You can watch a video from the 2012 show here.

The Annex is open 8 AM – 8 PM Monday-Friday, and 10 AM – 6 PM Saturday and Sunday; closed major holidays and for special events.

Watch the Circle, Square, Moose trailer

Greenlight Bookstore is located at 686 Fulton Street at South Portland Street.

I never would have imagined how much I love being the father of a little girl. It’s just awesome. But I am very, very sensitive to the everyday sexism that permeates the world of girls’ clothes, toys, after-school programs and, as we discovered tonight, bedsheets.

Flipping through the lovely Dwell catalog, I was drawn to a new collection, Flight, “inspired by the clean lines and bold graphics of mid-century aviation posters.” It also fits in with one of my fatherly missions: making sure my daughter knows she can do any damn thing she wants to do. CEO, scientist, poet, pilot.

Except that apparently won’t fly with the folks at Dwell. The “Flight” collection, the catalog language explains, is “for the little adventurer”, and as we all know, girls have no taste for adventure, right? To drive the point home, Dwell includes a graphic that reads “Appropriate for” followed by two boxes, “boys” and “girls”. Boys is checked, girls is not:

Let’s leave the high flying to the boys, shall we?

And with that, Dwell gently wraps an arm around us to lead us to the gender-limited world of “Posey,” which is “appropriate for” girls (not boys, of course) and features “a field of flora showcasing a variety of blooms in rich, saturated hues…a beautiful collection that feels timeless, fresh and beautifully girly.”

Thanks, Dwell. Thanks for helping me understand which of your $160 crib bumpers would be “appropriate” for my child. Because God forbid I screw this up and accidentally inspire my daughter to like aviation, or my son to appreciate flowers. I mean, can you even imagine?

I’d laugh it all off if I didn’t believe it shocking that in 2014, nobody at Dwell thought “um, maybe girls might like planes?” Or even “perhaps the word ‘appropriate’, which suggests ‘inappropriate’, might piss parents the hell off?”

Here’s what’s really appropriate, Dwell: that I teach my daughter not to buy into this kind of sexist crap, even if your sheets do look exquisite.

Tweets by @standupkid

Source: @standupkid
http://markjoyella.com/dwell-thinks-its-aviation-inspired-sheets-are-inappropriate-for-my-daughter/

The ninth annual Brooklyn Book Festival will be on Sunday, September 21 from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m at Borough Hall and Columbus Park (immediately north of Borough Hall). There will be readings by and discussions with writers, readings and activities for children, and books for sale. There’s more information here.

During the coming week and the Monday following the Festival there will be “Bookend” events held in various venues around the Borough. Among these venues are Book Court, Brooklyn Bridge Park, the Brooklyn Historical Society, DUMBO Sky, the Powerhouse Arena, Smack Mellon Gallery, St. Ann & the Holy Trinity Church, St. Ann’s School, and Vineapple. A full schedule is here.

Source: Brooklyn Heights Blog
http://brooklynheightsblog.com/archives/70198

Turns out that sign has been up for a year as owner Frank Moe explains to Gothamist in a dispatch sent on Wednesday night. He also explains the REAL reason for his decision — it’s not the kids, it’s (some of) the parents who are responsible:

The New York Post story about Hot Bird banning kids from the bar doesn’t reflect my decision as an owner. We were not swamped by families, and never said they created a ruckus. The quote from the bartender (“There was a time when there were too many people bringing small children here,” one bartender said. “It became an issue. So we put up the sign.”) also doesn’t reflect my decision, which by the way was taken and posted at the beginning of last summer, not last week as is been reported.
Ultimately, a lot of comments are from people who simply use harsh words to describe parents who bring their kids to a bar. At my age, most of my friends are actually parents. The problem I find is that there is only a little minority of parents who have a sense of entitlement, and it’s been easier for us to ask everyone not to bring their children to the bar, rather than to get into occasionally uncomfortable confrontations with certain parents.

When children are left unattended, which happens constantly because parents treat Hot Bird like a playground, kids run around, play with balls sometimes, go up to patrons who smile because it’s a child but are in fact annoyed. I don’t see why I should allow this when I don’t allow this behavior from my older patrons.

We are legally liable for people injuring themselves at the bar. Unattended children fall, climb on stools, etc. The first year we were open, a dog bit a little girl. The dog owner fled, and all of a sudden the bartend was responsible for the dog bite and the girl petting the dog on her own. Where were the parents?

Some parents have a sense of entitlement when they come to the bar, like asking us to turn down the music because their 5 month old baby was trying to sleep. Again, something we wouldn’t do for anyone else.

We are a fairly busy place and my staff is there to serve drinks, not to watch over children and deal with unreasonable demands from the parents. It’s sometimes difficult to turn away responsible parents that we wished were welcome as customers, but it’s easier just to ask everyone not to come in with their kids, and avoid the headache of selecting who is well behaved and who is not.

So where do you draw the line? Comment below!

RELATED: A Kid Walks Into a Bar Or ‘Welcome to Brooklyn Culture, Noobs’

Earlier in the week a Brooklyn Heights Blog reader commented about the same issue happening in Cobble Hill.

A small child wearing a bike helmet headbutted my stool at the bar. Just another Sunday in Brooklyn.

— Caroline McCarthy (@caro) May 18, 2014

@bkheightsblog Henry Public. It was packed with kids today.

— Caroline McCarthy (@caro) May 19, 2014

OH in Brooklyn Heights: "who brings their CHILD into a BAR?!" Welcome to the current state of Brooklyn, noob.

— Catt Small (@cattsmall) March 15, 2014

And who could forget the great Brooklyn babies in a bar controversy of 2010?

So, are babies in a bar OK? Comment away!

Plymouth Church is known for its pre-eminent role, under the leadership of Henry Ward Beecher, in the anti-slavery movement before the Civil War. While the Emancipation Proclamation declared the slaves free, and the Thirteenth Amendment abolished the “peculiar institution,” slavery still exists in the United States, and, on a larger scale, elsewhere in the world. Human trafficking for the sex trade is the best known aspect, but there is also slavery of the sort common in the antebellum South–men and women forced to do field or factory or domestic labor without pay and while held in bondage–in almost all parts of the world. Indeed, it is estimated that today there are more people held in slavery than ever in history.

The Brooklyn Historical society, Plymouth Church, and Free the Slaves, an organization that is combating slavery of all kinds throughout the world, are presenting two events, a roundtable discussion at BHS on Friday, january 10, and a concert at Plymouth on Saturday, January 11, featuring the Impressions (video above), the Inspirational Voices of Abyssinian Baptist Church, Naomi Shelton & the Gospel Queens, and members of the Dap-Kings. The roundtable discussion begins at 7:00 p.m. Friday, but the BHS doors will open at 6:00 to allow you a sneak peek at the new exhibit “Brooklyn Abolitionists in Pursuit of Freedom.” Admission to this event is free, but you must reserve tickets here. The concert, which is a benefit for Free the Slaves, starts at 8:00 p.m. Saturday. Tickets are $25 or, for VIP seating, $150, and may be purchased here.

There is more information here.

Source: Brooklyn Heights Blog
http://brooklynheightsblog.com/archives/64685

Winners of the Atlantic Avenue Children’s Literature Contest will read original stories along with selections from their favorite picture books. Judging panel includes Brooklyn-native Bruce Degan, illustrator of The Magic School Bus series. Kids will decide the Kids Choice Award by voting for their favorite story. Free hot chocolate provided by Sahadi’s along with bookmarks for all but space is limited. Please RSVP on http://bit.ly/1i1YUiA to reserve a spot at one or more of the readings.

Saturday mornings December 7, December 14, and December 21 at the following locations:

December 7, 10am, Sahadi’s: Ruth Chan, “Where’s Bernie?”
December 7, 11am, Nest Egg Kids: Buzz Koenig “Cookie Store Wanted”
December 7, 12pm, Elite Optique: Stephanie Lane Elliott “Raccoons!”
Contest judge Tamson Weston (http://tamsonweston.com/tamson-weston-bio/) published children’s book author and freelance kids book editor will attend the first two readings on the 7th.

December 14, 10am, Flor: Kevin Maertens “Quattro Formaggi”
December 14, 11am, Grumpy Bert: Dana A. Catherine “Jupi’s Journey” & Sarah Heller “Our Walk”
Contest judge and children’s book illustrator Nancy Doniger (http://donigerillustration.com/) will attend the readings on December 14th.

December 21, 10am, The Herbe Shoppe: Graham Willner “Flight”
December 21, 11am, Table 87: Barbara DiLorenzo “Atlantic Avenue Dragon”
December 21, 12:30pm, Gumbo: Kristabelle Munson “Miles and the Garden”
Contest judge Melissa Guinon (http://www.melissaguion.com/), author and illustrator of “Baby Penguins Everywhere!” will attend readings on the 21st.

Prizes will be awarded at the readings with the top prize for the best story at $1,000! Second prize will be $300 and third prize is $100.

Other judges on the esteemed panel include Namrata Tripathi, Executive Editor at Atheneum Books for Young Readers and Rachel Orr, Literary Agent for Children’s Books at the Prospect Agency.

Source: Brooklyn Heights Blog
http://brooklynheightsblog.com/archives/64199

The election of Bill de Blasio as mayor of New York is a “major setback” for the polices of Mike Bloomberg and George W. Bush says author/Brooklyn Heights resident Diane Ravitch in a new blog post. Saying that, de Blasio “understands the failure of the Bloomberg education policies,” she outlines 5 things the new mayor should do to make schools better.

They are:

First, he must restore the contiguous community school districts, each of which has a superintendent to oversee the condition and progress of the schools.

Second, the restoration of neighborhood schools would eliminate the byzantine “choice” process that Bloomberg initiated, whereby parents of children applying to middle school and high school visited schools, listed a dozen choices, and hoped for the best.

Third, de Blasio should assemble a team of expert educators—recruited from the ranks of the city’s most respected retired educators—who will take on a double assignment.

Fourth, de Blasio should follow through on his campaign promise to set higher expectations for the city’s charter sector. The policy of co-location does not work.

Fifth, and far from last, the new mayor should de-emphasize testing and accountability.

Ravitch adds that the key to success is finding a chancellor who agrees with de Blasio’s vision. She says that person, “should be an experienced educator who shares the mayor’s view that the needs of children really do come first and that data are far less important than the restoration of respect for learning, respect for educators, and the realization that a new day has dawned for public education in New York City.”

Read the full post here.

Source: Brooklyn Heights Blog
http://brooklynheightsblog.com/archives/63760

Looking for something more? Museum educators will lead children’s art projects and a photo activity.

For more information, check out the Museum’s website.

Photo credit Heather Phelps-Lipton

Last fall, Anna Hieronimus and Elise Kornack were all set to open their new restaurant/yoga studio, on a quiet, beautiful street in Carroll Gardens, awaiting only the final permit from the city. The Fire Department was scheduled to do the final inspections on October 29, but instead of the visit they expected, they got, instead, a visit from Superstorm Sandy.

“City officials were totally bogged down after that,” said Kornack recently from Take Root, which ended up opening in January. “We had to wait two and a half months to open.”

Located on Sackett Street between Henry and Hicks, Take Root’s warm, cozy dining room is designed, according to Kornack, to make guests feel as though they’re walking into Kornack and Hieronimus’ home—which is where their business began.

The two met three years ago and shortly thereafter moved in together (they’re now engaged and will be married this fall); a former sous-chef at Aquavit and winner on the Food Channel’s Chopped, Kornack became “obsessed” (her word) with the garden of their new apartment in Prospect Heights, and the two began holding dinner parties in their backyard for 10 to 12 people at a time. The dinners grew so popular they began selling tickets; after some neighbors complainted, they decided to open a restaurant that would replicate their homey dinner party experiences.

Hieronimus (left) and Kornack. Photo credit Heather Phelps-Lipton

At the same time, Hieronimus, whose mother ran a holistic health care center in Baltimore—“yoga and Ayurveda have always been a part of my life,” she said—was becoming a more serious practitioner of yoga, and several years ago underwent a teacher training program at Kripalu. Though she was teaching yoga privately, she realized that she really wanted to work with children, so behind Take Root’s dining room, just past the newly remodeled kitchen, is a yoga space for children, for toddlers to age six.  The classes combine traditional yoga moves with singing, dancing, and creative movement.   Hieronimus also offers yoga workshops for adults.

Take Root serves an $85 tasting menu on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights, with one seating at 8 pm by reservation. Children’s yoga classes are held Wednesday through Saturday. On Saturday morning, Hieronimus hosts a children’s reading circle in the yoga studio, while parents and caretakers are invited sit in the dining room and chat and munch on Kornack’s home-made baked goods and sip coffee and lemonade. On Sundays, a small-plates brunch is served beginning at 11 a.m.

Take Root’s yoga program is currently offering a summer special: bring a friend or a sibling and get a 50% discount on the class. The classes are $12, with a $2 discount for first time visitors; the reading circle is $5 and designed, said Kornack, to offer a variety of price points for people in the neighborhood.

“Our goal is to create a small community,” said Kornack.  “I cook for people to hang out and eat.”

Photo credit Heather Phelps-Lipton

The Rotunda Gallery is located at 33 Clinton Street in Brooklyn Heights.

Admission is free but RSVPs (to aclark@bricartsmedia.org) are appreciated.

They were a great success last year, so our Brooklyn Heights neighbors, David Fuller and Judith Jarosz of Theater 2020, are presenting holiday events on the next two weekends. Both will be happening at St. Charles Borromeo, 21 Sidney Place. The first, on this coming Sunday, December 2, starting at 3:00 p.m. will be A Merry Joyful Noise, featuring the group RPM:

The group features performers Mary Lou Barber, John Canary (& Piano), Paula Hoza, Luisa Tedoff & Tim Weiss (& Guitar), from the Broadway, Cabaret & Indie Theater community. Admission [suggested donation $20, no one will be turned away] includes an optional sing-a-long on some of the classics & a reception with the artists immediately following the concert. Great for the whole family.

The second event, on Saturday, December 8, also starting at 3:00 p.m., will be A Radio Christmas Carol, “Charles Dickens’ Christmas Classic Performed as a Radio Play complete with Foley Artist Sound Effects.” Again, admission is a suggested donation of $20, but no one will be turned away. For more information please visit the Theater 2020 website

Source: Brooklyn Heights Blog
http://brooklynheightsblog.com/archives/52300

Silhouette artist Deborah O’Connor will be at the Brooklyn Women’s Exchange, 55 Pierrepont Street (between Henry and Hicks) this Wednesday, November 14 from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., and on Thursday and Friday, November 15 and 16 from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Her silhouette portraits of children or pets are priced at $35 each, with up to three duplicates available for $15 each. Framing is available in several options, from a simple mat for $10 to a black classic oval frame that can hold up to four silhouettes for $65.

To make an appointment, please call 718-624-3435.

Source: Brooklyn Heights Blog
http://brooklynheightsblog.com/archives/51808

This morning was cloudy, but there was no rain and the temperature was…temperate, so conditions were just about ideal for the Brooklyn Heights Halloween Parade. Photo (click to enlarge): kids in costumes and parents, many also costumed, gathered in the Pierrepont Playground before the parade. More photos and text after the jump.

Borough Prexy Marty Markowitz handed out candy. “The more you eat, the less I do.”

Heather White, of the BHPC, organized the Parade.

The parade gets underway.

Source: Brooklyn Heights Blog
http://brooklynheightsblog.com/archives/49888

Source: Brooklyn Heights Blog
http://brooklynheightsblog.com/archives/49813

Last week’s “Best of the Heights” Open Thread on the ultimate spot to find solace in the neighborhood fostered enough responses to prove that folks would dare to share their favorite “private” spots. This week, we’re inquiring about a different kind of repose. A BHB reader wrote, “My wife and I are expecting our first child, and I was searching the blog for past threads on daycare. I could not find anything, other than preschool-related, so I’m wondering if you start a thread on the Best Daycare. I would love to get the opinions of our fellow neighbors.”

So there you have it: We’re now asking for your input on the Best Daycare Center In Brooklyn Heights. Please include who and where you send your kiddies in the nabe, along with the ages of your children and any other pertinent info you think would be helpful (hours, $$, activities, etc.).

If you’ve missed previous “Best Of” Open Threads, see them here: Best Spot To Go Aaaah, Most Beautiful Building, Best Burger, Best Dry Cleaner, Best Pizza Pie, Best Handyman, Best Car Service and Best Vet & Dog Walker.

Source: Brooklyn Heights Blog
http://brooklynheightsblog.com/archives/49404

The Annual Brooklyn Heights Halloween Parade takes place Saturday, October 27 at 10 a.m. at the Pierrepont Playground, between Pierrepont Place, Pierrepont Street and the Promenade. Admission is free. The event is sponsored by the Brooklyn Heights Playground Committee.

“Bring your little ghouls and goblins to join in the fun and show off their best costumes!” A bake sale will benefit the Heights Playground Committee, along with a professional photographer available to take photos of the kids, and face painters to ensure they look their best. (Rain date is October 28.)

Volunteers are needed to set-up, bake, sell cookies and the like. Please email info@bhplaygrounds.org. (Photo: BHB)

Source: Brooklyn Heights Blog
http://brooklynheightsblog.com/archives/49517

More details have come our way for the 2012 Cranberry Street Fair this Saturday, October 13, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., from Hicks to Willow streets: While Eric Loffsfold and Bruce Edward play cool jazz throughout the day, take part in games and contests (count the cranberries and guess the weight of the pumpkin). Little ones are invited to paint mini pumpkins, while older children can explore the 205th’s fire engine. Also: fortune telling, artistic face painting and voter registration.

Children’s Yoga begins activities at 11:30 (no mat or age requirement); the Pet Parade is at noon (all entries take home the blue); and at 12:30, Mimi Soltana’s troupe Tribal Dance Manhattan performs (and then treats all to a belly dancing lesson). A raffle concludes the Fair at 3 p.m. And… the bar at Jack The Horse Tavern will be open from 11 to 3.

For sale: eats, autumnal flowers, books, Cranberry Street logo T-shirts designed by James Childs, fleas and collectible treasures. All proceeds go to neighborhood beautification.

Organizers invite all neighborhood residents to donate books, CDs, used but working electronics, toys and treasures. Please bring items to the Fair. There is also consideration for a Cranberry cookbook, so bring recipes! If you’ve made the dish, feel free to cart that to the baked goods table. Merchants who wish to donate to the raffle may also do so at the Fair. And finally, volunteer! Assemble at 10 a.m. in front of 23 Cranberry Street.

Source: Brooklyn Heights Blog
http://brooklynheightsblog.com/archives/49083

Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy in partnership with Brooklyn Bridge Park, celebrates autumn with the Harvest Festival on Pier 6, Saturday, October 20 beginning at 10:30 a.m. Join the festivities, including a free pumpkin patch, face painting, storytelling and arts & crafts for the family. Birdie from GreeNYC will also make a special appearance. Musical performances include Bilingual Birdies at 10:30 and The Pop Ups at noon.

Inventgenuity Workshops brings its Mobile Studio to Harvest Festival for kids to meet some of the “masters of invention” as they present their latest projects. Private Picassos will lead leaf rubbings and watercolor resists for budding artists of all ages. In addition, co-sponsor SUNY Downstate at LICH will offer health screenings and pediatric info, with the opportunity to meet UHB-LICH physicians. Event co-sponsor Brownstone Pediatric Dentistry will host an activity table. Other Harvest Festival partners include The Transit Museum, Half Pint Citizens, The Moxie Spot and Sweet’N Low.

Source: Brooklyn Heights Blog
http://brooklynheightsblog.com/archives/48809

Seedlings Academic Playschool in Brooklyn Heights will open its doors to students this Monday, October 1. The program is geared to ages 2-4 years from 8:15-11:15 a.m. and noon-3 p.m., and expands at 3:30 p.m. to include after-school enrichment for 3-15 year olds. According to A Child Grows in Brooklyn, the school will have a 4:1 child/teacher ratio for play-school and enrichment classes with a “child-directed, teacher-guided” program. BHB will be doing a longer feature on the school in the coming weeks.

The school is in a brownstone at 42 Henry Street. Pick-up is available from children’s schools. For full details, including schedule and pricing, see here. Seedlings Academic’s phone number is 718-222-1849.

Source: Brooklyn Heights Blog
http://brooklynheightsblog.com/archives/48451

In a very short period of time Subway Sleuths has captured the attention of ASD experts, transit enthusiasts and Museum professionals alike. Organizations as diverse as the Portland International Airport and the Museum Access Consortium have turned to the Museum for consultation on implementing similar programs. Each session is facilitated by a special educator, a speech language pathologist trained in ASD support, and a Transit Museum educator. In 2011, Subway Sleuths’ innovative approach was featured on the front page article in The New York Times. The Museum will be part of a presentation at the American Public Transportation Association’s Annual Convention. The Museum has also been invited to participate in a proposed panel at the next convention for the American Alliance of Museums.

This fall, 7-9 year olds will meet on Tuesday afternoons at 4pm, and 10-12 year olds will meet on Wednesday afternoons at 4pm. The classes will start on October 2nd and 3rd, respectively. We will be holding thirty minute Observation Sessions on September 11th and 12th at the Transit Museum to form this fall’s cohorts. The observation sessions are a fun, informal way for staff to assess each child’s needs and tendencies, helping them assemble compatible participant groups and craft lesson plans. The program is offered on a sliding scale: for those in need the entire ten-week series costs only $25, thanks in part to a generous grant from Autism Speaks. Additional funding is provided by the Brooklyn Community Foundation, Tiger Baron Foundation, Warren Lewis Realty and individual donations.

To make a reservation, send your child’s name, age, grade level, school and parent/guardian contact information to Julie: Subwaysleuths@gmail.com or 718-694-3385

Flyer for Parents: http://mta.info/mta/museum/pdf/NYTM_autism.pdf

The New York Transit Museum is located at the corner of Boerum Place and Schermerhorn Street, Brooklyn Heights.

In my 20′s and 30′s I lived on the Upper East Side. I lived with my boyfriend, we were artists had no kids and were not ashamed to eat Ramen Noodles. So, I would bristle every time a perfectly manicured and accessorized UES mom suddenly stopped their $700 stroller in the middle of the crowded sidewalk to give their darling, adorably dressed charges a cookie. I would grit my teeth and think, “JUST PULL OVER.” So, now that I’m a mom respectfully do my best not to block the narrow jagged sidewalks of my beloved Brooklyn Heights. I say I succeed about 90% of the time.

Now, I’m not proud of this but I have from time to time, been know to shoot my mouth off. Combine that with a mom’s fierce, primal instinct to defend their child and it’s a volatile combination.

But I have NO idea what happened this past week. Maybe Mercury was in retrograde or the planets aligned in some horrible way, but the wack job haters were out in force. And they found ME. Let’s just say I now know how a person could lift a car off their kid.

1) Starbucks arty woman in black says to my friend twice, “2 kids? You should keep your legs shut!” I said “Eccentric is one thing, rude is another. How bout you keep your mouth shut!”

2) Sidewalk on Pierrepont (Mom and daughter push in between stroller and my son and actually moved my son out of the way. The words excuse me never crossed their lips. I am, for once, speechless but when one of them turns around to give me a dirty look from across the street I scream “Don’t touch my kid, how bout “Excuse Me?!”

3) Eastern Athletic (With PLENTY of room on the sidewalk a man pushes between my friend, my stroller and I, steps on my friend’s foot and yells at me “You must have a very strong sense of entitlement! You’re taking up the whole sidewalk” Honestly, we weren’t. He even dared to take a step toward us with my son in the stroller. I turned the stroller away and said “you are going to get in my face when I have my child in the stroller? What is WRONG WITH YOU?!” He kept screaming and entered the club. I almost called the cops to have him arrested…my call to the club manager was pointless. They won’t intervene if an incident happens on the sidewalk, only inside the club.

I’ve given up hope that people will hold doors for us. And it’s only when I have an expression of total panic on my face that someone will assist us down the Subway stairs. But, these incidents this week put me over the edge. So to answer the psycho from Eastern Athetic’s question: YES I do have a sense of entitlement! I am entitled to defend my child! WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE? How is it ok to TOUCH another person’s child? What happened to “excuse me?” Why is there so much hostility toward women taking care of children? Knowing that any clever retort (real or imagined) I make can’t change bad behavior, why can’t I keep my cool? Has anything like this happened to you? Mama needs a glass of wine.

Source: Brooklyn Heights Blog
http://brooklynheightsblog.com/archives/46388

The Brooklyn Heights Playground Committee invites all to help refill the sandbox at the Harry Chapin Playground, on Columbia Heights north of Cranberry Street. The sandy extravaganza will take place this Saturday, July 28, at 8:30 a.m. More information here. (Photo: Claude Scales)

Source: Brooklyn Heights Blog
http://brooklynheightsblog.com/archives/44595

Last Wednesday was the 4th of July, but let the festivities continue on this Open Thread Wednesday. Fire away!

FYI: Our bear friend pictured here lives in Palmetto Playground, located in the southwest tip of Brooklyn Heights, at State Street & Columbia Place, with the BQE behind it. According to NYC Parks, Palmetto Playground’s nomenclature was inspired by the names of its surrounding streets: Atlantic, Columbia & State. Columbia is the capitol of South Carolina, an Atlantic state, and the state tree is the Cabbage Palmetto, hence, Palmetto Playground. The park offers basketball courts, a kid’s playground and a small off-leash dog park. And, by golly, a working water fountain. (Photo: Chuck Taylor)

Source: Brooklyn Heights Blog
http://brooklynheightsblog.com/archives/44037

The workshop, which is free with museum admission, is for ages 8 and up. Reservations recommended – call (718) 694-1792.

The New York Transit Museum is located at the corner of Boerum Place and Schermerhorn Street in Brooklyn Heights.

This just into the BHB Newsroom: The super-fantastic music show for kids 0-4, Mil’s Trills, returns to Vineapple [71 Pineapple Street] Wednesday (6/6) at 10am.

No need for advance tickets, just show up at Vineapple. Bring a blanket for your child to sit on and some shakers so they can play along. There’s a $15 suggested donation.

Yael Litwin joins in on the fun rocking the West African Gyil.

Source: Brooklyn Heights Blog
http://brooklynheightsblog.com/archives/41759

Wolfe Edelman and Joanna Wagner, both 8th graders at MS 51 in Park Slope, will be performing. Wolfe is in the instrumental program and band and has been playing guitar since the age of seven. Joanna sings and is in the school’s show choir. They have created a transit-themed list of songs.

The Transit Museum is located at the corner of Boerum Place and Schermerhorn Street in Brooklyn Heights. Admission is $5 for children and $7 for adults.

Image via salmagundi.org

The Transit Museum’s summer show is “The Golden Age of Bridges,” and it features Antonio Masi’s dramatic paintings of the nine major bridges of New York City. The show continues through September, 2012, and Masi will be conducting two family workshops this summer. The first will be this Sunday, June 3, at 1:30 pm. (The program will be repeated on Saturday, August 4 at 1:30 pm.) The program is free with museum admission, but you need a reservation. The program is suitable for children aged 6 and up.

Masi’s technique is distinguished by his unusual use of watercolor. Usually considered a light and airy medium, Masi uses watercolor to underscore the thick and heavy steel of the bridges he paints. He combines light washes with much thicker weights to show the heavy, weighted mass of each bridge. “I discovered that watercolor can also be used in a thick manner,” he explains, “and it can express the heaviest subjects imaginable. With watercolor, I contrast the mass, power and delicacy of my subjects.”

Following a 45-minute demonstration, children and their parents will be invited to paint a bridge in themselves.

The New York Transit Museum is located on the corner of Boerum Place and Schermerhorn Street in Brooklyn Heights.