Williamsburg is Dead

Barry Manilow: Original Williamsburg Hipster

 God bless you, FREEwilliamsburg, for bringing this men.style.com interview with Manilow to our attention. Maniloooooooooow!

Join the North Brooklyn Story Project!

Me, NAG and Under the BQE have been working on this for awhile. Please come!!!

What: North Brooklyn Story Project Introductory Meeting
When: Wednesday, March 11th, 7 p.m.
Where: Neighbors Allied for Good Growth headquarters: 101 Kent Avenue at 9th Street

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The North Brooklyn Story Project is looking for people with stories to share about our community, and people who can listen to and record these stories.

Do you have a story to tell about life in Williamsburg or Greenpoint? A memory, a snapshot of life here today, an interesting interaction with community members? Do you know a neighbor or shopkeeper or friend with a story to tell? If so, you're invited to become part of the North Brooklyn Story Project.

The North Brooklyn Story Project is a new initiative of Neighbors Allied for Good Growth (NAG), a community organization that has been serving North Brooklyn since 1994. The project was developed to get residents talking and listening to each other – to build a vibrant and friendly North Brooklyn community.

The first step? To find people interested in telling their stories and people interested in interviewing them. Together, interviewers and storytellers will create an archive of North Brooklyn stories that all of us can use to feel connected to our diverse neighbors and neighborhoods – past, present, and future.

No special skills or equipment required – just ears and a voice. If you're interested, please come to the North Brooklyn Story Project Introductory Meeting, on Wednesday, March 11th, at 7 p.m. The meeting will take place at NAG headquarters (101 Kent Avenue at North 9th Street). At the meeting, we’ll discuss an upcoming training to be offered to our group by the Brooklyn Historical Society, as well as your ideas for making the project a success.

For more information, please contact Gregor Nemitz-Ziadie or Rachel Bennett.

See you there!

Williamsburg is Dead is Not Dead!

You, the Williamsburg is Dead reader, is probably thinking "Hey, what have you been doing, jackass? You haven't posted in like nine years." Well, I'm busy with a real job that pays my bills ok? Is that ok with you, reader? Oh baby ... baby please, let's never fight again. I just got the new Neko Case album and we can just listen to that with some some Chablis and let all our worries melt away.

Um what? Anyway, luckily sometimes my normal job (internet food writer) coincides with my other un-paying job (internet neighborhood gadfly). Behold, two Williamsburg-centric food posts by none other than I, Lord Williamsburg of Sussex.

A Night with Bob McClure of McClure's Pickles

Recession Brunch Features $6 Dishes, Gypsies

What a Scoop! The Haps in Williamsburg

Bike lanes are causing unrest! [NYT]

It's winter! [Under the BQE]

Catbird is closing! [Racked]

Sparks goes kaput! [FREEwilliamsburg]

Luna Lounge owners to open new 'Burg bar! [Grub Street]

Brooklynites say "No thanks" to Manhattan! [Curbed]

FIGHT FOR AN ADORABLE CAUSE!

Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww.

FOR THE LOVE OF GOD STOP SAYING THE WORD HIPSTER

OMG College Kids Totes Love Us

I just got this in our comments section. Who wants to skip class and smoke some pot?! Err, all my favorite bands from college are still cool right?

We recently included you in our survey of top blogs for NYU students, many NYU students live in Brooklyn and enjoy reading your blog for events and information. In addition to NYU there are many schools affiliated with our site located in Brooklyn that could possibly benefit from your knowledge of the area. We would love for you to visit our site http://www.collegewikis.com/nyu/topics/top-nyu-blogs Thanks.

New York Examiner Directs Readers to Long-Closed Capone's for Free Pizza

In a New York Examiner article published two days ago, I read the following:

"The Alligator Lounge (Williamsburg, more info), Capones (Brooklyn, more info) and the Crocodile Lounge (Manhattan, more info) both offer free pizza with each beer you order."

Aside from being grammatically incorrect, there's something else glaringly wrong with that little sentence. As any Williamsburger knows, Capone's has been closed for quite some time now--and if they'd even bothered to look at the link included in the article, which leads to a NY Mag listing with the words venue closed blatantly prefacing the blurb, the Examiner would have found this out. Woops.

Fake Parking Tickets in Williamsburg, Real Evidence of Cops' Sense of Humor

According to the New York Post, cops are doling out public service announcements disguised as parking tickets in Williamsburg. I suppose this is how the scenario plays out:

Walking towards your car from a ways down the street, you think you catch an orange-ish hue as you glance towards your destination. That 'aw, man'-inducing, helpless disappointment churns in your gut. You get to the car, angrily snatch the ticket out from under the wiper blade, and just as you're about to toss it into the glove compartment along with 3 or 4 of its brethren, you notice the type is a little funny. You look closer. Instead of the standard print detailing your violation, it reads: "A warning from the 90th Precinct. We are advising that personal property such as handbags, wallets, iPods, not be left in open areas (where they can be seen) inside your vehicle."

Gotcha! Then, the cops, who've been hiding in the shrubbery across the street the whole time, can't stifle their laughter anymore and burst out in guffaws, pointing at you and giving each other high-fives.

From the Post:   Said one cop, "People are actually relieved when they open it and see it's not a ticket." How confounding. People relieved when the discover they don't have to pay an exorbitant fine? What saps.

O, those merry mischief-making policeman of the 90th Precinct. What sort of clever prank will they use to entertain 'n educate us next? Pretend speeding tickets where they pull us over and remind us not to pick up hitchhikers? "Just Kidding" overnight detentions in jail to teach us about vandalism? I can't wait!

A Little Something for the Ladies - Brooklyn Barter and Buy

"A Free Street Culture Shopping Event for the Ladies" is the slogan heralding the Brooklyn Barter & Buy taking place at Supreme Trading Co. this Saturday (Oct. 11, 2-8 pm). It's a discount shop 'n booze-a-thon sponsored by Yours Truly. No, not me, silly. The clothing brand. (Wonder how many times some variation of that cringe-inducer will pop up in fashion prose in blogs to come)

Anyhow, as the New York Examiner deftly points out, it's looking to be high time to pinch them pennies and barter for stylish duds. (Doesn't the mere mention of the word 'barter' conjure depression era imagery? Hollowed-out barrel suspenders, anyone?)

So ladies, barter your hearts out, lest you find yourself suddenly broke from an ill-timed purchase of Gucci wares and find yourself evicted and forced west in search of farmhand work with a stalwart band of Oakies whilst the government stomps out unions and forces Tom Joad into hiding. Too many Grapes of Wrath references? Sorry.

And as the flier tersely points out, "Gentlemen Welcome."