TOURS TOURS TOURS

VERY BUSY WEEK WITH TOURS THURS, FRI, SATURDAY AND SUNDAY. ALSO HAVE FAMILY IN FROM ARIZONA. TRYING TO KEEP THEM ENTERTAINED IN BETWEEN DOING THE TOURS, I'M RUNNING AROUND LIKE A MANIAC. WE ARE SUPPOSED TO GO TO 2-TOMS TONIGHT BUT AS I WRITE THIS EVERYONE IS NAPPING AND DINNER IS AT 8PM. DON'T KNOW IF WERE GONNA MAKE IT.

WATERFALLS TO FLOW

THE NEW YORK CITY WATERFALLS WILL START ON THURSDAY AND RUN TILL OCT. 13th FROM 7AM TO 10 PM DAILY. ONE WILL BE PLACED ON THE BROOKLYN SIDE OF THE BROOKLYN BRIDGE TOWER. THE FALLS WILL BE ILLUMINATED AFTER SUNSET. WHILE IN BROOKLYN TAKE A TOUR. http://www.brooklynwalkingtour.com/

RATNER GETS SUPREME VOTE

DEVELOPER BRUCE RATNER WON A COURT DECISION STATING THEY CAN USE EMINENT DOMAIN IN EVICTING BUSINESSES AND HOME OWNERS FROM THEIR PROPERTY AND MOVE ALONG WITH THE ATLANTIC YARDS PROJECT. ANOTHER WIN FOR THE BIG GUYS AND THE LITTLE GUYS WHO HAVE LIVED IN AREA FOR GENERATIONS ARE FORCED OUT. I'M SURE HE WILL BE GETTING BIG TAX BREAKS TOO. HATS WHAT THEY DO.

TOUR TAPED

LAST TUESDAY A FILM CREW FROM CABLEVISION MET ME ON 7TH AVE AND CARROLL ST AND FILMED ME FOR 3 HOURS AT VARIOUS POINTS OF INTEREST OF MY TOUR FOR A SHOW CALLED NEIGHBORHOOD JOURNAL, IT'S A SHOW ALL ABOUT BROOKLYN AND WILL AIR ON CH 118 SOMETIME IN SEPT. MORE INFO WHEN I KNOW EXACT DATE. A TOUR IS GROWING IN BROOKLYN.

SMITH STREET FESTIVAL

SUNDAY WAS MORE PARTYING WITH A GREAT STREET FAIR ON SMITH ST. FROM UNION ST TO BERGEN ST. BANDS, FOOD, DRINKS, RIDES FOR THE KIDS AND JUST LOTS OF FUN. THE PARTY NEVER STOPS IN BROOKLYN.

MERMAID PARADE

ON SATURDAY CONEY ISLAND HELD ITS ANNUAL MERMAID PARADE. THIS IS A FREAK SHOW AND BROOKLYN'S VERSION OF MARDI GRAS. LADIES DRESSED AS MERMAIDS, HALF NAKED. GUYS IN WILD COSTUMES. NATHANS DOGS AND THE MERMAID POST PARADE BALL WERE THE HIGHLIGHT OF THE DAY. SEE YOU NEXT YEAR.

MET IN PROSPECT PARK

ON FRIDAY NIGHT THERE WAS A CONCERT PERFORMANCE BY THE METROPOLITAN OPERA INSIDE PROSPECT PARK. AN ESTIMATED 50,000 PEOPLE WERE IN THE PARK BREAKING THE RECORD FROM A 1991 PATTI LABELLE CONCERT. BROOKLYN GROWING IN LEAPS AND BOUNDS.

NEW HOT SPOT

CLOVER CLUB JUST OPENED ON SMITH ST, IT'S A COOL NEW HOT SPOT, OLD WORLD DECOR. BEAUTIFUL LADIES/MIXOLIGISTS MAKING ALL KINDS OF WILD CONCOTIONS. CHECK IT OUT. A CAN'T MISS PLACE AS BROOKLYN CONTINUES TO SURPRISE WITH MORE AND MORE NEW PLACES EVERYDAY.

BLUE RIBBON DINNER

ON MONDAY NIGHT I WENT TO BLUE RIBBON ON 5TH AVE IN PARK SLOPE, FUNNY AS BLUE RIBBON USED TO BE SPINNERS, WHICH WAS AN ITALIAN SUPERMARKET MY GRANDMOTHER WOULD SHOP AT. WE STARTED WITH A DOZEN OYSTERS AND A SHRIMP COCKTAIL FOLLOWED BY STEAK FOR TWO, A 40-OZ PORTERHOUSE. AND TOPPED IT OFF WITH A BANANA SPLIT. WITH A FEW DRINKS SPRINKLED IN DINNER WAS GREAT. BUT I WAS THINKING OF YEARS PAST AND REMEMBERING GOING UP AND DOWN THE ASILES WITH THE SHOPPING CART. THE TIMES THEY ARE A CHANGING.

ARTWALK A DUD

ON SUNDAY I WAS ON ATLANTIC AVE FOR THE ART WALK, NOT MANY PEOPLE CHECKING IT OUT. WEATHER HAD A LOT TO DO WITH IT BUT ALSO NOT MANY EXHIBITS.

OPENING NIGHT

PROSPECT PARK CONCERT SERIES OPENS ON THURSDAY NIGHT WITH ISSAC HAYES. ADMISSION IS FREE WITH $3.00 RECOMMENDED FEE. ENJOY THE SHOW.

THE HEAT IS ON

WITH THE WEATHER BEING CLOSE TO 100 THE PAST FEW DAYS AND TOURS GOING ON AS SCHEDULED IT'S BEEN TO HOT TO STAY IN HOUSE OR BLOG.................

DLYAN TO PLAY PROSPECT PARK

BOB DYLAN WILL BE ENDING HIS WORLD TOUR WITH A CONCERT IN BROOKLYN. THE SHOW WILL BE AT THE PROSPECT PARK BAND SHELL ON AUG.12TH. MOST TICKETS HAVE BEEN SNAPPED UP ALREADY AS THERE WAS A PRE-SALE FOR FAN CLUB MEMBERS ON MONDAY. ONLY A 7000 SEAT VENUE. REMAINING SEATS WILL GO ON SALE TO THE PUBLIC JUNE 13TH. IF YOU DON'T GET TICKETS YOU CAN STILL GO AND STAND AROUND THE PERIMETER AND HEAR THE MUSIC. ONE OF THE ALL-TIME GREATS COMING TO BROOKLYN.

ART WALK

SAT AND SUN JUNE 7TH & 8TH IS THE ATLANTIC AVE ARTWALK. IT'S AN OPEN STUDIO TOUR RUNNING FROM 3RD AVE TO SMITH ST. WITH OTHER LOCATIONS ALONG THE ROUTE. CHECK http://www.artwalk08.com/ FOR A MAP AND DETAILS. ARTWALK IS FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.

$35 MIL DOWN $40 MIL TO GO

THE NEW 26-ACRE LAKESIDE CENTER BEING BUILT IN PROSPECT PARK HAS RECIEVED $35 MILLION IN FUNDS LEAVING $40 MILLION MORE TO BE SECURED BEFORE CONSTRUCTION WILL BEGIN. THE PROJECT WILL RESTORE THIS PORTION ON THE PARK TO ITS ORIGINAL DESIGN OF FREDERICK LAW OLMSTED AND CALVERT VAUX CREATED.

GOWANUS GOES GREEN

A FIRST OF ITS KIND FESTIVAL WILL BE HELD ON SUNDAY JUNE 1ST ON CARROLL ST BETWEEN BOND AND NEVINS STREETS. THE EVENT WILL RUN FROM 11AM TO 6 PM AT THE YARD, AN OPEN AIR SPACE BETWEEN TWO SILOS AT 388-400 CARROLL ST. ADMISSION IS FREE.

SUNDANCE AT BAM

THE SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL WILL BE AT THE BROOKLYN ACADEMY OF MUSIC STARTING TODAY.THE 11-DAY RUN WILL INCLUDE 10 FILMS 12 DOCUMENTARIES, AND 36 SHORTS. CHECK bam.org/sundance FOR DETAILS AND TICKET INFO.

PROSPECT PARK PACKED

ON MONDAY, MEMORIAL DAY THERE HAD TO BE ABOUT 10,000 PEOPLE ON THE LONG MEADOW IN PROSPECT PARK. LAYING ON BLANKETS, HAVING BBQ'S, DRINKING WINE WITH CHEESE AND CRACKERS. I HAVE BEEN GOING TO THAT PARK FOR OVER 40 YEARS AND HAVE NEVER SEEN SO MANY PEOPLE ENJOYING THE PARK LIKE THEY WERE ON MONDAY. LEARN THE HISTORY OF THE PARK, TAKE A TOUR. http://www.brooklynwalkingtour.com/

WHERE DID THE ROOTS GO?

THERE WAS A SCULPTURE IN FRONT OF THE LITCHFIELD VILLA IN PROSPECT PARK FOR ABOUT 8 MONTHS. AS I WALKED BY WITH MY TOUR OVER THE WEEKEND IT WAS GONE. DOES ANYONE KNOW WHY IT WAS REMOVED?

TO THE SOLDIERS

I WANT TO THANK ALL VETERANS AND SERVICE MEN AND WOMEN OF THE ARMED FORCES THAT KEEP US SAFE AND FREE TO HAVE BBQ'S AND ENJOY MEMORIAL DAY. SOME MAKE THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE, THEY DIE THAT WE MAY LIVE FREE. THANKS BOYS AND GIRLS.