Loading summary
Transcript100 lines
- [00:08]
A
This is all of it. I'm Alison Stewart live from the WNYC studios in soho. Thank you for sharing part of your day with us. I'm grateful that you're here. On today's show, we'll speak with the curator of the ANA Contemporary Arab Cinema series which is now happening at bam. We'll be joined by Cyril Aris, the director of a film, A Sad and Beautiful World, which is featured in the series at Bam Fam. That's our plan. So let's get this started by staying in Brooklyn. It is summer. We live in a city. And that means it's time to continue our Summer in the City series here. On all of it, we go from burrow to burrow, talking about the hidden gems, great places to walk and must do events. Earlier this summer we talked about places to go in Queens. Today we are talking about about its neighbor, Brooklyn. Joining us as our ride along is Michelle Young. She is the founder of Untapped New York and the author of Secret Brooklyn. Welcome to all of it.
- [01:14]
B
Thank you for having me here, listeners.
- [01:16]
A
We want to get you in on this conversation. What's one place in Brooklyn you think people should go? What's your favorite thing to do in Brooklyn in the summer? Are you a Bed Stuy fan? Are you a Carroll Gardens expert? Tell us what you can do in your neck of the woods. Our number is 2124-3396-9221-2433. WNYC. You can call in, join us on the air or you can text to us at those numbers as well. They are 2124-3396-9221-2433. WNYC. So, Michelle, all boroughs are great. Queens is known for its diversity in food. Manhattan for its arts and culture. What makes Brooklyn such a great borough?
- [01:58]
B
Well, well, they like to say Brooklyn is weird, but I think it has a lot more than that. And this summer I think there's an amazing mix of outdoor activities, new things opening, tours to take. So where should I get started?
- [02:11]
A
We'll start with the Gowanus Canal. Canoeing on the Gowanus Canal. Who runs canoe trips on the Gowanus Canal?
- [02:19]
C
Me.
- [02:19]
B
It's one of my favorite things to do in Brooklyn. There are canoeing walk ups you can do with the Gowanish Dredgers. You literally show up on the dock.
- [02:26]
A
Gowanish Dredgers, exactly.
- [02:28]
B
They're an organization, local organization that do tours and events. So for me, getting on the Gowanus Canal, weird as it sounds, is one of the Most serene, beautiful experiences I think I can have in New York. You're so close to the water, even if it's a super fun site, I gotta say.
- [02:46]
A
Well, first of all, are they free?
- [02:48]
B
I think they're free. And they also have these events at the boathouse. So there are bluegrass jams, poetry, literary readings. And new this year is a big canoe. So now they can fit 14 people on a single boat. So that's a new boat they have.
- [03:04]
A
What did you like about it when you tried it?
- [03:06]
B
I was surprised by how much nature there actually is. It kind of tells you that nature will return no matter how hard humans try. And so as you're going, there are birds, there are insects, there are creatures that come out. But then even the oil slicks are beautiful. They come up like a rainbow. And you're just reminded about the balance that we have in New York between what's man made and what's happened before and what we can do now.
- [03:33]
A
That's canoeing on the Gowanus Canal with the Gowanish dredgers. You can go look that up online. Since we're talking about water, this weekend is the City of Water day, is that correct?
- [03:45]
B
Yes.
- [03:45]
A
So what happens on the City of Water day?
- [03:48]
B
It is all five boroughs, so not just Brooklyn. And places open up sometimes a little stretch of, let's say, Brooklyn Bridge. Under the Manhattan. Under Manhattan, sorry, under the Brooklyn Bridge will open up. I don't know if that's happening this year. But everywhere around the city, organizations and places are doing events connected to water and to reconnect people and residents to the waterfront.
- [04:12]
A
Since we're talking about water, the Carroll Street Bridge just reopened. Tell us more.
- [04:18]
B
This is the second renovation in a few decades. And this bridge is a landmark bridge opened in 1889. And actually the engineer behind it is a descendant of Martin Van Buren. And it's a retractable bridge. And for the first time now, it's going to be pedestrian only. But there's amazing cute little sign that you need to look out for that talks about that no one can go more than 5 miles per hour on the bridge. And so there was a big celebration involving people involved in the Gowanish treasures and such. And now you can walk across and really appreciate that piece of engineering.
- [04:52]
A
We are talking about our Summer in the City series. Today we are talking about Brooklyn. Joining us is Michelle Young. She's the founder of Untapped New York and the author of Secret Brooklyn. Here to share some suggestions of places to go and things to do there Listeners, we want to know, what do you think people must do when they are in Brooklyn? What's your favorite place? What's your summer in Brooklyn? Ritual. Our number is 2124-3396-9221-2433. WNYC. Hey, we have a member of the Gowanus Dredgers calling us on line three. Hey Neil, thanks for calling all of it.
- [05:29]
C
Hi Michelle. Yes, I've actually helped make a film of the of one of our cruises. We do generally free canoeing on most Wednesdays. You look on our calendar, see when we have the free canoeing. Some events we do charge a bit and one of our most popular is full moon canoe cruises on Gowanus Bay.
- [05:52]
A
Thanks, Rick.
- [05:53]
C
Which is just amazing. It is literally under the full moon. We have to cancel it if the weather blocks the moment.
- [06:00]
A
Thanks for calling in. We appreciate it. Let's talk to George who's calling from Manhattan. Hey George, thanks for calling all of it.
- [06:07]
C
Hey, Allison. Hey, Michelle. I'm calling to give a shout out for Cheryl's Global Soul, a fantastic Jamaican restaurant in Prospect Heights. It's on Underhill, right across the street from the Brooklyn Museum and the Brooklyn Botanical Garden. Cheryl's got a garden. She's been there for 20 years, which is really amazing for a single woman owned oper. And I recommend everyone go there, have her try her incredible selection of patties. She really deserves and frankly needs community support. So shout out to you all and Cheryl's Global Soul.
- [06:53]
B
I can attest that it's delicious because it's right near my neighborhood in Crown Heights.
- [06:57]
A
Love that fourth of July is over. Amazing fireworks. But they are still happening in Brooklyn. Where can we go to see fireworks?
- [07:05]
B
Yes, Every Friday night, Coney Island. This is a real mainstay tradition in Brooklyn. And you can either take them in on the boardwalk or you can ride the Wonder Wheel and watch them, which is an amazing experience.
- [07:18]
A
We got a text here that says Greenwood Cemetery, an astonishingly beautiful arboretum packed with fascinating history. But you have on your list not just the cemetery itself, which is pretty amazing.
- [07:31]
B
Yes.
- [07:31]
A
But the recently reopened greenhouse.
- [07:35]
B
Yes. So this is actually the only surviving commercial Victorian greenhouse in New York. And. And it's been a multi decade effort to reacquire it. Greenwood Cemetery bought it and to refurbish it. So I've been following that renovation since they replaced the windows, for example, those like cypress wood frames. They really tried to get almost exactly as they could to the original. And this summer they are doing events there. So there's something called A Toddler Takeover, which I would love to see, but also open classrooms. So this is really your chance to go into this building that's been off limits for many, many decades.
- [08:14]
A
Next on your list is Kingsland Wildflowers. It's a giant rooftop garden in a very unusual setting in Greenpoint. Where is it and what is it?
- [08:25]
B
So if you know of Broadway stages and even if you don't know about this film studio, you have seen many shows shot in New York that are shot there. And on top of it, there are five pollinator garden roofs. And they do these events there. And including what's coming up, the Kingsland Wildflower Festival, where there's going to be live music, art installations, food, drink, and the festival is free, so. And you also get a great view of one of my favorite spots, the Newtown Creek Digester X. I guess people are getting a sense of my love for industrial spaces.
- [08:58]
A
Listeners, get in on the conversation. We want to know what you think people must absolutely do in Brooklyn. What's your favorite place in Brooklyn? What's your summer ritual in Brooklyn? What makes Brooklyn great in the summer? Give us a call or Text us at 2124-339692-12433. WNYC. My guest is Michelle Young. She's the founder of Untapped New York and the author of Secret Brooklyn. This one's good. It's not exactly a secret, but St. Ann's Warehouse is a great venue for amazing theater and the best view of the Brooklyn Bridge at night.
- [09:35]
B
Yes. Great programming there.
- [09:36]
A
All right, you suggest that we go foraging in Prospect park with Steve Brill, who goes by Wild Man Steve.
- [09:43]
C
Brilliant.
- [09:44]
A
Looks a little bit more like a professor, if you ask me. But who is Wildman Steve Brill?
- [09:49]
B
He is someone that for, I want to say, 50 years now has been foraging in Prospect Park. And sometimes he did it legally, sometimes he got in trouble. Sometimes he worked directly with the Parks Department. They brought him in. But anyway, you can take his tour where he shows you what's edible, what's not edible, recipes that you can make based on things that you can forage from the park. There are things in there like lambs, quarters, shepherd's purse, wood, sorrel. And sometimes he brings his daughter along and it's a real family affair. And you, you bring your own containers and you collect and then you can make a meal.
- [10:26]
A
It was kind of cool. I watched a video of him making a salad out of everything that he had collected. And I think he had red buds. I was like I didn't know you could eat red buds. But it's important to go with somebody who knows what they're talking about because exciting, very serious. Otherwise you could. Yeah.
- [10:41]
B
And so he's got just such a depth of knowledge and is really fun. So you can go on his website and book a tour through him.
- [10:47]
A
We're going to stay in Prospect Park. We're celebrating the country's 250th anniversary. Brooklyn played such a central role in the American Revolution. Where can we go to experience this history?
- [10:58]
B
Yeah. So as we know, the Battle of Brooklyn was the first battle after the signing of the Independence. And so there are lots of spots in Brooklyn to see. One is the site of the Red Lion Inn. This is a really forgotten spot, so highly recommend it. It's an off crop of Greenwood Cemetery on 4th Ave and 45th Street. And this is where the opening shots of the Battle of Brooklyn were fired because three main roads converged on this Red Lion Inn. And so there's a plaque there in honor of the Delaware Regiment, but most of that is actually a maintenance facility and burial. So. But you can go see that. Then there are a bunch of markers and statues all over Prospect Park. There's a series of bronze plaques that mark the American defense line. You should look for one called Battle Pass Rock on East Drive. And nearby there's one for the Donegan Oak, which is a large oak tree that was chopped down to shore up the defense. And somewhere nearby also is Stanford White's monument to the Maryland 400. So this is the valiant group that helped hold thousands of Scottish and Hessian troops long enough for Washington and his troops to retreat. The quote from George Washington. Good God, what brave fellows I must this day lose is in reference to the Maryland 400. Since I married someone French, I do need to mention the Lafayette statue that's on the 9th street entrance by Daniel Chester French. But then moving quickly along, there's also Clove Road and Crown Heights, one of the rare Belgian block streets left. And that was possibly a portion of the Bedford Pass, another important part of the revolution.
- [12:35]
A
You could have a great time just like walking around celebrating the 250th anniversary.
- [12:40]
B
Oh, yeah. So just keep your eye out.
- [12:42]
A
This is a little bit of a long text, but I think it's worth. Okay, you guys should check out a community event called 7 7. It happens three times a month on the 7th, the 17th and the 27th. Each month, the locations rotate around Brooklyn. It's a dedicated mic where seven people get seven minutes each and it happens at 7pm it's an amazing event and a great free place to meet people and to learn about all the cool people are doing. To find out the next location, you should check them out on Instagram.
- [13:12]
B
I love that because that tells us really that the people are what make Brooklyn and New York. And they're always coming up with new exciting things to do.
- [13:19]
A
Let's talk to Charles, who's calling in from the Upper west side. Hi, Charles, thank you so much for calling all of it. You are on the air.
- [13:27]
C
Excellent. I just wanted to say that there's a guy that has a beautiful bar between Brooklyn and Red Hook. It's called out in. It's called the Hudson Waterfront Museum. He does plays during the summer. He has a circus there. He has concerts, he has square dancing. He does just about everything. Even has the. There's an old girl drum band that rehearses at the space in Red Hawk. So his name's David Shaw. And I think that's a. It's just a great place. You want something to do that's just seeing the barge is great.
- [13:55]
B
It's a beautiful boat. Yeah.
- [13:58]
A
You want to shout out something Michelle called the Urbane Arts Club.
- [14:02]
B
Yes. This is a place that is in Flatbush, in Victorian Flatbush. It is a former speakeasy and actually my company, Untapped New York is doing a tour of the speakeasy before one of the events. But they host literary events, musical events. So if you want to go a little off the beaten path with some prohibition history, there's that. And also our company is doing our Secrets of Brooklyn Bridge tour that we run regularly.
- [14:28]
A
Another great place for walking is along the Brooklyn Waterfront. Tell us about the Brooklyn Greenway, which I know you're involved with.
- [14:35]
B
Yes, I was formerly on the board of the Brooklyn Greenway, but this again is a multi decade effort to reconnect the Brooklyn waterfront. It's harder than you might imagine. Sometimes there's just like a few dozen feet that need to be reconnected. But there's a new section that was reconnected along close to Sunset Park. And so it is a bike walk path with lots of nature and great views. And if you want to do just like a long walk, easy to do, walk along the Brooklyn Greenway.
- [15:06]
A
Today we're continuing our Summer in the City series. We're talking about Brooklyn. Joining us is Michelle Young. She's the founder of Untapped New York and author of Secret Brooklyn Listeners. We want to know what you think people must do if they are In Brooklyn. What is your favorite place? What's your summer ritual in Brooklyn and what makes Brooklyn great?
- [15:27]
C
Great.
- [15:27]
A
Our Phone number is 2124-3396-9221-2433. WNYC. We got a great text here. A fun Brooklyn summer ritual for 13 years. Stoops Summer Festival. This year's free block party will take place on August 81 to 7 on Decatur between Lewis Ave and Stuyvesant AD in Bed Stuy. This year's theme, joy as resistance. And the event will include live music, dance theater, workshop and and kid friendly activities. There's a lot of summer rituals going on. First of all, celebrate Brooklyn. Tell me about this year.
- [16:05]
B
Yes. So highly recommend jazz at the bandshell or any concert at the bandshell, but there's going to be this summer a celebration of Aaliyah. We're also gonna have Sasha Velour from RuPaul's Drag Race. So check out the calendar there. No better way to take in music, I think, than sitting in Prospect Park.
- [16:23]
A
Well, you said though, there is a
- [16:24]
B
good place in Bed Stuy for jazz y Brownstone Jazz.
- [16:28]
A
Tell me about that.
- [16:29]
B
Yes. So this is on Saturday and Sundays on the parlor floor of this brownstone long owned by a multi generational family of Bed Stuy residents. And the evenings are curated by a Blue Note recording bassist named Eric Lemon. But some famous people have come through to perform Miles Davis and Thelonious Monk. So you get to be part of this long standing jazz tradition in a beautiful, really stunning Bed Stuy brownstone. And I haven't seen on the calendar, but sometimes they do a fish fry. So look out for the fish fry.
- [17:04]
A
I'm looking out for the fish fry. This says regarding Brooklyn, Plum beach on the north shore of Rockaway Inlet is a great spot for windsurfing. Also, it might be worth asking your guest if she knows about any volunteer groups that help keep the beach tidy.
- [17:19]
B
Ooh, I don't know off the top of my head, but I was thinking about the landmark tree and there is a group surrounding that.
- [17:25]
A
Let's talk about the landmark tree. This is very, very interesting. The only landmark tree is in New York and it is in Brooklyn. Where can I find it?
- [17:37]
B
This is in Bed Stuy. It's called Magnolia grandiflora. And I make a regular pilgrimage here because for, I don't know, about a decade there's been scaffolding. And when you have a landmark tree, actually there's very specific rules about scaffolding because you can't fully block it so but a couple years ago, it finally got taken down. So now you can see this tree in all its, its full glory. It was brought up as a seedling from North Carolina. And a local resident named Hattie Carthen is responsible for getting that tree landmarked and doing a lot of community effort behind it because next door was going to be built a housing development or such. So. And there's still a local organization involved in the tree and the surrounding areas.
- [18:23]
A
It's like it's over 100 years old.
- [18:24]
B
Right?
- [18:25]
A
That's amazing. Talk to Alex, calling in from Jersey City. Hey, Alex, thanks for calling all of it.
- [18:32]
C
Hi, thank you for having me.
- [18:34]
A
Sure. What should we do?
- [18:36]
C
So a friend of mine named Josh, he is choreographing and producing this immersive silent disco ballet that takes place in Brooklyn right by the bridge. It's a 75 minute experience. I believe it's every night, but you can Google it to double check that it's putting on. It's being put on through the New York Theater Company. And you wear a headset, you follow around these performers as they go through different parts of the area. And it's really, really beautiful and pretty and moving. It's such a fun experience and I hope everyone can go see it.
- [19:07]
A
Thanks, Alex. Let's talk to Sam and Red Hook. Hey, Sam, thanks for calling all of it.
- [19:12]
C
Hey. I'm actually in Manhattan on the Upper west side and I'm a dad who likes biking my kids around the city. And what we like to do is we like to grab the Ikea Red Hook ferry from West 39th street on the Upper west side. We can take our bike and our trailer and we go all the way down to Red Hook and then we bike all the way home, which is lots of fun and I recommend it. And there's lots of great playgrounds and restaurants on the way. And if you don't have a bike, the Citi Bike system is great. And whenever you get tired, just dock your bike and take the train or the ferry home.
- [19:42]
A
Spoken like a true dad. Yeah, thanks for calling in. Let's talk to Jeffrey, who is also calling from the Upper west side. Hey, Jeffrey, thanks for calling, all of it.
- [19:53]
C
Very, very nice to talk to you. I'm from Midwood. I'm 84. My girlfriend who's in the next room is also from Brooklyn. She's Madison, Iowa, Midwood High School. And I was just wanting to say one of my favorite places is Brighton beach, but I love taking the subway. The Brighton beach line above ground after Avenue U where it curves around the ships at bay and you see a great view of the beach and you can see Coney Islands and stuff. And then getting off and walking through the fishing boats in Brighton beach, you know, where you can buy fish or take a boat out. It's just, just a thrill, you know, like that. For some reason, we grew up on that Brighton beach line that goes to Coney Islands and stuff. But Sheepstead Bay is my favorite place. And Brighton beach just to sit on the boardwalk and eat.
- [20:38]
B
Absolutely.
- [20:39]
A
Thanks so much for calling in. This says I recommend picnicking in Fort Greene park on their great lawn. Sundays are the best day to go very chilled in Clinton Hill. Let's go to Clinton Hill. What's going on in Clinton Hill?
- [20:55]
B
Well, a place that I like to highlight there is the Walt Whitman house. It is actually the last remaining house of Walt Whitman that we have. Amazingly, it's not landmarked, but this is where he lived when Leaves of Grass was published and where he wrote the first version of Crossing Brooklyn Ferry. So highly recommend checking that out and maybe become part of the advocacy effort to landmark that spot. And near nearby is the Brooklyn Navy. I've just lost my train of thought. Not Terminal Navy Yard, Brooklyn Navy Yard. So, so much to check out there, including a rooftop vineyard called Rooftop Reds.
- [21:34]
A
Let's talk to Arianna from Rockaway. Hi, Arianna, thanks for calling all of it and contributing to our Summer in the City series.
- [21:42]
C
So excited. I used to have a blog of free cultural events, so this is my thing.
- [21:46]
B
Nice.
- [21:49]
C
I am calling. I'm from Rockaway, Queens, and unfortunately, it's already happened, but one of my annual pilgrimages is to tag horseshoe crabs during their annual migration in Jamaica Bay. It's super, super cool. And I call Jamaica Bay urban magic realism. It's like such a special place and also to feel the natural migrations of these creatures that have been around for who knows how long.
- [22:14]
B
Yeah, and there are some great kayak paddles run by various organizations at Jamaica Bay.
- [22:19]
A
Let's talk to Damani, who's calling in from Brooklyn. Hey, Damani, thanks for calling all of it.
- [22:25]
C
Hey. Hey, guys. Thanks for having me. So I definitely, you know, I'm all about Brooklyn. I wanted to shout out this spot that was in East Harlem called Setepani Bakery. I have a. I have a little organization called Truly Brooklyn. And what we do is we just, just make sure that all the mom and pop spots are still spoken for and still shouted out because there's a lot of new sheriffs in town. If you Will but set the potty bakery is mom and pop spot. Great. Everybody should go and visit.
- [22:59]
A
Thanks for calling in. So if you had to go take somebody to a place in Brooklyn somewhere, a resident that they might not know about, where would you take them?
- [23:10]
B
Okay. I would take them to Brooklyn Heights first. On Joralemon street, there is a fake townhouse, which looks like all the other townhouses on the block, but it's actually a subway evacuation tunnel. So the giveaway is that the windows are black.
- [23:24]
A
Okay.
- [23:24]
B
The door is very metal.
- [23:26]
C
Okay.
- [23:27]
B
And nobody really goes in and out except occasionally you might see a worker. So I would start there, and then I don't know if the listeners remember the Atlantic Avenue tunnel. There used to be a man named Bob Diamond. You could hop down into the manhole and experience it. Those tours obviously don't go on anymore, but you can actually still see a portion of Atlantic Avenue tunnel by going to the bar Le Boudoir along Atlantic Avenue. It's under Chez moi. And one of the rooms there is a former coal room. You can still see the coal hole and this beautiful decorative cover that's on it. And sit in a portion of the Atlantic Avenue tunnel. So that's sort of my, like, need to impress a local. Plus bring them to drinks duo of events.
- [24:09]
A
Is there anything else you wanted to shout out as we wrap up?
- [24:12]
B
I also love the Japanese house. So that's a really surprising place. In Flatbush, a woman named Gloria Fisher and her husband had bought it and restored it. So if you want to be completely surprised about a building that you might never have known existed, it's in that, like, Japanese style that came after the World's Columbian Exposition in the late 1800s. So that's there. And. And I am told by my colleagues that I need to mention that Untapped New York is having its summer sale. So buy one, get one half off on our tour. So if you want to do Brooklyn, we've got secrets of the Brooklyn Bridge, but we've also got Gilded Age mansions of Fifth Avenue and all sorts of fun things that address the secrets of New York City and its hidden places.
- [24:55]
A
I've been speaking with Michelle Young. She's the founder of Untapped New York and the author of Secret Brooklyn. Thank you so much for joining us.
- [25:02]
B
Thanks for having me.
- [25:03]
A
And, listeners, a reminder that we will have a transcript of this conversation on our website in the next day or so. So if you missed anything, go back and check it out.
- [25:12]
C
Lots of places can expose you to identity theft. Oh, no, that's why LifeLock monitors hundreds of millions of data points a second for threats to your identity, which is way more than anyone can do on their own. If we find anything suspicious, like new loans or changes to your financial accounts, we alert you right away, all through text, phone, email, or the LifeLock app. Get the alerts that could make all the difference. Save up to 30% your first year@lifelock.com podcast terms apply.
- [25:42]
B
When you take a sip of an ice cold Coke Zero sugar, you know you're getting real Coca Cola taste you love. And with zero sugar, it's so delicious you can almost taste it with your ears. Hear those bubbles, imagine them tingling on your tongue. Fizzy deliciousness. Listen to that cascading liquid. It's unmistakably tasteless. All with zero sugar. Crisp, refreshing and ice cold. Ah, Coke Zero sugar. Real Coca Cola taste zero sugar.