Naked Apartments simplifies the NYC apartment rental hunt with broker reviews, anonymous messaging, no duplicate listings, and reverse search — where brokers and landlords send renters suggested listings. The site has over 15,000 apartments, of which several thousand are no-fee only. The site is completely free for renters. They have a quality blog as well with infographics and issues related to rentals.

Their latest post includes rental prices for NYC based on data they collected and from Trulia. Not surprisingly, the Dumbo neighborhood is the highest average rental cost at $3,620 per month in Brooklyn. The #1 in Manhattan is Tribeca at $4,947, #1 in Bronx is Riverdale at $1,190, and #1 in Queens is Hunter’s Point at $3,046. Dumbo also is #8 priciest neighborhood for 1 bedroom apartments in NYC ($3,280 per month).

Naked Apartments was launched almost two years ago and growing, as more renters discover that they offer a unique platform to find their next apartment. We asked the founder and the CEO how Naked Apartments competes against the larger rental sites. “Naked Apartments competes against these large players by providing a better site for New Yorkers looking for their next apartment. We certainly can’t outspend the major sites, and we certainly can’t compete with their brand-recognition, but we can compete by putting out a better site with features that solve the frustrations that NYC renters face,” says CEO Joe Charat. “We enable renters to search by several features that aren’t available on many of the leading sites. Those include move-in-date, doormen, free-months-rent, no-fee, balcony, elevator, laundry, etc.”

Compare DUMBO Apartments for Rent at Naked Apartments:
nakedapartments.com/nyc/dumbo-apartments

We were sent a press release that Jane Walentas is one of three women who will be honored with the 2011 Visionary Woman Awards by Moore College of Art & Design on October 12, 2011 (Press release PDF 741kb). Moore’s Visionary Woman Awards has honored women who have made significant contributions to the arts.

The carousel has been on display in Dumbo since 2006 and is due to be installed around August 2011 in Brooklyn Bridge Park in an acrylic pavilion created by French architect Jean Nouvel. The design will allow the landmark merry-go-round to be lit up at night so it can be seen from across the East River.

The above photo is a recent shot of the progress of Jane’s Carousel.

As Streetsblog pointed out in late June, the NYC Department of Transportation presented plans for expanded pedestrian areas and upgraded bike markings on Old Fulton Street, which serves as the primary gateway to the recently opened Pier 1 of Brooklyn Bridge Park. As part of the reconfiguration, the B25 will be re-routed to avoid performing a U-turn on Old Fulton on weekends, most likely by following the same circuit it takes on weekdays. That means all buses will be rerouted down Main Street in Dumbo, an already cramped street. A resident of Main Street sent us the below letter to CB2, which he says has not been responded to. With the bus schedule on Main Street as many as 9 times an hour on this now busy residential street, it would make sense to route the bus down Front Street and left on Adams Street, a less busy street, then turn left on Water Street as it does now. Makes sense to us, but are there other considerations? Read the letter to CB2 below (as originally sent but with names removed).

Read the rest of this entry »

Dumbo artist and art educator Jen Ferguson is offering workshops for kids on Wednesdays and Thursdays, starting July 13-Sept 1, 2011.

Wednesday & Thursdays: 4:00 – 5:00pm
July 13-Sept 1, 2011
$28/each or 2 for $50; Ages 6+(drop-off)

To reserve a spot email jen@artinchaos.com
More details at artinchaos.com/possum.htm
Reservations are first come, first served. No drop ins, advance reservations required please~
Private lessons and independent study are available upon request.

WORKSHOP SCHEDULE:
July 13: Still Life Painting
July 14: Landscape Painting
July 20: Paper Flowers
July 21: Accordian Bookmaking
July 27: Japanese Fish Printing
July 28: Block Printing
Aug.03: Clay Sculptures
Aug 04: Rock and Nature Sculptures
Aug 10: Ceramic Tile Painting
Aug 11: Sponge and Texture Painting
Aug 17: Robot Making/Sci Fi
Aug 18: Magnet Creatures
Aug 24: Free Painting & Mixed Media
Aug 25: Free Painting & Mixed Media
Aug 31: Orgami Animals
Sep 01: Orgami Animals II

Readers have reported car break ins on Front Street between Jay and Bridge Streetlast night. There were at least five cars broken into, so if you are parked there, you may want to check up on them.

Please be on the lookout for suspicious activity and call the 84th Precinct (718-875-6811 (store this number in your cell phone)) or 911 if you witness any crimes. Please continue to call so they can log/track the area.

(Thank you to the readers who sent in this tip).

On Thursday, July 7th, a benefit event will take place at St. Ann’s Warehouse from 3-7pm. It will raise money for the children affected by the recent earthquake and tsunami in Japan. The folks spearheading the event are ITO EN (a Japanese tea company with offices and distribution locations in Dumbo) and the Fulton Ferry Business Association. Many (if not all, it seems) of the Dumbo restaurants and businesses are participating. Free food, live Japanese music and free photograph/portraits (by a Dumbo resident) will be available for small donations. Some small children’s summer kimonos are there to try on as well.

July 7th is a special celebration day in Japan called Tanabata where two stars meet each other on the 7th day of the 7th month. People generally celebrate this day by writing wishes, sometimes in the form of poetry, on tanzaku, small pieces of paper, and hanging them on bamboo trees. The benefit will also allow the Dumbo children attending to write wishes for the Japanese children.

This will be a nice opportunity for folks that are still in town to learn about Japanese culture, as well as give back to those who are in need. Japanese Public TV will also be covering the event.

If you cannot attend the event, there is also the opportunity to make a donation via their website and Paypal: www.dumbotanabata.org.

(2009 photo by Josh Derr)

For the third consecutive year, (just like last year, and the year before that), the Macy’s 35th Annual Fourth of July Fireworks will be over the Hudson River this year in 2011. Unless you have access to a rooftop in Dumbo, you won’t be able to see the Hudson River fireworks. On July 4, there will be more than 40,000 fireworks fired from six barges positioned from 20th to 55th streets on the West side of Manhattan starting at 9pm.

{The 2011 Macy’s 4th of July Firewords}
{Macy’s July 4, 2011 fireworks return to Hudson River, NewYorkology}

Previously:
{No Macy’s Fireworks on July 4, 2010 in Brooklyn, 25Jun2010}
{No Macy’s Fireworks on July 4 2009 in Brooklyn, 02Jul2009}
{Fireworks in Midtown from Brooklyn 2009, 07Jul2009}
{July 4 2008 Celebrations in Dumbo, 03Jul2008}
{Happy 4th of July 2008 Brooklyn!, 04Jul2008}
{Happy July 4, 2007}
{Img: July 2006 Fireworks at the Brooklyn Bridge}

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Dumbo based HowAboutWe is a new way to find dates with interests you have in common with others. Instead of browsing fake dating profiles and pics from other dating sites, HowAboutWe matches new dates that match your interests. You post your favorite dating ideas (“How about we…”), find dates in your area from people who like doing what you’re doing, make plans around the “How about we…” activity you’ve already posted, and connect offline.

HowAboutWe created an infographic on the 10 most popular neighborhoods for first dates in NYC. They culled data from over 100,000 dates posted on their site and found that Hell’s Kitchen is the most popular neighborhood in the city for a first date. Dumbo was one of two Brooklyn neighborhoods (Williamsburg the other) in the top 10 neighborhoods for first dates in all of NYC.

Some of the most popular date spots in Dumbo, according to HowAboutWe staff:

• The Transit Museum (How about we hop on an old subway car at the New York Transit Museum)
• Grimaldi’s Pizza (How about we wait in line for Grimaldi’s and see if it’s really New York’s best pizza)
• ReRun Theater at ReBar (How about we catch a flick at ReRun theater — who cares what’s playing, it’s all about the concessions)
• Galapagos Art Space (How about we check out the famous Floating Kabarette show?)

We’ve heard some good first date stories in Brooklyn Bridge Park, 1st Thursdays Dumbo Gallery Walks, and even under The Archway (though you’d have to shout for your date to be heard when trains run overhead). What are your favorite dating ideas or locations in Dumbo (and nearby areas)?

Related:
{Dumbo Dating Profiles, 11Feb2011}
{How to Impress a Woman? Go to Dumbo!, 15Nov2006}

The DUMBO Vinegar Hill CSA kicked off their 4th Summer/Fall Season this past Wednesday, June 8th at the Phoenix House, a leading nonprofit provider of substance abuse service, who graciously donates their courtyard space for pick ups. Sang Lee Farms, located in Peconic, Long Island provides the fresh, organic vegetables with fruit and cheese available in July. The CSA is still holding a wait list. If you would like to be added to the list, please email core@dumbocsa.org or check out their website www.dumbocsa.org for examples of types of vegetables. Sang Lee Farms website has a great site for info on the farm at www.sangleefarms.com.

(photos by Pamela Wang)

Previously:
{Sign up for the Dumbo/Vinegar Hill CSA 2011 Season, 07Mar2011}
{Past CSA Posts}

Episode 4: Michael Feigin (Fitness Guru)
Directed by Matt Weckel
Created by David Castillo
Produced by Blue Barn Pictures, Inc. for DumboNYC on vimeo

Michael Feigin MS, CSCS has been a leader in the fitness industry for over 20 years, as a personal trainer, group fitness instructor and nutritionist. He is the co-owner of The Fitness Guru, a fitness center in Dumbo. Michael also hosts waterfront workouts at the Brooklyn Bridge Park and the Health and Fitness blogger for NBC-NY.

Crossing Dumbo, a web series of video portraits of artists, entrepreneurs and residents in Dumbo Brooklyn. This is a collaboration between DumboNYC and our talented friends over at Blue Barn Pictures. Different directors from Blue Barn Pictures, a creative content agency, bring their own approach to each interview to create a distinct profile of the person being interviewed and place them within the Dumbo community. The people at Blue Barn Pictures truly love what they do and support the community in a positive way, and for that we’re grateful to have them be a part of Dumbo.

{DumboNYC.com/category/crossing-dumbo/}