Permit # TV-351: Monday and Tuesday, 10/31 – 11/1 2011 between 6am – 10pm

Filming for a new Spike Lee TV drama series, Da Brick is occurring in Dumbo Brooklyn on Front Street between Washington and York Streets and on York Street today and tomorrow (10/31-11/1). Da Brick stars Kamil Dabrowski, Milauna Jemai and Julito McCullum.

All filming posts are tagged here: DumboNYC.com/tag/filming

The above is a tour of the 2011 Esquire Apartment by Margot Robbie, star of ABC’s Pan Am. This year’s Ultimate Bachelor Pad at 1 Main Street in Dumbo is on the market for $23.5 Million.

{Margot Robbie Would Like to Move in to the Esquire Apartment, Esquire}
{Inside Esquire’s Very Bonkers Ultimate Bachelor Pad, Curbed}

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

• Selling New York – 1 Main PH, 28Oct11, Curbed
• BHB Reader Report from Squadron’s Transit Forum, 27Oct11, BHB
• Shortcut Opened in Brooklyn Bridge Park, 22Oct11, BHB
• Controversial Brooklyn Architect Robert Scarano Loses Appeal, 25Oct11, BK Eagle
• Wild Rise Pizza Review, 26Oct11, NYT
• Jehova’s Witnesses Not Vacating Coveted Brooklyn HQ Anytime Soon, 25Oct11, LMag
• Socialink Moves to Dumbo, 25Oct11, Socialink
• Margot Robbie at Esquire Apt in Dumbo, 25Oct11, BK Eagle
• Borough Hall Conference Examines Brooklyn Waterfront, 26Oct11, BK Eagle
• Building of the Day: Manhattan Bridge anchorages, 27Oct11, Brownstoner
• The Writing on the Wall at Shake Shack, 26Oct11, Brownstoner

Kiwisweat is a new pop-up fitness company that finds unique NYC destinations to work out in. KiwiSweat co-founders Alicia Thomas and Pam Graf thought of the idea when they were tired of doing the same workouts at the same gym. To break out of the boredom, they started KiwiSweat to add an experiential aspect to your workout in non-traditional spaces. Each month, they go to a new location with new workouts and instructors. They started at Chelsea Market in October and are coming to Dumbo from November 3-6 with spinning classes. There are various class hours. The city’s best instructors will teach, and live DJs will set the mood. For schedules and registration, go to the KiwiSweat calendar. Sounds like a fun way to exercise and check out different areas of NYC.

81 Front Street (at Washington Street), Brooklyn NY 11201
November 3-6, 2011 (various times)

About KiwiSweat:
Not a typical workout, KiwiSweat (kiwisweat.com, @kiwisweat) is “can’t miss” pop-up fitness classes. Every month brings new locations, new workouts and new instructors. Picture yoga at warehouse in Dumbo, kickboxing at an art gallery in Chelsea, spinning on the High Line.

The city’s hottest instructors are signing up to teach–giving people a chance to take classes with the most in-demand teachers in the city, even if they don’t belong to Equinox (or Crunch, Reebok, etc.) where the teacher holds classes regularly. (Also good for those who can’t afford regular personal training sessions with these instructors.)

To sign up, go to www.kiwisweat.com

KiwiSweat around the web:
{WSJ article: Shaping Up at the Pop-Up, 19Oct2011}
{Dumbo BID on KiwiSweat}

There seems to be a few incidents of theft at 10 Jay Street, and want to make those who are tenants aware of their belongings. We’ve heard from more than a few tenants at 10 Jay Street asking if there were other incidents at the building. One reader sent in the following email last night:

We had a robbery on the 5th floor on tuesday and another robbery tonight on the 6th floor. Group of guys walk into a space, while people are there working, and grab as much as they can and run out. They got a laptop and a camera from the 5th floor, not sure about what they got tonight. Police have been on the case and show up promptly but haven’t been able to catch anyone. I saw detectives tonight. We got a shot of the criminals from a security camera and the photo was posted around the building but someone took them down.

Please report any suspicious activity to building management and to the police.

Reader “epc” posted a great recap of yesterday’s Transportation Town Hall meeting worth reposting here. For those who attended, please add any other comments. It would be interesting to see how State Senator Daniel Squadron, Assembly Member Joan Millman and Council Member Steve Levin work with the MTA and DOT on the issues that were raised by residents:

Interesting meeting. Honestly impressed to see Millman and Squadron show up in person for this as well as the staff from MTA and DOT. Not so impressed that no one appeared from our local council member’s office.

Maybe 50-60 people (about 30 seated, plus a lot standing across the back and side).

Biggest issue was the routing of the B25 down Main Street, both in terms of number of speakers as well as time spent discussing the issue.

The B25 also figured in discussion about where to layover the buses (on Fulton or in a new space on Front (I’m guessing under the Bridge but this wasn’t clear to me).

The parking fiasco on York at Front also figured prominently.

Some issues raised by residents from Vinegar Hill about additional bus capacity towards Bridge/Gold streets.

Other issues: two-way Furman means lack of legal drop-off/pickup space for 8 Fulton. Lack of enforcement of no-parking/no-standing on Main Street and around Fulton Landing. Accessibility of buses, train stations. Some sort of connecting tunnel between the York Street station and High Street stations.

Someone asked about the BQE rehab and the DOT rep responded that they were awaiting a response from the NYS DOT on the issue. I know from the meeting I attended in the spring and ensuing reports I’ve read that there simply is no funding at all at the state or federal level to rehab the cantilever (my understanding is that the recently finished rehab was paid for out of the Clinton era(!) highway funding bill). Unless the state can assess a toll on the BQE, which it is currently prohibited from doing (I guess Federal law), the funding is a major stumbling block for anything other than a nice paint job.

I’m sure I’ve left out other issues people raised, feel free to add them. I wanted to ask about adding stop signs and lowering the speed limit on Water Street. Perversely now that Water Street is even, traffic flies down it from Main to Fulton (perhaps with a cursory nod to the stop sign at the bend by River Cafe).

Thanks Ed for the recap!

Jam On Dumbo’s Halloween Parade
Monday, October 31, 2011, 4pm

Meet in front of Bubby’s at the corner of Main and Plymouth Street. Come in costume and bring an instrument. ‘Let’s make some noise as we march through Dumbo to kick off the neighborhood’s trick-or-treating festivities!’ Jon Samson of CoCreative Music (www.cocreativemusic.com) will be leading Jam On DUMBO’s Musical Halloween Parade.

The parade is also a fundraiser that will raise money for Jam On DUMBO’s free Summer Family Music Festival and our 2012 community outreach programs with the League Center and PS 307. To donate or become involved with the organization, please contact alisha@jamondumbo.com.

There are also two events, Dumbo Halloween at The Shops (145 Front Street) on Friday for the adults and on Monday for the kids.

Come have some beer and wine, and network with the independent shop owners at The Shops. The event will feature Leysha-P and Widy, two emerging R & B artists.

Participating Shops will offer 10% Off
Date: Friday, October 28, 2011
Time: 6pm – 9pm

Trick Treat Kids at The Shops
Bring your kids in costume to trick and threat at The Shops. Come in costume and receive a discount. The Shops will have treats for the kids.

Date:Monday, October 31, 2011
Time: 4pm – 7pm

There are many other Halloween events in Dumbo. For participating businesses on Halloween, check out the list at dumbo.is. Photos from last year’s Dumbo Parent’s Organization party under the Archway.

Etsy is hosting a one-of-a-kind event called Almost Internet Famous, and it will take place on Thursday, October 27. It’s a two-part evening that melds social media and small business education.

First, we’ll hear from comedian Eugene Mirman, who uses online tools to build his personal brand and grow his audience. Next we’ll discuss the day-to-day aspects of building a brand through social media in a panel format. The panel will cover several topics, such as; how can a small business owner, freelancer, brand or creative entrepreneur use social media to connect with customers, clients and fans effectively?

Panelists include:
Elizabeth Weil, the head of Culture and Brand Experience at Twitter.
Amy Turn Sharp, owner of Little Alouette, an organic wooden toy shop.
Laura Chin, the voice behind Etsy’s Facebook and Twitter accounts.

Key details:
When: Thursday, October 27 | 7:00 – 9:30 p.m. ET
Where: Etsy Labs at 55 Washington Street, Suite 712 (7th floor) Brooklyn, NY
Admission: Admission is $5. Register at Eventbrite. For those who can’t make it in person, we’ll be broadcasting the event via Livestream. RSVP to attend online here.

B25 Bus (Photo by Jane Kratochvil)

State Senator Daniel Squadron, Assembly Member Joan Millman and Council Member Steve Levin invite you to a Transportation Town Hall for DUMBO, Fulton Ferry Landing and Downtown Brooklyn. Join in for a discussion about ongoing transportation issues in our neighborhood, featuring representatives from the MTA, the NYC Dept. of Transportation, and NYPD’s 84th Precinct.

Wednesday, October 26, 2011 7:30pm – 8:30pm
55 Washington Street, Room 216 Brooklyn, NY
RSVP to belinda@danielsquadron.org

Dumbo has been talking about yesterday’s discussion of new parking signs, and the B25 Bus Route on Main Street. If you have opinions on the tour buses on Old Fulton Street, York/Front Street redesign, lack of parking, enforcement (or lack thereof)?

Have your opinions heard!

Drivers, please note there’s a new ‘No Standing’ sign on York Street at Front Street. This sign went up last week and cars have been ticketed and towed. One of our readers wrote in:

Wanted to alert you to the new No Standing sign at the bottom of York Street at the corner of Front. I parked at the bottom of the street Friday night and was towed promptly at 7am on Saturday morning. I talked to a neighbor who said the sign went up on Monday (to the best of his knowledge).

The new No Standing sign is quite a ways away from the restricted area (because there is a hydrant and a driveway in between) and there is no sign at the very corner, so if you are on “auto pilot” when you are looking for parking in the neighborhood, there is no way you are going to see the new signage. In addition, the sign is on the far side of post, making it nearly impossible to see unless you are standing right in front of it.

In other parking news, the parking meter pay system (made by Parkeon) have been installed to replace the individual meters. The cost is $0.25 per 15 minutes.