Bed-Stuy Blog

Monthly Raw Milk Delivery

By The Changeling | August 12, 2008

I recently received an email from a resident who is a part of an organization that sells raw milk. According to the email, the farmers live in Pennsylvania and they travel to Brooklyn once a month to deliver their products. The next delivery is scheduled for Saturday, August 16th in Bed-Stuy. If you’re interested and would like to find out more, then send an email to I’serene at isereneoasis@yahoo.com.

Topics: Food, Health | No Comments »

Greene Hill Food Coop Meeting

By The Changeling | August 12, 2008

I’m sure the majority (if not all) of you saw this flyer about the Greene Hill Food Coop on the Clinton Hill Blog yesterday. I promised one of the organizers that I’d post this on the Bed-Stuy Blog as well. The organizers wanted us to know that even though the coop is outside of Bed-Stuy, they are inviting Bed-Stuy residents to take part. They will be having an important meeting on Thursday, August 14th in which they will be voting to make the coop either a full working coop or a hybrid of a working/non-working and paying coop. Details are below. To find out more visit clintongreenefoodcoop.com, send an email to info@clintongreenefoodcoop.com or call 718.208.4778.

Topics: , Food, Health | No Comments »

Eye on the Stuy 08/11/08 (Subway Edition)

By The Changeling | August 11, 2008

Artists at the Urban Arts Market in Clinton Hill

Newsflash: Subway stations are dirty: An advisory committee to the MTA found that many stations are in poor shape. One suggestion by the committee was to have an Adopt-A-Station program in which neighborhood groups and companies help pay for the repair and upkeep of the station. Uh, it’s bad enough I have to ride the G train. There’s no way I’m going to adopt a station and clean it too. File that one under “Bad Idea”.[New York Times]

Newsflash 2: The G train is a broken down, filthy mess: G trains break down more often than other trains and are dirty, but look on the bright side–at least they are ranked high on regularity of service. This might have something to do with the fact that it’s easy to stick to a schedule when you roll around only once in a blue moon. [Brooklyn Paper]

Subways stations for sale: Here’s more on the possible corporate takeover of subway stations. [AM NY]

Grates of Hell: A man falls through a subway grate near the Myrtle-Willoughby Station. [ABC 7 Online]

Topics: | No Comments »

Bed-Stuy Real Estate Picks 08/08/08

By The Changeling | August 8, 2008

RENTALS

Rental #3

PICK OF THE WEEK! #1 — $1550 — 2 br: The agent for this property, Gitty, has taken a lot of liberties with the truth in describing this apartment. The “magnificent kitchen”? Straight outta Home Depot. That “big closet” is really lilliputian. The “beautiful backyard”? Well, you just need to see it. Hyperbole thy name is Gitty. I’m giving this Pick of the Week status just because it’s so funny! Thanks for sending it to me, Sarah!
Somewhere in Bed-Stuy Who knows?

#2 — $1800 — 2 br: I don’t know what kind of design feature that is around that entryway and under the windows (It says the woodwork is by Del Roy. Who?) but for a two bedroom, the price is right. This area of the neighborhood is nice because it’s near a lot of amenities.
Bedford and Greene Bedford-Nostrand G

#3 — $1500 — 3 br: Deal of the week! If you can find two others to split this with you then go for it. It says that the bathroom is enormous and then provides a photo that provide no evidence of its spaciousness. At leas the skylight is cool. Pulaski and Marcy Myrtle-Willoughby G

#4 — $1250 — 2 br: This apartment is near houses of worship. So is every other apartment in Bed-Stuy. The kitchen is very basic but the place is a deal. Van Buren and Lewis Kosciuszko J

Topics: Real Estate | 2 Comments »

Volunteers Needed for Malcolm X Boulevard Farmers’ Market

By The Changeling | August 7, 2008

The Malcolm X Boulevard Community Farmers’ Market is a new farmers’ market working to bring fresh, local, organic and healthy foods to the Bed-Stuy community. They sell fruits, veggies, baked goods, and fish, and are looking for more farmers. They accept cash, EBT cards, WIC/Senior FMNP checks and health bucks and are open every Friday from 12:00-6:00 pm, rain or shine, until mid-November.

Starting Friday August 22 they will need a team of volunteers to help run the market. The time slots are as follows: volunteers are needed from 9:00 am - 12:00 pm (noon) to help harvest and set up, from 12:00 - 6:00 pm to help run the Brooklyn Rescue Mission stand and/or sell fruit from Red Jacket Orchards, and from 6:00 - 7:00 pm to help clean up. If you are interested please contact Sonia at malcolmxmarket@gmail.com or 917-627-8871.

The Malcolm X Boulevard Community Farmers’ Market is located at the Jackie Robinson Park on Malcolm X Boulevard between Marion and Chauncey Streets. It is off of the Utica Ave stop on the A/C train, the Malcolm X at Utica stop on the B46 bus, and the Fulton at Utica stop on the B25 bus.

Topics: | No Comments »

Bed-Stuy YMCA Seeks Yoga and Pilates Instructors

By The Changeling | August 7, 2008

The Bedford-Stuyvesant YMCA is seeking qualified yoga and Pilates instructors.

Responsibilities include:

Conducting safe, fun, dynamic, and effective group exercise classes.

Modifying classes and routines according to fitness levels in class.

Maintaining attendance records for class.

Demonstrating an ability to relate to and work with people of diverse backgrounds.

Being on time and in uniform for all scheduled classes.

Providing a high degree of member service through a professional relationship with the members in regards to their needs, concerns, and questions about the YMCA, its programs and missions.

Qualifications:
3 - 5 years experience
Group Fitness Certification

Equal Opportunity Employer / Drug Free Workplace

If qualified, please send your resume to Caitlin Dee, Health and Fitness Director, cdee@ymcanyc.org

Topics: | No Comments »

Bed-Stuy Family Gets Backyard Makeover on Open House NYC

By The Changeling | August 6, 2008

Before Photos

If the news about the Greenest Block contest didn’t inspire you to beautify your home, then this certainly will. Bed-Stuy residents Simone and Tim Pratt were recently featured on Open House NYC, a show on channel 4! Some of you will remember the Pratts–their beautifully renovated brownstone was on the house tour last year. They did a wonderful job with the interior reno but they didn’t want to stop there. They were ready to tackle the backyard. One of the main reasons that they were so eager to transform their backyard was that they recently welcomed their first child, Jackson, into their family and they wanted to give him an outdoor space that he could enjoy.

This is where Open House NYC came to the rescue. The Pratts worked with the Open House NYC team to create an amazing outdoor space that perfectly complements their brownstone interior. Check out what happens by clicking on the links below. It’s so fun to watch! (The first link has the video for part 1. The second link contains a video for part 2 and beneath that a video for part 3.)

Pratt Backyard Part 1

Pratt Backyard Part 2 (and scroll down to see Part 3)

The Backyard Is Transformed!

To see the full slideshow of the Pratt’s backyard project click here.

I’m going to let you in on a secret: I think Tim and Simone are actually superhumans. In the short time that I’ve known them, they’ve managed to renovate a brownstone, have a baby, put their home on the house tour and now transform the backyard. They’ve done all of this and neither one has grey hair and they’ve shown no signs of aging. I’m keeping an eye on little Jackson to see when he starts to manifest his superhuman powers. (He’s already managed to be supercute!)

Thanks Simone, Tim and Jackson for sharing this!

Topics: | 6 Comments »

Bed-Stuy Blocks Reach Semis in BBG’s 2008 Greenest Block Contest

By The Changeling | August 6, 2008

Bed-Stuy is really representin’ in the Brooklyn Botanic Garden’s Greenest Block in Brooklyn Contest! A whopping TWELVE Bed-Stuy blocks have made it to the semifinal round! Let’s congratulate all of the residents who have worked so hard to make their blocks beautiful. Oh how I wish I lived on your street…

Bainbridge Homeowners & Tenant Block Association (Bainbridge Street between Malcolm X Boulevard and Stuyvesant Avenue)

Bainbridge St./Stuyvesant Heights Block Association (Bainbridge Street between Lewis and Stuyvesant Avenues)

Hancock Street Block Association (Hancock Street between Throop Avenue and Marcus Garvey Boulevard)

MacDonough Street Block Association (MacDonough Street between Ralph and Howard Avenues)

Macon/Reid/Patchen Block Association (Macon Street between Malcolm X Boulevard and Patchen Avenue)

Macon Street Block Association (Patchen/Ralph) (Macon Street between Patchen and Ralph Avenues)

Macon/Ralph/Howard Block Association (Macon Street between Ralph and Howard Avenues)

Macon/MacDonough/Stuyvesant/Lewis Block Association (Macon Street between Stuyvesant and Lewis Avenues)

700 Putnam Avenue Block Association (Putnam Avenue between Malcolm X Boulevard and Stuyvesant Avenue)

Stuyvesant Avenue Block Association (Stuyvesant Avenue between Fulton and Chauncey Streets)

Stuyvesant North Block Association (Stuyvesant Avenue between Putnam and Jefferson Avenues)

And last but not least:

In the commercial category SoLa, the Shops of Lewis Avenue (Lewis Avenue between Decatur and MacDonough Streets), is a semifinalist.

Congratulations to all of the semifinalists!

To see a list of the other semifinalists in the Brooklyn Botanic Garden’s Greenest Block in Brooklyn Contest click here.

Topics: | 3 Comments »

Bedford Corner Fashion Expo

By The Changeling | August 5, 2008

Not Just Vintage and bushbaby cafe are hosting a fashion expo on Saturday, August 9, at 5:00 p.m. They’ll be featuring several designers and their Fall 2008 and Winter 2009 fashion collections. Models will strut along the catwalk that runs between two stores, stretching across Bedford Avenue and Fulton Street. You’ll get chance to meet the designers, view and purchase their fashions and sample fine gourmet eats and drinks.

Designers:
Crying Tears
E’cinel
Etau
Not Just Vintage

Live Music by DJ Fauzi

and
Live Music by Valencia Robinson

Topics: | No Comments »

Welcome to the Forum

By The Changeling | August 4, 2008

A long overdue forum page has been created for the Bed-Stuy Blog. I believe that these forums will be useful to readers because it will allow you to have discussions that go beyond the content posted on the front page of the blog.

There are several reasons for creating these forums. The first reason is that some information (e.g. live music event schedules, spoken word events) that was being sent to me regularly at the start of the month, making it easy to post, in the last month or so has been sent somewhat sporadically (has everyone gone on vacation?). Now those of you who have information about live music and poetry readings and the like can cut out the middleman and post that information yourself in the forum. Of course, extra special live music events and annual celebrations deserve recognition on the front page of the blog, so I hope that you will continue to email that information to me (along with a photo of the performer or last year’s event) so that I can post it. Another reason for my creating the forum is that I’ve been getting a lot of email from readers asking questions that I’m not always able to address in a post. Now, readers can post these questions in the forum and get my feedback as well as the feedback of other Bed-Stuy Blog readers and residents. A final reason for the new forum is that many readers over the last several months suggested it to me, and I promised them that I would get around to it.

I’ve tried to include as many categories as I thought you’d use. There is a category called General Discussion that includes a section for neighborhood events, a section for great debates and a section that focuses on quality of life issues in the neighborhood. The Bed-Stuy Bites category contains a section for restaurant reviews and one section specifically for any gossip or information about new restaurants coming the area. Everything Old Is New Again covers stoop sales and vintage shopping and the Real Estate category covers, duh, real estate.

You can visit the forum by clicking here or by clicking on the Forum tab just above the Square Root Cafe banner.

Oh yeah, one final note: watch y’self–the forums are moderated.

Topics: | 4 Comments »

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