(Photo by lmichalos)

The Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy announced the Movies With A View lineup for the 14th year. This will be Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy’s sixth year partnering with Syfy to present Syfy Movies With A View. The free, outdoor film series will take place on Pier 1 in Brooklyn Bridge Park and will feature films from different cities around the globe.

The first film in the park kicks off on Thursday, July 11, 2013 and runs weekly through Thursday, August 29, 2013. The audience will be taken on a journey each week with feature films that take place in cities such as Chicago (Ferris Bueller’s Day Off), Hong Kong (Enter the Dragon), London (Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory), Rome (Roman Holiday), Detroit (8 Mile), Philadelphia (Rocky), San Francisco (Vertigo), and a location that the public will choose later in the summer.

In line with the “With Love From…” theme, DJs from Brooklyn Radio will feature pre-movie music from the films’ locations. BAMcinématek will continue to curate short films to be shown before the feature each week.

The Conservancy is also excited to welcome back community partners Astronomers Association of New York, who will be on hand to help stargazers scan the skies with telescopes provided by Syfy, and Transportation Alternatives, who provide free bike valet parking. Also highlighting the series are returning media sponsors Time Out New York and Brownstoner. DUMBO-based publication, Gothamist, will be joining the team as a media sponsor for the first time.

Music starts at 6:00 pm, and the films begin at sundown. Park concessionaires Blue Marble Ice Cream, Luke’s Lobster, No. 7 Subs, Lizzmonade Brooklyn, and the Brooklyn Bridge Wine Bar will be offering food and drink for purchase.

FREE! On the Harbor View Lawn of Pier 1 in Brooklyn Bridge Park. (directions)

See www.brooklynbridgepark.org for full press release and more information.

Note: capacity is limited and lawn seating is first come, first served.

Full movie lineup after the jump:
Read the rest of this entry »

Plans for Indoor Cycling Track for Pier 5 Withdrawn

NY Times reports that plans for a velodrome at an old maintenance building at Pier 5 of Brooklyn Bridge Park is cancelled. Joshua Rechnitz, the philanthropist behind the project, said on Wednesday “that he and his team had withdrawn their proposal for the park and would seek another location in or around the city for the indoor sports complex.” The $50million pledge is among the largest individual gifts in the history of New York City’s parks. There were some local opposition to the indoor cycling center but was not a factor for the withdrawal, according to Rechnitz.

‘Cutest Dog at the Dog Run Contest’

There are two dog runs within Brooklyn Bridge Park: Main Street and Pier 6. They are holding a Cutest Dog at the Dog Run Photo Contest. Submit your photos (in jpg format, taken AT one the dog runs to be considered) to info@brooklynbridgepark.org with the subject “Cutest Dog at the Dog Run” by January 22. Voting will begin January 23 on their Facebook page. The winners will be announced on February 5, 2013. Read the contest rules and get submission information here.

Post-Sandy Park Hours + Update

The park was affected by damaging floodwaters that impacted several areas of the park. The park continues to be open from dawn until dusk. The playground (aka Pirate ship park) at the Main Street section is still closed. For more details on which sections of the park are open, please click here.

Save the Date: Junior Committee Open House

If you’re looking to get involved in the Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy Junior Committee, they are hosting an open house on February 5 at 6:30 pm. For more details, sign up for the JC email list.

Brooklyn Bridge Park is requesting proposals for the long-term lease, development and operation of a vacant parcel at the northern end of the park for a premier residential development at John Street (between Adams and Pearl Street) in Dumbo.

The site consists of approximately 9,600 square feet and is located within a vacant 147,460 square foot lot just east of the Manhattan Bridge. It allows for up to 130 residential units comprising up to 101,000 square feet with a maximum height of 130 feet, up to 110 parking spaces and ground floor retail. The building just west of the lot is 10 Jay Street.

Previously, the proposed building was to be 170 feet tall and 16 stories high with 130 units but was reduced from opposition to the size.

The future John Street section of the park is approximately 1.5 acres and will serve as the Park’s northern entrance. The build-out of this section is fully-funded and will include an innovative waterfront design, pedestrian bridges over tidal salt marsh, tree-lined pathways, and a 13,000 square foot gathering lawn. The site, currently owned by Consolidated Edison Company of New York, Inc. will be acquired by Brooklyn Bridge Park Development Corp., who will then transfer control of the site to BBP. BBP expects to commence construction on this section of the park immediately upon acquiring the John Street lot and complete the build-out within one year.

(John Street site in Dumbo)

Brooklyn Bridge park has requested proposals for the creation and operation of Park concessions, including restaurant, food carts, and a marina at Pier 6 and for the Smokestack building. From the Brooklyn Bridge Park:

The Smokestack Building is prominently located at the intersection of Water Street and Old Fulton Street, adjacent to the Brooklyn Bridge. Situated between Pier 1 and the Empire Fulton Ferry sections of the Park, the site has great visibility from Old Fulton Street and sits in a highly trafficked pedestrian thoroughfare. Empire Fulton Ferry features spectacular views of the harbor and is the location of the historic Tobacco Warehouse and Jane’s Carousel. Located at the foot of Old Fulton Street, Fulton Ferry Landing is one of Brooklyn’s most historic sites and a popular tourist destination. Pier 1 to the south is the largest of the park’s piers and the location of many of the park’s special events and programming. In the future, BBP plans to reconstruct the area beneath the Brooklyn Bridge and offer additional amenities to the public which will further increase pedestrian traffic to the area.

The smokestack could be a great place for something like Shake Shack or a seafood shack, no? What else would you want to see there?

Information Session & Site Tour November 7, 2012
Submissions Due December 3, 2012

(via Brownstoner)

Etsy’s third annual Craft Party is on Friday, August 24, 2012. Each year people all over the world self organize to throw their own craft party on the same day. This year’s theme is- Wish You Were Here, and we have encouraged people to create projects that reflect their hometown.

The Brooklyn Craft Party will be held at the Brooklyn Bridge Park. Party goers can stop by anytime between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. to enjoy music from the Raya Brass Band, try food from talented food truck vendors and partake in a variety of craft projects.

Artist Ed Roth will be on hand to teach a New York-themed stencil project with stencils from his new book, Stencil Style 101, a DIY guide filled with how-tos and die cut reusable stencils for customizing apparel. Participants can stencil on a handkerchief or drawstring ECOBAG. Brooklyn-based artist and Etsy seller Aya Rosen of LoucheLab will lead a glass painting lesson using Pébéo inks, called “Message in a Bottle.” Participants should bring their own bottle to transform with New York-inspired illustrations. Snail mail enthusiast and blogger Melissa Lohman Wild and artist Dari Litchman will teach a mixed media post card project.

Guests can sample specialty food truck treats from Coolhaus, Kimchi Taco, and the Red Hook Lobster Pound and also purchase beer from the Brooklyn Brewery. Magnolia Photo Booth Company will run one of their vintage style booths to capture party smiles!

Event: Etsy Craft Party
Food: Food and drinks will be available to purchase from: Coolhaus, Kimchi Taco, Red Hook Lobster Pound and Brooklyn Brewery.
Where: Pier 1 at the Brooklyn Bridge Park, Brooklyn, NY, 11201 (Enter Pier 1 at Old Fulton Street and Furman Street.)
When: Friday, August 24, 2012, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Cost: Free (Bring cash for food and beer!)
RSVP: meetup.com/etsy/Brooklyn-NY/738472/

(Photo by Chuck Taylor for Brooklyn Heights Blog)

From Senator Daniel Squadron’s office:

State Senator Daniel Squadron will join Brooklyn Bridge Park (BBP) President Regina Myer, Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy (BBPC) Executive Director Nancy Webster, Assemblymember Joan Millman, Councilmember Steve Levin, and a representative from Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz’s office to cut the ribbon on the new Pop-Up Pool at Pier 2, Friday at 9:45AM.

Senator Squadron secured the addition of a pool in BBP for at least five summers as part of the August 2011 agreement to move the park forward, along with Assembymember Joan Millman and with the support of Councilmembers Steve Levin and Brad Lander.

In addition, Senator Squadron secured $400,000 in state funding for construction of the pool area, beach, concessions, and facilities, which will allow greater programming and use.

The pool will operate daily from 10:00AM to 6:00PM beginning this Friday until Labor Day. It will include a sand beach with lounge chairs and picnic tables, concessions, showers, and restrooms. The pool was constructed by Brooklyn Bridge Park and will be operated by the Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy.

Along with the water park at Pier 6, the pool is great for the hot summer days.

More around the web:
Brooklyn Bridge Park
Brooklyn Heights Blog
Brownstoner

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On June 19th, 2012, the Brooklyn Bridge Park Board of Directors voted to approve a mixed-use development including residential and hotel units, restaurant and retail space, as well as a banquet hall and fitness center on Pier 1 of the Brooklyn Bridge Park. This project will generate funds over the term of the lease to fund maintenance and operations of the park and allow Brooklyn Bridge Park to continue building and maintaining its beautiful waterfront park for future generations.

As Brownstoner and Curbed reported, the winning design by Rogers Marvel incorporates a 10-story structure with both hotel and residential as well as a five-story building with just residential.

The NYC Office of the Mayor announcement (PDF) says the venture between Toll Brothers City Living and Starwood Capital Group will develop the 550,000 square foot complex that will include a 200 room luxury hotel and 159 residential units adjacent to Pier 1. The hotel will be called 1 Hotel and the proposed building plan will feature 16,000 square feet of restaurant space, 16,000 square feet of banquet and meeting space, 2,000 square feet of retail space, a 6,000 square foot spa and fitness center, and 300 parking spaces.

Over the course of the lease term, the development is projected to result in $119.7 million in net present value of revenue from a variety of sources to help fund the maintenance and operations of sections of the park that are built or underway. Upon completion, the project will generate a projected total of $3.3 million annually in rent and payments in lieu of taxes from residential unit owners and the hotel operator to maintain the park.

Development is expected to break ground by summer 2013 and open the hotel and residential building in the fall of 2015.

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(Photo credit: Rogers Marvel Architects, PLLC)

Photoville (photovillenyc.org) is a new Brooklyn-based photo destination – a veritable village of freight containers transformed into temporary exhibition spaces, taking place this summer from June 22 to July 1, 2012 at Pier 3 of Brooklyn Bridge Park.

Photoville will feature a mix of exhibitions, lectures, hands-on workshops, nighttime projections, a photo dog run, a camera greenhouse, and a summer beer-garden with food trucks that will create a photography destination like no other. And best of all, Photoville is FREE for all to attend and participate (beer & food sold separately ;)

Occupying more than 60,000 sq. feet in the heart of Brooklyn Bridge Park, Photoville will be located on the uplands of Pier 3, along the Brooklyn Waterfront between DUMBO and Atlantic Avenue.

Photoville will be a FREE community event, but they need your help with this large scale event. They are asking the community for support on Kickstarter:

We are humbled by the extraordinary outpour of support that we have received from our community & programming partners in our quest to raise most of our capital – but we need your support to carry this project to the finish line and create a photographic destination like no other.

United Photo Industries is a Dumbo based, Brooklyn-born, art-presenting cooperative dedicated to identifying, harnessing, and occasionally conjuring unexpected exhibition opportunities. Their mission at United Photo Industries is to promote and showcase emerging photographers through curated exhibitions both locally in DUMBO, Brooklyn and around the world.

The NY Times gave a mention of this event yesterday, which wrote “The ultimate aim, he said, is to create a whole environment for photography: Photoville will be immersive, which means it will provide some basic perks (beer, food trucks, dog run) and more elaborate ones (a greenhouse where plants sprout tiny cameras).”

The Brooklyn Bridge Park Corporation’s board of directors approved the design and installation of a pool at Brooklyn Bridge Park this summer. Senator Squadron and Assemblymember Millman, supported by Councilmembers Levin and Lander, secured the pool for at least five summers as part of their August 2011 agreement to move the park forward and reduce housing. This is not part of the floating pool proposal, known as +Pool.

“We were so pleased to secure this pool at Brooklyn Bridge Park – and this summer, families can dive right in! Brooklyn Bridge Park has already made waves, and this pool is certain to make a splash,” said Senator Squadron. “A pool and other active recreation are critical to the long-term success of Brooklyn Bridge Park for the next five summers and beyond. I look forward to working with BBPC and my colleagues to make this and other active recreation permanent parts of the park.”

The 30-by-50 foot above ground family pool on Pier 2 will be 3.5 feet deep and surrounded by decks and poolside recreation, and will serve children and families, as well as others.

{Brooklyn Bridge Park news}

Looks like the viral marketing group at thinkmodo have done it again. They’ve created a marketing campaign for a new movie, Chronicle that’s gone viral. Three human shaped RC planes were launched around Dumbo Brooklyn to make it look like real people were flying.

According to Techcrunch, Michael Krivicka from Thinkmodo explains “Since the three main characters of the movie have the ability to fly, we came up with the idea of staging a few “flying people” sightings around NYC. We achieved that illusion by having 3 custom-made aircraft (which were shaped like human beings) fly above designated areas in NYC and NJ.”

Thanks to the many people who have sent this video to us.