The Brooklyn Hospital Medical Center is hosting a FREE Breast Cancer Awareness Workshop TODAY from 1-3PM at the YWCA located at 30 3rd Avenue 11217.
Park Avenue Safety Plan Spotlight: Daylighting
Daylighting is the practice of removing visual obstructions (parked cars) at intersections to increase safety. At our meeting with DOT, we learned that the city generally does not daylight intersections with traffic signals. However, DOT does daylight intersections with stop signs. At those locations, daylighting gives drivers (and pedestrians) a better view of the intersection so they know when it’s safe to proceed.
DOT asked MARP to specify which intersections in the project area should be daylighted. Based on DOT’s preference to daylight intersections governed by stop signs, MARP formally requested daylighting at the following locations: Westbound Park Avenue at the approach to North Oxford Street. Eastbound Park Avenue at the approach to Waverly Avenue. Westbound Park Avenue at the approach to Waverly Avenue. Eastbound Park Avenue at the approach to Ryerson Street. Westbound Park Avenue at the approach to Grand Avenue. Eastbound Park Avenue at the approach to Grand Avenue Eastbound Park Avenue at the approach to Steuben Street.
For more information about daylighting, watch thisshort film.
Including hard copy petitions, we now have over 800 signatures, close to our goal of 1000! Help us get there by signing the online version and/or sharing it with friends.
Stay tuned for more updates and spotlights…
Thank You to Miracles Barber Shop and St. Joseph’s College for Your Generosity
The Fort Greene / Clinton Hill Community Food Council partnered with the Ingersoll Tenant Association Community Initiative to lead a food drive for the Ingersoll Community Center Thanksgiving Day Feast.
Miracles Barber Shop was one of the drop-off locations and you can see from the photo that they had great success in receiving donations!
In addition, St. Joseph’s College provided MARP and the Community Food Council with a generous cash donation so that farm fresh veggies from J. Glebocki Farms and Apple Cider & Fresh Fruit from Migliorelli Farm could be purchased for the cooks of the Thanksgiving Feast.
We thank Miracles Staff, residents who donated the food items and St. Joseph’s College for helping to make the Thanksgiving Day Feast a bountiful meal for our neighbors in need.
An evening of shopping and fun @ Shic by Soketah tonight, 11/17!
Shic by Soketah hosts “blazers and jewels,” an evening of shopping and fun “with everything a girl loves.” Stop by for an evening of champagne, beauty products, make-up, fragrances, foot massages, jewelry, fashion and a whole lot more. Don’t miss it.
It’s tonight, Saturday, November 17th from 8pm until 12midnight.
Shic, spelled with an ‘S‘ for Soketah, the owners’ first store on Myrtle Avenue, is a one-stop beauty bar featuring 4 fabulous beauty areas under one roof: hair, nails (manicures and pedicures), make-up and other beauty treatments, including facial and full body massages.
Shic is designed in colors reminiscent of lovely gifts and the boxes they sometimes come in, with its primarily chocolate brown and Tiffany blue color scheme. Shic is owned by 4 locals and entrepreneurs, Keisha Farrell, Sonia Lashley, Kristal Thomas and Jamilla Martin.
Shic by Soketah is located at 564 Myrtle Avenue between Emerson and Classon. Please call 718.875.6845/6 for more details, or stop in tonight for an evening of FUN!
Job Opportunity: Barista at the Joint on Myrtle
The Joint on Myrtle (471 Myrtle between Washington Avenue and Hall Street) is looking for an experienced barista, F/T or P/T. Barista must know how to use an espresso machine. Food permit a plus.
Interested? Send resume to thejointonmyrtle@gmail.com.
Free Health Screenings from Brooklyn Hospital Medical Center
A free “Mobile Clinic” will be parked in front of the Ingersoll Community Center, 177 Myrtle Avenue, tomorrow, November 15th, from 1-3pm.
Brooklyn Hospital Medical Center will be offering the following free health screenings:
Blood Pressure
Cholesterol
Hypertension
Glucose
Vision
Hearing
HIV testing
Nutrition
All are welcome!
Park Avenue Safety Plan Update: Greene Hill School Steps Up
This week we report on some great community work from Greene Hill School. The elementary school is located on Adelphi just north of Park Avenue. Students, parents and teachers cross Park Avenue multiple times per day. They know the issues and care about them as much as anyone else. Second grade teacher James Choi knew about the Park Avenue Safety Plan and thought that his students would like to help.
And help they did! James’ class collected almost 100 signatures for our petition. Each student then wrote a letter to DOT asking to make Park Avenue safer. Many focused on the issue that confronts them every day: inadequate pedestrian crossing time. Read the letter on this page for an example. Great work class!
Including the signatures gathered by Greene Hill, we now have a total of 725 signatures! Add you name by signing theonline version and/or sharing it with friends.
Stay tuned for more updates and spotlights…
Habanero Festival this Sunday and next, 12p-5p!
Habanero festival at the Trilok lot this Sunday, 11/11 and next Sunday, 11/18.
Come out and experience the the flavorful and HOT habanero. Cooking demo, games, songs — come out and enjoy.
The Trilok lot is located at Myrtle and Waverly. The event will take place from 12a-5p. Come out!
Last call to visit this season’s Myrtle Windows Gallery
Photo Credit: Adrian Coleman
Last chance to view the current, “This is Brooklyn,” Myrtle Windows Gallery. Some of the interior art shows will be coming down also. Be sure to check it out.
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What do the Brooklyn Museum and the Myrtle Avenue Brooklyn Partnership have in common? The work of GO Brooklyn finalist Finalist, Adrian Coleman as well as several other talented Brooklyn artists.
Only a few more days left to catch the Myrtle Windows Gallery as well as exhibits which are taking place within Myrtle Avenue store.
Adrian Coleman’s work currently hangs in Brooklyn Brazilian Jiu Jitsu @ 412 Myrtle Avenue and Anima Italian Bistro @ 458 Myrtle Avenue.
Also check out talented artists, Audrey Frank Anastasi, Connecticut Muffin, 423 Myrtle; Liz Johnson (painting), hanging in Green in Brooklyn, 434 Myrtle; Marilyn Kaggen (photography) at Karrot, 431 Myrtle; Ani Kington (painting) at Miracles, 473A Myrtle; and Thomas Osorio (painting)at Soketah, 563 Myrtle.
Exhibits inside merchant spaces include:
- Chris Pardi at Cielo Bar Brooklyn (474 Myrtle).
- Kerri Ferrara at Connecticut Muffin (423 Myrtle).
- South of the Navy Yard Artists ‘Out of Sight’ at DC Optics (390 Myrtle). The first of four SONYA exhibitions features urban-inspired, colorful work that reflects what is great, marvelous and powerful.
- Dave Barron at The Emerson (561 Myrtle).
- Fabrice Trombert at Gnarly Vines (350 Myrtle).
- Deborah Stevenson at Green in BKLYN (432 Myrtle).
- Rosa Katznelson’s Jubilation at Hadas Gallery (541 Myrtle). Born in Argentina under a period marked by virulent anti-Semitism, Katznelson paints in defiance to the adversity she experienced as a child.
- Cesar Velez’s Corners of a Soul at Mojito Cuban Cuisine (82 Washington Avenue). 20 original pieces are made from recycled materials; even the paints are handmade by the artist! Every piece is a testimony of a place in the mind.
- Michael Shephers’s Origami Tsunami at Owl & the Pussycat (154 Vandberbilt). Mixed media paintings Words, Birds & Scribbles.
- Ainsley Burrows and Pillow Café & Lounge (505 Myrtle) Ainsley Burrows combine dadaist, surrealist, graffiti art and modern expressionism. His messages are whimsical and political at the same time.
Myrtle Avenue Farm Stand Produce Donated to Occupy Sandy Clinton Hill Headquarters
While we are sad to not be able to open the Farm Stand today we are happy that the food that was delivered this morning from J. Glebocki Farms has been donated to Occupy Sandy Clinton Hill headquarters at The Church of St. Luke and St. Matthew located at 520 Clinton Ave.
As of 1:30PM yesterday this location was out of food and the following donations requested:
Meat/Chicken/Ground Beef, Vegetables, Non-Perishables (Canned goods, soups, vegetables) Dry goods and ready to eat food(Cereal, power bars, granola, crackers, etc., winter gear (jackets, gloves, etc) but no general clothes.
For more information and to volunteer locally click here .
Myrtle Avenue Farm Stand will be CLOSED Tomorrow, 11/7/12
Hunker down New Yorkers! According to the National Weather Service they are anticipating high winds and heavy rain for tomorrow. So, sadly, we will not have our final Farm Stand. We have enjoyed the season and thank all of you that have visited and shopped at the market! Feel free to contact Kassy Nystrom, Food Access Initiatives Program Manger at the MARP office with any questions, concerns or suggestions for next year’s market – 718-230-1689 or kassy@myrtleavenue.org.
We hope that those who have been affected by Hurricane Sandy will have a safe and dry place to be tomorrow. Warm, dry and safe wishes to all!
Election Day Party @ Pillow Cafe tonight, 11/6!
Okay, after you’ve gone out and rocked the vote, stop by Pillow Cafe-Lounge tonight to watch the election results roll in. Don’t yell at the TV all by yourself, stop over at Pillow for great company, great eats and drinks.
‘The Big Queer Election Watch Party’ at Pillow Cafe, 6:30pm-until. Everyone’s welcome!
Pillow Cafe-Lounge is located at 505 Myrtle Avenue between Grand and Ryerson.
Park Avenue Safety Plan Update: Rainwater and the BQE
With Superstorm Sandy in the rearview mirror and a nor’easter brewing over the Atlantic, this week we look at rainwater and the BQE. Just a few short years ago New York State DOT completed a major rehabilitation of the elevated portion of the BQE between Navy and Steuben. Lighting was greatly improved (only the area under the BQE at Steuben remains below standard). However, the downspouts that direct BQE runoff to storm drains are already leaking profusely. If you pass under/near the area during a rain storm you will see countless downspouts leaking – some heavily – onto the roadway below. We call on NYS DOT to fix this eyesore.
We also believe that the runoff from the BQE could be used, instead of mixed with sewage and discarded. Innovative planters could be installed at the edge of the parking areas (where these is some sun) and runoff could be directed into them, feeding plants and reducing the frequency/volume of combined sewer overflow events. See the Park Avenue Safety Plan for more details.
As a reminder, Please spread the word about the online petition.
Stay tuned for more updates and spotlights…
Fort Greene Greenmarket remains OPEN this Saturday
The Fort Greene Greenmarket, located at Washington Park btw DeKalb & Willoughby, will be open regular hours 8AM-4PM this Saturday but there will be NO food scrap collection or textiles collection. For a city-wide listing of Greenmarket status for the weekend visit theGrowNYC Blog .
Local Shelters Need Our Help
Sandy has past and now it’s time to clean up and help out those in need. Word on the street is that our neighbors in Brooklyn Tech Shelter need the following items:
warm clothes – coats, sweaters, socks
hygiene products
games, cards, things for entertainment
blankets
The shelters in Fort Greene specifically are in need of Spanish speaking volunteers.
Local shelters:
I.S. 117, 300 Willoughby Avenue
Brooklyn Tech High School, 29 Fort Greene Place
For a list of city-wide shelters go here.
To volunteer city-wide you can visit NYCService.org. Their website states, “Please email nycservice@cityhall.nyc.gov with your name, email address, phone number and borough or call 311. There will be ways to volunteer today and over the next week as opportunities arise”.
Free Breast Cancer Awareness Workshop – CANCELLED
The Brooklyn Hospital Medical Center is hosting a FREE Breast Cancer Awareness Workshop today, 10/31/12, from 1-3PM at the YWCA located at 30 3rd Avenue 11217.
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We just got word that due to the storm the workshop has been cancelled. We will provide the re-scheduled date once it is announced.
Farm Stand Cancelled today, 10/31/12
The storm has left our farmer farm bound but thankfully the land and crops did not get too beat up by Hurricane Sandy. We will see you next week, November 7th 4-7PM, for a final farm stand of the season. Come say goodbye for the season and support our regional farmers to help soften the financial blow Hurricane Sandy has punched.
Halloween in Fort Greene Park
Sponsored by the Fort Greene Park Conservancy, the Fort Greene Park Halloween Festival will take place on Saturday, October 27th, from noon to 3:30pm. The Festival features a plethora of activities for children and their parents including hayrides, face-painting, inter-active children’s music and dance, games and prizes plus live entertainment, culminating in a children’s costume parade. The Children’s Costume Parade and Contest will be held at 3:30 pm. A free pumpkin will be available for each and every child, and they get to decorate it too (while supplies last).
Also on Saturday in the Park, 12noon to 1pm, the Great PUPkin, Halloween Dog Costume Contest”. The annual contest is sponsored by the Fort Greene Park Users and Pets Society (PUPS). Registration begins at 11:30am, contest held at top of hill, near the monument. $5 contest entrance fee.
Prizes from many local, wonderful establishments, including this year, Clinton Hill Animal Clinic, Green in BKLYN, Green Pets, Le Petit Bakery and Gnarly Vines.
Please check out the Fort Greene Park Conservancy or PUPS websites for further details.
(pic from the Fort Greene Park Conservancy website)
Halloween on and around Myrtle 2012
Halloween is always a blast on Myrtle Avenue. Adult-, child- and family- friendly activities abound. Hope to see you on the Avenue: enjoy!
Halloween at the Trilok lot, sponsored by the Myrtle Avenue Brooklyn Partnerhip
2p-6p at Trilok Fusion lot on the corner of Myrtle and Waverly.
Puppet Making Fun for the kids, teens and adults! Kids will have the chance to make their own pumpkin Jack-o-lantern by giving new life to recyclable materials. The grown-ups can learn to sculpt a creepy finger puppet-head from foam rubber.
Workshop will be taught by Kevin Augustine, artistic director of Lone Wolf Tribe and one of New York City’s most unique puppet artisans.
Trilok Fusion Center for Arts & Education
(Saturday)
Trilok Fusion Center for Arts & Education hosts its first annual Halloween Festival on Saturday from 1p-6p. Free admission. Pony rides, bouncy castle, games, face painting, costume parade, food by local vendors and much more! Gift basket raffle to raise funds for their children’s international travel program. Halloween Festival to take place in the Trilok Fusion Center for Arts & Education lot at Myrtle-Waverly corner.
Trilok Fusion Center for Arts & Education can be reached at: 718.797.1700.
Just Because Salon
(throughout Halloween week)
Drop by Just Because Salon for a glimpse of old-fashioned holiday window dressing. Frightful skeleton chillin’ in the window. Don’t let all of the owner’s creative work go unnoticed—check it out. Swing by with the kids!
Just Because Salon is located at 141 Carlton Avenue and can be reached at 718.722.7810.
Polish Bar of Brooklyn
(Saturday – Wednesday)
Need some help keeping your Halloween makeup on point? Stop in at Polish Bar of Brooklyn. Yes, it’s true, come on out to Polish to get those finishing touches before you head out trick-or-treating or to that Halloween bash.
Call for more details: 718.622.5363.
Dope Jams
(Saturday into Sunday)
Dope Jams 5th Annual Hallowe’en Costume Ball from 10p until 6am. The guys at Dope Jams really, and we mean like reallllly get into Halloween, and this year’s Hallowe’en is no different.
It’s time for Dope Jams 5th Annual Costume Ball and party (from the Dope Jams guys: “LIFE” aims to save dance music from the dark shadows of banality and to once again make it exciting and NEW. Always forward, never backwards, and yet always aware of the movement, the progress that music must continue if it is to survive. Against transitory mediocrity we must stand, and so we embark once more to explore the essence of social transcendence through musical exercise.”
Music: Francis Englehardt & Paul Nickerson; Guest DJ: Jonny Romero.
Cover: $5 for members/ $15 for non-members.
Dope Jams is located at 580 Myrtle Avenue. Call for more details: 718.622.7977.
Luz
(Wednesday)
Enjoy Halloween fright films that will be looped and streaming at Luz. Come dressed in your costume and get a free glass of sangria. Kids dressed in costume get free ice cream, yum.
Luz is located at 177 Vanderbilt Avenue, just south of Myrtle. Call for more details: 718.246.4000.
Maggie Brown
(Wednesday)
Maggie Brown will be giving away candy and a free spooky shot to those in costume (and over 21)!
Maggie Brown is located at 455 Myrtle Avenue. Call for more details: 718.643.7001.
Five Spot Soul Food & Supper Club
Five Spot will be hosting a costume party this weekend.
Also, during the day on Wednesday, kids can stop by to pick up more for their candy stashes, “starting at 3!”
Five Spot is located at 459 Myrtle Avenue. Call for more details: 718.852.0202.
Rope
(Saturday)
Stop by with some love. Starts at 5 pm.
Rope is located at 415 Myrtle Avenue. Call for more details: 718.522.2899.
The Emerson
(Wednesday)
Pumpkin Carving and Painting by day + Happy Hour from 2p-7p.
Parents and other adults participating in backyard pumpkin carving and artwork get 2-for-1 draft and well drinks. Bring your kids, a pumpkin and some supplies if you have. The Emerson will provide some supplies.
Halloween Party and Costume Contest $4 Pumpkin Ale on draft, $4 Halloween Cocktail. Bring a small painted or carved pumpkin and get a FREE drink! Best Costume wins $100 Cash and $50 Bar Tab. 2nd Place $50 bar tab.
The Emerson is located at 561 Myrtle Avenue. Call for more details: 347.763.1310.
Touché
(Wednesday)
Black Street Masquerade Party and Fundraiser. Party it up to your heart’s content!
6p-11p $10 w/RSVP ‘til 12midnight. Email to info@blackstreetonline.com or 646.397.0772.
Doors open at 5pm.
Touche Lounge is located at 46 Washington Avenue. Call for more details: 917.208.0641.
Putnam’s Pub & Cooker
(Saturday into Sunday)
Putnam’s 2nd annual Halloween party and costume contest on Saturday from 10p-4p! 1st prize-$200. Second prize is a $50 bar tab. 3rd prize is a $20 bar tab. Free entry! Free Halloween shot when you register! DJ Max Power at the turntable—hey, hey.
Putnam’s is located at 419 Myrtle Avenue. Call for more details: 347.799.2382.
Mojito Cuban Cuisine
(Wednesday)
Happy Hour 2-for-1 drinks all day on Halloween.
Mojito Cuban Cuisine is located at 82 Washington Avenue. Call for more details: 718.797.3100.
Myrtle Car Service
(Wednesday)
Myrtle Car is candy central once again. Stop in for all your favorite candies on Monday. If you can find it at the candy store, you can find it at Myrtle Car on Halloween as they take the day quite seriously. You won’t be disappointed by the growth of your candy stash. Myrtle Car Service is located at 525 Myrtle Avenue. Call for more details: 718.230.8100.
Los Pollitos III
(Wednesday)
Costume contest at Los Pollitos III. Raffles to win ‘dinner for two’ prizes. Los Pollitos promises discounts so deep on the sangria that it will be like giving it away. Los Pollitos III is located at 499 Myrtle Avenue. Call for more details: 718.636.6125.
Brooklyn Public Library, Walt Whitman Branch
(Wednesday)
Kids party at the Whitman Branch. Call for time. The one-story Walt Whitman Branch of the Brooklyn Public Library has a separate children’s room and internet access. The branch is wheelchair-accessible.
The Whitman Branch is located at 93 St. Edwards Street between Myrtle and Park. Call for details: 718.935.0244.
19th Annual Halloween Walk
(Wednesday)
Bring your trick-or-treaters for a fun time at the 19th Annual Halloween Walk sponsored by the Society for Clinton Hill. The walk begins at the Pratt-Clinton Hill Community Garden on the corner of Hall Street and DeKalb Avenue. The Halloween Walk starts at 5:30pm and ends at 7:00pm on Wednesday, rain or shine. Trick-or-treating maps will be provided. Parents and guardians must accompany their children for the entire Walk.
The Brooklyn Halloween Show
(Monday)
The Brooklyn Halloween Show is held at 227 Waverly Avenue (between Dekalb and Willoughby). Oct. 31 at 6:30, 7 and 7:30 p.m. This is part of the Clinton Hill Halloween Walk. Pick up a map of selected houses for candy and decorations.
Halloween Festival
(Ssturday)
The Fort Greene Park Conservancy Halloween Festival, 12-3 pm, in the park. This event includes games, entertainment, face painting, costume parade and a slew of free pumpkins for kids of all ages.
The Great PUPkin Dog Costume Contest
(Saturday)
Fort Greene PUPS presents The Great PUPkin Dog Costume Contest, registration at 11:30, judging at noon – 1 pm. Takes place on the steps of the Monument for observers and on the lower terrace for the dogs (in costume.)
Cielo Bar
(Friday and Saturday)
Costume Party on Friday and Saturday at Cielo Bar
Gnarly Vines Wine Tastings
(Saturday)
The Italian Chainsaw Massacre Saturday, October 27th, 5-8pm
Take a stab at sipping these four fab wines Saturday night! The 70s saw the most wonderful collection of horrifically, fake-blood splattered, sensationally spooky slasher flicks that required no reading of subtitles – horror is a universal language! But these boot-centric sippers we’ll be pouring Saturday night aren’t scary at all – they’re quite the opposite. And the chainsaw? Aw, that’s just a vineyard in Oregon where some mighty lovely Pinot hails. So break out your best plastic pumpkin and come on in for some treats of the pourable kind.
2011 D’Alfonso del Sordo – Catapanus – Bombino Bianco – Daunia, Puglia, Italy – $14
Great with garlicky, buttery shrimp and mussels!
2010 Witness Tree ‘Chainsaw’ Pinot Noir – Salem, Oregon – $24
Scary name; beautiful wine. This fruit is sourced from the Chainsaw vineyard in the Eola Hills, and shows elegance and structure that has put Oregon Pinot on the map. Lean, herby, with notes of black cherry and strawberry, and a spicy, savory finish that’s perfect for roasted quail with pomegranates.
2009 Gricos Aglianico del Vulture – Basilicata, Italy – $14 Some wine minds consider Aglianico to be Southern Italy’s best grape. The Gricos is 100% Aglianico from the volcanic soils near Mt. Vulture in Basilicata, where Aglianico grows best. This is an excellent, medium-bodied red with ripe, clean, dark fruit and licorice flavors balanced by firm tannins.
2008 Cantina del Pino Barbaresco – Piedmont, Italy – $38 Cantina del Pino has emerged recently as one of the most important producers of Barbaresco.We generally write in-depth notes when tasting new wines for the store, but for this one we all wrote only one word: Awesome! Especially with Bolognese. 15% off featured wines during the tasting!
Gnarly Vines Cocktail of the Week: Corpse Reviver #2
Now, now, honey – a nice cocktail will bring you back to life.
Feeling dead inside? Wandering the floors like the living dead? Need a little life-booster in your bloodless veins? A Corpse Reviver #2 will put the gust back in your ghoulish sails! Click here for the recipe, but check below for a preview of the evil (like the fru-its of the de-vil) ingredients:
Death’s Door Distilled Gin – Door County, WI (750ml) – $36 Infused with wild juniper berries that are hand harvested from the fields and forests of Washington Island, plus coriander, fennel, and other native Wisconsin botanicals. Lillet White – France (750ml) – $20
The original French Aperitif since 1887. Made with Bordeaux-centric Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, and Muscadelle grapes, and blended with herbs and oranges. Fresh and dry, Lillet is great served chilled with an orange slice.
Cointreau Orange Liqueur – Angers, France (375ml) – $21 French brandy infused with sweet and bitter orange peels from Spain, Brazil, and Haiti. An aromatic, intense substitution for triple sec!
La Muse Verte Absinthe Traditionnelle – France [750ml] – $57.60
This is one of the rare, true Absinthes that are at the historically accurate 68% alcohol. The final product undergoes a meticulous decantation and filtration process with wool and paper, just like in the old days.
(photo: from Fort Greene PUPS Flckr page, Lexi the Leopard. The Great PUPkin costume competition will take place in Fort Greene Park this Saturday, Oct. 28th.)
Park Avenue Safety Plan Update: Meeting with DOT
Earlier this week MARP staff met with representatives from the New York City Department of Transportation (DOT). DOT wants to start an official project addressing many of the issues we outlined in the Park Avenue Safety Plan! However, that would not likely happen until 2014. Some things could happen sooner, before a formal project. Following are some highlights from the meeting:
DOT initiated a “warrant study” to determine if pedestrian volumes on the superblock warrant a traffic signal.
DOT captured speed data on Park and is getting volume data.
Countdown pedestrian clocks will be coming to all intersections, probably next year.
DOT initiated a lighting efficiency study, to determine where light levels are low. Any place that does not meet the minimum requirements will get additional lighting.
DOT will look into adding stop signs and “no parking” pavement markings near the entrance/exit of each parking area under the BQE.
MARP have some follow-up to do as well. We will do our part. Will you do yours? Please spread the word about the online petition.
Stay tuned for more updates and spotlights…
Fall Health Fair at Myrtle Village Green this Sunday
Myrtle Village Green, a neighborhood association, that recently gained access to a closed Department of Environmental Protection Water Tunnel shaft site on Myrtle Avenue and is in the process of converting it into a community space, is hosting a Fall Health Fair on Sunday 10/28/12 2:30-5PM! Everyone is welcome – composting workshop at 2:30, free health screenings, yoga workshops, live music and much more! Join in and share the event with friends!
Where: 636 Myrtle Avenue between Kent and Franklin
Time: 2:30- 5PM
Contact: Robyn Smith – rsmith@imagineexhibitions.com
Join us TODAY for the Myrtle Avenue Farm Stand Harvest Fest & Food Day Celebration!
Join us for our 3rd annual Harvest Fest tomorrow, Wednesday, 10/24/12 from 4-7PM on the corner of North Portland and Myrtle Avenues! We will also be celebrating Food Day, a nationwide celebration and a movement for healthy, affordable, and sustainable food! There will be FREE mini-pumpkins for the kids*, face painting from 4:30-6:45, and Myrtle Eats Fresh Community Chefs Millie and Michelle will prepare kid friendly, healthy recipes for all to taste! And, of course, you can stock up on local fruits and veggies from J. Glebocki Farms, Tilapia from VertiCulture Aquaponics, Raspberry Jam & Mighty Hot Pepper Jelly from Beth’s Farm Kitchen via Farmer’s Web and Maple Syrup from Poorfarm Farm
We accept EBT/WIC/Health Bucks/cash!
Event Special: spend $6 or more and get $2 of free produce!
*while supplies last
Artober Reception this Wednesday Night at Cielo Bar
Make sure to stop by Myrtle’s newest bar and lounge, Cielo, for our Artober reception this Wednesday at 6:30pm. Come out to sample Cielo’s tasty Latin fusion fare, and raise a glass to local artists and art! Light refreshments on us.
The reception is a single event that celebrates the art and artists featured during Myrtle Avenue’s month-long Artober series (see full list of artists below). During the past month, Artober has seen 8 art exhibitions hosted by Myrtle Merchants; 4 artist receptions & talks; the installation of Tomorrow, a new sculpture, in Fort Greene Park; the This Is BrooklynMyrtle Windows Gallery exhibition. The Myrtle Windows Gallery will remain on view until early November.
In addition, the installation of new tree guards, each custom designed by local artists and students, is set to take place within the next couple of weeks along Myrtle Avenue between Flatbush and Classon Avenues.
In addition to these events on Myrtle Avenue, the exhibit War Journalists is also currently on display (through October) at BLDG 92, the Brooklyn Navy Yard’s visitor center. BLDG 92 is also the venue for a new play, A History of Launching Ships , with the final performances taking place this weekend. Get ticket info here.
Please see the full list of Myrtle and Myrtle area interior exhibition spaces below:
Cielo Bar Brooklyn (474 Myrtle) Chris Pardi (painting)
Connecticut Muffin (423 Myrtle) Kerri Ferrara (painting)
DC Optics (390 Myrtle) South of the Navy Yard Artists / Out of Sight (mixed media) The first of four SONYA exhibitions features urban-inspired, colorful work that reflects what is great, marvelous and powerful.
The Emerson (561 Myrtle) Dave Barron
Gnarly Vines (350 Myrtle) Fabrice Trombert (photography)
Green in BKLYN (432 Myrtle) Deborah Stevenson (painting)
Hadas Gallery (541 Myrtle) Rosa Katznelson / Jubilation (painting and digital) Born in Argentina under a period marked by virulent anti-Semitism, Katznelson paints in defiance to the adversity she experienced as a child.
Mojito Cuban Cuisine (82 Washington Avenue) Cesar Velez / Corners of a Soul (mixed media) 20 original pieces are made from recycled materials; even the paints are handmade by the artist! Every piece is a testimony of a place in the mind.
Owl & the Pussycat (154 Vandberbilt) Michael Shepherd/Origami Tsunami mixed media paintings Words, Birds & Scribbles
Pillow Café & Lounge (505 Myrtle) Ainsley Burrows combine dadaist, surrealist, graffiti art and modern expressionism. His messages are whimsical and political at the same time.
Join us this Wednesday for the Myrtle Avenue Farm Stand Harvest Fest & Food Day Celebration!
Join us for our 3rd annual Harvest Fest this Wednesday, 10/24/12 from 4-7PM on the corner of North Portland and Myrtle Avenues! We will also be celebrating Food Day, a nationwide celebration and a movement for healthy, affordable, and sustainable food! There will be FREE mini-pumpkins for the kids*, face painting from 4:30-6:45, and Myrtle Eats Fresh Community Chefs Millie and Michelle will prepare kid friendly, healthy recipes for all to taste! And, of course, you can stock up on local fruits and veggies from J. Glebocki Farms, Tilapia from VertiCulture Aquaponics, Raspberry Jam & Mighty Hot Pepper Jelly fromBeth’s Farm Kitchen via Farmer’s Web and Maple Syrup from Poorfarm Farm
We accept EBT/WIC/Health Bucks/cash!
*while supplies last
Get Fresh! MARP Report Provides a Snapshot of the Fort Greene & Clinton Hill Food Environment and Generates Actions for Change
Click here to download a .pdf version of the press release.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Get Fresh! MARP Report Provides a Snapshot of the Fort Greene & Clinton Hill Food Environment and Generates Actions for Change
FORT GREENE & CLINTON HILL, BROOKLYN — The Myrtle Avenue Revitalization Project LDC (MARP) has released a comprehensive Community Food Assessment (CFA) titled Get Fresh! Food access, food justice and collective action in Fort Greene & Clinton Hill, a report researched and created in collaboration with local residents and food advocates. The report serves as a “snapshot” of the local food environment in Fort Greene and Clinton Hill, and will inform community-led efforts to improve access to fresh food, create opportunities for nutritional awareness and education, and strengthen advocacy efforts. Several informational presentations will be made throughout the community in the months of December and January to share findings and information about the first three projects resulting from the CFA.
Beginning in January 2011, MARP spearheaded a Community Food Assessment for Fort Greene & Clinton Hill with help from members of the Fort Greene-Clinton Hill Community Food Council (CFC) Steering Committee and a number of community volunteers. MARP also worked closely with City Harvest, who has conducted CFAs in the past. The purpose of this CFA was to understand the local food system, to identify both the opportunities for and barriers to accessing fresh, healthy food, to bring to light the specific issues facing various stakeholder groups, and to inform and create community-driven projects to improve our local food environment. The CFA incorporates and builds upon previous research completed by other community organizations as well as comprehensive quantitative and qualitative data including mapping, 52 store assessments, 266 resident surveys, 7 focus groups and 23 interviews with advocates and experts working on food- and health-related issues.
Among several findings, the report concludes that access to quality, affordable fresh food is limited; SNAP/EBT acceptance by higher-quality retailers is low; and residents are ready and eager to learn more about ways of improving their own nutrition. Members of the Fort Greene-Clinton Hill CFC utilized the results to identify gaps in available services, and to generate 29 recommendations for new projects, policies and advocacy efforts to bridge those gaps, all of which are listed in the full CFA report. The CFC has identified three projects to tackle in the short-term: 1) increasing the number of food retailers that accept EBT; 2) creating grocery shopping tours to help consumers make healthier choices; and, 3) ‘closing the loop’ on holiday food donations. The latter project involves encouraging those who are collecting food donations (and toys and coats) to deliver them to local pantries and churches for local distribution. Several merchants have already volunteered to serve as donation drop-off sites including Five Spot (459 Myrtle), Maggie Brown (455 Myrtle), Green in BKLYN (432 Myrtle), Kiini Ibura (388 Myrtle), Brooklyn Stone Boutique (366 Myrtle), Cake Joy (364 Myrtle), Fort Greene SNAP (324 Myrtle) and St. Joseph’s College Tuohy Hall (245 Clinton). St. Joseph’s College will be donating farm-fresh produce to area pantries as well.
“We knew that these issues existed all along,” explains Dominique Bryant, Myrtle Avenue Farmstand manager and member of the Fort Greene-Clinton Hill CFC, “but now this report provides actual proof of what’s really happening here, and how difficult it is to find fresh, affordable food.”
Informational presentations will be held at multiple locations throughout the community where people can learn more about the findings, and find out how to get involved in upcoming initiatives. The first presentation will take place at Child Development Support Services (352-358 Classon Avenue) on Thursday December 8, 2011. The remaining presentations will be scheduled during the months of December and January. To request a presentation at your organization or community meeting, to attend a presentation, to participate in any of the projects described above, or to find out more about the Fort Greene-Clinton Hill Community Food Council, contact Kassy Nystrom at kassy@myrtleavenue.org or 718-230-1689. Copies of Get Fresh! Food access, food justice and collective action in Fort Greene & Clinton Hill can be downloaded from MARP’s website.
MARP’s Myrtle Eats Fresh initiatives are supported by the New York Community Trust and Atlantic Philanthropies as part of the Community Experience Partnership, with additional support from Community Food Projects program of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA).
CONTACT: Meredith Phillips Almeida
meredith@myrtleavenue.org, 718.230.1689
