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UPDATED
8/18:
"For Sale in PLG" Listings
A newly updated listing of houses for
sale in the neighborhood with a summary of condos as well. We
will be creating an expanded and improved Real Estate page soon.
Brokers with a strong PLG presence: please
contact us ASAP -
this will be an unprecedented and affordable way to reach both
sellers and buyers in our neighborhood. |
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- Clarke failed to pay student loans
- Village Voice |
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Law & Order Filming in Prospect Park
Last night when my daughter and I took Oscar the dog to the park for his nightly session of maniacal ball chasing we noticed an army of trucks on the road next to the Nethermead.
My somewhat shy daughter hates it when I start nosing around so I saved her the mortification and checked with the Park
today. According to the Park's special events people the trucks belonged
to the crew filming an episode of Law & Order: Criminal Intent
-- their work went on late into the night.
Here are some other
TV series and Films shot in Brooklyn. 8/25/06 |
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- Prospect Park to Be Transformed Into Refugee Camp
- The Brooklyn Graphic
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Waiting for Wi-fi - An Update From the Park
PlanetPLG has learned that
the lack of wi-fi service in Prospect Park (and the city's other large parks targeted for the service) was the reason the wi-fi launch event scheduled for 8/24 in Central Park was cancelled at the last minute. The event will likely take place in two weeks according to our sources (hopefully this means Prospect Park will be up and running by then). The Planet was also told that wi-fi installation work at Prospect Park is only now getting underway. The wi-fi project is managed by the City's Parks Department and is being performed by a private contractor. |
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Congressional District 11
DEBATE-ATHON
The Brooklyn Papers Debate
- Fightin’ Eleventh candidates weigh in on Yards
- Click here to hear the debate in mp3 format - Brooklyn Papers
The NY1 Debate
- Bare knuckles in Brooklyn The Daily News
- Rivals in House Race Debate White Candidate’s Motives NY Times
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Transcripts Cast Doubt on Yvette Clarke's Explanation - NY
Daily News
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Candidate for Congress in Brooklyn Admits Her College Credits
Fell Short - NY Times
Join the discussion of this story on The Politicker.
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Jim Brennan & NOW Chapter Endorse Chris Owens
As we get closer to
the end the endorsements start flying fast and furious. Chris
Owens picked up Assemblyman Jim Brennan's support (pictured to
the right of Chris Owens at a Tuesday press conference). Brennan
represents the 44th district within our 11th congressional
district. The Brooklyn-Queens chapter of NOW also endorsed Owens
calling him a "pro-active feminist". |
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135
Ocean Avenue
With an
entrance looks like a time portal.
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The "Old Boys of Summer" Meet (and they could still kick your butt)
I must admit, when I first saw
this photo, I thought I was looking at a "Warriors" reunion... What you
are actually seeing is a group of former minor league baseball players
who all originally hail from Brooklyn. They enjoyed a workout Tuesday at
the historic Prospect Park Parade Ground with members of the Cadets
youth baseball team, the city’s oldest continuous amateur baseball
organization, and players from the Brooklyn Cyclones (and their goofy
mascot).
Photo © Prospect Park Alliance |
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Councilwoman Gains Backing in Congress Race -
NY Times
Join a discussion of Yvette
Clarke's endorsement on
The Politicker.
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On a related note, Councilwoman
Clarke's office sent us word that they are still looking for volunteers
and youth-oriented performers for the
4th Annual Youth Fest on Saturday, 8/26 at Wingate Field. |
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PlanetPLG
EXCLUSIVE
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Another 205 Parkside Avenue Update
Planet PLG has learned that Councilwoman Clarke's
office is in early stages of exploring whether or not
the owner of the long-neglected building might be open
to selling the property to SUNY/Downstate, which is
looking for more dormitory apartments for their
residents. Stay tuned.
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Senator Carl Andrews in PLG Tuesday Morning |
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WITH THE
FINISHING LINE IN SIGHT - CD11 CAMPAIGNING HEATS UP
We ran into
Senator
Carl Andrews
shaking hands Tuesday morning at the Prospect Park Q stop (above) who
said he was glad we're getting close to the end. Having seen a bit of
what campaigning was like on a day-to-day basis for these candidates and
their staffs, I imagine everyone involved is relieved that it will soon
be up to the voters to decide (the primary is September 12th).
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Pol wins unions' label in hot race
NY Daily News
"Two major unions will back Democratic City Councilwoman
Yvette Clarke
in a hotly contested Brooklyn congressional race. The presidents of two
powerful Service Employees International Union locals, 1199 SEIU, which
represents health care workers, and 32BJ, which stands for building
services workers, told the Daily News yesterday they would back Clarke's
bid to replace retiring Rep. Major Owens."
Chris Owens
has a
press
conference scheduled for the steps of City Hall at noon today at
which he is expected to announce endorsements of his own. Council Member
David Yassky
is in the Observer this morning for a
supporter of his in Brownsville.
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And The Loew's Kings Waits...
Photo uploaded by
Shield
PLANET PLG EXCLUSIVE
Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz Tells Planet PLG:
"This
effort will take several years at the earliest... the necessary steps
are being taken. There will be no announcements until there is something
to report. Maybe late this year or early next year some direction will
be chosen to determine the Kings future (which as you know, I very much
want to reestablish as a performing arts venue). All I can say is --
stay tuned." August 14th, 2006
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Our Time Press Endorses Chris Owens for Congress |
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The New PLG Slideshow Page |
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A series of highly provocative looks at a stunningly visual
neighborhood and borough (a.k.a. old stuff rehashed). |
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A Big Fat Spike Lee Joint - Part 1 on HBO Tonight
Brooklyn
native does the right thing - skewers Bush on Katrina
From
all accounts, this should be an amazing look at New Orleans
before, during and after Katrina. The focus, as it should be, is
squarely on the federal government's botched response: |
When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts
As the world watched in horror, Hurricane Katrina hit New
Orleans on August 29, 2005. Like many who watched the unfolding
drama on television news, director Spike Lee was shocked not
only by the scale of the disaster, but by the slow, inept and
disorganized response of the emergency and recovery effort. Lee
was moved to document this modern American tragedy, a morality
play witnessed by people all around the world. The result is
WHEN THE LEVEES BROKE: A REQUIEM IN FOUR ACTS. The film is
structured in four acts, each dealing with a different aspect of
the events that preceded and followed Katrina's catastrophic
passage through New Orleans. Acts I and II premiere Monday,
August 21 at 9pm (ET/PT), followed by Acts III and IV on
Tuesday, August 22 at 9pm. All four acts will be seen
Tuesday, Aug. 29 (8:00 p.m.-midnight), the first anniversary of
Hurricane Katrina.
Read more. |
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The 71st Precinct is Asking For Help
No witnesses to Wednesday
evening shooting... omerta'?
We spoke with Officer
Martinos of the 71st precinct today - it seems that even though
a man was shot in the jaw early Wednesday evening in one of the
most highly trafficked places in PLG (Lincoln Road between Ocean
and Flatbush) nobody has come forward to help police identify
the shooter. The victim, who is expected to recover fully, is
not yet able to communicate. If you witnessed this incident
please contact the detectives at the 71st at 718-735-0501.
Detectives are also still trying to identify three men in their
20s who tried to mug a retired detective in front of 111 Rutland
Road on Monday 8/14. The detective fired a shot and the three
fled heading north. |
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Jotham Sederstrom reports:
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Hillary Eats Her Words - Luxury Condos in Park Are Now Just Fine -
NY Daily News
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READER'S TIP:
Positive PLG publicity already having
an effect
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Woman gives birth at PLG Gas Station (might call child "BeePee")
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CIVIL RIGHTS
WATCH - Breaking News
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Federal Judge Orders Halt to Warrantless Wiretapping - AP |
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205 PARKSIDE AVE. UPDATE |
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We spoke today with Moses Fried's lawyer, Attorney Blaise
Parascandola, to ask what Mr. Fried, who owns
205 Parkside Avenue, intends to do with the rundown
property now that he has withdrawn his variance request. Mr.
Parascandola said that Fried is working with a consultant and is
"reviewing his options." Asked if he might still pursue his goal
of creating an SRO Mr. Parascandola took exception with the term
saying that what the Prince Hotel Group wanted to build was an
"Apartment Hotel" and not an "SRO" -- a term he feels has a bad
connotation. When pressed he said he would not rule out that
possibility -- either through an reapplication of the
variance request or some other route, but said it was too early
to say. We will keep you posted on any developments. |
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Prospect Lefferts Gardens
19th-century style
in a diverse neighborhood by Prospect Park
Denisa Superville does a super job capturing the essence of PLG
(and the online version has links to both Planet PLG and
Across the Park -- how cool is that?). It was also nice
to see both Brooklyn & Slims and Toomey's appear in an article
on PLG -- we haven't seen that before. We're diverse, not
snobby, not yuppie, we're democratic and there's a real sense of
community plus, as a bonus, we have "some of the finest examples
of late 19th- and early 20th-century architecture in Brooklyn". |
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IT'S LESS THAN 30 DAYS TO THE 9/12/06 DEMOCRATIC
PRIMARY:
DO YOU KNOW WHERE YOUR VOTE IS GOING?
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Hillary Weighs in on Yassky "It's up to the voters to decide" -
Brooklyn Downtown Star
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Owens needles Yassky as 11th CD Candidates Take on AY - AYR
via
Gowanus Lounge
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Union picks Andrews in fight to succeed Rep. Owens -
Newsday |
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A Hungry Sea Lion Awaits Her Trainer at Prospect Park Zoo
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Money Can't Buy Life in Prospect Park
$40 too much for most at nearly
empty Roots Reggae Family Festival
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TSO Productions, the producers
of last weekend's Reggae festival in Prospect Park, clearly
didn't do their homework when planning the event. Somehow they
thought that concert-goers would have no problem adjusting to
the "last year's show = free, this year's show = $40-a-head"
factor. Wrong. The result, as described by the Village Voice,
"was an odd spectacle, as speakers declaimed 'The revolution
will not be televised! The revolution will take place on this
stage!' to a nearly empty lawn, while outside the gates several
hundred |
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people milled
about and peered through the chain-link fence to try to catch a
glimpse of the action." For what it's worth, it sounded like a
great show from my front porch. |
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PLG's Beloved Maple
Street School to Get New Look
PLUS' storefront program will help
school make exterior improvements
Below - an artist's rendering of what the school will look like in a
few months.
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READER'S TIP:
AM NY Feels the Love for PLG Eats
West Indian
joints "the neighborhood's true riches"
The
free daily newspaper says that "At first glance, you might think
the neighborhood offers nothing more than Chinese takeout,
pizzerias, and fast food joints".
Fortunately, they stayed around for another glance and found 7
places to recommend including K-Dog, Ali's Roti Shop and The
Restaurant Formerly Known as Cuchifrito (Sajoma).
Check it out and also the paper's impressive multimedia
section on
everything you could possibly want to know about Prospect Park.
Look for
another longer article on PLG (who's paying these guys?)
possibly in this Thursday's AM NY. |
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What if Lefferts Manor
were in realty just a miniature model?
The Planet asks the
tough questions...
Doctored "fake
tilt-shift" photo of real PLG by
Michael Brandon
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Jamaican Prime Minister on Bedford Avenue today -
HeartbeatNews.com |
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RANDOM FRAGMENTS OF PLG
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The Jewish Press endorses Carl Andrews for Congress - Jewish
Press
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NY Press Visits the "Veggie Castle" on Church Avenue - via
Brooklyn Record |
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MAY YOU LIVE IN
INTERESTING TIMES...
World's Largest and Stinkiest Flower to Bloom in Brooklyn - 10 Years in
the Making!
From a Brooklyn Botanic
Garden Press Release:
Witness the Makings of
History at Brooklyn Botanic Garden
The World's largest and smelliest
flower, titan arum, will bloom for the first time at Brooklyn Botanic
Garden. Visitors are welcome to experience this once-in-a-lifetime
opportunity to see -- and smell -- this incredible plant. Plus watch the
amazing seven-inch per day growth on BBG's live webcam at
http://www.bbg.org/titan
READ THE FULL PRESS RELEASE |
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Prince Hoshea
Ben Judah in Front of the Prospect Park Q Stop
We had a nice
conversation with Prince Hoshea Ben Judah (a.k.a. one of the two
"drum dudes") this morning. He had heard from a passerby that he
and his son Elijah's presence
has become a bit controversial in the online world of PLG.
He was very surprised that people were talking about them;
"we've been around here forever", he said. Although Hoshea and
his son usually sell drums and African items on Canal Street and
6th Avenue in Manhattan, they have always come to PLG to do
business at the Drummer's Circle on Sundays in Prospect Park -
"I know the brothers that started that," says Hoshea. He stated
that they have been in PLG for the past few weeks so they don't
have to keep going back and forth between Manhattan and
Brooklyn. It's a slow period for business, so he asked me to let
everyone know that he and his son will be at the drummer's
circle this Sunday and he hopes folks will come out and buy a
drum from him (his company is known as "The Universal Lions
Under Mt. Zion"). It might also be a good time to stop by and
mention any concerns you have directly to him and his son.
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ADVISORY:
West Nile Virus detected in "11215" (a.k.a. "Park Slope") |
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TD 32 to Remind
Officers "Photos Allowed"
Following the Planet's
complaint, memo will be sent
It turns out that the
officer who hassled us for taking photos of the exterior of the
Parkside Ave. Q stop was with TD 32. We tracked down the
Community Affairs officer at TD32 who stated he would speak with
the officer in question and distribute a memo reminding all
officers that there is no photo ban on MTA property.
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CIVIL RIGHTS WATCH - BECAUSE POLICE
STATES HAPPEN
Thanks to
Sunset
Parker for the heads up on this very worthy new blog
Assemble for Rights NYC.
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Under the NYPD's
proposed rules:
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Any group
of two (yes, 2) or more cyclists or pedestrians
traveling down a public street, who violate any traffic
law, rule or regulation can be arrested for parading
without a permit
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Any group
of 20 or more cyclists must obtain a permit and approved
route from the NYPD or would be subject to arrest
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Every
group of 35 of more pedestrians must obtain a permit and
approved route from the NYPD or would be subject to
arrest |
These rules could go into
effect August 24th, 2006. If you think this is insane,
join the protest. |
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THURSDAY:
Meet Congressional Candidate David Yassky in PLG
The Bergers on Rutland Rd invite
you to meet David Yassky -
See the Flyer
The event is not a fundraiser
but is described by the organizers as an "opportunity to hear what David
has to say about the issues we face in New York, to ask questions about
his campaign, and to voice your views and concerns."
Meet David Yassky Event Info
Thursday, August 10th - 6:30 to 8:00 p.m.
179 Rutland Road
Refreshments will be served
r.s.v.p. to Margaret at
margkelley@aol.com
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READER'S TIP:
PLG Restaurant Worst Violator in NYC
So, do you want
to see "how the sausage is made" or would you prefer to just
keep eating and enjoying it in blissful ignorance? A reader sent
us the following:"I
found this bit of news very depressing since my sweetie and I
think Danny and Pepper's (now two separate restaurants)
have the best tasting jerk chicken in the 'hood, but thought you
might appreciate the link"
NY1 story on latest restaurant health inspections.
HAVE A STRONG STOMACH?
Check out other NYC restaurants
(Latest reports have apparently not yet been updated to the
site) |
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PPLG PSA:
The NYC DEP Urges That Fire Hydrants Remain Closed |
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NEW SLIDESHOW:
KEEPING COOL PLG-STYLE
Dual fire hydrant action
on Lincoln Road  |
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Pigs Fly on Ocean Avenue
Weird window
ornamentation seen as growing trend
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Details on
the Ink Well from Mark Dicus of PLUS
PLG gets
ready for a new cafe at 408 Rogers Avenue
"The Ink Well Cafe/Bar is having a soft grand opening on
Saturday August 12th. The Ink Well is located at 408 Rogers
Avenue between Lefferts and Sterling St. I was walking home last
night from work and they were just getting ready to go home.
Byron (one of the owners) was handing out some postcards
announcing their opening. I decided to say hello and he gave me
a little tour and told me about his place."
"Planning on being open for lunch and dinner 6-7 days a week
with live performances on the weekends with some spoken word and
open mike nights interspersed in there as well. (They) have an
application in for a full liquor license, and (already have) a
temporary beer and wine license for the weekends -- weekdays
will be BYOB. Soul Food will be their specialty and he would be
interested in hearing menu suggestions. You can check out the
menu at
www.inkwellcafe.com
So mark your calendar and plan on stopping by to check out this
new place." Thanks Mark! |
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Summer Scenes from PLG
It's too hot to write, it's too hot
for news... |
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KEEP COOL!
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Important Neighborhood
Meeting This Thursday!
Ocean by the Park Block
Association Meets from 7 - 8:30pm, Thursday, 8/3
All residents of PLG are encouraged to attend this update on
neighborhood improvements. Meet your neighbors, ask questions, propose
new initiatives or just listen in and enjoy light refreshments. The
meeting is at the John Hus Moravian Church at 153 Ocean Avenue (between
Parkside and Lincoln).
See the flyer. |
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Studio PLG
Indie Short Shoots Scenes in PLG
over the weekend
Although we are used to seeing film crews at the Caledonian building
at 100 Parkside (anyone know which TV series they film there?) we were
surprised to come across a small film crew on Ocean Avenue this weekend
between Parkside and Lincoln. The filmmakers spent most of the morning
at this location before moving south to film another segment in front of
the Parkside Avenue Q stop (hopefully no one threatened
them with arrest for compromising national security by filming
the station).
The film being shot, Straight Down Flatbush, tells the story of a
group of friends who blow off their day jobs and embark on a journey
through Brooklyn with an inflatable raft in tow all the way down
Flatbush to Brighton Beach. Unfortunately, they picked the middle of a
vicious heat wave for their little trip (but that wasn't in the script).
We hope the creators of this production get in touch with us when their
work is finished. We'd love to see the final product. |
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The Ugly Underside of Brooklyn Politics
Family of Slain Council Member Calls on Yassky To Drop Out of Race
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Citing Historic Clarke Snub, Sharpton Endorses Andrews for Congress
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NY Daily News
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Brooklyn's Biggest Gripes - Fort Greene Courier (via
Brooklyn Record)
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PLANET PLG EXCLUSIVE!
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What's
For Sale in PLG?
We present our first ever guide to available property in PLG. We are
riding a fantastic wave of reader-supplied content (thank you!) and this list is
just the latest example. We will work on making this a regular feature on the
site - thanks Gary!
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Planet PLG Recommends:
Flatbush Farm
A Mellow Bar on Flatbush with a PLG Connection
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Photo by
jscandinaro
(via
Daily Slope)
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If you've had any doings with
PLG's Maple Street School, you know its wonderful director
Wendy, and probably also her husband Damon and kids Orlando and
August. Damon has recently opened "Flatbush Farm" - a
bar/restaurant on Flatbush Avenue on the site of the former
Bistro St. Marks (corner of Flatbush and St. Marks). Although
the restaurant side of the property has yet to open, the
spacious bar and outdoor garden are up and running and feature a
tasty menu of upscale bar food (we're told it changes
frequently) and a great selection of not-your-usual draft beers
and wine.
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The ambience, as you can kind of
see in the photo above, is very chill and welcoming and we were
very happy with our food (the cheese and cured meats plate and
the salmon & beet toasts) and hoppy IPAs. Other things we liked:
friendly staff, eclectic music, outdoor seating, low lighting &
ability to converse without screaming.
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David Yassky and Black Power
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Charges brought in James E. Davis PO heist - it looks like an inside job
- The NY
Sun picks up on the Planet PLG Moses Fried FL
story |
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Why Limit Your Slumlording to Just One State?
Prince Hotel Group makes a sweet deal in Florida
The owner of
205 Parkside Avenue,
and the notorious Lefferts Prince Hotel, has invested some big bucks in
a dilapidated building in Florida. Perhaps he can use some of the the
rental income to repair 205 Parkside (if that's cool with their buddies
the "Castello Brothers"). More pressure to follow. In a related note,
according to
a report on Brownstoner, Council Woman Letitia James has
worked a deal to allow the Lefferts Prince Hotel to reopen. |
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MTA Repairs Continue on
Parkside Avenue Q/B Stop
The pace is
slooooow, but the progress is undeniable
Planet PLG's long campaign has
finally begun to bear some fruit.
Take a look at these
before
and
after
shots. Brooklyn News 12 has expressed interest in shooting a follow-up
on this and the Phat Albert's campaign. Details to follow. |
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Photo by PLG resident Richard Blakeley,
founder of
American Autotroph |
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READER'S TIP:
Ink Well to Open on
Rogers Avenue on 8/12
The Ink Well, a self-described,
"Jazz/Comedy Cafe" and "HOME OF THE FINEST SOUL FOOD" (which will also dabble in
poetry and Karaoke) is set to open in mid-August. This according to a postcard
some PLG residents have found in their mailboxes and the cafe's
new website. According
to the site we can expect:- Live
Standup Comedy
- Jazz Musicians
- Poetry (Spoken Word) Night
- Amateur Night at "Ink Well"
- Karaoke Night
Sounds great! The website also features the
cafe's soul food menu which includes lots of yummy sounding stuff like
grilled/fried seafood, wings, salads, burgers, ribs... man, I'm getting hungry
just writing this. We'll be watching and waiting - thanks for the tip! |
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CIVIL RIGHTS WATCH - As local as local gets... |
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The Planet is Wrongfully Told to Take a Hike
An NYPD
Officer (with hand on gun) shuts us down
You may remember back in 2004 the
MTA proposed banning the taking of photographs on subways.
Fortunately, the Soviet-like proposal died an unceremonious
death - never making it out of the 45- day "public comment"
period.
Well, apparently the news
didn't trickle down to everyone. Yesterday this officer got in
our face for shooting the
exterior of the Parkside Avenue Q Stop, claiming we were
breaking the law. When we tried to argue otherwise, he
not-so-subtley let us know that we had better move along or
else. Apparently this is happening quite a bit to photographers
(even real ones). For the record, there is
NO BLANKET MTA OR LIRR PHOTO BAN. We have a call into the
71st - not to be weenies - just to let this officer know that
photography in public places is still a cherished right. |
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205 Parkside Avenue
Update
We spoke with
Harold Weingberg who mysteriously keeps taking our calls
According to Harold Weinberg PE, who unsuccessfully represented the
owners of
205 Parkside Avenue before the Board of Standards and Appeals, the
decision to withdraw the variance request was made because they were
told the request was going to be denied (yep, a Nixon). When asked what
the owners intend to do now with the property he replied "I imagine
something, they're not going to let it just rot". He agreed to relay a
message from us to the owner and fax back an answer. There are also
signs that Council Member Yvette Clarke's office may be considering
applying a little friendly pressure on the owner to do something
positive with the building. We'll keep you posted.
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Prospect Park: Macy's
Fishing Contest Was a Great Success
Just ask new
friends Jose (left) and Pharoah (right)
Photo by
Rance Huff
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MUCH MORE > |
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