If you are like me and wishing you were traveling instead of being stuck in your over air conditioned office how about some foreign flavor? Singer-songwriter Sondre Lerche, who is an international superstar from Norway will be performing at Mercury Lounge tomorrow night at 9pm. I’ve seen him in concert before and he is a charming and talented musician. You might recognize his music from the film “Dan in Real Life” if not, at least you can say you saw a real Norwegian superstar.
Also on Friday, July 30th, Celebrate Brooklyn! presents The Swell Season and The Low Anthem at the Prospect Park Bandshell. The Swell Season consists of the duo Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova from the film Once, which they also won an Oscar for the song Falling Slowly. According to Rolling Stone Magazine their sophomore album Strict Joy delivers “hot Irish soul…energetic folk rock and dream-pop-touched balladry.” If you haven’t been to Prospect Park for one of the free shows, it is something that every New Yorker should do at least once. Bring blankets and a picnic for a fun filled evening under the stars. After the show, make sure you also check out the bevy of bars that Park slope boasts.
Show starts at 7:30 p.m. and gates open at 6:30 p.m. $3 suggested donation
Tags:
Brooklyn,
Bryant Park,
magnolia,
Prospect Park,
sondre lerche
I Am Love
First, I want to give a HUGE congrats to Anthony & his wife! Can’t wait to meet the new baby neighborbee.
And without further adieu, what’s going on in town this week:
Right by my office, the wonderful City Winery is hosting the 2nd Annual Hudson Square Music & Wine Festival. Held in the courtyard behind City Winery, this free concert series runs every Tuesday night till 8/10. Not only is it free but they will also have great wine on hand, which always makes for a great time. The shows begin at 5pm and a perfect head start to a the quintessential happy hour. Last night;s show was great as it featured DeLeon & Jviews. DeLeon is indie rock infused with Spanish flair and Jviews is the multi-genre project of electronic music producer Jonathan Dagan.
The L magazine has also brought back SummerScreen this summer, getting Brooklynites out of their apartments to watch classic movies under the stars. Returning to McCarren Park, SummerScreen promises a great lineup with some cult favorites such as Labyrinth playing this Wednesday. Remember to bring a blanket and enjoy the beer and taco vendors surrounded by a sea of hipsters in plaid and non-prescription glasses. Gates open at 6pm and films start at dusk.
If you are sick of the humidity and sweating through what seems like your third change of clothes, opt for the air conditioned movie theatre. I recently saw Solitary Man and I am Love (Io sono l’amore), back to back, which I haven’t done in ages but nonetheless a gift from the summer Friday gods. Between the two, I am going to give the thumbs up to I am Love, which is a beautiful constructed film with rich and complex characters. Here’s a quick recap without giving away the details: Tilda Swanson, married into the wealthy Recchi family indulges in an affair with her sons’s friend, which leads to devastating conclusions for the family.
Tags:
Brooklyn,
city winery,
films,
i am love,
solitary man,
summerscreen
Lebron to NY? Up In The Air.
I read this today:
The New Jersey Nets have reached an agreement in principle with free agent… Travis Outlaw.
I think I vomited a little in my mouth.
Yes, Travis has six letters in his first name just like Lebron, but the similarities end there. We won’t know officially where Lebron James is headed (Miami) until ESPN’s ridiculous hour-long special tonight, but even Sly knows everybody’s favorite free agent will not be a Net.
The glory years of the Nets are a distant memory: a perennial Eastern Conference playoff team for 7 seasons, two years ago Nets GM Rod Thorn torpedoed the roster, trading away Jason Kidd and Richard Jefferson, their last links to the team that made the NBA finals two years in a row. The next season, Vince Carter was shipped out as well.
The only thing of value they got from all three trades was Devin Harris… and:
The biggest asset that the trade gave the Nets was salary cap room for the 2010 free agent bonanza that might include LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Amare Stoudemire and Chris Paul. -The Associated Press, June 27, 2008
Except, now it’s 2010, and the Nets have signed Travis Outlaw.
In 2012, the Nets will move to Brooklyn, and I will officially no longer be a fan. What’s left to root for? It’s a terrible team that’s abandoned its fans.
And it’s all because of Lebron James.
Now, maybe its unfair to pin it all on him. But the move to Brooklyn wouldn’t have had enough traction without the promise of a marquee name to scoop up jaded ex-Knicks fans and fill seats in the new Barclay’s Center. And the Nets wouldn’t have replaced their roster with midgets on unicycles if they didn’t want to clear cap room for the biggest marquee name of them all.
Of course, Lebron didn’t tell the Nets to stop playing basketball and start playing an ancient form of Polynesian hot-potato in order to set themselves up as his potential landing place. But he didn’t disabuse the notion either. Jay-Z, part owner of the Nets, is allegedly a good friend. Lebron couldn’t tip him off that he didn’t quite see himself setting up alley-oops with DeSagana Diop? C’mon man!
In New York City, we demand the best from our sports teams. We demand they win every year. Yet the Nets, determined to no longer be the distant cousin of the New York metro area’s basketball teams, have retooled their roster to lose, and lose big. All on a huge gamble that didn’t pay off.
Maybe they spent too much time in Atlantic City.
So damn you, Lebron James. Damn you for not dashing our hopes sooner. Damn you for being the bright shiny thing everyone wanted, tantalizing us with your anti-gravity Nikes and NBA Jam-style skills. Damn you for making the Nets this century’s Jimmy Hoffa: buried somewhere in the Meadowlands, never to be seen or heard from again.
Unless you do somehow sign with us. In that case, welcome!
Tags:
Brooklyn,
LeBron James,
NJ Nets,
NY Knicks,
Sports NYC,
Travis Outlaw
Biking over the Brooklyn Bridge
The weather’s been a little warm but great so far this summer!
So it’s time to venture out and discover some of the hidden treasures among Brooklyn’s many culturally rich neighborhoods. What better way to do it than by cycling? You can canvass larger areas than on foot and you’ll get great exercise all while being able to see things you might miss in a car. Not to mention you’ll never have to worry about parking. Wanna make a pit stop? Just bring a lock and look for the nearest lamppost.
Bee Wheelin Brooklyn is your weekly guide to all that’s bike friendly.
Me on my bike
We’ll bee keeping you informed of the safest class 1, 2 and 3 bicycle lanes and the most picturesque routes throughout the hoods. From the entire southern coast of Plumb, Gerritsen, Manhattan, Brighton Beaches and Coney Island to some of the most beautiful neighborhoods along the class 1 bike lane on Bedford Ave. Don’t own a bike? No problem! Bee Wheelin will even let you know about bike shops in different neighborhoods that rent. So put down the car keys, pick up a helmet, consult Bee Wheelin and get on out there and bike!
Tags:
Bee Wheelin,
biking,
Brighton Beaches,
Brooklyn,
class 1 2 and 3 bicycle lanes,
Coney Island,
Gerritsen,
Manhattan,
Plumb
Things to do in the city are endless. So it is a bit surprising when I find myself doing the same crap over and over. This week I am going to take my own advice and be adventurous by trying out some of these events.
Sometimes we all need a little intellectual stimulation and what better than a reading presented by Harper’s Magazine at the Housing Works Bookstore Café. Tonight, Harper’s will host “Death: a literary celebration of the bitter end,” a reading featuring selections from the magazine and work by contributors Joseph O’Neill, Diane Williams, and Elif Batuman. With the imminent decline of print media, it might be a good idea to attend these print related events while they still exist. Event starts at 7:00pm.
Another pretty unique event going on this week is hosted by EPIC WIN, the nerdiest burlesque show in town. Friday and Saturday, they will be re-interpreting the classic blockbuster film “GHOSTBUSTERS!,” at The Tank. I volunteer at The Tank, a non-profit art space that supports artists through the means of space and it is a great place to catch off the beaten path shows. They also have refreshments including cheap beer, which you can drink during shows. I mean, how can you beat that? But check out this show this weekend because I can’t imagine what it means to combine Ghostbusters & burlesque but I’m sure it will be entertaining. Think, sexy Halloween. Click here for Presale tickets.
BAMcinemaFEST, also just started and if you love indie film this is a great film festival to take advantage of. It features new films from some of the brightest up-and-coming talents plus cool events. Definitely take advantage of the outdoor screening of SXSW Jury Award winner Tiny Furniture, this Sunday. Also if you are already in the hood to watch a film, Bamcafe is hosting Comedy Night, Friday night at 9:30pm. They will feature a hilarious showcase of local and national comic talents including Sean Patton, Ali wong, and Snakes.Part of BAMcafé Live.
Tags:
BAM,
Brooklyn,
Events,
Ghostbusters,
housing works,
The Tank,
weekend new york city
Apparently a new breed of trophy wives has risen through the ranks. When I think of a trophy wife, I think, blond, w.a.s.p-y, smoking hot, in Lilly Pulitzer and pearl clad. However, in a recent Marie Claire article, it seems that Asian women are becoming the new trophy wives—they call it the “Woody Allen Effect.” I personally think it all started with John Lennon and Yoko Ono.
Read more »
Tags:
Asian,
Brooklyn,
fetish,
stuffwhitepeoplelike,
trophy wives
Boerum Hill's Building on Bond
At the risk of complying with national stereotypes, I don’t drink coffee. And with apologies to Sting, I’m not mad keen on tea either, my dear. So it may seem a little perverse that I’ve become a bit of coffeeshop connoisseur. After all, there’s only so many times a grown woman can order a hot chocolate or homemade lemonade with a straight face. But like half of Brooklyn I’m a freelancer, and given the choice between fidgeting at home alone and fidgeting in public with a load of comely strangers I’ll usually plump for the latter.
But it has to be the right kind of coffeeshop. Starbucks and its unsavoury corporate cousins leave me cold, but give me some mismatched furniture, free WiFi and a decent selection of figure-ruining cakes to choose from and I can almost forget I’m at work (bit of an occupational hazard in these places).
Park Slope’s Tea Lounge is the Big Daddy of the hot-beverage-with-benefits scene. As well as plenty of tea, there’s amazing vaguely hippie-style cakes and regular music and movie nights. The only problem is that that the big Union Street location tends to get rammed with yummy mummies and students… but the smaller Cobble Hill location is much more chilled out.
One problem with working outside of an office is knowing when to stop. Building on Bond have come up with an ingenious solution: come 4pm the WiFi gets turned off and the three hour Happy Hour kicks off, with £3 pints. Now that sounds like the perfect end to a productive day to me…
Over the link for some more great places for caffine and procrastination in my ‘hood: Read more »
Tags:
Boerum Hill,
Brooklyn,
coffee,
Park Slope
Courtesy of NY Times Cityroom
Recently, David Yassky, the erstwhile Brooklyn city councilman and candidate for comptroller, was confirmed as the chairman of the Taxi and Limousine Commission. He will be czar of the city’s livery and yellow cab industry — “a steward of this icon,” in his words.
A son of Manhattan and Princeton, Mr. Yassky is known among lawmakers for his intellect, which he honed at Yale Law School and later as a professor at Brooklyn Law School. He has been the author of federal gun-control legislation and once worked for Edward I. Koch.
Presumably, he also takes cabs — although a recent study suggested that very few taxis pick up passengers in Brooklyn Heights, Mr. Yassky’s home. In fact, Mr. Yassky said at his confirmation hearing that part of his charge was to “ensure the industry serves all parts of the city effectively.” Read more »
Tags:
Brooklyn,
Christine C. Quinn,
City Hall,
David Yassky,
environment,
Government & Politics,
Highlights,
livery cabs,
Manhattan,
Matthew W. Daus,
Off the Rails,
Queens,
Staten Island,
taxi and limousine commission,
Taxi Workers Alliance,
taxis,
the Bronx,
transportation,
William Lindauer
So we all know that only mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun, but what’s a pallid Brooklynite to do now that summer has finally arrived? Head for the water, that’s what. And with an amazing network of free public pools there’s no excuse for not dusting off your swimsuit and your ducking and weaving skills. Why would you want the antiseptic atmosphere of a gym pool when you could be out in the open with folks paddling, playing, flirting, bitching, hand-standing and occasionally even swimming all around you?
Read more »
Tags:
Brooklyn,
free,
nyc parks,
pools,
Red Hook Pool,
summer,
Sunset Park Pool,
swim
Pacifico, Cobble Hill/Brooklyn
I think I might have found the best Mexican food (at least that I’ve encountered thus far) in … Brooklyn? Oh yes. You heard that right! Last week, I went with some friends to check out their neighborhood spot, Pacifico. It’s out in Cobble Hill, but not too far from the train and oh-so worth it. Read more »
Tags:
Brooklyn,
Cobble Hill,
Dish Buzz,
Enchiladas,
lara ruth,
margaritas,
mexican,
Pacifico
