Dumbo NYC

A few shots of Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Hilary Swank during filming of “The Resident” (IMBD info) yesterday.

(Thanks to Winnie for sending in these photos!) A few more pics of Hilary Swank and her shoes after the jump.

{Filming: Step Up 3D (6/30) & The Resident (7/1), 30Jun2009}
Read the rest of this entry »

The Village Voice blog noticed Dumbo as the backdrop in Cartoon Network’s rebranding of itself to CN Real in a music video featuring Andrew W.K. While this isn’t really about Dumbo, it’s the image they want to convey in their rebranding efforts; as Village Voice states: “Xtreme sports! Fire-eaters! REAL people! Balloons! and oh yeah, cartoons…We are also assured it is “going to shred.” Commenters in the YouTube thread aren’t liking it:

• “Wow, this is like a direct middle finger to everyone. I want the Cartoon Network to actually show Cartoons, okay?”
• “You know why CN Real failed? Because kids don’t want live-action shows! You are CARTOON NETWORK! That means animation! Jesus Christ, are you people trying to kill the network?!”
• “You just don’t get it, do? you? CARTOON Network has (had, actually) a large fanbase of viewers. And guess what they liked to watch? Here, I’ll give you a hint: NOT LIVE-ACTION GARBAGE. I can flip to any other channel and watch that. You’ve just taken the last thing you had and flushed it down the toilet, along with my viewership.”
• “Whatever happened to “The Best Place For Cartoons”?”
• “Wow, and I thought the big wigs were losing it when they totally disregarded Toonami. These guys are clueless.”
• “Stop hiring executives to run cartoon network that don’t like cartoons!!!”

I can see how Dumbo as the backdrop is cool and urban, but the real question is for the marketing experts: Is CN trying to be MTV for a certain generation? and did it succeed?

(Photo by oh, poppycock)

Dumbo (and Brooklyn) residents, you won’t see fireworks this July 4th near the Brooklyn Bridge like the above photo. According to NewYorkology, this year’s fireworks will move to the Hudson River to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Henry Hudson’s voyage. Unless you have access to a rooftop in Dumbo, you won’t be able to see the Hudson River fireworks.

The 2009 fireworks show will become part of the NYC400 celebrations, which will culminate on September 13th with Harbor Day. The NY400 is a celebration of shared history between the US and the Netherlands. If you’re interested in New York history, culture, and events, learn more about it at www.NY400.org. For more of Macy’s Fourth of July Fireworks info, go to www.macys.com/fireworks.

[Note: This month's gallery walk is next Thursday, July 9 (not July 2), due to the holiday weekend.]

A festive occasion each month for art lovers. A chance to visit many quality galleries at night in the Dumbo Historic District - galleries showing works from artists of many disciplines, especially photography, while hosting receptions, producing live music performances and curator/artist talks among other highlights.

Let’s not forget the incredible views you can enjoy as you walk from one gallery to the next and the local drink specials afterward. Most of the art is for sale. Printed maps and 1st Thursday cards are available on-site.

Participating galleries may vary each month. For more information contact Zannah Mass at zannah@twotrees-dumbo.com or 718-222-2500 x38.

Check gallery websites for updates.
A.I.R. Gallery, 111 Front St., Suite 228
Amos Eno Gallery, 111 Front St., Suite 202
Brooklyn Art Project
Brooklyn Arts Council, 111 Front St., Suite 218
Caption Gallery, 55 Washington St., Suite 802
DUMBO Arts Center, 30 Washington St.
Farmani Gallery, 111 Front St., Suite 212
Henry Gregg Gallery, 111 Front St., Suite 226
Klompching Gallery, 111 Front St.
Kris Graves Gallery, 111 Front St., Suite 224
Magasin Totale, 10 Jay St., Suite 724
Melville House, 145 Plymouth St.
Pochron Studios, 20 Jay St.
Powerhouse Books & Powerhouse Arena, 37 Main St.
Rabbithole Studio, 33 Washington St.
Randall Scott Gallery, 111 Front St., Suite 204
Safe-T Gallery, 111 Front St., Suite 214
Smack Mellon, 93 Plymouth St. @ Washington Street
Spring, 126a Front St.
Umbrage Gallery, 111 Front St.
VII Photo, 28 Jay St.
Watermill Brooklyn Gallery, 55 Washington Street, Suite 216

Gelf’s Varsity Letters sports reading series returns on Thursday, July 2, at 7:30 p.m, with a night dedicated to baseball. At this free monthly event at JLA Studios in Dumbo Brooklyn (63 Pearl Street), hosted by Gelf, Scott Price, Selena Roberts, and members of the New York Daily News sports investigative team will read from and talk about their work, and take questions. Price has the wrenching tale of the life and death of a minor-leaguer. Roberts will speak about her controversial biography of Alex Rodriguez. And the Daily News team will discuss its exposé of Roger Clemens and steroids in baseball.

Doors open at 7:00.
Event starts at 7:30. FREE!

Visit reBar, around the corner, afterward; attendees of Varsity Letters and other Gelf events get discounts on food and drink.

We walked by these double doors on the 135 Plymouth Street building. The NYC Buildings records for 135 Plymouth Street (NYC DOB) show that an application for exterior renovation was filed in late April 2009, but there is no mention of ‘change of use, egress, or occupancy.’ Does anyone know what this will be? New double door entrance to the building? A new neighborhood pub? Movie prop?

[UPDATE: Our friends at i'm not sayin, i'm just sayin point out that this is a movie prop for "The Resident". Their photo below shows the details of the finished doorway.]

Previously:
{Red Door to Nowhere @ 135 Plymouth}
{Dumbo Then and Now: Plymouth Street West of Pearl Street}

Walt Disney Pictures will be filming for “Step Up 3D” on Tuesday, June 30, 2009 between 5am and 11pm. (Variety article). This will be the third film in the series following box office hits, “Step Up” and “Step Up 2 The Streets” and is set for an August 2010 release.

Filming locations:

• Both sides of Water Street (New Dock St/Main St)
• East side of Old Dock St (Water St/Front St)
• South side of Front St (Old Dock St/Main St)
• North side of York St (Washington St/Front St)
• Both sides of New Dock St (Water St/East River)

Also being filmed tomorrow (July 1, 2009) is “The Resident” (IMBD info), starring Christopher Lee, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, and Hilary Swank. This thriller is about a young doctor (Hillary Swank as Dr. Juliet Dermer) who suspects she may not be alone in her new Brooklyn loft and learns that her landlord has formed a frightening obsession with her.

If anyone gets any filming shots, please email to us!

Previously:
{Filming: Step Up 3D (Wed May 20, 2009)}
{Filming: Step Up 3D (Mon/Tue, June 8-9 2009)}

Speaking of parking, in the Mikey’s Hook Up blog, Mikey makes an observation about the fire hydrant that’s in front of their store in Dumbo (70 Front Street):

At least 3 to 4 times a day the Mikey’s Hookup in Dumbo is asked “Is this a real fire hydrant, can I park here?”

The real answer is Yes and No.

I’ve seen NYC traffic tow trucks make round after round scooping cars up and coming right back for more. It hurts to watch . I’ve also seen traffic cops walk right by and don’t feel it’s right to ticket cause of it’s placement.

It is a real live hydrant that’s a fact.

The curb was extended 3-4 years back when Front st. in Dumbo Brooklyn was getting a face lift. The city workers thought it was to much work to move the hydrant in a visible spot.

I’ve ask a number of different traffic officers and they all have different opinions about it.

According to the NYC parking violation code 40: Stopping, standing or parking closer than 15 feet of a fire hydrant. Between sunrise and sunset, a passenger vehicle may stand alongside a hydrant as long as a driver remains behind the wheel and is ready to move the vehicle if required to do so.

The hydrant is over 9 feet from the curb. So does that mean you really only need to park 6ft from it? There is nothing in the violation code stating the hydrant must be 15ft from the front or back of the vehicle . It just says “closer than 15ft”.

Don’t worry though. I’m sure it’ll get fixed sometime in the next 15 years. So be careful next time visiting the Dumbo MHU

Thanks for the parking tip Mikey. Now you know.

In addition to the Old Fulton parking lot that closed in April 2009, the 90 Washington Street lot (corner of Washington and Prospect Streets) is closing as of tomorrow, June 30, 2009 to make way for NYC parkland, according to the parking attendant. It is reportedly being used as a storage/staging area for the Brooklyn Bridge rehabilitation project.

With this lot closing, outdoor parking space is dwindling. The other outdoor lots around Dumbo are:

• 66 Sands Street (corner of Sands and Pearl Streets) - $250 per month
• 39 Front Street (at York Street) - $300 per month

There are indoor garage lots at the following (rates listed may change and not guaranteed):

• 85 Adams Street (Beacon Tower $325/mo)
• 50 Washington Street ($350/mo)
• 100 Jay Street (J Condo)
• 21 Front Street
• 20 Jay Street

Please comment on other indoor lots and current monthly rates in Dumbo and I’ll update this list.

Previously:
{Outdoor Parking on Old Fulton to Close, 22Apr2009}
{Dispute at 45 Main Confusing Parkers, 05Dec2008}

Did you catch the amazing sunset on Fri? (Photo by mo.postal)

The following are selected links from this past week on blogs and websites with discussion about Dumbo (and its neighboring areas):

• Mysterious NY HarborWay Banners, 26Jun09, i’m not sayin, i’m just sayin
• Exhibition at Dumbo Arts Center, 22Jun09, artdaily.org
• It’s Official: Nouvel, Jane’s Carousel Coming to BBP, 22Jun09, Brownstoner
• BQE Fix: Failure IS an Option, 22Jun09, Brooklyn Paper
• Construction Projects in Fulton Ferry set to commence, 23Jun09, FFLA
• 2009 Brooklyn Hip Hop Festival in pics & review, 25Jun09, Brooklyn Vegan
• Fulton Ferry in the 1970s, 24Jun09, FFLA
• Video from the Brooklyn Hip Hop Festival 2009, 23Jun09, TONY
• Ferry State Park Transfer to BBPDC, 24Jun09, Brooklyn Eagle
• Crime Down in Dumbo Up in 55 Wash, 26Jun09, yournabe
• Busy Weekend in Dumbo, 22Jun09, McBrooklyn
• An Afternoon in Dumbo, 23Jun09, vivalanetwork
• Ignazio’s Pizza, Dumbo, 25Jun09, McBrooklyn
• Improvised Showering At Cadman Plaza, 24Jun09, PMFA
• New Park Deal Struck, 25Jun09, yournabe
• St Ann’s Warehouse announces 09-10 season, 22Jun09, culturebot
• Jonathan Adler to open on Atlantic Ave, 22Jun09, Brokelyn
• BK’S Biggest Block Party Comes to DUMBO, 23Jun09, TMR