the background when I am able, my attention was consumed by the "drama." Of course, there wasn't much drama. Some callers (mainly NOT from Sunset Park) complained about holiday music in general and whether or not it was even legal for the BID to pipe religious music (like Presley's "Blue Christmas") into a public area.

According to Ms. Giordano, of the Sunset Park BID, the music is shared with the shopping community for seven hours a day, and the BID is trying to be sensitive about the volume. I have no idea when it starts or stops, but I'm sure it's not too early or late to be aggravating to late-risers or early-to-bedders.

One caller, a Sunset resident who lives half a block from 5th Avenue, said that it's too loud and she can hear it from her living room. Granted, that would be annoying. And with some warmer weather coming this week, windows might be opening. I also live half a block from 5th Avenue, and I've never heard it from my apartment. (Full disclosure: Some people - like my students and my husband - think I might be hard-of-hearing.)

Is it really that annoying or offensive to hear holiday music in the streets for a month? Personally, I'm not particularly religious. I go to services on Christmas Eve because I like the candles and because my parents appreciate it. I do look forward to hearing The Waitresses' "Christmas Wrapping" every year, but I have had quite enough of "Dominick the Donkey." Okay, maybe once or twice a season, even a few "Hee Haws" are okay. I love hearing the first Adam Sandler "Hanukkah Song," but I think the next couple of versions are poor sequels. Would it make a difference if the songs were completely secular? Does "Jingle Bells" count as a non-religious song? How about "Deck the Halls" or "Frosty the Snowman" or "Grandma Got Runover by a Reindeer"? Hmmm. That mentions Christmas Eve, so maybe not.

It could be that just the additional sound on the street is what aggravates those who want the music stopped. But aren't the guys with amps who share their views on Jesu Cristo more aggravating? Those guys I DO hear from my half a block away from 5th Avenue apartment.

I wonder if the Sunset Park BID could get Joni Mitchell's "River" piped in. I'd defend hearing JM to anyone, even Brian Lehrer.

Does anyone else have real opinions about this?

One Day Only! Free Shuttle to Brooklyn Fun Spots

I didn't get the email until after the 2nd Saturday of November, but the December 13th shuttle offered by Heart of Brooklyn is still coming! The last stop on the shuttle route is actually in Sunset Park, and it will take you to the front entrance of the following places: Brooklyn Botanic Garden, Brooklyn Children's Museum, Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn Public Library (GAP), Prospect Park, and the Prospect Park Zoo. I'm sure it's a much more pleasant ride than taking the R and switching at Pacific, or even taking a couple of buses. Check out the schedule for December 13th. Depending on how crowded it gets, it might be worth venturing into Bay Ridge to wait at the 4th and Bay Ridge Avenue shuttle stop. What follows comes from the website/email:

Saturday Scene is free regular transportation to central Brooklyn from select neighborhoods in Brooklyn, running continuous loops from 10am-6pm. Serving Bay Ridge (second Saturdays), Red Hook (third Saturdays), and Williamsburg (fourth Saturdays), the shuttle makes its way to the main entrances of the cultural institutions in the Heart of Brooklyn.

BAY RIDGE STOPS (second Saturday: December 13)
Century 21 Store on 86th St. (472 86th St.)
10am, 1pm, 3:30pm, (6pm drop off only)

Bay Ridge Library, Corner of Ridge Blvd & 73rd St.
10:10am, 1:10pm, 3:40pm

4th Ave at Bayridge Ave
10:20am, 1:20pm, 3:50pm

4th Ave at 51st St.
10:30am, 1:30pm, 4pm

One More Reason to Visit Green-Wood Cemetery

The New York Times had an article about Green-Wood's art collection. There is a slide show of various works, and information about how the collection began. Check it out here.

The cut below is from the NYT slide show: an example of the well-known Green-Wood Tiffany windows.

"Fading Ad" Gives Sunset Walls a Visit

Fading Ad Blog by Frank H. Jump always makes for an interesting visit. Even more so when it's in Sunset Park. For me, anyway.

Check it out here.

Center for Family Life's Food Pantry is "Bare"

The Food Pantries in the area have lost a lot of their usual donations due to the very bad economic times.

According to Anne Sherman, a board member for the Center for Family Life, the food shelves in their pantry (which services families in Sunset Park) are BARE. The food stuffs that they normally receive have diminished because of the growing need around the City.

She writes:

As you can imagine, this is a huge concern for us, because we know that, in addition to the families that already rely on this food, the number of families in need will only grow in the coming months. The Center's staff estimates that it would cost us $1,000/week if we were to stock the shelves by purchasing food ourselves. Contributions are most welcome and greatly appreciated! Many thanks for your generosity and care.

If you would like to write a check and designate it for the food pantry, please make the check out to "Center for Family Life" and write "food pantry" in the memo line. Or, if it's better for you, donations can also be made on our website with a credit card - click on "support CFL" on the left of the home page (www.cflsp.org). Please indicate that it is a donation for food in the comments section of the online form. If you are mailing a check or delivering food, the address is: Center for Family Life, 343 43rd Street, Brooklyn, NY, 11232. Call 718 788 3500 with any questions.

One of the co-directors, Julia Jean-Francois, explains: We have never had so few donations from our usual sources...The result is that folks in the community who have lost jobs and are not able to find work or who just can't make ends meet are coming more and more to get very basic pantry donations of rice, dry beans and really anything...

So head on over to the Center for Family Life's Food Pantry at 5505 4th Avenue with your donation of non-perishables or money. Monetary donations are often preferred because the Center can purchase items in bulk. However, nothing is too small or insignificant. As was mentioned, rice and dry beans are basics that everyone can use. Also, that box of elbow pasta that you never seem to use or that can of peas and carrots you just don't heat up or that two-pack of tuna you never opened would all make lovely donations. All three would be even better!

B37 is on the Chopping Block

Bay Ridge Blog has a great run-down of the threatened lines that affect this area of Brooklyn, and the B37 is pretty much the only route that he thinks should be kept, no questions. Here's what he has to say:

Don't Even Think of Getting Rid of the Third Avenue Bus

The B37 bus runs faster than the sluggish Fifth Avenue bus. If you take it all the way to downtown Brooklyn, you'll see that lots of people use it, especially older people who are nervous about taking the crowded subway or who have a hard time navigating the subway steps.

If this service is removed, the entire Third Avenue corridor that runs under the creaking horror that is the Gowanus Expressway will be turned into a lifeless desert. Elimination of the Third Avenue Bus cannot be considered.

The Brooklyn Paper has an article that echoes many of his (and his commenters) points. The main complaint comes from those who have trouble getting up and down the subway station steps. The 3rd Avenue bus only has two or three steps, and it's not much slower than the R train. Well, not too much slower. The Brooklyn Paper article has links to various petitions to save bus lines, but here's the link to the B37 petition.

The B37 is often ignored by those of us in Sunset Park, at least those who live closer to 5th Avenue. However, it's often faster than taking 5th Avenue (fewer double-parking issues), and it's a direct route to downtown Brooklyn, and you can avoid the crowded Park Slope stops. It's also very useful and quick for getting to Bay Ridge from Sunset.

If you so desire, add you voice to the SAVE the B37! petition. You just might thank yourself later.

Puebla Mini Market Enjoys the "Village" Spotlight

If you read reviews on Chowhound or other food oriented sites, you already know that Puebla Mini Market has a reputation for amazing tortas. What keeps it from being swamped with Torta Tourists is that the sandwich counter is all the way in the back of the market. However, as The Village Voice points out, the journey to the back of the Mini Market is worth it.

Check out the review, and then pick up a torta from Puebla some time soon.

The same reviewer gives some attention to another Sunset shop: New Public Meat Market. It's called an adventure...but really it's just a shop, like any other, but with more meat choices.

Community Board 7 Brings Back Its Toy Drive

It's the season for toys, and CB7 wants your NEW and unwrapped toys or clothing for our community's children. Don't try to pawn off that toy your kid no longer likes...this stuff should be new!

from the email:

Community Board #7’s 21st Annual Holiday Gift Drive

Community Board #7 is accepting donations of UNWRAPPED NEW TOYS & CLOTHING for girls & boys, from newborn to 12 years of age.

Please bring your donations to our office at 4201 4th Avenue (corner of 43rd Street & 4th Avenue) no later than FRIDAY, DECEMBER 19!!

If you wish to make a monetary donation, please contact our office at 718-854-0003 or email at communityboard7@yahoo.com for further information. These donations will be given to the needy children in this community.

Busted Break-In on 45th Street

Good news and bad news.

First, the bad news: It's not only cars that suffer break-ins! A neighbor reports that a house on 45th Street was broken into and at least two houses on 44th Street were used as getaway routes, or, perhaps the houses were being cased for robberies as well. Residents of 44th Street buildings with yards facing the unlucky 45th Street house found items including a cell phone and a gold watch in their backyards. Apparently, another building's garbage had a large amount of cash stashed behind it. Either someone was in a rush, or the Easter Bunny has arrived a little early.

The good news? Based on Police Officer guided German Shepherd noses, body odor detected on the watch and cell phone helped to apprehend two suspects who both had thousands of dollars on them.

Thanks to the residents who called the police to alert them about strange items in their yards. Keep your eyes, ears, and apparently noses alert and call 911 if you sense strange or dangerous behavior around your way. Seriously, let's all help to keep the neighborhood safer.

Bay Ridge Green Market is Still Going

Well, our Green Market had its last day just before Thanksgiving. We'll have to wait until JULY (why not earlier??) for the next one here. If you don't want to travel into Park Slope, Bay Ridge has a Green Market that will go on through December 27th. It's Saturdays from 8 AM to 3 PM.
It's located on 3rd Avenue at 95th Street. You can take the 3rd Avenue bus or the R train to the end of the line.

I'm not sure if this Green Market also accepts WIC/EBT, but hopefully they will.

Here's some information about the vendors/farmers from the organizer. It's not guaranteed that all these farms/items will be there, but it's obviously very different and much higher-end than the Sunset Park market.

• Hector Perez, Alex Farm, Milford, NJ: apples, pears, tomatoes and assorted vegetables
• Water Bufalo di Vermont, Woodstock, VT: YOGURT, cheeses including the famous buffalo milk mozzarella, salami
• Bread Alone, Boiceville, NY: Thanksgiving satples like STUFFING mix, assorted breads to make your own, PIES, and too many varieties of cookies, muffins, scones, and more to name!
• American Seafood, Long Island: Scallops, swordfish, blue fish, clams, mussels, and MORE fresh caught wild fish from nearby waters
• Caral Farms, Goshen, NY: A wide assortment of vegetables grown in the vibrant mineral rich 'Black Dirt' of Orange County. Butternut squash, onions, potatoes, HERBS, carrots, and more!
• New York Beef, Lagrangville, NY: Multiple cuts of GRASS FED beef raised in New York. ****This week rancher John Gagliardi and his sons will be at the market to answer your questions about the grass-fed advantage.****
• Silvermine Apiary, Norwalk,CT: Andrew Cote is back with his luscious, local, RAW honey and soaps, too! For a decidedly new honey sensation try the whipped honey!

43rd Street's Construction

43rd Street has been under construction for a long time...over six months at this point. It has been slow going, and riddled with stops and starts, but things are really moving now!

On my last trip to Ba Xuyen on my once in a while lunch splurge, I walked down 43rd Street to check out the progress. Here's what I saw:

At 413-415, I ran into another interested on-looker. We commiserated about the anticipated changes coming to the block. He owns three building on the 8th to 9th block of 43rd, and he, like I, believes that the new building will look something like the one on 6th Avenue that replaced a brownstone (see left hand photo). The two homes that were town down were not particularly lovely, but they fit in with this side of the block. (This is one of the blocks with some houses that have not used siding to hide the funky faces on the facades.) We both dread seeing the new building...hopefully it won't be as bad as we anticipate.

What we did see were workers who got agitated when they noticed us standing outside (because I'm so scary with my baby carrier and all), and then they tried to close the gate. They failed to fully close it due to items strewn about. That's why, while I didn't get a photo of the very deep hole crisscrossed with steel, I did get a photo of their pile of dirt. That, and the level that was carefully stored on the dirt.

This construction site still has a months' old $2500 fine that has not yet been paid. It was for blocking and injuring the neighboring building's walkway. They have solved several other complaints, including noise...but my guess is there will be more to come.

Speaking of complaints, the other end of the block, at 765, was served by the Supreme Court of NYS. Apparently, it's about unsafe building and structure issues. Someone (not me, I swear!) tried to remove it and has read what's inside the notice, judging from the removed and carelessly re-applied tape. I haven't been able to find anything about the issues yet, but maybe it will show up soon. The site was active, and while only the outdoor staircase remains of this over-sized lot, most of the debris has been removed. No digging has happened yet...maybe before the first snows?

"Lighting it Up" in Sunset Park

The Friends of Sunset Park are at it again, and that's a really good thing.

If you want to help out with the lights, sing some songs, or get more information about volunteering with Friends of Sunset Park, email friendsofsunsetpark@yahoo.com.

from the email:

Lighting Up The Park on Friday, December 19th at 6pm in Sunset Park

enter near the 41st St + 5th Avenue entrance (just up the steps) for a 3-tree progressive lighting event. We will first light the tree by the lower path (near 5th Avenue), continue up the hill and light the tree (mid park- 5/6 Avenues and conclude at the lighting of the tree located in front of the Recreation Center (7th Ave. at 43rd St.). No matter which part of the Park you're near, all will be able to view at least one tree light the night this the Holiday Season.

Please spread the word throughout your respective networks. We will be e-distributing a printable flier in the next few days. All are welcome!!

• Are you interested in accompanying the crowd in singing holiday tunes (from different countries/various languages)?
• Would you like to read a brief poem/sing/play solo?
• Would you be able to help hang the lights a couple of days before the 19th?
• Do you have outdoor-quality white or multi-color lights that you'd like to give-away?

Email friendsofsunsetpark@yahoo.com if you are interested in responding, making suggestions, or want more information about participating.

St. Agatha's Holiday Fair is this Weekend

Need some holiday items to spruce up your place? Want to support a local school? Like to browse through various tchotchkes hoping to find that special something? Well, here's your chance!

St. Agatha's annual Holiday Fair is this Sunday, December 7th, from 9 AM to 3 PM. St. Agatha's is on 48th Street and 7th Avenue. Call 718-435-3137 for more information.

Sunset's Own Tree Lighting

It may not be as grand as the Rockefeller Center tree, but you'll get a better view. On December 4th at 4 PM, the Sunset Park BID and Our Lady of Perpetual Help Basilica will be hosting the Holiday Tree Ceremony at the corner of 60th and 5th Avenue.

There will be music from various groups and schools, and a magic show is scheduled by "King Henry." Also, kids will be able to have their photo taken with Santa from 3-4 PM. Get there early because there are free gift bags, and we've all seen the lines that these events bring with them. Crazy!

Check it out!

Car Windows Smashed on Friday Night

On 44th Street, at least three ** now it's five ** cars had windows smashed, and at least one car had its contents searched for valuables, on Friday night. On our way up to the park on Saturday we saw two tinted windowed cars with smashed windows, and up the block there was one more car with a window smashed in. One long-time resident, who claimed a tinted-windowed car, said that it had happened over night. He didn't volunteer any information about theft, but another resident said that her car had definitely been searched for items after already losing a window.

This block has not seen too many vandalized cars over the last few years, at least not on the house side. On Wednesday early evening, some youths were seen hanging around the block and acting like they wanted to smash in a windshield, but they ran off when they saw someone on the sidewalk. It doesn't seem like they'd be the ones who took the time to return and break into cars to steal stuff, but you never know.

A vandal and a thief has to have a pretty good feeling that no one will see them/notice them to break into and rummage through three cars on a residential street. Just one more reason for all of us to be vigilant and to err on the side of caution. If you see suspicious activity, even if it seems innocuous or just "out of place" and not serious, call the precinct or 911. Really! I have it on good authority that the 72nd Precinct WANTS us to do that.

from the June Community Council Meeting:

...suspicious persons on your block, looking into cars, or behaving in strange ways can warrant a 911 call. A passed out person on the street or in the park warrants a 911 call. The incident where a woman was being used by teens as a shield could be a 911 call. 311 should be used for nuisances and quality of life issues. We can also call the Community Affairs office at 718-965-6326 to report QoL issues. The phone is attended until 10 PM.

This was communicated by Captain Simonetti, and now we have Captain Jesus Raul Pintos. I am sure that Captain Pintos feels the same way.

Hellfire and Holiday Refreshments at Light Industry

Okay, so it's really Hellfire and Rhinestones, but I thought that the "holiday refreshments will be served" after the fiery description of the evenings offerings was very funny.

Light Industry is staying on the fringes of the season with their December 2nd presentation. On that Tuesday, at 8 PM, for $6 at the door, you can see items that celebrate the golden age of televangelism as curated by Leah Churner. Werner Herzog's God's Angry Man, Christmas in America (from which the photo comes), and footage of "piano man Jimmy Lee Swaggart, who styled himself as the antithesis of his cousin Jerry Lee Lewis, and became the subject of an Ozzy Osbourne song in 1988."

All that and holiday refreshments. Anyone want to babysit two under-twos?

See it all at Light Industry
55 33rd Street (between 2nd and 3rd Avenues), 3rd floor

TimeOut New York Has Sunset Park Singer in its "Sights"

Accompanied by several photos of her possessions (in a kitchen where only tea is brewed!), TONY highlights Shara Worden, the lead singer of My Brightest Diamond, and her eclectically decorated apartment. It also has a separate section with her reasons for living in Sunset Park. That part was, of course, what interested my most.

The main "pro" is what a lot of people who work and play in Manhattan say: Quicker trains than much of affordable Brooklyn (Bay Ridge, in Ms. Worden's case).

I'm confused by her con, however. She said that there isn't a lot of park space...hmmmm. I suppose it depends on where you live. But in the 30's, there is Green-Wood Cemetery, which makes for a fantastic walk. And lots of people use Sunset Park (the actual park) for jogging. The sidewalks on 41st and 44th are also utilized quite effectively for a challenging jog. Everyone from Orthodox men in full dress to a woman who runs in a jogging outfit complete with a winter coat to a group of four tween boys who regularly jog up and down the hill encouraging one of them that "Yes, he can!" make it up the hill.

That section also gives some space to places like Eclipse, La Fe, Sunset Park Diner and Donuts, and Melody Lanes (just for the bartender).

Check out the "Why Sunset Park?" section here.

Post-Thanksgiving Parking Job

The space shown above is often a dangerous choice for those with smaller cars. Somehow, drivers of larger cars feel like it's their duty to create a space where there truly is none by pushing smaller cars back a few feet. It happened to us once (see the first paragraph on the linked post).

This van decided to try that this morning with the smaller car behind it. However, the close proximity of the larger SUV next in line prevented any movement. I still don't think it would have been a legal space since the fire hydrant is only a few feet away from the van's bumper, but the traffic cops are pretty lenient with that.

Pre-Thanksgiving Repossession

Gunset Park, a blog that showcases various scenes around Sunset Park, has a reality check (as if we need one!) of economic consequences here. From the looks of the paint job, this van has been left to fester more than once.

Giving Food (or cash) to Give Thanks

The CB7 Food Drive ended yesterday (although they will accept donations until 2 PM today), and the drive collected about three boxes of food. I'm sure it would have been more if life and activities and the business of the ever-approaching holidays weren't tugging at the minutes and hours of our days. When I dropped stuff off, there wasn't even one box full, so I was glad to hear that three boxes had been filled.

The Center for Family Life will be receiving the CB7 boxes of food for its food pantry located at 5505 4th Avenue. The Salvation Army, at 520 50th Street also provides food to those in need.

Another local food pantry is at Trinity Lutheran Church. The office is at 411 46th Street (corner of 4th Avenue). Trinity accepts donations of non-perishable foods Monday through Friday from 8:30 AM to 3:30 PM.

Those of us who are not in line for food should feel thankful. I propose we show our thanks by sharing what we have. It sounds goofy and preachy, I know. And I'm preaching to myself as much as to anyone else. But passing by that line of people waiting for food outside Methodist Episcopal/Iglesia Luz del Mundo on 4th and 47th is deeply humbling, especially as a parent. They distribute food on Thursdays from 4:30 PM - 6 PM (or 5:30-7, depending on who is giving information), and there has been a block-long line before 4 PM for many Thursdays.

If you are able to give something during these queasy economic times, please do. Buy two boxes of pasta on sale and give one of them. Pick up a few cans of tuna or a few jars of tomato sauce to donate. How about black beans or baked beans? A bag of rice or some canned fruit? The next time you order in or go out to eat, spend that much on non-perishables to bring over to one of the above locations. Relatively painless to you, helpful to them. Unfortunately, I think the heightened need will be there for a long, long time.

You can search for pantries close to you for donations or receiving help here. The Food Bank of NYC is a great place to make a cash donation as well.

Here are some links to articles/posts about food pantries around Brooklyn and NYC:

Today's Daily News

NewYorkShitty's Great Post about the Soup Kitchen at the Greenpoint Reformed Church

from June Crain's NY Business

NYTimes Articles:

The Executive Director of the NYC Coalition Against Hunger Answers Questions

Pantries and Kitchens are Struggling - this was from a year ago!

Local (by way of Hong Kong) Food Maven Loves Mexican Madeleines

I ran across fine furious life - a food blog - by chance, and it is quite a treat. Not only are the photographs of food (and pet rabbits) wonderful, but the writing is crisp and entertaining, not saccharine or pretentious. The author, Michele Humes, writes for Serious Eats (both reviews and recipes), and she even has a YouTube Crepe Video that is as much fun to watch as it is to anticipate re-creating. There's also a project she co-authored called noodlr.net that provides ideas for meals focused on...Noodles. She lives "on the edge of Sunset Park" - so I'll claim her as a neighbor.

Her post yesterday about Mexican Madeleines is lovely (despite the commentary about Webster's spelling):

...long having eyed the lurid pink pastries with “skepticism” (I’ll never understand how you people can stand to spell it that way), I finally bought one of Jirasol’s. I took it home, bit into it (ok, you got me, I photographed it first), and promptly burst into tears. It’s not often that the cuisines of China and Mexico intersect, so I don’t know quite how this came to be, but the concha tasted exactly like the bolo bao, or pineapple bun, of my Hong Kong childhood.

That's just a sample. Check it out.

Sunset Park Wants a Community Garden

Some Sunset Park residents want to grow stuff...lots of stuff. You know, things like vegetables and flowers and green things. Despite there being several very active members of the Sunset Park Garden Club, there is a desire and a need for a more typical community garden with plots and benches and composting. (I'm just naming stuff from other community gardens, but I don't know if the organizers actually want these things. It sounds good though!)

I believe there is a community garden on 4th Avenue and 65th (or is it 64th?). I've never actually seen it, but I'd guess it's by that dead end where the tree sellers set up under the overpass. However, those on the northern, lower-numbered streets want some garden exposure as well.

If you want to get involved on the ground floor, come to a meeting to help brainstorm and organize!

from the organizer:

Do you want a place to grow vegetables and flowers and play with the kids?
Are you interested in helping to beautify your neighborhood?
IF SO...Please join the Sunset Park Garden coalition on:

SATURDAY THE 29th at 10:30 AM
in front of the 9th AVENUE subway station (on 39th Street)

We will be discussing a plan of action for converting the empty lots near the 9th Avenue subway station into a community garden for the residents of Sunset Park.

This will be a meeting to plan the garden, and a chance to sign a petition to the MTA for use of the land.

Tell your friends!! Bring your kids!!! All are welcome!!

If you can't make the meeting but still want to help, please email with your name, address, phone number, any ideas or comments, and I will add your name to the petition list.

Also, if you have any information about the history of the empty lots next to the 9th Avenue subway station, that would be great...they apparently used to be a garden, and we would like to know why they were abandoned.

for more information, please email:
sarahjulig@gmail.com

Concerned Citizens of Greenwood Heights Slam the Energy Scammers

I found this link on Brownstoner, and it shows how a group of truly concerned citizens can help out neighbors. The Concerned Citizens of Greenwood Heights put together a flier for the neighborhoods that have been attacked by energy savings scams of late. Is attacked too strong a word? This PDF flier gives a lot of handy tips and encouragement to those who run into the aggressive door-to-door representatives from IDT and other companies.

If you want background to this issue, do a quick search on Brooklynian (in the Greenwood/Sunset Park forum), Brownstoner, or Gowanus Lounge.

Green-Wood Cemetery Trolley Tour on Sunday

**Update** The trolley tour is sold out, but the Book Signing and Q&A still has space. Reservations are required!
Thanks to commenter lostinbrooklyn for the update.

This Sunday Green-Wood Cemetery hosts a guided trolley tour with Alexandra Kathryn Mosca. The title of the tour is Images of America: Green-Wood Cemetery, and it starts at 1 PM on Sunday. The trolley tour is $20, or $10 for Historic Fund members. Space is limited, so call for reservations. Meet at 1 PM inside the main entrance at 25th Street at 5th Avenue.

Please call 718.768.7300 for reservations.
From the brochure:

Join Alexandra Kathryn Mosca, author of the just-published Images of America: Green-Wood Cemetery, in a trolley tour honoring Green-Wood’s “Who’s Who” of 19th- and early 20th-century New York. Visit the monuments and learn about the fascinating lives of Henry Chadwick (“The Father of Baseball”), DeWitt Clinton (New York governor and main proponent of construction of the Erie Canal), Charles Feltman (inventor of the hot dog), Dr. Susan McKinney Steward (first African-American female doctor in New York) and more. Mosca, a regular contributor to magazines such as American Cemetery and American Funeral Director, is joined by Steven Estroff, Green-Wood’s manager of education and outreach. A question and answer session and author book signing follow the tour in Green-Wood’s Historic Chapel. Refreshments will be served. SPECIAL tour and book OFFER: Spend $30 and receive BOTH the trolley tour and a copy of Ms. Mosca’s book (a $20 value). (The offer is $20 for Historic Fund members.)

CB 7 Meeting Tonight

Stop by the CB 7 meeting at 6:30 PM to keep updated on your neighborhood, and bring some non-perishable items while you're at it! The meeting is at 4201 4th Avenue (entrance on 43rd Street). The food drive ends on the 24th...bring items in NOW! Check here for items they especially need.

One topic will surely be the Brownstoner highlighted rezoning issues in Windsor Terrace (or is it Kensington? Check out the comments for opinions on THAT.).

Also, Aaron Brashear of CB 7 was on WNYC with Brian Lehrer today. The topic was safety issues at construction sites. Click here for access to the podcast. Since I am an avid Brian Lehrer listener, I was lucky enough to hear it. It's worth a listen.

The Good News: Lots of Sunset Park Restaurant Attention

Within the last year or so, Sunset has gotten loads of (mainly) positive attention where food is concerned. That's nothing new. However, I thought I'd post links to two of the most recent since one highlights a new(er) restaurant, Mai Thai, and the other has a long list of places that don't always show up as obvious choices for a quick, cheap lunch or a place to get a more substantial meal. Enjoy. (Image from Eating in Translation.)

Keep Your Eyes on Mai Thai - Village Voice
One personal caveat: As with many restaurants, people occasionally get ill from the food. I haven't been back or ordered from Mai Thai since a friend shared that both she and her husband were violently ill after eating vegetable dishes from Mai Thai. They think it was the sauce, but who knows. I'm sure I'll get over it eventually.


Eating in Translation: Sunset Park
The entry about L&Y Bakery is very informative regarding the most delicious method for eating unfamiliar fruit.

The Bad News: Disappointing Delivery from Maria's

We've had very positive experiences when we've gone to Maria's for lunch/dinner. Well, perhaps just positive. When they first opened here in Sunset, it was excellent. It was worth the extra dollar or four added to the items on the menu (compared to other local establishments). Now that they've been here more than a year, it seems that some things have been slipping. The brunch is still a darn good deal if you get a bloody mary or mimosa. The pozole with the tostada is an especially good deal.

What kept me going back, however, and what kept me ordering in from them, was the guacamole. The last three times we ordered delivery were guac disasters. The first (of the last three) time there was more onion than avocado. Really. It would have been good as a spread on a burger (veggie for me, thanks), but as guacamole? Just too crunchy and, well, oniony! Still, one terrible guac encounter didn't deter me from trying again. The next time we ordered in with Maria's, the guac was better, but not amazing. We also noticed that their prices had climbed considerably. I understand raising prices a little. Really, I do. But to add three (or was it four) dollars to the vegetable enchiladas? What? Also, my maduros were as dry as tostones. I think someone got mixed up in the kitchen. Well, okay, but at least the guac was tasty. So we ordered a third time (this is over about six weeks, by the way). The guacamole was back to being chunky onion salsa with some avocado added. The tostadas were still good, and the pork burrito was "really good," according to my husband.

The other problem that they have had recently is a staff attitude problem. Some formerly friendly, talkative, sociable staff members have become apathetic, error-prone, and - at least on the phone - hard of hearing. If there's no time to take my order, maybe there shouldn't be delivery. The only person we've still had positive interactions with has been the man who delivers. He's awesome. My many years of experience in a restaurant tell me that when staff start making lazy errors and stop caring about even pretending to be friendly, there's something wrong at the top. Perhaps the working conditions have changed dramatically? Perhaps some changes in management?

Three chances is all I'll give a place. Despite the past successes we've shared with Maria's, I think that will be it for their delivery.

Besides, the tacos and burritos are cheaper and just as tasty at Matamoros...and the Mole at Nuevo is really good.

IDT is Still Out There

On Brooklynian and Gowanus Lounge, warnings have surfaced that there are still door-to-door reps from IDT (and perhaps other places) asking to see your ConEd bill so they can "save" you money. Be on the lookout, and if you have neighbors who are older, give them a heads-up as well.

Brooklynian Thread

Gowanus Lounge Update Posting

43rd Street is a Busy Place These Days

The north side of 43rd Street between 7th and 8th Avenues is hopping lately. Of course, there is the on-going, pseudo-construction side where two family homes used to stand; they were torn down this spring. Since then, there hasn't been much activity. However, the little activity that there HAS been seems to have disturbed the neighbors. These two signs have appeared on the construction fence: one has a number to call with complaints, and the other is a two page "noise mitigation plan."

The site is pretty messy otherwise. There is even debris, like empty cans and dug up rocks, on the sidewalk outside the construction fence. The CAT backhoe (I think that's what it is) is sitting in the site, but there hasn't been a lot of progress with a foundation, from the looks of it.

Moving down the street, a building that sold several months ago is having its insides re-done.And the house at the end of the block (near 8th) is being demolished. It's a huge lot, comparatively, and they are taking the building down a lot more slowly than the houses at 713.
Busy block, and I'm surprised at the amount of activity considered the uneasy real estate/economic market these days. Good luck to them, and hopefully what emerges will be some well built and well renovated dwellings for a range of incomes. Too much to ask?