Happy Memorial Day!

-from the gang at All About Fifth and the Park Slope Fifth Avenue BID! Enjoy!

News Round-Up

More Sushi for Park Slope [Brownstoner]

New Blog on Block: Park Slope Parents [OTBKB]

Cafe Regular Has New Competition [Brownstoner]

How to Get Free Drinks in New York City [My Hotel]

A Foursquare Rewards Guide to Brooklyn [Brokelyn]

Streetlevel: Women's Resale Clothing on 5th [Brownstoner]

Brooklyn Pride 2010

Save the Date: The 14th Annual Brooklyn Pride Festival and Parade, celebrating the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender community, is taking place on Saturday, June 12, 2010.

What makes this year even more special is that the parade will be marching down Fifth Avenue from 14th Street to Union Street!

This is another big "win" for Fifth Avenue, following the 2009 Halloween Parade, which ended its route on Fifth for the first time ever!

For more information on this year's Pride Parade, click here.

Moutarde Set to Open this Friday (or Saturday...)

There has been a lot of anticipation about when this local favorite will open after being closed for 3 months.

All About Fifth has learned that the anticipated re-opening, scheduled for today, has been moved back a day or two—but we’re nearly there.

For the curious, a few details on the new Moutarde were recently captured in the comments pages of Brownstoner. There, Krisja, the new Manager, highlighted “a simple and extensive menu utilizing only the freshest seasonal ingredients,” and a renovated bar with “original cocktails inspired by our best customers as well as little delicacies, specially developed to be eaten with your fingers.”

Krisja concludes: “I would like to thank all of you for being so patient and please, rest assured that we will do our best to make your new Moutarde the most comfortable, reasonably priced and exquisite place it could be."

Bon, vous y voir bientôt!

Hipster Demolition Night

Are you tired of ironic mustaches, electronica, skinny jeans and bicycles with only one gear and no brakes? Then you might want to run down to Fifth Avenue's Southpaw tomorrow night (May 27th) to check out "Hipster Demolition Night".

Greenpoint musician Jay Banerjee (an anti-hipster) has assembled a good lineup of straight-up garage rock acts that are more interested in music than looking cool. The line-up includes The Paul Collins Beat, The Above, Jay Banerjee & The Heartthrobs and The Split Signals (feat. Jonny Chan).

Sounds like a good show! Actually, we kind-of like hipsters and hipster music. However, we were wondering whether the show will actually be well-attended by hipsters just, you know, to be ironic!

Melt: Wine Tasting

The local Fifth Avenue area eatery Melt always seems to be innovating and trying something new.

For example, they recently launched a Mobile-optimized website (open http://meltnyc.com/ on your smartphone to view it) and tonight, they will be hosting a wine tasting event. Details below:

Wine Tasting @ Melt

When: TONIGHT! Tuesday, May 25th, 6pm-9pm

Where: Melt, 440 Bergen Street between 5th and Flatbush

What: Try five different New Zealand and Australian wines, paired with Hors D'oeuvres created to complement and enhance each individual wine.

Tickets are reduced to $40 (tax and tip included)

Limited seats for a unique wine-tasting experience.

For those who can not make it this month, you can request to reserve a ticket for the next month!

RSVP:
Email: meltnyc@gmail.com
Call: 917.455.0868

Brooklyn Parks Commissioner Retiring

Ok, this is old news for those of you who read the local papers and blogs (it was announced about a month ago) but we thought we would post something about the retirement of Brooklyn Parks Commissioner Julius Spiegel here.

Commissioner Spiegel (center in the photo,above) has been in charge of Brooklyn's parks for nearly 30 years. He leaves the parks system greener, cleaner and safer than he found it, although according to his recent interview with the Brooklyn Paper, he really isn't a park lover. I guess it doesn't matter that much, as long as the job gets done.

With the recent announcement that Prospect Park Administrator Tupper Thomas will be retiring soon, you have to wonder what the future holds for our Borough's green spaces. One thing is clear, though, whoever replaces Julius Spiegel and Tupper Thomas will have big shoes to fill.

Thank you, Commissioner Spiegel, for all you have done for Brooklyn!

Photo via the Brooklyn Paper

Extra Block for Farmers Market!

On Sunday, May 23rd more than fifteen local growers and food producers will set up their tents along 5th Avenue for the first day of the weekly Park Slope Farmers Market! Having gained an extra block to accommodate more vendors, this season the market will stretch between 3rd and 5th Street and run from 11am to 5pm every Sunday until December 5th.

In addition to all of last years vendors, this season's market will feature new products like: grass fed beef from Kiernan Farm, certified organic produce from St. Petersburg's Family Farm, healthy Finnish pastries from Northern Rye, handmade quiche from Yona's Gourmet Delights, produce from Phillip's Farm, pesto from Buddhapesto, gourmet marinated vegetables from Dolce Nonna, Calcutta Kitchen's simmer sauces and chutney, Bread Alone's certified organic bread, scones, cookies and granola, Bianchi Davis Green Houses beautiful orchids and ferns and award winning wines from both Millbrook Winery and Adair Vineyard.

While the market is moving outdoors for the season, Community Markets will continue to collaborate on events with the Makers Market at the Old American Can Factory, the historic industrial & cultural complex where the farmers market is hosted throughout the winter months. Community Markets plans to co-curate events to be held at both the market and the Old American Can Factory throughout the season and will post the details on their website www.communitymarkets.biz

New Help for Small Business Owners?

Earlier this week we received a press release from Council Speaker Christine Quinn, announcing a set of new initiatives to help make it easier for small businesses to comply with city rules and regulations.

These 14 measures are the result of the work of a Council Regulatory Review Panel in cooperation with Mayor Bloomberg.

The Panel's recommendations include:

• Establishing a Business Owner's Bill of Rights to help small business owners understand and exercise their rights with regard to inspections;



• Helping businesses avoid automatic fines if they quickly cure a low-risk violation;



• Making it possible for small business owners to settle or contest violations over the Internet or by telephone, saving them time and money;
and


• Changing the City's rule-making process so that rules are examined before enactment to help make sure they don't unduly burden small businesses.

The Council believes that the 14 measures will move the city away from enforcement-driven inspections to a more education and customer-service focused regulatory system for small businesses.

The full report is available here (.pdf).

Take a look and let us know what you think!

Here Comes Lunafest

This Sunday, May 23rd, don't miss Lunafest: Short Films By, For, About Women at the Brooklyn Arts Exchange.

Hosted by Momasphere, this fundraising film festival is dedicated to promoting awareness about women’s issues, highlighting women filmmakers, and bringing women together in their communities.

The award-winning films range from animation to fictional drama, and cover topics such as women’s health, motherhood, body image, sexuality, cultural diversity, and breaking barriers.

All proceeds from Momasphere’s Lunafest will benefit the Breast Cancer Fund and the BAX Artist in Residence program. To purchase your tickets, click here.

WHEN: Sun, May 23rd, 2010

WHERE: Brooklyn Arts Exchange, 421 5th Avenue (Between 7th & 8th St.) Park Slope, Brooklyn 11215

PRICE: Tickets are $20 online at www.Momasphere.com/upcoming-events or $30 cash at the door (one free raffle ticket is included in ticket purchase- additional for $5 each)

AGENDA: 4:00 pm - Wine and snacks, browse tables and samples from great local businesses, 4:30 - 6:00 pm - Film Screening, 6:00 - 6:30 pm - Discussion with Ela Thier, award winning writer & director of Lunafest Film "A Summer Rain", 6:30 - 7:30 pm - Reception

Mmmm...Ice Cream Sandwiches

Our friends at the Little Buddy Biscuit Company recently informed us about their new, super-decadent Ice Cream Sandwiches, featuring two homemade Little Buddy cookies and handmade ice cream from
Jane's Ice Cream in Kingston, New York.

The first 4 flavors on the menu are:

*Chocolate Chunk Cookies and Vanilla Ice Cream
*Molasses Spice with Crystallized Ginger Chunk Cookies and Strawberry Ice Cream
*Peanut Peanut Butter Cookies and Killer Chocolate Ice Cream
*Chocolate Wafer Cookies and Black Raspberry Chocolate Chunk Ice Cream

Oh, and you heard it here first, this weekend Little Buddy will offer special deals to promote all of its ice cream and sorbet products:

*Buy 1 Scoop, get a second for 99¢
*2 for $8 Ice Cream Cookie Sandwiches
*10% off Ice Cream drinks

We're getting fat just thinking about it.

Photos of the Fair 2010

Well, for once, the weather at The Fabulous Fifth Avenue Fair was...fabulous! Above, enjoy some photos of the Fair and the Bike Jumble taken by Michael Cohn-Geltner & Erika Clark.

Band Schedule for Sunday's Street Fair

SouthPaw has released the bad schedule for the Fabulous Fifth Avenue Fair. Check it out, below, or in the posters, above!

Sunday, 5/16

SOUTHPAW is proud to present 2 stages of entertainment! (one @ the Gate, 5th & 3rd, and one @ homebase). Inside and all day they are having a record fair!

The Gate Stage (5th and and 3rd st):
BEATARDS: 5:20
STUMBLEBUM BRASS BAND 4:50PM
YC THE CINIC – 4:30
BLACK TAXI – 3:40PM
DALANSHAR- 2:50PM
THE WOES 2:10PM
DANIEL WAYNE & FRIENDS – 1:20PM
PUPPETRY ARTS – 12:30PM
(chanceswithwolves music in between sets)

southpaw stage (5th Ave between Sterling Pl & St Johns):
BEYONDO – 5PM
UPPERCLASSMEN – 4:15
MISS FAIRCHILD – 3:15
STUMBLEBUM BRASSBAND – 2:30
CALEB STINE & THE BRAKEMEN – 1:15
FLITE – 12:30
(chanceswithwolves music in between sets)

News Round Up

May 16: Bike Flea Market in Washington Park [OTBKB]

Brooklyn’s Dutch Houses A Borough Treasure [Sheepshead Bites]

The 2010 Park Slope 5th Ave Street & Record Fair is Sunday [Brooklyn Vegan]

Awesome Shit This Weekend: BikeJumble and Street Fair [FIPS]

Council Approves Business Bill of Rights [Gotham Gazette]

City not Picking up Trash [Your Nabe]

It’s Their Park — So Neon Benches It Is! [Brooklyn Paper]

Social Media Event

We try to inform local businesses about events that we think we be helpful. Here's one that you might find interesting, whether you own a store on Park Slope's Fifth Avenue or not:

Local internet start-up Mobile Meteor is sponsoring and event with the Sidewalk Collective ("a place for local businesses to gather and discuss their experiences with social media") on Tuesday May 25th at the Roger Smith Hotel in Manhattan.

The forum will be led by Maria Baugh and Pam Nelson of Butter Lane Cupcakes, who will discuss the idea of creating a cult following for your business using social media!

The event will take place from 7-9pm, $5 will get you access to the event and a drink ticket.

Sounds like the Sidewalk Collective event calendar will be an important thing to keep an eye on!

Interested in attending? Go to sidewalknyc.eventbrite.com/

All About Bikes

May is Bike Month in New York City. There are lots of great bike-related events taking place all over the Five Boroughs over the next few weeks. You can check out the schedule here.

Anyway, speaking of bicycles, they will play a pretty prominent role on Fifth Avenue this Sunday as Washington Park/The Old Stone House welcome the New York Bike Jumble, a recession-friendly bicycle flea market featuring used parts, accessories and more. Yes, the Bike Jumble is taking place at the same time as The Fabulous Fifth Avenue Fair. The avenue will really be hopping this Sunday!

Finally, we received a press release from the Sierra Club regarding their new Bike Haiku contest. The poet winner will receive a brand-new Breezer Uptown 8 bicycle . Runners-up will get a Kryptonite lock and a Nutcase helmet. A panel of bike-commuting Sierra Club staffers will pick the finalists and the winner will be selected by Congressman Earl Blumenauer of Oregon, founder of the Congressional Bicycle Caucus.

To win, you need to join the Bicycle group on Climate Crossroads (Sierra Club's social network on climate), post a picture to the group's gallery and write a haiku about your bike and/or bike commuting. Deadline to enter is May 31 at noon PST .

Click here for details and to enter the contest.

Good luck, Brooklyn cycling poets!

All About Fifth is 1!

Oops, actually we turned 1 back on the 5th of May!

Our first post was about Mother's Day 2009.

So, now that we've been through a year of blogging, let us know what you think. What have we done right? What have we done wrong? What would you like to see more or less of? We want to hear from you!

Leave your comments, below.

Photo via Flickr

Big Events This Week

The Fabulous Fifth Avenue Fair

This Sunday, May 16th, 11 am - 7 pm from Sterling Place to 12th Street

Special Attractions:
* Bands playing in the street at Southpaw and @3rd Street
* Puppetry Theatre Arts @3rd Street

*Antique Automobiles @ Carroll Street

And, of course, there is all of the great food, drinks and shopping. Don't miss it!

If you would like a .pdf copy of the Fair poster, click here.

Community Volunteer Fair at the Park Slope Armory

When: Thursday, May 13th between 6:00 and 8:30 pm
Where: Park Slope Armory, 15th Street between 7th and 8th Avenues, Brooklyn
What: The Community Volunteer Fair will showcase volunteer opportunities at over 90 organizations, ranging from the arts to the environment to education and social service. This is a tremendous chance to find out where and how you can help, whether you’re a high school student, a retired person, or someone who wants to sharpen skills or develop new ones. Admission is free.

Sponsored by Assemblymembers Brennan and Millman, Councilmember Lander, Senators Adams and Montgomery, DA Hynes, Community Boards 6 and 7, New York Methodist Hospital, Park Slope Civic Council, Park Slope Parents, Park Slope 5th Ave BIDand Prospect Park YMCA.

---
Finally, don't forget the bonus film screening for Films on Fifth:

Monday, May 10: 200 5th- Alice Neel

Happy Mother's Day

- from the gang at All About Fifth and the Park Slope Fifth Avenue BID

Films on Fifth: Day Ten

Sunday, May 9: Southpaw- Darkon




Aunt Suzie's- P-Star Rising (8:00 PM)

Films on Fifth: Day Nine

Saturday, May 8

Aunt Suzie's- Misconceptions (9:30 PM)

Misconceptions pokes fun at the ongoing battle between LGBT people and religious conservatives. Wrapping a conciliatory message in comedy, writer Ira Pearlstein and director Ron Satloff convincingly show that there are many people on each side of the issue who mean well.




Park Slope Eye- When Broomsticks Were King, The Confession & Sunday Dinner (films by Jason Cusato) (6:00 PM),




Reel Works Race & Equality, Stories of Love, New York, New York and Personal Stories (7:00 PM)

News Round Up

Park Slope’s Fifth Avenue Theater [Save the Slope]

New Venue Opening in Park Slope (Where Cattyshack Was) [Brooklyn Vegan]

The Weekend List: Babies, Sugar, Barbes Classical [OTBKB]

Where to Buy Mexican Ingredients in New York City [NY Serious Eats]

The Feed First Look: Fornino Park Slope [Time Out New York]

Films on Fifth: Day Eight

Tonight's films are being screened in the two largest venues on the schedule, Bax and The Old Stone House. That's because these movies are just released and there is a lot of buzz about them! This is a great time to check them out!

Friday, May 7:

BAX (Brooklyn Arts Exchange): Sugar (7:00 PM)

The success of Latin ball players like Roberto Clemente, Juan Marichal, and Orlando Cepeda are legend but we never hear about the hundreds that fail, those who get lost in the system or are simply unable to handle the pressure of exorbitant signing bonuses or less than welcoming small town environments. In Sugar, writer-directors Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, whose film Half Nelson from 2006 won numerous awards, have created a film about the problems faced by young Latinos in attempting to make the jump from the comforts of their home town environment to the major leagues. It is not just a movie about baseball but about what is important in life.

20-year-old Miguel Santos (Algenis Perez Soto) is nicknamed Sugar - he says because he is sweet on the ladies but others have different opinions. Sugar is a pitcher at an American baseball training academy in the Dominican Republic whose recently developed knuckle curve ball puts him ahead of the pack. He is the idol of his family and the children in his home town but must compete with hundreds of others like himself for an invitation to a minor league Spring Training camp.



The Old Stone House

At age 9, Priscilla, an adorable yet precocious little girl, tells her single-father, Jesse,: “I am going to become a rapper and fulfill your dreams of succeeding in the music business.” Moved by Priscilla’s passion and impressed with her natural talent and undeniable charisma, he begins to teach her all he knows about rapping. In the four years that follow there is no question that rapping has brought Priscilla closer to her estranged father, and that her success has made him proud. Before our eyes, this father-daughter duo go from a one-bedroom shelter in Harlem to a 4 bedroom apartment, from food stamps to shopping sprees, from rapping on street corners to sold out night clubs, and from sneaking under train turnstiles without the $2 fare to spare to being driven around in tinted SUV’s. It is further undeniable that Jesse has been reborn, from looking at old photos and bitterly reflecting on how he never was given the respect he deserved in the music business as a rapper himself to finding his own voice and self-respect as his daughter’s overzealous manager. But in the efforts to make her dad proud, Priscilla struggles to remain a child and finds herself trapped in a world of people twice her size and four times her age and doesn't know who to trust. Jesse himself is caught between wanting to protect his daughter’ innocence and exploiting her raw talent to fulfill his deferred dream. All they know is that the ride has just begun.




Aunt Suzie's - Sparrow 08 (9:30 PM)

Perennial Presidential Candidate "Sparrow" shares his wit and wisdom in his 2008 run for the White House. If you can make it to see the film, the clip below is just a glimpse of what is in store for you:

Films on Fifth: Day Seven

Thursday, May 6: Black Horse Tavern- Lock, Load, Love (8:00 pm)



Timboos- York Street (9:00 pm)

The first full length feature from Park Slope Films.




Belleville- Half Nelson

Smart, moving and politically engaged Half Nelson is one of the most exciting American independent films in years. Strong performances from the cast (earning Ryan Gosling an Oscar nomination for Best Actor) and an original score that includes Canadian indie rock group Broken Social Scene, enable director Ryan Fleck to weave together a moving story of redemption in an unforgiving world.



Aunt Suzie's - Alice Neel (8:30 PM)

Films on Fifth: Day Six

Wednesday, May 5: Coco Roco- New World Order

New World Order is a feature-length documentary about conspiracy theorists. The film is a behind the scenes look at the underground anti-globalist movement. This growing movement targets the annual Bilderberg conference, and the 9/11 attacks as focal points in the alleged global conspiracy.

New World Order from SeeThink on Vimeo.

Belleville- Reel Works New York, New York

Films on Fifth will feature shorts by teen film makers from Reel Works. Not familier? Check out the video, below:




Aunt Suzie's - Arusi Persian Wedding (8:30 PM)

Set against the turbulent relationship between the U.S. and Iran, Iranian-American filmmaker Marjan Tehrani captures the struggle and excitement of Alex and Heather as they plan a Persian Islamic wedding in Iran. But when Alex’s Iranian-born parents and Heather’s conservative American father meet for the first time, cultures clash and test the couple to their limits.

Films on Fifth: Day Five

Tuesday, May 4: Ginger's Bar- Misconceptions

Misconceptions pokes fun at the ongoing battle between LGBT people and religious conservatives. Wrapping a conciliatory message in comedy, writer Ira Pearlstein and director Ron Satloff convincingly show that there are many people on each side of the issue who mean well.



Aunt Suzie's - When Broomsticks Were King (6 & 9 PM)

Documentary about stickball in Brooklyn

Films on Fifth: Day Four

Monday, May 3: Baluchis- Darkon

Darkon is a reality feature that follows the real-life adventures of an unusual group of weekend "warrior knights," fantasy role-playing gamers whose live action "battleground" is modern-day Baltimore, Maryland, re-imagined as a make-believe medieval world named Darkon.






Kappa Sake House- Reel Works Films Stories of Love

Films on Fifth will feature shorts by teen film makers from Reel Works. Not familier? Check out the video, below:

Films on Fifth: Day Three

Sunday, May 2: Timboos- When Broomsticks Were King, The Confession & Sunday Dinner (films by Jason Cusato)(7:00 pm)



Melt- Arusi Persian Wedding (8:00 PM)

Set against the turbulent relationship between the U.S. and Iran, Iranian-American filmmaker Marjan Tehrani captures the struggle and excitement of Alex and Heather as they plan a Persian Islamic wedding in Iran. But when Alex’s Iranian-born parents and Heather’s conservative American father meet for the first time, cultures clash and test the couple to their limits.



Belleville- Alice Neel

A facinating, feature-length documentary film on the life and art of American painter Alice Neel.



Aunt Suzie's- Mardi Gras: Made in China (8:00 PM)

Do people care how their Mardi Gras beads are made and who makes them?

Films on Fifth: Day Two

Saturday, May 1: Coco Roco- King Corn

Tells the story of two friends, an acre of corn and the farming industry. It will open your eyes!



Aunt Suzie's- Reel Works Race & Equality (9:00 PM)

Films on Fifth will feature shorts by teen film makers from Reel Works. Not familier? Check out the video, below: