 Thanks to Karen, we now know that there will soon by a community garden at the Flatbush Reformed Church, on Flatbush near Albemarle. Sustainable Flatbush is helping to plan the new green space and if you want to get involved, there is a planning meeting next week. WHAT: Community
Garden Visioning Meeting WHEN: Wednesday June 16th at 6pmWHERE:
Flatbush Reformed Church, 890 Flatbush Avenue ( gmap) Refreshments and
childcare will be provided!
Attendees can see where the garden is growing and discuss options for what can be grown and ideas for what should be. You can sign up to attend here. For more information, call 718-208-0575 or write to info-at-sustainableflatbush-dot-org.
Image via Santa Clara University
A reader writes: I live at the far end of Woodruff ave, across the street from Caledonian hospital (map)… I am 20 years old and i have lived in this neighborhood since I was 5. I would like to get to know the newer residents in the area but i feel as soon as many of them cross that huge dentist office on the corner of Parkside their demeanor's change. I have seen the changes from Lefferts to Parkside, they aren't very friendly. Also are there any neighborhood events or activities that would encourage people to meet or talk to others. I just want to be part of a community where I feel like people are making an effort. Am I the only one feeling this way?
This is a great question, and one that begs discussion, because, as you suggest, there are some significant cultural differences playing out in our neighborhood. First, people coming in and out of the subway or walking along Flatbush are usually not in "meet and greet" mode. Whether we're new or old-timers in the neighborhood, we're New Yorkers and when we're trying to get some place, we don't make eye contact with people along the way. Sorry, that's just how it is. But onto the bigger question. Different blocks in and around PLG have different vibes, so I'm going to throw out a few personal observations that--as a relative newcomer myself (we've been here for four years)--may be relevant here. My block of Hawthorne has a pretty Afro-Caribbean feel. When the weather is warm, people hang out outside, play music and dominoes, and grill. It can get pretty noisy at times, but that's part of the package. The upside is that it's easier to meet neighbors. I've met many people on my block simply by hanging out outside on our stoop. As more affluent (and white) people move in, there's a tendency for blocks to get quieter and less outwardly friendly, in part, I think, because the newcomers are more likely to go out to bars and theaters or stay home and play on the computer, than to hang out on the block. This doesn't necessarily mean that they're less friendly (though, naturally, some of them may be); it means that they have different habits.
Continue reading "Longtime Resident To Gentrifiers: Can't We All Get Along?" »
Jake McDonaugh, an 18-year-old cyclist from Kensington, was struck
and killed by a minivan after turning onto Flatbush from Duryea Place. The driver, Michael Oxley, allegedly ran a red light and was speeding at the time of the crash. Atypically, Oxley has been charged with criminally negligent homicide and reckless driving, in addition to driving with a suspended license and traffic violations. I am usually a huge defender of the dollar vans because they are cheaper, run more frequently and are faster than the B41. I admit that I've always considered the white-knuckle ride part of the charm. This tragedy should act as a cautionary tale for all van drivers - all drivers, really - that traffic laws exist for a reason. Nobody riding up Flatbush is in such a hurry that lives should be in danger. Update: It turns out that Oxley was not a dollar van driver but rather a driver in a hurry. I apologize for the error.
 Thanks to our friend Matt, who found this excellent gallery of interior shots of the pre-renovation Loew's Kings Theater by flickr user marioletto.
Flatbush Gardener is where Matt found the link to the gallery, so credit where credit is due. Nice find, Xris.
 The Brooklyn Paper reports that the people in Park Slope complaining that there seem to be a lot of low-flying planes roaring over their heads aren't crazy. A change in flight paths to increase efficiency has led to a 52% increase in planes flying over Park Slope and Prospect Park.
I think this puts to rest the idea that the marching bands and Big Apple Circus are somehow "dumped" on our side of the park to protect the gentle ears of Park Slopers from the noise.
 I don't talk about it much here because it would undermine the neighborhood blog if it became a personal listing service, but I am a comedian. I also don't talk about it much because I haven't performed much since Sidney was born 16 months ago. That said, I am performing tomorrow at Vox Pop in Ditmas Park.
My friend Rachael Parenta has started producing a monthly comedy night and has invited me along with fellow PLG resident Paul Goncalves, Emily Epstein, Luke Thayer, Pat O'Shea and host Abbi Crutchfield. Vox Pop Comedy Night Sat. Nov 21st 9pm -10:30pm Free And then, after the show, karaoke. Come out and laugh.
 The Daily News has a feature on our Brooklyn Jews t-shirts. I think the writer did a great job capturing our (at-best) semi-seriousness.
Please ignore how tight the shirt is across my midsection. If anyone has any ideas for local stores that might want to sell these, please email Carrie at brooklynite282 at gmail.com. (Photo: Todd Maisel / Daily News) PREVIOUSLY:
Brooklyn Jews Now Recognizable Via T-Shirts
 Attention people without Saturday plans!
PLG-based artist David Lukowski has built a one-day only mini-golf course in a Sunset Park warehouse and, best of all, it's free! You can read more about it at Playing Through. Thirty artists teamed up to build the course from salvaged materials. It will be family-friendly during the day and give way to live music at night. According to The Brooklyn Paper, The makeshift mini-golf course will include sand traps, a
“Brooklyn-style” water feature made from a discarded fountain and kiddy
pool, and even a mock-up of Mount Rushmore featuring the stars of a
classic that Oscar overlooked: “Caddyshack.”
And don't forget, Sunday is the PLG House Tour, so your entire weekend is covered.
In their wrap up of the Best of Brooklyn Real Estate, the Daily News named PLG the Most Underrated 'hood in the borough:
On the other side of Prospect Park from Park Slope, Prospect-Lefferts Gardens has stand-alone brick mansions with manicured front lawns and rows of beige brownstones. Because Flatbush Ave., the main retail stretch, is filled with phone-card stores and Caribbean beef-patty shops, the neighborhood gets neglected by upscale home shoppers. That doesn’t bother the people already there. They like being a secret, hanging out on stoops, cleaning their front doors and maintaining some of the best-kept streets in the city. A restored three-floor brownstone costs $1,125,000.
Not surprisinglyWith three-floor brownstones going for seven figures as the nation's economy implodes, the neighborhood wasn't named the best value in Brooklyn; that honor went to Kensington. About Kensington, the Daily News said:
The neighborhood also has its own watchdog. Two friends run www.kensingtonbrooklynblog to monitor growth and highlight such things as local authors, new restaurants and real-estate moves. Like any good blog, it doesn’t take itself too seriously while keeping an eye out for what’s what.
Kensington has a blog? I guess we should post more often.
 Election day is finally here, kids. Just so none of us can use the "I didn't know about X" excuse not to vote, here's a guide to the whens, wheres, whos, whats and hows of tomorrow's election.
When: Tuesday 11/4, from 6am to 9pm.
Where: There are a number of polling locations in the Lefferts area. To find your poll site based on your address, click here. Yes, it really varies block by block so don't rely on your neighbor across the street - they may be at a different site.
Who: Most addresses in Prospect-Lefferts (if not all?) are in Representative District 11, State Senate District 20, and State Assembly District 43. You can double check by visiting smartvoter.org and entering your address in the upper right "FIND MY BALLOT" box. Incumbents include Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke, State Senator Eric Adams, and State Assemblyman Karim Camara. Want to see how they've voted on the issues? A list of current officials and candidates for 11225 and 11226 can be found here.
What: There is one proposition on the NY ballot for tomorrow, regarding civil service examinations for disabled veterans. You can read it here. For an English translation of the legalese, the League of Women Voters offers an analysis.
How: There may be some unfamiliar voting machines this year, as NYC moves away from the old style lever machines and goes to the new Automark machines (if these things are as clunky to use as they appear to be in the informational video, I'd leave yourself some extra time to wait in line at the polls. And what exactly are those latex gloves for?!).
Happy voting!
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