Dumbo NYC

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

• Bubby’s 5th Annual Pie Social, 29Sept08, TONY
• Grandfather Clock by Rob Price @ Spring, 30Sept08, cool hunting
• Young Soon Kim, Artistic Director, White Wave Dance Interview, 01Oct08, movmnt
• 20 Henry Sales Office Open, 04Oct08, Brooklyn Eagle
• Dumbo’s One Glass Productions Fundraiser, 02Oct08, broadwayworld.com
• DUMBO’s Pricetag Continues to Grow, 02Oct08, Gothamist
• In DUMBO, It’s Easy Being Green, 02Oct08, Brooklyn Eagle
• NY Times Explores Brooklyn Heights, 02Oct08, NY Times
• Brooklynites Come Out For DUMBO Fight Night, 03Oct08, Brooklyn Eagle
• Dumbo Fashion Report, 21Sept08, fashionflock
• Spike Lee Moves to Dumbo, 27Sept08, Brooklyn Paper
• Dock Street Project Coming Up for Land Use Review, 01Oct08, Brooklyn Eagle
• New York Wine & Food Festival, 01Oct08, Village Voice
• Baxter and Liebchen Review, 02Octt08, chictip.com
• NYC Wine & Food Festival, 01Oct08, Metromix

Dumbo Art Under the Bridge Festival Reviews:

• Projekt Projektor Pics In Dumbo, 29Sept08, daily session
• Art Under the Bridge Review, 30Sept08, Art21.org
• Art Fest Photos, 03Oct08, artcal.net
• Art Enthusiasts Throng DUMBO, 29Sept08, Brooklyn Eagle
• DUMBO Arts Festival, 29Sept08, culturebyrachel
• D’Art Buoy Overview, 30Sept08, dartbuoy

(stats from Waterfront Media)

Online health company, Waterfront Media (45 Main Street), announced that it will merge with Revolution Health, the Internet health company founded by AOL co-founder Steve Case. According to NY Times, the deal is valued at $300 million and would give the combined companies enough traffic in the United States to compete with WebMD, now the market leader in the online health category. The combined company will integrate Waterfront’s Everyday Health Network with RevolutionHealth.com. The combined properties attract 26.4 million unique users. We’re glad to report that Waterfront Media will remain headquartered in Brooklyn. Waterfront Media CEO and co-founder Benjamin Wolin will remain CEO of the new company, which will retain the name Waterfront Media. Case, the chairman and CEO of Revolution, will join the company’s board of directors.

With the likes of Waterfront Media, Wireless Generation, outside.in, TuneCore, HUGE, Mammoth, and the many other internet based and media businesses in Dumbo, we’re glad to see Dumbo, the new Silicon Alley grow.

{Two Online Health Site Operators to Announce a Merger, 02Oct2008, NY Times}

The NY Post takes a look at Dumbo, where the average price per square foot in the second quarter of 2008 was $917, according to the Real Estate Board of New York (REBNY). (Compare that to Brooklyn Heights at $834 and Park Slope at $801.) While the economy is in a tailspin, Dumbo is still pricey, according to the article, because the neighborhood has no walkup co-ops and filled with luxury condo conversions. It’s proximity to Manhattan, the views, industrial building conversions, and relatively new amenities and services that have been added to the area have helped keep the real estate prices up.

An interesting tidbit from Asher Abehsera, president of developer Two Trees’ leasing department, said that the company just turned down an offer of $20 million for the 6,500-square-foot 1 Main clocktower penthouse, sight unseen and the area’s real estate will climb even higher. Rents aren’t cheap either. “According to Abehsera, they range from about $2,800 for the least expensive one-bedroom apartment up to $8,000 for the most expensive three-bedroom.”

The article also talked to a resident who purchased a $260,000, 1,260-square-foot apartment at 1 Main in 1998, sold for $895,000, then purchased his next apartment at 30 Main for $520,000, sold it for $885,000 four years later, and ended up at a $1.2 million 70 Washington condo.

Below are the data of listings for sale and rent in Dumbo (as of October 1, 2008), according to Streeteasy.com:

(Data from Streeteasy.com)

{Low-key Dumbo Is Actually Brooklyn’s High-water Mark, 02Oct2008, NY Post}
{Dumbo Retail News, 02Oct2008, NY Post}
{Is Dumbo Real Estate Holding Steady?. 25July2008}

Last chance to get tickets for the Annual Dumbo Fight Night, at St. Ann’s Warehouse. (Ticket purchase page here.) The performances, fights, and events start at 6pm-10pm tonight. Below is a short video clip of the Gleason’s Gym fighters training for the matches (sanctioned by USABoxingMetros & USABoxing).

DUMBO Fight Night | OCT 02 2008 from TRAINERSFIGHTERS com on Vimeo.

Afterwards, head over to Galapagos to watch the Vice Presidential Debate, starting at 9pm (projected on the big screen). The debate, at Washington University in St. Louis, is being called a critical point for both VP candidates after recent media attention by both Delaware Sen. Joe Biden and Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin. According to an informal poll on DumboNYC last week, 75% of the online readers will vote for Obama/Biden. Millions will tune in tonight to the first and only vice presidential debate have high hopes for a spectacle.

The DUMBO 1st Thursday Gallery Walk. DUMBO 1st Thursday features area galleries and artists’ studios, open from 5:30 to 8:30, on the first Thursday of each month. There is no admission fee - participating galleries are open to the public. Gallery receptions, neighborhood dining and bars, and live music add to the evening’s festivities:

October 2, 2008 First Thursday Participants include, but are not limited to the following list. Please check with each gallery to confirm that they will be open late on Thursday.

5+5 Gallery, 111 Front St., Suite 210
A.I.R. Gallery, 111 Front St., Suite 228
Aswoon Gallery, 14 Jay St.
Brooklyn Arts Council, 111 Front St., Suite 218
Byrd Hoffman Watermill Foundation, 111 Front St.
DUMBO Arts Center, 30 Washington St.
GalleryQB, 163 Plymouth St.
Gloria Kennedy Gallery, 111 Front St., Suite 222
Henry Gregg Gallery, 111 Front St., Suite 226
Klompching Gallery, 111 Front St.
Melville House, 145 Plymouth St.
Nelson Hancock Gallery, 111 Front St., Suite 204
Pochron Studios, 20 Jay St.
Powerhouse Books & Powerhouse Arena, 37 Main St.
Rabbithole Studio, 33 Washington St.
Robert Wilson/rw Work Ltd, 111 Front St.
Safe-T Gallery, 111 Front St., Suite 214
Smack Mellon, 93 Plymouth St. @ Washington Street
Spring, 126a Front St.
Tivoli Home, 111 Front St., 1st floor
Umbrage Gallery, 111 Front St.
VII DUMBO, 28 Jay St.
Wessel + O-Connor Fine Art, 111 Front St., Suite 200

Some highlights include:

	VII Photo My America, Chris Morris Preview: October 2, 6-8:30pm September 26 - November 6 Preview of Chris Morris’ exhibition, “My America” - a very personal take on the American democratic process, from the privileged position of Time Magazine’s #1 photographer of the Republican campaign 2004 and 2008. 28 Jay Street, DUMBO Brooklyn, 212-337-3130 viiphoto.com
	A.I.R. Gallery (New Dumbo Gallery) A.I.R. Gallery: The History Show Work by A.I.R. artists from 1972 to the present Opening Reception, Thurs., Oct. 2, 6pm-8pm Part I: October 2 - November 1, 2008 Curated by Kat Griefen & Carey Lovelace Works by: Sheila Manion Artz, Dotty Attie, Nancy Azara, Rachel Bas-Cohain, Susan Bee, Judith Bernstein, Liz Biddle, Maude Boltz, Agnes Denes, Sari Dienes, Daria Dorosh, Mary Beth Edelson, Jessie Nebraska Gifford, Barbara Grinell, Harmony Hammond, Louise Kramer, Carolyn Martin, Rosemary Mayer, Louise McCagg, Patsy Norvell, Howardena Pindell, Ann Pachner, Jill Parisi, Beatrice Riese, Barbara Roux, Ursula Schneider, Ann Schaumburger, Barbara Siegel, Sylvia Sleigh, Nancy Storrow, Tenesh Webber, Nancy Wilson-Pajic, Janise Yntema, and Elizabeth Zechel 111 Front Street #228, DUMBO Brooklyn, 212-255-6651 airgallery.org
	Brooklyn Arts Council Creative Cartographies Curatorial Talk Thursday, October 2, 6pm Exhibition Dates: September 26 - January 9, 2009 6 Curatorial Talk with Jeanne Gerrity 111 Front Street, Suite 218, DUMBO Brooklyn, 718-625-0080 brooklynartscouncil.org
	Byrd Hoffman Watermill Foundation Marlene Dietrich in Dr. No’s Ludovico Clinic (Dr. Baby’s Erzland) Jonathan Meese Public Reception October 2, 2008 5:30-8pm Exhibition Open M-F September 26 - January 9 A re-staging of Jonathan Meese’s site-specific installation from Watermill this summer, featuring original work and video selection from the German artist. Curated by Dmitry Komis. 111 Front St., Gallery 216, DUMBO Brooklyn, 212-253-7484 watermillcenter.org
	Galapagos Art Space From Irony to Spirituality, Vitaly Komar October 2, 2008 5:30 pm September 26 - November 6 Artist Vitaly Komar will share his experiences from Eastern and Western Culture through a lecture and slideshow including his early and recent works. 16 Main Street, DUMBO Brooklyn, 718-222-8500 galapagosartspace.com
	Gloria Kennedy Gallery “Clay Focus” Exhibition Reception: October 2, 2008 September 10 - October 18, 2008 Artisits: Erica Arce’, Erica Arce’, Mika Drimer, Simcha Even-Chen, Leslie Ferretti, Anna Velkoff Freeman, Joseph Gower, Gloria Kennedy, Serinity Knight, Rene Murray, Susi Pugliese, Stephanie Rozene, Phyllis Savage, Susan Tunick, Etta Winigrad and Matthew Yanchuk. The “Clay Focus” exhibition spotlights a collection of amazing art created by a diverse group of multinational ceramic artists. 111 Front Street Gallery 222, DUMBO Brooklyn, 718-858-5254 (Image: HELMET OF SALVATION 19″x15″x10″ Media: Pit smoked twice fired terra cotta) gkgart.com
	Melville House Chemotherapeutic Turbine Songs: A Project from the Navajo Nation, Dominic Miller Opening party on Oct 2 October 1-31 Photographs and interviews taken by artist, Dominic Miller, on the legacy of uranium mining inside the Navajo Nation. 145 Plymouth Street, DUMBO Brooklyn, 718-722-9204 mhpbooks.com
	Still Here: Stories After Katrina, Photographs by Joseph Rodríguez October 2, 2008, 7-9pm (Slide show starts at 7:30pm) August 29, 2008 marked the third anniversary of the horror that Hurricane Katrina inflicted upon the north-central Gulf Coast. Its devastation is a wound not yet healed and its survivors are the subject of Joseph Rodriguez’s fourth powerHouse Book, Still Here: Stories After Katrina. In it, he documents the ongoing expressions of hope, perseverance, and suffering in the affected communities. On Thursday, October 2, 2008, Rodriguez will present a slide show of images from the book and will speak of his experiences while photographing and interviewing families and individuals throughout New Orleans and Texas. Like the photographers who worked with the Farm Security Administration during the Great Depression, Rodríguez’s work alerts readers to the ongoing pressures faced by some of the country’s most distressed and vulnerable people. His black-and-white photographs remind the viewer that despite the loss of home, community, and culture, so many continue to push forward, and are “still here.” The powerHouse Arena, 37 Main Street, DUMBO Brooklyn, 718-666-3049 www.powerhousearena.com
	Rabbitholestudio rehearsal to madness, Gui Mohallem October 2nd - October 31 Brazilian artist Gui Mohallem’s first solo exhibition uses digital pinhole photography in conjunction with biographical text to explore the borders of insanity. 33 Washington Street, DUMBO Brooklyn, 718-852-1500 www.rabbitholestudio.com
	Smack Mellon 1st Thursday: Live Music by Ghastly City Sleep & Beer by Kelso Thursday, October 2 92 Plymouth Street, DUMBO Brooklyn, 718-834-8761 smackmellon.org

You may have noticed a lot of stencil art in Dumbo (and other parts of Brooklyn) lately. Halcyon presented the opening of an art show called “Stencil History X” last week, which is displaying works of world renowned stencil artists from France, Italy, and the US through October 26, 2008. One of these artists, French Street artist Christian Guémy, know as C215, has been covering his work around Dumbo. Dozens of his work can be seen on the streets in subtle and not so subtle locations. (Luna Park has photographed most of them in the area on her C215 Flickr set.)

C215 takes his art seriously and shows in the details of the stenciling. He paints images of mostly homeless people, refugees, street people. According to him, he does it to “make people notice more homeless people in the street. It’s contextual art. If I’m painting white and darkness, it means something. Because I want to give some life to darkness, their life is dark and want to impress some clear idea of their being.”

He has a lot of talent, but isn’t doing it for fame. “A lot of street artists now are very subversive, but when you [get to] know them personally, they can be conformist and just looking for success.” Have you spotted them all in Dumbo?

See artists profile video on YouTube here.

The Dumbo Improvement District has their annual fundraising benefit in an event titled DUMBO Fight Night. The event will be held this Thursday, October 2, 2008 from 6pm at St. Ann’s Warehouse. The funds raised will directly benefit the continued rehabilitation of the Manhattan Bridge Archway. The Dumbo Fight Night is not a typical fundraiser as you’ll be able to experience Dumbo’s talented cultural community, accompanied by USA Boxing Metro sanctioned boxing matches arranged by Gleason’s Gym. Go to dumbonyc.org for more information and tickets for the event or call 718-237-8700.

Some photos from last year’s event:

(Photo: Brooklyn Arts Council’s Folk Feet project)


(Photo: amateur boxers from Gleason’s Gym)

The 2008 Art Under the Bridge Festival concluded yesterday. The installations, artists’ galleries and their art, and interactive art brought talented and interesting art for display throughout the weekend. Thank you Dumbo Arts Center (DAC) for putting together another great arts fest. We’d also like to thank the artists who opened up their studios to share with the public the talented work they do each day. Looking forward to next year’s festival.

Below are a few photos from the weekend. There are others in the DumboNYC Art Fest set on Flickr and on the DumboNYC Flickr Photo pool.

{12th Annual Dumbo Art Under the Bridge Festival 2008}
{Art Fest Links}

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

• Jane’s Carousel For the Park, 25Sept08, Brooklyn Paper
• 80 Decibels in Dumbo, 25Sept08, Brooklyn Paper
• Vendy Finalists Announced, 25Sept08, Gothamist
• Almondine Bakery Review, 22Sept08, A Beet Grows in Brooklyn
• Monsters Popping Up in Brooklyn, 23Sept08, Gothamist
• Tax Credits Bring More TV Shows to Dumbo, 24Sept08, NY Times
• Gleason’s Offers Authenticity, Not Amenities, 22Sept08, NY Sun
• More Retail on Horizon for Jay Street, 22Sept08, Brownstoner
• Brooklyn Pie Social Sunday, 24Sept08, amNY
• Billi Kid and Sarah Palin Street Art, 23Sept08, Animal NY
• A Name for Brooklyn Freemans?, 22Sept08, Brownstoner

12th Annual Art Under The Bridge Festival Links:

• Crazy Arty Fun For Kids at the 2008 Art Under the Bridge Festival, 24Sept08, Mommy Poppins
• 1800 Frames at Dumbo Art Under the Bridge Festival, 22Sept08, katyhiggins.blogspot
• All Day Deli Show at Art Fest, 25Sept08, No Police State
• ‘Expect the Unexpected!’ at Art Fest, 25Sept08, Brooklyn Eagle
• Art Under the Bridge Fesitval in Dumbo, 26Sept08, artcal
• d. yee - new art installation, 24Sept08, LCS
• Triangle Open Studios This Weekend in DUMBO, 24Sept08, Hrag Vartanian
• Fall Arts Travel: Under the Bridge in DUMBO, 25Sept08, Jaunted
• Art Takes Over Dumbo, 25Sept08, MBO
• LAND Gallery Opening, 23Sept08, snoballsandcandycorn.wordpress
• Projekt Projektor: Getting Up on the Wall with Light, 24Sept08, juxtapoz
• Prepping for the Dumbo Arts Festival, 26Sept08, Brownstoner

What: Free Self Defense Seminar for women and men
When: Saturday September 27th, 2008, 12-1pm
Where: 25 Jay St, Suite 203
Who: Brooklyn Eagle Claw Kung Fu & Wu Style Tai Chi www.brooklyneagleclaw.com
Join us for a FREE self defense seminar on Saturday September 27th, 2008 from 12-1pm. Increase your general awareness and peace of mind. Empower yourself, boost confidence, take control, and learn how to protect yourself! Sifu Julio Perez teaches Northern Eagle Claw Kung Fu and Wu Style Tai Chi. Classes are available six days a week for all ages.

Contact: For more information, please contact cynthia@brooklyneagleclaw.com or call (718) 858-5037.