Upcoming Dining Specials

Tonight is "Dine Out for a Cause" night at Bogota Latin Bistro. Eat dinner at this popular Fifth Avenue spot and they will donate a portion of the night's revenue to the American Cancer Society.

If you can't make it tonight, join them on June 7th, when they will be raising funds for Bilingual Education for Central America.

Interested? Make your reservations here.

Also, now that Summer is officially "here" (we sure love to ignore that it doesn't start until June 21st), Melt has launched its "Lobsterfest."

Every Wednesday, get:

WHOLE MAINE LOBSTERS WITH DRAWN BUTTER $16.80

CURRY LOBSTER ROLL $13

LOBSTER TACO $7

SURF AND TURF and MORE!

Time to make some reservations and get out for a meal!

Happy Memorial Day!

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

Well, the day is off to a soggy, stormy start but according to Weather.com, it should be another beautiful, hot day by this afternoon.

Of course, if you slept in this morning and you are reading this in the afternoon, you may have no idea what we're talking about.

Anyway, enjoy the day!

News Round-Up

Bloomberg Pushes For New Truck Regulations After Park Slope Deaths [NY1]

Park Slope Couple Celebrates 60th Anniversary by Throwing Party for Whole Neighborhood [Daily News]

Officials, Civic Leaders, Firefighters Rally To Save Slope Fire Company [Brooklyn Eagle]

Fleisher's Meats Is Expanding to Park Slope: "We Feel Like It's Our People" [Village Voice]

Calexico Closes in Park Slope; Highpoint Bistro & Bar Offers Bottomless Fried Chicken in Chelsea [Grub Street]

Photo: The winners of this week's Scavenger Hunt.

Bicycle Month on Fifth

Well, here we are at the 26th of May and we just realized that May is Bicycle Month. Oops. Happy Bike Month, everyone (embarrassed).

Well, anyway, what reminded us was this article yesterday in F'd in Park Slope, asking readers about their favorite bicycle shop. With the recent opening of Bicycle Habitat, Fifth Avenue really is becoming a hub for bicycle shoppers. There's also R&A Cycles and 9th Street Cycles, both part of the Park Slope Fifth Avenue BID.

Are you in the market for a new set of wheels? Check out one of these three shops and see what they have to offer! Hey, it's Bicycle Month!

By the way, you'd think that our recent visit to the Bike Jumble would have given us a clue that it was Bicycle Month. Nope.

This Morning: Social Media Training Part 2

Dr. Justin Bazan of Park Slope Eye will be hosting a Social Media training event this morning, Wednesday, May 25th at 9:00 am at Park Slope Eye.

This session will focus exclusively on how to use Yelp to improve your business. Come on down if you are interested.

The event is free and open to the public. Bagels will be served.

Recent Changes Along Fifth

Lots of changes on 5th Avenue this month:

• It appears that Puppets Jazz Bar closed over the past couple of days. There is a "for rent" sign hanging from the front window.


• Dr. Alexander Esposito (332a 9th Street) appears to be gone.


• Of course, there is a lot of buzz about the new Dumplings and Things (in the space next to Bar Reis)


• A Body & Foot Rub place opened at 169a Fifth Avenue. It's a bit mysterious and the actual name is unclear but a foot rub does sound nice.


• As noted by Here's Park Slope, Asha Veza has closed its Fifth Avenue storefront, although they may be opening another Brooklyn storefront at the end of the summer


• Wolf & Deer (74 Fifth Avenue) appears ready to open. Wait, is it open? We really should get out more at night.


• Clear Wireless Internet's Fifth Avenue shop closed recently, but will soon be replaced by a Boost/Virgin Mobile store (they were getting ready to replace the awning when we dropped by today.)


• Calexico (88 Fifth Avenue) appears to have been shut and vacated by a court order of some sort.


• Manhattan's Bicycle Habitat opened in the large space at 476 Fifth Avenue (formerly Toy's R Us's pop-up store).

Photos from the Scavenger Hunt

We attended the Fifth Avenue Scavenger Hunt last night. It was really well attended and the participants were having fun and taking the challenges seriously. Above are some photos we took of the night's action.

Tonight: Scavenger Hunt!

More details at parkslopefifthavenuebid.com/hunt.

See you there!

New Round-Up

New Watchdog Site Plans to Keep Close Eye on Atlantic Yards [PH Patch]

Who Gives a Shit: Your Best Park Slope End of Days Meal? [FIPS]

Where Does Your Cabbie Eat? [PS Patch]

It's Outdoor Drinking Season — Here's Our Guide [Courier Life]

What To Do With That TED Grant Money: Wheatpaste Park Slope Stoops [Gothamist]

This Sunday: Fifth Avenue Scavenger Hunt

$10 admission includes 3 drink chips good for any house drink at participating businesses.

Participating teams will meet at Aunt Suzie’s Restaurant (247 Fifth Avenue) or Timboo’s (477 Fifth Avenue) at 6:30 pm where Hunt Lists will be distributed.

Teams will finish at 200 Fifth Restaurant where points will be tallied and winners will be awarded!

Individuals must be at least 21 years of age to participate in the Scavenger Hunt.

Prize: Each member of the winning team will receive a $25 gift certificate to the participating Scavenger Hunt location of his or her choice.

Participating Businesses (list in formation)

A.O.C. Bistro
259 Fifth Avenue

Aperitivo
279 Fifth Avenue

Aunt Suzie’s
247 Fifth Avenue

Baluchi’s
310 Fifth Avenue

Black Horse Pub
568 Fifth Avenue

Buttermilk Bar
577 Fifth Avenue

Coco Roco
392 Fifth Avenue

Commonwealth
497 Fifth Avenue

El Pollito
119 Fifth Avenue

Freddy’s Bar
627 Fifth Avenue

Ginger’s Bar
363 Fifth Avenue

Harry Boland’s
297 Ninth Street

High Dive
243 Fifth Avenue

Lucky 13 Saloon
273 13th Street

Park Slope Eye
682 Union Street

Piramide
499 Fifth Avenue

Stone Park Cafe
324 Fifth Avenue

The Gate
321 Fifth Avenue

Timboo’s
477 Fifth Avenue

200 Fifth
200 Fifth Avenue

ZuZu’s Petals
374 Fifth Avenue

Summer Programs at BAX

Summer is coming up quickly, Park Slope. Do you know what your kids will be doing in July and August? Don't worry, neither do we.

Here's an idea, though. Fifth Avenue's Brooklyn Arts Exchange (BAX) is hosting a "Young Artist Program." It sounds like a good opportunity for the artistically-inclined:

11:00 am - 4:00 pm, Monday to Friday.
DANCE RIOT – for children entering 5th-8th grades
MEDIA MADNESS – for children entering 6th-8th grades
Info & Registration

JUNIOR SUMMER ARTS PROGRAM | July 5 – August 19, 2011

For children entering grades K-5. Limited slots available.
Info & Registration

SUMMER DANCE FOR TOTS & PRESCHOOLERS | June 20 - July 18, 2011
Classes for ages 18 months to 5 years!

More information on the summer programs is available here.

More Photos From the Fair

As promised, here is a second set of photos of The Fabulous Fifth Avenue Fair. This one is by Park Slope photographer Erika Clark.

There is also some nice coverage at Here's Park Slope.

Photos from the Fair and More

Well, despite the soggy forecast, The Fabulous Fifth Avenue Fair turned out really well! In fact, the sun made a surprise visit and peaked through the clouds a couple of times.

Here is a set of photos that we took between Union and 6th Street. We'll have some more photos later this week from Brooklyn photographer Erika Clark, as well. If you have photos of the fair that you would like to share, email them to us at whatsupon5thave@gmail.com and we'll post them on Flickr. Or, tag them "allaboutfifth" on Flickr and we'll find them.



We also managed to visit the Brooklyn Bike Jumble on Saturday. The event was held on 4th Street between 5th Avenue and the park. Honestly, we were too busy drooling over the bicycles to get a lot of good shots, but here are a few that we managed to snap:

Today: The Fabulous Fifth Avenue Fair

Click on the poster to view a larger version.

News Round-Up

Another Bike Store in Park Slope?! Bicycle Habitat to Open this Weekend [Brooklyn Paper]

Park Slope Councilman Proposes Bill to Give You a Parking Spot When You Move [Village Voice]

Park Slope Tenants, Public Advocate Bill de Blasio Team up to Force Building Repairs [NY Daily News]

Get a Peek at your Park Slope Neighbors [Broooklyn Paper]

Spare Times for May 13-19 [NY Times]

B&Bs Offer Vacations in Park Slope [Park Slope Patch]

Tonight: Brooklyn Blog Fest!

7:30 at The Bell House. Details about the program are available here. Tickets are still available. Get yours now!

Also, next week, on Tuesday, May 17, local blogs FIPS, The Skint, Brokelyn and Brooklyn Based are hosting a "Brooklyn Blogger's Meetup." Tickets are $5 and will benefit a worthy local cause (details here).

Interestingly enough, both events are at The Bell House. Is it the new blogger hangout?

Fifth Avenue Scavenger Hunt

The Park Slope Fifth Avenue BID is sponsoring a Scavenger Hunt for adults on May 22 at 7:00 pm. Here are the details:

• There is a $10 admission which includes 3 drink chips good for any house drink at participating businesses.


• Participating teams will meet at Aunt Suzie’s Restaurant (247 Fifth Avenue) or Timboo’s (477 Fifth Avenue) at 6:30 pm where Hunt Lists will be distributed.


• Teams will finish at 200 Fifth Restaurant where points will be tallied and winners will be awarded!


• Individuals must be at least 21 years of age to participate in the Scavenger Hunt.

Prize: Each member of the winning team will receive a $25 gift certificate to the participating Scavenger Hunt location of his or her choice.

A list of participating businesses (still in formation) is available at parkslopefifthavenuebid.com/scavengerhunt.

Social Media Training Part 2: Yelp

In case you missed it we had a GREAT two-hour training session about Facebook on Wednesday, May 4th. A big thanks to Dr. Justin Bazan of Park Slope Eye for hosting the event and sharing his knowledge.

Dr. Bazan had hoped to also talk about Yelp (and how to use Facebook and Twitter with it) but he actually ran out of time. So, a second training session has been scheduled for Wednesday, May 25th at 9:00 am at Park Slope Eye.

This session will focus exclusively on how to use Yelp to improve your business. RSVP to info@parkslopefifthavenuebid.com if you are interested.

The event is free and refreshments will be served.

This Sunday: The Fabulous Fifth Avenue Fair

New York City's greatest street fair returns this Sunday, May 15th from 12 - 5 pm!

So far, the weather forecast for this coming Sunday is cloudy, 62 degrees. However, the art of accurately predicting the weather 7 days ahead of time is still a bit spotty, so we'll keep an eye on things all week long.

Speaking of forecasts, there are a some who are predicting that the end of the world will take place on May 21st. Sounds like another good reason to come to The Fabulous Fifth Avenue Fair.

See you there!

Happy Mother's Day

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

Don't forget to check out Fifth Avenue's Mother's Day Specials.

Mother's Day on Fifth

Reminder: this Sunday is Mother's Day. Of course, Park Slope is the perfect place to celebrate!

Here are just some of the specials that we know about:

Aunt Suzie's Restaurant: will have a Fixed Price Mother's Day Three Course Dinner starting at $19.90. There will be three Seatings: 2 PM, 4 PM and 6 PM. Please call for Reservations: 718-788-AUNT (2868)

Baluchi's Treat mom to an amazing meal and a free Mango cocktail for just $25 per person! If you "Like" them on Facebook, you'll receive 20% off your meal! Download the special menu here.

Aperitivo:

Mother’s Day Weekend Specials

~Soup ~
Minestrone
~Antipasto ~
Portobello Ripieno
~Ravioli ~
House Made Ravioli Filled with Spinach & Ricotta
~Pasta ~
Capellini Frutti di Mare
with Calamari, Mussels & Shrimp
With Onions, Fresh Tomato, Garlic, Parsley & White Wine
~Carne ~
Bistecca Sigillato
~Pesce ~
Filetto di Sogliola Ripieno
Served with Vegetable Risotto

Pink Olive:Shop at Pink Olive (Park Slope) on Mother's Day and receive a free gift for mom with your purchase!

Melt: Mother's Day at Melt. Brunch: 1 Free Mimosa to all moms with Entree. $25.00 Prix Fixe Special. Dinner: 1 Free Cocktail to all moms with entree.

Kappa Sake House:

Mother’s Day Menu
May, 8th, Sunday, 2011
12:00noon~10:00pm
3 Courses Prix Fixe Brunch or Dinner $25
The First
(A) Omega 3 Sashimi
(B) Shrimp Cocktail with Wasabi Tako Sauce
The Second
(A) Spicy Jerk Saba
(B) Hako Sushi
The Third
(A) Matcha & Azuki Mochi Ice Cream
(B) Umeshu
Dessert plum wine

Southpaw & Bogota Latin Bistro: are teaming up for a dinner/music event. Dine at Bogota (make a reservation here) and then walk down the street to Southpaw to see Bomba Estereo, "from Colombia, mingled electronic beats and drones with Afro-Colombian rhythms, rock and funk, and in …one song, some Congolese-style guitars, keeping up dance grooves while Liliana Saumet rapped and sang about the complexities of modern Latin identity." Buy your tickets now!

And, of course, Fifth Avenue has everything you need for Mother's Day, so come down to pick up some flowers, chocolate or even a nice bottle of wine for this special occasion!

Thanks to ZuZu's Petals for the photo!

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

Today is Cinco de Mayo, a Mexican celebration that "commemorates the Mexican army's unlikely victory over French forces at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862."

What's happening on Fifth for Cinco de Mayo? Well, there certainly is no shortage of bars to help you celebrate the day. And, of course, there are a number of great mexican restaurants (11 and counting).

Specifically, though, this is what we know, so far:

Southpaw: Spanglish Fly / Dalanshar / Silence by Stereo / DJ Tivy Wonder
SPANGLISH FLY
“What Sharon Jones did for oldschool soul, what Antibalas did for Afrobeat and what Chicha Libre is doing for chicha, Spanglish Fly is doing for bugalu.” - LUCID CULTURE
DALANSHAR
21+ w/ ID
admission: $10
door time: 8PM / 830PM SHOW

Black Horse Pub: Cinco de Mayo special music food and drink specials. Beer and tacos $10 and $5 margaritas

Piramide: Specials and giveaways from 8 - 11 pm. See graphic, above.

That's all we know, for now. If you know of some other, specific events or specials taking place tonight on Fifth, post them below and we'll get the word out.

Washington Park/JJ Byrne Playground Renovation

We've been receiving a lot of emails and tweets, asking what is happening at Washington Park/JJ Byrne Playground (5th Avenue between 3rd and 4th Streets). If you've been by there lately, you probably noticed the giant chain-link fence and construction equipment around the Fifth Avenue portion of the park.

So, what's going on?

We asked Kim Maier, Executive Director of The Old Stone House, to give us the inside scoop:

We're very excited that the park renovation has started. The playground construction phase will begin the week of May 16.

The renovation incorporates ideas that came out of numerous community listening sessions that were held in early 2008. It represents a 65% increase in play space. Funding for this project was provided by Borough President Marty Markowitz, former City Council members Bill DeBlasio and David Yassky, and current City Council members Brad Lander and Steve Levin. The original plan, and the impetus for this phase, was funded by the JM Kaplan Fund, through the efforts of the Old Stone House.

There will be a new main path through the center of the park starting at 5th Avenue. Water play will include an old-fashioned pump and a "runnel", as well as a low fountain. Play has been divided into three distinct areas - a fully enclosed toddler area near the Old Stone House on the Third Street sided of the Park that will be adjacent to a play area for smaller children with unique play equipment that incorporates some interpretive elements about the history of the site, and an area for older kids on the 4th Street side of the park. There is a small, half-moon shaped lawn area in front of OSH rimmed by benches, and the entire playground aspect of the park will be surrounded by fencing and a new understory garden with native and useful plants.

Construction is expected to last about one year, so we'll do updates on the project from time to time to see how things are going. We look forward to checking out the results of the renovation next spring!

Tomorrow: Social Media Training with Park Slope Eye

Just a reminder that tomorrow (Wednesday, May 4th), the Park Slope Fifth Avenue BID and Park Slope Eye are hosting a free Social Media training event. Come to Park Slope Eye (682 Union Street near 5th Avenue) and hear how Dr. Justin Bazan uses these tools to interact with his customers and grow his business.

The event is free and refreshments will be served.

Interested? RSVP to info@parkslopefifthavenuebid.com
We'll see you there!

Family Fun Festival Photos

Try to say the title of this post 5 times, fast. We dare you!

Anyway, this weekend's Family Fun Festival was a big hit. Check out some of the photos from the event, above. Next up, The Fabulous Fifth Avenue Fair on May 15th. Actually, try to say that 5 times, fast, as well!