This coming Saturday, September 25, the Mark Morris Dance Group (photo) will perform at Brooklyn Bridge Park, Pier 1, Harbor View Lawn. There will be two dance performances: 2:00 to 2:45 PM and 4:00 to 4:45 PM; between them, from 3:00 to 3:45 PM will be “an all-ages family-friendly workshop.” The events are free and no registration is required. There’s more information here.
Arrivederci, Giulia!
We hardly knew you! Word is that the restaurant, formerly the Heights Café, has been sold, though we don’t yet know to whom. It opened just under three months ago, and will close at the end of this week. We’re told that Dellarocco’s, which has the same ownership as Giulia, has not been been sold and will continue to make pizza.
DOT Will Present BQE Plan at On Line Meeting Tuesday Evening
Our friends at the Brooklyn Heights Association have alerted us that on this Tuesday, September 14, starting at 6:00 PM, staff from the City’s Department of Transportation will present their plan for the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway to a meeting of the Transportation Committee of Community Board 2. The meeting will be held on line; to log on to the meeting go to CB 2’s calendar page and click on Tuesday, September 14 where it says “6pm …
Caffe Buon Gusto Closed? It’s Probably Just Temporary
Update: reader Andrew Porter has confirmed that Caffe Buon Gusto is moving to 72 Clark Street, evidently to the space previously occupied by Tazza. It seems the owner did decide that one Italian restaurant on Montague was enough.A neighbor alerted me to paper covering the windows at Caffe Buon Gusto, so I rushed to 132 Montague Street (between Henry and Clinton) and got this photo. Note the sign that says “We’re Open” and the lack of anything thanking us for our years …
Rocco & Jezebel for Pets to Close for Good
After 13 years in business on Pineapple Walk, Rocco & Jezebel for Pets will close for good at the end of July. The blog spoke to owners Andrea Demetropoulos and John Marcolini about their decision to call it quits.Was it the pandemic? “That was part of it,” said Andrea, “but it was my daughter Hillary’s death that led to the decision. I also had a mini-stroke in April, and at the age of 69, it’s become too much. We have incredible customers who are very unhappy with this decision, but they also want me to take care of myself.” John added, “Business has been terrible anyway. There are a lot of…
“Celebrate Summer” at Pierrepont Playground Wednesday
Our friends at the Brooklyn Heights Association have alerted us that there will be a “Celebrate Summer” event for kids and parents or caretakers at Pierrepont Playground (photo by C. Scales from 2013 egg hunt event) this coming Wednesday, June 16 from 3:30 to 5:00 PM. From the BHA:We are so excited that our Pierrepont Playground events can resume! Come join us for crafts, games and snacks with your friends at Pierrepont Playground. This is a free annual event celebrating the end of the school year. The party is sponsored by the BHA and organized by the tireless Pierrepont Playground committee.We hope to see you there!
City Council Candidates Forum at Cadman Plaza Park Sunday Evening
There are eight candidates running to take term limited Stephen Levin’s City Council seat for District 33, which includes Brooklyn Heights. This Sunday, June 6 from 5:00 to 7:00 PM, there will be a live forum for these candidates in Cadman Plaza Memorial Park. The event is sponsored by, among others, the Brooklyn Heights Association, the Cadman Park Conservancy, North Heights Neighbors, and the Willowtown Association.
Poplar Street Community Garden Open Again
The Poplar Street Community Garden, at Poplar and Hicks streets, has re-opened after being closed for a year because of COVID-19. The Garden is open for visitors Saturdays and Sundays from 9:00 a.m. until noon, and Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Masks and social distancing are required.This coming Saturday, April 10 from 9:00 to noon, there will be a workday to which all are invited. Itwill be a happy reunion with all that’s living in the Garden and with each other. Please join us! Our plan is to give the Garden’s roses and raspberries their annual spring pruning and to do a bit more raking and weed removal (it’s a workday after …
Reminder: BHA Annual Meeting Tonight
The Annual Meeting of the Brooklyn Heights Association will be held this evening by Zoom, beginning at 7:00 p.m. At least eight of the nine announced candidates for City Council from District 33, which includes Brooklyn Heights, will be present on line and available to answer questions. Incumbent Council Member Steve Levin is term limited. You do not need to be a BHA member to attend, and admission is free, but to get the Zoom link you must register here.
Delivery Bikers Assaulted at Henry and Remsen
As she reported on Nextdoor, at about 7:30 yesterday (Tuesday, February 16) evening Heights resident Olivia Guerreiri observed “a group of five teenagers” who “ran up the block Henry between Remsen and Joralemon and began assaulting a delivery driver who was traveling in the bike lane.” The man evidently was able to get away after being knocked off his bike by a fusillade of thrown objects, including “a traffic cone, a full garbage bag, a bottle of water and ice.” Ms. Guerrieri then saw the teens attack another bike delivery man at the intersection of Henry and Remsen. “They were trying to rip the driver off his bike and were hitting him.” Ms. Guerrieri and …
Reckless Driver Terrorizes Pedestrians on Promenade
Just before 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday the usual tranquility of the Brooklyn Heights Promenade was shattered when an auto entered and was driven up and down its length at speeds estimated as high as fifty miles per hour, causing pedestrians to scatter. Fortunately, there were no injuries. Gothamist has full details, and a video taken at the scene. The 33 year old driver, Eric James, is suspected of having been drunk at the time, and faces a number of charges.Were any readers at or near the Promenade when this happened? If so, please let us know.
Opening of New Brooklyn Heights Public Library Delayed Until Summer ’21
According to a detailed report by Kevin Duggan at the Brooklyn Paper, the opening of the new Brooklyn Heights branch of the Brooklyn Public Library is delayed until Summer 2021. The one-year delay from the original target opening date is due to stalled and slowed construction caused by the pandemic. When all done, the library will feature:A main hall stretching through the length of the ground floor from Cadman Plaza West to Clinton St.A “teen space” and conference rooms on the mezzanine floor.A children’s space on the basement level.A reading circle, built as a casual space for working, reading, and socializing.There will also be a…
Thousands Gather for George Floyd Vigil at Cadman Plaza
Brownstoner reports that thousands – perhaps as many as ten thousand – gathered in Cadman Plaza Park this afternoon for the vigil honoring George Floyd presented by his brother, Terrence Floyd, a Brooklyn resident. While the event was scheduled for 1:00 p.m., speakers did not arrive until about 2:00. Your correspondent was there to get some photos.There was much call-and-response chanting:“No justice! No peace!”“Say his name!” “George Floyd!”“Say her name!” “Breonna Taylor!”As the Brownstoner story notes, a number of local elected officials spoke. Mayor de Blasio was booed, which led to an announcement that the event was to honor the…
Promenade’s Montague Street Entrance Being Cleared
This morning a crew from Everest Scaffolding has been busy removing planks from atop the sidewalk bridge covering the Montague Street entrance to the Brooklyn Heights Promenade. The bridge is there to protect pedestrians from possible falling debris caused by inspection and repointing of Two Montague Terrace’s facade. Our surmise is that the work on the north facing facade been completed. It appears they are leaving the bridge covering the sidewalk on the Montague Terrace side.
Did Brooklyn Heights Lose Over 40% of its Population Because of COVID-19?
According to this story by Kevin Quealy in the New York Times, which has a very interesting map and graph, because of the coronavirus pandemic,roughly 5 percent of residents — or about 420,000 people — left the city between March 1 and May 1. In the city’s very wealthiest blocks, in neighborhoods like the Upper East Side, the West Village, SoHo and Brooklyn Heights, residential population decreased by 40 percent or more, while the rest of the city saw comparably modest changes.As the next paragraph notes, “some of these areas are typically home to lots of students, many of whom left as colleges and universities closed….
We’re Number 2! “Most Livable Areas in NYC”
According to a study by RentHop.com, as reported by am New York, Brooklyn Heights-Cobble Hill is the second most “livable area” in the city, based on “neighborhood safety, quietness, transportation, greenness and overall quality of life during the first quarter of 2020.” The rankings were based on a score of 100. Brooklyn Heights-Cobble Hill with a score of 83.7 was bested by Battery Park-Lower Manhattan which scored 88. Upper East Side-Carnegie Hill and the West Village, tied for the third and fourth most livable, and Manhattan’s Lincoln Square came in fifth. Click the am New York link above for a nifty map with all of the…
MLK Day Events This Sunday
On Sunday, Jan. 19, 11:00 a.m., two local churches will hold services to honor Martin Luther King, Jr.From Rev. Adriene Thorne at First Presbyterian Church of Brooklyn:This Sunday will be a very special one in the life of our community of faith. We are celebrating the life and witness of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in word, song, dance and jazz. We received a grant from the NY Presbytery to bring people together around two things we all love – jazz and justice. Make plans to celebrate #mlkday2020 with us. There will be amazing music from …
Will the BQE Panel Defer to Another Panel?
The issue of repairing the cantilevered stretch of the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway below the Brooklyn Heights Promenade and Brooklyn Heights is one that those in authority have, for some years, as the saying goes, “kicked down the road.” Any solution was bound to raise problems, whether for drivers and truckers who use the BQE, Brooklyn Heights residents, or residents of other neighborhoods who could be affected by diverted traffic.Politico reports that certain unidentified sources have seen drafts of the report, due to be released this…
Wendy Richman and SOB at St. Ann’s Church Saturday Evening
On Saturday evening, November 23, at 8:00, at St. Ann & the Holy Trinity Church, Clinton and Montague streets, acclaimed violist Wendy Richman (photo) will, along with the String Orchestra of Brooklyn (yes, they delight in their acronym), perform Rebecca Clarke’s Viola Sonata. The SOB will also perform Samuel Barber’s “Overture to the School of Scandal” and William Grant Still’s “Afro-American Symphony”.Admission is $16, or $11 for students or seniors. You may purchase tickets here.
Housing Works Thrift Shops Coming Back to Montague St.!
Who says there’s no good news anymore? The tip came from a friend and neighbor via text tonight.Housing Works is coming back to Montague St.!You may recall, to the dismay of the entire neighborhood, Housing Works closed shop at the location on Montague off Henry St. in March 2017, and was replaced by Halstead Real Estate. Housing Works will now move into the location that Halstead vacated at 150 Montague St., next to Francesca’s. The best switcheroo imaginable!We no longer have to trek to Park Slope to donate gently-used items to help fund Housing Works’ invaluable support of the homeless and people living with HIV. Or to find that like-new, stunning, mid-century sofa you never thought you needed, but really do…
Brooklyn Book Festival This Weekend
The sixth annual Brooklyn Book Festival will have its Children’s Day events this Saturday, September 21 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on the MetroTech Commons. Events will include a “Where’s Waldo?” search, an interactive bookmaking session with JooHee Yoon, music with Dan and Claudia Zanes, and many more events that are fun for kids and parents. At 10:00 a.m. there will be a coffee reception for educators.The Festival’s main event, Festival Day, will take place on Sunday, September 22 from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. at Borough Hall and
Cafe From Master Pastry Chef François Payard Opens at Pier 5 & Other Foodie News
Eater reports the James Beard award winning pastry chef, Francois Payard has opened a cafe, Ebb & Flow at 12 Joralemon Street (across from Pier 5). “The Brooklyn Heights bakery serves grab-and-go pastries, including savory and sweet selections. These include sandwiches, salads, egg and cheese croissants, as well as a series of special layer cakes from Payard” along with coffee, tea and juices. Cake flavors include a white-chocolate strawberry cake topped with Fruit Loops. According to The Post, a cake made for the age of Instagram. YUM! Payard will also serve as Culinary Director to a larger dining experience at One°15 Brooklyn Marina.Ebb & Flow hours of operation are 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, on Saturdays from 9 a….
Potential Immigration Raids 14-18th: Know the Facts and Your Rights
Council Member Levin sent out this very important message pertaining to reported DHS and ICE raids. New York is The Melting Pot, a Sanctuary City. Please share this information far and wide. Let’s all help protect to those striving for a better life here in our fair city.If you or someone you know is undocumented and in fear of deportation, Brooklyn Heights has several sanctuary spaces: Brooklyn Heights Synagogue, St. Ann and the Holy Trinity, First Presbyterian Church of Brooklyn and Grace Church Brooklyn Heights. New Sanctuary Coalition has put together a complete city-wide list HERE.According to news reports, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Immigration …
Mothers’ Day Instagram Contest
Montague Street businesses are sponsoring a Mothers’ Day Instagram contest. The rules are: (1) take a photo of your mom and post it on Instagram; (2) tell why you love her; and (3) tag with #montaguelovesmoms and #ilovemontguestreet, as well as the name of any Montague Street merchant. Prizes will be awarded; more information here.