11th Annual Columbia Waterfront Halloween Parade And Party At Urban Meadow

Do you have a great Halloween costume that you want to show off?  You might want to take part in the 11th Annual Columbia Waterfront Halloween Parade and Party hosted by Urban Meadow Community Garden.  It's this Sunday, October 27 from 10 AM  to 12:30.

Here is more information:

"You're invited to our neighborhood Columbia Waterfront Halloween Party and Parade -Sunday, October 27 10 am-12:30 at Mother Cabrini Playground, on President Street between Columbia and Van Brunt.
The Underground Horns band will be leading the neighborhood costume parade around 11 am - come in costume, bring percussion instruments and get ready for a good time. Mother Cabrini Playground, on President Street between Columbia and Van Brunt. This event is organized by volunteer members of the Urban Meadow Community Garden - Face painting, baked goods, coffee and hot chocolate and Urban Meadow t-shirts will be for sale with proceeds benefiting the Urban Meadow."

Red Hook Jazz Festival 2013 At The Urban Meadow: 10 Incredible Bands For $10

The Red Hook Jazz Festival, a fun, family-friendly outdoor event held every summer at the Urban Meadow, is back for a sixth year with two Sundays in June. The Festival is sponsored by the Brooklyn Arts Council, The House Of Pizza & Calzone and help from the volunteers of the Urban Meadow Community Garden.  The event costs $10 for adults. It's free or kids.

Mark your calendars. Here are all the details:

Big Bang Productions presents the 6th annual RED HOOK JAZZ FESTIVAL 2013 on two consecutive Sundays, June 9 and June 16 in the Urban Meadow, a community garden on the Columbia Waterfront District.  

Celebrating its sixth installment this year's Red Hook Jazz Festival line-up features some of the world's most forward-thinking jazz musicians and composers playing today, with a focus on female artists and drummers, featuring the vocalist Fay Victor, the pianist Kris Davis, and saxophonist Ingrid Laubrock and Allison Miller (in both categories), Clarence Penn, Mike Pride, Mark Feber, Ted Poor, and Tom Rainey.Highlights of horn players are: Seamus Blake, Ralph Alessi, Tony Malaby Jon Irabagon, Loren Stillman, and Adam Kolker. Other well players include bassists Ben Street, Chris Lightcap, Drew Gress and Ken Filiano guitarist Adam Rogers, Nate Radley and Paul Kogut, piano players Gary Versace and James Carney and many other incredible musicians. 

The Red Hook Jazz Festival prides itself on being a homegrown jazz festival featuring an amazing line-up of mostly local talent. Where other festivals rely on corporate sponsorships and donations, the RHJF is an all-volunteer event proud to support a wide variety of superb figures in New York City and Brooklyn jazz, both young and old. The RHJF has truly developed a tradition of presenting great music with a laid back vibe, an outdoor setting, and a strong family-friendly focus, while striving to develop the next generation of jazz audiences. 

Last year, Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz gave the RHJF a proclamation, and this year the RHJF is proud to announce a grant award from the Brooklyn Arts Council (BAC). 

The Urban Meadow is located at the corner of President & Van Brunt Streets in Brooklyn, NY. This year's RHJF is sponsored by the Brooklyn Arts Council, the House of Pizza & Calzone, and the Urban Meadow. 

Both days start at 1pm and end at 6pm. Entrance is $10 per adult/ kids attend free. Details, event schedule and directions follow below.For up to date announcements on the RHJF, visit: http://www.facebook.com/RedHookJazzFestival and the Urban Meadow's website: http://urbanmeadowbrooklyn.blogspot.com/p/directions-to-urban-meadow.html.

Incompetence? Construction Crew At Former Sokol Brothers Furniture Store On Columbia Street Strikes Water Main A Second Time

(photo credit: Ty Berry)

The site at 251-255 Clumbia Street on march 27, 2013

For the second time since construction began on a new 7-story condominium building on the site of the former Sokol furniture store at 251-255 Columbia Street, construction crews have damaged the water main, causing the site to flood.
The first time was at the end of January 2013.  The water main break caused flooding in several nearby residences and prompted the NYC Department of Buildings to issue a complete stop-work order.  The order was lifted shortly afterwards and construction resumed.
But just yesterday, the site flooded again.  Yes, you guessed it.  The crew managed to damage the water main again.  Prompting another full stop work order.  This time the FDNY requested a structural  stability inspection.

The photos above were sent to me by Ty Berry,  Columbia Waterfront  resident and author of the blog The Culver Local.
In a post entitled Construction in New York (or, A Study in Incompetence), Ty writes:

For the first 6 months we lived near the site, little happened save for excavation. Then, at the end of January, something did happen. They broke a water main. We woke up to find the site next door flooded with 4+ feet of water. FDNY eventually pumped it dry, but work was stopped at the site for the better part of two months. It was, sadly, not much of a surprise. We had spent months watching the site be managed with a level of professionalism that was marginal at best - an aimless construction team animated by the occasional visit by what I can only guess is the owner of the property. From our vantage point, the construction contractor(s) were rarely managed by anyone.Fast forward to last week and - finally - work began again. They laid a partial slab foundation and just today completed excavation work on the site. In fact, it was around the time they completed excavation that I was roused from my desk to see what was going on. I looked out my window and saw, little to my surprised, water pouring into the newly excavated foundation. They had struck the water main. Again.

The construction site was pumped out by the FDNY last night and work has resumed.
Incompetence?  Probably.

Spring Egg Hunt At Urban Meadow On Columbia Waterfront This Sunday

This Sunday, Urban Meadow is hosting a Spring Easter Egg Hunt. complete with a visit from the Easter Bunny.  Don't miss it.  It's bound to be a lot of fun.

Columbia Waterfront Spring Egg Hunt & Easter Bunny!

Everyone is invited to the cutest local egg hunt around on Sunday, March 31 from 10-12 pm. To make room for all the kids, babies up to age 4 will hunt in the Urban Meadow and kids five and up will be in next door Mother Cabrini playground. The forecast is in the 50s for Sunday- and special guest the EASTER BUNNY will hop in around 11 o'clock!

Bring your baskets and don't be late - doors open for the hunt right at 10 AM. Corner of President and Van Brunt Streets. For more information see the Urban Meadow website: urbanmeadowbrooklyn.blogspot.com.

Great News For Neighborhood Gardeners: Gowanus Nursery To Re-Open March 23rd

(photo credit: Gowanus Nursery)

Best news for all neighborhood gardeners and certain proof that spring is most definitely around the corner. After their yearly winter hiatus, the Gowanus Nursery is re-opening next week-end. I can hardly wait.
From their Facebook page:

With many projects still under way, it is with sweat on our brow that we mention our opening date, March 23rd, 2013March hours: Saturday and Sunday 11-5 Early April Hours: 10-6 Thursday through Sunday.

Gowanus Nursery

9 Carroll Street, Brooklyn, NY.

(718) 852-3116