Author: GreenpointBlog

Tomorrow evening, Kingsland Wildflower is continuing its Fall Lecture Series with Greenpoint rooftop farmer and author Annie Novak.

She will discuss her new work, which “explores that emerging map with history, humor, curiosity and a vibrant visual imagination.”

Novak is the founder and director of Growing Chefs, the manager of the Edible Academy at the New York Botanical Garden and co-founded Eagle Street Rooftop Farm.

She has also authored “The Rooftop Growing Guide: How to Transform Your Roof into a Garden or Roof,” and her illustrations have been shown at the New York Botanical Garden and White Box Gallery.

The event kicks off at 6 p.m. with a green roof tour and cocktail hour, featuring Safe Flight IPA, a beer made by local brewers to raise awareness of bird collisions.

Town Square is hosting its 10 annual Schoolfest on Saturday, October 21st at John Ericsson Middle School 126.

The one-of-a-kind school fair offers north Brooklyn families a chance to get to know their local public schools, private schools and enrichment providers.

The networking and informational environment allows the schools to share important information for local families.

For parents, the event can help them navigate the often-confusing process so they can make the best decisions for their children.

Here’s the schedule for the workshop by Joyce Szuflita of New York School Help:

• 12:30 p.m. – Public School Basics: Pre-K & K
• 1:30 p.m. – Public Middle & High School Admissions Basics
• 2:30 p.m. – High School Deep Drive or Early Childhood Options (both tentative)

The following schools have confirmed their attendance:

• Day Care Centers:
  • ABC Child Center/ABC Infant & Toddler Center
  • Brightside Academy
  • Bushwick improvement Society
  • Stagg Street Center for Children
  • Kiddie Academy of Williamsburg
  • North Williamsburg Y Preschool
  • Williamsburg Northside School
• Public Elementary Schools:
  • PS 18 Edward Bush Magnet School
  • PS 23 Carter G. Woodson Elementary
  • PS 34 Oliver H. Perry
  • PS 54 The Magnet School for Environmental Science, Technology and Community Wellness
  • PS 59 William Floyd Elementary
  • PS/IS 84 Jose de Diego School
  • PS 132 The Conselyea School
  • PS 147 Isaac Remsen School
  • PS/IS 157 The Benjamin Franklin Magnet School for Civic Leadership in Health and Science
  • PS 196 Ten Eyck School
  • PS 250 George H. Lindsay
• Public Middle Schools:
  • MS 50
  • PS/IS 84 Jose de Diego School
  • MS 126 John Ericsson Middle School
  • PS/IS 157 The Benjamin Franklin Magnet School for Civic Leadership in Health and Science
  • IS 138 Eugenio Maria de Hostos
  • Juan Morel Campos Secondary School
  • The Young Women’s Leadership School of Brooklyn
  • Williamsburg Collegiate Charter School
• Public High Schools:
  • Juan Morel Campos Secondary School
  • Northside Charter High School
  • Progress High School
  • The Young Women’s Leadership School of Brooklyn
  • Williamsburg Charter High School
  • Williamsburg Collegiate Charter School
  • Williamsburg High School for Architecture and Design
• Independent and Parochial Schools:
  • Blue School
  • Brooklyn Apple Academy
  • Ecole Internationale de New York
  • Garden School
  • International School of Brooklyn
  • St. Joseph High School
  • The British International School
  • Williamsburg Northside Schools
• Enrichment providers and other resources:
  • AXA Advisors
  • Brooklyn District Attorney’s office
  • Brooklyn Public Library
  • Brooklyn Solarworks
  • CityMD Urgent Care
  • CottageClass
  • Cultural Care Au Pair
  • Gotham Greens
  • Greenpoint Community Environmental Fund
  • Luna Park
  • Movers, Not Shakers!
  • National Wildlife Federation ~ Eco Schools
  • New York Life
  • NY School Help
  • NYC Department of Parks and Recreation
  • NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
  • NYC Parks GreenThumb
  • Paris Saint-Germain Academy NY
  • Puppetry Arts
  • St. Nicks Alliance
  • The Painted Cloud
  • Umoja Events and Balloon Decor
  • WellCare
  • Wildlife Conservation Society
  • Williamsburg Music Studio

City Hall is coming to the borough of Brooklyn.

Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that from Monday, October 23rd to Friday, October 27th, his administration will operate out of Brooklyn Borough Hall.

It should be familiar territory, considering the mayor calls Brooklyn his home borough.

What does this mean for Brooklyn residents? The mayor typically announces a slew of projects, investments and events during these week-long initiatives.

Brooklyn residents will have access to top administration officials, who can address constituent concerns directly.

It will sure be interesting to watch. For now, mark your calendars!

The Kingsland Wildflower team is kicking off their fall artist lecture series this Saturday, October 7th at 3 p.m.

Martynka Wawrzyniak’s latest public art project, “Ziemia: Our Stories Are Written in Soil,” will take the form of a ceramic orb created out of Greenpoint clay and soil, contributed by residents from locations representative of their identities.

The project commemorates the neighborhood’s multicultural identity and will become a center for community programming.

The sculpture will sit atop the meadow garden in McGolrick Park.

Beforehand, Greenpoint historian Geoff Cobb will lead a walking tour from the Kingsland Wildflower green roof to McGolrick Park.

RSVP for this event here.

The 5th annual BK Story Voyager Touch-A-Truck is happening this Saturday, September 30th from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The event will raise funds to purchase children’s books for the BK Story Voyager, a mobile book distribution system that supports parents and students.

The Touch-A-Truck will have fun trucks, food, face painting, a bouncy house, art making and other activities.

Learn more about the BK Story Voyager here.

Three north Brooklyn playgrounds have been added to the mayor’s Community Parks Initiative, which will invest city funding into the public spaces.

Barlett Playground and Lewis Playground in Bushwick and Penn Triangle in South Williamsburg are all now due for upgrades.

Mayor Bill de Blasio and Parks Commissioner Mitchell Silver announced this week that 11 new sites will be added to the portfolio. The city has chosen parks that have received less than $250,000 over the past 20 years.

The playground renovations will now enter the design process this fall.

“When we talk about improving parks in New York City, we’re really talking about improving the lives of New Yorkers,” de Blasio said. “The Community Parks Initiative focuses on parks and neighborhoods that have faced the most historic disinvestment and serve dense, growing populations.”

“Open space equity is an important mission for us to pursue as we week to create safer and more sustainable communities to raise healthy children and families,” added Borough President Eric Adams.

The renovation of McGolrick Park Playground is officially underway.

Our sources say construction started on Monday. The project will reconstruct the playground and add new play equipment, spray showers, pavement, fencing, benches and plantings.

It’s expected to be completed by next September, according to the NYC Parks website’s timeline of the project.

In the meantime, local parents are figuring out a temporary playground space for their children. The space would be fenced off and available for use in a week or two.

Parents have a storage box and can hold some play equipment, including balls, toys and other fun items.

Stay tuned!

The participatory budgeting process has begun again!

Residents of District 33 can help decide how to spend $1 million on public projects on local parks, schools or libraries.

Last year, schools were the big winner, making up four of the six projects that received funding. In last year’s cycle, 3,769 residents voted.

The winning prizes included $218,000 for a STEAM lab at PS 31, new electrical for air conditioning at PS 110, and other upgrades at MS 8, PS 231 and PS 369.

The process begins anew with local neighborhood assemblies, where residents brainstorm and share ideas for projects. Volunteers then break into groups and transform ideas into fully-formed project proposals with details and costs.

Voting will be this spring, both online and at sites across the district. The top projects are funded up to $1 million.

Here’s the remaining schedule for this cycle’s neighborhood assemblies:

• Wednesday, September 20, 6:30 p.m. – Bushwick Inlet Park Headquarters, 86 Kent Avenue
• Tuesday, September 26, 7 p.m. – St. Francis College, 180 Remsen Street
• Wednesday, September 27, 6:30 p.m. – Polish/Slavic Center, 176 Java Street.

Join us to celebrate the second season of our green roof and community engagement space in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. Visitors will explore three flourishing green roofs that have been planted with a mix of indigenous grasses and wildflowers native to the New York landscape, and community organizations will be tabling and running activities to engage families and children. The festival offers access for Brooklyn residents to learn about environmental initiatives while exploring green infrastructure dedicated to native plants and birds.

Activities include:

❁ Tours of green roofs with wildlife and plant experts

❁ Interactive activities for kids and families

❁ Music, food, and beer from local breweries

❁ Partner community organizations discussing local conservation projects

❁ Panoramic views of Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Queens

When? Saturday, September 23rd from 12-4pm

Where?  520 Kingsland Avenue, Greenpoint

Questions?  Email info@kingslandwildflowers.com

You can catch a free screening of Spike Lee’s film “Crooklyn” tonight at several movie theaters or parks in Brooklyn.

“Crooklyn” was chosen by thousands of New Yorkers as the one film they want to watch tonight as part of the One Film, One New York program. It will be shown at parks and theaters across the city.

In North Brooklyn, you can see the movie at the following sites:

• Nitehawk Cinema, 136 Metropolitan Ave. – Screening begins at 9:30 p.m. Line starts at 8:30 p.m. Seating is first-come, first-served. RSVP is required.
• Williamsburg Cinemas, 217 Grand St. – Screening begins at 1 p.m. Seating is first-come, first-served. Tickets are available for pick up now at the box office.

In other parts of Brooklyn, watch the film in the following places:

• Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, 445 Albee Square West – Screening begins at 5 p.m. Tickets available on a first-come, first-served basis at the check-in desk.
• BAM Rose Cinemas, 30 Lafayette Ave. – Screening begins at 9;:30 p.m. Seating is limited. Tickets will be handed out on a first-come, first-served basis.
• Cobble Hill Cinemas, 265 Court St. – Screening begins at 1 p.m. Seating is first-come, first-served. Tickets are available for pick up at the box office.