How to survive the coolld weather and so much more.

“So good!! Love it,” said one Carroll Garden’s reader about Ward 6. “It is perfectly Brooklyn in so many ways,” says another. Thank you!

Hey Neighbors - 

Happy Saturday.  Another coolld weekend in Brooklyn. One suggestion… last Sunday I indulged and treated myself to the outdoor hydro circuit at CityWell, a fabulous way to deal with the frigid temperatures. 

Before I continue, I want to acknowledge the 300 Washington Post employees who lost their jobs this week. Ever since Jeff Bezos bought the paper, I’ve done my best to avoid ordering from Amazon, especially since we can buy almost everything locally. Then I stopped shopping at Whole Foods after Bezos changed the independence of the Post’s opinion section. Which brings me to this week.

From a Washington Post reporter based in Ukraine: “I was just laid off by The Washington Post in the middle of a warzone. I have no words. I'm devastated (Lizzie Johnson).”

Enough said. 

(Feedback? Ideas? Thoughts? Events? Email me: [email protected])

Last weekend, I learned that Boy Luvs Girl was closing, and it crushed me. The salon is a neighborhood institution, and Hector, Anna, and Latesha are like extended family. I don’t have all the information, but I did hear that Anna, the owner, wants to downsize after all these years in business, and that a rent increase may have played a role in her decision to close.

The good news is that Hector is moving slightly east to ARCO on Atlantic Ave (and Bond); Latesha is moving to 1 Boerum Place, 2nd floor, to JC Salon; and Anna is staying local as well. 

There’s another business I stumbled upon recently that, miraculously, turned a typical NYC real estate story — faced with a 60% rent increase — into a happy ending.  I had never heard of the Ko Art Studio until it relocated from Smith St. to the 2nd floor above the former non-profit art space, Invisible Dog, a neighborhood gathering place for decades.

I’m a huge fan of the funky 19th-century former belt factory that later manufactured the once-popular invisible dog leash.  So when I learned the clothing store Madewell was moving into the ground-floor space, replacing the non-profit, I had some not-so-nice things to say about the landIord. Nevermind that I switched from J. Brand jeans to Madewell last year.

It turns out, the building’s owner is not such a bad man after all. For starters, Geon Ko, who runs the art studio with his brother and father, told me their new space is larger and more affordable than on Smith St. He also showed me all the other artists’ spaces on the 2nd floor that I later learned, in an email exchange with the landlord, that he’s committed to maintaining “indefinitely” for artists and he is “fond” of the community. One of those artists is Brooklyn’s Gabe Benzur.  

Now, let me tell you about the Ko Art Studio. The day I visited, winter light filled the main room with student paintings visible in every direction. It’s a lovely space. Christine Snow, a retired clothing designer, was packing up her art supplies when I arrived and was eager to talk about the studio. “I went to FIT, I was a clothing designer and thought I was good at drawing.” Then she started taking classes at Ko Arts, she told me, and realized she lacked many fundamentals, like color gradients and perspective. Snow texted me some of her before-and-after drawings. “The proof is in the pudding! “

In 2023, soon after Geon Ko, 26, graduated from the School of Visual Arts in Manhattan, he opened Ko Art Studio with his father, DugHo Ko (aka Mr. Ko), who had recently moved to NYC from South Korea.  Geon’s younger brother, Will, 21, who dreams of becoming a fashion designer, skipped college to help run the studio. 

A painter for more than three decades, Mr. Ko describes himself as an environmental activist artist. With more than 100 solo shows. Mr. Ko has also written and illustrated a handful of storybooks for Korean children about climate change. “Adults need to change their mindsets, but it’s important to convey the message to children who are watching over the future of the earth (as told a Korean arts and culture publication in 2017).” His stories involve unique characters with names like Feisty Spirit and Freedom of Time.

“It hasn’t been easy to give up all that we had in Korea and start fresh here,” says Geon. Family problems at home led Mr. Ko to relocate to Brooklyn. At one point, Geon said, they closed the studio for a few months and gave up their apartments to save money.  “Things are more stable now,” Geon told me. 

Mr. Ko fell in love with art when he was a child. “He won numerous awards and national competitions,” says Geon. But his parents didn’t let him go to art school, so he went to college and explored various careers– hair stylist, chef, restaurant server, interior designer. At 29, he went to art school. 

When it was Geon’s turn to want to go to art school, I was surprised to learn Mr. Ko didn’t support his oldest son. To prove himself, Geon agreed to spend 12 hours on weekends, four hours after school, and even during summer months, practicing and learning from his father until Geon won his father’s support. 

Today, Geon works with their students preparing portfolios for specialized high schools and art colleges. He also works closely with their parents, he said, to provide a supportive community during the stressful application period. 

Geon was excited to share a story about one of their students, a tech worker who started taking classes and loved it so much she’s now pursuing freelance work as a package designer.  

Ko Art also offers adult classes tailored to individual needs and will soon offer $20 two-hour drop-in studios that include art supplies.  “We want to work with people’s budgets.”  

The Industry City transplant, Confidant, is open and serving on Atlantic Ave in the former Colonie location.  It was all the talk at Octavia yesterday morning, as one of the regulars had just eaten there the night before. He said the desserts were yummy.

Citi Bike is oh-so-slowly digging out from Winter Storm Fern. HellGate is not so pleased.  

More snow news: "A neighbor saw the Secret Service clearing snow outside the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal, where the Department of Homeland Security has garage space; they offered to help clear her snow, as well.” 

I noticed the Wuthering Heights movie poster in front of Cobble Hill Cinema’s for months, but lame me, I had no idea a remake was on the horizon. Then I read in Feed Me earlier this week that the marketing around the new film from Saltburn director is insane, with merch galore. Apparently, the 19th-century book is also a popular choice for book clubs, and bookstores are reporting healthy sales. If you want to get in on the action, Liz’s Book Bar is hosting Wuthering Heights: Books and Bouquet at 10 AM on Valentine’s Day.  And plenty of tickets are still available at Cobble Hill Cinema for the film, which opens on Feb. 13th. 

An entire Cobble Hill block is under contract, awaiting city approval. The buyer, Rockrose Development, already owns the nearby 91-95 Pacific St and, last year, completed a 51-story luxury tower in Fort Greene with both market-rate and more affordable units. If youwant to know more about the new owner, Henry Elghanayan, who Forbes listed, along with his father and brothers, in 2015 as one of America’s richest families, the NYT profiled him and his two brothers when they divided their assets in 2009. 

Year-round dining is (almost)  back!  The new Council Speaker has made the return of year-round dining a priority, with ways to make it more affordable for restaurants and less cumbersome to apply. 

Drama continues after Representative Nicole Malliotakis appeals. What does it mean for our congressman, Dan Goldman? The date has come and gone for the redistricting maps asked for by the judge in this case.  Candidates are supposed to start gathering signatures on Feb. 24th to get on the ballot.

The primary is just around the corner. Deadlines to switch party affiliation is fast approaching.

Oysters! The non-profit is restoring some of the 220,o00 oyster reefs that used to live in our waterways. Oysters also serve as natural cleaners by filtering pollutants. And this - “reefs are to the ocean what trees are to the forests.” Who knew? 

Thank you, Tangle News, for bringing this important information to my attention: “Colon cancer is killing more young people in the U.S than any other cancer.”  If you are due for a colonoscopy, run, don’t walk. The drugs are great; you feel nothing.  When I was at 60 Minutes, two young women died of colon cancer within a few years of one another. It’s real. 

What folks in our corner of Brooklyn are reading: 

Liz’s Book Bar’s bestsellers in January:

Green-Wood Cemetary will offer human composting.

Update: Now that the Court St. Merchants Association’s lawsuit against the Department of Transportation is over, local elected officials are now free to talk with Court St. businesses and residents about possible modifications. I heard that Assembly Member Jo Anne Simon has helped facilitate a meeting with the Court St Merchants Association and the DOT, and Council Member Lincoln Restler wants to hear your ideas ([email protected]).

Council Member Alexis Aviles wants your help with a proposed Red Hook rezoning from manufacturing to mixed use with a 7-story apartment building @ 46 Nelson Street near the BQE footpath. Please complete the community input survey: https://forms.gle/MKe6JDYLJntaP1zk7. Do you want affordable housing, or do you want the parcel to remain zoned for manufacturing, which provides jobs for residents?  

Brooklyn Community Board 6 overwhelmingly approved the application on Jan 14, 2026, with conditions, including:

• Reducing the number of studio apartments in favor of more two- and three-bedroom units

• Constructing the project largely as presented, while allowing setbacks or shifts in building bulk to reduce massing at the street wall, without reducing the total number of units

All weekend | former Fulton St. Macy’s | Artist Ryan Edwards teams up with the Downtown District Partnerships for an installation that, frankly, seems like you have to see it to understand it!

Feb. 7th | Day #1 of the Winter Olympics. Athletes to watch, how to watch, and when.

Feb. 8th | Second Sundays at Pioneer Works. 159 Pioneer St. F

Feb. 14 | Deadline to change your party affiliation.

Feb 14 | Columbia St. Waterfront resident, Melanie Adams, aka Electric Lady Florals, will be at The Delta with her new “Forever Bouquet.” Last week, I included a picture of her installations in the windows at Eleventh Hour Art for the Nathan Benn exhibit. Amy Schimel will also be at The Delta with tarot readings from 12-3 (you get a free card pull with purchase) and private chef, Jillian Canaj and her soon-to-launch, Chef’s Daughter, a new meal delivery company | 120 Court St. F

Feb 15 | Billion Oyster Project volunteer opportunities will be posted.  The non-profit is restoring some of the 220,000 acres of oyster reefs that used to live in our waterways. Oysters serve as a natural cleaner by filtering certain pollutants. And this - “reefs are to the ocean what trees are to the forests.” Who knew? 

Feb 24th | Michael Pollin book launch, The World Appears - the panoptic exploration of consciousness. $ | Pioneer Works

Ongoing: Everyday Legends: the photopgraphy of Nathan Benn. Eleventh Hour At | Atlantic below Hicks St.

More more thing..

Brooklyn Filmmaker Raises a Drink to An Historic Bar (BK Reader)

Remember, if you like Ward 6, share with friends and upgrade to $6 a month.