The Dumbo Improvement District introduced the installation of Heartwalk, a massive, 30-foot art installation made from Sandy-salvaged wood in the Pearl Street Triangle in Dumbo. Situ Studio (based in 20 Jay Street in Dumbo) was originally commissioned to create the piece for Times Square. Heartwalk will be on view in the Pearl Street Triangle (Water Street at Pearl Street) through April 30, 2013.
Brooklyn Cupcake has a new retail storefront at 61 Pearl Street in Dumbo. This is their third location (along with their Williamsburg and Long Island City ones). Among the 18 flavors include tres leche, french toast, tiramisu, and red velvet. Welcome to Dumbo!
The street mural on Water Street (at Pearl Street) in Dumbo was painted over yesterday. That’s the ephemeral nature of street art, and we’re suprised how long it’s been up. Over the years, we’ve seen various art on that wall. In 2007, Revok, Retna, Saber collaborated for their mural. In May 2008, a group of 15 visual artists called Concrete Alchemy replaced the mural with their colorful imagery. Then in September 2008, a project called The Monster Project painted a piece titled “eel goddess”.
From May 2009 until this week, Dumbo artist Craig Anthony Miller (“CAM”), with a group called 303 Collectives painted the now famous elephant mural. The new temporary paint job will be up until the developers demolish the building for new townhouses.
According to a Brownstoner post today, “Alloy, the firm that will be both designing and developing the townhouses on the site (and is also responsible for 192 Water Street and 182 Plymouth Street), confirms that his firm gave the building its new look.”
They told Brownstoner, “we wanted to put something up that spoke to the impact of CAM’s work over the past few years and also inserted some optimism at that particular spot. We view all our work as a contribution to the built environment, hopefully a positive one, and while certainly a change from the wall, we’re excited about what the townhouses might be able to add in this little pocket of DUMBO.”
CAM sent us a note of thanks to convey to the community:
The 303 Collective mural on Water street has come to the end of an amazing run, enduring almost four years. It was humbling to see so many people use the wall weekly for a backdrop. Videos, weddings, engagements, fashion shoots, Television Ads and hundreds of tourist visiting the neighborhood monthly. A mural with a message for a Brooklyn community and embraced by more. Dumbo is a place where change is expected and inevitable, and to be honest I did not think the wall would survive a year being such a popular canvas. The mural made a name for itself and within its own rights became synonymous with the neighborhood. Thank you to EVERYONE who showed love and support for the mural and most importantly thanks to Tom, Blue Barn Pictures and The 303 Collective… Coby Kennedy, John Breiner, TRON, and the last edition Sky Davison.
No date has been set for the development of 55-57 Pearl Street, but the Craig Anthony Miller’s muralwill have to go has already been painted over. Brooklyn Paper reported:
The builders at Alloy want to put up modern housing in place of a low elephant-adorned garage at Pearl and Water streets that, like much of the block, once belonged to the Industrial-era paint company J.W. Masury & Son, according to the Historic Districts Council.
Alloy, the developers unveiled its plans for the site to the Landmarks Preservation Commission last Tuesday (Brownstoner), but the LPC raised a few concerns about how the concrete would fit in with the predominantly brick structures in Dumbo. The proposal is expected to be approved, but one of the best murals in Dumbo will be is gone.
CrossFit Dumbo has started a new program that takes the same skills and movements and break them down to teach kids as young as age three. CrossFit Kids instructors have a special certification to work with children from ages 3 to 17. The classes are formatted to include a fun, dynamic warm up. In each class we teach a skill set of one of the nine foundational movements; a “WOD,” re-enforcing the skill; and finally, each class ends with an exercise game.
They’re starting with a program for 6-11 year olds and soon will be adding ages 3-5. Classes will be held on Mondays and Wednesdays at 4pm. We talked to Coach Darren about the new CrossFit Kids:
What is CrossFit Kids like? How similar is it to the regular CrossFit?
CrossFit Kids is not simply a scaled down version of CrossFit, it is entirely absolutely CrossFit geared and designed for a special population and the specific developmental needs of that population. (neurological, cognitive, motor).
Since Late 2004 CrossFit Kids has been Forging The Future Of Fitness and is currently in over 400 gyms in North America, Australia, Europe, Africa, India, Japan and Panama. CrossFit Kids is a strength and conditioning program that is specifically designed for kids and teenagers and helps them develop a lifelong love of fitness. In a group setting, children and teens participate in fun and engaging workouts that deliver measurable results and prepare them to be well- rounded athletes. With a network of over 2000 CrossFit Kids Trainers, CrossFit Kids is being implemented in preschools to high schools with before-and-after school programs and integration into Physical Education curriculum. CrossFitKids.com contains thousands of archived workouts, video demonstrations and informative articles that provide interested parents or teachers with a foundation for understanding how the CrossFit Kids program can be implemented at home or at school.
CrossFit Kids workouts consist of constantly varied, functional movements that deliver a fitness that is broad, inclusive and general and scalable for any participant at any level.
Does this mean that kids will not see this as a workout?
This means that, for the most part, no two workouts are the same, so kids and teens never get bored and the novelty of each workout keeps them excited about participating.
The functional movements involve exercises that are fundamental to all things that kids need to do when they play-pull, push,run, throw, climb, lift and jump. All of the movements are taught safely and effectively under the close supervision of thoroughly trained CrossFit Kids Trainers.
When fitness is defined as broad, inclusive and general it means that participants will become well-rounded athletes who will be better at any and every sport that they play because CrossFit Kids doesn’t coach them to be good at just one thing.
Our workouts will increase physical competence in 10 fitness domains: Cardiovascular and Respiratory Endurance, Stamina, Strength, Flexibility, Power, Speed, Coordination, Agility, Balance, and Accuracy.
With workouts that are scalable, CrossFit Kids can equally benefit a person who is less active or an accomplished athlete by tailoring workouts so that each participant is challenged just enough to deliver measurable results and personal athletic progress.
Officials from the NYCDOT and NYCDDC hosted a public workshop to gather community input on the permanent design of the plaza space known as Pearl Street Triangle in Dumbo Brooklyn in July 2012. They have incorporated the community’s comments and suggestions and will present premiminary concepts for additional feedback on January 8, 2013 at 6pm at Etsy Labs (55 Washington Street).
As we noted in November 2011, the Dumbo Improvement District secured $20 million for a second phase of street reconstruction, which includes the permanent build out of the Pearl Street Triangle.
Please join to give your feedback or comment below on what you would like incorporated there.
