Anyway — who’s in? Let’s meet at the N Train at 8th Avenue at the south end of Chinatown. We’ll walk up 8th Avenue and hopefully sample a few of the local delicacies like hand-pulled noodles, banh mi, and dumplings to ward off the cold. Please feel free to invite friends!

Date: Saturday, January 21st
Time: 3:00pm – 6:00pm (or later!)
Location: Meet outside the N train at 8th Avenue!

Bring a tripod if you want to continue shooting after dark! And if you just want to come along for the food — I don’t blame 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.

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…

This photograph is part of Wilkes’ collection called “Day to Night,” and the pieces are impressive: huge composite photographs of iconic New York landscapes capturing the ebb and flow of the human masses — and the ever-changing light. In an interview with the Village Voice, he describes his process:

It dawned on me, I’m studying New York as an emergent life form, and the way you can see the city flow, it’s a form of emergent behavior. You realize that the pedestrians are communicating, the cabs, all these elements are coming together and creating a complex life form. In a way that’s how the city works. And, in a strange way, photographically, it’s almost an emergent form, the concept of a single photo is being changed in this way.

I can’t wait to go check the gallery out and see his large format pieces up close and personal — the exhibition at CLAMPART runs through October 29th.

Be sure to click on over to see the full set on Arnade’s photostream and learn more about this time-honored Brooklyn tradition!

Coney Island Mermaid Parade portraits by Jane Kratochvil:

“Coney Island Mermaid Parade 2011,” by Anthony Catalano:

Untitled portraits, by Sajid Fakir and Anthony Catalano:

Untitled, by Anthony Catalano:

Untitled portraits, by triebensee:

Check out some of my favorites below and stay tuned for more as the week continues. If you’re hungry for more, be sure to check out these fantastic sets by Adam Lerner, Jane Kratochvil, Oscar Rivera, and Leanne Staples!

“Coney Island Mermaid Parade” portraits by Jane Kratochvil:

Untitled, by Sajid Fakir:

“Dumb Bell” and “Vixen Mermaid,” by Leanne Staples:

“Mermaid Parade 2011,” by Jimmy O’Kelly:

Untitled Portraits, by David Figueroa:

“Mermaid Parade – It Takes All Kinds,” by Vitaliy Piltser:

Untitled portraits, by Adam Lerner:

Untitled, by Adam Lerner:

Last year, For the Love of Brooklyn hosted a meet-up for the event, but the crowds were huge and it was a bit tough to do much photo-walking, let alone photo-standing. So, this year if anyone’s interested, I’ll be heading down a couple of hours early around 11:30-12pm to spend some quality time in the $5-per-camera staging area and walking around as the revelers arrive. If anyone would like to join, leave a comment here or over on Facebook!

In the meantime, check out some of my favorite shots from last year! Aren’t these photographs amazing?

Untitled, by Barry Yanowitz:

Untitled, by Javier11238 and “Electric Blue,” by SpecialKRB:

Untitled, by Jane MacNeil:

Untitled, by Lucy Aboytes and “We Think This is Not a Costume” by SpecialKRB:

“The Life Aquatic,” by Lucy Aboytes:

Untitled, by Joanna Pan:

“Mermaid Parade 2010,” by Jessica Amaya:

“A Coney Island Mermaid,” by GioVision:

Check out some gorgeous work below and hop on over to the Flickr group for more. Stay tuned for details about the next meetup, which I’m super excited about!

“Valentino Pier,” by Josh Derr:

Untitled, by Barry Yanowitz:

A collection of shots by Michael Pearce:

“Red Hook Cranes,” by Alvim Gimarino:

“Sunny’s Bar,” by Josh Derr:

“Rollin’ By,” by http://www.flickr.com/photos/54729663@N04/ and Untitled by Oscar Rivera:

“Fort Defiance,” by Josh Derr:

Untitled, by Barry Yanowitz:

It was a lot of fun to relax and treat my ears to something new, and share in the joy that Zach has for recording live music. He’s been contributing to NYC Taper as of late, and I’m so happy he’s been enjoying his hobby as much as I do with photography. The importance of a creative outlet keeps coming up in conversations with friends and colleagues lately, and I can’t stress how instrumental it is for me to balance out the craziness in life!

I brought my camera along for the show and thought I’d share a few photos. Check out the New York Press for a review of the summery show and some shots below of New Jersey indie darlings Big Troubles, Julian Lynch, and Real Estate!

Big Troubles takes the stage, after opener Family Portrait:

Julian Lynch plays to a sold-out crowd of fans and admirers:

Real Estate closes it down with a set of summery, relaxed rock and roll:

Who’s heading to Prospect Heights this weekend to see the cherry blossoms?!