Urban Meadow

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-21T08:51:00.000-07:00

Join us at Mother Cabrini Playground and the Urban Meadow for the 9th Annual Columbia Waterfront Halloween Party and Parade!

Sunday, October 30 from 10 AM - 12 PM. Both the playground and the Urban Meadow are on President Street between Columbia and Van Brunt.

Bring the kids in costume for fun at this long standing tradition in our neighborhood. There'll be treats and Urban Meadow t-shirts for sale, a costume parade led by the Underground Horns band and a fire engine from a local FDNY ladder company, hula hooping in the Meadow and more!

This event is brought to you by volunteers for the Urban Meadow. Contact stephanie_cherry@gmail.com if you can help decorate/bake/volunteer in the morning.

Welcome Back to Fall!

2011-09-13T09:43:00.000-07:00

We had such a wet summer, with an earthquake and hurricane Irene thrown in for good measure, that if anything the Urban Meadow's garden flourished a little too much - with vines growing like crazy in the garden. But the good news is that many of the new plants/shrubs and trees that were planted this spring and last year did very well over the summer - one of the butterfly bushes in particular is in beautiful bloom right now.

We have two more busy months left to the official community garden season - the Urban Meadow will be open every day through September and October and then closed beginning in November, just after the annual Columbia Street Halloween party and parade.

The Meadow will be host to two upcoming concerts - the first presented by the Red Hook Star Revue - an all day musical extravaganza on Sunday, September 18 from 12 noon - 6 PM featuring bands playing rock, blues, country and more - $10 admission includes all the music plus all the hotdogs, soda and pizza you can hold.

And on Saturday, September 24 from Noon to 4:30 PM Tonic Kids presents The Super Sonic Kindie Music Fest featuring Elizabeth Mitchell, Jon Samson, Karen K & the Jitterbugs and The New Raspberry Bandits. This kid's concert should be a great time, with the music plus food, drum lessons, arts-and-crafts, and facepainting! Tickets available in advance at at the door: $12 adults, $8 kids, $27 family of 3 - in advance/ $15 adults, $10 kids - at the door. Go to http://www.tonickids.com/ for more information and to buy advance tickets and see below for info. on the great performers:

Elizabeth Mitchell
Elizabeth is a Smithsonian Folkways Recordings artist who has been recording and performing music for children and families since1998. She has won the Amazon Critic's Award for Best Children's Album of the Year and won the Parents Choice Gold Award. She was recently on The Tonight Show singing duet with Ziggy Marley. An Elizabeth Mitchell performance is a warm, family style hootenanny that engages everyone, parent and kids alike, in a fun, all ages interactive event that is part celebration, part learning adventure.

The New Raspberry Bandits
Virtuoso pianist/guitarist/recording engineer/composer Jamie Saft has been a crucial member of the downtown scene since the early 1990s, both as sideman and as leader of his own ensembles. This children's music debut with luscious vocals performed and written by Vanessa Saft boasts folk roots but covers a lot of ground. Rockin' whippersnappers will love "Big Trucks" and seemingly angelic types will
soon be belting out "Lula".

Karen K & the Jitterbugs
Walk anywhere in stroller-ridden Carroll Gardens area of Brooklyn and you're bound to hear a parent or kid humming one of the catchy tunes from Karen K's debut album, Pancakes for Dinner. A musical theater veteran with gorgeous vocals, Karen began teaching her Brooklyn-based Jitterbugs kids classes in 2008, but recently expanded her classroom to the stage with her funny, relatable and totally singable original songs. Parents and wee ones find themselves bopping along to the rockin’ beat of the album’s title track, “Pancakes for Dinner,” laughing out loud to the theatrical “That’s What I’m Wearing Today” and humming - and sniffling - along to the memorable and moving “Sing Me the Moon (Daddy's Song).” Called “one of the starts of the local kindie scene” by the Brooklyn paper, Karen K & her Jitterbugs have been featured in New York Magazine's Best Of 2011 issue and Time Out NY Kids.

Jon Samson
South African native and local favorite, Jon Samson produces and performs "alternative family music" for kids of all ages and has been featured in Time Out NY Kids and Parenting Magazine. His sold out concert at BAM cafe for the annual BAMkids films festival had both kids and parents singing along to his witty and well composed tunes . His songwriting can be poetic ("Everything is Music to Me") and funny ("Nothing Rhymes with Orange"). As a teaching artist, he collaborated with the founders of the Blue Man Group at the Blue School and as a music therapist, he works with kids on the autism spectrum and kids in general on self esteem and expression.

Brooklyn County Fair - Summerfest 2011 at the Meadow July 9

2011-07-01T15:58:00.000-07:00

Jalopy Theater and Brooklyn Country are bringing the Brooklyn County Fair back to the Urban Meadow on Saturday, July 9 from 12 PM - 6 PM. $10 for adults ($5 for children) gets you admission to music at the Meadow all day and an evening show at Jalopy (315 Columbia Street).

The County Fair is also sponsored by Sixpoint Craft Ales, which means locally made beer - plus food from Jake's Bar-B-Que, raffles, giveaways, face painting, balloons and more - not to mention an all day extravaganza of bluegrass, folk, and country blues from bands including Dirt Floor Revue, Kamara Thomas, Big Slyde, The Newton Gang, the Whiskey Boys, I'll Be John Brown, Maynard and The Musties, Jack Grace Band, Ramblin' Andy and the See Ya Laters, Trailer Radio, The Dustbusters and Hans Chew.

Brooklyn Country is also releasing a new album that day - This is Brooklyn Country, Volume 1, featuring many of the bands from Summerfest. The first 50 listeners to buy tickets online or come through the gate on the 9th will receive a free copy. You can buy advance tickets on Jalopy's website.

Pictures from RHJF Spring 2011

2011-07-01T15:42:00.000-07:00

Pictures from the Red Hook Jazz Festival Spring 2011 shows at the Urban Meadow - Sunday, June 12 and Saturday June 18.

First Day of the Red Hook Jazz Festival - Sunday, June 12 1 PM - 6 PM

2011-06-07T11:35:00.000-07:00

This Sunday, June 12th, from 1 PM - 6 PM come out for the first day of the 4th Annual Red Hook Jazz Festival at the Urban Meadow - directions to the Meadow at the left sidebar. $5 for adults, free for kids. Bring chairs/picnic blankets and make a day of it! (We think the weather will cooperate but in case of rain the show will be around the corner at MikNik Lounge, 200 Columbia Street). Here's the line-up for Sunday:

ON DAVIS' FAMOUS ORIGINAL DJUKE MUSIC PLAYERS
pete barr (drums), nick gianni (baritone sax & flute), welf dorr (alto sax), cavassa (bass), ibrahiim muhamad (percussion)
VINNIE SPERAZZA/MATT BLOSTEIN BAND
vinnie sperrazza (drums), matt blostein (sax), jacob garchik (trombone), geoff kraly (electric bass)
MARCO CAPELLI PROJECT

THE WEE TRIO
james westfall (vibraphonist), dan loomis (bassist), jared schonig (drummer)
ANDREA WOLPER TRIO
andrea wolper (vocals), ken filiano (bass), michael howell (guitar), michael T.A. thompson (drums)
JEFF NEWLETT’S NEW TRAD
jeff newell (sax), isrea butler (trombone), dan peck (tuba), brian woodruff (drums)

(Poster design by Jason Noto, Morning Breath, Inc.
Check out his amazing work for the Foo Fighters and other bands)

Profile of local supporter of the Urban Meadow

2011-05-24T08:22:00.000-07:00

Woofs ‘n Whiskers – If you live in the Columbia Waterfront District and the surrounding area you probably know that Woofs ‘n Whiskers at 59 Summit Street is a caring place to board your pet while you are away – but Woofs also has a good sized retail store that carries useful supplies for all pet owners in the neighborhood. On a recent visit I saw things like biodegradable bags for picking up dog waste, pet grooming supplies and toys, leashes and collars, and a nutritious pet food from a company called Orijen – which is probably healthier than most human food! They even offer pet food delivery to Red Hook, Carroll Gardens, Cobble Hill, Boerum Hill, Brooklyn Heights, DUMBO, Park Slope and South Slope. Stop by and say hello to Danielle, who along with her husband is the owner of Woofs ‘n Whiskers and see what they have for your pet.

Yoga is Back at the Urban Meadow

2011-05-23T09:49:00.000-07:00

We're excited to announce that yoga is returning for the spring and summer at the Urban Meadow. Classes will be with two experienced instructors on Mondays and Thursdays.

Starting Monday, May 30 and continuing Mondays through July - with Anna Mumford - in the Forrest yoga style. 6:30-7:30, suggested donation $10.

Starting Thursday, June 2 continuing on Thursdays through Labor Day - with Petra Szabo, also in the Forrest yoga style, 6:45-7:45, suggested donation $10.

Come stretch and breathe in a lovely outdoor setting. Classes will be cancelled if it is raining up to an hour before the start time.

(Thank you to Anna and Petra and to Urban Meadow member Lorraine who arranged this wonderful use of our garden.)

The Red Hook Jazz Festival - coming soon!

2011-05-20T08:46:00.000-07:00

The 4th Annual Red Hook Jazz Festival is coming up soon - Sunday, June 12 and Saturday, June 18. The Urban Meadow is thrilled to be hosting this venue for jazz talent. The shows are $5 for adults and free for kids.

Our new alternate site in case of rain - we thought it was wise to get one considering the weather lately - is Miknik Lounge, a few blocks away from the Urban Meadow at 200 Columbia Street bet. DeGraw and Sackett Streets. A special thank you to Jason Noto, of Morning Breath, Inc. who designed the fantastic poster for this year's shows:

2011 Plant Sale and Flowering Dogwoods in the Meadow

2011-04-30T15:49:00.000-07:00

Composting Project to Begin Soon

2011-04-28T09:10:00.000-07:00

The Urban Meadow's fundraising effort to purchase two large composters has been fully funded! Thank you to all of the members of the Meadow who contributed on ioby.org and to ioby and Partnership for Parks who provided a 1:1 match for donations given to the project.

We're awaiting word from ioby on the next steps and we're very excited to get the project going. More details to follow.

Local Developer Invests in Urban Meadow Community Garden

2011-04-28T09:02:00.000-07:00

Thank you to the Carroll Gardens Patch for the nice article about Barrett Design and Development's donation to the Meadow.

http://carrollgardens.patch.com/articles/local-developer-invests-in-urban-meadow-community-garden

Egg Hunt 2011

2011-04-25T17:43:00.000-07:00

Egg Hunt Rescheduled

2011-04-22T12:14:00.000-07:00

The skies are threatening and with a 70% chance of rain in the morning the Urban Meadow Egg Hunt has been rescheduled to Sunday morning, April 24, 10 AM-12PM - we'll have face painting, a real live Easter Bunny, treats and t-shirts for sale -hope to see you all there!

2011-04-21T14:57:00.001-07:00

Announcement: Barrett Design and Development Donates $20,000 to the Urban Meadow

2011-04-15T10:06:00.000-07:00

Through the advocacy of City Councilmember Brad Lander and the generosity of Barrett Design & Development, LLC, the developer of 25 Carroll Street around the corner from the Meadow, Barrett Design has made a donation of $20,000 to help beautify and landscape the Urban Meadow.

This donation reflects the commitment of the Councilman and Barrett Design to open recreational space for our neighborhood and to the idea that companies who do business in our communities also support the interests of the people who live there.

All of the details of this project are still being worked out but we are so thrilled about this and believe that it also reflects an acknowledgement of how the Urban Meadow (alongside other local gardens, parks, and community groups) has worked to provide activities and enjoyment to benefit our community.

Click here for the press release from Councilman Lander’s office.

And, while we are thanking Barrett Design & Development we also want to thank other local supporters of the Urban Meadow - please see the sidebar for a list.

Composting at the Meadow- New Project - Please Help Us Get it Started

2011-04-11T12:31:00.000-07:00

Composting! We love it, we're doing it at the Urban Meadow!

When we wrote a grant last year to Partnership for Parks to buy two composters for the Meadow and begin a household waste program we got part of the grant outright and then we got a chance to post our project on ioby.org here http://ioby.org/projects/brooklyn/urban-meadow-compost-project to fundraise for the rest with one especially great feature - Partnership will give us a 1:1 match for money that we raise! They each cost just over $400 so that's how much we need to fulfill the project.

Composting allows us to recycle garden scraps and household waste and use the resulting compost for the Meadow's garden. We can reduce the waste we toss out from the Meadow and our homes, and use organic compost to enrich the soil at the Meadow.

Our plan is to pilot the household waste program with a group of 12 members of the Urban Meadow, and then expand to include all members by the fall.

Please consider donating on ioby to help the Meadow buy our composters so that we can get our program going - and remember that everything you give will be matched, so $15 becomes $30, and so forth. Thank you!

3rd Annual Spring Egg Hunt

2011-04-11T10:32:00.001-07:00

The Urban Meadow’s 3^rd Annual Spring Egg Hunt will be Saturday, April 23, 2011 from 10 AM – 12 PM

This year the egg hunt will be split between the Meadow and next door Mother Cabrini playground (both on President Street and Van Brunt) for double the fun – the Meadow will be for children 4 and under and the playground will have eggs for kids 5 and up. Bring your own baskets to collect eggs.

We’ll have face painting and Urban Meadow t-shirts and treats for sale!

Libraries and Gardens - Perfect Together

2011-04-05T09:18:00.000-07:00

The Urban Meadow is about a lot of things - recreation, fun, gardening and the environment among others but also community - enjoying it and making it better. With that in mind, we're passing on a note from our friends at the newly chartered Friends of the Carroll Gardens Library - our neighborhood branch:

Come join the new Friends of the Carroll Gardens Library and make a difference to our neighborhood! Our first event is a book sale fundraiser on Saturday, May 14, Love Your Library Day from 10 AM - 4 PM

Friends of the Carroll Gardens Library, located on the corner of Union and Clinton Streets, recently signed its charter and has a few goals: To support the library by fundraising and to help make the Carroll Gardens branch a center of the community with programs for children, youth and adults all year round. With budget cuts and closings, our community libraries are under siege and active community participation working closely with the library staff can make a huge difference for our branch.

The next Friends meeting is Wednesday, April 6th at 6:30 at the library downstairs. All members of the community are invited.

And come out to our first big fundraiser - a book sale on Saturday, May 14, Love Your Library Day. We need volunteers to help out on the day of the sale, please follow this link www.SignUpGenius.com/go/carroll/846077to find out more details and volunteer. The library already has donated books to sell but we are soliciting additional donations of gently used books, feel free to drop them at the library and the staff will direct you where to leave them. Our goal for this event is to raise funds to buy new shelving and other items for the children’s area – the staff has told us that this would be so much more user friendly for young readers. For up to date announcements about the Friends group we're on Facebook at Facebook.com/FriendsofCarrollGardensLibrary

Also,consider donating to the Brooklyn Public Library's "Support Our Shelves" campaign and designating your donation straight to the Carroll Gardens branch - link here to donate https://bpl.brooklynpubliclibrary.org/donate/ and then if you'd like, scroll down to "Direct Your Donation" to choose the CG library - this money is sent to our librarians to purchase new books for the branch.

Red Hook Jazz Festival Dates and Line-Up Announced

2011-04-04T07:56:00.000-07:00

The 4th Annual Red Hook Jazz Fest 2011 in the URBAN MEADOW
Adults $5, kids free!

Once again the Urban Meadow will be hosting the Red Hook Jazz Festival in June 2011. This is the fourth year of a homegrown jazz festival featuring an amazing line-up of mostly local talent. When we say local we mean they often live and work in NYC but these musicians regularly play all over the country and the world - and we love that they also play in their own backyard. The RHJF is known for great music, a laid back vibe, an outdoor setting, and it's family friendly good times. Adults pay a small fee for 5 hours of music each day and kids are free.

Come out for two days of musical fun in the sun. The details and the line-up are below.
Sunday, June 12 1PM - 6 PM
ON DAVIS' FAMOUS ORIGINAL DJUKE MUSIC PLAYERS
pete barr (drums), nick gianni (baritone sax & flute), welf dorr (alto sax), cavassa (bass), ibrahiim muhamad (percussion)
VINNIE SPERAZZA/MATT BLOSTEIN BAND
vinnie sperrazza (drums), matt blostein (sax), jacob garchik (trombone), geoff kraly (electric bass)
MARCO CAPELLI PROJECT
THE WEE TRIO
james westfall (vibraphonist), dan loomis (bassist), jared schonig (drummer)
ANDREA WOLPER TRIO
andrea wolper (vocals), ken filiano (bass), michael howell (guitar), michael T.A. thompson (drums)
JEFF NEWLETT’S NEW TRAD
jeff newell (sax), isrea butler (trombone), dan peck (tuba), brian woodruff (drums)
Saturday, June 18 - 1PM - 6 PM
RENKU
michael atias (sax), john hébert (bass), satoshi takeishi (percussion)
STEPHANE WREMBEL’S DJANGO EXPERIMENT
stephane wrembel (guitar), koran hasanagic (guitar), richard lee (percussions), ari folman cohen (bass)
JEFF DAVIS BAND
oscar noriega (alto sax/clarinet/bass clarinet), kirk knuffke (cornet), jon goldberger (guitar), matt pavolka (bass), jeff davis (drums/compositions)
JOSH SINTON’S HOLUS-BOLUS
josh sinton (sax), jon irabagon (sax), jonathan goldberger (guitar), peter bitenc (bass), mike pride (drums)
INGRID LAUBROCK TRIO
ingrid laubrock (sax), tom rainey (drums), dan peck (tuba)

For up to date announcements on the RHJF, visit Facebook/RedHookJazzFestival.com. For directions to the Urban Meadow go here http://urbanmeadowbrooklyn.blogspot.com/p/directions-to-urban-meadow.html

Our Season Opener - Urban Meadow Membership Meeting - March 27

2011-03-15T06:49:00.000-07:00

Spring is here! Time to clean up the Meadow and get it ready for another year of picnics, playing, relaxing and fantastic events.

There are already a lot of amazing events planned this year: a series of jazz concerts, other performances, a plant sale and our very first event, our 3rd Annual Spring Egg Hunt on Sunday, April 24th. We'll also be starting a new composting program at the Meadow this spring.

Everyone is invited to our first meeting of the season on Sunday, March 27th, at 4pm, at The House of Pizza and Calzone (Union St between Hicks and Columbia). The House of Pizza is one of our sponsors for events held at the Meadow and we thank them for giving us space to meet. We will be renewing memberships, discussing events and committees and new Meadow procedures.

All memberships are up for renewal this year - if you want to renew your membership, this is the best time to come - if you cannot make this meeting, but are interested in renewing, please contact us to let us know. In addition, if you have friends who are interested in finding out more about the Meadow, they are welcome to come to the meeting.

We look forward to seeing you again!

Urban Meadow CSA Registration Open for 2011 Season

2011-03-10T11:20:00.000-08:00

The Urban Meadow Community Supported Agriculture Program (CSA) is pleased to announce share availability for the 2011 season, which will run from the first Saturday in June through the last Saturday in October. If you're interested, please hurry and get in contact, because we expect slots to fill up quickly!

The cost of a share is $450 for the season and includes a delivery of vegetables each week from Ant Hill farm. Please note that a small number of subsidized shares are available. Inquire about membership or any other details using the links and information below.

Check out the new Urban Meadow CSA website here for more information.

The membership flyer link, including contact info, is here

Info on our partner farm is here

The new Urban Meadow CSA twitter account is here

And finally, more info on CSAs can be found here at Just Food's website

What's that sound?

2011-03-08T15:09:00.000-08:00

The Urban Meadow, like all of New York City, was covered in several feet of snow from December through February, but lately, there's been a strange and interesting sound coming from the trees... birds! And crocuses pushing up through suddenly clear front yards. Soon we'll be heading into the season of planting and we look forward to another year at the Meadow. Another sign of spring? The Meadow's annual Spring Egg Hunt on April 24th - stay tuned for more details.

9th Annual Halloween Columbia Waterfront Halloween Bash

2010-10-15T07:39:00.000-07:00

Come to Mother Cabrini playground and the Urban Meadow for the 9th year of this wonderful local celebration of Halloween. Sunday, October 31 from 10 AM - 12 PM - face painting! costumes and treats! The cutest parade through the neighborhood, led by a band! And a pumpkin carving contest with surprise judges - come with your carved pumpkins to the Meadow - winners and prizes will be announced at 12 Noon - adult and child categories. The playground and Meadow are adjacent to each other on President Street between Columbia and Van Brunt Streets.

Red Hook Jazz Fest 2010 concludes on a high note

2010-09-24T08:23:00.000-07:00

The final show of the Red Hook Jazz Festival's 2010 season was a great success with one of the biggest crowds yet on a gorgeous day. Upwards of 250 people came to the Urban Meadow to enjoy six bands, who offered a wide range of jazz from avante garde to latin jazz to a beautiful jazz guitar duo. One thing we learned - crickets love music!

Marco Cappelli Trio leader Marco Cappelli:

Ideal Bread played the music of Steve Lacy:

Ben Perowsky Trio - Chris Speed on saxaphone:

Willie Martinez La Familia Sextet sang their cover of "Sunny", which always delights the crowd:

Dan Loomis Quartet who mixed their fabulous jazz with a beautiful instrumental version of "Miner's Life" (a mournful ode to mine workers, covered by many wonderful artists including the Weavers and Billy Bragg)

Paul Kogut and Sheryl Bailey closed the show:

Two great neighborhood musicians play the Red Hook Jazz Fest tomorrow

2010-09-18T10:11:00.000-07:00

The Columbia Waterfront neighborhood is blessed with an abundance of talented musicians. At tomorrow's RHJF show two bands in particular are lead by musicians who live a stone's throw from the Urban Meadow. They play all over the country and the world, and we are lucky to have them play for us:

Willie Martinez La Familia Sextet

And the Marco Capelli Trio, with Marco Capelli on guitar, Ken Filiano playing bass and amazing percussionist Satoshi Takeishi:

No tornadoes but music and fun at the Red Hook Jazz Show this Sunday 9/19!

2010-09-17T11:01:00.000-07:00

Reminder that another great Red Hook Jazz Festival show takes place in the Urban Meadow this Sunday, September 19th from Noon-6 Pm - $5 for adults, free for kids! Come hear the coolest music in the borough in a tornado free outdoor space!

See the RHJF page for the line up of mostly Brooklyn musicians.

BOOOOOOOOO! Halloween in the Urban Meadow

2010-09-13T14:02:00.000-07:00

This coming Sunday, September 19 from Noon-6 come out and hear great jazz at the Meadow.

And then start thinking about Halloween in the Columbia Waterfront District, which will once again be, as they say, spooktacular! This year our annual Halloween bash will be on the day of, Sunday, October 31 and will have more fun and activities than ever, including our wonderful parade around the neighborhood, which is cuter than ten barrels full of monkeys as all of our small fry proudly show off their costumes.

There will be activities in the Meadow and the next door Mother Cabrini playground, with treats, pumpkins and good fun for all. Many more details to come!

Community Gardens in NYC in Danger from Developers - sign the WFP petition

2010-09-04T10:04:00.000-07:00

The community gardens that give us so much pleasure are in danger again of being sold to developers - question: Must every square inch of space in New York City go to make a profit, or is there room in this city for air and space for its citizens?

In 2002, after then Mayor Rudy Guiliani tried to get rid of many community gardens by selling them off to private developers, rules regarding the use of community gardens were created which protected gardens from being used by private developers for eight years. That agreement is about to expire - and though the Parks Department is drafting new rules that will protect our beautiful green spaces, will they go far enough to protect community gardens permanently, or just until political will runs out?

Often community gardens like the Urban Meadow and our other beautiful neighborhood gardens are the only green spaces in a community. This is true of the Columbia Waterfront district, which has two playgrounds, but a lack of green.

The Working Families Party has created an on-line petition that urges the City to draft legislation that will protect the gardens forever. The petition says "Our community gardens need permanent protection so they can keep making New York City stronger, greener, and friendlier. Please create new community garden rules that protect our existing gardens from developers and encourage the creation of more!" Go here to add your name: http://action.workingfamiliesparty.org/communitygardens

This piece in the New York Times gives some good background about the issue - New Rules Worry Community Garden Advocates, July 6, 2010

Fall music - the September edition of the Red Hook Jazz Festival is coming up!

2010-08-31T11:52:00.000-07:00

Last week there was a beautiful crisp tinge of fall in the air - as you gear up for school/ work/ and maybe cooler weather, you can also make plans for another great jazz show at the Urban Meadow. Here's what's in store:

Red Hook Jazz Festival, Sunday, September 19, Noon – 6:00pm, $5.00 per adult/free for kids (all proceeds from the show go to support the activities of the Urban Meadow).

From traditional jazz to latin jazz to the avant-garde, the RHJF is a showcase for outstanding (mostly) local talent in a fun outdoor setting. This is the amazing line-up for the Sept. 19th show:

IDEAL BREAD plays the music of Steve Lacy

MARCO CAPPELLI TRIO

BEN PEROWSKY TRIO

PAUL KOGUT & SHERYL BAILEY

WILLIE MARTINEZ LA FAMILIA SEXTET

DAN LOOMIS QUARTET

For announcements and updates about this show see Facebook.com/Redhookjazzfestival

See here for directions to the Urban Meadow.

Water, water nowhere

2010-08-03T18:46:00.000-07:00

This has been an incredibly dry summer - very little rainfall in June and July and our gardens and street trees are suffering because of the conditions. We water the Urban Meadow through a hook-up on a fire hydrant on the sidewalk outside the Meadow, with the permission of the FDNY and with water barrels which would collect rain if there was any!

The difficulty of keeping up with the water needs of a huge garden are evident when you take a look at the Meadow's garden portion and the grass and trees, like plants all over the city, are very dry and suffering.

Here's an idea for reusing water for your backyard, window boxes and to care for street trees during a very dry period: after you bathe your kids, instead of letting the water drain out of the tub, use the water to irrigate street trees and gardens - when the kids are done with their bath, bring a few gallons out to your back yard or to water the trees in front of your house - the water just has a little kid dirt and some mild soap in it and is perfectly alright to water plants with. I did this recently and the kids loved carrying water from the bath out to the back yard and to the sidewalk to care for the trees. Now if we could only get everyone in the neighborhood to carry their bath water to the Meadow!

"People's Hearing" on MTA cuts

2010-07-10T15:38:00.000-07:00

Further information on the B71 bus: The Straphangers Campaign is organizing a "People's Hearing" about MTA cuts on Tuesday, July 13 at 5:00 at Cooper Union. They're looking for former B71 bus riders to come testify. If you are interested in participating, please contact Cate Contino at ccontino@nypirg.org or by calling 212.349.6460.

Hot heat

2010-07-06T18:18:00.000-07:00

102 in the shade and it seems the whole world is inside today if they can be. Seeing a man from Verizon up working to repair a telephone pole today, it occurs that as bad as the heat is, one is lucky to be able to work inside and not out in it. Stay cool my friends and see you when the heat wave snaps.

Brooklyn County Fair Summerfest 2010 at the Meadow - July 10th

2010-07-03T18:14:00.000-07:00

Duchess County's got one, Ulster County's got one, just about every county's got one and now King's County will have a down home, small scale version of a county fair at the Urban Meadow on July 10 from 12 PM- 6 PM. Jalopy Theater presents the Brooklyn County Fair Summerfest 2010 with a fabulous line up of great country music with a different band every hour, food from local favorite Jake's Bar-B-Que, ales from sponsor Sixpoint Craft Ales, raffles and giveaways, balloons and face painting and more! The Fair goes from 12 PM - 6 PM at the Meadow and then continues at night at Jalopy at 315 Columbia Street- $10 gets you admission to both shows. As the organizers at Jalopy say "This seasonal festival is back with all new acts celebrating Brooklyn's diverse country music scene. Whether you like country, bluegrass, Americana, cow-punk, or rockabilly, this is the scene for you!"

More information at BrooklynCountry.com
and Jalopy Theater's website

Save our Buses!

2010-06-23T16:19:00.000-07:00

Yeah! The community came out to tell the MTA where to go and to stop the cuts to the B71 bus and all the bus lines slated to be restructured or totally eliminated next week. Kids came with signs saying where they take the B71: to schools, to doctors and dentists, to libraries, museums and parks. Representatives of the disabled came to remind the MTA how essential buses are for mobility. The rally was attended by residents and organizations from the Columbia Waterfront district, Cobble Hill and Carroll Gardens, City Councilmembers Brad Lander and Letitia James and representatives from Assemblywoman Joan Millman and State Senator Daniel Squadron's offices, all of whom represent areas served by the B71. All hail to local resident Marta Heilborn who organized the rally and has gathered hundreds of signatures to stop the elimination of the B71. More good photos and details at the Word on Columbia Street blog including a student-made video on the importance of the B71 bus.

Further action: Write to Jay Walder, MTA Chairman and CEO, 347 Madison Avenue, NY, NY 10017 to let him know what you think of these cuts.

Councilmembers Brad Lander and Leticia James

Students from M.S. 51, P.S. 372, P.S. 58, The Brooklyn New School, Hannah Senesh, Berkely Carroll and many more take the B71 to school

Red Hook Jazz Festival Day 2

2010-06-21T21:00:00.000-07:00

HOTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT - that went for the weather and the music on the second day of the Red Hook Jazz Festival.

Sunday June 20 featured some of the best local jazz musicians around and attracted a crowd of music lovers who stayed despite blistering temperatures for a serious Father's Day musical treat!

James Carney Group with Tony Malaby, Chris Lightcap and Dan Weiss opened the show.

Then came Chris Lightcap's Big Mouth with Chris Cheek, Craig Taborn and Gerald Cleaver.

Neighborhood bassist Todd Sickafoose's Tiny Resistors with Jonathan Goldberger, Mike Gamble, John Ellis, Alan Ferber & Ches Smith.

Lastly the rain held off for the Canadian born now Brooklynite Harris Eisenstadt's Canada Day with his own incredible line up of Nate Wooley, Matt Bauder, Chris Dingman, & Eivind Opsvik

More pictures from a great day:

Thanks to everyone who came to see the music and all the many Urban Meadow members and friends who made the shows happen. Stay tuned for more great jazz in September!

Community Rally to save the B71 Bus

2010-06-18T09:15:00.000-07:00

WHEN: Wednesday, June 23rd at 5 PM
WHERE: Union and Smith Streets Bus Stop

The MTA has declared the Union Street B71 Bus over, but our Brooklyn communities say NO!

We need this bus: to get our kids to schools, connect our neighborhoods, serve the elderly, protect the environment by providing an alternative to cars, and access to Brooklyn's cultural institutions like the Botanic Gardens, Brooklyn Museum and the main branch of the Brooklyn Public Library. Show the MTA, Mayor Bloomberg and Albany how we feel about cutting our VITAL public services

Bring signs that show all the places you travel to using the B71!

RESTORE THE B71 - KEEP BROOKLYN CONNECTED!!

CSAs are healthy AND fashionable!

2010-06-15T19:52:00.001-07:00

An Urban Meadow CSA member posted the above picture to the Urban Meadow's facebook page. This proves that CSAs are not only healthy and environmentally friendly, but also fashionable!

Red Hook Jazz Festival Day 1

2010-06-15T18:34:00.000-07:00

Take some jazz, a friendly neighborhood Assemblywoman, music lovers and some rain and what do you get? Good times on the first day of the Red Hook Jazz Festival on June 13th! Gray skies were threatening all day and rain finally started around 3 PM but not before listeners got a good taste of three amazing bands - Dave Sewelson's BQE laid down some great bluesy jazz. Sewelson himself is the quintessential blues man in his long beard and dark glasses - as you can see, some of our smallest fans bellied up to the stage to enjoy his music:

Next up was Nick Gianni's Evolution - who put the avant into avant garde jazz - loud, proud and beautiful music. Nick Gianni played both the flute and an awesome baritone saxaphone.

And just before the rain started to fall, the Welf Dorr Quartet began and hung in there even when it became clear that the rain wasn't just going to pass over (darn!) - they were fantastic and we love them for staying until the end of their set.

Assemblywoman Joan Millman, who gave the Urban Meadow a grant this year, stopped by to say hello.

We're looking forward to Part 2 of the RHJF this weekend, Sunday, June 20th - Take Your Dad to a Jazz Show day in honor of Fathers Day - bring your pop and a picnic blanket. The show will be from 1PM - 5PM - see the Red Hook Jazz Festival page for details on the line-up. See you there!

Reminder: Red Hook Jazz Fest this Sunday!!!

2010-06-11T06:58:00.000-07:00

Kids are free, suggested $5 donation for adults

There will be snacks, drinks, and t-shirts on sale at the event, with all proceeds supporting the Urban Meadow!

Ommmmm - Yoga at the Meadow starts this Thursday!

2010-06-08T18:03:00.000-07:00

As the sun sets over the waterfront and the air cools down, come enjoy yoga classes at the Urban Meadow. Starting June 10 and for every Thursday in June at 7 PM, instructor Anna Mumford will be offering yoga for a pay-as-you-will donation. Anna has a studio in Red Hook and has been teaching for several years after training in the Forrest yoga method. We are so excited that Anna is coming to the Meadow!

Red Hook Jazz Fest coming up this weekend!

2010-06-07T10:37:00.000-07:00

We're getting very excited for the 2010 Red Hook Jazz Festival coming up this weekend at the Urban Meadow, Sunday June 13th. And on June 20th it's "Take Your Dad to a Jazz Show Day" as the RHJF continues on Fathers Day, Sunday June 20th. See the RHJF page for all the details.

New page for Urban Meadow CSA members

2010-06-07T07:36:00.000-07:00

We've started a special page on the website for Urban Meadow CSA members which will include announcements, information and recipes. See here: Urban Meadow CSA. The page will always be available on the website sidebar.

The recipes are also good for anyone interested in cooking with fresh summer foods!

Urban Meadow CSA - First day photos

2010-06-05T10:14:00.000-07:00

Pier 6 Opens

2010-06-04T17:05:00.000-07:00

Hurray! Pier 6 - our neighborhood's most immediate part of Brooklyn Bridge Park, at the foot of Atlantic Avenue and Columbia Street, is opening Saturday, June 5. Pier 6 will include an incredibly fun sounding playground with special areas like Slide Mountain and Swing Valley. There will also be planted spots with marsh plants, lawns, benches and places to hang out and look at the beautiful view of the water and Lower Manhattan. Aside from all the wonderful features of the Pier one of the coolest additions is the water taxi to Governors Island, only a 3 minute ride from Pier 6 - and it's free.

This view of one of the playgrounds at Pier 6 is from the top of a giant slide:

Urban Meadow CSA Begins

2010-06-04T13:45:00.000-07:00

Saturday June 5, 2010 is the first day of the new Urban Meadow CSA, administered by Just Food. The CSA is partnered with the Anthill Farm, which describes itself as a small family farm committed to organic farming practices.

The distribution point will be in the Urban Meadow on Saturday mornings from 9:00 AM -12:00 PM through the end of October. The first day will be especially fun as the farmers will be there to mingle with the members of the CSA. It's always great to see the Meadow being used for community events like this. We will post with pictures of the first day soon.

"DIRT! The Movie"

2010-05-28T18:07:00.000-07:00

At the Urban Meadow we are interested in all things having to do with the environment and gardening, so "DIRT! The Movie" is right up our alley. This documentary cleverly tells the story of that thin crust of earth we call dirt and which makes life on our planet possible. A humorous and touching complement to Al Gore's film "An Inconvenient Truth," DIRT brings us up close and makes us feel an affection for dirt and all the miraculous and beautiful things it brings to human life.

Appearing in the film are a group of wonderful people from around the world who are fighting to preserve soil, just a fancy name for dirt, as a precious resource and in larger terms save the environment from destruction. In this clip, a brilliant and charming woman named Wangari Maathai, who won a Noble Peace Prize in 2004 for her environmental work, tells a parable about a hummingbird doing it's part to help against what seems insurmountable odds:

Live at the Urban Meadow: The Tumble Weeds

2010-05-25T19:19:00.000-07:00

A video shot this past Sunday at the Brooklyn Folk Festival! This video features the Tumble Weeds, who flew in from New Orleans to play at the Folk Fest.

A square dance grows in Brooklyn

2010-05-24T17:24:00.000-07:00

Skies were so gray and threatening all morning that we wondered whether Jalopy would want to set up their stage, but they were brave and risked the rain. And, for their efforts they, and we, were wonderfully rewarded with a beautiful show, a big audience, and a warm communal feeling - and THEN came the square dancing - tooooo much!

First up was performer Rashad Brown, who, with his cap and solo guitar harkened back to Woody Guthrie.

Next came the Tumbleweeds straight out of New Orleans

Then they announced that the square dancing was about to start. Would everyone be too cool to get up and dance?? No! At it's height at least 100 dancers were swinging their partners as Dave Harvey from NYCBarnDance.com and great band called the tune.

It's not easy to take pictures of square dancing! Everyone is moving so fast:

The day wrapped up with three more bands: Brotherhood of the Jug Band Blues, Stephen Strohmeier, and the East River String Band.

Thank you Jalopy and all the performers and everyone from the Meadow who helped out and thank you to everyone who came to see the show.

Upcoming events at the Meadow

2010-05-20T17:53:00.000-07:00

There is a lot going on in the Urban Meadow's neck of the woods and a couple of wonderful events are coming up on Sunday May 23, 2010.

The Meadow will be hosting Brooklyn Folk Festival events sponsored by Jalopy Theater (including a square dance!). It's only $5 for all the events at the Meadow on Sunday, $15 if you'd like to attend more of the Folk Festival (see link above for details).

Schedule for events at the Meadow on Sunday the 23rd:

2:15pm- *Rashad Brown* – Blues and folk songs

3:00pm- *Sam Doores* – Blues, folk and original songs

4:00pm- *Square Dance!* – *Dave Harvey* of NYCBarnDance.com will call the dance, The Dust Busters will be the band.

5:00pm- *Brotherhood of the Jug Band Blues* – Jug band traditionals and

originals

5:45pm- *Stephen Strohmeier* – Blues, folk and original songs

6:30pm- *East River String Band *- Country Blues duet

And, if you've ever wanted to drink a smoothie made in a blender powered by a man on a bicycle, here's your chance. Come out to the Beautiful Earth Day block party on DeGraw Street between Columbia and Van Brunt Streets from 12-4 PM. The event is being held by Beautiful Earth Group, a sustainable energy organization based in the Columbia Street neighborhood. The slogan for the block party is "Think Globally, Party Locally!" and that sounds fun to us! Lots of music, activities, food, and a variety of environmental or community based organizations will also be on hand. The Urban Meadow will have a table with arts and crafts for kids using recyclable materials.

Kids and gardening

2010-05-19T13:33:00.000-07:00

This picture shows two children from the neighborhood helping out with the gardening in the Urban Meadow. Someone called the pulling of the mugwort a "Sisyphean" task - but these kids were doing their best to join in. They were helped by several other children whose conversations were delightful to listen in on while we sweated over our weeding. The kids were exclaiming over the butterflies, ladybugs, snails, roly polies and other little creatures they were coming across while they worked. And I heard one four year old explaining to two other children that they were pulling out the mugwort because it was choking the other flowers. Gardening is a wonderful way to educate kids about nature and give them the satisfaction of working toward a common goal.

Humans are still useful!

2010-05-03T09:00:00.000-07:00

The Urban Meadow plant sale was a big success in more ways than one. Not only did it bring funds to the garden that we will invest in plants, supplies and equipment for gardening and to support our events, but it brought more people into the Meadow for recreation, picnics and fun.

While gardening over the weekend several volunteers worked hard in the Meadow pulling out mugwort, an invasive weed that more than one member has said sounds like a villain out of Harry Potter. We were talking about how therapeutic it is to get our hands into the garden as a respite from the day to day of living in the city. No matter how much technology moves ahead, will there ever be a machine or computer that can do the delicate job of weeding when the weeds are mixed in with lovely plants that we want to keep? A machine can dig up a whole garden, sure. But can it reach in among the daisies to pull out the mugwort? No. And its comforting to know that this work can only be done by humans.