BROOKLYN EAGLE How Sweet it Is: Domino Site’s First Apt. Building
AS THIS RENDERING SHOWS, THERE ARE TERRACES ON the back of 325 Kent Ave., the first rental-apartment building to spring up at Two Trees Management’s Domino development in Williamsburg. See EYE ON REAL ESTATE, beginning on page 5.
Visualization by Aether Images
Volume 17, No. 44
Two Sections
THURSDAY, JUNE 29, 2017
$1.00
DeKalb Market Hall Draws Foodie Hoards to Downtown Brooklyn
Forty Food Vendors Fill Lower Level of DoBro’s City Point Development What started as a trickle just off of Albee Square in the Fulton Street Mall quickly turned into a roar as the long-awaited opening of the DeKalb Market Hall drew foodies from all over the borough, Manhattan and even Long Island. Doors opened to the public for the first time at 11 a.m. on a recent Friday. Some vendors, like Taste of Katz’s and Cuzin’s Duzin, started passing out their signature products right away, while many others still scrambled to start service. “We’re just two friends who want to sell Polish dumplings,” Pierogi Boy partner Andrew Kinczyk said as he opened boxes of napkins and condiments. Behind him, in the kitchen proper, two women cut rolled-out dough into circles before adding filling to each one. NYC Department of Health-mandated posters demonstrating the Heimlich maneuver and hand washing still lined the countertop, awaiting placement on the walls. Potential customers passed by, retrieving menus and promising to return by noon when the food would be ready. “People don’t know what they want to eat yet,” floor manager Jauri Peterson explained, pointing to passersby who had collected more paper menus than plates of food. “We’re very happy with the turnout,” he went on to say. “People have been stopping by for weeks asking when opening day was.” “Ten years ago our rent went from $2,500 per month to $25,000,” Steve Liebowitz of Guss’ Pickles. Guss’, one of the most venerable names in kosher-style pickles for the past century, was compelled to sell via warehouse only until reopening in the DeKalb Market Mall. Sharing a place of honor next to Taste of Katz’s, Liebowitz explained, “Jake [Katz’s owner] invited us to be neighbors here. We’re the only two Manhattan-based vendors in this part of the Hall. He thought we should be together.” Just a few feet away, the man himself, Katz’s owner Jake Dell
stood outside his restaurant’s oversized kiosk, decorated with signs, lights and photographs copied from the original. “We wanted to be certain people understood that Katz’s is on East Houston and Ludlow Streets,” Dell explained. “That’s why this is ‘Taste of Katz’s’ only. The menu here is just a few of our sta-
owner Alan Rosen] was fine with it. He understands our strengths are in different areas — they have the roast beef and cheesecake. We have the pastrami and matzo ball soup.” By noon, barely one hour after opening its doors for the very first time, aisles in the DeKalb Market Hall were mobbed. People elbowed one another aside as each twist and turn revealed a new facet of street-level culinary excellence. Downtown Brooklyn resident Hilary Wolk retrieved a small bowl filled with dumplings and sour cream from Andrew Kinczyk, making Wolk the Pierogi Boys’ first-ever sale. “I’ve been waiting forever for this place to open,” Wolk said before delving into the Eastern European classic. Her companions, awaiting their own pierogi orders, nodded enthusiastically. “I think I’ve got the smallest stall here,” Steve of Steve’s Authentic Key Lime Pies insisted as he passed out “swingles,” small key lime pies encased in chocolate and set on a stick to be eaten like a popsicle. “This is my second location. Of course, the main one’s in Red Hook.” When reminded of his “pirate” days when aficionados awaited clues for the location of his famous van from which to buy pies off the street, Steve laughed. “Now they don’t even let me in the kitchen anymore!” he confessed. Filling more than 60,000 square feet, DeKalb Market Hall joins other retail outlets Century 21, Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, Target, Macy’s and Shake Shack in DoBro’s City Point at 445 Albee Square.
ples — the pastrami, of course, and corned beef — but people have to go across the river for the full Katz’s experience.” When asked if he received any blowback from establishing Katz’s first Brooklyn outpost so close to Junior’s, the borough’s own powerhouse deli, Dell shook his head. “No, Alan [Junior’s
Belle Cheese owner Agatha Khishchenko, left, and her staff greeted customers. Eagle photos by Andy Katz
ABOVE: Self-described “foodie supreme” and Canarsie resident Sharon Grafton enjoys a lollipop, compliments of Belle Cheese. INSET: Floor manager Jauri Peterson supervises the first round of customers inside DeKalb Market Hall shortly after its opening. 2 • Brooklyn Eagle — A Special Section of INBROOKLYN/Brooklyn Daily Eagle/Heights Press/Brooklyn Record/Bay Ridge Eagle/Greenpoint Gazette • Week of June 29-July 5, 2017
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ighlights From BrooklynEagle.com
Shakespeare Still Champion Of That Perpetual Theme?: ‘Powerful Men Behaving Badly’ ‘Measure for Measure’ at TFANA Features Politics and a Hot Nun
BROOKLYN’S AMAZING POLONSKY SHAKESPEARE THEATRE HAS IMPORTED British director Simon Godwin to give us an unforgettable “Measure for Measure” with astounding contemporary relevance, along with the mercy, justice, misbehavior and humor that can be pulled from a 1604 observation of Vienna, updated with clarity. Lore Croghan reviews the play at brooklyneagle.com with appropriate gusto and insight. Pictured: “Measure for Measure” at Theatre for a New Audience’s Polonsky Shakespeare Center features Thomas Jay Ryan as Angelo and Cara Ricketts as Isabella. Photo by Gerry Goodstein
Celebrated Brooklyn Author, Distinctive Voice of Theatre, ‘The New Brooklyn’: Millennial Bunkers Comes Back to Cobble Hill Amid Transforming Industrial Relics COLUMNIST JOHN MANBECK, A FORMER BOROUGH HISTORIAN AND PROfessor at Kingsborough Community College, comments on the “weaknesses and the strains” that appear in Brooklyn’s rise, fall and transformative recovery in a new century. See brooklyneagle.com. Cover design by Sally Rinehart
THE BROOKLYN CONNECTIONS TO THE NOTABLE WILLIAMSTOWN THEATRE Festival are many. The Eagle has covered them all, including the latest: an opening of “Actually,” the work of playwright Anna Ziegler (above). Writer Peter Stamelman calls her one of the boldest and most distinctive voices of contemporary theatre. His interview on brooklyneagle.com captures the essence of her masterful depictions of classic “battle of the sexes” ... and she seems ecstatic to have returned to her roots in Brownstone Brooklyn to raise a family.
Week of June 29-July 5, 2017 • Brooklyn Eagle — A Special Section of INBROOKLYN/Brooklyn Daily Eagle/Heights Press/Brooklyn Record/Bay Ridge Eagle/Greenpoint Gazette • 3
4 • Brooklyn Eagle — A Special Section of INBROOKLYN/Brooklyn Daily Eagle/Heights Press/Brooklyn Record/Bay Ridge Eagle/Greenpoint Gazette • Week of June 29-July 5, 2017
Construction Updates on Williamsburg’s Hotel Row, AKA Wythe Avenue By Lore Croghan Brooklyn Eagle
There’s a hotel taking shape under that black netting. Behold the Hoxton. Progress has been made on the construction of the nine-story, 175-room property being built by London-based developer Ennismore on Williamsburg’s Hotel Row, which is what we call Wythe Avenue. The Hoxton, whose address is 97 Wythe Ave., has frontage on North 9th and North 10th streets. It’s going to open this year, its website says. On a building on the opposite side of Wythe Avenue from the Hoxton, Delta Air Lines and Tinder have painted a massive advertisement they call the #DeltaDatingWall. It’s a mural with scenes from popular tourist destinations like Paris. The tonguein-cheek concept is that if you snap selfies for your dating profile in front of the scenes, it will seem like you’re well-traveled, and you will be desirable to other people on Tinder.
Can You Name the Other Wythe Avenue Hotels? ABOVE: Here’s a glimpse of the Hoxton, a hotel that’s under construction on Wythe Avenue in Williamsburg. INSET: This is the site where spec office building 25 Kent Ave. is being built — as seen from rooftop Vale Park, which is on the opposite side of Wythe Avenue.
The Hoxton is catercorner to the Williamsburg Hotel, which opened in late January. Heritage Equity Partners, which is developer Toby Moskovits’ firm, constructed this 150-room property at 96 Wythe Ave. The most famous — and long-established — of the properties on Hotel Row is the Wythe. Two Trees Management’s creation is in a century-plus-old building formerly known as Weidmann Cooperage, which is crowned by a modern addition. This hotel is at 80 Wythe Ave. on
the corner of North 11th Street. Another hotel, the William Vale, opened last summer at 111 North 12th St., which is on the corner of Kent Avenue. Riverside Developers’ eye-catching 183-room property has a rooftop bar on its 22nd floor called Westlight that’s popular for viewing sunsets. Also, on the roof of a low-rise retail building that’s part of the hotel, you will find Vale Park, a grassy recreation area that’s open to the public.
Work Is Proceeding At 25 Kent Ave. Vale Park is an ideal spot to check on construction progress at 25 Kent Ave., which is a project that’s right across from the William Vale and has frontage on Wythe Avenue. The full-block property’s other borders are North 12th and North 13th streets. A structure is starting to take shape on one end of the development site, while bulldozers are digging in the earth on the other end of it. The groundbreaking for 25 Kent Ave. took place last fall. This development by Heritage Equity Partners and Rubenstein Partners is a spec office building with space for light manufacturing. It will be eight stories tall and about 500,000 square feet in size. The developers recently announced that they expect 25 Kent Ave. to open in summer 2018. The Class-A office project is now pre-leasing. The brokerage that’s handling the leasing is Newmark Grubb Knight Frank.
Here are three Billyburg hotels, seen from Bushwick Inlet Park: The William Vale (left), the Wythe (second from left) and the Williamsburg Hotel (far right). Eagle photos by Lore Croghan Week of June 29-July 5, 2017 • Brooklyn Eagle — A Special Section of INBROOKLYN/Brooklyn Daily Eagle/Heights Press/Brooklyn Record/Bay Ridge Eagle/Greenpoint Gazette • 5
How Sweet it Is: Domino Sugar
Here’s a closeup look at the zinc and copper facade of 325 Kent Ave., which is part of the Domino Sugar Refinery project. Eagle photo by Lore Croghan By Lore Croghan Brooklyn Eagle
Every day, it looks more like the renderings. You can see it when you’re on the NYC Ferry sailing along the Williamsburg shoreline — a gigantic squared-off donut with a copper facade on the bottom and a zinc facade on top. Its shiny reflection flashes on the East River in early-evening sunlight. This is 325 Kent Ave., which Two Trees Management is constructing at the 11-acre Domino Sugar Refinery site. It is the first building the Walentas family firm is opening at the mega-project. The 16-story rental property with frontage on South 3rd and South 4th streets was designed by high-profile SHoP Architects. It has 522 apartments.
Here’s a real-life look from the NYC Ferry at 325 Kent Ave. (the shiny building at right) and a landmarked Domino Sugar building. Eagle photo by Lore Croghan Twenty percent of them — 104, to be specific — are affordable units for low-income residents. More than 87,000 applications were handed into the lottery for those apartments. Leasing is underway on the market-rate units, so we thought we should take fresh photos of the progress that has been made on 325 Kent Ave.’s construction. We also got renderings from the developer of amenities that are planned. See brook e e.com for additional pictures of the property. The new rental-apartment building is one of four that will be constructed on the Domino site. They will have a total of about 2,800 units, more than 700 of them affordable. And a total of 500,000 square feet of office space is planned on the site — where more than 20 structures were demolished to make way for development.
A landmarked refinery building will be adaptively reused to create 380,000 square feet of the office space. Construction crews are hard at work on six-acre Domino Park. Two Trees announced that the waterfront park, which will feature industrial artifacts such as syrup tanks and gantry cranes, will be completed in 2018.
Two-Bedroom Apartments for $5,195 Per Month If you’re planning on making your own visit to 325 Kent Ave., be sure to stop by the green space at 320 Kent Ave. that North Brooklyn Farms is running. It is open to the public on Tuesdays through Sundays unless a private event is being held there. Continued on page 7
This rendering shows 325 Kent Ave.’s tenants catching some rays on a roof-deck.
Visualization by Aether Images
6 • Brooklyn Eagle — A Special Section of INBROOKLYN/Brooklyn Daily Eagle/Heights Press/Brooklyn Record/Bay Ridge Eagle/Greenpoint Gazette • Week of June 29-July 5, 2017
Site’s 325 Kent Ave. Looking Fine
Here’s a new photo of how construction is progressing at Domino Park, which is part of the Domino Sugar Refinery project. Eagle photo by Lore Croghan Brooklynites recall, it’s known as the Havemeyers & Elder Filter, Pan & Finishing House. A giant yellow neon sign that says “Domino Sugar” will be placed on the former refinery as part of its renovation and transformation into an office building. The iconic sign stood on a building that was demolished to make way for development. Anyway. About the monthly rents at 325 Kent Ave. The New York Times and Curbed.com reported that they start at $2,495 for studios, $3,250 for one-bedrooms and $5,195 for two-bedrooms. The other day, when we checked 325 Kent Ave.’s marketing website, there was a studio available for $2,288 per month.
Visualization by Aether Images
Continued from page 6 You can sit at a picnic table among flowers and perfect rows of winter kale and gaze at the new apartment building, which is directly across the street. In addition to the farm’s green space, the waterfront site across from 325 Kent Ave. is also occupied by a bike park whose address is 318 Kent Ave. As a bonus, the green space has an Instagram-worthy sculpture by artist Tom Fruin called “Kolonihavehus,” which is a garden house made of bright plexiglas panels and steel. As another bonus, from the vantage point of the green space you can get a close look at Domino’s 1880s-vintage brick refinery, whose address is 292-314 Kent Ave. As preservation-minded
The apartment building in this rendering is 325 Kent Ave., which is part of the Domino Sugar Refinery development. Week of June 29-July 5, 2017 • Brooklyn Eagle — A Special Section of INBROOKLYN • Brooklyn Daily Eagle/Heights Press/Brooklyn Record/Bay Ridge Eagle/Greenpoint Gazette • 7
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Sunset Park: Current Development Shines a Spotlight on Options, Opportunities in 21st Century By Uday Schultz
Special to Brooklyn Eagle
cality of industrial stock. For centuries, water and rail transport were the only two viable methods of moving goods long distances. Because both modes rely on the navigation of a fixed right of way for movement, manufacturers attempted to build their facilities as close to those assets as possible, engendering density — and therefore verticality — in industrial buildings. Continued on page 9
Photos by Uday Schultz
After decades of decline, triggered by decentralization, containerization and offshoring, New York’s manufacturers are experiencing a reversal of fortune. This news of industrial rebirth could not be more welcome in a city in need of well-paying jobs to sustain an endangered working class. Politicians have spent the last decade showcasing plans to aid the sector, whether by protecting ‘M’ zoned land, funding building expansions or providing tax breaks to companies with factories in the city. One area that has received much attention is Sunset Park, a neighborhood that is the last remnant of Brooklyn’s industrial waterfront. There, local leaders have rebuilt rail lines, port facilities and industrial stock in an effort to precipitate further manufacturing growth. Much of the development that has been spurred by these initiatives has been of the micro-industrial sort: the creation of incubator spaces for budding companies, the furnishing of mixed-use space for artisans and the fabrication of industrial properties sized for smaller outfits. Industry City and the Made in NY Campus are excellent examples, both being facilities purpose-built to serve the needs of small manufacturers and entrepreneurs. In a rapidly evolving marketplace, the importance of such development cannot be overemphasized. Experimental businesses need space to innovate without incurring too much risk, and these developments provide exactly that opportunity. Furthermore, because these companies usually produce very specific products, their value-added quotient is quite high, increasing their economic impact relative to their size. However — by definition — our city cannot build a new industrial base solely with these types of projects. Incubator spaces are useful for, well, incubation, but are not in any way long term spatial solutions for businesses. Live/work spaces, while honorable in intent, in many cases end up being “ins” for developers to claim manufacturing stock for residential use. And small manufacturing spaces are just that — small — so if a firm
finds success, they will have to relocate to a more amply sized venue. In the vein of vulnerability to gentrification, the transient, diminutive nature of these spaces facilitates the purchase of the same by predatory developers, endangering their industrial nature. One does not have to make a large, conspicuous purchase to gain control of a building, but only a few dozen small ones, easily hidden not only by means of their size, but also by their occurrence among myriad other transactions. Moreover, in the most realpolitik-y sense, these small industries are simply not unpleasant enough for homeowners to be deterred by, as they generally create little truck traffic, noise and pollution. It is imperative that the powers-that-be are careful to invest in a healthy mix of both these developments and others, diversifying the city’s manufacturing base. While these ‘neo-industrial’ projects may be “sexy,” “chic” and “cutting-edge,” politicians must realize that the best photo-ops are not necessarily the best policy. Micro-manufacturing alone cannot anchor Sunset Park; it is too transient, too limited in size, too susceptible to gentrification. In Sunset Park, a more holistic action is required, one that addresses the needs of all stakeholders, not just high-visibility ones. Just three blocks south of Industry City, there lies a vast swath of land occupied by myriad light industrial businesses ranging from food distribution to metal fabrication — the types of firms that make up the oft-overlooked core of our city’s manufacturing base. Such outfits have been suffering not only from macroeconomic forces out of their control, but also from decades of civic neglect. Deindustrialization was a nationwide phenomenon, one that struck almost every community in America, sending industry south, west, or overseas in search of higher profits. But while potent, such forces alone were not solely responsible for New York’s loss of industry. Labor rates and taxation played major roles, but most important to this story was the changing physi-
8 • Brooklyn Eagle — A Special Section of INBROOKLYN • Brooklyn Daily Eagle/Heights Press/Brooklyn Record/Bay Ridge Eagle/Greenpoint Gazette • Week of June 29-July 5, 2017
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Sunset Park: Current Development Shines a Spotlight on Options, Opportunities in 21st Century Continued from page 8 The advent of the truck, however, gave companies an opportunity to flatten their facilities and escape the expense of the city, moving to suburban ‘industrial parks’ where they could harness the ability of rubber tired vehicles to go almost anywhere to synergize their operations. New York, a port center with (at that time) a formidable rail presence was left with hundreds — if not thousands — of tall buildings with rail sidings and no truck doors, a type of structure that was quite firmly not in demand. Some companies who still maintained largely rail-based supply chains were able to remain solvent, but with globalization, the advent of the shipping container, and the decay of New York’s freight rail system, the number of such companies diminished. Presently, Sunset Park manufacturers make do with what they have, tucking trucks into spaces once occupied by rail sidings, parallel parking them on streets or backing them into the building themselves, but as can be imagined, these arrangements are in no way efficient. As a result, companies — even those who make heavy use of rail — have been leaving, jeopardizing the industrial nature of the neighborhood as a whole. To provide a base on which these neo-industrial projects can grow, the city must do more to encourage the sustainability of these legacy industries, while at the same time encouraging the growth of new ones. They could offer tax breaks, work with tenants to update buildings, or help provide better transportation options, any or all of which would greatly benefit the city’s manufacturers. To their credit, the EDC has been working for years on improving rail and port facilities in Sunset Park — and indeed across the city — as part of an attempt to wean New York off the truck. However, they have attempted to do so without providing adequate facilities that can handle goods across modes, a situation untenable to most industrial businesses. Whether it is to transport goods the final mile to the customer or to move something that cannot be shipped economically or expediently by the other two modes, trucks are a fixed part of supply chains, thus our civic industrial strategy must reflect that reality. Continued on page 10
Pictured on these pages are various views of Industry City and surrounding industrial acreage showing the framework for renewed development, as well as infrastructure for manufacturing and the movement of goods. Photos by Uday Schultz
Week of June 29-July 5, 2017 • Brooklyn Eagle — A Special Section of INBROOKLYN • Brooklyn Daily Eagle/Heights Press/Brooklyn Record/Bay Ridge Eagle/Greenpoint Gazette • 9
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Continued from page 9 Instead of just subdividing space, EDC could work to integrate micro and macro-industrial uses into one building. Perhaps they could build a sort of “Bush Terminal 2.0,” where large industrial tenants would occupy the lower floors of reconstructed, transport-flexible buildings, while upper floors could be used by smaller firms whose use of — and therefore need to be near — transport facilities would be less intense. We lie at a juncture in the path to our city’s economic future. We have spent thousands of hours and millions of dollars working to cre-
ate spaces that are useful for neo-industrial, high-tech businesses, yet neglected to provide much more than lip service to those manufacturers that feed the basic needs of our city. We cannot — and should not — aim to bring heavy industry back to New York, but lighter industry, such as food distribution, steel fabrication and material recycling all could be reintroduced to the city. These industries would choose to locate in our metropolis not just out of geographic necessity, but also out of a desire to draw on New York’s powerful market. If our city’s elders remedied the physical defects that plague our industrial stock, gave tax breaks to manufacturers and generally
Photo by Uday Shultz
Sunset Park: Current Development Shines a Spotlight on Options, Opportunities in 21st Century tried harder to attract legacy-type businesses, we could — in concert with micro-manufacturers — create a truly diverse, dynamic and powerful economy to serve New York in the 21st century. im
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Our World In Pictures LIBYA — Rescued at Sea: Two Sudanese men talk on the deck of the Golfo Azzurro rescue vessel after being rescued from a rubber boat near the coast on Thursday. AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti
MANHATTAN — Company Begins Trading: Altice founder Patrick Drahi, center, is applauded as he rings a ceremonial bell signifying the beginning of the company’s IPO trading on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange on AP Photo/Richard Drew Thursday.
12 • Brooklyn Eagle — A Special Section of INBROOKLYN/Brooklyn Daily Eagle/Heights Press/Brooklyn Record/Bay Ridge Eagle/Greenpoint Gazette • Week of June 29-July 5, 2017
Our World In Pictures MASSACHUSETTS — Team Retires Player’s Number: Retired Boston Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz (at podium) addresses a gathering where part of Yawkey Way was renamed David Ortiz Drive on Thursday outside of Fenway Park in Boston. Ortiz’s No. 34 jersey was retired in a ceremony prior to Friday night’s game. AP Photo/Charles Krupa
ISRAEL — Marching in the Parade: A woman holds balloons as she participates in the first Gay Pride Parade in Beersheba on Thursday. About 3,500 people marched in the parade. AP Photo/Ariel Schalit
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Eagle photo by Mario Belluomo
Young tourists take photos overlooking the Manhattan Bridge during a night out in DUMBO.
FACES B T F D EHIND
HE
By Lisa Foodgirl
Special to INBrooklyn
Court Street Business Owner Jony D’Amico Married Into Coffehouse Home Away From Home Amid a diner-car-like setting in the vibrant coffee shop sits JONY D’AMICO, 61, usually chatting with her many acquaintances and friends. Originally, her husband FRANK D’AMICO, 56, ran the coffee shop as a third-generation owner in his family, but Jony admits that she “married into it” and now, while her husband works at a warehouse, she runs the coffee shop herself. “I almost feel like this is an extension of my home. You can ask me what I do outside the shop, but I spend so much time here. I tend to entertain here too. This is where people know where to find me. People say, ‘let’s swing by D’Amico’s and visit Jony!’” “I can tell you, my two biggest hobbies in the summer ... any time I can get to a pool, that’s where I’ll be. And shopping,” she tells me. One important asset that D’Amico is happy to tell me is that all her employees essentially are cross-trained in almost every position, with the exclusion of some of her employees who work in the kitchen. “Everyone who works here pretty much does a little of everything — everybody knows how to work the register, everybody knows about the coffee so they can tell customers about the coffee, and they know how to weigh it out and grind it.,” she says. VICTOR VILLAVERDE, 27, is one of her cooks and he also knows how to grind coffee and work the register. D’Amico is happy to introduce me to Villaverde and tells me that he loves singing. As we walk toward the kitchen together, I can hear him singing on the other side of the wall. Villaverde, who has worked at D’Amico’s for two years, is originally from Panama and came to the U.S. when he was 12 years old with his father. MAYALYN POLANCO, 22, stood behind the register and would step aside every so often to grind fresh coffee for the guests who walked in. Currently, Polanco’s focus is on bringing her mom up from the Dominican Republic and connecting her family together in Brooklyn. During her free time, she mentions that she likes to spend time with her cousin and sister.
From left: D’Amico owner Jony D’Amico, cook Victor Villaverde and server Mayalyn Polanco. Photo by Lisa Foodgirl 16 • Brooklyn Eagle — A Special Section of INBROOKLYN/Brooklyn Daily Eagle/Heights Press/Brooklyn Record/Bay Ridge Eagle/Greenpoint Gazette • Week of June 29-July 5, 2017
FACES B T F D EHIND
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By Lisa Foodgirl
Special to INBrooklyn
Fragole’s Inviting Feel A Testament to Staff
Fragole’s inviting and charismatic feel inside would not be possible without its charismatic and passionate staff members who work there. Upon walking into the Italian restaurant, you are immediately greeted by smiles, and a rare passion that shows that those who work there truly love what they do. VICTOR NAVARRETE, 32, is part owner and loves to be active when he is not working at Fragole. “I play soccer and I’m always on my bicycle. I play soccer as much as I can. My bicycle is like my third leg. My bicycle is always there, not like my girlfriend. I am in a relationship with my bicycle,” Navarrete explains about his freetime activities. It is easy to see that, as I am told, Fragole regulars always come in asking about Navarrete, or if he is there that day. Navarrete has worked Fragole co-owners Andres Rodes (left) his way up, since and Victor Navarrete. Photos by Lisa Foodgirl he first came to America from Mexico in 2006. Fragole was his first and only job he has had in the U.S. Starting as a bus boy, he worked his way up with hard work and eventually became a server, then finally found his way up to owner and manager. It is easy to see that his passion for the restaurant and its food is abundant. ANDRES RODES, 47, is also one of the three owners who manage Fragole. Rodes opened the restaurant in 2003 and is extremely happy with the way that it has grown over the years. “When we started, this neighborhood was all Italian [food] and when we first started, there was an article about us in the New York Times talking about maybe we wouldn’t survive for long because there were so many Italian restaurants around, but now most of them are closed,” Rodes tells me as he discusses the opening of the restaurant. He is originally from Argentina, but he also has family from the south of Italy and can speak fluent Italian. He also has some family ties that lead to Greece. Outside of work, Rodes talks passionately about being active and loves to go to concerts with his wife and two daughters. OLIVIA KOZAKIEWICZ, 23, is a server at Fragole and dreams of being a veterinarian. Currently taking a short break from school to take care of her grandmother, she plans to get back to school to continue her studies. Currently, she loves to be active outside as well (a common theme amongst most of the staff there), spending time with her co-workers out on the beach. ARIANA PINHEIRO, 32, a hostess at Fragole, is originally from Brazil and after visiting New York City in 2013, fell in love with the city and wanted to move here. In Brazil, Pinheiro was a teacher and says that she loved her job there. Again, Pinheiro tells me that she likes to be outside and run in her free time (this Fragole hostess Ariana Pinheiro (left) and is a very healthy server Olivia Kozakiewicz. staff). Week of June 29-July 5, 2017 • Brooklyn Eagle — A Special Section of INBROOKLYN/Brooklyn Daily Eagle/Heights Press/Brooklyn Record/Bay Ridge Eagle/Greenpoint Gazette • 17
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(See answers on page 23.)
HOW TO PLAY: Fill in the grid so that every row, every colmn, and every 3x3 box contains the numbers 1 through 9 only once. Each 3x3 box is outlined with a darker line. You already have a few numbers to get you started. Remember: You must not repeat the numbers 1 through 9 in the same line, column, or 3x3 box.
See answers on page 23. 18 • Brooklyn Eagle — A Special Section of INBROOKLYN/Brooklyn Daily Eagle/Heights Press/Brooklyn Record/Bay Ridge Eagle/Greenpoint Gazette • Week of June 29-July 5, 2017
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HIGHLIGHTS FROM
MYBROOKLYNCALENDAR.COM Calendar Events June 29-July 5 Weightless An exhibition by Dan Carlson. When: Thursday through Sunday, through July 15, 1-6 p.m. Where: Fort Greene/Five Myles (558 St. Johns Place) Andrew Snyder: 9 Meditations A performative installation, “9 Meditations” pays tribute to the tradition of demonstration by way of performance. There is a long history of demonstration in the crafts — whether weaving, smithing, or throwing — as a performance that shows the mastery of the craftsman’s skill. When: Wednesday through Sunday, through July 15, 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. Where: Park Slope/Open Source Gallery (306 17th St.) Rachel Jo “All Naturale” is a visual collaboration of all things natural — plants and nudes. Drawing inspiration from the current political climate and the artist’s own personal relationship with plants, a charged conversation is woven into every painting. All originals are painted with acrylic gouache on a wood panel, with a resin glaze on top. When: Tuesday through Saturday, 12-7 p.m., and Sundays, 12-6 p.m., through July 16 Where: Downtown Brooklyn/Grumpy Bert (82 Bond St.) Chairs Missing A solo exhibition of paintings by Munro Galloway. When: Thursday through Sunday, through July 16, 1-6 p.m. Where: Bushwick/Studio 10 (56 Bogart St.) Coney Island Mermaids, 1996-2017 This show represents more than 20 years of work by New York native photographer Luke Ratray. Following the successful debut presentation in 2016 at Urban Folk Art Gallery, Sunny’s Bar is presenting the latest batch of images in this ongoing series. When: Daily, through July 22 Where: Red Hook/Sunny’s Bar (253 Conover St.) A Dangerous Body In the exhibition “A Dangerous Body,” Naomi Elena Ramirez fuses movement, text, music and cinematic representations
Image courtesy of the artist and Five Myles
Arts
through embodied explorations of the temptress archetypes. The femme fatale, illicit lust and animalistic movements swirl in a web that calls attention to our own complicity in the blaming and shaming of female sexuality. In doing so, Ramirez asks and answers the question, “how can sexualized representations of the female body be used to contradict systemic patriarchal objectification without perpetuating it?” When: Wednesday through Sunday, through July 30, 12-6 p.m. Where: DUMBO/A.I.R Gallery (155 Plymouth St.) Forged Worlds This outdoor photography exhibition showcases work by seven artists whose photographic practices revolve around the physical construction of fictional landscapes. Installed on a fence beneath the Manhattan Bridge, this photo installation invites viewers to take a closer look and perhaps allow themselves to be carried away — if even for a moment — in thoughts and lands so strange, yet so familiar, so close to home. When: Daily, through July 31, 2017 Where: DUMBO/Manhattan Bridge (Adams Street, Plymouth Street and Anchorage Place) Truman Capote’s Brooklyn: The Lost Photographs of David Attie In the spring of 1958, a young photographer named David Attie was led through the streets of Brooklyn Heights and to the Brooklyn waterfront by an unexpected guide: 33-year-old Truman Capote. The images Attie took that day were to illustrate Capote’s essay for Holiday magazine about his life in Brooklyn. Decades later, these largely unseen photographs are being exhibited for the first time. When: Wednesday through Sunday, through July 31, 12-5 p.m. Where: Brooklyn Heights/Brooklyn Historical Society (128 Pierrepont St.) Bridges This solo exhibition of work by noted Brooklyn-based artist Sam Messer reveals the breadth of Messer’s body of work and includes large-scale paintings of New York City’s iconic bridges, plus portrait drawings and animated videos from Messer’s “Years of the Cock,” composed of one video made daily in response to President Donald Trump’s first 100 days in office. While the “Years of the Cock” videos provide trenchant commentary on politics of the moment, for Messer, the bridges have both physical and metaphorical appeal. When: Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. - 6 p.m., and Sunday, 12-6 p.m., through Aug. 6, Where: Fort Greene/BRIC House (647 Fulton St.)
“Weightless,” an exhibition by Dan Carlson, will be on display at Five Myles through July 15. of Boerum Place and Schermerhorn Street) Shifting Perspectives: Photographs of Brooklyn’s Waterfront This exhibition features the work of two dozen photographers whose images crisscross the Brooklyn shoreline, from Newtown Creek to Jamaica Bay. By picturing decades of Brooklyn’s coastal scenery, including its changing industrial and postindustrial environment, the exhibition presents dramatic panoramic vistas, spectacular aerial views, glimpses of popular recreational attractions, particularly in nearby Brooklyn Bridge Park and at Coney Island, and other scenes, including those impacted by natural or manmade forces, as well as by gentrification. When: Wednesday through Sunday, through Sept. 10, 12-5 p.m. Where: Brooklyn Heights/Brooklyn Historical Society (55 Water St.) Continued on page 20
Next Stop: Second Avenue Subway Tracing nearly 100 years of history, the New York Transit Museum’s newest exhibit explores how the Second Avenue line fits into New York’s past, present and future transportation landscapes. When: Tuesday through Sunday, through Sept. 3, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. (Saturday and Sunday hours, 11 a.m. - 5 p.m.) Where: Downtown Brooklyn/New York Transit Museum (Corner
Week of June 29-July 5, 2017 • Brooklyn Eagle — A Special Section of INBROOKLYN/Brooklyn Daily Eagle/Heights Press/Brooklyn Record/Bay Ridge Eagle/Greenpoint Gazette • 19
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MYBROOKLYNCALENDAR.COM Week of June 29-July 5, 2017 ARIES — Mar 21/Apr 20 Aries, even if you want to take the lead on something, you have to pay attention to the chain of command in this situation. This may require you to play second fiddle for a little while. TAURUS — Apr 21/May 21 Taurus, youÕre motivated to get started on a new project, but you may not have the means. Find out if anyone is willing to invest in your vision. GEMINI — May 22/Jun 21 Avoid conflicts by talking through the situation with someone who has opposing views, Gemini. When you understand othersÕ perspectives, you can be more accommodating. CANCER — Jun 22/Jul 22 Cancer, if life gets a little hectic this week, find a spot where you can relax and enjoy the quiet for a little while. Recharging the batteries may be all thatÕs needed. LEO — Jul 23/Aug 23 Leo, extend your magnanimity to someone who may have recently spurned you. This will demonstrate that you can always be counted on to do the right thing. VIRGO — Aug 24/Sept 22 Virgo, if others canÕt see your vision, you may have to forge on and hope for the best. Not everyone understands your brand of thinking, and you need to accept that. LIBRA — Sept 23/Oct 23 Libra, now might be time for a new career or a return to the workforce if you have been away. You just may discover a new identity through your work. SCORPIO — Oct 24/Nov 22 Keep up the good work in furthering your relationship progress, Scorpio. Your commitment is even stronger than it has been in the past. This is a great step forward. SAGITTARIUS — Nov 23/Dec 21 Sagittarius, discuss your social calendar with others so that dates do not get confused and parties do not overlap. This way guests will not have to pick and choose which events to attend. CAPRICORN — Dec 22/Jan 20 Ignore any hurtful comments that may come your way, Capricorn. Your emotional strength is potent, and you can successfully ride out any storm.
Continued from page 19 We Wanted a Revolution: Black Radical Women, 1965–85 Presenting a diverse group of artists and activists who lived and worked at the intersections of avant-garde art worlds, radical political movements and profound social change, this exhibition features a wide array of work, including conceptual, performance, film and video art, as well as photography, painting, sculpture and printmaking. When: Wednesday through Sunday, through Sept. 17 Where: Prospect Heights/Brooklyn Museum (200 Eastern Parkway)
Books & Readings
Book Talk — The New Brooklyn: What it Takes to Bring a City Back For decades, “Brooklyn” was synonymous with grit and struggle, but today the borough is a hub of hipsters, booming startups and massive new developments across many neighborhoods. Fellow at the Manhattan Institute and contributing editor of City Journal Kay Hymowitz examines this seeming Renaissance of Brooklyn’s everchanging landscape through seven neighborhoods: Park Slope, Williamsburg, Bed-Stuy, the Brooklyn Navy Yard, Brownsville, Sunset Park and Canarsie. In this exploration, Hymowitz looks at the successes of black and white middle classes, local policies and small businesses, while assessing the challenges left for recent immigrants and other diverse communities trying to thrive. When: Thursday, June 29, 6:30-8 p.m. Where: Prospect Heights/Brooklyn Museum (200 Eastern Parkway)
Educational NYTM Train Operators Workshop Drop by the computer lab to take control of a New York City Subway car and operate it over virtual miles of track, using some incredibly realistic software. When: Saturday, June 24 and Sunday, June 25, 3:30-4:30 p.m. Where: Downtown Brooklyn/New York Transit Museum (Corner of Boerum Place and Schermerhorn Street)
Family Fun Family Discovery Weekends Hands-on stations throughout the Brooklyn Botanic Garden’s meadow, woodland and marsh habitats as well as in the vegetable garden encourage families to explore nature together. When: Saturday, July 1, 10:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Where: Crown Heights/Brooklyn Botanic Garden (990 Washington Ave.) Sing-Along Shabbat Experience Shabbat morning with singing, guitar and musical prayer. Families with 0-5-year-olds, siblings and caregivers participate in a playful setting and form friendships. Followed by challah and grape juice with the Bay Ridge Jewish Center community. When: Saturday, July 1, 10:45-11:45 a.m. Where: Bay Ridge/Bay Ridge Jewish Center (405 81st St.)
“A Dangerous Body” will be on exhibit through July 30 at A.I.R Gallery. Image courtesy of the artist and A.I.R Gallery Kids Drawing and Poetry Workshop Kids can join artist Jesse Chun for a workshop on drawing, poetry and combining the two. When: Saturday, July 1, 11 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Where: Brooklyn Bridge Park/99 Plymouth St. FAD Market Summer: The Invisible Dog Discover new creative makers and handcrafted goods at FAD Market – a roving fashion, art and design pop-up marketplace that moves seasonally to unique venues in the vibrant borough of Brooklyn. More than 50 makers will showcase handcrafted art, jewelry, apparel, bath and body care, tableware and home furnishings. When: Saturday and Sunday, July 1-2, 11 a.m. - 6 p.m. Where: DUMBO/The Invisible Dog Art Center (51 Bergen St.) Independence Day in Prospect Park Join the Prospect Park Alliance this Independence Day for family-friendly activities at the Prospect Park Audubon Center, Lefferts Historic House and the 1912 Carousel. When: Tuesday, July 4, 12-5 p.m. Where: Prospect Park
Film
Live Free or Die Hard Yippie kay yay! Hero for the ages John McClane came back in 2007. When: Saturday, July 1, 11:15 a.m. – 12:45 p.m. Where: Williamsburg/Nitehawk Cinema (136 Metropolitan Ave.) Movies at Metrotech: Finding Dory Gather your friends and family, grab your picnic blankets and join the Downtown Brooklyn Partnership for film nights in July. The popcorn is free. When: Wednesday, July 5, 7 p.m. Where: MetroTech/Metrotech Commons (1 Metrotech Center)
Food & Drink
Happy Hours @ MetroTech Featuring friendly ping-pong tournaments in June, double dutch classes in July and corn hole competitions in August. DJs will set the soundtrack for the evenings. Get a glass of wine or a beer outdoors at La Defense and Luciano’s and enjoy the summer evenings in MetroTech. Continued on page 21
AQUARIUS — Jan 21/Feb 18 Aquarius, if you are being called on to wear many hats at work, it is only right that you be compensated accordingly. This is a week for showing the bosses you mean business. PISCES — Feb 19/Mar 20 Remember that being in a relationship requires a lot of work, Pisces. DonÕt keep your feelings bottled up and hope for the best. 20 • Brooklyn Eagle — A Special Section of INBROOKLYN/Brooklyn Daily Eagle/Heights Press/Brooklyn Record/Bay Ridge Eagle/Greenpoint Gazette • Week of June 29-July 5, 2017
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Kingsborough presents “Hot Summer Nights: The Rob Stoneback Big Band with Guest Vocalists Kathy Jenkins and Rob Kevlin” on Saturday, July 1. Image courtesy of Kingsborough Continued from page 20 When: Thursdays, 5-7 p.m. Where: MetroTech/Metrotech Commons (1 MetroTech Center) Smorgasburg Prospect Park More than 100 local and regional food purveyors will gather on Breeze Hill to offer a range of cuisines. When: Sunday, July 2, 11 a.m. - 6 p.m. Where: Grand Army Plaza/Prospect Park
Health Rooftop Yoga The one-hour class will overlook breathtaking views of the New York City skyline and will be led by everyone’s favorite yoga instructor, Kristin Calabria. Bring your own yoga mat and towel. When: Sunday, July 2, 9:30-10:30 a.m. Where: Greenpoint/Northern Territory (12 Franklin St.) Basketball Clinics Improve basic basketball skills with the Big and Little Skills Academy (BALSA) on Pier 2. Each clinic will include either yoga to enhance flexibility or flag football for agility training. When: Sunday, July 2, 12 p.m. Where: Brooklyn Bridge Park/Pier 2
Where: Prospect Park/Prospect Park Bandshell Hot Summer Nights: The Rob Stoneback Big Band with Guest Vocalists Kathy Jenkins and Rob Kevlin Celebrate Great American Big Band Jazz with a patriotic flare. When: Saturday, July 1, 8 p.m. Where: Manhattan Beach/Kingsborough Lighthouse Bandshell Bargemusic Masterwork Series Bargemusic is New York City’s floating concert hall, moored in Brooklyn just under the Brooklyn Bridge. When: Saturday, July 1, 8 p.m. Where: Brooklyn Bridge Park
Tours A Slice of Brooklyn Neighborhood Tour Spend the day in Manhattan’s first suburb, Brooklyn. This locally guided tour shows guests some of Brooklyn’s most famous sights while sharing stories and facts. With no shortage of history, beauty, culture and food, board the bus and be taken on a ride through time, the Brooklyn way. When: Saturday, July 1, 10:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. Where: Tours depart from Manhattan/Liquiteria Juice Bar (145 Fourth Ave.)
Yoga Tuesdays Ease into the week with morning yoga in the Metrotech Commons. Provided by Mark Morris Dance Group, the one-hour sessions take place on the northwest end of the Commons in the grassy area. Participants bring their own mats. When: Tuesday, July 4, 7-8 a.m. Where: Metrotech/Metrotech Commons
Theater & Music Live at the Archway An annual series of free performances and events taking place at the unique setting of the Manhattan Bridge in DUMBO, reflecting the neighborhood’s diversity and commitment to the arts and showcasing a broad variety of musical genres and dance programming. This week’s performance is Rising Choreographers NYC Curated by White Wave Dance, plus a DJ set by Spase. When: Thursday, June 29, 6 p.m. Where: DUMBO/The Archway (Water Street and Anchorage Place) BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! Festival Mexican folk artist Lila Downs performs music from her latest album and Tucson-based Orkesta Mendoza open the evening. When: Thursday, June 29, 7:30 p.m.
Mexican folk artist Lila Downs performs as part of BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! Festival on Thursday, June 29. Photo by Marcela Taboada
Week of June 29-July 5, 2017 • Brooklyn Eagle — A Special Section of INBROOKLYN/Brooklyn Daily Eagle/Heights Press/Brooklyn Record/Bay Ridge Eagle/Greenpoint Gazette • 21
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