Gowanus Lounge: Serving Brooklyn

Entries from September 2008

Death Scene Report: The “Last Minutes of Astroland”

September 8th, 2008 · 3 Comments

[Photo courtesy of Adrian Kinloch/Brit in Brooklyn] Astroland died late last night, with an odd scene that lacked any remarks or final statements, but that included weirdness, shouts of “Get back from the gate” and some unexplained police activity. Brit in Brooklyn blogger and superb GL Contributor Adrian Kinloch stayed until the bitter end and […]

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Tags: coney island

Brooklyn Nibbles: Petite Cafe Growing on Court St.

September 8th, 2008 · 3 Comments

There is some food news from the far end of Court Street in Carroll Gardens. A special GL Correspondent who has supplied us with many juicy tidbits over a long period of time reports: Le Petit Café, down the end of Court St is expanding. They’re taking over George’s Pot Pourri once he moves his […]

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Tags: Carroll Gardens · Uncategorized

Upcoming: GL Concert Calendar

September 8th, 2008 · Comments Off on Upcoming: GL Concert Calendar

And now, a selection of music available from tonight through Wednesday: Monday 9/8/08 Jalopy: Country Blues Jam–Bring your fiddle, accordion, banjo, washtub, mandolin, guitar, or maybe even spoons and participate in an open jam session. Free!! 9:30pm Barbes: Chicha Libre (Latin/Surf/Psychedelic) $10, 9:30pm Tuesday 9/9/08 Barbes: SOM (Classical Indian/Jazz/Trance) $10, 7:00pm Bar 4: Open Mike […]

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Tags: GL Concert Calendar

Bklink: Angry Chef

September 8th, 2008 · 2 Comments

“A hotheaded chef at China City restaurant in Brooklyn has been charged with dousing two women with scalding cooking oil after they complained about bad take-out food. The melee started when Sylvia Grice, 44, and Dorranne Leggett, 42, stormed into the Myrtle Avenue eatery Thursday night to confront the chef, Luien Jhing, 28. The disgruntled […]

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Tags: Crime · Shortlink

GL Slideshow: Astroland’s Last Day

September 8th, 2008 · Comments Off on GL Slideshow: Astroland’s Last Day

Here are some scenes from Astroland’s last day, yesterday.

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Tags: coney island

Brooklinks: Monday Umbrella & Art Edition

September 8th, 2008 · 1 Comment

Brooklinks is a daily selection of Brooklyn-related information and images: · Heroes Rescue Disabled Man from Fire [NYDN] · Checking Out a Block of Eastern Parkway [Metro] · Brooklyn Heights Principal Turns Around School [NYP] · 8-Year-Old Boy Killed on Bike by Postal Truck [NYDN] · Nets Close to Issuing $800M in Bonds for Arena […]

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Tags: Brooklinks

I Say Gowanus, You Say Gowanuts

September 8th, 2008 · 1 Comment

A special GL Contributor sent us this gem, suggesting that we change GL to Gowanuts Lounge. We had no idea what he meant by the email subject line until we looked carefully at the attachment. Well, sometimes one person might say Gowanus whereas another might say Gowanuts. Eh. Gowanus. Gowanuts. Same difference. Presumably, they’ll still […]

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Tags: Gowanus

This Time, Astroland Goes Down Without a Fight

September 8th, 2008 · Comments Off on This Time, Astroland Goes Down Without a Fight

The most astounding thing about the sad scene at Astroland yesterday, was the fact that there were no signs saying “Save Astroland” and not a single sheet of paper saying “Goodbye.” Tens of thousands of people descended on Coney’s iconic little amusement park on a gorgeous September Sunday to say goodbye. It is being closed […]

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Tags: coney island

Brooklinks: Special Goodbye to Astroland Edition

September 8th, 2008 · Comments Off on Brooklinks: Special Goodbye to Astroland Edition

Brooklinks is a daily selection of Brooklyn-related information and images. This is a special, extra Astroland edition: · Astroland Closes, This Time, It Appears for Good [NYT] · After 46 Years, Game Over for Astroland [NY1] · Ride’s over at Coney Island amusement park [AP] · Coney Island to Have Surf, Sand, but No Astroland […]

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Tags: Brooklinks

In the Pool: Carroll Street Bridge at Night

September 8th, 2008 · Comments Off on In the Pool: Carroll Street Bridge at Night

Have you jumped in the pool and joined our big and growing GL Flickr Pool? If not, we hope you take the plunge because we’d love to see your photos and post them here. You can join the pool here or simply tag your pics “gowanuslounge.” [Photo courtesy of rembklyn/GL Flickr Pool] Here’s a view […]

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Tags: Gowanus · Gowanus Canal · In the Pool

On the Sofa, Daily Edition

September 8th, 2008 · 1 Comment

“My husband and I own the Big Blue House, 271 9th Street and also own and operate Slope Music…As far as the color of the building goes there is a back story. The house has Landmark status which has been nothing but a pain for us. The Landmark status given to neighborhoods and homes is […]

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Tags: On the Sofa · Park Slope

Upcoming: CGNA Meeting Season Starts Anew in a New Spot

September 8th, 2008 · Comments Off on Upcoming: CGNA Meeting Season Starts Anew in a New Spot

The Carroll Gardens Neighborhood Association, which once met at the Scotto Funeral Home on Court Street, starts up with its post-Labor Day meetings tonight at a new location, the Hannah Senesh Community Day School at 342 Smith Street. Here’s is the email: Just a quick reminder- we resume the Carroll Gardens Neighborhood Association general meetings […]

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Tags: Carroll Gardens · Uncategorized

Bklink: Stoop Drinking, Continued

September 8th, 2008 · Comments Off on Bklink: Stoop Drinking, Continued

The stoop drinking drama and issue continues with a further examination of a recent case. A car pulls up on a guy drinking a bottle of Sierra Nevada on his stoop. “The police officer in the driver’s seat said something to Mr. VanRy. He left the stoop, walked to the car and, several minutes later, […]

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Tags: Prospect Hieghts

In the Pool: Another Coney Boardwalk Sunset

September 8th, 2008 · Comments Off on In the Pool: Another Coney Boardwalk Sunset

[Photo courtesy of woodendesigner/GL Flickr Pool] Perhaps one can call it Coney Island Light. In any case, whatever the label, here’s another gorgeous Coney sunset. This one is from the boardwalk on Friday night.

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Tags: coney island · In the Pool

Bklink: Sunny & Warm

September 8th, 2008 · Comments Off on Bklink: Sunny & Warm

Outside the Brookyn Weather Observatory is is quite sunny with blue skies. Today’s forecast calls for it to be mostly sunny, pleasant and warm. The high will be 84. Tonight will be clear with a low of 66.–Accuweather

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Tags: Weather

The End: Astroland’s Last Day Ever?

September 7th, 2008 · 1 Comment

In about fifteen minutes, at noon today, Astroland’s gates will slide open for perhaps the last time ever. (There is word of a rally as well.) There will no doubt be many reporters in attendance to record the sad event and it will be well documented in both photos and videos. But is it really […]

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Tags: coney island

Disconnected in Brooklyn: We Exchanged Fingers

September 7th, 2008 · Comments Off on Disconnected in Brooklyn: We Exchanged Fingers

There was an overabundance of Brooklyn Missed Connection action from which to choose, but after much soul searching, we settled on this one because it has that certain something that is common to all Missed Connections that represent the triumph of hope over reality: you gave me the finger at levee last friday, but i […]

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Tags: Missed Connections · Williamsburg

Back to the Future: GL a Year Ago on Astroland

September 7th, 2008 · 1 Comment

Last year, we ran a GL Analysis on Sunday, September 9, 2007, which was “Astroland’s Last Day.” Usually, we can’t deal with even reading old posts, let alone reposting something, but we feel this one is worth another look. The issues haven’t changed at all in the last year. Here it is, as we wrote […]

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Tags: coney island

Some Astroland Nostalgia: “Taking Them for a Ride”

September 7th, 2008 · Comments Off on Some Astroland Nostalgia: “Taking Them for a Ride”

[Photo courtesy of Coney Island History Project/flickr] Back in 1963, Time magazine had this to say about Astroland, which could die today: “Coney Island’s biggest addition for 1963 is Astroland, a $3,000,000 fun-and-games nexus devoted to space exploration. It has the Cape Canaveral Satellite Jet—passengers enter the rocket, fasten seat belts, then blast off with […]

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Tags: coney island

GL Sunday TV: Vintage Coney Island

September 7th, 2008 · Comments Off on GL Sunday TV: Vintage Coney Island

Here are some vids from the YouTube of Coney Island in the past, with an emphasis on some great clips and docs of Coney in the 1940s.

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Tags: coney island · Sunday TV

Hanna Visits: Coney Island Edition

September 7th, 2008 · Comments Off on Hanna Visits: Coney Island Edition

[Photo courtesy of Rubys Host/GL Flickr Pool] Tropical Storm Hanna may not have delivered quite the blow of deluge + heavy winds to Brooklyn that had been predicted, but it did produce some very impressive downpours. Here’s the scene on the Coney Island, courtesy of Ruby’s Host.

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Tags: coney island · Uncategorized · Weather

Hanna Visits: Brighton Beach Edition

September 7th, 2008 · Comments Off on Hanna Visits: Brighton Beach Edition

[Photo courtesy of smile_its_erika/flickr] We weren’t in Coney or Brighton Beach yesterday, but we’re going to say that it’s safe to assume that it might have been slightly more impressive over by the water than it was further inland. At least, there was significant gloom. This is the view (or lack thereof) in Brighton Beach.

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Tags: Brighton Beach · Uncategorized · Weather

Bands at Sound Fix in the Burg Soften the Blow

September 7th, 2008 · 1 Comment

We’ve been mourning the end of summer this year especially, with the finale of our treasured free Brooklyn concerts at McCarren Park Pool. What could ever compare to the DIY aesthetic of the Brooklyn music scene on such a large scale, and in such an unlikely place? But then we got our weekly Sound Fix […]

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Tags: Music · Uncategorized · Williamsburg

GL Photo Du Jour: Actual Last Coney Fireworks of the Season

September 7th, 2008 · Comments Off on GL Photo Du Jour: Actual Last Coney Fireworks of the Season

[Photo courtesy of Deborah Matlack/Matlack Photography] The actual “last fireworks” of the season took place Friday night in Coney Island, with a night sponsored by the Cyclones. Photo contributor Deborah Matlack, who does some lovely Coney photography for GL, notes, “They didn’t start until 10:30, I guess they were waiting for the Cyclones game to […]

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Tags: coney island · Photo du Jour · Uncategorized

Fun Vid: The Drummer’s Grove in Prospect Park

September 7th, 2008 · Comments Off on Fun Vid: The Drummer’s Grove in Prospect Park

Do check it out.

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Tags: Prospect Park · Video