Brooklyn stand up — and get ready for detours.
The MTV Video Music Awards are happening for the first time ever in Brooklyn and that means unprecedented street closures around the Barclays Center to make way for limos full of big-name celebrities. Don’t have the golden ticket? More worried about what the Aug. 25 awards show means for your weekend than what Beyonce will be wearing? Don’t worry: The Brooklyn Paper has you covered.
Prospect Heights residents eager for details packed a Monday meeting about the impacts of the awards show, but representatives for MTV and the mayor’s office failed to appear, leaving many questions unanswered. Still, we have been able to glean a few things about what to expect when the moon man touches down:
Sixth Avenue is it
The star-studded event does not begin broadcasting until Sunday evening, but MTV has already started building the set for the hour-long red carpet session, which will take place towards the back of the arena on Sixth Avenue between Dean Street and Atlantic Avenue.
Lights, camera, noise
There will be a red carpet rehearsal sans celebrities on Saturday from 6:30 pm to 9 pm, complete with outdoor lights, loud music, cameras, and other production equipment, according to a letter MTV sent to neighbors.
Bus re-routes
On Sunday, the Metropolitan Transit Authority B45 will not stop at Dean Street near Atlantic Avenue, but the new route is not yet determined. Also that day, the B41 and B67 buses will bypass their Flatbush Avenue–Barclays Center stops and the B45 will bypass the Atlantic Avenue–Barclays Center stop. The times of these detours have not yet been announced.
Train yea, sidewalk nay
The Atlantic Avenue–Barclays Center subway station will remain open, but on Sunday the sidewalk around the perimeter of the Barclays Center will be closed until midnight.
All ball and no play
The Dean Street Playground between Sixth and Carlton avenues will be closed, but the basketball tournament in the afternoon will still happen. There will be access to the courts from Bergen Street.
Street closures galore
Sixth Avenue will shut down between Atlantic Avenue and Dean Street, beginning on Friday and continuing through midnight on Sunday. Starting on Saturday at 7 am, there will be no parking allowed on Dean Street between Flatbush and Carlton avenues and on Pacific Street between Sixth and Carlton avenues. Police from the 78th Precinct will also shut down those streets periodically throughout Saturday and will close Pacific Street between Fourth and Flatbush avenues from Sunday at 2 pm until midnight, police sources said.
Papers, please
On the day of the awards show, Dean Street will be completely blocked off between Flatbush and Carlton avenues and Pacific Street will be closed between Sixth and Carlton avenues. The closed blocks will be restricted to residents only, meaning residents will have to show identification to police officers to gain access, according to a letter sent out by the 78th Precinct Community Council.
A mixed parking bag
Neighborhood car owners will get a break from the parking crunch by way of a Barclays Center parking lot on Pacific Street that MTV has reserved for residents. Bicyclists are out of luck, though, as the bike parking racks in the large plaza near Sixth Avenue have been temporarily removed to make way for the production.
Room to pray
MTV is relocating Sunday service at Dean Street’s Temple of Restoration Church, according to a Barclays Center representative. Church services will be moved to the under-construction, former Bethlehem Lutheran Church at 490 Pacific St. between Third Avenue and Nevins Street. There will be a 10 am service in English and a Spanish service at 3 pm.
The red carpet
On Sunday evening, limos filled with A-listers will be a constant, unloading their gussied-up cargo for the 8 pm to 9 pm red carpet pre-show, which will feature performances by teenybopper stars Austin Mahone and Ariana Grande. Several hundred pre-invited guests are expected to fill grandstands that will be set up near the arena, sources familiar with the plans said.
Made in Brooklyn
MTV’s iconic “moon man” award was retooled for this year’s show by Brooklyn-based artist Kaws, who got famous doing graffiti but now makes designer toys.
Overtime
Workers will be breaking down and carting off the elaborate sets on Aug. 27 and Aug. 28, according to a Barclays Center spokesman. Also, MTV is responsible for all street cleaning related to the event.
— Natalie Musumeci
Reach reporter Natalie Musumeci at nmusumeci@cnglocal.com or by calling (718) 260-4505. Follow her at twitter.com/souleddout.
