Openings: Mockingbird Zero-Proof Bar, Owl Tree Kids; Sprinkler Saturday, Yoga on the Stoop, The Brooklyn Dribble, and a Double Feature Movie Night
Openings: Mockingbird Zero-Proof Bar, Owl Tree Kids; Sprinkler Saturday, Yoga on the Stoop, The Brooklyn Dribble, and a Double Feature Movie Night
Park Slope's first weekly newsletter since 2021
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Welcome to Park Slope’s weekly newsletter, Park Slope Pulse. We spend hours curating the most important news and events each week ✨ for free ✨ to save you time sifting through listings and articles, and you’ll get to know more about a fellow neighbor! Park Slope Pulse gives you the first insights to make plans or start conversations.
Here’s what’s happening this week:
Upcoming construction projects faces opposition from residents: A proposed 14-story tower on Franklin Avenue near Brooklyn Botanic Garden as well as a 40,000-square-foot skate facility in Mount Prospect Park could impact some of Brooklyn’s most beloved public green spaces. Community Board 9, an advisory group whose area includes Crown Heights South, has adopted resolutions opposing both the tower and the choice of Mount Prospect Park for the skate park. [The New York Times].
Openings: Mockingbird, a new zero-proof cocktail bar, will open on 213 7th Ave (between 3rd and 4th Streets) in January. This LGBTQ+ owned spot will give non-alcoholic drinks the same love, care, and complexity as their traditional counterparts. Owl Tree Kids, a curated kids’ consignment shop and local favorite in Carroll Gardens, is opening their second location in Park Slope this fall at 350 Flatbush Ave.
Closings: Suheily's Pets, a family-owned pet store on 5th Ave between 12th and 13th St, has announced that they will close on September 1st.
Mockingbird’s new space on 213 7th Ave will open in January. 📸: Mockingbird NYC — Mychal & Viv
Special Feature: Please, an educated pleasure shop
We aspire to normalize intimacy by having open and informed conversations about it.
Open Tuesday through Sunday from 2 PM to 7 PM
Online 24/7 www.pleasenyc.com
We sell books and toys on sexual wellness and pleasure, as well as offering classes on the topics. From sex education workshops on menopause or gender identity, to salacious events on more intimate topics on pleasure by yourself or with partner(s).
Visit us in person at 557 5th Ave (cnr 15th St & 5th Ave) or follow @PleaseNYC on social media to be the first to know about our next class.
[To get featured here as a Sponsor, email info@parkslopeliving for more info]
Our Top Picks
Thursday, Aug 8 (Today)
Summer Movie Series @ The Old Stone House, 8:30pm: Double Feature! Swipe NYC (2024- 20 mins) and Gray Matters (2007- 1 hour 35 mins): Tonight is the last chance to enjoy this free outdoor summer movie series sponsored by The Old Stone House, Park Slope Fifth Avenue BID, and the Brooklyn Arts Council. Tonight’s event will feature two comedic films by local Park Slope filmmaker Sue Zarco Kramer. Located at the 4th Street Plaza, between 4th and 5th Avenue. FREE.
Midsummer Nights 2024 @ The Brooklyn Conservatory of Music, 6:30 pm: The final concert of a four-part series, tonight’s event will feature Atlanta- based Zacchae’us Paul, multi-instrumentalist, singer and songwriter. Paul is part of a new wave of jazz artists pushing the boundaries of the genre. He seamlessly blends different styles and showcases the captivating clash and interplay between them. Limited seating—FREE. RSVP encouraged.
Live At The Archway @ Dumbo Archway, 5pm: Since its launch in 2015, this outdoor music festival held under the Manhattan Bridge has presented more than 200 artists & ensembles of every genre. This week’s concert features two-time GRAMMY® nominee Tracy Bonham, a classically trained violinist, pianist, and vocalist turned alt-rock singer-songwriter. The event also features an art wall with photography/videography by Joshua Reynolds and food and drink from Archway Bar for purchase. Doors open at 5pm. FREE. RSVP encouraged.
Friday, Aug 9
Flatbed Follies @ Vanderbilt Open Streets, 6pm: Bindlestiff Family Cirkus’ innovative, traveling circus act, developed in 2021 in partnership with NYC’s DOT and the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment, is performed on a mobile parade float! The Flatbed Follies provides work for more than 200 artists and crew annually. Expect authentic circus music and an original show performed for audiences of all ages. FREE.
Rooftop Films @ Jackie Robinson Playground, 7pm— Roll Bounce (2005): The largest and longest-running outdoor showcase of independent films in the country, Rooftop Films hosts film screenings in scenic locations across NYC throughout the season. This coming-of-age comedy from director Malcolm D. Lee is fueled by 1970s roller skate jams! Seating opens at 7 and the film begins at 8:30. FREE. RSVP recommended.
Saturday, August 10th
Enjoy the last Sprinkler Saturday! 💦 @ Vanderbilt Open Streets, 2-5pm: Sprinkler Saturday is back!! Join the fun on Vanderbilt Ave and Dean Street as the fire hydrant is opened up (legally). Inflatable pools, water buckets, and reusable water balloons will be provided. FREE.
Yoga on the Stoop @ Brooklyn Museum, 10-11am: Meet on the plaza steps for a morning of yoga and meditation, open to all levels and led by local instructors, and then head inside for a day at the museum! In case of inclement weather, class will be moved inside to the Beaux-Arts Court, 3rd Floor. Please bring your own mat. $20/ $12 for members (includes museum general admission)— tickets required.
The Brooklyn Dribble @ Brooklyn Bridge Park, 10am-1pm: In this free event, young basketball fans and their families will dribble through a one-mile course across Brooklyn Bridge Park. Dribble participants receive complimentary access to the Fan Fest, with music, NY Liberty performances, photobooth, facepainting and more. FREE. Pre-registration encouraged.
Sunday, August 11
Public Victories @ Young Ethel’s Bar, 6pm: “From changing the sheets to changing your mindset”— this show features 5 performers and 1 audience member telling a true story about a win, triumph, or victory. Twenty percent of proceeds goes to a community organization that supports the marginalized. FREE.
Smorgasburg @ Prospect Park, 11am-6pm: This food festival is considered "the “Woodstock of Eating” and features a range of cuisines from local vendors. Catch them weekly through October in Prospect Park near the Lincoln Road entrance. FREE entry.
Monday, August 12
Move & Groove Mondays @ Atlantic Terminal, 6:30pm: Expert Zumba instructor, Mike Gomez, leads this free hour-long Zumba class that will leave you feeling invigorated and refreshed. Series runs every Monday through August 26th at the Atlantic Terminal Plaza. FREE.
Wednesday, August 14
Cooking Class: Mastering Tagliatelle in Prospect Heights: Refine your pasta-making skills by learning to make Tagliatelle from scratch using fresh ingredients and authentic techniques. Alcoholic beverages will be available for purchase. Tickets include the two hour class, meal, and taxes. $55.
Seasonal Events:
Free Admission Roller Skate @ Brooklyn Bridge Park: On Sundays from 10am-12pm, Mondays 3:30-6pm, and Fridays 3:30-6pm, skate outside on the beautiful Pier 2 in Brooklyn and enjoy views of the Brooklyn Bridge and NYC. Enjoy free admission until 45 minutes prior to the end of each session. FREE/$8 skate rental.
Check out the comments for anything we’ve missed or top events added later in the week.
Q&A: Susan Elia MacNeal
This week’s Q&A is with Susan Elia MacNeal who recently launched her new book, “The Last Hope”. She is the New York Times-bestselling author of the “legendary” (New York Times Book Review) Maggie Hope mysteries and stand-alone Mother Daughter Traitor Spy. MacNeal won the Barry Award and an AudioFile Earphones award and has been nominated for the Edgar, Macavity, Agatha, Left Coast Crime, Dilys, ITW Thriller, and Nero awards. She’s currently working on a new thriller and mystery series.
“Here is a photo of my son and me at Blue Ribbon Brasserie, which is now in Boston, near his school, Boston Conservatory of Music. We went for his birthday and had fond memories of all the times we went to the Park Slope BRB.”
Tell us a bit about yourself and when you moved to Park Slope
My husband, Noel MacNeal, and I have lived in Park Slope since 2002. He’s a director for Sesame Street and also a puppeteer for Last Week Tonight with John Oliver and Little Shop of Horrors off-Broadway. People might also know him from past roles, such as Bear from Disney Channel’s Bear in the Big Blue House and Kako on Noggin’s Oobi. Our son, Matthew, is a P.S. 107 grad and now a rising sophomore at Boston Conservatory of Music.
What are some of your favorite things about Park Slope?
We love Prospect Park, Community Bookstore, the library, and the farmers markets (especially the lesser-known Wednesday and Sunday ones near Bartel-Pritchard Square). The Nitehawk is amazing.
Mostly we love that Park Slope feels like a village, while still convenient to Manhattan.
What are some of your favorite local businesses?
We love so many of the restaurants, bars, and cafes, including Winner, Runner Up, Brook Vin, Lore, Zatar, and Flora.
And here is a sneak peek of her latest book, “The Last Hope”:
“Maggie Hope has come a long way since she was Mr. Churchill’s secretary. In the face of tremendous danger, she’s learned espionage, sabotage, and reconnaissance.
British Intelligence has ordered Maggie to assassinate Werner Heisenberg, the physicist who may deliver a world-ending fission bomb for Germany. She’s shaken. Determined to gather more information, Maggie travels to Madrid, where Heisenberg is visiting for a lecture.
At the same time, couturier Coco Chanel, a spy in her own right with ambiguous loyalties, has requested a mysterious meeting with the British ambassador in Madrid—and has requested Maggie join them.
Maggie desperately wants to find her happily-ever-after, but as the war reaches a fever pitch, the stakes keep rising. Now, more than ever, the choices she makes will reverberate around the globe, touching everyone she loves—with fateful implications for the future of the free world.”
You can order Susan’s books from Community Bookstore and Barnes & Noble Park Slope!
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