CHINESE NEW YEAR OF THE RAM 2015 PHOTO ALBUM

 

Every Year Paul Mak the president of the Brooklyn Chinese Association gives me the best seat to photograph the New Year celebrations. These are some of the best shots of the day. There were several teams of Lion dancers on hand as well as the usual cartel of politicians, including our own Chuck Schumer whom one has to wonder how he keeps getting re elected. ENJOY!!

Art in the Hood. Mural on 51st

 

I always wanted to photograph this mural but it was always blocked with vendors and vans parked in front of it. Yesterday I happened by and I guess because of the cold there was nothing to block the view. It has been there a few years and it is a bit weathered. It's located on the corner of 51st street and 5th Avenue.

 

 

 

Gung Hoi Fat Choi!! Year Of The SheepSave the date Sunday, February 22

Today is Chinese Lunar New Year, a good time as any to start blogging again after a hiatus. This Sunday the Brooklyn Chinese American Association will hold it's annual festival on 8th Avenue. Like every year there will be plenty of local dignitaries and yes politicians attending. Probably including our Mayor who is now forever famous for killing the Groundhog and cursing us with probably six more years of winter. Let us hope that if he shows up he doesn't accidentally kill anyone. The usual festivities are usually punctuated by fireworks a dozen or so Lion dancers, a cultural show and a march down 8th avenue from 50th street to 60th street. It's a very photogenic event so show up early before the crowds as 8th Avenue gets completely packed and bring your camera with you to record the event...

Pic of The Day Christmas Season in Sunset Park

Christmas trees decked out for sale on 5th Avenue.

 

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Fashion is The Big News in Sunset Park This Week

 

Fashion was  the big news this week in Sunset Park as they officially opened Liberty View Industrial Plaza. It seems to have been all over the press. The plans had been in the air for months when the City put up some $3.5 million in our taxpayer money to make it happen. The center of the fashion industry in NYC will shift from Manhattan to Sunset Park. Liberty will give over some 160,000 square feet of space for fashion development. Along with all this development will come some additional 300 jobs into the area and adds to the wave of gentrification that has accelerated in the neighborhood especially in the last couple off years. To read more you can visit the stories at the following websites, Brooklyn Eagle, Industryweek.com, bisnow.com, digital.nyc, topix.com and the Daily News.

 

 

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Holiday Swing Dance Saturday Dec. 6 at Sunset Park

I have been asked to post the following and get it out to as many Sunset Parkers as possible...

Holiday Swing Dance

Saturday, December 6, 2014

5:00pm – 7:00pm

Sunset Park Recreation Center

43^rd Street & Seventh Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11232

Learn to Swing dance, meet your neighbors and burn calories at this festive holiday party!  

Dance Classes for Children

Make new friends and learn new moves in Be-bop or Fresh Feet Dance Class. Children ages 5 – 12 years old will learn the basics of Ballet, Jazz, Hip Hop & other dance forms while improving their coordination, self-confidence & listening  skills. Classes are taught by Chavone Miller and begin on Saturday, November 15, 2014. Registration is required.

Be-Bop Dance (Ages 5 – 7)

Saturdays    10:00 am – 11:00 am

Fresh Feet Dance (Ages 8 – 12)

Saturdays    12:00 pm – 1:00 am

Sunset Park Recreation Center

43^rd Street & Seventh Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11232

NYC Parks Membership and registration is required. For more information, contact Chavone Miller (chavone.miller@parks.nyc.gov) at 718-972-0567.

Sunny Days Enrichment for Tots

Stretch and grow with your little ones in our Sunny Days program for ages 1.5 years to 3 years old. Join Crystal Carpio and help your children develop early literacy skills, create masterpieces and grow in these delightful storytelling, basic fitness and arts & crafts classes.

Story Time

Wednesdays           10:15 am – 11:15 am

Kid Fit Fitness

Thursdays               10:15 am – 11:15 am

Arts & Crafts

Fridays                      10:15 am – 11:15 am

Sunset Park Recreation Center

43^rd Street & Seventh Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11232

NYC Parks Membership is required for both caregiver and child. Space is limited, registration and caregiver participation is required. For more information, contact Crystal Carpio (crystal.carpio@parks.nyc.gov) at 718-972-0567.

Swing Dance Fitness

Free Swing Dance Fitness Classes

Saturdays

9:00am – 10:15am

Sunset Park Recreation Center

43^rd Street & Seventh Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11232

 Burn calories and meet your neighbors in this exciting Dance Fitness class taught by Jason Seigel.

For more information: Letitia Guillory at letitia.guillory@parks.nyc.gov or 718 972-0567

Get Right Fitness Challenge!  

Get toned, gain flexibility and build endurance in Get Right Fitness Challenge!

Saturdays

8:00 am – 9:15 am

Sunset Park Recreation Center

43^rd Street & Seventh Avenue

Brooklyn, NY 11232

Classes are taught by Chavone Miller and are for all levels.

NYC Parks Membership is required.

 

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Time Warp Techno Festival Comes to Sunset Park

 

As if we needed more evidence that things are changing in Sunset Park at an accelerated pace we have the announcement of another dancing event coming to Sunset Park to join the Mr. Sunday parties at Industry City. Enter Time Warp Techno Festivals. This Techno Festival which originated in Germany and is popular throughout Europe where Techno music is the "in" thing is arriving to our shores and is about to land in Sunset Park. Is this a sign of further gentrification of the neighborhood? Maybe. In any case, it's here and is landing by the 39th street piers near where Costco is located. Tickets available here at this website are not cheap. All the general admission tickets at $100 a pop are gone and it appears all that is left is the $180 and $300+ tickets for the event that will be held from November 28 to 29. To check out further information go to their event posting at this website. I doubt that most local residents will be able to afford to attend or appreciate Techno music which went out of style in the states a few years back. However, judging by the fact that many class tickets are sold out, there must be other people in the city planning to attend..

Save the Date Nov. 22 Li-Lac Chocolates Grand Opening to The Public

This Saturday November 22 at 11 AM Li-Lac Chocolates will open it's store doors to the public in a Grand Opening Celebration. All Sunset Parkers are welcomed. Tell them you heard about it on the blog...

Li-Lac Chocolates Opens for Business in Sunset Park

Yesterday was the official opening of the Li-Lac chocolate factory at Industry City  in Sunset Park. In a way there is a small amount of irony in the event considering that Sunset Park has one of the largest Mexican communities in New York City and the Cocoa plant had it's origins in Mexico. So in a way it's kind of like things coming full circle. If you're interested in the history of chocolate here are a couple of links to give you some heads up on it, Wikipedia and Smithsonian. The facilities are rather spacious at more than 10,000 square feet and Li-Lac seems to be happy in their new home. They've been making chocolate since 1923 and have been around longer than any other still existing New York chocolatier. I was honored to be invited to the official opening of their new home in Brooklyn. We hope that as our local economy continues to improve they will become a long time resident of the neighborhood as well as a fixture of Sunset Park..

The festivities began at eleven with a tour of the factory as the main guests began to arrive. Among the luminaries in attendance were Borough president Eric Adams, Councilman Carlos Menchaca, Congressman Jerrold Nadler and others.We got a tour of the factory facilities and got to taste many samplings of the many chocolate varieties that the factory produces. The CEO of Industry City and the many politicians on hand made brief speeches welcoming Li-Lac to Sunset Park and I was lucky enough to get an invite to the mostly private ceremony. The official Grand Opening to the public is this Saturday and I will post details elsewhere on this blog. In the meantime, here's a pictorial preview of the facilities as well as some shots of the brief ceremony..

Yours truly at the entrance store in the Li-Lac factory.

Putting the finishing touches on the goodies..

Dignitaries at one of the assembly lines before the ceremony, Menchaca, Adams, Nadler and others.

Sample yummies made of chocolate on display.

Packaging the goodies..

Some sample chocolates..

More yummy samples..

Heres a nice chocolate chess set where you can eat the pieces that you win from your opponent..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wine and Food Tasting Event at Sunset Park photo Album

 

The wine tasting event which I highlighted in my post here went of successfully without a hitch.  There were many companies and wine merchants  represented and the crowd came from all over the borough to partake in the colorful carnival party atmosphere. There were wines from all over the world including my native Argentina, especially Malbec, not just from Mendoza but I also got to taste some Malbecs from some recent vineyards from Patagonia. There were many artisan food vendors that hawked everything from chocolates  to baked goods and if that wasn't enough for you to eat there was also a table of hors d'oeuvres for all to partake of with many different cheeses to complement the wines. The merchants included Li-Lac Chocolatiers whom I wrote about in a previous post having just recently opened their new factory at Industry city.  The event took place in the spacious hall at Building 1 at 37th street right across from Costco. We hope this to be one of many events that starts putting Sunset Park as the destination in days and years  to come.

Your truly at the event after one too many wines.

Angel Miranda owner of The Mug Cafe and friends at the event..

Chris one of the owners of Li-Lac Chocolates at his table at the event.

A Jazz ensemble provided background music.

If the food sampoles weren't enough there was a table to snack on.

The spacious Hall was brimming with people.

Angel Miranda owner of Mug Cafe with yours truly and his girlfriend.

 

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Ribbon Cutting Ceremony at New Park Barely Attended by Locals

Parks Commissioner Mitchell J. Silver is the first speaker.

Yesterday in rather warm weather for November they held the opening ceremony of our new neighborhood park, The Bush Terminal Park.  It was barely attended by locals. Most of those present were city and local dignitaries and press. Completely absent from the event was our Mayor Bill de Blasio who decided not to come to such  an important event being held in one of Brooklyn's largest neighborhoods.  Among the attendees was our city council person  Carlos Menchaca, Assemblyman Felix Ortiz and Congresswoman Nydia Velasquez. If the event had been held over the weekend it would probably have had higher attendance by more residents of the local community. As it is it went unnoticed by the general population of the neighborhood many who are probably unaware of the existence of the park or even where it is located. 

Dignitaries including Carlos Menchaca waiting to speak..

Waiting to cup the ribbon with their golden scissors.

The ribbon is cut, the park is  officially open.