Author: linked

WPA digs through the archives to find the story behind 165 Havemeyer.

The Times declares bicycling safe for grown ups (or at least for the well-dressed ones). Some people still refuse to slow down, though:

James Vicente, a court attorney at the Kings County Criminal Court in Brooklyn, knows the quandary. After a trip to Amsterdam five years ago, Mr. Vicente was inspired to ride to work in his suit and tie. (He converted his road bike to a fixed-gear bike, with detachable fenders.) … One day he collided with another rider, tearing a gash in his suit sleeve and another in his pride. Today his suits reside in an office closet, and he cycles to work in jeans and a polo shirt.

NPR on NAG’s seed ball project.

Image: Bon Appetit

In its May issue, Bon Appetit travels to “N.Y.’s Foodie Mecca”, Williamsburg. The article calls Williamsburg a “legitimate culinary hotbed”, and cites as evidence a pretty nice cross section of the neighborhoods dining experience. On the new side, there are write ups of Diner, Marlow & Sons, Bonita, Fette Sau, Egg and Dressler (briefly); on the old side, there are Bamonte’s, Peter Luger and Raymunds. For drinks, there is Spuyten Duyvil, and for shopping there is Marlow & Daughters and Bedford Cheese Shop (and non-food establishments Spoonbill & Sugartown, Brooklyn Industries and Earwax.

They left plenty of places out, but what they included makes a pretty strong case for culinary hotbed status.

The Daily News “has learned” that Williamsburg Walks will return this Summer. They report that merchant’s on Montague Street (which had a similar car-free street program last year) reported a rise in sales. (At this week’s CB1 meeting, one local merchant stood up to complain that WW had lowered her sales.)

In the processing of reviewing (and very much liking) Walter Foods, the New Yorker remembers Oznot’s Dish and Planet Thailand (presumably the original on Bedford Avenue, not the ersatz disaster on Berry, which lately looks like it should just be put out of its misery).

The new weapon of choice. One kid was arrested last week brandishing a machete in a bodega on South 4th.

City Hall News has a detailed rundown of the six-way race to replace David Yassky, complete with some odds making.

Grand Ferry Park is featured as the “Place of the Week” at Place Matters. You can see the listing here (warning, Flash-based site – long load times & poor direct links, but worth the wait.)

Fascinating – in 1988, a group of abstract murals were discovered in the basement of the Williamsburg Houses. The murals, which “are thought to be the first and among the most important abstract wall paintings in the United States”) according to this Times article), had been painted over numerous times and were being used as bulletin boards. In 1990, the murals were rescued and restored and put on display at the Brooklyn Museum of Art. BMA has just moved the murals to a new location on the first floor of the museum.

The murals themselves were painted as part of a WPA project by Ilya Bolotowsky, Paul Kelpe, Albert Swinden and Balcomb Greene – all of whom were founding members of American Abstract Artists. Williamsburg Houses is (are?) a New York City Landmark.

Bulletin boards!