BROOKLYN ARTERY JULY HAPPENINGS

 

From the Brooklyn Artery website:

Welcome to the Backspace, where we are grateful to be able to host a wide variety of community-oriented events.

 

We invite you to join us for twice-weekly yoga, live music, artist-led workshops, local makers’ markets, visual art exhibitions, children’s storytimes, private parties, and so much more. 

Happenings vary from month to month. July Happenings include

• Somatic Self-Care Yoga with Jennifer Kurdyla
• Mindful Music Gathering with Qualia Music
• Independent Film Screening
• Live Music: Bobby Lane (solo) & the Dan Lehner Quintet
• Finger Knitting Workshop
• Monthly Craft Circle
• Mosaic Making Workshop
• Live Art & Figure Drawing Session: Our inner landscapes  

 

SUPPORT LOCAL, INDEPENDENT

 SMALL BUSINESSES.

 

Location

Brooklyn ARTery

1004 Cortelyou Road 

between Coney Island Avenue and Stratford Road

Ditmas Park, Brooklyn (half a block from Kensington)

(map)

347-365-9896

info@brooklynartery.com

https://www.brooklynartery.com/ 

https://www.facebook.com/BrooklynARTery/ 

https://www.instagram.com/thebrooklynartery 

70TH PRECINCT NATIONAL NIGHT OUT

 

National Night Out Against Crime

Tuesday, August 5th

6:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Join the 70th Precinct (Midwood, Fiske Terrace, Ditmas Park, and Prospect Park South) and its community partners for the annual National Night Out Against Crime on Tuesday, August 5th, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. 

 

Highlights of the event will include a barbecue, a bouncy house, face painting, games, raffles, blood pressure screening, free giveaways, and phone and bicycle registration. 

For accommodations regarding any disabilities, call Detective Nuzzi or PO Jewel at (718) 851-5557 or send an e-mail to 70pctcommunityaffairs@nypd.org at least seventy-two hours prior to the event.

National Night Out Against Crime is held annually on the first Tuesday in August. The National Association of Town Watch created the event in 1984. 

In the 1970s, as part of the Women's Liberation Movement, women engaged in their own non-governmental, grass-roots efforts, called "Take Back the Night," with the goal of protesting and deterring violence against women through their visible presence outdoors.

From the website of National Association of Town Watch:

National Night Out is an annual community-building campaign that promotes police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie to make our neighborhoods safer, more caring places to live.

Location

Parade Ground

Entrance on Caton Avenue, between Argyle and Rugby roads

Brooklyn 

CLAY SCULPTURE, LAST DAY OF SCHOOL CELEBRATION, AND COLLAGE WORKSHOP AT AVENUE C PLAZA THIS WEEKEND, PLUS SEVERAL WEEKLY WEEKDAY ACTIVITIES (FREE)

 

From ArtBuilt Mobile Studio:

It’s the final week of June programming at Avenue C Plaza! Come for a Melody & Rhythm event with Bangladesh Institute of Performing Arts (BIPA) and partners on Friday, Clay Sculpture and Last Day of School Celebration with Casa Cultural on Saturday, and a Collage Workshop with Prokriti Chattopadhyay on Sunday!

See the Kensington Culture website for upcoming community events at Avenue C Plaza, Kensington Plaza, and neighborhood playgrounds, schools, and more. 

 

Location

Avenue C Plaza

556 McDonald Avenue

at Avenue C

Kensington, Brooklyn

(map)

 

 

OPERATION GIG! PORCH CONCERTS: ROB GARCIA - SIZZLE ENSEMBLE, THE CLAY ROSS BAND, AND FREDDY & SALLY

From Operation Gig!

Rob Garcia - Sizzle Ensemble
Friday, June 27th
6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
34 Wellington Court

Sizzle Ensemble, led by acclaimed drummer and composer @robgarciamusic, builds on the legacy of his celebrated group, the Rob Garcia 4. This dynamic, expanded ensemble brings new energy and color to Rob’s original compositions, reimagined for a larger sonic palette.

In addition to performing his own works, Sizzle Ensemble breathes fresh life into jazz standards with Rob’s distinctive arrangements of pieces by legends like Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Thelonious Monk, and more.

Featuring a lineup of top-tier musicians and long-time collaborators, Sizzle Ensemble delivers a sound that is both accessible and artistically rich. 

The Clay Ross Band

Saturday, June 28th

4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

312 Westminster Road

Kensington neighbor and two-time Grammy-winning guitarist and vocalist Clay Ross leads a quartet blending American folk with global influences to create a fresh, genre-defying sound. With extra-special opening set by Isla Ross!  

Freddy & Sally

Sunday, June 29th

4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

131 Buckingham Road

Freddy & Sally feature a unique sound somewhere between folk, chamber, and experimental music, based on the foundations of their upbringing with Appalachian music and their education and careers in modern classical music. (F&S is the the project of Brooklyn musicians Ledah Finke and Eli Greenhoe) 

 

 ----------------------------------------------------

Operation Gig! concerts sometimes get canceled because of weather conditions that aren't suitable for outdoor activities. Before you go to the concert, check the Operation Gig! website or Facebook page to see if it's been canceled.
 
Operation Gig! provides live music performances outdoors on weekends.
 
The series, held on the porches of private houses in Ditmas Park, started in July 2020 in order to offer a venue where musicians could perform during the pandemic. This provides them with a source of income and provides a safe space for people to gather to enjoy live music.
 
Although the performances are free, the suggested $10 donation to the musicians is more than welcome. Donate either at the performance itself or to the tax-deductible Operation Gig Musician Guarantee Fund on GoFundMe.
 
Operation Gig! t-shirts can be purchased here; the proceeds go to the Operation Gig Musician Guarantee Fund.

LAST COMMUNITY BOARD 12 MEETING UNTIL SEPTEMBER

Community Board 12 Public Meeting

Wednesday, June 25th

7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. 

 

Community Board 12 (CB 12) will holds its monthly meeting on Wednesday, June 25th, from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. The meeting is open to the public.

The agenda for the June meeting is posted above.

 

The all-volunteer board is the liaison between city agencies and the residents of Borough Park, most of Kensington, and parts of Sunset Park and Midwood.

 

The CB 12 board normally meets on the fourth Tuesday of the month from September through June, in person and on Zoom. This month, that falls on Election Day, so the meeting has been rescheduled for Wednesday.

 

The in-person location for tomorrow's meeting is the CB 12 office.

 

To attend on Zoom, go to https://us06web.zoom.us/j/86040079931.

To speak at the public hearing (formerly called "public session"), either in person or on Zoom, go to https://forms.gle/8izAHJDN4KsStNtg7 and fill out and submit the form.

 

Community Board members are appointed by the neighborhood's city council members and the borough president. All New York City residents who are at least sixteen years old and who live, work, attend school, own a business, or have a significant business interest in a community can serve on a community board.

Meeting Location

Community Board 12 Office

5910 13th Avenue

Borough Park, Brooklyn 

(map)

 

phone: (718) 851-0800

fax: (718) 851-4140

bk12@cb.nyc.gov

https://www.nyc.gov/site/brooklyncb12/index.page

https://www.facebook.com/BkCB12

Chairperson: Yidel Perlstein

District Manager: Barry Spitzer

 

COMMUNITY CLEANUP ON CHURCH AVENUE (FREE)

Street Cleanup Volunteer Project

Saturday, June 28th

9:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.

 

From New York City Councilmember Shahana Hanif:

Join the District 39 Cleanup Crew to help keep our streets clean on Saturday, 6/28, in Kensington. Meet at the intersection of Church and McDonald Avenues at 9 AM, and the crew will work their way towards East 5th Street. 

Gloves, trash pickers, and bags will be provided to those who need them, though you're welcome to bring any tools you may have. 

All are welcome, and RSVPs are encouraged at this Eventbrite link.

If you have any questions about the cleanup, send an e-mail to district39cleanupcrew@gmail.com. 

 

JOIN THE CRAFT CIRCLE ON SUNDAY AT BLUE STAR PARLOR

The Craft Circle

Sunday, June 22nd

2:00 p.m.

 

From The Craft Circle:

Happy Summer! It’s going to be a scorcher tomorrow. So come join us for our cool crafts meetup! Sunday Blue Star parlor 1112 Cortelyou Road 2pm 

The Craft Circle is a free, informal meetup where neighbors knit and crochet or work on other crafts together. You can bring what you're already working on or you can learn a new craft.

 

The meetup is for all skill levels; learners are welcome.

 

Location

Blue Star Parlor

1112 Cortelyou Road

between Stratford and Westminster roads

Ditmas Park, Brooklyn

(347) 365-9035

https://www.bluestarparlor.com/

https://www.facebook.com/BlueStarParlor 

https://www.instagram.com/bluestarparlor/

 

SUMMER SOLSTICE JAM SESSION (FREE)

 

Summer Solstice Jam Session

Saturday, June 21st, 7:00 p.m.

 

Artmageddon Collective and Beautify Brooklyn present Summer Solstice Jam Session and more on Saturday, June 21st, at 7:00 p.m.

 

You're welcome to bring an instrument and join in or simply enjoy the music.

 

Location

Kensington Plaza

114 Beverley Road

between E. 2nd Street and McDonald Avenue

Kensington, Brooklyn

(map)

OPERATION GIG! PORCH CONCERTS: SAMI STEVENS, ALBER BASEEL AND GABRIEL LAVIN, THE SLIDE STOPS

 

From Operation Gig!:

Friday, June 20th, 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Sami Stevens
284 Stratford Road

Local vocalist and piano player Sami Stevens "harnesses Jazz, Soul, and Folk influences to create truly intimate original music." She's been touring the world of late in Norah Jones' band! Can't wait to see her and her own ace band on a porch in Ditmas this Friday.

Saturday, June 21st, 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Alber Baseel & Gabriel Lavin
1415 Dorchester Road

Albert Baseel and Gabriel Lavin are two leading lights of the local Arabic music scene. They'll showcase dynamic and virtuosic arrangements of contemporary and classical music from Turkey and the Arab world in addition to original music.

Sunday, June 22nd, 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
The Slide Stops
444 E. 17th Street

Country line dancing lesson at 3:30pm!!!!!

One of the city's best country acts and a force behind the great line dancing revival of "the 20s." As last year, there will be a line dance lesson before the show, so arrive 30 minutes early.

 ----------------------------------------------------

Operation Gig! concerts sometimes get canceled because of weather conditions that aren't suitable for outdoor activities. Before you go to the concert, check the Operation Gig! website or Facebook page to see if it's been canceled.
 
Operation Gig! provides live music performances outdoors on weekends.
 
The series, held on the porches of private houses in Ditmas Park, started in July 2020 in order to offer a venue where musicians could perform during the pandemic. This provides them with a source of income and provides a safe space for people to gather to enjoy live music.
 
Although the performances are free, the suggested $10 donation to the musicians is more than welcome. Donate either at the performance itself or to the tax-deductible Operation Gig Musician Guarantee Fund on GoFundMe.
 
Operation Gig! t-shirts can be purchased here; the proceeds go to the Operation Gig Musician Guarantee Fund.

STORYTIME, LIVE MUSIC, DRAWING, AND MORE (FREE)

 

From Arts & Democracy:

This Sunday, June 22, 2:00 - 3:30pm

Storytime and Activities at Kensington Plaza with Lofty Pigeon Books and Arts & Democracy

Come by for storytime, live music, drawing, and more—with authors from the neighborhood!

 

Open to all ages, especially baby through tween readers.

Schedule:

2:00–2:20pm: Reading and live music with Dan Saks

2:20–2:40pm: Soca Baby Party with Qef and Ari

2:40–3:00pm: Kate Hosford reading You'll Always Be My Chickadee, with craft

3:00–3:20pm: Sarvenaz Tash reading from Queen of Ocean Parkway, with Q&A

 

Location

Kensington Plaza

114 Beverley Road

between E. 2nd Street and McDonald Avenue

Kensington, Brooklyn

(map)

KITE MAKING AND FLYING, PRINT MAKING, AND STORYTIME AND ACTIVITIES AT AVENUE C PLAZA THIS WEEKEND, PLUS SEVERAL WEEKLY WEEKDAY ACTIVITIES (FREE)

From ArtBuilt Mobile Studio: 

This Week! Kite Making and Flying on Thursday @ 1pm with The Singing Winds, Print Making on Saturday with Casa Cultural, and Storytime and Activities on Sunday (in Kensington Plaza) with Lofty Pigeon Books and Arts & Democracy!

See the Kensington Culture website for upcoming community events at Avenue C Plaza, Kensington Plaza, and neighborhood playgrounds, schools, and more. 

 

Location

Avenue C Plaza

556 McDonald Avenue

at Avenue C

Kensington, Brooklyn

(map)

PRIDE FIESTA!: LIVE MUSIC, PRIDE THEMED CRAFTS, AND STORYTELLING

 

Pride Fiesta! Celebration

Friday, June 20th

5:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

 

From One World Project:

In honor of Pride Month, One World Project is hosting our annual Pride Fiesta this Friday, June 20, from 5-6:30pm at 302 Vanderbilt Street! 

 

We hope you'll join us in celebration of the LGBTQ+ community, and of love, self-expression, and all the beautiful things that both unite us and make us unique.

 

Please do us a favor and RSVP here so we know who can make it: https://www.oneworldproject.org/upcoming/owp-information-session-2021-01-07-mpy4a-jzlcr-4lln9-7gnrc-fp8yp-akc3k.

 

This is our last community event of the school year, and we are so excited for the opportunity to once again uplift the diversity of our school and our city. There will be pride-themed storytelling, music, art, dance, and more — all families are welcome regardless of background, family structure, or identity.

 

Please come as you are, invite your friends, family, and neighbors, and help us create a space where every child and caregiver can see themselves reflected and celebrated in our community! 

 

We can't wait to see you there, and to share this joy with one another. We are asking for a suggested $25 donation per family to attend, but it is most important to us that our events be accessible to all and so we ultimately ask that you give what you can -- more if possible, and less if necessary. 

 

If you have any questions about the event, please don't hesitate to reach out! 

 

My best, Leo

--

Leo Posel 

Development and Communications Associate

One World Project

he/him/él

lposel@oneworldproject.org II 347-397-2982

 

TWO EXCITING EVENINGS OF MUSIC, FEATURING AN ECLECTIC MIX OF MUSICAL STYLES FROM GREAT LOCAL ARTISTS! (FREE)

 

Two Exciting Evenings of Music

Friday, June 20th and 27th

6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

From Newkirk Community Garden: 

We’re having two exciting concerts at Newkirk Community Garden featuring great local artists!

FRIDAYS, JUNE 20Th & JUNE 27TH, 6:30 PM
Newkirk Community Garden
Corner of East 8th Street & Newkirk Ave
(Rain dates: Mondays, June 23 & June 30th)

FEATURING…

(6/20) Sol67 (Marcelo Siles & Townsend Elizabeth West), Michael Friedman, Misery Loves Company (Susan Kaessinger, Buddy Grecco, Matthew J. Kaplan, Louis Iacobelli), The Chimes (Sujata Subramanian and Courteney Cuomo), encypher, Ayana Lowe & Barry Dobrin

(6/27) Benjamin English, Misery Loves Company, Aria Anjali, Sam Theuring, Doug Walker, Bev Grant & Carolann Solebello

I got goosebumps just listing all these wonderful musical acts! 

Come join us! Help support the garden!

 

FREE BICYCLE HELMETS WILL BE FITTED AND DISTRIBUTED

 

Free Helmets

Sunday, June 22nd

10:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

 

The New York City Department of Transportation partners with organizations and City Councilmembers to host free helmet fitting events across New York City. At these events, more than 350,000 free bicycle helmets have been provided to New Yorkers.

 

Bicycle helmets will be fitted and distributed for free in Kensington Plaza on Sunday, June 22nd, from 10:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., under the sponsorship of New York City Councilmember Shahana Hanif. 

 

A bike repair station for minor tune-ups will be offered.

 

Helmets are available for all ages while supplies last. You must be at the event in order to get a helmet, and you have to learn how to properly fit and wear it before it will be given to you.

 

Adults over the age of eighteen who receive a helmet have to sign a waiver, and a parent or legal guardian has to be present to sign a waiver for children under the age of eighteen. 

 

The helmet law 

• Recreational Cyclists: All children up to age 14 are required by New York State law to wear bike helmets certified by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). All bicycle riders up to age 14 must wear approved helmets.
• Commercial Cyclists: New York City law requires all commercial cyclists to wear securely fastened, properly fitted helmets that are in good condition. Employers are required to ensure that their commercial cyclists wear helmets. 

Location

Kensington Plaza

114 Beverley Road

between E. 2nd Street and McDonald Avenue

Kensington, Brooklyn

(map)

 

COMMUNITY BOARD 7 JUNE MEETING, OPEN TO THE PUBLIC (WINDSOR TERRACE, GREENWOOD HEIGHTS, SOUTH SLOPE, AND SUNSET PARK)

Update: Community Board 7 voted tonight to ask the Department of Transportation to hold a public hearing on the redesign of McDonald Avenue before it proceeds further.

----------------------------------------------- 

Community Board 7 Board Meeting

Wednesday, June 18th

6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

 

Community Board 7 will hold its next monthly public meeting on Wednesday, June 18th, from 6:30 p.m. until 8:30 p.m.

 

Community Board 7 is the liaison between New York City government agencies and the residents, business owners, and employees of Windsor Terrace, Greenwood Heights, South Slope, and Sunset Park.

 

Attendees will have two opportunities to address the board during the meeting (items 6 and 13 on the agenda below). You're invited to share you concerns, questions, needs, problems, suggestions, and solutions with CB 7's board members.

 

Attend the meeting either in person or virtually. If you're going to attend virtually, register at https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_CLAUT6HXQKWsoI2EhmOqKg.

 
You can also view the board meeting on the Brooklyn Community Board 7's YouTube Channel at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcAZ1cECSeZI8iNyQDKuX5Q.

 

Proposed Agenda

1. Pledge of Allegiance
2. Roll Call
3. Opening of the meeting
4. Adoption of the agenda
5. Adoption of the minutes of the May 21, 2025 board meeting
6. Public Comment (3 minutes to speak on topics covered in the agenda)
7. Elected Officials and Representatives
8. Committee Reports:
    A) Parks & Environment Committee 

        1. Flooding 101
    B) Joint Committee Meeting with Housing and Land Use/Landmarks Committees (Vote expected)

        1. Proposed rezoning of 783 4th Avenue

        2. Resolution to pause RGB rent increases
    C) Transportation Committee (Vote expected)

        1. Street co-name request for 5th Avenue and 60th Street in memory of Padre Ruskin Piedra, C.S.R.

        2. CarShare proposed new sites for 5501 2nd Avenue, 273 44th Street, and 170 33rd Street

        3. Proposed design for McDonald Avenue, from 20th Street to Fort Hamilton Parkway
        4. Brooklyn Greenway Plan for 3rd Avenue

        5. 4th Avenue median project
    D) Education Health & Human Services         1. Brooklyn Rise School’s proposed new school development on 40th Street and 4th Avenue 

    E) Public Safety (Vote expected)

        1. Adult retail dispensary application for 695 5th Avenue

        2. Vendor enforcement operations in CB7

        3. Quality of life unit operating at the 72nd Precinct
9. Chairperson’s Report
10. District Manager’s Report
11. Old Business
12. New Business
13. Public Comment (3 minutes to speak on any topic)
14. Adjournment

Location

Community Board 7 Office

4201 4th Avenue

entrance on 43rd Street and 4th Avenue

Sunset Park, Brooklyn

phone: (718) 854-0003

fax: (718) 436-1142

bk07@cb.nyc.gov

http://www1.nyc.gov/site/brooklyncb7/index.page

https://www.facebook.com/BrooklynCB7