Reuse. Rehabilitate. Restore. Architectural salvage and repurposed pieces for the home.
The dogs got their paws wet. As did I.
Happy 2009! I’m thankful I didn’t poop out of the annual New Year’s Day Polar Bear swim in Coney Island. I didn’t get there last year and 2008 was pretty sucky. The event gets more crowded every year and it’s becoming a bit of a hipster happening, spilling over from the Mermaid Parade. But I’m just an old kvetch. What do I know?
Anyway, lots of photos on Flickr. Here are my favorites.
Me at Coney or Nellie Bly. I know…I’m adorable.
Fucked in Park Slope was inspired by NY Magazine’s “Reasons to Love NY” and wanted to do their own version on Brooklyn. Why is Brooklyn so badass? Here are my reasons:
1. Stoops! I loves to bullshit. What better pastime is there than hanging on my stoop shooting the breeze with my neighbors?
2. Eccentrics! The big scary looking dude with the fuzzy bunny slippers. The woman with no teeth who’s always smiling. The guy who tells worst jokes in the world but makes me laugh anyway.
3. Coney Island! Astroland may be gone, but Coney Island is a state of mind. Coney. Brighton. This is REAL Brooklyn. See “Eccentrics”.
4. Diners! Forget Starbucks and trendy coffee houses. Sit for hours, listen to the jukebox in your booth, have 10 cups of coffee and tawk to real New Yawkers.
5. Food Delivery! I’ve come to appreciate this more since I spend much of my time upstate. Pick up the phone. Get a meal. It’s something I took for granted all those years.
6. Bargains! Flea markets. Architectural salvage. Ikea. Weisman’s on McDonald. Domsey’s on Broadway.
7. Sahadi’s! I’m not throwing this into a “Grocery” category. Sahadi’s is in a class of it’s own. It’s that good.
8. The Brooklyn Museum! Second only to The Met. Well, maybe The Met and MOMA. But then it’s definitely third to none!
9. Prospect Park! I think I would enjoy it even if I didn’t have dogs, but my dogs asked me to include it because they LOVE going.
10. It’s my home! No matter where I roam. No matter where I live. I AM Brooklyn and you can take the girl out but….you know. My friends and family are (mostly) still there. It’s where I grew up and where my heart remains.
The Brooklyn Flea is moving indoors for the winter! The last day of the outdoor market in Ft Greene will be December 21st. It will return in April as the weather warms up.
Since Brooklyn can’t live without her antique and vintage goodies, Jon Butler and Eric Demby (flea fathers) have decided to launch a temporary pop-up market in an empty storefront at 76 Front Street.
The Dumbo flea location will be open on Saturdays and Sundays, 11-6 and runs from January 10th to March 29th. Hours and dates may shift due to unforeseen events or indeciciveness.
There will be approximately 30 antiques and vintage vendors and this heated space with electricity will be a bit more upmarket than the Ft Greene location.
Hey, Brooklyn has a Hall of Fame! It’s new and only online at the moment. I don’t know if they plan to have a physical museum. There doesn’t seem to be any info on their blog. But you do get a chance to vote on the first inductees! It’s all like, real people, not John Travolta and Adam Yauch. Oh, but in due time…
The blog is fun too….Al Capone was Brooklynite of the week and Weegee had the image of the week. Check it out!
Ok, I might have been dreaming this morning, but I could have sworn I heard on two news channels that Astroland is being eyed by the Aussies. Now I can’t find any info online (I’m writing this at 6:44am). I don’t remember if the report was that the Australians are already in negotiations or merely showing interest, but they want to (or have already) purchase(d) the rides and will be moving them Down Under.
This just a few days after The NY Post reported that the city may be interested in the property.
Guess I’ll have more info later, but I just wanted to say “You heard it here first!”
Either that, or I’ve been hallucinating again.
** UPDATE: Ah-ha! I wasn’t dreaming!
If you’re anywhere close to my generation, you grew up on The Honeymooners. Staying up late meant Odd Couple, Odd Couple, Honeymooners, Twilight Zone on channel 11. I still adore Ralphie Boy and the rest of the gang. Here’s some fun NY Honeymooners trivia.
The run down walk up apartment was located at 328 Chauncey Street in “Bensonhurst”. In actuality, that’s the Bed Stuy/Bushwick border. This was the address of Jackie Gleason’s childhood home which also served as the model for the show’s set.
The Ralph Kramden statue at The Port Authority was erected in August 2000.
The Jackie Gleason Bus Depot in Sunset Park was renamed in 1988. It was originally called the 5th Avenue Bus Depot.
The Flintstones was based on The Honeymooners. I kind of always knew that, but never confirmed it until today. Rumor has that Jackie Gleason thought of suing Hanna-Barbera but decided against it.
The 2005 version of The Honeymooners starring Cedric the Entertainer was filmed in Bushwick.
There is a production company called Chauncey Street Productions named after the famed address.
How sweet it is!
Funny thing. The economy is officially in the crapper and I had my best day ever at the Brooklyn Flea. It was BUSY! And what I noticed was that it was not just your average flea market shopper buying things, there were people looking to decorate their new businesses. Looks like nobody let Brooklyn know we’re heading into the Great Depression. Ssshhh.
I did a Halloween themed booth this weekend. Well, I just brought a couple of creepy looking things and put out some chocolate. That was the extent of it. My daughter, pictured above, wore her Obama t-shirt and handed out candy. She was for sale, but I’m kind of in love with her, so whenever someone inquired, I wasn’t pushing it. I took her off the streets about 15 years ago and she’s been in my home ever since. The hubby says “Sell!” but she needs to go to caring adoptive parents.
Baby in a Box was a big hit. I had the idea to do this kind of thing months ago, but finally HAD TO make one for the Halloween weekend market. That was my excuse anyway when people were totally creeped out by it. “It’s Halloween”! Little did they know I mutilated my dolls as a kid and I’ll be creating more “Abused Doll Art” in the future. Baby sold around midday after being photographed more than Paris Hilton herself. She’ll be going into the window of a clothing boutique in Dumbo.
I trekked all the way over to the booth next to me to report about this week’s flea find. I’ve been meaning to talk to “Long Island Eddie” for weeks now, but he always looks too busy. Well, I finally caught him! Eddie, sans website at the moment, works out of….guess where…..Long Island. He makes his furniture out of reclaimed barn wood. The flea prices are wholesale and they are pretty affordable. Of course I can’t find the price sheet I took from him, but I seem to remember tables being in the $400’s? Not bad for a hand made reclaimed job. LIE (Long Island Eddie) is in space C 7-9 every Sunday.
I worked the flea on my own yesterday so I couldn’t walk around with my camera and schmooze. But I did see something really cool on my way to get coffee!
Aswoon (that would be Susan Woods Studio) was part of the Greenjeans furniture festival. Their Dumbo showroom, which just opened in March, gets recycled just like some of the furniture material they use. The space is available for events and shoots.
But let’s talk furniture. Each piece is like a sculpture. I don’t know the cost (since I couldn’t schmooze) but I’d be afraid to use this stuff. I’d just want to keep it in my house and look at it. And keep it away from my pets, of course.
If you’re not a regular reader of Brownstoner, you may want to jump to the end of this post because it won’t make sense to you. On the other hand, if you live in Brooklyn, you know from Brownstoner.
I confess. I’ve been a Brownstoner junkie since it launched in 2004. In that time I’ve gotten real estate tips, home improvement tips and scored some salvage from the forum. But most importantly, I’ve been entertained by the kooky comments.
Up until a few months ago, the trolls were getting out of conTROLL. It was laborious to sift through the junk and nastiness just to read a couple of interesting comments. Brownstoner finally put his foot down and the current situation is if you want to comment, you have to sign in. It’s all peace and love and understanding now.
Which brings me to last night when reader “Biff Champion” decided to throw a party at Union Hall to get to know some of his other anonymous blog junkies. Well, here’s where it gets confusing if you don’t read Brownstoner. You see, there’s this guy. At least everyone assumes he’s a guy because women aren’t that nuts. Anyway, he calls himself The What and he’s all financial doom and gloom. So, he predicted that October 16th would be the end of the world. And this was the end of the world party.
The What didn’t show. Or if he did, he didn’t make himself known. I got to meet Dave in Bed Stuy, Montrose Morris (Ok, I knew her already), Mr. B (that’s Brownstoner, ok knew him too….remember, he’s Mr. Flea), Pitbull NYC, Denton and others I was curious about. I would’ve taken pictures but I had to respect everyone’s wishes of privacy. The poor sucker in the photo above is Bob Marvin. He doesn’t care. He uses his real name.
We had a great time meeting a bunch of anonymous strangers!
After we left the party, we grabbed dinner at The V Spot, a vegan cafe we’ve been meaning to try. We only had entrees because it was too late for the works, but I must say, both dishes were excellent! They have live music on Fridays and brunch on weekends. Do you know how hard it is to get a non eggy brunch in this town? In any town? So, we’ll be back….even though my husband didn’t take the fill-your-stamp discount card because “Ah, we’re never in this neighborhood.” Whatever.
Be on the lookout for a new flea market coming to the southern tip of Bed Stuy this November. The market will be across from Foodtown/Restoration Plaza on Fulton. If my guess is correct, that would be the empty lot I grabbed from Google satellite.
We’re talking a monthly market, open 7 days a week. The organizers provide tents and the rent is $1200 per month, which works out to about $40 per day. There will be approximately 50 spaces, including arts/crafts, electronics and clothing. No food.
The neighborhood is in a transitional state right now, so my feeling is that it’s pretty much anything goes as far as what would sell. There are old school brownstone owners, young hipsters, fashionable people and Sunday church ladies to name a few.
The website isn’t up yet, but if you want more info, contact Woody at 718-864-2876.
So, the Greenjeans Furniture Festival kicked off at the Brooklyn Flea yesterday! They had the most comfie booth at the flea yesterday….astroturf and all. There was some really great looking stuff. Well made eco-friendly designs from local craftspeople. I went around and took a few snappies and collected cards. Then I left the cards in my storage space. So please forgive my lame reporting. If you see something you like, ask Greenjeans! I think the 2 that I can’t place were Ninestories and City Joinery?? I’m going from memory here…..
Don’t remember but I love it.
Don’t remember but I love it.
This Saturday, October 4th, marks the second annual Crown Heights North House Tour!
The festivities begin with a Home Buyers and Finance Workshop from 9:30 – 10:30. A panel of experts will advise on topics ranging from first time home buying to predatory lending. There’s a kick off ceremony at 11:15 and then the tour begins at noon. Until 5pm. Tickets are $20 in advance or $25 at the door. More info on the CHN website.
There are 10 homes on the tour this year. Beautiful restored period gems, dripping with Victorian detail. Several of the homes have completely new interiors, modern classics brought back from total decay.
I asked for the inside scoop from one of the organizers. Here’s what I got:
“We’ve got an authentic Tiffany Studio window (St. Bartholomew’s Church), we’ve got a gorgeous 1923 synagogue turned church, we have a museum dedicated to the legacy of the founder of the West Indian Day Parade. We also have an outdoor art exhibit in the community garden with the works of Thomas Cadet, a Haitian American artist.
Home wise – we have 2 houses recreated from top to bottom. One sleek modern townhouse with Carrarra marble kitchen, slate tiled bathrooms, and modern chrome and steel furnishings and trim. Another a former mansion, former school, former derelict wreck, now a 3 family modern home with an open floor plan, exposed brick feature walls, great bath and kitchen.
We’ve also got a couple of period perfect homes with really great woodwork. 3 of the homes have huge garden plots of 80 to 100 feet, and most homes have wonderful tales of hard work, stripping woodwork, contractors from hell and a couple with long family ties to the properties.
We’ve got the homes of 2 doctors, a lawyer, a biggie in the NY Obama campaign office, a cop, 2 real estate brokers, an opera singer, a math and history prof, 2 contractors,an architect, and just folks. We got it all – a gay couple, people with really cute kids, white people and black people.
Can’t show specific houses until after the tour. Pictures are allowed on the tour, unless specifically prohibited.”
Hey, if you’re counting “just folks” that adds up to more than 10 houses! But I get the point. It’s a well rounded house tour.
I’m currently reading Marc Eliot’s “Song of Brooklyn, An Oral History of America’s Favorite Borough”. Here are some things I didn’t know. Did you? Answers will posted later. If I remember.
1. Legend has it that two would be celebrities encouraged Nathan Herdwerker to open his hot dog stand in Coney Island. (That would be Nathans). They were:
a. WC Fields and Lou Abbott
b. Jimmy Durante and Eddie Cantor
c. Groucho and Harpo Marx
d. Ed Sullivan and Jerry Lewis
2. Which young star was a Steeplechase stilt walker?
a. Patty Duke
b. Dean Martin
c. Sidney Portier
d. Cary Grant
3. Pips is:
a. The oldest continuously operating comedy club in the country.
b. A comedy club in Flatbush that has open and shut it’s doors 20 times since it opened.
c. A music venue in Sheepshead Bay.
d. The place where the Not Ready for Primetime Players started out.
4. The first major Brooklyn rapper was:
a. Biggie Smalls
b. Run DMC
c. Big Daddy Kane
d. Grandmaster Flash
5. Which of these people is NOT from Brooklyn.
a. Larry Davis
b. Larry Bud Melman
c. John Cusack
d. None of the above.
6. Mel Brooks grew up in Williamsburg. During his childhood, the rent on his apartment would’ve been:
a. $16 per month
b. $40 per month
c. $1 per week
d. $200 per month
7. Barbara Streisand and Neil Diamond were in the same class in which high school?
a. Midwood
b. Lincoln
c. Erasmus
d. Tilden
8. The 1991 Crown Heights race riots were sparked by an incident involving:
a. Rudy Giuliani
b. The NYPD
c. Yusef Hawkins
d. Gavin Cato
9. Author Sol Yurick wrote the book:
a. The Warriors
b. The Lords of Flatbush
c. It Happened in Brooklyn
d. Saturday Night Fever
10. Which area was modeled after the Champs-Elysees?
a. The Junction
b. Ft. Hamilton
c. Eastern Parkway
d. Cadman Plaza
Coming this October to the Brooklyn Flea: The Fall Furniture Festival curated by Greenjeans.
Every Sunday in October, 5 to 6 furniture designers out of a total of 15 to 20 will be highlighted. Most of the furniture will be designed and constructed in Brooklyn, but a few upstaters and out of staters managed to finagle spaces. A 20×60 pod will be situated near the handball courts so it will be easy to spot.
Greenjeans closed their Park Slope store in the spring and will re-open in Dumbo in early 2009. They have been working the flea and getting positive feedback, so they spoke to Mr. Flea, Eric Demby to see if they could take it up a notch. If the fall fest goes well, it will become bi-annual, including during May’s International Contemporary Furniture Fair and BKLYN Designs.
You can see a full list of the eco-friendly designers on the festival site. We’ve already covered some here, including Uhuru, Counter Evolution and Nightwood.
**Archive. Originally posted October 2, 2007.
His prices are insane!
Stripping Paint
Eddie Hibbert is famous in Brooklyn. At least amongst those of us struggling to restore our 100 year old homes. Located on Greene and Grande in Clinton Hill, Eddie doesn’t have a website. He doesn’t answer his phone. He opens at noon and is closed on Sundays and Mondays. And yet…he can’t handle all the business he gets.
An ex firefighter and member of the Vulcan Society, Eddie found his way into the salvage business some 30 years ago while living in Harlem. A guy who was salvaging brownstone details told him that the artisans who built these fine homes wouldn’t be around forever and the value was bound to go up. Eddie listened. He studied up on antiques and volunteered to help “mentors”. He started out by selling to the antique shops on Atlantic Avenue. His 2 original stores were on Myrtle Avenue.
Apart from the usual Brownstoner crowd, Eddie’s customers range from Williamsburg artists to folks looking for unique headboards such as doors or mantles. He gives work to guys who need it, but has to be careful about whom he takes with him into people’s homes. A long time customer who was there the day I was interviewing Eddie chimed in “He’s too kind hearted for his own good!” Eddie just says “I’m a simple guy.”
What you’ll find: Everything. Dig for it or ask. Doors, Mantles, Fireplace Inserts, Shutters, Newell Posts, Fretwork, Stained Glass…..if it came out of a brownstone, it’s here.
