rekindling the love for prospect park

May 14th, 2012 | Posted by Jill in a little brooklyn love | prospect park | slow down - (2 Comments)

It’s been awhile since I used to spend much time in Prospect Park. When I first moved to Brooklyn, the park used to be my oasis – a place of refuge and relaxation. I’m not sure if it’s work or life or all the work I COULD be doing on the house at any given moment, but somehow that quiet time amongst the trees has been one of the things I’ve accidentally given up over the last few years.

Thanks to CH Cycles and the longer daylight hours, my newly-repaired bike and I have been taking an evening spin around the park and falling right back in love. Nighttime bike rides in Brooklyn are one of life’s sweetest pleasures, and it’s one of the best ways I’ve found to relax after a long day at the office. Using gmap-pedometer.com, I’ve discovered a couple of great 7 to 8-mile loops from my house through the park and back, and it’s been blissful. Plus, I just realized this past week that I can actually use that site to track my rides and workouts — I’m hooked!

I thought I’d share a few recent Instagram photos from my nighttime bike rides and I can’t wait to take more this week. If you ever want to go on a nighttime ride / photo outing, let me know! It’s even more fun with friends.




being a big sister is the best job

February 8th, 2012 | Posted by Jill in a little brooklyn love | featured artists | film - (3 Comments)

Back in October during the annual CMJ Music Festival, Zach and I had our first house-crashing. In between their showcases at Maxwell’s and Spike Hill, my brother Mark and his band, Capybara, stayed with us for several days. Their new album Dave Drusky is out today and I couldn’t be prouder. [stream it free on AOL's Spinner blog!]

Naturally, I grabbed my camera while they were here. It was one of those late October Saturdays where the light was perfectly golden, the promises of summer near, the flowers still blooming.

It was warm, just like this music makes me feel.

[P.S. Mark - I'm so proud. Please move back to Brooklyn.]

mark
capybara
the garden, in late october

a little love for kodak on a tough day

January 19th, 2012 | Posted by Jill in a little brooklyn love | film - (1 Comments)

This morning in lower Manhattan, Eastman Kodak filed for Chapter 11 at the bankruptcy court after a decade-long struggle to turn profits in this era of digital photography. If you follow any photography news, you’ve probably read countless articles speculating when this day would happen, but it doesn’t make the pill any easier to swallow (especially when one of the listed ‘liabilities’ is $245M of US retirement pensions. hoo boy.).

Regardless of what happens, I’ll always have love for Kodak. Their films and iconic colors and contrasts elicit nostalgia and inspiration, plus they have captured so many wonderful memories for me and millions of others. There’s no way I could express myself about the gratitude I feel for Kodak better than David Gonzalez did today on the NYT Lens Blog. Be sure to check out his tribute to “Life – and Kodak – Remembered.”

While I try and resist the urge to stockpile Portra and Ektar, Ektachrome and Tri-X, please admire the wonderful Kodak-created images from our Flickr pool below. Please feel free to argue about what you think is the best Kodak film in the comments — even Kodachrome (may it rest in peace)!

“Land Mark, Williamsburg” by Ravi Jolly:
Land Mark, Williamsburg (Bessa-L)

“Coney Island Lights” by Barry Yanowitz:
coney island lights

“Fifth Avenue Diner” by Jill Harrison:
fifth avenue diner

“I C E” by 12th St David:
I C E

“No Parking, Williamsburg” by Shawn Hoke:
No Parking, Williamsburg, Brooklyn, Kodak Ektar 100

“Waiting for Summer, Coney Island” by Larry Beckhardt:
Waiting for Summer, Coney Island

“Tower” by Peter Kruger:
tower

“Red Hook Cranes 6″ by Alex Rabb:
Red Hook Cranes 6

Untitled by John J. Genna:

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albemarle and kenmore terrace charm

January 5th, 2012 | Posted by Jill in a little brooklyn love | flatbush | history | recommended walks - (2 Comments)

In the summer of 1978, when Ed Koch was the mayor of New York and John Travolta was dancing through Brooklyn in Saturday Night Fever, 27 people spoke at a public hearing in favor of designating two quiet blocks in the Flatbush neighborhood of Brooklyn a historical district. Check out a vintage photoset including pictures from that summer over on photographer Frank Florianz’ site. Oh, you sexy Ektachrome, you.

The two blocks in question at the hearing were Albemarle Terrace and Kenmore Terrace. Anchored on the north side by the gorgeous Flatbush Dutch Reformed Church and Parsonage, these two quaint dead-end streets are among the most charming and beautiful I’ve had the pleasure of visiting in Brooklyn.

albemarle terrace

I first learned about this tiny neighborhood when oogling real estate maven Mary Kay Gallagher’s neighborhood guide a couple of summers ago. I have kind of a thing for Brooklyn mews – I find their equestrian history totally romantic and fascinating. So one afternoon, I hopped on my bike and headed off to explore the Terraces.

Once I arrived (a long story involving a very flat bike tire and a bike that has not yet recovered), I found the neo-Federal rowhouses more reminiscent of Philadelphia than Brooklyn. Their original construction dates back to 1916-1917 at the hands of renown Brooklyn architecture firm Slee & Bryson, and Albemarle Terrace is the older of the two streets. The houses that line Kenmore Terrace are slightly more modern than those on Albemarle, and they boast some of the first examples of attached garages which allowed the well-to-do middle class families who resided on the Terrace to easily park their new-fangled cars.

There is a lot more fascinating history about these two picturesque blocks over at NYC.gov, and you can check out the full historic district report here. Also check out more photos over on Forgotten NY – or just head down to Flatbush and see them for yourself!

UPDATE: Ed just tipped me off that there’s an open house this weekend. I mean, if you’re in the market…

albemarle terrace

albemarle terrace