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ROYAL RENDEZVOUS
Making maritime history - the first and only meeting of Queen Mary 2, Queen Elizabeth 2 and new Queen Victoria
It was a beautiful site, reminiscent of the days when passenger ships were the only way to and from New York.
On Sunday, January 13, 2008, Cunard gathered their three luxury liner Queens - flagship Queen Mary 2, famed Queen Elizabeth 2 and the new Queen Victoria - together in New York harbor
to celebrate the maiden voyage of Victoria and the final voyage of Elizabeth 2.
The weather did not agree. As rain and sleet fell, the QM2 sailed up the river to Battery Park from its berth in Red Hook at the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal. The magnificent QM2 sailed within
100 yards of the Battery Park Esplanade appearing like a skyscraper floating offshore. Slowly, the ship made a U-turn in the river to park by the Statue of Liberty and await its
sister ships.
Next to arrive, without having to make the spectacular about face, was the Queen Victoria. The new ship at first did not seem as large as the Queen Mary 2. She appeared
from uptown at a brisk pace, arriving beside the QM2 just as the fireworks began above the Statue of Liberty.
From our vantage point atop a Battery Park building, we looked to see where the Queen Elizabeth 2 would approach the gathering. She hung back upriver from her newer siblings.
As she finally joined the procession by the Statue of Liberty, she stayed far to the rear, seeming to take her time on the last viewing of the Statue of Liberty and the final
passage from New York Harbor to the open sea.
"This is an historic occasion for Cunard and New York, marking the only time that the three ships will be together...ever," said Carol Marlow, president of Cunard Line. |
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Transportation Comm. Janette Sadik-Khan and Tucker Reed (back)
©Mark D Phillips View Larger |
A POCKET PARK DEBUTS IN DUMBO
Making the Concrete Desert Bloom
The bright green paint on the street stands out among the brown bricks of DUMBO in many ways.
Just weeks ago, the location was filled with parked cars. Now, it is a unique park within the confines of the Pearl Street
Plaza in DUMBO.
"This has been a remarkable partnership that produced remarkable results," said Tucker Reed, executive director of
the Dumbo Improvement District (DID). "The community is delighted."
In a ceremony launching the opening of the pocket park, NYC Transportation Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan said, "This is a celebration,
not of our ability to move, but of our ability to stop, to take a moment to chat with our neighbors and to be a part of our
communities." As part of the Mayor's PlanNYC, DOT will create a pedestrian plaza in every New York City community.
Used as a parking lot for 12 vehicles, the area fit perfectly into the plan. Calling for the creation of 800 acres of new public space
by 2030, DOT's contribution is re-conceptualizing underutilized streets as public plazas. DID asked for their help in turning Pearl Street
into one of the first pedestrian spaces.
Together, they enlisted the help of the Brooklyn Botanic Garden transforming the asphalt triangle into an oasis of planters filled with
flowers and trees, cafe tables with chairs and umbrellas, and a large abstract sculpture. Great granite blocks from the Williamsburg
Bridge delineate the space.
In the coming year, DOT will complete several more new plazas throughout New York City, including Lou Gehrig Plaza in the Bronx,
Harriet Tubman Square in Manhattan, and the Williamsburg Bus Depot in Brooklyn. |
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Jasper and Eliza cool off in the Brooklyn summer. |
The Floating Pool Lady?
A gift on the Brooklyn Waterfront
A pool on a waterfront barge and two piles of sand called the Brooklyn Beach are giving local residents a taste of what's to come.
With this summer's opening, the Brooklyn waterfront is becoming accessible where fences and semi-abandoned piers were the norm.
Brooklyn Bridge Park is sponsoring the beachfront experiment in the parking lot of piers 4 and 5 near Joralemon Street beneath the BQE. Best of all it is free.
The seven-lane "Floating Pool Lady," the brainchild of author Ann Buttenwieser, opened July 4th for a 10-week trial run. A one-acre makeshift beach, complete with
rentable umbrellas, beach chairs and hamburger and hot dog stands, a beach volleyball court, and a sand soccer field is a precursor to the finished park.
But mainly, it is an eye-opening experience to the trials and tribulations of building and gaining access to a waterfront park cut off from its neighborhoods by
the two-level BQE.
A free shuttle from Brooklyn's Borough Hall runs every ten minutes from 11am to 8pm daily. For those traveling on their own, there is little parking (on-site parking is available for $20 per car). Street parking is available after 7pm weekdays and all
day Saturday and Sunday on Columbia Street. From Brooklyn Heights, the best way to access the site is walking down the hill at Joralemon Street, the only street that
accesses the waterfront from Fulton Ferry to Atlantic Avenue.
The 25-meter, 7-lane pool is open weekdays for four 1 1/2 hour swim sessions starting at 11am. Weekends feature 6 sessions beginning at 9am. Wristbands are
given out to a maximum of 175 guests starting one hour prior to each session. The sand beaches are open from 9am to 9pm daily.
**UPDATE According to the NY Daily News:
Brooklyn, take your last dive in the floating pool this weekend. Next summer, it will be docked in a different borough - most likely the Bronx, the Daily News has learned.
More than 63,000 visitors from around the city and the world took a dip after it opened July 4 - even though the seven-lane pool can only accommodate 170 swimmers at a time.
"A floating pool moored off a vacated parking lot in Brooklyn was intriguing," said Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy President Marianne Koval. "People came in droves. They couldn't believe it."
By comparison, the city's Olympic-sized Red Hook pool got 76,000 swimmers this summer, Parks Department officials said.
The last day for swimming in Brooklyn will be Labor Day, September 3.
Learn More about the pool
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The Columbia Street Waterfront District
Could it be the next Smith Street?
Spring on Columbia Street is a glory to behold. |
It was a part of South Brooklyn without a name.
When the boom started, Tiffany Place was an
oasis in a sea of empty storefronts, limited transportation, and cut off from its Brownstone
neighbors by the ditch of the BQE.
Realtors began calling it Cobble Hill West, giving it legitimacy. The Columbia Street Waterfront
District is poised to become a new playground. Unfortunately, the neighborhood is caught in a
massive reconstruction project that brings back memories of the birth of Smith Street, now one of
Brooklyn's hottest restaurant and nightlife locations.
The $17 million Capital Construction Project will change the face of the waterfront in South
Brooklyn. Like Smith Street before it, the infrastructure of the waterfront has not been
touched in over 30 years. The influx of residents to the area was a major factor in the timing of
the efforts. Columbia Street is receiving new roadbeds, water mains, sewers, sidewalks, and street lighting.
Columbia Street is one of the few areas in South Brooklyn that still maintains a feel of the
20th century. Live poultry markets operate in close proximity to trendy restaurants. Trucks use the
route as an alternate to the BQE causing untold damage to the roadbed. The stacks of cargo containers
on the west side of the street block the Manhattan skyline from street level and remind us of our
maritime roots. Some of the businesses have been there for years.
Moonshine, located at 317 Columbia by Hamilton Avenue, opened three years ago in a space once
known as Rocco's, a bar that served the dockworkers from 1937 to 1975. Owner Nick Forlano
discovered the former bar and immediately decided it was for him. As he renovated, he kept much
of the original bar and woodwork intact. The kitchen gave way to a pool room with Blues Brothers'
chicken wire seperating it from Big Buck Hunter II and Miss Pac-Man. The back yard replaced the
kitchen with two gas grills and a Bring-Your-Own-Meat policy, drawing parties and those with
no-outdoor-space apartments. It is a Cheers of the neighborhood, a place where everybody knows
your name.
Read the full story
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2007 Brooklyn International Film Festival Opens
Opening night at Steiner Studios starts the two-week run
Anna Wilding, Per Anderson, and Ari Taub
Actor, Director and Producer of "Stanley Cuba"
Sat. June 2nd 6pm, Cobble Hill Cinema
Sat. June 9th 4:30pm, Cobble Hill Cinema |
With the theme of IDENTITY, the 10th annual Brooklyn Film Festival screened two short films and a "Soprano" actor's directorial debut
inside Stage 1 at Steiner Studios in a gala opening event.
Opening with "Raymond," the experimental film from BIF Pictures combines the talent of three graduates from the world renowned French animation school Supinfocom.
Billed as the story of lowly swim instructor Raymond, the character is put through various tests by scientists in his quest to swim with whales.
The combination of live action and 3D animation provided amusement and wonder at how it was accomplished. If only the next two films had kept the feeling going.
"Dog Days" started with a high from the previous short, but as it progressed, you could feel the audience turn against the film. When Grace, the daughter of an
upper class American Family, switches places with Doug, a dog owned by "white trash" Americans, the story line paints America's love with celebrity and wealth as
no one realizes that the two have been switched. French director Geoffrey de Crecy and screenwriter Yann Jouette paint a view of America that is sadly devoid of
comedy and was just strange.
The evening's main attraction, "Made in Brooklyn" weaved four short stories together as characters stopped to purchase lemonade from the same stand in
Windsor Terrace, Brooklyn. Billed as the "Sopranos meets Comedy Central," the four segments featured nearly every stereotype imaginable when it comes to
Brooklyn and mobsters. In the best segment, we meet Frank Trimboli, played by John Enos, who is placed in witness protection after testifying against the
Brooklyn mob. As he tries to settle into his new life as Jerry Wood, he meets Louis the shoe shiner, who is actually former mob hit man Vito Ungaro. Placed in
the same town five years earlier, the two discover in their conversations that they are tied for the most "hits" in Brooklyn. Vito, played by Richard Portnow,
finds himself incensed that his record has been threatened, and as the two men deal with a problem at a local bakery, their killing ways return.
This year's film festival features two screening rooms side-by-side at Cobble Hill Cinemas, with side programs offered at Brooklyn Heights Cinema, Galapagos Art Space,
and a kidsfilmfest at the Brooklyn Children's Museum. For the first time this year, all 81 films will have 2 screenings and showings run everyday from 1pm to 11:30pm.
Since its inception, the festival has reviewed more than 12,000 films. For the 2007 edition, BiFF received 2,000 film submissions from a record 97 countries. A panel of journalists,
film festival directors, and film related professionals grade each film to select
the best in its category, awarding the Chameleon Statuette (and prizes) to each of the five winners.
The festival board selects the best film of the year among the five winners, awarding it the Grand
Chameleon Award ($50,000 in services). The festival also assigns one Spirit Award and one
Audience Award in each category. Other awards are: Best Production, Best New Director, Best
Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Editing, Best Production Design, Best Original Score, Best
Actress and Best Actor. At the 2007 festival, through the resources of our film sponsors, BiFF will
award the winners with prizes totaling over $80,000 in film services, products, and cash. A single
prize of $5,000 cash, the "Diane Seligman Award", sponsored by Lowel Light, will be given to Best
Documentary.
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Feminist Art takes center stage at the Brooklyn Museum
The Elizabeth A. Sackler Center for Feminist Art is the first of its kind in the nation
Gloria Steinem and Elizabeth A. Sackler
©Mark D Phillips View Larger |
Feminist icons, including Gloria Stenem, came to The Brooklyn Museum for the historic opening of the Elizabeth A. Sackler Center for Feminist Art - a musem-within-a-museum that
celebrates the work of women artists.
Steinem's words echoed through the hallways. "As a child I was rescued by books, but excluded by museums," she said. "This center allows men to see beyond the patriarchy."
The centerpiece of the new expansion is The Dinner Party, Judy Chicago's massive triangular table bringing together 39 of history's greatest women with individual
place settings unique to each woman.
"As a young girl, I would ride the bus to the museum to look at my favorite art - Cézanne, Monet - and wonder where the women artists were," said Chicago. "Elizabeth Sackler's
act of genorosity demonstrates that one individual can still make a difference, in this case, interceding in history to help ensure an ineradicable place for women."
Feminist Art takes center stage.... Continued
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Revere Sugar disappears from Red Hook
The redevelopment of Red Hook charges forward
A major change to the waterfront is underway along Beard Street. And it is not IKEA.
The Revere Sugar Refinery is fading into history. Built in 1910 by the American Molasses Co., it operated until 1985 as Revere Sugar. The abandoned ruins stood over the entrance to Erie Basin,
a magnet to artists and photographers.
Once owned by Antonio Floriendo, a Marcos family confidant known as the "Banana King of the Philippines," the demolition and redevelopment of the site is a project of
Thor Equities, the same company involved in the redevelopment of Coney Island.
Revere Sugar disappears from Red Hook.... Continued
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Barclays Center comes to Brooklyn
In a bold move, Barclays bank bought the naming rights to the new Nets arena, to be called Barclays Center, the centerpiece of Atlantic Yards.
The 20,000 seat arena will be the home of the Nets in the 2009 season, signalling the return of
professional sports to Brooklyn. It will also serve as a venue for arts and other athletic events,
hosting more than 200 events annually.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg joined a star-studded gathering at the Brooklyn Museum on Thursday, January 18,
to announce the partnership. On stage with the mayor were Nets stars Jason Kidd and Vince Carter,
rapper Jay-Z, NBA Commissioner David Stern, and architect Frank Gehry.
"I know of no company that would be better to bring their reputation to Brooklyn," said Bloomberg.
"And the opportunity to put your name on something this big, and with this phenomenal design, this
is the kind of iconic design that people are going to recognize from any part of the country and every
part of the world."
Barclays Center comes to Brooklyn.... Continued
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Your choices for the top story of 2006 in South Brooklyn are:
Queen Mary 2
Fairway and the redevelopment of Red Hook |
BROOKLYN CRUISE TERMINAL
The opening of the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal is related to the redevelopment of Red Hook, but we feel they are separate from each other.
The docking of the Queen Mary 2 and Princess Cruise ships at the terminal completed its first season with little increase in local business. That will change. And the development brought on by
the influx of visitors, workers, and cruise ship passengers will not be limited to Red Hook proper.
The next five years will see a radical change in Brooklyn's standing as a tourist destination. The redevelopment of Coney Island will create a world-class oceanside destination with ramifications
for the entire borough. Hotel construction and expansion is underway, with more rooms available especially in South Brooklyn, bringing the tourist directly to our doorstep.
Brooklyn is hot, and will only get better.
FAIRWAY AND THE REDEVELOPMENT OF RED HOOK
Red Hook as a destination. who would have predicted it just a few years ago?
Visit Fairway just about any time of day, and the parking lot is overflowing. The first major store is succeding in Red Hook.
2006 saw property values skyrocket in an area that was once thought of only for inexpensive warehouse or manufacturing space. Construction of housing is apparent around every corner.
Van Brunt Street features restaurants and shops regularlay mentioned in the New York press, bringing Manhattanites through the Battery Tunnel at an unprecedented rate. Now, those same visitors
are looking for housing bargains in Red Hook that are already long past.
2007 will see just as many changes for the "gritty" Red Hook. Those of us who live here have known its potential. With the best views in Brooklyn, and a small town feel, the sky is the limit. The next year
will also bring IKEA to fruition. Will it kill the area or just make it better?
Look through our story archive
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Alice and Eliza on the Carousel
©Mark D Phillips View Larger |
JANE'S CAROUSEL
Nestled in a tight space on Water Street, the lights flicker through the glass front of its home.
As you approach the entrance, Jane's Carousel is a sight to behold.
Built in 1922 by The Philadelphia Toboggan Company (PTC#61) for Idora Park in Ohio, the historic carved wood carousel found its way to DUMBO in a twenty year labor of love by Jane Walentas.
"We purchased the carousel on October 21, 1984 at the auction of Idora Park. We bought the carousel for the Fulton Ferry Park for which my husband David was the designated developer,"
said Jane Walentas.
A hidden gem opens in DUMBO.... Continued
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DUMBO IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT UNVEILS
FIRST ANNUAL "DUMBO LIGHT CAPADES" IN BROOKLYN BRIDGE PARK
©Mark D Phillips
Empire Stores Building |
"It's holiday lights - Brooklyn style!" said Borough President Markowitz. "Where else but in Dumbo can you find such an illuminated mix of creativity, originality and holiday spirit? These beautiful light sculptures will brighten up Brooklyn for residents of all ages, and make Brooklyn Bridge Park even more festive this holiday season."
Lights on Empire Stores will run for 80 seconds every hour on the half hour and six sculptures grace the field beneath the Manhattan Bridge.
Light Capades.... Continued
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Through a Lens Darkly
Annie Leibovitz at Brooklyn Museum
©Mark D Phillips View Larger |
Annie Leibovitz has photographed celebrities, presidents, and a very naked, extremely pregnant Demi Moore.
Now her surprisingly personal, searingly raw exhibition - "Annie Leibovitz: A Photographer's Life, 1990 - 2005" - will be showcased at the Brooklyn Museum through January 21.
It features pictures of not only Hollywood celebs and heads-of-state, but fetchingly candid shots of ordinary folks and people dear to the photographer.
In advance of the show's opening on October 20, Leibovitz, who is gracious and unassuming away from the lens, provided a rare, behind-the-scenes peek into her work and her life -- leading a walking tour through the museum.
Through a Lens Darkly .... Continued |
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Fort Defiance returns to Red Hook
 John Burkard |
Is Red Hook getting a raw deal in the history of America?
Each year, the Battle of Brooklyn is commemorated in Brooklyn Heights and Prospect Park. Red Hook is never mentioned. In 1953, an attempt was made to spell out the areas role in the Battle of Brooklyn. Two historical markers were placed, one on the Manufacturers Trust Company in downtown Brooklyn at the start of Red Hook Lane, and the second on a Todd Shipyards building in Red Hook.
Fort Defiance .... Continued |
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Our first contest winner! |
Kids Coloring Contest!
Mark D Phillips of CruiseSouthBrooklyn.com (right) and Marion Alameda of
Perfect Corner present a 20 x 30 signed print to
Ciara Lockhart, 10, of Baldwin, NY.
Ciara's entry in our coloring project at the Atlantic Antic of the print garnered 5,050 votes in our online contest. Over 100 entries were completed
and over 10,000 votes were cast in the inaugural contest.
Read more.. |
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Brooklyn Eats: A borough of fine dining
Has Brooklyn eclipsed Manhattan in the restaurant buzz? Talk to Borough President Marty Markowitz and
you may think that way.
With a shout of "Brooklyn is the epicenter of the restaurant scene in New York. Tonight is calorie free!"
Markowitz sent a hungry crowd loose at the 10th Annual Brooklyn Eats™ event at Brooklyn's Marriott hotel on Oct. 3.
Brooklyn Eats .... Continued |
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The New Kid on the Block in DUMBO
Brooklyn Bridge Park
©Mark D Phillips |
Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass - DUMBO for short - is coming of age.
Onto the scene, a newcomer has arrived to try to bring some order into the wave of businesses and the problems
associated with unbridled growth. The formation of the DUMBO Improvement District is seen by many as
a major step forward in the development of DUMBO.
DUMBO comes of age .... Continued |
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Five Years
The Fifth Anniversary of 9/11/01: It has been five years. It still feels like yesterday. The South Brooklyn Network's tribute to those killed from Brooklyn in the attack on the World Trade Center.
9/11 .... Continued |
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 SPECIAL: Fairway Brooklyn opens!
A new day begins in Red Hook as Fairway opens its doors within sight of the new Cruise Ship Terminal.
Read more about Red Hook |
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 Blue Angels over South Brooklyn
The Blue Angels gave a Memorial Weekend treat over the Statue of Liberty and Brownstone Brooklyn.
Click for larger view.. |
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A Queen comes to Kings
Looming out of the fog was the largest ship Red Hook has seen moored to its shore.
The Queen Mary 2 arrived in the wee hours of the morning on April 15, 2006, for its inaugural stop at the new Brooklyn Cruise Terminal in Red Hook. For the county of Kings, and particularly Red Hook, the terminal is the first step in a revitalization of the long-neglected waterfront.
Queen Mary .... Continued |
Queen Mary 2 inaugural visit
©Mark D Phillips |
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William Wegman surprises and amuses
I thought William Wegman was just about cutesy dogs. Then I saw William Wegman:Funney/Strange at The Brooklyn Museum running from March 10 through May 28, 2006.
Wegman is an experimenter who happens to use a funny looking dog as his main subject. His photographs are combinations of form and texture, shapes that capture the imagination. As Wegman says, "They are shadows and hues. They inspire me."
William Wegman .... Continued |
William Wegman
©Mark D Phillips |
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The Changing Face of South Brooklyn: Montague Street Roulette
Blink your eyes and something changes on Montague Street. Businesses close, open and change their locations at a dizzying pace.
As the price of South Brooklyn real estate keeps rising, Montague Street reflects the trend. The merger and acquisition of the Brooklyn real estate firms by larger Manhattan and nationally based firms, started by the arrival of Corcoran Real Estate on Montague Street, created a domino effect.
Montague Street .... Continued |
Ann Taylor Loft
©Mark D Phillips |
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 The Sopranos invade Brooklyn
The Sopranos took over Cobble Hill's Christ Church to film a wedding for the sixth season of the HBO series featuring the marriage of Mob boss Johnny "Sack" Sacramoni's daughter. |
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 150 years of tradition ends in Cobble Hill
Engine 204 was cleaned out on Friday, May 30. The firehouse, which stood guard in the neighborhood for nearly 150 years, stands silent. It's long history will not be forgotten. |
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The Happenings Feature - Story Archive
Want to read more of our stories about special people, groups and events in South Brooklyn?
Happenings Story Archive |
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| Visit our HAPPENINGS page to see more events taking place in South Brooklyn. |
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Produced by
SouthBrooklynInternet. All material ©2006. No reuse without permission.
All photographs ©Mark D Phillips - southbrooklyninternet.com |
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Damico Foods
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Jerard Studio
They make the cow in "Spamalot" and the pigeons for "The Producers". Learn more about this incredible Red Hook business! |
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