77TH YEAR, NO. 3,953
THURSDAY, JUNE 29, 2017
TWO SECTIONS
50 CENTS
THE POPULAR POP-UP POOL IN BROOKLYN BRIDGE PARK (BBP) WAS SET to open for the season on Thursday. Swimmers of all ages and levels are welcome to enter daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. for 45-minute sessions. The BBP Conservancy also offers swimming lessons for kids. Visit brooklynbridgepark.org for more information.
Albany’s Failure to Approve Faster, Cheaper Fix For BQE Is ‘a Disgrace,’ Say Brooklyn Officials SEE PAGE 2
Heights Press photo by Mary Frost
Brooklyn Bridge Park Pop-Up Pool Opens
Albany’s Failure to Approve Faster, Cheaper Fix For BQE Is ‘a Disgrace,’ Say Brooklyn Officials By Mary Frost
Brooklyn Heights Press
In another of Albany’s epic misses, the state Legislature ended its session last week having failed to authorize the city’s use of the “design-build” bidding process to expedite the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway’s (BQE) long-overdue $1.9-billion rehabilitation. “It’s a disgrace,” said Peter Bray, executive director of the Brooklyn Heights Association (BHA). Albany’s failure to approve the use of design-build for the BQE project is “so emblematic of the dysfunction in Albany and the dysfunctional relationship between the mayor and the governor,” Bray told the Brooklyn Heights Press. “The residents of Brooklyn Heights are being held hostage to this test of political wills.” The massive seven-year project will restore the crumbling 1.5-mile stretch of the BQE between Atlantic Avenue and Sands Street, a segment that includes the triple cantilever underpinning the Brooklyn Heights Promenade. This section of the highway is in appalling shape. Concrete on the BQE’s walls is missing in places, exposing reinforcing bars that are completely rusted. Netting has been installed under the decks to prevent concrete from falling. The BQE serves not only as a major access point to East River bridges to Manhattan, but also as a major means of moving freight within the five boroughs. The work will rehabilitate 21 bridges and other structures, and will improve deficient roadways and ramps. Without design-build, the work will disrupt traffic not only in the Brooklyn Heights area but across the entire region for up to two years longer than necessary, and cost as much as $300 million more, according to the NYC Department of Transportation (DOT). The design-build process works by merging the design and construction bids, usually bid separately on large projects. When bid separately, the two firms have to try to work together. Without design-build, “There’s often a flurry of change orders, disputes and even lawsuits,” DOT Commissioner Polly Trottenberg explained at a June 2 press conference, where roughly a dozen Brooklyn officials and organizations backed the use of design-build. With design-build, there is one entity doing the work and one contract. Using the design-build method would trim the duration of the BQE rehab from seven years to about five, Trottenberg said. The state must specifically delegate to the city the authority to use this approach, however. State Sen. Daniel Squadron said in a statement on Friday, “We
The state Legislature in Albany failed to approve a money- and time-saving method known as design-build to expedite the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway’s (BQE) long-overdue $1.9-billion rehabilitation. Peter Bray (shown inset), executive Heights Press photos by Mary Frost director of the Brooklyn Heights Association, called the failure “a disgrace.” could cut out years of headaches and millions of dollars if Albany got out of the way. It’s another example of Albany inaction having real consequences — it’s urgent we pass designbuild as soon as the Legislature reconvenes.” The Legislature’s inaction is particularly galling, says BHA, since New York state agencies are increasingly using design-build throughout the state. The state DOT completed the recently opened Kosciusko Bridge in just three years using design-build, saving millions of dollars, and is currently using design-build to construct the new Tappan Zee Bridge. “This should be a nonpartisan issue,” Bray said, “particularly because this is a period when we’re talking about the need to
fund infrastructure projects.” BHA will do whatever it can to build support for this legislation, Bray said. “We’re just one small voice in Albany, but whatever we can do, we will do.” The organization submitted a letter to the governor, the state Senate majority leader, the speaker of the state Assembly and the entire Brooklyn and Queens legislative delegation advocating for passage of the bill, Bray said. It was signed by BHA and 14 other organizations. Bray speculated that design-build may be being held hostage to the larger battle over mayoral control of the schools. Albany “makes Byzantium look simple,” he said.
Book Review: ‘The New Brooklyn: What it Takes to Bring a City Back’ By John B. Manbeck
Special to Brooklyn Heights Press
Brooklyn has had a complex history with several peaks and dips. Not all books analyze this historical rollercoaster as well as this new sociological publication, “The New Brooklyn,” by Kay S. Hymowitz, a member of the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research and editor of City Journal, as well as the author of four books on social relationships. In a very readable, compact and well-documented study, the author dissects eight pivotal sections of Brooklyn, comparing them to other urban centers. Without sanitizing, such as my own “The Neighborhoods of Brooklyn,” she honestly studies what works and what doesn’t with research, interviews and onsite visits. Her knowledgeable, erudite conclusions open a new vision of old Brooklyn, one commandeered by millennials introducing a maker movement. For the most part, they have upset the apple cart and started from scratch. This novel approach has successfully captured the imagination and tenor of these times, rather than duplicating the age of industry by employing masses of blue-collar workers and creating new difficulties. The millennials did demonstrate that “making things is cool again,” but also that “history is not for the tender-hearted or the naïve.” The sections of Brooklyn Hymowitz has chosen for her study are transitional. She wisely compares the historical base to the transformative moments, weaving together successes and failures. She opens two chapters detailing Brooklyn’s roots and then turns to Park Slope and Williamsburg, two of Brooklyn’s magnets. From these neighborhoods, she studies the industries of the phoenix-like rehabilitation of the Brooklyn Navy Yard and Industry City (aka Bush Terminal), both former military installations. She then focuses on the gentrification of BedfordStuyvesant and the stability of the “energetic new black class,” comparing it favorably to the “Permanent Ghetto” of Brownsville. She concludes with the invasion of Sunset Park by the Chinese compared with the occupation of Canarsie by the West Indians. Her final chapter is logical: “Recovering Cities,” with references to Seattle, Boston, San Francisco and Baltimore. Obviously, the Brooklyn of the study does not include most of the other hundred neighborhoods of Brooklyn. But it does spot2 • Brooklyn Heights Press • Thursday, June 29, 2017
light pivotal ones and ones where crises can be identified. Brooklyn’s notable history and geography contribute to its resurrection helped by its proximity to Manhattan, its creative economy and its educational institutions. While the social mobility she refers to was primarily driven by economic pressure, Brooklyn was blessed with advantageous geography: Virtually surrounded by water when shipping was economically crucial. When rails replaced shipping, Brooklyn’s flat land became significant. Professor Ken Jackson (“Crabgrass Frontier”) cited diverse modes of transportation as essential for suburban expansion. In contemporary times, the subway moved masses from crowded Harlem to Central Brooklyn and from Chinatown to Sunset Park and Bensonhurst. As neighborhoods change, they experience decline and resurgence which translates into “gentrification.” While the terminology has been denigrated by liberals, in reality, the process is similar to reseeding, for the “urban poor have always moved far more than the affluent.” Pockets of poverty have plagued immigrants and the poor minorities. What is authentic? she asks. The decline of industrial Brooklyn permitted the rise of the “knowledge economy” and “feisty Brooklyn sensibility.” Weaknesses and strains appear in the history of Brooklyn’s rise and fall and recovery. The downgrading from a city to an “outer borough” in The Great Mistake of 1898 followed by the loss of the Dodgers, Brooklyn Eagle, Ebingers and the closing of the Navy Yard with the disappearance of manufacturing — half a century later, deflated Brooklyn’s pride, eventually leading to the white flight of the later 20th century with “Brooklyn in a race to the bottom.” Hymowitz quotes Pete Hamill: “Let’s not take the sweet memories too far.” The Brooklynization of the world has introduced “Billyburgh” with its diner, street culture, funk, “brogrammers,” ETSY, Kickstarter and Brooklyn Beer. It has also been a challenge to city planners to rein in developers, not always successfully (Downtown Brooklyn with its high-rise rentals has its cookie-cutter gloss.) What about the schools and hospitals? It’s no longer the Brooklyn of my generation, with our freestanding private homes on quarter acres, front and back lawns, plus driveways and garages. Former Borough President Marty Markowitz once asked me, “Do you believe what’s happening to Brooklyn, John?” But then we move on.
“The New Brooklyn” is a fascinating eye opener. Our venerable brownstones were the tract house of Victoriana. The “brownstone” is actually a veneered layer of stone. The notorious Robert Moses created many parks and pools around the borough. A few influences have been skipped. The VerrazanoNarrows Bridge contributed to an exodus to Staten Island. Prospect Park South and Ditmas Park are almost as significant to Brooklyn’s wealth as Park Slope; it’s just that they don’t have the Slope’s current vitality. The Ortners who started the resurgence of Park Slope were only the second owners of their impeccable 19th-century home off Prospect Park with all the original features. And Charles Feltman didn’t invent the hot dog; the sausage was a standard German food. A larger version was called the “horse” (pferde) sausage. He did, however, recommend the roll so the hot food could be carried on the boardwalk. Hymowitz’ notes are extensive and include websites as well as print sources and interviews. An index concludes the book. The cover features a photo of brownstones on Willow Street. I heartily recommend “The New Brooklyn” for its succinct writing and knowledgeable research and insight to what makes Brooklyn tick and keeps it ticking.
INSET: Kay S. Hymowitz
Photo by Harvey Wang
Brooklyn’s Largest Tech Company Etsy Lays Off 15 Percent of its Staff By Scott Enman
Brooklyn Heights Press
Brooklyn’s biggest tech company Etsy announced a second round of layoffs on Wednesday, cutting 140 positions, or 15 percent of its staff. The DUMBO-based business, which was founded in 2005, dismissed an additional 80 people in May to reduce costs. The most recent round of cuts brings Etsy’s total number of people let go to 230, or 22 percent of the company’s headcount at the end of 2016. “In order to drive focus, we took decisive steps to double down on the fewest, highest-impact initiatives in our core marketplace while deprioritizing other projects and streamlining our resources,” said Etsy CEO Josh Silverman in a press release. “Parting ways with our colleagues is not easy and I am thankful for their contributions. We are moving forward with a more nimble structure that supports our current business needs and allows for faster execution so we can better serve creative entrepreneurs around the world.” The majority of the positions cut by Etsy were in marketing, product management and administration. The company’s CEO and CTO resigned on May 2. Since then, the company’s stock has gone up 41 percent, reports Technical.ly Brooklyn. Etsy announced its move to DUMBO in May 2014. In 2016, Etsy leased a 200,000-square-foot space from Kushner Cos. at 117 Adams St., a former Jehovah’s Witnesses building.
DUMBO-based Etsy announced a second round of layoffs on Wednesday. The tech company cut 140 positions or AP Photo/Mark Lennihan, File 15 percent of its staff. Jared Kushner headed Kushner Cos. before he stepped aside to serve as senior adviser to his father-in-law, President Donald Trump.
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‘He Said, She Said’: An Interview with Cobble Hill Playwright Anna Ziegler on Her New Play ‘Actually’ By Peter Stamelman
Special to Brooklyn Heights Press
The playwright Anna Ziegler possesses one of the boldest and most distinctive voices in contemporary American theater. Her masterful depictions of what was once colloquially called “the battle of the sexes” are as compelling and nuanced as anything Henrik Ibsen wrote or Ingmar Bergman directed. In the midst of wariness and misunderstanding, she is able to find moments of grace and tenderness. In her 2015 play “Photograph 51,” which was produced on the West End in a heralded production starring Nicole Kidman as the English scientist Rosalind Franklin, whose central, indispensable role in the discovery of DNA was shamefully marginalized by James Watson and Francis Crick, Ziegler could easily have portrayed Franklin as a martyr. Ziegler scrupulously avoids that cliche. Similarly, in her new play “Actually,” which opens Aug. 9 at the Williamstown Theatre Festival in a co-world premiere production between Williamstown and the Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles, Ziegler’s characters Amber and Tom, two students at the center of a date rape incident on Princeton’s campus, are not merely social case studies, but fully realized, complicated individuals. Buried just below the surface of their banter and posturing is longing and sadness, which Ziegler is astute enough not to italicize. And there is no tidy ending that wraps everything up. As with the classic Akira Kurosawa film “Rashomon,” we are left not knowing where the truth resides. And, anyway, whose truth would it be? At the beginning and at the end of “Actually,” Amber and Tom play a game called “Two Truths and a Lie.” The first time it’s played as a lark, the second time the stakes are much higher. Below are edited excerpts from a recent email interview with Ziegler. Brooklyn Heights Press: Amber and Tom are interesting name choices. One of the definitions of amber is a cautionary signal between green for go and red for stop. And could there be a more freighted name for an African-American male than Tom? Is “Actually” an embedded cautionary tale for the “trigger warning” generation? Anna Ziegler: To your embedded question, I’ll say a shaky yes — though I’m not sure it’s a typical sort of cautionary tale, in that the traps Amber and Tom slip into are not necessarily ones they could have avoided, even with forewarning, since they have to do with the deepest parts of these two people’s souls, their very natures. But I think, perhaps, the play could be interpreted as a message to the trigger warning generation that no space, however well-guarded, can be perfectly safe — not a classroom or a college campus, and certainly not the spaces in our hearts and minds. We are all capable of being our best and worst selves at any time, depending on the circumstances. As for the characters’ names — you might be onto something… Heights Press: Did you know from the start the male figure would be African-American? It certainly raises the ante. AZ: Or maybe we should ask whether I knew from the start that the female character would be white! Either way, the honest answer is that I just started hearing these two characters; they started talking to me and to each other, as cheesy as that sounds. It was only after I wrote a quick first draft (in about a week at a writer’s retreat at the Lark Play Development Center) that some of the political implications became clear to me. And I liked that the play seemed to have the potential to unsettle audience members by asking them to assess a situation where both characters fall into categories of people that normally accrue sympathy from your typical (liberal) theatergoer — women who may have been sexually assaulted and black men who may have been unfairly accused. I hoped that this would force audiences to examine their own knee-jerk reactions and really listen to the play. Heights Press: Tom and Amber are freshmen — yet on your “Characters” page of the play you list their ages as early-mid 20s. Are they looking back from a distance on these events? AZ: Oh, I think that was just an acknowledgement of the reality that in professional productions these characters will likely be played by slightly older actors. It’s a play that requires heavy-lift-
Nicole Kidman and Josh Silver in “Photograph 51.” ing on the part of its performers and while I’m sure there are 18year-olds out there who could do it, I imagine many producers will decide to lean on more experienced actors to take on these difficult roles. Also, yes, the characters are looking back at the events from a distance — though that stretch of time is kept intentionally vague so that the play can maintain its immediacy and urgency. Heights Press: From “Rashomon” to David Mamet’s “Oleana” to Philip Roth’s “The Human Stain” the mutability of truth is rich terrain for artists. What prompted you to enter the fray? AZ: As you say, it’s rich terrain. And I’ve been drawn before to stories that examine the nature of the truth, where multiple perspectives reveal the impossibility of a single definitive version of events. But in this case, I’ve taken things a step further — now even my two characters aren’t sure of their own personal truths — they don’t
As documented in the 2016 Brooklyn Eagle series “Brooklyn Goes to Williamstown,” there has been a longstanding and fruitful artistic relationship between Brooklyn actors, playwrights and directors with the Williamstown Theatre Festival. This summer’s production of Cobble Hill resident Anna Ziegler’s “Actually” continues that tradition. Among the other notable Brooklynites, past and present, who have made the trek to the northwest corner of Massachusetts are Arthur Miller, Paul Giamatti, Wendy Wasserstein, Bob Dishy, Evan Cabnet, Marisa Tomei and artistic director Mandy Greenfield. Perhaps it’s time for a Brooklyn to the Berkshires jitney service. know if they’re truth-tellers or liars, good or bad. And I was really interested in investigating what led these two to the moment in question — how society and personality converge to create a combustible mix of self-doubt and the desire to fit in, and how, as a result, good people can end up compromising themselves and others. I was also really intrigued by the idea of trying to determine truth at the dicey, charged intersection of race and gender, where biases abound. Heights Press: I read that your husband is a lawyer at NYU who handles litigation and student affairs — was he helpful to you in writing the play? AZ: Yes, he was! He could tell me when things felt less realistic and let me know about the sorts of questions that might come up in such a hearing. Heights Press: At the end of “Actually,” is the “feather that falls from above right in between Amber and Tom” comparable to Woody Allen’s netted, teetering tennis ball at the end of “Match Point”? AZ: I clearly need to rewatch that movie now … But without remembering it precisely, I would say you’re probably right that the symbolism is similar. The idea that the tiniest whispers of fate can create huge winds in our lives…
Anna Ziegler
Photo: Will Miller
4 • Brooklyn Heights Press • Thursday, June 29, 2017
Heights Press: In “Photograph 51” Gosling says, “For a moment everything stopped. Different ways our lives could go hovered in the air around us ... And then there was the only way everything would go.” Could that summation also be applied to Amber and Tom? AZ: Yes, I think it could in some respects. Amber and Tom probably have a moment after which there was no going back. That being said, that moment for Amber and Tom is hazy, and might well have been a series of moments, and really, the play suggests, their entire lives were the moment on which everything hinged. So, yes and no?
Photo by Johan Persson
Heights Press: Amber’s dormmate Heather and Tom’s roommate Sunil serve as catalysts. Did their roles evolve through various drafts or did you have them playing these crucial roles from the beginning? AZ: I think those two important offstage characters’ roles were in place from the first draft. But I did continue to work on how much Amber is under Heather’s thumb, influenced by her and by the need to impress her, and the extent to which Sunil crosses a line with Tom. Heights Press: Date rape and sexual misconduct seem to be peculiarly American college campus issues. I can’t imagine the Sorbonne or Oxford or Cambridge having an “Office of the Vice Provost of Institutional Equity and Diversity.” (And I know you were being deliberately satirical.) Can you recall any of these issues arising when you were getting your MA at the University of East Anglia? Do you think that’s because European universities aren’t the cauldron of class and race and gender that American universities are? AZ: I actually wasn’t being satirical; that post exists at Princeton, with that precise title. So, unless our current times are a satire of themselves (and around that, the jury is always out) I wasn’t being deliberately anything. And to answer your question, I wasn’t aware of any of these issues in England when I was getting my MA, but then again, I wasn’t super-aware of them as an undergraduate at Yale 15 years ago. So, either things have changed considerably or I was pretty blind to what was going on, or probably both. Heights Press: We live in an aggrieved society — everybody’s pissed off at somebody else, and we have a loutish, demagogic president who only fans the flames of this discontent (and who, himself, boasted about sexual misconduct.) It seems impossible to escape the subject of date rape — every day brings news of another UVA, Stanford, St. Paul’s. Where do we go from here? AZ: I wish I knew. Certainly, there are many schools and universities that are doing their best to combat sexual assault on their campuses. However, one of the things the play explores are the inherent limitations in a school’s ability to reach a wholly satisfactory determination of the truth of what happened between two people. I’m not sure what that means in terms of how these cases ought to be adjudicated, but it’s something to think about, as is what standard of proof should be employed. And then there’s alcohol, which I think plays an outsized role in some of these cases, and not necessarily in the ways you might expect. I’m certainly not opposed to drinking (no playwright is, especially during previews of his/her own play) but it obviously impairs people’s judgment and the ability to read a partner’s cues and signals — the breakdown of which can lead folks into dangerous territory. And I don’t know that schools can or have the will to crack down on underage drinking. Heights Press: Let’s close on a completely different subject: You are a daughter of Brooklyn through and through — raised, educated and currently residing in the borough. What do you love about Brooklyn? AZ: It’s true — I grew up in Cobble Hill and Brooklyn Heights and have now come full circle and live in Cobble Hill again. I even dragged my husband, a lifelong Manhattanite, to our borough, and now he claims he would never live anywhere else. We love it here! As far as diversions go, mine have changed a fair bit since having kids … Before I had kids I would’ve named our most-frequented restaurants and bars (Rucola, Iris Café, Henry Public, Bar Tabac) or Lily, my favorite shop on Court Street, but after having kids I can mostly be found (in the warmer months) just walking around our neighborhood and the ones nearby, or in Cobble Hill Park or Pierrepont Playground or Brooklyn Bridge Park or Carroll Park, which, on summer evenings, with or even without ice cream, really are pretty close to perfect. “Actually” is at the Williamstown Theater Festival Aug. 9-20 and starts previews Oct. 31 with a Nov. 14 opening at the Manhattan Theater Club. For more information, go to wtfestival.org and manhattantheatreclub.com.
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
H
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
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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-
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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
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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.
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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
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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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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
--- CROSSWORD ---
(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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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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