Another Issue of Now Don't Go Telling Your Manhattan Friends: The Banya Wars heat up on the Kensington/Ditmas Park Border!

Coney Island Banya

602 Coney Island Avnue

Brooklyn, NY 11218

718.853.2525

Open 7 days a week . M - F 9:00 - Midnight . Sat - Sun 8:00 - Midnight

Touche Royal Baths...Take that Sandoony! Flatbush once again has a cozy little Banya of it's own and the Pigeon was lucky enough to be one of the newly renovated bath house's first customers under its new management. The establishment known as the "Coney Island Banya" is clean, affordable, welcoming and just what's in order for those of us barraged by the stresses of life in NYC. To top it off, the Banya also houses the excellent (and also very affordable) "Restaurant Hotspot" - which serves an array of international cuisine.

If you've been up on any of the neighborhood buzz, you know this banya has been the subject of some intrigue (and more intrigue) as it sat unused for a number of years. And if you're also up on your Pigeon trivia, you're well-aware that the Pigeon is no slouch when it comes to hedonism...So, of course I visited the banya four days after it re-opened. I have to say, the new owners were extremely welcoming to unknown patrons. (So much so that I even scored a free sample ventik/platza session from owner Stanley!)

Venik for sale displayed at the front counter

Now for the particulars:

Coney Island Banya offers both scorching wet and dry saunas, a fantastic eucalyptus-infused turkish bath, a comfortable jacuzzi and a small tile pool that is manually-fed chopped ice as needed. (Think you don't need an ice pool - ho, ho - then you certainly haven't experienced the heat of the dry sauna yet!) Massage and platza sessions available for an extra fee. As mentioned earlier, there is an excellent restaurant and juice bar on site.

The entrance fee to the banya is $25 for adults and $15 dollars for kids. Monday is women only day and is offered at a discounted price of $20. So what are you waiting for? Grab your bathing suit and get down there!

New to the banya scene and don't know what to expect? Click here for more about the experience!

Happy bathing.

~The Pige

Imagine Democracy

CAMBA’s New Program for Prenatal and Perinatal Mothers, SPICE

This Just in from the Church Avenue Merchants Association

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CAMBA’s New Program for Prenatal and Perinatal Mothers, SPICE


September 18, 2008- Today CAMBA launched their new S.P.I.C.E. (Supportive Pre-conceptional Individuals through Cultural Cooking and Coping Essentials) program sponsored by the March of Dimes. The program provides nutrition counseling, exercise and relaxation techniques for 50 women of childbearing age living in Brooklyn.

S.P.I.C.E. is a five session course starting September 18, 2008 based in Flatbush Brooklyn. The course targets women of child bearing age who are thinking of having children, are prenatal or perinatal within the Brooklyn community while being conscious of cultural and language needs. It consists of instruction, mutual support and hands-on activities in three areas: nutrition, fitness and planning that including aerobics, relaxation techniques, healthy food choices, cooking and a support group.


According to the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Flatbush remains the fourth highest community in New York City in terms of pregnancy risk indicators as follows:

10.8% of births considered low-birthrate
10.2% of mothers receiving late or no prenatal care
An infant mortality rate of 12.3% per 1,000 live births
A birth rate for teenagers, age 15 through 19 of 45.6% per 1,000 births; and
A pregnancy rate of 126.2 per 1,000 pregnancies for this same age group.

CAMBA is an organization with a long track record of success in empowering underserved communities. With funding from the March of Dimes, and local partnerships, we will fill this gap of services by creating opportunity and learning for populations that have no other venue or access point.

Our goal is to reduce birth disparities for low income women and women of color who fail to obtain timely prenatal care, resulting in high-risk, pre-term deliveries of lowbirth babies.

ABOUT CAMBA
1720 Church Avenue, Brooklyn, New York 11226 ▪ TEL (718) 287-2600 ▪ FAX (718) 287-0857 ▪ www.camba.org

Founded in 1977, CAMBA is one of Brooklyn’s largest community-based social service organizations, with an annual budget of approximately $65 million and a diverse staff of more than 1,200 employees. CAMBA annually provides services to 35,000 individuals and families in six core areas: Economic Development, Education and Youth Development, Family Support Services, Housing Services and Development, HIV/AIDS Services and Legal Services.

Contact: Pierette Imbriano
Director
Marketing & Communications
1720 Church Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11226
Phone: 718-287-2600 x292
PieretteI@camba.org

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HELP CAMBA BY BUYING AT AMAZON.COM. WHEN YOU MAKE A PURCHASE THROUGH HTTP://WWW.CAMBA.ORG, AMAZON.COM WILL DONATE UP TO 15% OF THE PURCHASE PRICE TO CAMBA. SO PLEASE VISIT OUR WEBSITE, CLICK ON THE AMAZON ICON AND START SHOPPING. THANK YOU!

CAMBA is an equal opportunity employer/program. Auxiliary aids and services are available upon request to individuals with disabilities. All voice telephone numbers on this document may be reached by persons using TTD/TTY equipment via the New York State relay number 1-800-662-1220.

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A Plug for "My" People...

Image courtesy of http://www.gifnyc.com

Okay.  They're not really "my" people, but that's only because I don't believe anybody owns anybody else even if there is a shared heritage.  But, my ancestors did originate from Limerick on one side and County Mayo on the other, so I may have a little something in common with these folks. Maybe you do too?  But then again, who cares if you do or not.  Just know there's a big party down Coney Island this weekend with lots of beer and cute redheads.  What more do you need to know?  Just check it out!

September 20-21, 2008
Keyspan Ballpark, Coney Island, New York
$10 per person / $5 for children under 12

http://www.gifnyc.com/

This Is Really It for Astroland: Owner Objects to Media Coverage of the Slaughter of a Beloved Landmark

Image courtesy of the NY Post

CAROL HILL ALBERT, Co-proprietor of Astroland Amusement Park sets the record straight about the reasons for the closing in the comments section of NY Post website:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Don't believe everything you read in the NY Post, especially an article with statements by Thor pr tool

STATEMENT BY CAROL HILL ALBERT,
CO-OWNER OF ASTROLAND AMUSEMENT PARK

I am making this statement today to set the record straight. I have not “given up on Coney Island” as Thor Equities has stated. I have given up on trying to get Thor to negotiate which I have attempted to do every month since June, and numerous times in August.

Each time their response was, “We have no answer.” The safety of our customers and our commitment to employees means our time has run out. Ride parts must be ordered a minimum of eight to 10 months in advance. My employees cannot live in a state of limbo any longer. It takes six months to pack up a three-acre amusement park that has been in operation for 46 years, so a January 31st deadline means start packing yesterday. We are out of time.

Today I notified Astroland’s employees that the amusement park will cease operations permanently at the end of the day on Sunday, September 7th. Many in the community had hoped along with us that Astroland could remain open to keep the lights on in Coney Island until the rezoning issue had been resolved, because carnival rides, as the “Summer of Hope” sadly proved, are no substitute for a permanent amusement park. However, when even our good friend, Councilman Domenic Recchia could do nothing to persuade Thor to negotiate, it became clear we had no choice but to close the business permanently on Sunday night, September 7th.

Coney Island's future as a tourism and amusement destination is clearly in peril. Thor equities, which now owns most of Coney Island, came onto the development scene showing beautiful renderings of this great 21st century amusement park they were promising to build. All indications however, are that their real priority is retail and high end housing.
There is a real question as to whether Coney Island will ever have amusements, other than the Cyclone and the Wonder Wheel in its future. Instead it appears to be that a series of shopping malls and condos will replace amusement parks as the centerpiece of the Coney Island that has been here for over 100 years. This is a tragic loss for the City of New York and visitors around the world.

Astroland Kiddie Park and the Cyclone Roller Coaster will open for the last weekend on Friday, Sept 5 at 12:00 noon. Major thrill rides will open at 4 p.m. On Saturday and Sunday, all attractions will open at 12:00 noon.
We invite all New Yorkers to come to Astroland this weekend to bid farewell to this historic icon.
And we look forward to seeing many of our loyal patrons on opening day for the Cyclone roller coaster, Sunday April 5, 2009.

More on Pomegranate Supermarket

This info just came in from a FP reader:

Until now there was no sign of the Pomegranate Supermarket on the web. The good word is that a website is under way and can be found here:

www.thepompeople.com

NOW PLAYING: "PATTI SMITH: DREAM OF LIFE" AT NYC'S FILM FORUM

Yeah, I know I'm supposed to be on vacation.  But I checked my email and just got this in from Patti.  Being that I am both a huge Patti fan, I had to post this.  See what happens when an obsessive blogger checks their email while on vacay?

Check it out my you fusty old punks and Hazbin wannabees!:

www.filmforum.org

From the Patti Smith Newsletter:

"Patti Smith: Dream of Life" opens today at New York City's Film Forum for a limited two-week engagement.

Permit us to discard our usual dispassionate voice and urge those interested in Patti Smith and her work to see this film. Steven Sebring's movie, filmed over twelve years, is both entertaining and deeply moving, one of the most intimate portraits of an artist we have ever seen. If you are interested in Patti and her work, you will love "Patti Smith: Dream of Life".

Just today we learned that the film won the Best Documentary prize at the 29th Durban International Film Festival, with this citation:

"exquisitely and sensitively filmed, this documentary goes to the heart of its subject. It captures the passion, calm, poetry and venom of an incredible human being. The film weaves us through historically charged footage right through to the present and allows us glimpses at an uncompromising and consistent energy that has always believed in the empowerment of all."

Here is a message which director Steven Sebring sent yesterday:

Greetings,

It's twelve years since this project began and we really appreciate your interest and would like to thank you for your support with this update on the film Patti Smith: Dream of life.

It premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January where it received the award for best cinematography in a documentary. It is currently scheduled to screen or has been shown at the following film
festivals:

SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL, PARK CITY UTAH, USA BERLINALE FILM FESTIVAL, GERMANY BOLOGNA, ITALY PHILADELPHIA FILM FESTIVAL, PENN. USA THESSALONKI FILM FESTIVAL, GREECE FULL FRAME DOCU. FESTIVAL CHAPEL HILL, USA NYON FILM FESTIVAL, SWITZERLAND BUENOS AIRES FILM FESTIVAL, BRAZIL ISTANBUL FILM FESTIVAL, TURKEY MADRID FILM FESTIVAL, SPAIN BANJALUKA FILM FESTIVAL, BOSNIA SEOUL FILM FESTIVAL, CHINA CLUJ TANSILVANIA, ROMANIA NOVISAD FILM FESTIVAL, SERBIA WASHINGTON DC FILM FESTIVAL, USA EDINBURGH FILM FESTIVAL, SCOTLAND ATHENS FILM AND VIDEO FESTIVAL, GA. USA MUNICH DOCUMENTARY FILM FESTIVAL, GERMANY SEATTLE FILM FESTIVAL, WA. USA JERUSALEM FILM FESTIVAL, ISREAL ERA NEW HORIZONS, POLAND DURBAN FILM FESTIVAL, SOUTH AFRICA PROVINCETOWN, MA. USA MILAN 2008 (SEPT 12 TO 21) VLADIVOSTOK 2008 (SEPT 13 TO 19) RIO DE JANEIRO (SEPT 25 TO OCT 9) MELBOURNE 2008 (OCT 9 TO 25) VIENNALE, AUSTRIA, 2008 (OCT 17 TO 29)

More are being added every day.

Please keep an eye on the film's website for reviews, locations and details as they are confirmed.

The International theatrical release dates will vary from country to country and city to city.

The first theatrical release was April 5th 2008 at the historical theatre LE CINEMA DU PANTHEON in Paris where it's scheduled to continue playing every Saturday for the next year. The French release of the film coincided with an enormous retrospective of Patti Smith's art, photography, and vision at the Fondation Cartier pour l'art Contemporian.

Dream of Life's American premiere was held at the Museum of Modern Art in New York followed by a small performance in their garden.

The official theatrical release begins August 6th at

Film Forum
209 West Houston Street
New York NY.10014
Tel:(212) 627-2035
www.filmforum.org

and will continue to open nationwide.
The DVD will be available starting in 2009.

For those who would like info on Patti Smith events, appearances, tour dates, or to read a souvenance or coffee break, please feel free to do so at pattismith.net and Patti's MySpace page.

Be sure to check out the film's my space page www.myspace.com/dreamoflifethemovie.

Thanks again for all your support!

Steven Sebring

Gone Fishin'

Marty Markowitz as Sally Bowles sings "Maybe This Time"

at a rehearsal of the 1966 production of Cabaret.

The Pigeon has decided to take herself and her youngin' off for a little r&r for a week or so. Hold down the fort Brooklynites!  And don't forget to go see Liza at the C.I. bandshell Thursday evening.  Let's just hope Marty doesn't try to steal the show from Minelli.  It is rumored that Marty will be showing up in his Cabaret attire.

Few people know that Liza and Marty competed for the role of Sally Bowles in the the film version of Cabaret.  Since Marty served as the understudy to Judy Dench in the role in the 1966 Broadway production, he thought he was a shoe-in for the part. However, Minelli's Hollywood ties gave her the edge and Marty's Hollywood dreams would never be realized. There is deep lingering resentment to this day.  

Although Marty never even made it to the stage in the '66 production (due to Judy Dench's perfect health) he put on one hell of a show at rehearsals and what legs!  

The Pigeon has now:

Pomegranate Super Market Grand Opening - August 12.

This just in from a FP reader: The grand opening of the much 

anticipated Pomegranate supermarket will be August 12.  

Great now I can stock up on my Sabra Humus! 

Pomegranate is located at

1507 Coney Island Ave (near Ave L)

Brooklyn, NY

Three Charlie Chaplin Shorts Set to Live Music Tonight at Celebrate Brooklyn!

We've come upon another great perennial summer event in Brooklyn; Celebrate Brooklyn's  silent "Movies & Music" night up at the bandshell.  This is great stuff and the kids love it too.  So bring the youngins! 7:30 p.m.

Here's how the Celebrate Brooklyn website spins it:

    

Three of Chaplin’s greatest shorts—The Rink (1916), The Immigrant (1916), and The Adventurer (1917)—will come alive as never before with new scores by the highly sought after UK based composer CARL DAVIS (London Philharmonic Orchestra), performed live by the dashing 16-piece pickup NY chamber orchestra THE KNIGHTS. Brooklyn born Davis returns home to conduct. With the charming local violinist and singer CHRISTINA COURTIN, whose fearless delivery recalls “performers as diverse as Janis Joplin and Antony.” (Time Out)