Welcome to the Nabe, Brooklyn Homebrew.

In case you didn't take me seriously when I suggested you start to brew your own beer, you should reconsider this growing trend because Brooklyn Homebrew has officially opened in Gowanus. Danielle Cefaro and Benjamin Stutz now have a real store as opposed to their dining room in a Sunset Park apartment, and more space means more yeast, hops, and malts.

If you're still wary, remember--it's 2010, which means that you can learn to do anything on youtube, including how to brew beer in your 600-square-foot apartment. Your girlfriend may object, but she'll eventually get used to steamy windows and what smells like a Kellogg's factory for a few hours every month. So what's stopping you? Head on over to Brooklyn Homebrew and get your hops on.

The daily mis[haps]

Who would have thought that twitter and texting would actually come in handy when it comes to finding a parking spot in New York? Only the Blog Knows Brooklyn investigated a new parking experiment going into effect in the Park Slope area. 

Roadify.com has started a social experiment called "Parking Around Me" in which drivers in Park Slope can notify other drivers when a spot opens or is taken.

According to the organization, Park Slope's parking is so stressful that the average driver takes 27 minutes to find a spot and 67% of traffic i

s caused by drivers looking for a space to squeeze into. 

The catch? Every time you give a spot, you get a point, that in turn you can use to get a spot at a later date. But hey, it might be worth it to send a quick text to the company so that you can save 27 minutes next time you're in a rush.                          

(Above image was a picture taken from the Gowanus Lounge, documenting the lack of open parking spots in South Brooklyn.)

Boxer/Rabbi?

Yuri Foreman, professional Israeli middleweight boxer, was the chosen one in Saturday's boxing match against Daniel Santos. He now holds the title as the World Boxing Association's 154-pound champion.

And he's taking rabbinical classes at the IYYUN Institute in Gowanus. Yes, Yuri Foreman is going to be the rabbi with the meanest left-hook around. He will literally beat the Old Testament into the mutilated pulp that used to be your head until you're begging your plastic surgeon to forgo the rhinoplasty and instead permanently attach a kippah to your scalp.

Well, as a man of religion, maybe he'll be a little nicer than that. But he's still going to be the most badass rabbi Brooklyn has ever seen.

It's That Time Again: Park Slope 100

Every year, Only The Blog Knows Brooklyn puts together the "Park Slope 100" and this year's list is creeping up on us. The list, for "famous and not famous alike" ranges anywhere from spiritual leaders to restaurant owners.

According to Only The Blog, the list consists of "100 stories, 100 ways of looking at the world, 100 inspiring people, places and things in and around Park Slope. It can be a person, a place, a thing, even an event. Let me know who, what and where was notable and powerful and 2009. One tip: I especially like people who direct their energies outward towards the better good of others in some way. Suggest yourself, your spouse, your relative, your friend."

So if you've got anyone, anything, or any place in mind, send your suggestions to: louise_crawford@yahoo.com

(And to catch a glance at last year's most noted, click here.)

the daily [mis]haps

Looking for some scandal in your life on par with seducing a young virgin to win a bet made with a companion harboring her own mischievous ill-intent?

Save the date for the second BK Meatup event of the year--the Naughty Holiday Office Party on December 9th. It's well worth the wait, and it promises enough depravity to last you until New Years--even for the most tireless lechers out there.

If you want to have some real fun, get your hands on some of Brooklyn sinners' new inebriating liquid of choice. But keep in mind that age-old maxim: Don't drink the punch.

For those of you who are more the voyeur-types, this version of Dangerous Liaisons might inspire some lustful foul play of your own.

Save the World!

It seems like newly re-elected Mayor Bloomberg thinks he can to do a better job cleaning up the Gowanus Canal than Superfund. Promising $150 million, Bloomberg might just want to get that nasty bit of clean-up swiftly out of the way so real-estate can keep rollin' out dolla's. Superfund tends gets to be a little extensive in its cleanup...and who wants that?! Get the full story at The ArchitectsNewspaper.

Perhaps Broolynites should have gotten Americans UK to clean up the Gowanus! They saved rock n' roll...why not a little city water? They've got the outfits to prove it and you can see them tomorrow Nov. 12! See these comic book rockers at the Royale and perhaps convince them to do a little sewage clean-up...

Park Slope Armory: Will It Actually Open?

Park Slopers have their doubts about whether or not the Park Slope Armory, now renovated, will actually open. The only thing we're still waiting on is for the city to turn it over to the YMCA so they can open it as a recreation center for children. The renovation (a jaw-dropping $16 million) was completed in 2007, and the city is still waiting for it to open. 

According to the Brooklyn Paper, the turnaround has yet to happen because the Department of Education initially pledged money and didn't follow through,  and Department of Homeless Services should have been put in charge of recreation services. 

the daily [mis]haps

Brooklynites are known for being the crafty type, but now the DIY fad has extended beyond handmade jewelry, silkscreened t-shirts, and hand-knit scarves. Brooklynites have entered the world of home brewing, taking on the challenges of sufficiently sterilizing buckets and funnels and bottles, measuring accurate amounts of yeast and malt and hops, and adding their own personal touch without making something either toxic or just plain disgusting.

I can attest to this process, because there are currently 50 bottles of beer in my living room along with another whole bucket embarking on the fermentation process. We've only had one explosion thus far, leaving chunks of fallow-colored sludge stuck to our walls and ceiling, but that's just part of the enterprise.

And we have the couple at Brooklyn Homebrew in Sunset Park to thank for their lovely assistance, grinding and providing materials and warm reassurances. And if I haven't convinced you to head over to their store to begin your own home brewery, just think of how rewarding it will be to finally drink all that beer you so worked so hard to make. And the simple fact that you'll be drinking lots of beer.

A daily [mis]hap

I always think it's funny that we place monetary value in green paper and silver coins. Why can't I write on a white piece of 8 1/2 x 11 I O U? Alas, 'tis not the way the world works but sometimes those coins can be more valuable than I might think...

A Brooklyn Woman Finds Counterfeit Penny Made of GOLD!

Lesson: Pay attention to your change. However, I think the Brooklyn area is most likely tapped out of specious specie!

Happy Election Day!

Today's the big day--time to decide Brooklyn's political fate. It goes beyond Democrats vs. Republicans. It's your chance to compare and contrast and choose who's right for the job, who will get shit done, who will dazzle us.

Still can't decide who to vote for your 39th District City Council representative? Read these mini-interviews from Cobble Hill Blog--5 Questions from each candidate--and make yourself a helpful little pros-and-cons list. It can't get any easier. But, if you're on the edge and Joe Nardiello might be your man, just remember he's toeing a fine line between creative and prankster. As for us, we'd like to give a shout-out to Brad Lander, who will make a cameo appearance in our upcoming December issue.

There's also the big Bloomberg vs. Thompson decision to be made. Mayor Bloomberg may have been looking good according to polls--up by 15% as of October 30th--but his fellow politicians think otherwise. I may have just wikipedia-ed him, but some people have strong opinions. So, what's it going to be? Mike Bloomberg, or Mike Bloomberg? (Note the change in intonation in my brain as I write this).

Just Like Grandma's...?

I don't know about anyone else but for me, Connect Four traditionally evokes an afternoon at Grandma's: cigarette smoke, mounds of M&Ms, a game of Old Maid and the old stand by, Connect Four. The Bell House isn't quite Grandma's house (You can't even smoke there...) but it's sponsoring a Connect Four tournament tomorrow (10/3)...?! I'm not sure how I feel about this...

How could a simple childhood game become THE WORLD'S BIGGEST CONNECT FOUR CHAMPIONSHIP: ROUND ONE? Hyperbole and all caps... AND this means that there is going to be a round two! Actually there will be four rounds and the champion will be crowned on November 24... this seems like serious stuff!

Perhaps there is more strategy to Connect Four than I can realize but I really would love it if someone checked this out! (If you're not in for serious stuff, there are FREE "Connect Four" vodka drinks from 7-8pm...who knows what kind of fun trouble you could get into there.)

Let us know how The Bell House provides for all your childhood gaming needs. Will they serve Nesquik on a tray next to a bologna sandwich and dill pickle while you ponder your next opponent-crushing move?

Andy Newman Completes His "Own" Marathon

In honor of today's marathon, journalist Andy Newman strolled around his Park Slope neighborhood 75.4 times. The 26.2 mile journey took him a mere 17+ hours to complete (luckily, he had his dog to keep him company part of the time.) 

Newman was quoted saying that he chose his version of the marathon because he wanted a glimpse of the everyday life in the neighborhood he lives.

Newman is  a quirky journalist and blogger who has worked for medias such as the Jersey Journal, Hoboken Reporter and the New York Times. 

the daily [mis]haps

If you're a frotteur who's into bondage, dirty talk, and full-frontal male nudity, then by all means head over to the Vortex Theater in Manhattan for this haunted house experience, if you can call it that.

If you're like me, then you associate haunted houses with good-natured tricks--glowy-eyed skulls that cackle, pun-tastic plastic tombstones, bowls of cold spaghetti "brains"--halloween fun that ends with treats, not the feeling of being violated after your first near-rape experience, then you should keep it local and check out the Halloween Haunted Walk & Carnival at Prospect Park, where you'll encounter classic spooks like zombies and witches (both good AND bad). Or hit up the the Howloween Pup Parade in Park Slope. Because what could be more non-threatening than doggies in costumes?

The daily mis[haps]

Get ready to celebrate Halloween in Park Slope, because OUR parade is better than YOUR parade. (In terms of having a good time of course, as opposed to seeing who can drink the most or get the most disorderly conduct tickets.)

Park Slope's annual parade will complete its twenty-third birthday this year and will be more eccentric and outdone than ever. 

According to the Brooklyn paper, this year's parade will be, "like the Crown Heights West Indian Day Parade and Coney Island's Mermaid Parade rolled into one--only without the fire marshal-sized crowds or bare breasts."

Who could resist that?

the daily [mis]haps

Happy Birthday, Brooklyn Eagle! We're suckers for local history...or could you not tell?

Over-blogged and for good reason, I'm leaning toward the "Soviet-style re-education camp" perspective but I might be blacklisted before I can get that $2.97 organic spinach...blast!

Let's see if we can make this the next swine flu and REALLY get people worried about...THE MUMPS!





THE MUMPS VIRUS ------->

the daily [mis]haps

There was a time before repairmen, before the giant silver platter we call mass-production served us our every whim for the low low price of a five minute walk to the convenience store. Well, it's time to put those opposable thumbs to good use at The Fixer's Collective. Have a broken anything? Evil wire-breathing umbrella?Whip out those tools every Thursday at Proteus Gowanus and rediscover what it means to be self-reliant.

Maybe too hands-on and not enough indie-glam to satisfy your needs? Check out the Brooklyn Indie Market in Carroll Gardens, where this saturday you can witness the steampunk fashion show.

If you have yet to take advantage of the musicopia of indie bands inundating New York as part of the CMJ Music Festival, then you owe it to your indie-deprived ears to hit up the FREE show tonight at the Bell House hosted by the Gothamist and Brooklyn Based.

The daily [mis]haps

Watch those purses and pockets (and eyeglasses apparently) because this past week several intriguing duos have been robbing shops throughout Park Slope. 

1. The first occurred in a shoe store, in which two women teamed up to steal an employee's purse.

2. The second, a tax return service. (The clearly unintelligent perp stole a smartphone and was followed by police until he finally caught on and turned it off.)

3. As for the third, who would think to hold up at Eyeglass store? Three men held up Cohen's Fashion Optical, announcing a stickup and stealing seventy pairs of eyeglasses. 

the daily [mis]haps

Bag that Brownstone! Rents plummet in Brooklyn...and everywhere else, but we do it better on this side of the East River: parks and music and bikes...

...Cheesecake, maybe not.

At least there will always be the neighborhood bar! Unless you're counting on 230 Fifth Ave...we know it wasn't the rent that did Playa and Cabana Bar in.

the daily [mis]haps

The Democratic National Committee is opening up the floor for citizens like this Cobble Hill resident to argue why we should pass the healthcare reform ASAP. If hearing it directly from a melanoma patient doesn't get the point across, I'm not sure what will. But if you think you can make the winning argument, have a go at your 30-seconds of fame and enter the contest!

the daily [mis]haps

For those bookworms out there, the Cobble Hill Association is hosting a free book swap tomorrow at the Long Island College Hospital Sitting Park. 

If you're not convinced, this ex-con proves how the literary world can change your life. So if you're on the road to criminal pursuits, read Henry Morales' memoir and learn how to obtain peace rather than a jail sentence. 

Take it from Mikey. Everyone needs to read a little more. So if you're still wondering where else to grab a good read, head out to the Brooklyn Flea and dig through those tables upon tables of books.