Play in a band? The Cobble Hill Park summer music series needs you.

Hey Neighbors - 

Greetings from California, where I am visiting family! It’s been way too long since I’ve been here. I still dream about being bi-coastal, I just haven’t figured out how to pull it off.

It’s 6:00 AM PT, I’ve had no coffee and I’m kicking myself that I did not finish this week’s post on the airplane. Grrr…

As some of you know, I worked at 60 Minutes for most of my mid-career. It’s been a tough few days hearing about my former colleagues getting fired and everything else that transpired this past season. It’s devastating. I have a lot to say, but you didn’t come here to hear me rant.

One thing though…would the New York Times or the Wall St. Journal ever hire someone to run its newspaper, with no newspaper or managerial experience?

Back to Ward 6, and post #36: BK workspaces features a Carroll Garden’s resident whose mom is the inspiration for a new hip Williamsburg restaurant; Red Hook FC plays today; openings and closings; parents need your help after son is hit by a car; $16 mil brownstone for sale and construction begins in Cobble Hill; Mamdani says yes to the BMT; Books are Magic needs your gently used books; Mark you calendar!

Meet Nathanael Greene, senior renewable energy advocate at the National Resources Defense Council, a 16-year resident of Carroll Gardens and the son of Susanne Greene, the inspiration for the hot new Williamsburg restaurant and raw bar, Cafe Susanne and Bar Susanne. One of the restaurant’s owners worked with Greene’s mom and dad during the summers, helping run their B&B.

Where did you get the wobbly giving you the finger?

The wobbly was a gift for my 50th birthday from my friend Alex Smith, who said that he saw it and thought of me, which I take as flattery.

How do you feel about your mom being the inspiration for a hip Williamsburg restaurant? 

I love it. Of course, she’d be mortified, but I think she’d secretly love it too, and she’d definitely be deeply moved by the love and artistry behind it [Susanne was an artist]. 

Miss other BK Workspaces? Emma Dangel, Apartment Therapy style editor, Kate Greathead/Teddy Wayne, novelists. Inspired by Workspaces. 

Send me a message if you want your workspace featured. [email protected]

Take a break from the Champions League, and come out and support your hometown soccer team. Red Hook FC is back in Red Hook today in a match against AFC Academy. 4:00 PM field #5. Great merch for sale! 

If you missed my post about Sacha Weiss, a Brooklynite and founder of the Red Hook FC, check it out.

Res Ispa, a new clothing store on Court St., across from Union Market, is opening in the former DISCO spot. With stores in Nantucket, Malibu, and Marrakesh, Cobble Hill seems like an odd choice. “Each piece embodying a form or quiet luxury that is practical yet refined,” says Res Ispa’s website.

Two lawyers are behind the brand and launched it with the belief that “the world needs fewer lawyers but better shoes.” If you walk by, you’ll see the company has many “core beliefs,” 10 to be exact, and you can read them all on the store’s window. 

I just happened to walk by a Res Ispa in LA yesterday and took this picture. It feels more Bleeker Street than Court Street. 

Court Street Journal with a little info about the clothing brand Steven Alan that opened on the lively stretch of Court St. that also includes Octavia, Dharma and Congress Bar.

Casita of Cobble Hill at 273 Pacific has closed.

And, yes, Matt Damon showed up at Montero’s for karaoke night and belted Sweet Caroline with the rest of the revelers!

If you were on Smith St. and Sackett around 3:15 PM on Tueday, and saw a car hit a cyclist, his parents need your help. Scan the QR code below.

Another uber-luxury Cobble Hill brownstone hits the market for a mere $16.7 million. 168 Pacific St. has an elevator, a wine cave and a gym! What more could you want/need?

The new developers of 350 Hicks, the empty lot across from the hospital on Atlantic Ave, will start work in a few weeks on an 18-story apartment tower with 32 units.

In a presentation to the Cobble Hill Association last week, the developer said it will commandeer nearly half of the DOG PARK to use as a staging area. 

In an optimistic outlook, the developer says construction will only at 18 months.

The outgoing Cobble Hill Association President, Amanda Nichols, took a question from a Cobble Hill resident, who said she is concerned about overcrowding and the impact another apartment tower will have on the community, specifically the public schools. She said her grandson was offered a seat for Pre-K in Williamsburg public school. Nichols told her that, unfortunately, the developer has no responsibility for adding a new school or anything for that matter.

The other development site, the “H” building on Henry that surrounds the two playgrounds, will start interior demolition this summer. The owner of the site has not released any renderings yet. The last developer planned to build a 36-story building though.

Do you play in a band? Or maybe you know a band who might want to play in Cobble Hill Park this summer? The Cobble Hill Association is looking for suggestions for its summer concert series. All music welcome. And they pay $600 for the hour of playing. [email protected]

There was no press release or interview with the Mayor or anyone else in his administration, just this quote in Politico from one of his spokesperson’s, Casey Berkovitz, last week. 

If someone had not flagged the article for me, I would have missed it. Community groups are eagerly awaiting on the administration’s plan for “deep engagement,” as the NYC EDC’s community engagement was mostly performative. No genuine exchange of ideas or trust throughout the entire process. 

Then, on Tuesday, the Mayor came to Brooklyn and made a big splash at Powerhouse Arts in Gowanus with its new housing plan called Block by Block. Tucked away on page 70 is one line in support of the BMT. Again, with no details.

I look forward to hearing more specifics from the Mayor and what his administration likes and dislikes about the “controversial” vision plan.

Books are Magic on Smith St. is collecting used books (ages 0-18) for the Brooklyn Book Bodega all weekend at its Smith Street location. “Your donations help provide books to families in need, improve reading skills and promote a stronger love for reading.” 

See if You’re Eligible for $200 from NY State (Gothamist)! No need to sign up or opt in or anything, just a gift if you make a certain amount (see Gothamist for a calculator) because of rising utility bills.  

The Brooklyn Heights community fridge, started during the pandemic, has a new home.  It moved from the First Presbyterian Church on Henry to a location across the street. (BK Eagle)

Made in Brooklyn Tours: Meet the Man Mapping the Brooklyn (BK Paper).

TODAY! 1:00 PM - 5:00 PM | Red Hook Regatta @ Valentino Pier “where remote-controlled, 3D-printed, and DIY boats take on an obstacle course along Red Hook’s picturesque waterfront.” 

TODAY (ongoing)  You can always count on Pioneer Works to have interesting exhibitions, and  Pigeoneer is definitely one of them.  Come visit Brooklyn artist Duke Riley’s installation and fully functioning rooftop pigeon coop.

“Drawing from Brooklyn’s deep-rooted pigeon-keeping traditions, the work revives a practice once celebrated across the borough’s working-class neighborhoods, where pigeons served as messengers, navigators, and early agents of communication.”  

TODAY! (ongoing), 7:30 PM | Shakespeare in the Park, Carroll Park, with nightly performances of Julius Caesar.

TONIGHT (ongoing) Mariko Makino’s “outside” exhibition at Entrance in Red Hook. | 133 Wolcott St.

TODAY - Ongoing | Photoville Festival under the Brooklyn Bridge.

Sunday, May 31st, 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM | Families for Brad [Lander] - Prospect Park picnic | RSVP and location info here 

Tuesday, June 2nd, 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM | Community Forum with Congressman Dan Goldman.