“Skatospore (II)”. Photograph provided by Petros Chrisostomou

A couple of weeks ago a remarkable photography exhibition by Petros Chrisostomou opened at Fuchs Projects. The magical photographs of Chrisostomou may appear heavily Photoshopped but, in fact, the only thing manipulated here is your assumptions.

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All photos by Thérèse Maher for Bushwick Daily.

So you spent Valentines Day single? You blacked out on Memorial Day? You were under the thumb on Independence Day? Sounds like it might be time to start celebrating holidays correctly. This Presidents’ Day is the perfect opportunity to brush up on some American presidential history.

History and comedy buff, Sam Palmer, combines his two loves with a hilarious presidential sketch show tonight at the People’s Improv Theatre in Manhattan.

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At The Stepping Razor Barbershop (all photos by Thérèse Maher for Bushwick Daily)

Just when I thought the Barbershop was going the way of the Dodo, one opens up in Bushwick. The Stepping Razor, located off the Morgan L stop on Flushing Ave, has opened its doors to the public, which means all you unkempt Bushwick dudes have no excuses left!

We chatted with Danny Baptista, the man behind the endeavour, about the state of hipster facial hair and correlation between a haircut and manliness. We found out that there’s more to a haircut than just a pair of scissors.

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All photos by Thérèse Maher

Bushwick dogs are howlingly happy this week because they finally got their own playground. A dog run has opened on the north end of Maria Hernandez Park, on Irving and Willoughby.

Dogs and owners are equally excited by the development. “It’s good for them to socialize with other dogs”, says one resident, “it’s good for their temperament.” Charlotte, who owns eleven-year-old Junebug, remarked that prior to the dog park options were very limited. “My friend used to take her dog to the local baseball field, but you had to watch you didn’t get a ticket.”

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All photos by the author

It has been a week since Hurricane Sandy hit New York City. Thankfully at this stage power is back on in many of the affected areas, and I think we are all grateful to have the subway running back into the city. Improvements are happening quickly, which is wonderful.

Our coastal neighborhoods, however, will take a lot longer to repair.  Flood-damaged homes are full of sand and sewage-contaminated mud. Power has been cut off until basements are free from water. The clean-up effort is huge, and, as always with lost possessions, very painful. But many hands make for light work… If you want to get involved, there are loads of options. I volunteered with Rockaway Emergency Plan on Sunday, and they were really awesome. Although, there are many areas where you are needed.

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Text by Therese Maher

Photography by both Therese Maher and Katarina Hybenova

I went to Onderdonk Farmhouse last weekend for the Arbitration Rock Festival. The combination of local history and live bands is more fun than you might imagine. Or was that local history and beer? I forget. Anyway, this place has got some real appeal.

Magical Onderdonk Farm House

As a resident of Bushwick, I have become accustomed to the warehouses and garages of my neighbourhood’s industrial past. The vast stretches of concrete are punctuated with roller door garages and giant storage facilities. I mean this in the nicest possible way: Bushwick has about as much charm as a shipping container. I think I’ve been in need of some pastoral therapy lately because I’m not a New York native and my Astroturf backyard just isn’t cutting it. To my utter delight, when I rode along Flushing Ave looking for Onderdonk Farmhouse I found just that. A farmhouse. A bona fide house-on-the-prairie wet dream.

The house dates back to 1709 and has been used for some pretty varied purposes. The site has been scrap glass depository, a geranium nursery, and a shop that supplied machines to the Apollo space program. It is now a museum and occasionally hosts flea markets and music festivals.

And the arbitration? Well, after ongoing disputes, in 1769 a rock was placed on the property to officially mark the Brooklyn/Queens boarder. The boarder has since moved but the rock remains.

So that’s the history bit. Let’s talk festivities. There were bands playing from midday till almost midnight. Beers were generously priced at three bucks and dogs were welcome (my favourite part). In between sets there were rounds of limbo and a more obscure Dutch game called ‘Spike a Poope’, which involved inserting a nail into an empty beer bottle from a backwards-squatted position.

Hmmm. Maybe not one for the museum walls.

If you haven’t yet had the pleasure, I really recommend a trip to the Farmhouse. Either take a weekend tour (and catch the flea market) or wait till the next festival.

By Therese Maher

The following statement never gets old: There’s a new bar in town. In this case, the town is Bushwick and the bar is Mazelle.

It has been open to the public for about three months and my impression, when I dropped by recently, was that it has hit the ground running.  (more…)

By Therese Maher and Maria Gotay

If you’re an indie music lover with a soft spot for industrial aesthetics, I hope you got yourself over to Brooklyn Fire Proof last weekend for the Bushwick Walkabout Festival. In its second year, the fest was back with a huge line-up of bands and a whole lotta booze. Here’s what went down: two days and nights of great rock music, all the Sixpoint you can handle, hearty burgers, and a relaxed crowd. The weather alternated between drizzling and balmy, but the great local talent was more than adequate distraction.

 

 

How wobbly does my tree pose really need to be? Cobra Club, Bushwick’s newest yoga studio, is also a fully licensed
bar.  Let’s be clear here, though: the tipple is a post-practice activity at Cobra Club. Although there is a Sunday ‘hangover session’, where I can only hope the headstands are optional.  (more…)