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The Knitting Cure

Traditions that carry on through multiple generations tend to grow in importance as the years pass when we turn to them in seasons of despair. In the weeks following the presidential election, Nicole clings onto tactical wisdom from her grandmother and discovers the ways that traditional threads can connect us together in dismal times. No […]

Slope Survey: Diana Kane English

The Slope Survey returns for its 33rd installment. Diana Kane English is a long time Park Slope resident, having moved here in 1995. She owned her eponymous boutique, Diana Kane, on Fifth Avenue from 2002-2020. It’s now online at www.dianakane.com.  She’s a jewelry designer, sometimes activist and community organizer, art appreciator, mom, friend, and NYC […]

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Recent Stories

Life on Cafe Mars

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 I smirk at my wife across the table, as our waitress presents us with a tray containing an eclectic collection of colorful vintage drinking glasses. They asked us each to choose one for our complimentary welcome toast. I like a little bit of interactive theatre with my meal, as long as it doesn’t come at […]

“Exploring Abstraction”: A Community Collaboration

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Explore the latest exhibit from Park Slope Windsor Terrace Artists in partnership with ShapeShifter Lab. Artistic endeavors exist on every corner of Park Slope, but even longtime residents may not be fully aware of the vast array of creative collaborations within our neighborhood. However, “Exploring Abstraction” is one art exhibit you won’t want to miss […]

Open Studios Showcases Gowanus: A Neighborhood’s Changing Identity

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By: Lauren Hartley and Jaylen Green NEW YORK — Blue balloons wrapped door handles across Gowanus Saturday and Sunday, signaling to the public that they could enter to view work created by local artists.  Gowanus, a neighborhood known for its converted industrial buildings turned art spaces, hosted its 28th year of Open Studios, where hundreds […]

Making the Tough Call

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A lesson on leaning in and learning from our mistakes questioning our assumptions about others’ lived experience is one of the way we can try to learn more the world around us. After this author was faced with a difficult choice in her work as an Attorney, she looks back on her decision in a new light.

Chat with Marty

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If you’ve walked down 7th Avenue in the past month, you’ve likely seen lines wrapped around a colorful storefront. Inside, old newspaper clippings pay homage to the restaurant’s humble origins as a pushcart while the decor emulates a taqueria you might find in LA. In the window, a woman hand presses corn tortillas as burritos […]

We Are Going to Lose Entire Generations of New Yorkers

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By Lauren Hartley NEW YORK — The morning of Saturday, Sept. 21 Sen. Zellnor Myrie joined New Yorkers United for Child Care for a Town Hall with parents at a Park Slope playground. While kids stumbled across the fall-proof rubber playground surface, parents had the chance to share their experiences and concerns about raising kids in New […]

Park Slope Cats

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An unprecedented number of unhoused animals are returning to shelters across Brooklyn. Avid animal rescuers like Maddy Samaddar-Johnson, are working to combat this issue through localized and collaborative groups within the Park Slope community.

What Happens when you Binge Bridgerton

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The popular show set in the Regency era is bound to lure viewers with beautiful costumes, elaborate sets, and fantasies of desire. For this author, one fantasy sparked by the show rises above the rest, and it’s one that would drastically alter one aspect of motherhood. .

Slope Survey: Maddy Samaddar Johnson

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An architect, landscape architect, and urban planner, Maddy Samaddar Johnson has called Park Slope home for many years, and she is passionate about finding homes for all the furry friends in the neighborhood.

Chat with Nasim

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Fascinated by the food scene in New York City in the 80’s, Nasim Alikhani dreamed of opening her own restaurant. After years of honing her skills and overcoming obstacles, Chef Alikhani now serves authentic Persian cuisine with her own unique modern twist at Sofreh restaurant and Sofreh Cafe. Nasim Alikhani is the James Beard nominated […]

Everyone Makes Mistakes

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Fields, courts, and stadiums swell with emotions from high-intensity moments, and athletes often crack under the pressure. What if we set our fear aside and embraced inevitable failures on our paths to success? We may be surprised by the opportunities that appear by removing perfection from the playbook of life.

Dog Day Afternoon

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Although the menu features a contentious rivalry of hot dog styles, Dog Day Afternoon offers a selection to satisfy even the vegan in the bunch. The restaurant’s decor and atmosphere welcomes film buffs, gamers, and hot dog fanatics alike to enjoy the classic hand-held meal together under the same roof.

Groundcycle

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When Vivian Lin learned about the composting process and how food scraps and organic waste could be used as a resource to add nutrients to the soil, she instantly channeled her energy into learning ways to close the gaps of food waste in her community. Within weeks, she shifted her career as a professional architect […]

Song of the Summer(s)

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Music possesses the power to carry memories in melodies. Turn up your speakers and step into the soundscape of writer Nicole C. Kear’s curated playlist of warm-weather tunes, selected from her own scrapbook discography. In the same way that soda tastes better on an airplane, songs sound better in summer. There’s a song for every […]

Slope Survey: Matt Garrison

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The Slope Survey for its 31st installment, this time with Park Slope resident and musician/entrepreneur Matt Garrison. Born on June 2, 1970, in New York, Matthew Garrison, son of Jimmy Garrison (John Coltrane’s bassist), immersed himself in a vibrant artistic community during his early years. After his father’s death, the family moved to Rome, where […]

The Bunny of Park Slope

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I see the bunny on a Tuesday morning just past the park’s entrance on 9th street and Prospect Park West. He’s heading toward the playground but takes a sharp left and continues on through the traffic of people and bicycles. I can’t keep up with him.

The Power of Huddles

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When you watch or play team sports you will undoubtedly experience “the huddle”. These are the times when groups of athletes on the same team come together, with or without their coach, often during time outs or other breaks in the action. If you’ve never played a team sport you might have no idea what happens during these huddles. And, if you’ve played tons of sports you might take huddles for granted. Huddles are vital in sport, and in life.

Green Space & The City

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In a densely populated city like NYC, green spaces are a limited resource. Sera Rogue wants to change that by cultivating green spaces through her sustainable landscape design and holistic gardening studio, Red Fern Brooklyn. Rogue and her team create and install custom-designed gardens to fit your unique needs. By using an ecologically-conscious approach, Red […]

The Heart of Brooklyn: Park Slope Farmers Market

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Open all weekends in all weather, the Grand Army farmer’s market is a neighborhood institution. GrowNYC Greenmarket Director and Park Slope resident Liz Carollo talks about why the Grand Army location is “the heart of Brooklyn” and offers advice for new customers and regulars.

Bernice

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Plants are one of those things that everyone, everywhere, agrees are good for you. Like exercise or deep breathing, there seems to be no end to the benefit plants offer. Topping the list: they give you oxygen. Could there be a more life-sustaining benefit?  And yet . . .  Plants are so boring. Like exercise […]

The Regina Opera’s Cavalleria Rusticana

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The most under-rated arts venue in Brooklyn continued their 54th season of classical Italian opera with a free performance of Cavalleria Rusticana this Tuesday evening, February 27th. The production runs March 2-10th.

Slope Survey: Jon Glaser

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The Slope Survey returns for it’s 30th installment Jon Glaser is an actor and writer who created, co-wrote and starred in the TV shows Delocated, Neon Joe Werewolf Hunter, and Jon Glaser Loves Gear. Most people recognize him as Councilman Jamm from Parks and Recreation and/or Laird from Girls.  An Emmy winning/multiple Emmy nominated TV […]

Balancing King Winter in Brooklyn

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Now that winter is upon us, we must learn to tell the truth. Instead of a still photo shot of rain falling onto a green bush of ivy, winter in Brooklyn pushes us inward forcing us to have a reckoning with ourselves. In the bustle of the holiday season, in the line at the grocery […]

Retour au Début: A long overdue review of Olivier Bistro

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There is a bias in food writing toward featuring the new, the novel, and the trendy. It is important to draw attention to established places where chefs are trying out new things, or striving to elevate and reimagine cuisine. I could argue that this place was the first neighborhood spot that made me realize how […]

A New Joint in Town for the Creative Soul

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The ShapeShifter Lab now occupies the former location of the Tea Lounge, a Park Slope landmark. In the new space, they’ve continued to grow their business with yoga and dance offerings. They also have a professional music and entertainment space that almost always has something going on. You can also come by for your coffee or tea hit in their lounge, open daily.

Pottery Is Back in Park Slope Like It Never Left

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A dozen wheels punctuated with orange clothes and mats stretched out in front of a long slab of wood, like a spinning Last Supper set-up. I picked a spot at the end to avoid breaking up couples who attended together. After grabbing clay from a repurposed trash bin, I threw the clay around in my […]

Snow Boots, Me and Chat GPT

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There have been many drawbacks to being a writer but a brand-new one, specific to the particular moment in time, is this: at every holiday gathering, an extended family member is sure to tell you that soon, AI will take your job

Reader Recommendation: Our Favorite Coffee Shops

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Coffee shops are the cornerstones of a metropolitan life, but not all coffee shops are the same.  For me, I have coffee shops that require a perfectly distanced walk to wake me up alongside a cappuccino. I have a spot for decadent pastries like burnt cheesecake and drippy cinnamon buns, perfect to dig into once […]

Slope Survey: Ed Pilkington

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Ed Pilkington is the chief reporter of the Guardian in the US. He’s worked for the Guardian for more years than he cares to mention, initially in London where he was a general news reporter and then became an editor, running the newspaper’s international news and domestic news coverage. He’s the author of Beyond the […]

My Brooklyn Doula

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I first meet the Anna Carapetyan on the phone, although, I’m pretty sure we were either related, married, or ruling a huge country in a past lifetime, sans colonialism. She is a Brooklyn Doula, I am a writer, and we have a lot in common, and I mean A LOT. For starters, we are both […]

A Burger for the Ages

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In Red Hook, there is no shortage of seafood and beer in the neighborhood, and one could write an article dedicated to the various perfect ways to spend an afternoon in the dockside enclave. However, today I am not here to talk about the dives, or the crabs, or the breweries. Today I am here […]

The Ripped Bodice and the Power of Reclaimed Femininity

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It’s Portlandia’s Women and Women First but this one seems a bit more pink, a lot more inclusive, and all about love and community.  By now you’ve heard about them, read about them, joined one of their book clubs, or at least been stopped in your tracks by our lovely new pink neighbor on 5th Avenue. The […]

It’s A Wonderful Life

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Nothing compares to the classic gift of a beautiful fresh flower bouquet. Whether for a birthday, anniversary, or “just because” flowers are a sure way to brighten up a room and bring a smile to your face. No one in Brooklyn knows this better than at Zuzu’s Petals flower shop.

Dispatches from Babyville

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No Slouch: A Middle School Story My youngest child, Terza, is starting middle school this fall. And I am thinking about socks.  Slouch socks.  E.G. Smith slouch socks.  If you entered puberty in the mid-80s as I did, these words will catapult you back in time and place — like Proust’s madeleine, only instead of […]

Slope Survey: Michael Hearst

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The Slope Survey returns for its 28th installment, this time with resident and writer/performer Michael Hearst. Michael Hearst is a composer, multi-instrumentalist, and writer. His most recent project is a four-part book series, each book geared toward a grand theme: Unusual Creatures, Extraordinary People, Curious Constructions, and Unconventional Vehicles. Each book includes a companion album, […]

Aging Backward with Brooklyn

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Everyone dreams of living in Brooklyn at some point in their lives. If someone says this isn’t true, they’re lying. The brownstone brick, the tree lines streets, and the tin roofs of coffee shops evoke a sense of wonder.

He Who Controls the Spices

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There are two prevailing theories on the best way to handle the Summer heat, and while some if us are gearing up for an expensive summer besides our window-AC unites, many are keen ti embrace the heat. Our review of Park Slope’s latest culinary triumph, Masalawala & Sons.

Sky Transmissions: Astrological Wisdom for Venus Retrograde

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“There ain’t no answer. There ain’t gonna be any answer. There never has been an answer. That’s the answer.”— Gertrude SteinAstrology is a powerful tool for predicting major life events and choosing when to take action. Thinking about romance? Applying for a new job? There’s a right time for all those things, and Astrology can […]

The Tiny Delights of Summer in the City

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My fellow Brooklynites, all you fine folk who are not sunbathing in the Hamptons or frolicking at the Jersey Shore at present, I offer to you an assortment of summer city delights hiding in plain sight.

You Don’t Mess with the Ump

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Any parent with a child involved in sports these days knows there is a shortage of officials, referees, umpires, etc. School, recreational, and travel/club leagues across the country are canceling games and shrinking tournaments because they cannot find the officials the need. Demand is high, and growing, after the COVID19 pandemic “sidelined” most sports. But, […]

Slope Survey: Tami Sagher

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The Slope Survey returns for its 27th installment, this time with Park Slope resident and writer/performer Tami Sagher

High Tea in the Heights: A Review of Brooklyn High Low

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As the weather warms here in Brooklyn, there is no better way to enjoy the beauty of the season than by indulging in the delightful and timeless experience of afternoon tea. Spring in Brooklyn is a time of renewal and growth. The budding flowers and blooming trees paint the city in a breathtaking palette of […]

Motherhood, Tantrums, and the Refuge of Prospect Park

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My middle child, Alma, came on the heels of a miscarriage. Two months after I lost a baby, my daughter appeared on a blurry sonogram screen in a run-down doctor’s office in the heart of Brooklyn. I knew that I would name her Alma, the word for soul in Spanish, the word we say in our home when there’s something deeper than “I love you.” Mi Alma, we say in Spanish, my soul.

I’m Guessing I’m Some Kind of “NIMBY” Pt.1

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In case you’re wondering what a “NIMBY” is: “NIMBY” stands for “Not In My Back Yard”. The characterization of a NIMBY is someone who opposes a proposed development in their local area, that they would likely support if built somewhere else. Calling someone a NIMBY is usually intended to be an insult; calling someone on their hypocrisy. That’s definitely […]

Listen While You Lounge

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If you happen to be trudging down 5th Avenue on an icy night, seeking refuge and a stiff drink to warm your hands and heart, you can’t do better than Honeycomb.

Dispatches from Babyville: The Unexpected Delights of Winter in the City

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Every year, sometime between New Year’s and Valentine’s Day, I announce to my family, “Now is the winter of our discontent!” Which is another way of saying, winter in the city has more than its fair share of miseries.  What is sometimes more difficult to recall, as the salt-white snow turns pepper- black and the […]

The Privilege of Choice: Public Schools in New York City

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If you haven’t seen the news, the New York City council approved a budget that drastically slashed public schools funds for the 2022-2023 school year. Mayor Adams claims the cuts were necessary due to declining enrollment in the system. But, those of us with vested interest in these schools know the budget has never been adequate. Teachers and parents are suing to force a restoration of funds. The Council and our Comptroller are trying to find other ways to get the money back to our schools.

Dispatches from Babyville: It’s Never Too Cold

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Seventeen years ago, I had a baby. This fall, that baby — known in these parts as Primo — is headed off to college. This major life event has triggered plentiful reflection, and even more plentiful worrying. In fact, one of things I’ve realized in my reflecting is that I haven’t stopped worrying in seventeen years.

Over 100 Million Rides

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That weekend visit was the first time I remember using a Citi Bike. I inserted my People’s Bank debit card in the large blocky kiosk and quietly swallowed a lump in my throat after agreeing to the $200 dollar hold on my card in case of loss or damages.

Dispatches from Babyville: Dog Days

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I am not a “dog person.” I take about as much interest in a dog on the street as I would in a mailbox, or a bus. Depending on its appearance and comportment, I might admire or disdain it, but I would not take any particular pleasure in seeing it and would definitely not feel the urge to touch it.

Slope Survey: Tony Ward

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The Slope Survey returns for its 23rd installment with Park Slope resident and Broadway actor Tony Ward.

Park Slope Sustainability Guide

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Spring is here! On every street, we are beginning to feel the warmth of the sun, the blossoms of tree buds, the songs of birds, and Prospect Park growing green again. We are reminded of the beauty nature brings to our lives! Sadly, springtime also reminds me of our destructive disconnection with nature that’s ultimately […]

Loyalty to Place

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After many years here – and anchored by deep ancestral roots – I often wonder how Park Slope will factor into my future.

The Kids Need Coaches

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I spent a few hours this week emotionally preparing for the “draft”. It’s not the NFL, NBA, or MLB draft that had me sweating; it was the SFX Youth Sports, 2022 Spring Baseball Season, Grasshopper Division draft.

The Sweet Life

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Like half the people you know, my family and I got Covid at Christmas. It was a mild case for all of us, and we’ve made a full recovery. So this isn’t a story about Covid.

Dog Fight

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Advocating for a Dog Park in Prospect Park: The Start of a Journey
Why doesn’t Prospect Park have an off-leash dog run? And how do we get one? Let’s find out.

Sterling Records: A New Hub of Music Culture & Community

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Head to the newest record store to browse your favorite music, literature, and games, and even discover new favorites amidst the vast collection. With radio shows, backyard events, and other ideas on the horizon, Sterling Records is supplying a hub of culture for Park Slope Residents to explore. A new hub of music culture and […]