(Photo by Josh Derr)

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

• If You Had One Hour in Dumbo, Here’s Your List, 27Aug09, Slightly Overexposed
• Day in Dumbo, 22Aug09, aliandsethinthecity
• Bruni’s Parting Thoughts Include Vinegar Hill, 26Aug09, NY Times
• Dumbo nets growing Manhattan firm, 25Aug09, Crain’s
• Bridge Park To Use Materials From Old Warehouses, 25Aug09, Brooklyn Eagle
• “This Way” Lighting, 25Aug09, NY Times
• 25 Washington to be Converted?, 25Aug09, Curbed
• Is Dumbo’s 25 Washington Going Residential?, 26Aug09, Brownstoner
• Brooklyn Heights Landmark Lighting Plan, 23Aug09, BHB
• Dumbo Dain, 26Aug09, Global Graphica
• Most Expensive Brooklyn Property Proves Time Is Money, 26Aug09, StyleCrave
• Development Watch: 277 Gold Street, 27Aug09, Brownstoner

We didn’t envision new retail signs being all that newsworthy, but since many (ok six, does that count?) have been asking to post this one, here it is. Baco has installed their new steel sign. So did they clear this modern artistic polished steel sign with The Landmarks Preservation Commission, which regulates changes to the Dumbo Historic District buildings? Well, they aren’t required to get approval since 71 Jay Street does not fall within the Dumbo Historic District (see map below or PDF map.) How did that sliver of area avoid landmarking? The original brownstones that were part of the block got demolished (See prior post: Dumbo Then and Now: 67-73 Jay Street) so there’s really nothing to landmark. The owners of 67, 71, 73 Jay Street can build or rebuild there as desired.

(Arrow points to 71 Jay Street, click for PDF map of Dumbo)

Cafe Baco (bacoliving.com)
71 Jay Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201

Related:
{April Dumbo Food Tidbits, 01Apr2009}
{5 Front Bistro Bar & Garden, 21Aug2009}
{Dumbo General Store New Signage, 23Jul2009}

1) Movies With A View (Final one of the Season)

What: Movies With A View: Edward Scissorhands
When: August 27, 2009, 6:00pm – 11:00pm (Films at sundown; DJs at 6:00)
Where: Lawn, Empire-Fulton Ferry State Park section of Brooklyn Bridge Park

“Come down to the park to enjoy the city’s premiere (free!) outdoor film series with an eclectic line-up of films and breathtaking views of the NYC waterfront.”

2) The Non-Motivational Speaker Series

What: The Non-Motivational Speaker Series returns
When: Thursday, Aug 27, at 7:30 p.m.
Where: JLA Studios, 63 Pearl St (between Water and Front St.), Brooklyn, NY 11201

New York Stories will be the theme for this month, though neither Gay Talese nor Robert DeNiro will be in attendance. Come hear Doug Quint, proprietor of NYC’s newest, proudest food truck, the Big Gay Ice Cream Truck; Harvey Wang, photographer for the book Flophouse: Life on the Bowery, a photojournal of downtown Manhattan’s last skid row; and Salvatore “Buddy” Scotto, owner of the Scotto Funeral home and unofficial mayor of Brooklyn’s Carroll Gardens neighborhood.

3) Digital Dumbo at Galapagos

This month, space150, a digital agency in constant evolution with a singular mission of creating ideas that make life better, will be co-sponsoring Digital DUMBO providing a unique perspective on the digital space from their company all while collaborating with influential members of the digital community.

space150 CEO Billy Jurewicz and Head of Strategy Paul Isakson will provide a presentation on what they’ve been seeing in the digital space as well as what his company as been up to since their recent move to DUMBO. We’ve also collaborated a montage of video responses from leading digital influencers asking them the following question:

What have you observed in digital in the past 150 days and what are your predictions for the next 150 days?
Attendees will be able to provide their own take to the question by submitting a short video response in one of the designated booths that will be hosted online after the event. Special thanks for drink specials at the bar courtesy of space150.

We love eating and anything related to good food. If we weren’t posting about Dumbo related items, we’d be food blogging. We occasionally write about restaurants, Dumbo’s farmers market, or the Dumbo CSA, but don’t dedicate the time to write more about it (DumboNYC food posts). We did a few CSA food/cooking posts (here and here), but when we heard about Mangia Vita, a new-ish food blogger was blogging from Dumbo, we were excited. We’re honored to introduce a new column, Brooklyn’s Belly, by Nicole, and hope to hear adventures of a foodie in Dumbo Brooklyn. Please welcome Nicole.

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I rushed home from of all things, a food photo shoot to find the largest CSA share I think we’ve ever had. The variety was really exciting this week, and as I traveled down the line collecting my goods I was astounded to hear two pounds tomatoes, two pounds cherry tomatoes, two pounds potatoes, two pounds squash, two pounds two pounds two pounds…. My bag was soon heavier than a toddler, and as I shuffled back home I tried to imagine what to make for dinner. All I had going so far was a steak that was defrosting in the fridge – which is, in my opinion, always a really good start.

I unloaded the treats and decided I was going to tackle the squash this evening. I had glanced at a recipe on my shoot today that seemed easy enough, so I thought I’d try and make it my own. I sliced three squash (two yellow and one green one we had leftover from this weekend’s Chelsea Market excursion) lengthwise and then chunked them into one inch pieces. Drizzled some olive oil in the largest frying pan I could find and while that heated up I seasoned the squash with fresh ground salt and pepper.

On another burner I got a smaller pan going with a splash of oil. As soon as that pan was nice and hot in went the steak, seasoned with garlic salt and fresh pepper. Simple. My other pan was finally heated so I placed the squash cut side down, leaving enough room so every piece could get brown. In a small bowl I combined one chopped piece of garlic, lemon zest, red pepper flakes, chopped fresh parsley and cilantro (thank you, CSA) and a few good shakes of some plain breadcrumbs.

Once the steak was nice and seared I flipped it over and seasoned that side. The squash was getting golden and soft and after a few good tosses in the pan (give or take 8 minutes cooking time) they were done and ready to be tossed with the bread crumb mixture.

The steak was cooked to perfection on the stove but I decided to give it a quick run under the broiler just to crisp up the edges. I tossed up a simple salad in the meantime of fresh greens, celery, and cherry tomatoes with a little red wine vinegar and oil. I don’t even try to attempt making my husband’s dressing because I can guarantee I’ll fail. One of these day’s he’ll have to cough up that recipe – I promise I’ll share it. It’s that good.

A few minutes of resting the steak and dinner was done! The squash was citrusy and light, and really flavorful. And the steak, well, are there words? We both completely over ate, but in times like these I don’t feel guilty at all.

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Nicole Cummo Tereza, a graphic designer, food lover, and food blogger, is a Dumbo resident. Read more about her food adventures on her blog, Mangia Vita.

Google Map has started adding ‘points of interest’ on their Dumbo map, including restaurants, bars, stores, and companies in the area. A few of them are misplaced on the map (for example, Brooklyn Flea Dumbo is no longer on Front Street and Blueberi is misplaced on Pearl St) and there are many others missing (though I’m sure it’s a work in progress). Is Google planning on mapping out all the street level retail stores in the area? They’re not yet at the level of detail that, say, MondoMap has, but given their mantra of organizing the world’s information, perhaps they’re moving towards combining maps, business listings, and local blogs on the map. They’re not going to catch up with hyperlocal news and content of outside.in (outside.in’s Dumbo news: outside.in/DUMBO_Brooklyn_NY), but it looks like Google is moving towards that direction.

And the center of Dumbo according to the map? Galapagos Art Space; could be a center of culture (or something), but based on Dumbo Historic District boundaries, the Pearl Street Triangle would be more central on the map.

Google Map of Dumbo

Rabbithole Studio is a professional studio in Dumbo that rents studio space for artists and presents solo and group exhibitions for up-and-coming artists. What makes them stand out is that Shawn Lyons, the owner also runs Rabbit Movers, a moving company that specializes in moving and caring for fine art and furniture, and “hire only people who were passionate about art, as he was, and had creative ambitions, as he did.” The NY Times article writes:

Today, Rabbit Movers owns three trucks and employs 40 people. Its reputation continues to grow through positive word of mouth and almost uniformly strong endorsement on Web sites like Yelp.com.

Mr. Lyons estimated that the company took in $400,000 last year, though he was unsure because he only recently began managing his books. But he remains in debt, he said, partly due to his devotion to an exciting byproduct of the endeavor: Rabbit’s growth as an artists’ collective.

According to people interviewed, Rabbit Movers could be making a lot more money, but the business allows him to be “an unlikely patron of the Brooklyn art scene, content to set aside his own writing, for the time being, to provide a valuable platform for others.” It’s nice to see a platform such as Rabbit Movers and Rabbithole Studio be in Dumbo that empowers and highlights emerging artists. They are currently calling for entries (due September 1, 2009) for the Fall Emerging Artists 2009 show that starts on September 24, 2009 during the 2009 Dumbo Art Under the Bridge Festival.

Rabbithole Studio / Rabbit Movers
33 Washington Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201
Rabbithold Studio tel: 718-852-1500
Rabbit Movers tel: 718-852-2352
info@rabbitholestudio.com | move@rabbitmovers.com

(Photo by Josh Derr)

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

• Checking out Vinegar Hill (and House), 18Aug09, Snackish
• Tour of Dumbo, 19Aug09, LAMA
• Between Manhattan and Brooklyn Bridge, 20Aug09, NY Times
• Movies With a View, 21Aug09, mynewyorkcityphotos
• Dumbo Photographer Jennifer Neuman Interview, 21Aug09, Momtrends
• A taste of `da best’ Brooklyn, 22Aug09, Toronto Star
• Park-Building Frenzy in Downtown BK, 20Aug09, Brooklyn Eagle
• Brooklyn Bridge Park IS being built, 19Aug09, Brooklyn Paper
• Let’s Not Derail Park, 19Aug09, Brooklyn Eagle
• Deluka Makes Debut In DUMBO, 18Aug09, Sonic Scoop
• Pic: Looking West From Dumbo, 18Aug09, Bluejake
• Mangia Vita — New Brooklyn Food Blog, 18Aug09, McBrooklyn
• Bridge Park’s Sculptures, 17Aug09, Brooklyn Eagle
• Galapagos Art Space, 18Aug09, PSFK
• Dumbo in 5th Ed of AIA Guide, 18Aug09, AIANY
• Dumbo Sculptures, 18Aug09, aliandsethinthecity

[UPDATE May 17, 2010: 5 Front Bistro has been replaced with Brooklyn Bridge Gardens, as mentioned here. For menu, go to their website: brooklynbridgegardens.com]

Unlike the Dumbo General Store sign controversy (or non-controversy), the new 5 Front Bistro Bar & Garden sign is fabric and Brooklyn Paper did not turn this sign into a “riveting neighborhood debate”. We’ve been to the garden patio and is an upscale atmosphere for drinks. Brunch was tasty and had the waffles, which were crispy and light. We can’t comment on dinner, since we haven’t been, but please comment with your thoughts on 5 Front.

5 Front Bistro Bar & Garden (fivefrontrestaurant.com)
Five Front Street, Brooklyn NY 11201
718-625-5559

Hours:
Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday: 5:30 pm to 11 pm
Friday: 5:30 pm To Midnight
Saturday: 11am to Midnight
Sunday: 11 am to 11 pm
CLOSED MONDAY
(bar is open later)

Previously: {Five Front Restaurant Review, 21Aug2006}

We love heading to Speak Low for its chill candlelit lounge (we wrote about it before). They serve the best mixed drinks in the area. Yesterday, the people at Speak Low opened their outdoor patio bar, called Speak Up in the courtyard space next to Rice Restaurant. The outdoor lounge has lots of tables and couches for alfresco lounging. They are serving draft beer, wine, liquor, and their famous cocktails, including their new Speak Up Punch. Along with drinks, they are serving hot dogs and veggie dogs everyday, and on Thursdays and Fridays will have a limited supply of fresh lobster rolls.

Speak Up (patio bar)
75 Washington Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201
(between York and Front Street)
7 days a week; open at 5pm

Speak Low
81 Washington Street, Brooklyn, NY; (718) 222-1LOW
Happy Hour 5pm – 7pm

I wasn’t going to post this since Brownstoner already posted about it, but since we got 13 emails about it, here it is (Thanks for all who sent this in). An illustration of Brooklyn Bridge Park’s Movies with a View is featured on this week’s cover. The talented artist is Adrian Tomine.

Tonight’s Movies with a View is Catch Me If You Can. The 2002 film, directed by Steven Spielberg, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hanks, Christopher Walken, Martin Sheen, and Amy Adams is “a true story about Frank Abagnale Jr. who, before his 19th birthday, successfully conned millions of dollars worth of checks as a Pan Am pilot, doctor, and legal prosecutor.”

Short film: 6 a.m. by Carmen Vidal
Winner of the 2006 Student Academy Awards, this short explores NYC as it awakens. A beautifully constructed snippet of city life at dawn.
Grab a blanket, some dinner (on-site) from RICE, and enjoy the view.