Green-Wood is a famous cemetery in Brooklyn. For me, it is the Pere Lachaise of the United States. It's filled with famous people, historical figures, and beautiful tombstones. Even if you don't know someone buried there, there are reasons to visit. It's a tourist attraction complete with bus tours and trolleys. It is large enough where if you are on foot you may be caught out of breath. If you have your own car, I highly recommend bringing it so you can drive through the cemetery and just park whenever you feel like walking around.
Green-Wood Chapel
Trolley
Since Green-Wood is a cemetery, first and foremost, be respectful. I have visited the mausoleum and it is well maintained and very clean. There is plenty of room and seating to take a moment to pay respects. There is an area outside where you can burn incense or set up offerings to your ancestors. Funeral services are kept in line with culture and religion. Upon entering, you will receive a map. Visit the graves of the Morse family, Jean-Michael Basquiat, Leonard Bernstein, the Tiffany family, and more.
One of the many elaborate tombstones.
If you are into letterboxing, Green-Wood is a great location to scavenger hunt.
Look for a letterbox in a tree.
Leave your mark!
Climb the highest natural elevation point in Brooklyn: Battle Hill. Set aside a good three hours to view the cemetery. It is subway accessible. There is a small bakery deli across the street. Have a picnic. There are a few benches scattered and a nice lake. Watch out for the birds and wild parrots and hold on to your map so you don't get lost. Green-Wood Cemetery 500 25th Street Brooklyn, NY 11232
The Film Biz Recycling & Prop Shop in Gowanus has got to be one of New York City's best kept secrets. It's a great reason to venture out to Brooklyn.
If you really want to make the trip worthwhile, follow this itineray:
Brunch at Dinosaur BBQ
Some adventure exploring Film Biz
Recycling & Prop Shop
Dessert on a rooftop at Ample Hills Creamery
Getting
into the Film Biz Recycling & Prop Shop is like making your way to the Wizard of Oz. Ring the doorbell, have
them buzz you in, and then follow the arrows and zig zag through the warehouse maze to Film Biz.
Once you open those doors, it's like a land of make believe. Let your imagination run free.
Film Biz is really meant for
movie sets and theater. It's where you go when you need period pieces
and décor. Cell phones as big as your face? Fake food? Gurneys and IV
fluid? They'd have you ready for your film set in no time.
Dessert Food Props
For
people like me (and maybe you) who like to putz around and take goofy pictures, it's
like a giant playground. Plastic turkey legs. Baby dolls. Shag carpet. A
churro stand. Each corner represents a different scenario.
I recommend visiting a few times. Film Biz decorates for the seasons. For Halloween, it's like a miniature haunted house!
They also have all sorts of costumes which you can rent or purchase. Care to be a fireman? Corn? Carmen
Miranda? A football player? The options might surprise you. Enjoy!
If anyone told me there was a giant duck sphinx looking thing made out of sugar in Brooklyn, I probably wouldn't believe them. It sounds ridiculous. Then again, this is Brooklyn and there is a huge buzz about it. The famed Kara Walker did an art installation at the Domino Sugar Factory in Williamsburg and sadly, it is closing today. I hope you got a chance to see it.
The exhibit brought out droves of Brooklynites, arts enthusiasts, families, and even power couple Jay Z and Beyonce complete with baby Blue Ivy.
The line to get in was long but went quickly for there was a vast amount of space inside the factory and the line traffic was due to everyone signing mandatory release forms (just in case sugar were to fall on your head).
If These Walls Could Talk
Sugar Machines
Brown Sugar
Brown Sugar and Broken Bones
Front View
Side View
White Sugar
Back Side
The Back
Sphinx
Marvelous Sugar Baby
I stepped in the sugar factory and immediately took a whiff of the the sweet sugary air. It was thick! The building was old, airy, and decrepit. The walls were full of peeled paint and the equipment was stale and retired. The whole building was full of history and tales of a different time and life. And then I was greeted by a great many melting sculptures of brown sugar boys and the one and only Marvelous Sugar Baby which was larger than life. You have to see it to believe it.
A Subtlety
Domino Sugar Factory
South 1st Street @ Kent Avenue
Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Nemo left us with a foot of snow and I have pictures to prove it. The City dealt with it pretty well. Around 3 o'clock on Friday, everyone started preparing for their journey home. Limited train schedules and subway delays had prompted early dismissals from work. By five, Midtown and Times Square felt like a ghost town. Connecticut had declared a state of emergency and events in New Jersey were already cancelled.
NYC Parks sponsored Snow Day
I took advantage of the snow the next day by heading out to Prospect Park in Brooklyn. NYC Parks was sponsoring a snow day with free hot chocolate, sledding, and snow angel contests. We had our own sleds and did what other New Yorkers did: lugged them on the subway and walked a few avenues to get to the park.
What fun it was. I had never gone sledding before. There is a rush going down the hill and a moment of terror and fear right before taking the plunge. It was amazing to see the range of sleds people had from age appropriate sleds and wooden ones to plastic ones and inflatable tubes. No sled? Some were really resourceful and used plastic tub lids and cardboard boxes to garbage can lids and 8 inch cutting boards.
Prospect Park
Some sledding etiquette I'd like to share:
1) Wait your turn. Don't cut in line. Patience! You won't be standing on top of that hill for more than 5 minutes before sliding down.
2) Wait until your path is clear. Are there children or adults in your way? If so, give them a minute to get out of your way. It is your job to avoid a collision. If you find yourself headed for one, take a sharp turn to stop!
3) After your run, don't walk back up the hill in the path of the sledders. Walk on the side where it is safe.
This was our snow day:
Here we are violating Rule #3!
Here we go!
We survived!
Time to rest.
After sledding we went in search for a good area to make snow angels.
Trudging through the snow.
Snow Angels!
Building our mini snowgirl!
Hello!
Prospect Park was absolutely gorgeous. We made our own snow angels and a mini snowgirl. I even came across a tiny igloo. The snow was great, powdery, and clean. After mucking around for about three hours, it was time to go home. On the way back to the subway we found a little diner that sold fresh donuts and hot chocolate. No better way to end an adventure than with such a sweet treat!
Every now and then there is an event I just know I have to be
a part of.
A few weeks ago I got an email
that was an invitation for a dinner party. It was all very mysterious and
intriguing. The hosts would be cooking a “New American” meal for everyone but
first there would be a Ritz Crackeroff. What exactly was a Ritz Crackeroff? If
you chose to participate you would have 30 minutes to assemble toppings of your
choice on a Ritz Cracker. The crackers would then be voted by your peers and
the one winner with the most votes would be referred to as whatever moniker they preferred for the
rest of the evening. In this case it would be either “Your Highness,” “Your
Majesty,” or “Your Master.”
Host Chef Albert
I arrived at the location, an apartment building in Brooklyn, without knowing who’s apartment I was going
to, a contact phone number, or an apartment number. Puzzled, my friend and I
scrolled through e-mails to find a way to contact our mutual friend. The
doorman, amused by us, saved the day by saying, “You must be here for Albert. There
are already a few people who have shown up.”
Off we went with eyebrows raised.
We had no idea what to expect only that in New York this was common. You show up with
an open mind and just go with the flow. The Ritz Cracker competition was about
to begin.
There were eight of us
participating. We had all brought our own ingredients and got to work. We were
permitted use of the kitchen and whatever gadgets or appliances we needed. I
had practiced my recipe earlier in the day. I called it A Picnic in Tuscany. My concoction
was cream cheese based. I soaked sun dried tomatoes in olive oil and chopped
them up in a blender. I threw in red pepper flakes for spice. I mixed the
tomatoes with cream cheese and let it sit in the refrigerator to form. For
assembly, I put a dollop of sun dried tomato cream cheese on top of the Ritz cracker
and topped it with a pinch of dried basil and jalapeno cheddar pepperoni. The
result was favorable. Everyone said it belonged at an Oscar party.
A Picnic in Tuscany
I was amazed at everyone’s
creation. None of us knew what each other was bringing. In fact, the majority
of us were meeting for the very first time. Some did savory recipes. Some did
sweet. A few drew from their cultures for inspiration and some were fueled
purely by determination to impress. In the end we had a full on meal of Ritz
Crackers from appetizers and main courses to dessert.
Which one would you vote for?
We had cucumber shrimp salad,
salmon and lox, Thanksgiving, A Picnic in Tuscany, Thai Mango chili, red wine figs and
brie, ribs with sour cream, and chocolate ganache with cannoli filling. Everyone
was given 20 Ritz Crackers. We had a choice between regular, low fat, and wheat
Ritz Crackers. It was interesting to see how each was paired and even more fun
tasting each contest entry.
Ribs flavored with Sriracha for a kick!
The winning Ritz Cracker was ribs with sour cream made by @Stellaaa. She has a new blog called Cooking With Stella. Hopefully, she will post her winning recipe!
The Ritz Crackeroff turned out to
be a huge success. We were all full from the tastings and had bonded over the
shared experience. If you ever need an ice breaker to start a dinner party,
this would be a great one. Of course, the delectable bites didn’t stop there.
We then moved on to a full sit down dinner of salad, barbecue chicken, grits
and chorizo, vegetables, and sugar pie. How I love dinner parties but this one
really took the cake!
It’s raining and I’m thankful that the subway entrance is just
a few feet away from my office. I pace a few steps, look across the street at
Pottery Barn, Zara, and just as my neck turns and my eyes gaze upon Banana
Republic it’s time to collapse my umbrella and make my way down two flights of
stairs. Just as I swipe my unlimited card through the turnstile, the 6 train
opens it’s doors and a sea of people are released. The majority of them are
headed towards the N line. It never fails. The crowd bottlenecks at the top of
the stairs and they come to a halt as they wait their turn to proceed. It’s
like merging on a highway. True veterans swiftly move in. New comers stumble
into their blind side and disrupt the flow.
Today I am straying from my routine commute. I have to
detour into Brooklyn to feed my sister’s cat
while she is on vacation. I take baby steps down the stairs to hop on the 4 or 5
express train. I’m scared of slipping. I wish there was an escalator. I make my
way down and find an empty pillar to wait by. I stare up at the electronic sign
and am thankful the next train will arrive in two minutes. The doors open, I
grab on to a pole, and within five minutes I am at my transfer point.
Union Square
is one of the busiest subway stations next to Grand Central, 34th Street, and Times Square. I patiently wait to climb the stairs.
Without fail, like salmon, there is always one person who defies the crowd and
goes against the stream. I shake my head and wonder what rush this person is
in that they can’t wait two minutes for the crowd to dissipate.
Typical Hipster (posted at theChive.com)
I have calculated my ride well. If you ride the same routes
long enough, you know which subway car to ride in so that when you exit, you
are closest to where you need to go. I turn the corner and part ways with the
suits and ties. Perhaps I am the most conservative person walking in the crowd.
The woman next to me has half long hair and half shaved head. The man in front
of me is wearing cutoff jean shorts and his arms are covered in tattoos. I can
count not one but two people in neon. Typical footwear includes platform shoes,
Toms, and oxfords. I feel like I should be wearing Ray Bans even though it’s
not sunny.
All aboard the L train. I’m in the thick of things. We stop at
1st Avenue.
A petite man walks in. He looks like he is going to take a stroll in the Hamptons despite the fact
that his clothes don’t quite fit right and were probably bought at a second
hand store. The train is extremely crowded. He pushes his way past me and settles on a spot right in front of me. Hampton
man throws his duffle bag man purse over his shoulder. It presses against
me. People who blatantly ignore subway etiquette and refuse to put their bags
and backpacks down are one of my biggest pet peeves. I shake my head and do my
best to not mutter out loud, “Hipster.”
It takes less than 10 minutes to reach Bedford Avenue. The majority of the
wannabe fashion plates step off the train.
I reach my stop further along the L line and am relieved to see the weather has stopped
pouring buckets of rain. It’s just a little bit misty. I pick up my pace and as
I walk past the bodega, I feel a sting to my hand. I lift and turn it slightly
to see a black and white powdery substance on my knuckle. I have no idea what
it is. I turn around and see a woman walking quickly with a cigarette caressed
between her fingers. She had just burned and ashed me. I curse Bushwick and
continue on with my business.
It is three hours later and all I want to do is go home. I
know I am going to wait 10 minutes for a train so I pull a book out of my bag. I sheepishly hide what I am reading but the bright blue jacket cover gives it away. Mockingjay. It is a sign of the times and I, too, have been sucked in.
I get to Sixth Avenue where I transfer to the F train. It is late, almost midnight, and there is a group of teenagers yelling at the top of their lungs. I look at them in annoyance and wonder why they aren't home. Isn't it a bit late for a field trip? I have a sudden flashback to when I was eleven. I was in New Jersey visiting for the Summer and my grandmother scolded us children and instructed us to stay quiet on the subway. "It's not nice to yell," she said as she tried to instill manners in us. I didn't understand at the time what the big deal was. Now I do. The subway door opens and I hurry in to a car far away from the school kids. Peace and quiet. I sit and read a few pages. My eyes shut and I allow myself to sneak in a few minutes of shut eye. I'm confident I will wake up at my stop. I always do.
Ever wanted to sample your way around the world? Learn about the restaurant industry's latest trends? Experience a pastry competition? Know the secrets to building a business online and through couponing?
The International Restaurant & Foodservice Show of New York began yesterday, March 4th, and will go on through Tuesday, March 6th. It will be three days worth of food samples, demos, and seminars at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center.
The exhibit opens daily at 10 AM and what better way to start the morning than with a sample of Blue Marble! This Brooklyn based organic ice cream parlor won Time Out New York's 2009 Eat Out award. They were handing out little cups of vanilla, strawberry, and chocolate.
Individual serving sizes of Blue Marble
Too sweet to stomach? Adam Tiberio is on hand to show off Tiberio Custom Meats. He is chopping up a little head cheese made out of pig's head, feet, and other scraps.
Delicious jellied pig head.
If you're looking for beefier and heartier food samples that could substitute for lunch, make your way through to the Japanese section. They are handing out tote bags for Japan Week (festivities in New York run from March 1 - March 11), sushi, Japanese barbecue, tofu, and lots of ramen.
Japan's #1 ranked ramen chef in Japan Shigetoshi Nakamura was creating pork ramen for Sun Noodle. Sun Noodle, which is based out of New Jersey, offers four different types of fresh ramen noodles: tonkotsu, whole wheat, tsukemen, and temomi. These noodles which can be wavy, flat, or straight are matched to a ramen's unique broth.
Japan's celebrity chef Shigetoshi Nakamura
Pork Tonkotsu ramen made by Japan's #1 ramen chef
The food samples were endless and included all types of cuisines from all over the globe. Pace yourself!
There is a lot to experience at the International Restaurant & Foodservice Show. Stay tuned for Part II.
"The Creators Project is an ongoing global arts and technology initiative created by Intel and Vice in order to support visionary artists, musicians, and filmmakers who are using technology to push the bounds of creative expression."
-- the creators project
Brooklyn was on a trip of sorts when The Creators Project teamed up with New York to bring its two day festival of music, art installations, and film to DUMBO last weekend.
Granted admission was in demand. The eager had to RSVP in advance and pick only one day during the festival to attend due to the large amount of traffic The Creators Project attracted. Not everyone got in. A few days before the event, everyone who RSVP'ed either got an e-mail that said, "First things first-- you'll need to pick up your wristband," or ,"We're sorry to announce that we are unable to confirm your RSVP for Saturday, Oct. 15". Selection was done randomly.
The festivites ran all day from 11:30 AM - 10:00 PM. There were multiple stages for concerts and open galleries for art installations, film screenings, and dj showcases.
A$AP Rocky
Harlem rapper A$AP Rocky and Clams Casino was the first full show I caught. I like to be in front to feel the full intensity of the artists and bump with the music. ASAP Rocky was ready to rock and rumble, as rap was the new rock and roll that day. They were heavily interactive with the crowd and 10 minutes into their performance they jumped into the audience to crowd surf and a mosh pit was created. Beverage cups full of liquid were thrown and after all of that I quickly escaped to the back. I decided I needed to get to safety before I got caught in the ruckus.
Yusek
After A$AP Rocky, the music took a dramatic turn and into the genre of electronica. At the Tobacco Warehouse, Yuksek, from France, got the fans grooving with his vocals, keyboard skills, and backup of guitar and drums. He was quite charming with his French accent and little quips. The energy was full force. Yuksek will be in New York for the rest of the week playing a few shows in the Lower East Side for the CMJ music festival.
Los Angeles based DJ Nosaj Thing broke it down with a live video installation while he spun. The kid, often in a trance and extremely focused, is awesome to watch and his beats are banging. He was very sweet and soft spoken as we posed for a picture together.
As for art, The Creators Project had numerous light pieces, mechanical structures, and rooms of oddities.
Origin by United Visual Artists
Six-Forty By Four-Eighty by Zigelbaum + Coelho
Diskinect by Team Diskinect
Film crossed paths with music when Spike Jonze's Scenes from the Suburbs had a heavy influence from Arcade Fire. Other short films that were viewed were Edouard Sailer Shorts, Follow Follow, and Night Fishing.
Scenes from the Suburbs
Food was provided by Brooklyn Flea and The Creators Project kicked off a week of art to gawk at (Origin is on display until October 23) as well as promotion for Karen O's musical interpretation of Stop The Virgens.
Day turned to night, the music pumped louder, and the crowd kept growing. DUMBO was alive and The Creators Project gave way into a second day of full fledged affairs. Curious to see what type of drama made it to Gallery Girls? The show taped throughout and it's possible you made it into the background if you were walking around The Creators Project. Ah, Brooklyn may have made you into a star.
