Greenwood Playground Events

Friends of Greenwood Playground Events:
Hip Hop class next week FREE at Greenwood Playground. Cynthia King will lead a hip hop class on Weds, Aug 6 at 11am for 4-8 yrs old.

Studio in the School will continue on Tuesdays:
Next Tuesday at 10:00 will be Navajo Sand Painting with Sam Campbell. This class is limited to 10 kids because there is no assistant. (Thanks for understanding although they do need volunteers!)

And Crafts!
Shanise, the Playground associate, is doing crafts on Wednesday and Fridays at 11:00. This Wednesday is hat making and next Wednesday is craft stick bunnies. Come by and meet Shanise.

The Friends of Greenwood Playground are a huge contributor to our neighborhood and they are constantly looking for volunteers and contributors. Connect with a member and become a friend!

National Night Out at Greenwood Playground

Greenwood Playground will once again be the location of the 72nd Precinct's National Night Out event.
When: Tuesday, August 5, 5:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Where: Greenwood Playground and Ballfields
What: Food (hot dogs!), Games (inflatable ride for kids!), Representatives from the 72nd Precinct (with information on crime and drug prevention), Windsor Terrace Alliance & Friends of Greenwood Playground (find out ways you can volunteer in our neighborhood)
Come and join local friends and neighbors for a fun evening and learn about crime and drug prevention in our neighborhood.
For more information about NNO go to: http://www.nationaltownwatch.org/nno/about.html.

Good 'Ole Days

From a Year in the Park a great story of a couple bars on Coney Island near Caton that had a fire on July 28, 1929. The great part isn't the fire but reading the article its clear there were a couple clubs in the nabe! Where are they now!?
Flaming gin joints and stampeding steeds
"Three night clubs in Coney Island Avenue, between Hermit [sic] Place and Caton Avenue, Brooklyn, were destroyed by fire soon after closing time yesterday morning, with a property loss of about $150,000. From the riding academy next door 135 horses stampeded from the fire into the Parade Grounds of Prospect Park across the street, where they galloped for four hours or more.
"The fire, of unknown, but, officials said, possibly incendiary, origin, apparently started about 4 A.M. in the Cat's Meow resort at 338 Coney Island Avenue. This place had been under padlock for several months as the result of a raid by Prohibition agents. The last of the patrons of the Caton Inn and the Barking Dog, adjoining the Cat's Meow, the other two places burned, had left an hour before. All were one-story frame structures.

Recent Car Vandalism

FROM KAF:
On Sunday morning, July 27, 2008 between 6:30 – 6:50 am, atleast 12 automobiles had their tires slashed. Location: Cortelyou Road, between Ocean Parkway and East 7th Street and East 7th Street between Cortelyou Road and Avenue C.
The Kensington Action Force is appealing to anyone who observed a group of 3 to 4 individuals, which included a woman/girl to send information to KAF at mailto:KAF.Kaforce@yahoo.com
Officers fromthe NYPD 66th precinct have taken the report and KAF will be monitoring the situation. It appears that auto vandalism has spiked recently in the Kensington community, despite NYPD parking equipment on local streets.
FROM NEIGHBOR:
theres been about 20-30 car break ins usually 2-4 a night that i have seen personally around ocean parkway and cortelyou, along cortelyou, and on e7th by the side of the church and between the school, usually hit around midnight to 5am, since i walk my dog regularly at 6am. the best police have done is park unmanned golf cart decoys on the block. this regular occurance is an outrage since its obvious to me that they are targeting large suv's with out of state plates, always around the same time and always parked in spots that are not exactly in front of a residence or apt bldg.

ANYONE ELSE NOTICE ANYTHING?

Brooklyn Kid's Museum at Greenwood Playground

From The Friends of Greenwood Playground:
This Monday, July 28th, the Brooklyn Children's Museum will again bring their Sunshine Storytime to Greenwood Playground from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. We apologize that last week there was a mix up with the timing and they didn't get started until 11:00 a.m. But this week they will start promptly at 10:00 a.m. Museum staff will read stories, bring a live animal for your children to meet and engage the kids in a crafts project that they can take home, all for free! The event is most appropriate for ages 18 months to five years. Please join us!

More Praise for Foodtown upgrades

From the In-box:
Suddenly (over the course of the last week), they have begun selling a wide range of loafs and rolls from Zabar's, as well as a number of smaller local bakers. The Zabar's bread is supposed to be delivered fresh every day. There's good Jewish rye, brioche, Tuscan loafs, as well as a number of vegan and organic breads.

Filming on Dahill

We got a note that there will be filiming (read: no parking) on Dahill and 12th Ave on Tues. Our tipster looked it up and it seems the filming will be for a Bank of America commercial. Anyone else find that funny?

Construction at Old Jimmy's

We heard from a neighbor that although we've missed it that construction is coming along at old Jimmy's Deli. The rumour is it'll be a coffee shop but we don't want to get our hopes up. Anyone got any inside scoop?

Also the old M&A space on Ft. Hamilton and E4th is for rent. The space is HUGE! Another local spot for rent is the Furniture store that lasted all of 4 months on Church Ave b/w East 4th and 5th. We don't have any info at the moment on either space but there is a sign w a number at the M&A. What would be useful in these spots?

Maki Sushi is OPEN

Maki Sushi has a menu available on the door.
$5-10 rolls and an $8 bento lunch deal
Also a "chunky monkey" dessert roll!

UPDATE! Maki Sushi is OPEN for business
3011 Ft. Hamilton Pkwy
718 871 2540

(Min. $10 for free delivery)

Kensington Stories

Lifelong Resident Ron Lopez posted a very poignent and funny Top Ten List on his blog Kensington Stories.

Top Ten Reasons why Kensington is better than Park Slope
10 Instead of the Pavilion, we have the Kensington Post office, and the shows are free every day.
9 If you loose your job as a television comedy writer, you can start your own construction business by simply walking to McDonald Avenue at eight in the morning.
8 You’ll always be able to walk off your meal from the nearest nice restaurant, because it’s not near at all.
7 When you shop lift at Golden Farms, you can immediately gain celebrity status by having your Polaroid taped to the cash register.
6 Our calves are smaller because we don’t have to walkup and down hills all day.
5 Dressing up as an Amish Farmer and re-selling vegetables bought at Golden Farms is always a “hoot” at the green market every Saturday morning in Park Slope.
4 We know that “ugly” train yard on Atlantic Avenue is actually ugly,and are not fooled by the “Develop don’t destroy Brooklyn” people.
3 Cousin Brucie and Albert Shanker can kick any of your celebrities asses.
2 We also use our Yoga mats to lie on when we steal the lithium batteries out of your hybrid cars.
1 Electro shock therapy is alive and well in Kensington and involves licking a live slot car track at the Buzz-a-rama for only twelve dollars an hour.

Foodtown Reno

Foodtown now has an olive station, a fish counter including sushi, a wider array of organic and veggie products as well as a coffee station with beans you can grind. They have also added to the outside some benches and flower pots lining the parking lot. Check it out!

Local Obama Event

I just wanted to let you know that my wife and I are having an Obama event at our apartment on Sunday evening at 6 PM, as part of the campaign's push to get rank-and-file Democratic voters' input for the party's platform for the national convention. We'd like to invite anyone and everyone from the community to attend, and take part in the discussion.
Our apartment is at 280 Ocean Parkway, #1C, between Beverley and Avenue C. Our apartment is directly accessible from the street- come to the left side of the building, with the small brick path leading up to a white door, and that's us. We're still relatively new to the area, and would love to meet other people in the neighborhood.

Comment of the Day

From Victoria:
I don't understand the anger at wanting amenities here. So having to go to other neighborhoods for certain foods and items rather than being able to support local business equals loving Kensington more? And thinking it would be nice to have a place to go sit with a friend and have a cup of coffee makes you a snob who settled? This attitude makes absolutely no sense. We live here because we really like it here--there were many neighborhoods that we looked at and could have moved to. We love the ethnic shops and the diversity of the community. Also thinking some more options within the neighborhood would be nice does not lessen that in any way. Frankly, if there is any elitism, it's from the attitude of "I love Kensington more because I don't want anything to change--nothing new or different moving in." Do you also hate the new falafel shop and the new toy store on Church? Do you hate that Foodtown is now renovated? Where do you draw the line?

Graffiti Cataloging

Jacob Stevens from Council member Bill de Blasio's office will be coordinating Graffiti Cataloging THIS Friday, July 18th at 5:00. Any volunteers, please meet at the district office of Council-member de Blasio, at 2907 Fort Hamilton Parkway.

We've gotten a few emails about Joe on Church Ave asking nieghbors about turning his deli into a coffee shop. Go give Joe your 2 cents. Here's one email:

Joseph who currently owns a deli on Church Ave next to the giant pharmacy on Ocean Parkway is telling anybody who will listen that he is planning on turning the deli into a coffee shop with fresh juice, outdoor seating and"the free internets".

New Elevator

Thank you for the picture!

Stephanie F. Black

myspace + facebook: blackfrances

flickr.com/photos/blackfrances

Sunshine Storytime - Greenwood Playground

The Brooklyn Children's Museum's 'On the Go' Program will be at Greenwood Playground the next two Mondays (7/21 and 7/28) from 10:00 a.m.m to 11:00 a.m. with free programming entitled Sunshine Storytime. Best for kids ages 18 months to 5 years old, the Museum will bring a live animal for the kids to meet, help the kids create their own special craft and read them a story. Come out and enjoy this fun event!

Japanese for Ft. Ham! SOON!

We got word a Japanese restaurant, including sushi, is set to open NEXT WEEK in the space previously occupied by Estelle's.

Local Yoga!

Summer Yoga in Prospect Park
Enhance your health and enlighten your mind. YogaSole joyfully combines the classical styles of Iyengar, Ashtanga, and Vinyasa flow to develop a safe, compassionate and playful yoga sequence. Beginners most welcome!
Please join us Wednesday Evening at 7:00pm and Saturday Morning at 8:30 am
Beginning July 9th and continuing through August 27th, 2008

Come to the PERISTYLE the Grecian Shelter Prospect Park (just across from the Prospect Park Tennis Center) Enter Parkside Ave & Parade Place or Enter Park Circle bear right Head North on East Drive (aprox 300 yards)
Please bring a Yoga Mat
Classes: $10 suggested donation gratefully accepted

Also Please join us for Evening Yoga at Caton Towers 135 Ocean Parkway Apt 15T Between Church & Caton
Monday & Thursday Evening at 7:00pm Beginning July 7th (Summer Schedule)
Please bring a Yoga Mat Beginners most welcome!
Classes: $10 suggested donation gratefully accepted

For More Information please contact
Evalena V. Leedy
NYC YogaWorks certified instructor
Visit our Website: www.yogasole.com
email: evalena@yogasole.com
tel: 718 541-1382

Studio in Greenwood Playground

Studio in the Park continues at Greenwood Playground
Tuesdays 10-2:00.
Tomorrow: clay exploration
10 - 10:45 ages 4 - 6
11 - 11:45 ages 4 - 8
12:30 - 2:00 ages 8 - 12
(Tweens encouraged but the later session is open to all ages)
We must limit the classes to 15 children per class so please just sign up for the next session if the one you want is full. \

23 Caton

Local blog i2 does a good job of showing the current conditions at 23 Caton.
Abandoned development of 23 Caton Place

Also noteworthy on i2 are the posts about garbage along the OP service road.

Kensington's Train World - Top 15!

Page 54 of the July 2008 issue of New York Family magazine mentions the Kensington store Train World in it’s list of “Top 15 Things Every City Child Should Do Before Turning 15,” calling the store a “model train heaven.”

Kensington (DP?) Artist Meet Up

From the In-Box:
local artists meet Tues. July 8 at 7 p.m. @ Connecticut Muffin on Cortelyou

Hi all you creative souls out there!
Local artists who would like to shmooze/network with neighbors who know what they're talking about, come on down !We're abandoning first Monday this month in case people are still wending their way back from holiday frolicing.
Let's move East for a change and meet at Connecticut Muffin (1106Cortelyou)---- lots of room, very tasty looking stuff and an interesting lite menu. Hope to gather in some Beverly Square, PPS and Ditmas Park folks by meeting in their backyard.
Come if you can, some folks may arrive later, very informal, no demerits for late arrivals or here-and-there attendance .Bring samples, current work, small portfolios, suitable for smalltables.
Feel free to bring a topic. I'm wondering if we could borrow someone's block and have a September art & craft sale----small works, some of us do notecards, whatever. I picked up artist's business cards when I saw them at yard sales. Why not all art ?

TOMORROW at Greenwood Playground

Studio in the Park
Date: Tuesday July 8, 2008
Time: 10:00 am - 2:00 pm
Every week until Tuesday August 5, 2008.

Free New York Philharmonic Concert at Prospect Park
July 14, 8 p.m.