Dumbo NYC

 Photo courtesy of grnybeanie

When: Thursday, July 26. DJs at 6pm, Movie at sundown
Where: Lawn, Empire-Fulton Ferry State Park section of Brooklyn Bridge Park

Being John Malkovich
Step through the portal for an off-the-wall-trip into the brain of movie star John Malkovich. 1999, 112 minutes, R
Directed by Spike Jonze
Short: fuzzy by John Bollinger and Charity MacDonald
DJ: Snackmaster and C’mish of Turntable Lab spin music inspired by the film and its director.

{Movies with a View, brooklynbridgepark.org}

The Brooklyn Waterfront Artists Coalition’s (BWAC) 25th anniversary outdoor sculpture is showing at the Empire-Fulton Ferry and Brooklyn Bridge Parks. If you haven’t had a chance to check out the exhibition, the show runs through August 25. Sadly, one of the pieces, Charon Luebbers’ Urban Fossil Bird Woman got whacked:

{bwac.org}

 (Photo by Jane Walentas)

With Spring’s arrival, Jane’s Carousel is now open for viewing on weekends (Friday, Saturday, Sunday, 12noon to 6:00pm). Jane Walentas envisions the carousel to be part of the Brooklyn Bridge Park. Park planners say they’re still in discussions about the inclusion of the carousel. Mrs. Walentas says she’s already talking to architects about the design for the building where it’ll be housed. She says she envisions a bright, glassy pavilion so the carousel can be seen even from across the river.

Jane’s Carousel
56 Water St. Dumbo, Brooklyn, NY
The First Carousel on The National Register will be open Fridays through Sundays from noon to 6 pm.

{The Carousel News and Trader Talks About Jane’s Carousel, 19Jan2007, DumboNYC}
{To the Children of Dumbo: Experience Jane’s Carousel 12/8, 8Dec2006, DumboNYC}
{A Chat With Jane At The Carousel Opening, 16Oct2006, DumboNYC}

The 7th Annual Pigfest will be at the Tobacco Warehouse at Brooklyn Bridge Park. Indulge in a day of cold beer, live music, and pork and chicken slow-cooked by Waterfront Ale House’s own Sam Barbieri and his champion BBQ team. Beer and food included with admission.

Proceeds from this year’s event will go to benefit the Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy.
Advance tickets: $75
Tickets at the door: $85

Tickets available at: www.brooklynbrewery.com. For more info, go to brooklynbridgepark.org.

Brooklyn Eagle article about the Brooklyn Pigfest 2007 after the jump.
Read the rest of this entry »

The NY Metro paper today believes that the Brooklyn Bridge Park (the future one that is located along the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway), may be the noisiest park in NYC. “The site is very noisy,” says a sign leaning against a model of the latest park plan, designed by landscape architects Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates. “Without any sound-attenuating structures, the majority of the site would experience at least 70 decibels [dBA] of noise. … At this noise level two people, six feet apart, need to shout to be understood.” The existing area of the park in Dumbo is said to be roughly 65 dBA. Last year’s performance at the Tobacco Warehouse in Empire Fulton Ferry State Park section of Brooklyn Bridge Park “82 Decibels” is named for the level of noise in that area from the Brooklyn Bridge and BQE.

However, the area has one of the few ‘beaches‘ that overlook Manhattan. And when you’re there, somehow the great views make you forget that there’s any noise at all. Enjoy the beautiful 70 degree weather this weekend!

 (Photo courtesy of bly2k)

 (Photo courtesy of j_bary)

 (Photo courtesy of kobenhavn)

{The city’s noisiest park?, NY Metro, 5/4/07}

Below are a few select Dumbo Brooklyn stories from the past week from around the internet. Plus a few photos of the 3rd Annual Spring Fling Egg Hunt at Brooklyn Bridge Park and Empire-Fulton Ferry State Park.

• Dumbo’s 133 Water Goes Rental, Brownstoner.com
• Big Turnout for Brooklyn Bridge Park Egg Hunt, Brooklyn Record
• Dumbo as Artistic Inspiration, Curbed.com
• The joke’s on Walentas, Brooklynpaper.com
• Builder’s bridge to the arts, Brooklynpaper.com
• Newly Published Map Shows Dramatic Growth in DUMBO, Brooklyn Daily Eagle
• New DUMBO Building Will “Recognize” History of Site, Brooklyn Daily Eagle
• Ready for takeoff; Joseph Arthur is ready to launch his new museum and an album with The Lonely Astronauts, newsday.com

 Click for larger image.

 Click for larger image.

 Click for larger image.

Calling All Filmmakers!
The Movies With a View Film Committee at the Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy is looking for short films to screen before the main features at this summer’s free film series in Brooklyn Bridge Park. The series runs for eight Thursday nights beginning July 5.

Shorts 10 min. and under (no subtitles please — screen cannot accommodate them) from all genres will be reviewed. Shorts should be appropriate for a wide audience. Those with a Brooklyn connection are especially welcome.

This is a great opportunity for filmmakers* to be seen by an audience averaging between 2,000-3,000 people on any given night. Each selected participant will be given credit in the nightly program.

To be considered, please send a VHS or DVD screening copy of your short no later than May 1, 2007 to:

Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy
Attn: Film Committee
334 Furman Street
Brooklyn, NY 11201

You may also drop off a copy at their office during business hours. Please include your name, address, e-mail, phone number and length of film on your entry. Tapes will not be returned unless a postage-paid envelope is included.

*Unfortunately BBP cannot provide any compensation to filmmakers. Your entry will be screened by an all-volunteer film series committee. Shorts will be chosen by the end of May, and will notify selected filmmakers soon after.

{for additional info go to brooklynbridgepark.org}

What: 3rd Annual Spring Fling Egg Hunt at Brooklyn Bridge Park
When: Saturday, April 7 (rain or shine), 11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Where: Main Street entrance to Brooklyn Bridge Park and Empire-Fulton Ferry State Park

The Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy and the Dumbo Improvement District invites kids of all ages to a festive Egg Hunt, followed by special musical guests the Deedle Deedle Dees and Care Bears on Fire, storytelling, and animal friends from the Brooklyn Children’s museum. Free prizes and 10 Jacques Torres chocolate baskets for lucky Golden Egg winners! Celebrate Spring at Empire-Fulton Ferry State Park & Brooklyn Bridge Park! FREE!

See www.brooklynbridgepark.org for details and directions.

Operating Costs Per Acre:
Central Park: $32,000
Hudson River Park: $109,000
Brooklyn Bridge Park: $245,000 (as of 11/15/2004)
(Source: Metro)

The current state’s plan for Brooklyn Bridge Park will include luxury high-rises as well as a hotel and retail to pay for the park’s operations. In 2002, Governor George Pataki and Mayor Bloomberg committed $150 million to build the park and the following year the plan went to the Empire State Development Corporation. According to a Metro article, the plan was changed to include a residential building and the playing fields, pool, skateboard half-pipe and outdoor amphitheatre was gone. They were replaced by a kayak area and a marina for 180 yachts. The operating budget jumped to $15.2 million, which included dune buggies, hybrid cars, 40 sit-down lawnmowers, 7 pick-up trucks, 2 garbage trucks and a 31 person security force that included 8 armed guards.

Why not just have a simple park for residents and visitors to relax in and be able to enjoy the view of the water and of Manhattan? The park has the advantage of amazing views, and we don’t need any buildings or fancy marina to support the upkeep. Just build the park land that could be used by many to improve overall quality of life and for the borough of Brooklyn. Why the need to ‘develop’ the land to take up area and cut off parts of the waterfront as a private playground for the rich? Do you see luxury high rises and a security force in the park below Eiffel Tower in Paris or Vancouver’s Stanley Park? Having a luxury high rise or other private development in the space costs the park, and therefore taxpayers, more money for upkeep. Areas of the park can be rented out for concerts and shows, much like the Empire-Fulton Ferry State Park in Dumbo, to raise money for upkeep. There’s already committed funding by the city to build the park, so can’t we just keep it simple?

 ”nice view”, Manhattan Bridge and Brooklyn Bridge Park from Plymouth Street, Dumbo Brooklyn (Photo courtesy of okreitz)