Cobble Hill: We went to hear Uncle Rock at Jessie’s Brooklyn Kitchen last Saturday — and the good news is that the Catskills-based singer-songwriter lived up to his name. But the bad news was hearing the bad news that Jessie’s is closing after less a year on Smith Street. Seems the owner of the building, which is at Baltic Street, opted not to renew the lease (he thinks he can make more money with a bank, no doubt). We’re sad to see Jessie go, but she promised to reopen somewhere soon. …
The Cobble Hill Association has a new president, Jeff Strabone, and a virtual soapbox for sounding off. Visit www.cobblehillassociation.blogspot.com for the group’s wheelings and dealings. Strabone is well known to Brooklyn Paper readers as David “Cabana Boy” Walentas’s worst nightmare! …
This weekend is your chance to get a peak inside the galleries of 50 different artists in Fort Greene, Clinton Hill and Prospect Heights as part of the ninth annual South Of Navy Yard Artists’ stroll. Visit www.sonyaonline.org for a complete schedule and map of this weekend’s events. …
Following in the footsteps of developer Billy Stein, who created a Web site for his controversial project at 360 Smith St., there’s a new a site for Toll Brothers’ Gowanus development. It’s www.tollbrothersgowanus.com. …
Park Slope: The third-annual Brooklyn Blogfest at the Lyceum on Fourth Avenue was lots of fun for the 400 or so people and bloggers who attended. Sure, our editor put his foot in his mouth with some poorly received comments about the downside of blogging, but he was still feted like the star he is. Also, one of our favorite bloggers, Katia Kelly from Pardon Me for Asking, was having such a good time that she even admitted that she’d like to have dinner with her bitter rival, 360 Smith St. developer Billy Stein! And our pal Robert Guskind of Gowanus Lounge was revered as the blog-o-giant he is. …
Our friends at the Central Brooklyn Independent Democrats are having their annual dinner on Sunday, May 18 at the much-loved Montauk Club. This year’s honorees include the Park Slope Food Co-Op (where our editor is, predictably, on work alert), Assemblywoman Joan Millman, attorney Cesar Perales, former club President Josh Skaller (who is running for Council!), and the dynamic grassroots labor organizer Bhairavi Desai. To buy a ticket, visit www.cbidems.org. …
The Prospect Charter School has been approved by the state Regents. Our pals Luyen Chou and Daniel Kikuji Rubenstein say they’ll seat their first class of 88 sixth-graders in September, 2009. The school will eventually be grades six through 12. For information about upcoming community open house dates, visit www.brooklynprospect.org. …
Boroughwide: Hypocrisy alert! Our friends at the Municipal Art Society — who opposed the Frank Genry-designed Atlantic Yards project — seem to have no problem with the starchitect’s IAC Building on the West Side of Manhattan. The Society just awarded Gehry as a co-winner (with Renzo Piano) of its MASterwork award for best new building. We wonder if they’ll do the same for Miss Brooklyn when (or, more accurately, if) she’s built at the corner of Flatbush and Atlantic. …
Bay Ridge: State Sen. Marty Golden celebrated 10 years in office on Wednesday with a mega blowout party at El Caribe in Mill Basin. Plenty of people told Golden to abandon his still-undeclared quest for City Hall and set his sights on embattled Rep. Vito Fossella’s seat in Congress. But Golden knows how vital he is in Albany; with the state GOP holding just a one-seat majority in the Senate, he’s not going anywhere. But Golden certainly knew how to get to his party. Six days earlier, he was at the same restaurant honoring the 10th anniversary of Bay Ridge Prep. …
In the “Why is this a story” file, our friends at the Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported this week that state Conservative Party Chairman — and Bay Ridge liquor store owner — Mike Long is backing John McCain for president this year. What did you expect — Long to back John Edwards? …
Councilman Vince Gentile was crowing this week that he convinced the Brooklyn Public Library to spark the Bookmobile a few more hours a week in front of the closed Fort Hamilton branch on Fourth Avenue and 95th Street. Now the book-filled recreational vehicle will be parked there on Mondays from 1–6 pm and on Wednesdays from 11 am–4 pm.
