news 1 Comment

New Gallery in Flower Shop Basement, Black Label Biker’s First Solo Show

June 27, 2013 By Erica Martin

Liz Taylor: Virginia Woolf by Wayne Hollowell

Tomorrow night at 365 Grand Street, a new gallery will bloom in the basement of Essex Flowers — one that harks back to the Lower East Side’s “scrappier days,” according to Gallerist. The kickoff, at 5 p.m., features the work of nine local artists in their early 30s who will curate subsequent shows at the space (which has a very minimalist website).

For more of this week’s openings and closings, see the B + B art calendar, or have a look at the highlights below.
More →

Tags: art openings, Arts + Culture, Bushwick, conrad carlson, dj dirtyfinger, East Village, essex flowers, exhibits, fuse gallery, gallery shows, johan wahlstrom, Lower East Side, michael mut gallery, new museum, pride 2013, senaspace, storefront bushwick, the 155 project, tiger strikes asteroid, van der plas gallery, wayne hollowell

news No Comments

McCarren Park Pool Is OPEN (Don’t Worry, Swimmies Diapers Are For Sale)

June 27, 2013 By Sasha Von Oldershausen

(Photo: Sasha Von Oldeshausen)

“No urinating or defecating in the pools,” states the NYC Parks Department’s official “Pool Rules.”

Not so at McCarren Park Pool, where swimmers were once made to evacuate the pool when a “brown cloud” dispersed within its waters. And that wasn’t the only cloud hanging over the pool last summer.

Instances of lewd behavior sprang up multiple times alongside more sobering reports of assault and theft, which included a cop getting socked in the face, and lifeguards who were attacked by a bunch of rowdy, backflipping kids.

But that wasn’t enough to deter swimmers when the pool reopened today. By 10:30 a.m., a sizable line had already formed outside its gates.
More →

Tags: brooklyn, brown clouds, city pools, Crime + Community, mccarren park, mccarren park pool, nypd, parks department, summer, swimming, Williamsburg

news 3 Comments

Staying at Miller’s Place in the Tropic of Condominiums

June 27, 2013 By Tom Lombardi

Introducing The 40-Year-Old Hipster. He’s returned to his stomping grounds of Williamsburg after several years away.

(Illustration: James Powers)

We’re subletting Henry Miller’s childhood crib in the burg, the wife and me. While I’ve read too much Miller (if you know his work, you’ll understand what that means) there’s something anti-Miller about this. For the record, we didn’t seek it out, it just happened to be the most economical.
More →

Tags: Arts + Culture, black betty, childhood homes, Crime + Community, gentrification, henry miller, henry miller home, mccarren park, tom lombardi, Williamsburg

news No Comments

The Great Brisket Race: Can You Beat the Mighty Quinn’s Line By Crossing the River?

June 27, 2013 By Daniel Maurer

The weekend is almost upon us, which means it’ll soon be time to hit Smorgasburg for some Mighty Quinn’s Barbeque. Except for one thing: the line, always the line! It’s safe to say Mighty Quinn’s is the Shake Shack of Williamsburg. In fact, we’ve often found ourselves queuing for ‘que at East River Park and wondering if it’d be quicker to just hop on the L and get a brisket sandwich from the East Village location.

One day, we actually decided to find out, by donning some power-walking gear and challenging a hapless soul at the end of the line to a race. A race for brisket. Watch our video to see who got fed first.

Tags: barbecue, Bars + Restaurants, bbq, East Village, food, mighty quinn's barbeque, restaurants, smorgasburg, Williamsburg

news No Comments

Baked Alaska? Fire Clears Out Bushwick Bar [Update]

June 26, 2013 By Daniel Maurer

An all-hands fire broke out tonight at 35 Ingraham Street, home of taxidermy-n’-whiskey lair Alaska.

According to the FDNY, the fire was called in at 9:49 p.m. and took nearly an hour to be brought under control.
More →

Tags: alaska, bars, Bars + Restaurants, brooklyn, Bushwick, fires

news No Comments

Don’t Even Think About Asking These Improv Legends to Do ‘Real Housewives’

June 26, 2013 By Anna Silman

(Photo: Facebook, Baby Wants Candy)

As mentioned in this week’s comedy roundup, the 15th annual Del Close Marathon kicks off this Friday, with 56 straight hours of improvised comedy taking place across 7 stages throughout the city, including East Village’s own UCB East theater and Theater 80 on St. Marks Place.

There’s reason to range beyond the Bedford + Bowery borders, as well: Baby Wants Candy — the long-running, Chicago-based improvised musical — is one of the most beloved institutions within the improv world and a Marathon fixture, having played over 1,700 shows worldwide.
More →

Tags: 30 rock, Arts + Culture, baby wants candy, Beyond, chicago, comedy, del close marathon, East Village, improv comedy, jack mcbrayer, theater, theater 80, ucb east

news No Comments

Revoke and Pose Do Bowery Wall, BrisketTown Gets Beer

June 26, 2013 By Anna Silman

Every day around 4:20 p.m. we stuff your pipe with Lil’ Nugs, our late afternoon link dump.

Scott Lynch was kind enough to drop the above photo into Bedford + Bowery’s Flickr pool. Artists Revoke and Pose were working on the latest Bowery Wall mural last night.

Today, a man went in to Molasses Books today asking to an exchange an Oscar Wilde book he’d bought because he “didn’t know he was gay.” Looks like somebody won’t be celebrating today’s SCOTUS victory. [Daily Intel]

More →

Tags: Bushwick, East Village, Greenpoint, Lower East Side, Williamsburg

news No Comments

Mayoral Candidates Say They Wouldn’t Stand For Greenpoint Affordable Housing Fiasco

June 26, 2013 By Kelly McClure

If you missed last night’s NYC Mayoral Forum on Affordable Housing, don’t worry: this was one you could afford to miss.

Even Adolfo Carrion, the first candidate to roll into the swealtering Calvary/St. George’s Church, didn’t show up until half an hour after the appointed start time. He was followed by Bill de Blasio and Bill Thompson. Anthony Weiner walked in during the forum’s “lightning round” of questioning, claiming that he had been held up by his son getting burnt by hot tea. John Liu was last to show, but also last to leave.
More →

Tags: Crime + Community, Greenpoint, Housing + Development

news No Comments

Skater Joel Meinholz Grabs Sloppy Cemitas En Route to Slappy Sundays

June 26, 2013 By Anthony Pappalardo

There’s a good chance that before you’ve finished watching the video above, professional skateboarder and event promoter Joel Meinholz will have hatched five new ideas.

As we followed the Milwaukee native around on a humid Sunday, he schemed something on each block – everything from a skateboarding play based on “Jonathan Livingston Seagull” to an initiative that would turn boring blocks into obstacle courses by adding transitions to existing architecture.
More →

Tags: anthony pappalardo, Bars + Restaurants, bum rush the spot, Crime + Community, hopps, joel meinholz, les coleman skatepark, Lower East Side, skateboarding, skating, taji ameen, the flat, tiki disco, Williamsburg, wythe hotel

news 1 Comment

Nick Suarez, Conqueror of Bobby Flay, Has Quietly Fired Up a Grill in Iona’s Backyard

June 26, 2013 By Natalie Rinn

Nick Suarez and his Backyard stand at Iona (Photo: Natalie Rinn)

All Nick Suarez, founder of the wildly popular Food Experiments, ever wanted to do was hang out in a backyard, wear shorts and grill stuff. And now he’s living that dream every Thursday through Sunday night behind a Williamsburg pub.

Suarez has quietly launched “Backyard at Iona,” a charm-filled shanty with a tin ceiling, running water, walls that double as chalkboards and a utensil rack attached to a tree. The grill menu may change weekly depending on the chef’s mood, but he’ll always offer the basics: burgers, brats, sausages, and side salads, like potato and cucumber.
More →

Tags: backyard at iona, backyard cooking company, Bars + Restaurants, cookoffs, dickson's, food, food experiments, iona, nick suarez, outdoor dining, porktown, restaurants, Williamsburg