ATTENTION ALL HAZBINS, ATTENTION ALL HAZBINS!

Please report to the Coney Island bandshell where Ocean Parkway meets Surf Ave on the Brighton Beach border (for those of you prone to drawing lines in the sand) at 19:00 hours. You shall be expected to report in full Hazbin body gear.

Suggested attire: Cut-off Levis, Earth shoes, Toe socks, Mood rings. "DISCO SUCKS" tee-shirts optional. Disco attire strongly prohibited! (I.e. Those wearing the likes of Chams LeBaron shirts, Vidal Sasoon, Bonjour or Sergio Valente jeans will be forcably removed from the area.)

See ya there!

Cheers,

The Pigeon

BTW, the Cornbread Diner is...

718.484.2424

A peek inside:

The Junction Spruce's Up Thanks to The Flatbush Junction BID!

Image by Flatbush Pigeon

Lori Raphael from the Flatbush Junction Business Inprovement district has done a good job of keeping members of the community updated on new developments in the area and the FJBID is doing a wonderful job doing what they do - improving existing FJ businesses and attracting new ones. For more info on the FJBID click here.

Here's Lori's description of the FJBID's Storefront Improvement Grant Program:

The Storefront Improvement Grant program provides up to a $5,000 matching grant to property owners and merchants within the Junction BID's catchment area. Eligible improvements are to the exterior only and include the replacementof solid security gates with open grid gates, glass, signs, awnings and paint. Financing and design services are available. For more information about this program, contact:flatbushjunctionbid@yahoo.comor call: (718) 951-5000, ext 1449

I took a for pictures of these new projects to give readers a few visual examples of just what has been accomplished recently through the FJBID's Storefront Improvement Grant Program:

Image by Flatbush Pigeon

Regarding this most recent storefront project Lori Raphael writes:

Congratulations to Phil Miller of 6A Hardware, 1453 Flatbush Avenue for taking advantage of the Flatbush Junction BID's Storefront Improvement Grant Program. Phil has a beautiful new sign and 5 feet of open grid added to his security gate. Come by to take a look and shop at this true neighborhood hardware store and locksmith, characterized by warm personal service and a full selection of items to improve and maintain your home. For more information about the program, call the BID office at (718) 951-5000, ext 1449.

Image by Flatbush Pigeon

Regarding the recent improvement to the Derby Liquors storefront, Lori writes:

Derby Liquors at 2123 Nostrand Avenue (btn Glenwood and Flatbush) has completed its storefront renovation with the assistance of the Flatbush Nostrand Junction BID. Derby replaced its glass/door, sign, awning and security gate under the BID's Storefront improvement Grant Program. Drop by and check out Derby's new look- and pick up a bottle of wine or some cocktail supplies for the weekend!

Ingenious Young Entrepreneurs Hard at Work in Ditmas Park!

I came across these two entrepreneurial prodigies on E. 18th Street selling their newly invented "Blackjack Juice" - a well-tested mix of orange & cranberry juices with a splash of seltzer water!

Forget the gourmet coffee at Conn. Muffin. or the champagne at Pomme de Terre. The real thirst-quencher is found at the youngster’s local stand.

The News - Brooklyn Garage

by flatbushpigeon.

The scene on 3rd Avenue and Douglass Street. July 2008, Brooklyn, NY.

70th Precinct Night Out Against Crime 8/5 at the Parade Grounds

This just in from Flatbush Junction BID:

The 70th Precinct & 70th Precinct Community Council
invites you to a its night out against crime located at the Parade Ground(Caton Avenue & Argyle Road)

Tuesday, August 5th, 2008
6:30 PM - 9:00 PM

Join us for an evening of fun and festivities, such as:
FREE BBQ
Rides
Face Painting
Games
Blood Pressure Screening
Giveaways
Bike, Cellphone and iPod Etching
For more information, contact the 70th Precinct's Community Affairs
Office at 718-851-5557.

Historic Brick Colonial Offered at $599K in the Brooklyn College Area

STEAL THIS HOUSE!

Flatbush Junction Bid alerted some of us about the availablity of this house a few days ago and I completely forgot about it until...I was lucky enough to just be walking past this open house tonight. So, of course, I snooped! It offers some really sexy details and great space! Great price...it ought be stolen immediately! BTW, this is really a four bedroom converted to a three.

HOUSE Web #136

July 30th Open House

WED 6-8

OFFERED AT: $599K

2 Story + Bsmt, 1 Family

Bldg: 18x54 Lot 18x100

COLONIAL BRICK 1 FAMILY

Front Porch & Garden

Spacious LR, Bay Window

Separate Formal Dining Room

Eat-In-Kitchen, Mud Room, W/D

High Ceiling Bsmt Could Be Finished

1 Full Bathroom, Plus Powder Room

3 Bedrooms, Large Master

Great Closets & Storage

Sunny Private Garden

LOVELY BLOCK

Attention all Urban Parrot fans! Wild Brooklyn Parrot Safari: Saturday, 8/2 at 12 Noon

This just in from the Flatbush Junction BID:

Attention all Urban Parrot fans: the next Wild Brooklyn Parrot Safari will happen on Saturday, August 2, 2008, at 12 Noon. All interested wild parrot fans should meet at Brooklyn College's Hillel Gate, which is at the intersection of Hillel Place and Campus Road. Our tour runs in two sections. You can attend either section, or both, depending on how many wild parrots you'd like to see!

Please e-mail Steve Baldwin, Webmaster, BrooklynParrots.com steve@brooklynparrots.com 646-361-2879 (phone)if you want to attend.

Note: the rain date for this trip is Sunday, August 3rd, same monk time, same monk location.

Wild Parrot Safari -- First Section (Brooklyn College): 12:00 Noon to 1:45PMAt noon, we'll inspect the Brooklyn Parrots' "Ellis Island." Their large nests around the soccer field represents the first major colony in Brooklyn. The site is easy to get to via public transportation. Just take the Number 2 train (Seventh Avenue IRT) to the end of the line, walk one block Southwest on Hillel Street past the new Starbucks, and look for the main Brooklyn College date. The tour begins at the entrance at Noon sharp. Allow some extra time, given that the MTA is doing lots of construction/train re-routing on weekends. Driving instructions are available at Brooklyn College's main Web site. Parking is fairly easy to come by in the neighborhood. If you're late, just call me: I'll give you directions so that you can meet up with us if the tour is already in progress.

Wild Parrot Safari -- Second Section (Green-Wood Cemetery): 2:30PM-5PM. Due to popular demand, our monthly tour will run an optional "second section." After getting our share of the raucous antics of the Brooklyn College Parrots, at approximately 1:45 PM, our group will walk to the Q Train (BMT) station at Avenue H and journey to Green-Wood Cemetery, where we will observe the late-afternoon antics of the parrots residing there. If you just want to see the Green-Wood parrots, show up at 2:30 PM and we'll be there. To get to Green-Wood, take the R Train to 25th Street and walk one block East to 25th and 5th Avenue.
What to Bring/What to WearPlease bring a photo ID (this is required by Brooklyn College Security). Bring binoculars and a camera if you'd like to immortalize your wild parrot-watching experience. The weather will be warm if not hot, and we'll be exposed to the wind and possibly strong sun, so bring a hat/sunscreen if you have sensitive skin. I ordinarily do not cancel the tour unless the forecast is for sustained rain in which birds will not fly.
Please feel free to wear anything except bright orange (Monk Parrots freak out when you show them something orange: in fact orange tags are one of the best ways to convince Monk Parrots to build away from electrical infrastructure). Wear green, blue, white, but orange will drive away the birds. This Tour is Free, But the Parrots Are Hungry!The Wild Parrot Safari is free - if you wish to help your hungry urban feathered friends, bring some bird seed: trust me, the parrots won't soon forget the gesture. Wild monk parrots also appreciate "real parrot food," especially unshelled peanuts, sliced apples, and raw sunflower seeds. Finch food or millet are always welcomed by our hungry urban "peeps."
See you in wild, exotic Brooklyn!

The Canarsie Special

A reader sent in the above image to let us all know; In hard times there are deals to be had in Canarsie! The recession special: 1.00 beef patties.

Who Dares Question My Hazbin Status???

Pigeon enjoys a smoke at one of last year's Seaside Concerts

Apparently, I struck a nerve with one of my fellow aging readers when I joyfully welcomed Peter Frampton to the "Hazbin Hall of Fame" in an last week's entry.

Clearly, this reader is unaware that only a "Hazbin HoF" member can bestow such honors and I am gravely insulted! Please read the exchange below.

___________________________________________________

Pigeon said...

>>>"Welcome to the Hazbin Hall of Fame, Pete!"<<<

Anonymous said...

Pigeon, you're gonna be 50 yourself someday, you know.

____________________________________________________

Pigeon's response:

Since that magic number is not very far off for me at all, I am well aware of that and have absolutely no shame nor fear about that. In fact, I feel the same about being a Hazbin. (Hazbin demigoddess here, btw. Inducted 6/1993) I've welcomed many a Hazbin to the Hall at the annual induction galas known as Seaside, Wingate and formerly the Midwood field concerts.

Now back in the day when acts like "Johnny Maestro and the Brooklyn Bridge" and the like were headliners at those shows - sure, I perceived the term "Hazbin" as pejorative. But as over the years my grays multiplied and the bands moved from Do-whoop local acts to the likes of Jefferson Starship, KC and the Sunshine band, Rev. Al Green, the B52s and now Frampton! it's pretty damn clear to me that their - and my - "hazbinism" is something to be aspired too.

Of course, one person's Frampton is another person's Johnny Maestro...but I'm not one of those people! I'm a hazbin now! I've worked long and hard for this status! And, I have a little ditty to express my pride in this. So, Anonymous poster, if as I suspect you're a hazbin too, I invite you to meet me out at the Frampton concert this week where you can join me in leading the crowd in singing the "Hazbin Anthem." Now if you're truly a hazbin I can simply give you the words. I'm sure you'll know the melody. So practice up this week so we get it right at the show, 'K?

The Hazbin Anthem

I'm a hazbin, he's a hazbin,

she's a hazbin, we're a hazbin,

Wouldn't you like to be a hazbin, too?

Today is THE DAY!

If you haven't been outside today, finish your coffee, surf a few blog waves and get out of the house!  If you went to work; fake a migraine now and leave the office. Today is THE DAY. You know the one... The perfect summer day that will emboss your memory with its shape. The heat and humidity have been escorted out to sea by our gracious visitor Dolly. The Flatbush parrots are providing an a cappella performance free of charge. Your neighbor's gardens are in full bloom. It's gorgeous! This day will provide you with the memory that will carry you through those horrible, gray, lightless, leafless, lifeless winter days giving you a reason to endure until spring.

The"Carpe Diem" philosophy had to have been formulated on a day just like this one. Enjoy!

Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce Business After Hours Event

Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce invites you to our 2008 July Business After Hours Event
Thursday, 7/31/2008
5:30 PM to 7:30 PM

Brooklyn College
Conference Center
East 27th Street and Campus Road
Brooklyn, NY 11210

Chamber Members: FREE
Non-members: $300 (includes a 1-year Entrepreneur level membership)
RSVP: (718) 875-1000
What's Happening:
Join us for an evening of fun, food, drinks and great networking!
Member Highlight:Prior to the evening's door prize drawing, four Members will be randomly selected via a business card drawing to pitch their business in 15 seconds or less.

The Brooklyn College Conference Center is a newly refurbished state- of-the-art meeting complex available for rent for your next social or business gathering. They cater to conferences, meetings, wedding receptions, parties and other special events. The Center offers multipurpose rooms that can accommodate 150 to 200 persons and smaller rooms for breakout sessions. Additionally, the 1,600-square foot terrace offers views of Manhattan and the Brooklyn College campus.

Marty Markowitz announces that Frampton Comes Alive (Again) In Coney Island!

Our Beloved Brooklyn Leader, Marty Markowitz, has just announced that the July 31st, 2008 "Mystery Guest" at the Seaside Concert series in Coney Island will be Peter Frampton.

Welcome to the Hazbin Hall of Fame, Pete! And, I suggest that when Marty completes his service as Borough Prez, we simply appoint him as Brooklyn Master of Ceremonies. **Afterthought to the Emcee nomination: Nomination should be contigent on his keeping intros to under three minutes. Oy, Marty! Let's hear the band already!

Sharing the Love in Flatbush. ( Aka...More on the Cornbread Diner.)

1436 Flatbush Avenue. Site of the soon to open Cornbread Diner.

So, I decided to take a stroll over to the new site of the The Cornbread Diner to see how things are coming along. Don't ya know, I had the honor of being greeted by the owner, Bettina Harris who spotted me casing out the joint.

I told her how excited I was to hear she was opening in the neighborhood and I asked her what ever happened to her old place, The Cornbread Cafe, in the Slope. Like many before her (small business and residential tenants alike) Bettina had been displaced from the increasingly boo-zhe 'hood by greedy landlords who jacked up the rent and sent her searching for a new home and a new market. I can just imagine her thought process during this time;

"Hmmm...now where can I find an affordable place to open another nice, southern-style restaurant? Where in this great borough is the population most suffering from a lack of comfort food? Where do they not have so much as one non-fast food kitchen that allows it's patrons to sit and enjoy their food? Who most needs THE LOVE?"

...And, then appears the lightbulb.

"Flatbush? Could it be Flatbush?..Let me do some research...Let's see, the word on the street is that in Flatbush there are huge hords of comfort-deprived folks who must eat their food standing-up!..Hmmm, are commercial rents reasonable? Check!...What's this? The biggest culinary promise east of the Q-train is, is!..APPLEBEE'S??? Oh no, I have to get down there to rent a place. This is an emergency! The residents of Flatbush NEED ME! Comfort food to the rescue!"

Here's the kicker, Bettina. In Flatbush, we tend to love ya back! Welcome to the Neighborhood Cornbread & Co.!

As I informed my readers yesterday, The Cornbread Diner opens at 1436 Flatbush Avenue on August 4th. Plans for some type of grand-opening event are in the works for shortly after the official opening. Stay tuned to the Pigeon Channel for more information.

Community Health Fair at Brooklyn College

Community Health Fair at the Brooklyn College Student Center

Sunday August 3, 2008, 11 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Get info on:

Heart health

Free or low cost health insurance

Acupuncture

HIV Rapid Testing Health Screenings available

Vendors on-site

Activities and Entertainment for the Kids

Donate Blood

Get your Blood Pressure & Glucose level checked!
Music, fun and much more!

Refreshments Available.

Hope to see you there! For more information please call 718.951.5528

Sponsored by Brooklyn College Student Center in collaboration with New York Presbyterian Hospital, Health Programs, Division of Student Affairs.

Tree Care Workshop This Friday at the PS 217 playground

Keeping our neighborhood's trees looking great is an important part of beautifying our community. Come learn how:

Tree Care Workshop
Date: Friday, July 25, 2008
Time: 10:30 am
Place: PS 217 playground (Newkirk and Coney Island Avenues)
Hosted by Flatbush Development Corp., PS 217 and Trust for Public Land

Hey this is Big Flatbush News! The Cornbread Cafe Folks (from 7th Ave) are Opening a New Joint on Flatbush Ave!

This just in from the Flatbush Junction BID:

The Cornbread Diner (formerly Park Slope's Cornbread Cafe) is opening at 1436 Flatbush Avenue (btwn Farragut and Glenwood)on Monday August 4. Cornbread will be open for three meals a day serving Chef/Owner Bettina Harris's signature southern style diner food. Cornbread will feature seasonal garden dining and delivery service, in addition to table service in its dining room. Stay tuned for more details.

Three cheers to Bettina Harris for gracing one of Brooklyn's most
"epicuriously challenged" strips with some comfort food. We need it out here!

Kids Ride the Prospect Park Carousel for FREE Every Thursday in August!

This just in from Prospect Park Alliance!

___________________________________________

Kids Ride the Prospect Park Carousel for FREE Every Thursday in August
Thanks to Astoria Federal Savings

Brooklyn, NY – The best family fun ride in the heart of Brooklyn just got better: Prospect Park's 1912 Carousel is free for kids under the age of 12 every Thursday in August, courtesy of Astoria Federal Savings.

“Enjoying the cool breezes and joyous music while riding the Prospect Park Carousel is a perfect family outing,” said Prospect Park Alliance President, Tupper Thomas. “It’s wonderful that Astoria Federal Savings is making it possible for even more people to experience this great treasure of the Park.” Restored in 1990 by the Prospect Park Alliance, the Carousel has 51 hand carved horses, as well as a giraffe, lion, deer and two dragon-pulled chariots. The Carousel’s melodic Wurlitzer organ with 141 pipes and 16 bells is dedicated in honor of philanthropists Peter and Isabel Malkin.

The Carousel is open Thursdays through Sundays, from 12 – 6 p.m. (5 p.m. after Labor Day). Rides cost only $1.50. Books of 6 tickets are available for $8. Children under 3-years-old must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. The Carousel is wheelchair accessible. Join the Prospect Park Alliance at the $100 level and your family (up to 4 people) will receive unlimited rides on the Carousel for a full year. The Carousel is also a popular place to hold birthday parties, complete with food and party favors in a scenic, kid-friendly setting. Please call the Rental & Event Planning Office at (718) 287-6215 for more information.

Newly reprinted is the lovely Prospect Park Carousel Coloring Book! This 16 page book featuring outlines of many of the Carousel’s charming and whimsical features, is available for purchase at the Carousel for $3.50 The Carousel is located in the Park’s Children's Corner, just inside the Willink entrance to the Park, at Ocean and Flatbush Avenues and Empire Boulevard. The nearest subways are the Q, S, or B Train to Prospect Park station.

For more information on Astoria Federal Savings, visit http://www.astoriafederal.com/.

For more information on Prospect Park events, programs, membership, and volunteering, call the Park Hotline at (718) 965-8999 or visit www.prospectpark.org.
Dial 311 for all Parks & Recreation information

In partnership with the City of New York and the community, the Prospect Park Alliance restores, develops, and operates Prospect Park for the enjoyment of all by caring for the natural environment, preserving historic design, and serving the public through facilities and programs. Prospect Park’s 585 acres of meadows, waterfalls, forest, lakes, and athletic facilities comprise a masterwork of urban green space.

Photo Credit: Prospect Park Alliance

Priceless Envy, Absolutely Free: Classical Music and Fleeting Social Stratification

Yeah, I know. The Pigeon is guilty of full-fledged blog-neglect as of late. But that’s only because I am busy investigating all of Brooklyn’s great summer activities. Don't worry. I’ll report back to you about them sometime in September so that you can begin getting ready for next summer. In the meantime, I thought I’d give you some info about attending the free NY Philharmonic concert in Prospect Park. You know, just so you know for next July.
____________________________________________

Well, I'm not usually one of those people who suffers from an excessive degree of real estate envy. But there is a one day a year exception to that assertion. Each summer, on the evening of the NY Philharmonic's Prospect Park performance, I usually find myself in the throws of the deepest, most heinous resentment of fellow concert goers who intentionally taunt me with their gourmet spreads, fine wines and, most importantly, their prime Longmeadow real estate.

Sure, they arrive much earlier and are much more prepared for the need for land, food, refreshments, insect protection and light. I bet they even keep an Excel spreadsheet towards this end. Still their organizational skill shouldn't afford them this shameless consumption of land and sustenance products. But it's clear that on this one night of the year Brooklynites can be transformed into these odd, backbiting, (however bucolic) homesteaders. A rookie might be surprised to learn that attending a free park concert can be an extremely competitive endeavor.

The first thing one needs to be clear on is that the most competitive aspect of these event is that of securing the most desirous plot of the Longmeadow – and doing so without guilt. Next, you must evoke the envy of your park neighbors by laying out the most enticing gourmet spread. Finally, your picnic is going to need a little pizzazz. So, you’ll have to pick up a few stylish citronella candles and a swanky, ridiculously quixotic picnic basket from Pottery Barn. In addition, you’ll probably have to take the day off from work to prepare all this stuff and to arrange to have all of your friends know exactly where to locate your precious parcel of coveted land. A single red balloon usually helps with this challenge. Of course, there will be forty-five other red-balloons displayed throughout the crowd but your friends will figure it out. They will show up two minutes before the show starts and will not have gone through the sweaty dash to the park at 4:30 to get a great plot. Why wouldn’t they? They’re invited guests of some of the Longmeadow’s landed gentry.

Perhaps, you're getting my drift; I’m not one of these people. In fact, I hate them and I enjoy hating them. Each year, I leave the park determined that I will be they envy of ALL next year. I contemplate:

I'll take the day -- maybe even several days -- off work next year to prepare for the picnic-to-end-all-picnics. I will invite only my most attractive friends. Everyone will desire to be invited to my blanket. They'll want to exchange numbers with me so that I can share some tips on how to prepare for summer concerts. I will reject them and I TOO SHALL BE HATED!

But each year, I take note of the NY Phil performance schedule several weeks before with some semblance of that determination but it fizzles out to a mere iota when the time rolls around. I usually end up getting to the park 10 minutes into the show with something like a bottle of tap water and a half bag of Fritos that's been sitting on top of my fridge for the past week.
I guess I’m just not cut out to be a hyper-camper. What’s worse is that neither are any of my friends.

Occasionally, though, our lack of preparation has some benefit. Sometimes the privileged few throw us disadvantaged patrons a few scraps...a cracker here, a grape there. (It's all apropos in my case. After all, I am a pigeon. I’ll eat anybody’s scrap.) Regardless, I do always try to bring something to the performance just to thwart my envy. However lowbrow, however non-nutritious, I must bring something even questionably fit for human consumption so that I can nervously gnaw at it while I disapprovingly glare at anyone who has the audacity to bring wine glasses and fill them with Cabernet. So, for me, watermelon is always a good choice because spitting the pits in the direction of my brie-eating neighbor affords me at least some malicious satisfaction.

There was however one occasion in my free Philharmonic concert history that should have wiped out all potential for all future resentment (It didn’t only because my revelry in hatred of humans is so enjoyable to me.) It was some 15 or so years ago when a few friends and I showed up with a greasy bucket of Kentucky Fried Chicken and, I don’t know, maybe some Gatorade. We unknowingly plopped ourselves right next to a crowd of Pinot Grigio-sipping, citronella-burning, caviar-consuming, havarti-sampling BASTARDS! We all looked at each other, rolled our eyes and attempted to enjoy the show…But that was too much for me. How could I focus on the show when there were such hate-worthy creatures right next to me? I loathed them from the deepest reaches of my psyche. I was distracted throughout the performance;

How did they pull all of these goods together on a week night? When did they have time? Didn’t they have jobs? Did stay up the night before preparing all of this just so that I could hate them? Did they adhere to the conviction to be loathed by the other audience members that they had when they left the park last year?

I was engulfed in the ugliness. I refused to even look in the direction of that attention-seeking party! They were dead to me!

It was probably around intermission when one of them had the nerve to tap me on the shoulder. My peripheral vision had confirmed that it was one of THEM! – One of the epicurean elitists had touched me! I was convinced…this meant WAR! I expected that this person would antagonize us by asking that we cover the fast food because everyone on their blanket was getting sick from our second-hand-fried-chicken-fumes –or something ridiculous like that. I was aware of the real objection. Fried-chicken eaters in a caviar neighborhood deflated property values. I suspected that they would stop at no length to have unfashionable KFC patrons removed from their presence. But they weren’t going to torment me! So, I summoned my best scowl and turn toward the bastard to hear his request.

To my astonishment, “the bastard” appeared to be a meek, somewhat bumbling young guy who delivered on behalf of his party the most outlandish request. To this day, my prejudices have never been so challenged.

“Hey,..uhmmm…we were wondering, uh, would you consider trading some of your fried chicken for some caviar?”

You know, of course, I wasn’t going to let these people off so easily. They had to be chided! I mean, I did just sit through half the concert preoccupied with their ability to evoke my envy. Really, I did my best not to laugh but I wasn’t going to make this a piece of cake for him either.

“Yeah, you’re frickin’ hungry over there, right? See what you get for trying to be a big shot?”

I summoned the compassion to plop a few pieces on to a plate and told him;

“Keep the caviar. Our palates were too saturated with chicken fat to enjoy it anyway.”

Besides, this “settling of scores” left my party fully satisfied anyway!

A FREE WORKSHOP: Understanding Commercial Leases

NYC College of Technology Small Business Development Center Brooklyn Economic Development CorporationNeighborhood Entrepreneur Law ProjectCapital One Bank
Present

A FREE WORKSHOP FOR NEW SMALL BUSINESSES AND ENTREPRENEURS
UNDERSTANDING COMMERCIAL LEASING
As a small business owner it is imperative that you understand how
leases work before you sign on the dotted line. This workshop will
help you avoid some of the most common mistakes entrepreneurs and
small business owners make when negotiating office and retail leases.

Topics include:
What can be negotiated in a lease?
Understanding the tenant vs. the owners responsibilities
What happens if I break my lease?
What are the differences between leasing office and retail space?
What is a transferable lease?
Commercial lease real estate property tax

DATE: Thursday, August 14, 2008
TIME: 6:00PM-8:00PM
PLACE: Capital One Bank
33-45 Fulton Street • Brooklyn , NY 11208

Train: "J" to Crescent Street
Bus: "B13" to Crescent and Fulton Streets

REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED AS SEATING IS LIMITED
CONTACT: 718.797.0187 or E-mail: RAstorga@CityTech.Cuny.Edu

The 61th Annual Macy’s Fishing Contest at Prospect Park

NYC Parks & Recreation Commissioner Adrian Benepe, helped by a crowd of eager young anglers, released a largemouth bass dubbed R.H. Macy into Prospect Park’s watercourse on Wednesday, July 16, to start the annual fishing contest. Whoever catches R.H. Macy will win a great fishing trip for the whole family on a boat ride from Sheepshead Bay! Prizes will also be awarded daily to those who haul in the most fish and largest fish. Before casting their lines, all participants attend a free, fun and educational workshop led by Prospect Park Audubon Center educators and the Urban Park Rangers.

The contest runs from July 16 – July 20 and is sponsored by Macy’s Foundation.

For more information on Prospect Park events, programs, membership and volunteering at the Park, call the Park Hotline at (718) 965-8999 or visit www.prospectpark.org

Dial 311 for all Parks & Recreation information

In partnership with the City of New York and the community, the Prospect Park Alliance restores, develops, and operates Prospect Park for the enjoyment of all by caring for the natural environment, preserving historic design, and serving the public through facilities and programs. Prospect Park’s 585 acres of meadows, waterfalls, forest, lakes, and athletic facilities comprise a masterwork of urban green space.

Take a Tip from these Slope Kids.

 Do whatever you have to do to stay cool this weekend. The dog days are here!

A Message from My French Counterpart: "Paris Pigeon"

Bonjour Mes Révolutionnaires Fidèles!

Je souhaite vous tout un Jour Bastille magnifique. Vive la révolution!

Acclamations,

Pigeon de Paris

Don't Forget. NY Philharmonic Concert in Prospect Park Tonight!

New York Philharmonic Concert in the Park - Prospect Park, Brooklyn

**Firework show to follow!

Presented by Didi and Oscar Schafer
8:00 pm, on the Long Meadow

Program
J.S. Bach: Concerto for Two Violins in D minor
Beethoven: Symphony No. 4
Sibelius: Finlandia

Featured Artists: Alan Gilbert, Conductor · Sheryl Staples, Violin · Michelle Kim, Violin

For weather updates, call the Parks Hotline: (212) 875-5709.

Check out the NYPhil website for info on photo contest!

Wild Parrots of Flatbush

The wild Monk parrots of Brooklyn

ejoy their Glenwood Road real estate

on Sunday morning.

A New Flatbush Business: Ditmas Workspace

I'm not sure I totally understand the concept of this new business being opened by Liena of the Ditmas Park blog but it seems interesting. While I think access to: "a desk, chair, wireless Internet, printer/scanner /copier/ fax, tea and coffee" is readily available to most residents of the area already, the second aspect of this description "a community of writers, editors, telecommuters, bloggers, graphic designers and other professionals" is very intriguing (...especially to a lonesome, isolated blogger like me.) And the possiblity of having the space available for meetings, classes, and other gatherings peaks my interest further.

I will post more about this once I learn more about the Ditmas Workspace.

_________________________________________

Ditmas Workspace (http://www.ditmasworkspace.com) occupies a beautiful professional office space on the corner of Ditmas Avenue and East 17th Street, a short walk for Ditmas Park residents and just two blocks from the Newkirk Avenue B and Q stop, and three blocks from the Cortelyou Road stop.

Full-time and part-time members have access to all the amenities of an office: a desk, chair, wireless Internet, printer/scanner/copier/fax, tea and coffee, a quiet space to work, and a community of writers, editors, telecommuters, bloggers, graphic designers, and other professionals.

We're also considering making the space available in the evenings for meetings, classes, and other gatherings.

For tours, rates, and other membership information, please contact Liena by emailing LZS@ditmasworkspace.com

Ditmas Workspace LLC, 535 E 17th Street, Brooklyn, NY 11226

Fatal Stabbing Flatbush

According to the "Save Brooklyn Now" blog a neighbor who resided on E. 22nd Street near Cortelyou Road met her end allegedly at the hands of another Flatbush resident:

Fatal Stabbing, E. 22nd Street (70th Precinct)

AT APPROX 0650 HRS ON 07-06-08 AT 330 E.22 ST. IN THE CONFINES OF THE 70 PCT. POLICE RESPONDED TO A F/B/30 WHO HAD SUFFERED MULTIPLE STAB WOUNDS. THE VICTIM WAS TRANSPORTED TO KCH IN CRITICAL CONDITION WHERE SHE WAS PRONOUNCED DOA. ID PENDING FAMILY NOTIFICATION.

A F/B/30 WAS ARRESTED AT THE SCENE:
HABIKA HICKMAN, F/B/30
330 E.22 ST. APT.3A
BROOKLYN

CHARGES: PENDING

Happy 4th Everybody!

Images from last night's Coney Island Fireworks show! Coney Island features fireworks shows on the beach every Friday night  at 9:30ish throughout the summer!

*Ps: No fireworks show on 7/4 as allows the Macy's show the spotlight.

Can Someone Please Explain this to Me?

Why in the world is it impossible to find anything other than a super-duper, double padded bra anywhere in this city? I have gone through isle upon isle in the department stores and undergarment specialty shops and what have I found? Brassieres with the titties already in them!  Really what's going on with this? Whose fetish are we trying to satisfy here?  And what's the problem with a little nipple action people?  Why should women look like mannequins?  And, most importantly, when will this terror end?

Now Doesn't This Break Your Heart?

Apparently, the owners of 1314 Cortelyou Road - right next door to the Picket Fence - see no aesthetic value to keeping the old tin ceiling that had graced the store for a good part of a century. This was ripped out of the store last week and was hauled off by someone with better taste...Pigeon just stood next to the dumpster and cried.

On another note, I asked the owners who or what will occupy the store and they told me that they are hoping to attract another restaurant to the area. Great news! (I wonder if they new tenants would have liked a tin ceiling?)