Brain Candy – Brooklyn Artisan

12 DAYS OF BROOKLYN: Why ‘Chanukah House’ is Dark in 2012

December 11, 2012 by Anne Mollegen Smith Leave a Comment

Day Six • 12 Views of Brooklyn

(Used by permission of the homeowner)

DANIEL TEITELBAUM GIVES THE HISTORY of the exuberant decorations on his family’s house. “The miracle of Chanukah is supposed to be publicized. That is why Jews all over the world light their menorahs in the windows or doorways of their homes where people passing in the street can see it. We have just taken it a step further.” When their daughter was two years old, “We started with a single dreidle made out of wood and strung with white lights. We then added blue lights that we put up together with white lights around our home. From that time on we tried to add something new every year.” The renown of the house in Mill Basin has grown. “In 2006, we were presented with a proclamation from Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz naming our home, the official Brooklyn Chanukah House.” (More about this in our Who’s Who.) This year is sadly different: “Due to Hurricane Sandy the Brooklyn Chanukah House is not able to put up its display. We suffered significant damage to our home and the repairs will not be completed before Chanukah. We apologize for this and wish to thank everyone for their messages of support. We will be back next Chanukah better than ever. Chanukah Sameach.”

Filed Under: 12 Days of Brooklyn, Look, Uncategorized Tagged With: 12 Views of Brooklyn, Brooklyn Chanukah House, Daniel Teitelbaum, Hanukkah Brooklyn, Hurricane Sandy damage, Marty Markowitz proclamation

12 DAYS OF BROOKLYN: Diversity Is in Our Cultural DNA

December 10, 2012 by Anne Mollegen Smith Leave a Comment

Day Five • 12 Views of Brooklyn

THE GREAT 20TH CENTURY ANTHROPOLOGIST DR. MARGARET MEAD observed in one of her magazine columns in the late 1960s that the only true citizens of a culture are the children born into it, not the adults who have created it. You have only to see a three year old with an iPad to get her point. The self-consciousness of the peace movement of the 60s, of affirmative action, of busing and political correctness have made a difference. Out of that tradition comes this panel of a larger mural. The little girl has a peace symbol on her shirt; the little boy’s shirt says, “Shalom. Salaam. Adios” – all of them versions of Peace and go with God. Society’s problems of racial and religious intolerance have not been solved, but they’ve certainly been shrunk. The signature for the artist (s) for this multi-panel mural in Park Slope, on 8th Street and the corner of 6th Avenue, is not on the wall; the message is everything. (More from this mural in Who’s Who.)

Filed Under: 12 Days of Brooklyn, Brain Candy, Look

12 DAYS OF BROOKLYN: Families in the Winter Wonderland

December 9, 2012 by Anne Mollegen Smith 1 Comment

Day Four • 12 Views of Brooklyn

Painting by Ella Yang; see Who’s Who

BROOKLYN CHILDREN AND GROWNUPS are blessed to be able to play in beloved Prospect Park. The 585 acres include Brooklyn’s only lake, the lovely Lullwater. In 1861, after Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux had practiced up on Central Park on Manhattan, the great design team moved on to Brooklyn to start work on their masterpiece. There’s plenty of credit to go around, but some say the true father of the park was James S. T. Stanahan, city parks commission from 1860 to 1885, who championed its creation and expansion. (Stanahan also favored the merger into New York City, which some grumblers still say was the very, very worst possible thing to happen to Brooklyn – until the Dodgers left town, that is.) This snow scene, like yesterday’s, dates from the spectacular snowfall of 2009. The artist who captured it, Ella Yang, explains, “We finally had enough snow to transform Prospect Park into a winter playground. I was taking a somewhat slippery walk through the Park when I ran across this family heading home after an afternoon of sledding. The sun was low and threw pinks, ochres and purples across the different snowy surfaces. Great fun to paint!”

Filed Under: 12 Days of Brooklyn, Look Tagged With: 12 Days of Brooklyn, Ella Yang, Frederick Law Olmsted, Prospect Park

Lighting the Night to Celebrate Hanukkah

December 8, 2012 by Anne Mollegen Smith Leave a Comment

Day Three • 12 Views of Brooklyn

Photograph by Joy Makon; see Who’s Who.

DATING FROM THE SECOND CENTURY BCE, the beautiful tradition of lighting candles in the eight arms of a special candelabrum calls for using the candle from the ninth position, the shamash (usually at the center), to light each of the others day by day . It is part of the eight-day celebration of Hanukkah, which begins today. It commemorates the rededication of Jerusalem’s Holy Temple after a victory reclaiming the city from domination by the Maccabees. The spreading of light against the darkest time of year lifts spirits everywhere, and the intimacy of joining together to share a circle of light makes a powerful bond. This image was captured in Windsor Terrace in 2009, when all of Brooklyn was hushed and blanketed by a thick snowfall.

Filed Under: 12 Days of Brooklyn, Look, Uncategorized Tagged With: 12 Days of Brooklyn, Brooklyn Hannukah, Menorah in the snow, Menorrah in the snow, Windsor Terrace

12 DAYS OF BROOKLYN: Our Glorious Garden

December 7, 2012 by Anne Mollegen Smith Leave a Comment

Day Two • 12 Views of Brooklyn

Fall becomes winter at the Brooklyn Botanic. (Photo by Jake Miller. See Who's Who)

Photograph by Jake Miller; see Who’s Who

WHO COULD HELP READING THE BODY LANGUAGE of loss, longing or despair into the shape of this beautiful tree? Like some tragic arboreal Lady of Shalott drifting toward her death: “God in his mercy lend her grace,” as Tennyson’s poem said. Or perhaps it is more like an aging and gnarled Narcissus gazing at his wavering reflection on the water – anyone’s poetic imagination might be stirred. Such intimate landscapes found among the Brooklyn Botanic Garden‘s long vistas make it a very personal place, though plant science, research and education are part of its mandate. Opening off Eastern Parkway in a corner of Prospect Park where Washington Avenue crosses behind the Brooklyn Museum, with its own stop on the 2/3 trains, the BBG covers more than 50 acres and receives nearly a million visits a year, as people come for the lively events or the cherry blossoms and water lilies or the many other gardens-within-the-Garden.

Filed Under: 12 Days of Brooklyn, Look Tagged With: 12 Days of Brooklyn, Brooklyn Botanic Garden, urban garden

BROOKLYN ARTISAN’S 12 DAYS OF BROOKLYN: Starting at the Grand Gateway to Prospect Park

December 6, 2012 by Anne Mollegen Smith 2 Comments

Day One ◊ 12 Views of Brooklyn

Photograph by Joseph Caserto; see our Who’s Who.

THE SOLDIERS’ AND SAILORS’ ARCH at Grand Army Plaza, lighted for the holidays. Built in 1892 to mark the entrance to Prospect Park, the arch was modified three years later when bronze statuary was added. Originally Prospect Park Plaza, the circle was renamed Grand Army Plaza in 1926 as commemoration for veterans of the Union Army of the Civil War. In 1975, it was designated a National Historic Landmark. At the nexus of Union Street, Eastern Parkway, Vanderbilt Avenue, Prospect Park West and Flatbush Avenue, where the 2/3 trains stop, it is an imposing backdrop for the popular Saturday farmer’s market and food truck meet-ups. (Be warned: This is the busiest traffic circle in Brooklyn, and though recent efforts to address the safety and preferences of pedestrians have yielded improvements, not all problems have been solved.)

Filed Under: 12 Days of Brooklyn, Look, Think Tagged With: 12 Days of Brooklyn, Brooklyn scenes, Etsy.com, food truck meet-up, Grand Army Plaza, Joseph Caserto, Soldiers' and Sailors' Arch

Joy’s Best of Brooklyn, December 7, 8, 9, 10

December 5, 2012 by Joy Makon Leave a Comment

Festival of Lights, photography by Brooklyn Artisan.

Festival of Lights, 2012, photography from the Brooklyn Artisan photo pool.

Eclectic edition, shopping roundup included.
PS: When’s Festivus?

Friday, Saturday, Sunday: The inaugural weekend of the Philip K. Dick Science Fiction Film Festival. Hollywood’s love affair with sci-fi author Philip K. Dick is well represented by hits such as Blade Runner, Minority Report, Total Recall. This weekend’s festival of screenings, speakers and panel discussions covers some of the best and newest in science fiction, science and the supernatural. Watch documentaries on A.I., virtual reality, galactic superwaves. Observe scientist Ronald Mallett Ph.D. who is working on a real-life time travel machine. The festival opens Friday with an adaptation of Dick’s last novel, Radio Free Albemuth. At indieScreen, Williamsburg. Check the website for schedule.

Saturday, Sunday: Whiskey, Pickles and Jerky Pairing Weekend at Brooklyn Oenology. Pickles + New York State Whiskey = Picklebacks, the now-classic Brooklyn chaser. Composed of 1oz whiskey chased with 1oz pickle brine with jerky garnish for additional oomph. Williamsburg. Saturday, 3pm-midnight. Sunday, 12pm-10pm.

Etsy crafter Jessica Marquez, author of
Stitched Gifts (Chronicle Books), will share her
techniques this weekend at Textile Arts Center.

Saturday, Sunday: Make your own Fabric Books: Hand Bound, Dyed and Stitched, a two-day class at Textile Arts Center. Taught by Etsy member and maker behind Miniature Rhino, Jessica Marquez, and visual artist Rebecca Kelly. Book binding, sewing, embroidery, dyeing and image transfer techniques will be taught and students will make three simple practice books. Park Slope. 11am-5pm each day.

Saturday: Downtown Brooklyn Holiday Trolley. Relive a bit of Brooklyn history by taking a free ride on the hop-on/hop-off old-fashioned trolley as it makes eight stops along a mile-long circular route covering interesting architecture and local lore. Warm up with hot chocolate as guides share stories about Brooklyn’s past and present history. This would be a novel way to get from Brooklyn Heights to BAM or the Brooklyn Flea. Every Saturday through December 22. Brooklyn Heights, Fort Greene. 1pm-7pm.

Saturday: The Art of the Tequila Cocktail, presented by Sycamore. The Cocktail Weenies Mike Mikos and Wil Petre, who also happen to be the expert barmen at Sycamore, will host an evening devoted to everything about tequila cocktails. Demonstrations, recipe booklets, snacks will be part of improving one’s mixology skills. Advance ticket purchase advised. Ditmas Park. 5pm.

Saturday: 3rd annual NYC Beard & Mustache Competition, produced by Gotham City Beard Alliance, an organization to promote tolerance and acceptance of all facial hair. Proceeds of the evening, being held at Warsaw, will go to the NYC chapter of the MS Society. Judging categories include, but are not limited to: Full Beard Styled Moustache–heavy use of styling aids on your moustache permitted; College–18-22 year old competitors or baby faces; Freestyle–anything goes, styling aids ok; Women’s Most Fantastic–creativity. Greenpoint. Registration starts at 6:30pm, doors open at 7pm.

Sunday: unwind and have a cozy dinner somewhere in the nabe. Try Fort Defiance: Saxelby Cheesemonger Plate, Pickled Beet Salad, Prescription Julep (circa 1857). Red Hook. Dinner 5pm-11pm. Also check out their Buy Now Drink Later Junk Bonds to help them rebuild post-Sandy.

Sunday: Concert & Comedy for Sandy Animals, a benefit for Sean Casey Animal Rescue. Live music, videos, art, raffle and giftbags. Littlefield, Gowanus. 7pm.

Monday, aka third Hanukkah candle: Fourth Annual Latke Festival, sponsored by Great Performances and Edible Brooklyn. Sample creations by notable Brooklyn chefs from BAMcafe, Blue Ribbon Brooklyn, The Farm on Adderley (Spud Maccabee with pickled fennel jam, butternut squash, and crème fraîche), Stone Park Cafe, Berlyn, The Vanderbilt, The Sussman Brothers (latkes with lots of sauces), along with other Outer Brooklyn chefs. Enter your own recipe ahead of time to be part of the latke cook off. Tickets are limited and must be pre-purchased by Monday via the festival website. At BAM, Fort Greene. 6:30pm.

SHOPPING ROUNDUP:

Saturday, Sunday:

Housing Works Buy the Bag. Housing Works provides housing resources for New Yorkers living with and affected by HIV/AIDS. Their thrift shops are a staple among savvy NYC hunter-gatherer types. What began as an event is now a free-standing store and works like this: spend $25 and receive a bag to fill up with gently-used menswear, womenswear and accessories. Purchase as many bags to fill as you like. Sunset Park. Saturday 12pm-6pm. Sunday 12pm-5pm.

Saturday:

Gowanus Nite Market. The lights go down and the mood changes in this 10,000 square foot warehouse where local vendors (Bare Bone Supply), DJs, beer, food (Daly Pie) showcase their wares. Gowanus. 7pm-12am.
Stuff You Should Buy Holiday Shop at PS321. Over 90 hand-picked local artisans. Kids’ activities sponsored by urbansitter. Park Slope. 10am-5pm.
Manufacture NY and Love US Holiday Pop-Up Shop. Meet the designers while helping support 100% Made in the USA by locals. Greenpoint. 12pm-6pm.
Crafted at the Canal sponsored by Build It Green! NYC. Reuse artisans offer one-of-a-kind gifts. Examples: Recycle-A-Bicycle jewelry, Coil and Drift reclaimed furniture, New York Clocks. Gowanus. 10am-5pm.
Vegan Holiday Shop-Up at Pine Box Rock Shop. Art, jewelry, apparel, treats—all vegan. Be sure to stop by and taste Brooklyn Artisan-friend Alchemy Creamery’s holiday potions. Williamsburg. 12pm-5pm.

Festivus is celebrated on December 23. There’s plenty of time to prepare.

Joy Makon curates Brooklyn Artisan’s Craft & Design coverage and creates the weekly Best of Brooklyn lists.
Send items for listings to brooklynartisan@joymakondesign.com

Filed Under: Brain Candy, Collectives, Community, Craft/Design, Food/Drink, Guilds/Fairs, Handmade, Joy's Best of Brooklyn Weekend Listings, Laugh, Method/Materials, Outer Brooklyn, Uncategorized, Winery, brewery, distiller Tagged With: BAM, Beard & Mustache Competition, Blue Ribbon, Brooklyn Academy of Music, Brooklyn Flea, Brooklyn Oenology, Build It Green NYC, Ditmas Park, Downtown Brooklyn, Edible Brooklyn, Etsy, Film Festival, Fort Defiance, Fort Green, Gotham City Beard Alliance, Gowanus, Great Performances, Greenpoint, Housing Works, indieScreen, Latke Festival, Littlefield, Miniature Rhino, Park Slope, Philip K. Dick, Picklebacks, PS321, Red Hook, Ronald Mallett, Sandy, Sean Casey Animal Rescue, Sunset Park, Sycamore, tequila cocktails, Textile Arts Center, The Cocktail Weenies, The Farm on Adderley, Warsaw, Williamsburg

In Kandahar: Dreaming of Egg Creams

December 4, 2012 by Phil Scott 3 Comments

A pararescue soldier holding an M4 discusses gear with Phil Scott as the helicopter is loaded.

Pararescue soldier with Phil Scott beside medevac helicopter.

MY BUDDY JET LAG. YOU CAN’T FLY FROM AFGHANISTAN to Brooklyn without him waiting for you. We took the medevac transport from Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan to Ramstein, Germany, and from Ramstein to Andrews Air Force Base, where the wounded were carried to Walter Reed by an old white school bus painted with red crosses. Nearly everyone on board the flight had some sort of leg injury. One patient – likely Special Forces because he, like nearly all the Special Forces types I saw at Kandahar and Bagram, wore a beard – was missing his right foot. His left foot was bandaged, and I think he was missing some toes.

Then, alone, I rode an Amtrak train to New York’s Penn Station and took the subway to my home base, Brooklyn. After more than 24 hours of travel carrying 80 pounds of gear on my back, I walked through the front door, up the stairs, dropped the backpack on the floor and kicked off my shoes. I crawled into bed and slept for nearly a day and a half.

I’ve reported from nearly 20 countries around the world, and the loneliest place was Thanksgiving in Kandahar. We stood in line for a meal of turkey roll, instant mashed potatoes and deep-fried stuffing balls dished out on a cardboard plate, and then we trekked to a distant hut to listen in to an airman talk to President Obama over the phone. After that a White House aide called the airman’s wife and transferred the call. The airman choked up, and that’s when the loneliness hit me. I missed Brooklyn, its egg creams, its bridges and steeples, its flea markets and food fairs. And I vowed to enjoy all of those in the coming days between my homecoming and Christmas.

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Executive Editor Phil Scott’s latest book is Then & Now: How Airplanes Got This Way.

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◊ ◊ ◊

Starting here Thursday, December 6

12 Days of Brooklyn

Brooklyn Artisan’s own collection of

captured views, native tastes and special sips

that make our borough like nowhere else.

◊ ◊ ◊

Filed Under: 12 Days of Brooklyn, Think, Uncategorized Tagged With: Bagram Air Base, Brooklyn homecoming, egg creams, Kandahar, medevac

A Tale of Two Libraries

November 19, 2012 by Joy Makon Leave a Comment

The Kensington Library opened November 15, 2012.

After a nearly three-year renovation, the Park Slope Library reopened in September.

INSPIRED BY A NEWLY ISSUED LIBRARY CARD from the Brooklyn Public Library and by a tip from Madeleine Appell, an instructor at Kingsborough Community College, I went to visit two branch libraries to look at the architecture and design of the buildings.

As new as it gets

The Kensington Library branch opened on November 15 in a newly built, LEED-certified green, sustainable and fully ADA-compliant building. The new building replaces an older location that was a few blocks away in a former catering hall from the 1960s. This light-filled open space is cool as can be, yet warm and appealing, even as it stands out from the surrounding residential neighborhood of traditional-looking low-rise homes and mish-mash storefronts. I love the daylight that streams in from the glass walls and skylit atrium, along with the arty Calder-like mobiles suspended from the second floor. This would be a fun, cheery place to spend a few hours reading or surfing the web.

Sustainable features of lighting, heating and cooling systems, and thoughtfully-selected materials and finishes are invisible in such a well-designed and people-friendly space. The Kensington branch has been one of Brooklyn’s most active library locations with over 100,000 items in circulation. It’s hoped that this beautiful new space will provide an energy-efficient and healthier environment for users and staff. Unfortunately, according to the Daily News, this may be the last branch built from scratch. Due to budget realities, the Brooklyn Public Library is considering preexisting storefront locations for new branches.

Retrofit plus

Back in Brownstone Brooklyn, the Park Slope Library, known as “Prospect Branch,” reopened in September after nearly three years of renovations. As befits the neighborhood, this building is replete with the columns, paned-glass, and details found in the landmarked homes surrounding it. Renovation has brought new lighting, technology, climate control, and accessibility to this 1906 building that was part of Andrew Carnegie’s legacy. It was all in use when I visited this afternoon—kids, parents, caretakers, and the occasional grown-up, all gently engaged with books and computers, in comfy, well-lit spaces. A row of strollers were parked neatly by the entrance.

City Councilman Brad Lander notes that libraries routinely provide internet access and computers to the 50% of New York households without high-speed internet, as duly noted by the activity I observed in both branches today.