Videographer Greg Malcolm checking in with another in his series of Why I Love Brooklyn. This time he cuts a segment of The Brooklyn Promenade, the best view towards lower Manhattan. Once the Brooklyn Bridge Park is completed, we’ll have an even better view of both the Park and lower Manhattan. Several sections including Pier 1 and 6 is planned for opepning in 2010 in the 85-acre Brooklyn Bridge Park.

Check out Greg’s other videos on YouTube and his blog at whyilovebk.blogspot.com.

Previously:
{Why I Love Dumbo: Zakka, 02Nov2009}
{Why I Love Dumbo by Greg Malcolm, 29Jul2009}

(Photo by AMH Design)

“Amy Holbrook, the founder of AMH Design, is bringing needlepoint into the 21st century with her collection of contemporary needlepoint kits. Easy, stylish, portable and all-inclusive, AMH Design needlepoint kits are perfect for beginner and veteran stitchers alike.”

Amy is a Dumbo-based designer and hosting Craft Night at Etsy today Monday November 9th from 4-8 PM. She will be showing you how to make needlepoint gift tags – a super easy and fun project. The event is FREE and open to all.

Location:
Etsy, 55 Washington St, Ste 512, Brooklyn, NY 11201
or join virtually at etsy.com/virtual_labs.php

More info: etsy.com/storque/events.

 [+]

For this event NOS Boutique has partnered with Mackage Outerwear to show their fall/winter 09 collection in it’s entirety. NOS will be showing the collection via a runway show (a full production). They will be offering the rare opportunity to get Mackage on sale (at this event only). Go to mackage.com for a preview of the collection.

Thursday, November 12, 2009
Cocktails and shopping 6:30-9pm
Mackage Fashion Show 7:30pm (Seating starts at 7pm)
68 Jay Street (between Front and Water Streets), Brooklyn

RSVP to rsvp@nosboutique.com on Monday, Nov 9 for a chance to win 50% off one Mackage outerwear purchase.

NYC Love (Photo by Robbie Mitchell)

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

• PS Bookshop Moves to Larger Space w Longer Lease, 06Nov09, Brooklyn Eagle
• Andy Roddick and model wife Brooklyn Decker Consider JCondo, 06Nov09, NY Post
• Water Taxi Service On Thin Ice Again, 04Nov09, Brooklyn Eagle
• Hearty Meal Worth the Trek to Brooklyn, 02Nov09, behindtheburner.com
• Brooklyn Apartment Going For Cool $25 Million, 02Nov09, CBS
• Vinegar Hill Pics, 02Nov09, Paul Gelinas
• Brooklyn Landlords Eyeing Russian Billionaire Tenant, 02Nov09, Gothamist
• You Better Sit Down @ Galapagos, 04Nov09, Playbill
• Ghost of Studio B Deep Sixes DUMBO Dance Club, 05Nov09, Village Voice
• Re-Dumbo, 03Nov09, travellishminds
• After Hecho, a Bit of Nashville En Dumbo, 06Nov09, Village Voice

I love that we’re getting all sorts of squashes and cruciferous with the recent CSA’s, but I have to say I’m running out of ideas on how to use them all up. So as the gourds sat on my counter, looking too pretty to eat, I decided to consult my fellow food bloggers to see who had any good ideas. Low and behold there are LOTS of squash recipes going ’round the ether so it wasn’t long before I stumbled upon a recipe for pumpkin risotto with fried sage. Delicious, right? But I didn’t have fresh sage in the house, or pumpkin for that matter, so I thought I would just modify the idea.

I split the acorn squash in half, and after cleaning out all the seeds I drizzled olive oil, salt and pepper and put a little square of butter in it’s belly for good measure before popping into a preheated oven at 400°. While that cooked I got a basic risotto going, using a good bouillon instead of stock, a splash of red wine (we were out of white – so it did the trick) some shallots and garlic all sauteed to golden brown.

30-35 minutes later the squash was done, and it was scooped and folded into the cooked risotto. Right before serving I tossed in a handful of fresh arugula to wilt and not cook, and grated in some fresh Parmesan. The green in the veg added the perfect pop of color and a much needed peppery flavor. The rice was cheesy and savory, an ideal counterpoint to the naturally sweet and buttery squash. Dinner was SO filling and really tasty that I’d make it again in a heartbeat. However, if I don’t do something with all that broccoli I just got it’s going to be taking over the apartment. Anyone have any bright ideas?

P.S. in case you did want to try your hand at the Pumpkin Sage risotto, get the full recipe here: verysmallanna.com/2009/01/i-love-risotto/

(Photo by Josh Derr)

In addition to the 1st Thursday Dumbo Gallery Walk tonight, there are a few other happenings around the neighborhood:

1) The Tibet Center
When: Thursday, November 5, 2009, until 8pm
Where: 25 Washington Street, Suite 304

(Nagarjuna, Tibetan Applique Thangka, 18′ tall x 9′ wide. Photograph (c) Herman Velez /All Rights Reserved)

THE TIBET CENTER is the oldest Tibetan Buddhist Center in NYC. It’s not a Gallery, but you are welcome to come and look around Thursday evening. On display is the 18 foot tall (rolled to 12 foot to mind the ceilings) Nagarjuna Applique Thangka that was commissioned for HH The Dalai Lama. Other Tibetan paintings of the Buddha, White and Green Tara’s, among other traditional pieces, are also on display.

Check out elizabethavedon.blogspot.com or thetibetcenter.org for more information.

2) GUMBO (Gay. DUMBO. Party.)
When: Thursday, November 5, 8pm-2am
Where: Galapagos Art Space, 16 Main Street (@ Water Street)

Hosted by Ben Harvey, Matthew Kelleher & Andrew Urankar

• Music by DJ Josh Sparber
• 2-4-1 drinks from 8pm-9pm
• Free haircuts by the Galapagos resident stylist
• Raffle prizes all night – proceeds benefit the Brooklyn Pride Center
• Win a gift certificate and accessories package to BoConcept, a pair of tickets to a live performance at Galapagos Art Space
• Doors open early for 1st Thursday gallery walkers

3) Takka Takka
When: Thursday, November 5 at 7pm
Where: Smack Mellon Gallery, 92 Plymouth Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201

Smack Mellon presents Press Play, a free concert series held in conjunction with the Dumbo First Thursday Gallery Walk*. While listening to the latest sounds from the best new local bands, enjoy a free beer tasting,
courtesy of Kelso of Brooklyn.

“Takka Takka offers just a sketch of a sound, letting their instruments trace a tune, and dance around the beat rather than pounding the rhythm home and filling in every inch of aural space…The result has made their music some of the most playful, light and evocative on the New York scene today.” – Jim Farber, NY Daily News

(Photo by bitchcakes)

A few days ago, we posted about the application for a cabaret license for One Front Street. The Brooklyn Paper reports that the Community Board 2 committee decided on Wednesday night that a dance club at the corner of Front and Old Fulton streets in Dumbo would be bad for the neighborhood, voting to reject a cabaret license request by the owners of One Front restaurant. BP reports:

“The owner, Marcelo Pevida, sought the permit for his establishment so that he could offer dancing on the second floor. He claimed that the ground floor and mezzanine of the eatery, formerly the Asian-fusion restaurant Toro, would remain limited to dining.”

“But a majority of the members of CB2’s health, environment, and social services committee was persuaded by the opposite argument. “I have lived in the neighborhood for 25 years and I have never objected to any new restaurant or establishment,” said resident Gary Van der Putten. “But what happens is that these kinds of places get cabaret licenses then, all of a sudden, they deteriorate into clubs.”"

I can understand residents who oppose large groups of people spilling outside causing noise late night, but according to the Brooklyn Paper, one resident “retorted”, “We don’t want to dance!” That’s no fun.

TONIGHT: 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
Bose Pacia, 163 Plymouth St.
Brooklyn Art Project, 5 Front St.
Brooklyn Arts Council, 111 Front St., Suite 218
Caption Gallery, 55 Washington St., Suite 802
Central Booking, 111 Front St., Suite 214
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.
Possible Projects, 68 Jay St., #510
Powerhouse Books & Powerhouse Arena, 37 Main St.
Rabbithole Studio, 33 Washington St.
Randall Scott Gallery, 111 Front St., Suite 204
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

(Photo from The Architect’s Newspaper)

[UPDATE: Acconci Studio has returned our email who stated that the studio is not closed. I am getting further details and will update this post.]

This is old news from the summer, but we just found out that Vito Acconci, the Dumbo Brooklyn-based architect, landscape architect, and installation artist closed his Dumbo studio due to the recession, according to an interview by The Architect’s Newspaper. Acconci Studio was located in 20 Jay Street (#215), and founded in 1988 focusing on theoretical design and building. Acconci has designed the United Bamboo store in Tokyo in 2003 and collaborated on concept designs for interactive art vehicle Mister Artsee in 2006 among others. Mr. Acconci tells The Architect’s Newspaper interview why he had to close his studio:

“The contradictory thing is that at a time when there are these architectural projects that we have the possibility of doing, how do we keep the studio active on a day-to-day basis? We don’t have money constantly coming in, we have money that comes in spurts, but we can’t pay people’s salary every two weeks, rent, insurance, etc. I think it costs approximately $50,000 a month to keep the studio going, and we certainly don’t make anything near that amount now.”

“…There were six designers, an office manager, and someone who took care of press. Sometimes we also had interns who came in to deal with the archives. The economic crisis made a big difference. At first, I thought it wouldn’t affect us, because we never made a lot of money. But it really has. One of the reasons is that we have never consistently supported ourselves from the architecture. We also depended on the sale of my artwork and without this we wouldn’t have survived. It’s a very difficult time for architecture projects to exist, but it might be a harder time for art sales.”

It’s unfortunate that such a high profile studio that has been in Dumbo for so long is closing. Best of luck to Vito Acconci.

Acconci Studio (acconci.com)
20 Jay Street, #215, Brooklyn, NY 11201
studio@acconci.com

{Recession Tales: Vito Acconci, The Architect’s Newspaper}
{Vito Acconci Wikipedia page}