Brooklyn Angle: In what may have been humanity’s most humbling day since scientists taught a monkey to communicate by sign language, a trio of elephants from the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus defeated three legendary human athletes in a hot dog bun-eating contest in Coney Island this afternoon. Comment.

Another explosive win!

By Gersh Kuntzman

Cyclones: This team is now 12-2 — and unstoppable. Comment.

A freaky three-way for the Smash or Trash team!

By The Brooklyn Paper Smash or Trash team

Smash or Trash: With a big music weekend upon us, the Smash or Trash team reviews three new songs. With video … Comment.

Thursday, July 2, 2009

Our entire newpaper — one click away

Page 1: A lot of people ask us, “Hey, Brooklyn Paper, how can I enjoy all of my favorite Brooklyn Paper columns, news articles, ongoing coverage, calendars, features and even art reviews while I’m sitting at home doing nothing?” And here’s how we always answer: Click the link above our entire print newspaper will download into your very own computer. It’s amazing and fun, too!

Brooklyn Museum’s Yinka Shonibare show blows away the art world

By Mike McLaughlin

The Butcher of Flatbush Avenue Extension: The Butcher of Flatbush Avenue Extension raves about Yinka Shonibare. Comment.

Circle jerks? Neighbors say that punky kids ruin Bartel Pritchard Square

By Ben Muessig

Park Slope: Windsor Terrace residents are railing against a crew of skateboarders who hang out in the circle at the end of Prospect Park West. Comments (30).

Fifth Avenue fatality shows that this road needs to be safer

By Robert Voris

Mean Streets: Everyone on Fifth Avenue agrees that the struggle among cars, trucks, buses, bikes and pedestrians is ridiculous — but over the weekend, it again turned deadly. Comments (21).

Can anyone stop the Cyclones?

By Gersh Kuntzman

Cyclones: Of course he was safe! The Cyclones are on a 10–2 tear! Comment.

A ‘round’ of applause for city’s Park Circle plan

By Ben Muessig

Mean Streets: The traffic circle at the southeast corner of Prospect Park is such a mess that the neighborhood group most known for its disapproval of the Department of Transportation has joined forces with the hated agency in support of a plan to lessen traffic, ease pedestrian crossing, and improve safety for bicyclists and horses. Comment.

Fed, Bloomy ‘Superfund’ battle slogs to the finish

By Mike McLaughlin

Cleaning the Gowanus: The Gowanus Canal is in an unusual position of having two governments bitterly fighting for the right to clean the horribly toxic waterway — and both Mayor Bloomberg and the federal Environmental Protection Agency are upping the rhetoric with less than a week left in the public debate. Comments (2).

Oedipus Recchia! Council panel is not too keen on Bloomy’s Coney rezoney

By Mike McLaughlin

Coney Island: Mayor Bloomberg’s controversial plan to redevelop Coney Island came under a blistering attack from a hostile City Council committee on Wednesday. Comments (5).

Save the food vendors!

Editorial: Our editorial board believes that licensed street food vendors are a valuable part of our urban life. Comments (2).

Web readers ask: What’s so bad about street food vendors

Letters: Our online story about a Bay Ridge group’s efforts to ban food vending (“Sh-WAR-ma! Ridge group seeks city ban on food vendors,” June 26) received an astounding number of comments. Here’s a fair synopsis. Comment.

It’s tee time for Dyker Beach course!

By Thomas Nocera

Fitness: It’s a hole in one for Brooklynites this summer! Comment.

One wrench in Ratner’s plans

By Cristian Fleming

Atlantic Yards: Our cartoonist Cristian Fleming offers his take on the latest Atlantic Yards court battle. Comments (1).

It’s giglio time in Williamsburg!

By Robin Riskin

Event: Music will fill the air. Kids will fill the rides. Canolis will fill the mouths. And, most important, an 80-foot-tall, three-ton statue will rise above it all. Comment.

Michael Showalter and Michael Ian Black at the Bell House!

By Ben Muessig

Nightlife: On July 15, Gowanus will be Brooklyn’s comedy central. Comment.

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

State’s highest court sees some ‘appeal’ in Yards eminent domain case

By Mike McLaughlin

Atlantic Yards: In a twist that could be disastrous for Bruce Ratner, New York’s highest court surprised many and agreed to hear an appeal that the state has illegally used its power of eminent domain to spearhead the embattled $4.9-billion Atlantic Yards project. Comments (9).

Brooklyn Bowl is almost here!

By Jacob Kleinman

Adam Macchia

Nightlife: The hippest, most happening bowling alley ever is about to open. Comment.

Nurses: Give us more nurses!

By Jacob Kleinman

Fort Greene: Nurses at Brooklyn Hospital took to the street on Wednesday morning to demand a larger nursing staff and an increase in the Fort Greene medical center’s “terrible” nurse-to-patient ratio. Comment.

July 4 will be America’s darkest day

Brooklyn Angle: Our columnist predicts that Takeru Kobayashi will triumph at Saturday’s hot dog-eating contest in Coney Island. With video … Comments (2).

Williamsburgh Savings Bank to be a wedding hall

By Mike McLaughlin

Fort Greene: Get ready to start rocking around the clock tower. Comments (5).

Here they are — your Police Blotters

Link: If it’s Wednesday, it’s Police Blotter day on BrooklynPaper.com. Find your neighborhood below or click the link above to get a full list.

Bar Reis goes into the sandwich business

By Gersh Kuntzman

Dining: Just what you want: tapas sandwiches! Comment.

Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Fee sting! This DUMBO cash machine charges $3.99!

By Mike McLaughlin

DUMBO: Talk about soaking the tourists! Comments (4).

Smartmom’s first Father’s Day without her dad

By Louise Crawford

The Brooklyn Paper / Allyse Pulliam

Smartmom: If it’s Tuesday, it must be Smartmom day at BrooklynPaper.com. This week, Smartmom remembers the father she lost last year. Comment.

Marty likes Bill and David — two borough pols — for higher office

By The Politicrasher

Politicrasher: Surprise, surprise: Borough President Markowitz has endorsed the only Brooklynites in the races for public advocate and comptroller. Comment.

Is Bushwick ready for a mini-mall?

By Jacob Kleinman

Bushwick: Everyone knows that Bushwick has arrived — but will the shoppers follow? Comments (6).

Let’s be frank: No one sings of hot dogs and buns like Amos!

Event: The eyes of the world will be on Coney Island again on Saturday, when two-time world hot-dog-eating champion Joey “Jaws” Chestnut faces off against Takeru Kobayashi, the six-time champion who redefined competitive eating greatness before Chestnut dethroned him in 2007. With video … Comment.

Monday, June 29, 2009

These are R(epulsive) and N(asty) trains

By Thomas Nocera

Transit: Now we know what the “R” and the “N” stands for in the names of two of Brooklyn’s key subway lines: “Rancid” and “Nasty.” Comments (4).

Nydia: The Gowanus is ‘Sponge’ worthy!

By Mike McLaughlin

dandl Studio

Cleaning the Gowanus: The proposed Sponge Park along the banks of the fetid Gowanus Canal is finally living up to its name in one way: it’s soaking up federal money. Comments (3).

What’s in a name? The Parks Department hopes cash at McCarren Park

By Ben Muessig

Greenpoint: A proposal to sell the naming rights of the someday-to-reopen McCarren Park Pool has put a long-deceased state Senator in the fight of his afterlife. Comments (2).

Carroll Gardens gets in the (re)zone

By Mike McLaughlin

Carroll Gardens: The rush to restrict building heights on 86 blocks of Carroll Gardens and the Columbia Street Waterfront District moved forward last week when the Community Board 6 Land Use Committee approved height limits on new construction in the historic brownstone neighborhoods. Comment.

Sunday, June 28, 2009

Great weekend for Clones — and even better for Oliver Perez

By Gersh Kuntzman

Cyclones: The Cyclones win two of three games — and rehabbing Met starter Oliver Perez looks ready to return to the big leagues. Comment.

Friday, June 26, 2009

Sh-WAR-ma! Ridge group seeks city ban on food vendors

By Ben Muessig with Thomas Nocera

Dining: Bay Ridge’s community board is pushing the city to ban street food carts from several commercial strips. Food vendor fans are crying foul. Comments (10).

Press release of the year! Dom mourns Farrah, Jacko

By Gersh Kuntzman

Politics: And you said there was no Brooklyn angle on the deaths of Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson! Comments (5).

Money train derailed for DiBrienza

By Thomas Tracy

Windsor Terrace: The city’s yearly cash stream to a former Councilman Steve DiBrienza’s not-for-profit — a flow of money that became such a political liability that he was forced to drop out of the race for his old seat — has been plugged. Comment.