Gutter Chic

Normally, we're a bit too cool for bowling, but tonight's soft opening of Brooklyn Bowl (61 Wythe Avenue, Brooklyn) might just change our minds. Maybe that's because it defies white-trash expectations of hours-old hot dogs, broken plastic chairs, and stinky shoes. Going a step beyond cosmic bowling, Brooklyn Bowl has a stage for live music and serves up comfort food from Blue Ribbon. Sweet relief to those who spend most of their time in the gutter lane.

Brooklyn Bowl is also a green initiative. The sprawling 23,000 square foot space, designed by Peter Shapiro and Charley Ryan in conjuction with GreenOrder, features a bowler's lounge floor made of reclaimed cork and a stage made entiretly out of recycled truck tires. Even the pin-spotters "use 75% less energy than the industry standard." But seriously, does this look green to you?

[Photos by Adam Macchia, Interior Design by Tristam Steinberg, via Flickr]

Okay, but back to the food and drink: We're talking locavorian with beers by Brooklyn Brewery, Sixpoint, and Kelso -- all of which are served on tap as a way to reduce waste. And according to Blue Ribbon, Brooklyn Bowl will have "a menu designed by Blue Ribbon especially for this exciting venue." They don't have a menu up yet, but here's what they serve at their Brooklyn Brasserie. In the meantime, according to Brooklyn Bowl, "A small snack menu will be served from July 10 through the 20th. On the 21st, an expanded 'preview' menu will be presented, with the full menu by Blue Ribbon debuting on August 4th."

Right now, the operating hours for Brooklyn Bowl are a bit scaled back:

Sunday, Tuesday - Thursday, 6:00 pm - 2:00 am, and Friday and Saturdays 6:00pm - 4:00am. During this time Brooklyn Bowl will not be open on Mondays, and are serving only to a 21+ crowd. ... Live music performances, advance lane reservations, and extended hours (including child-friendly weekend days) will begin in late summer.

And circle September 24th on your calendar for the Lebowski Fest.

Coney Island Mermaid Parade 2009

The destiny of Coney Island may be unknown but, for now at least, we still have The Mermaid Parade! There will, however, be a new route; check it out here. It all goes down this Saturday.

[Image from Flickr via Coney Island Mermaid Parade]

This is one New York tradition you don't want to miss. ...Well, unless nudity and overt sexuality offend you. In that case, you might want to skip it. But if you go, you'll experience over-the-top costumes and reverly.

Bubble Battle Today

We went last year and felt all cheery inside:

Newmindspace presents: The 3rd Annual NYC Bubble Battle

Millions of bubbles fly through the air as we converge in Times Sqauare for a magical bubble battle! Loosely based on the Dr. Seuss Classic The Butter Battle Book.

Bring bubble toys, bubble generators, bubble solution, and plenty of AA batteries :) We will meet in a Times Square location to be announced, fill our weapons and pull the trigger!

web: http://newmindspace.com/bubblebattlenyc2009.php
facebook: http://tinyurl.com/bubblebattlenyc

Bubble Battle NYC
Times Square (exact location TBA)
Friday, June 12th 2009 @ 6:12pm
Rain or shine. Free and all ages!


POP! Bubble Battle afterparty

Sam Black, Newmindspace & Refuge in Exile present: POP!

After the epic bubble battle in Times Square, join us for an afterparty in a spacious, licensed venue in Brooklyn. 2 rooms of bangin' music, giant soundsystem, full bar, and a complete lightshow by Power Trip Lighting.

Featuring Udachi (Staten Island) + more!
http://www.myspace.com/udachi

* Massive bubble machines
* Vapor bubbles w/lasers
* Inflatable human hamster bubble
* Art installations
* Acrobatic performances on the ceiling track

+ other awesome stuff. 18+ ID required

Who's in?

Found!

Just a little reminder that this is going on today. As if you'd forget!

Bubble Battle NYC 2009

We went last year and felt all cheery inside:

Newmindspace presents: The 3rd Annual NYC Bubble Battle

Millions of bubbles fly through the air as we converge in Times Sqauare for a magical bubble battle! Loosely based on the Dr. Seuss Classic The Butter Battle Book.

Bring bubble toys, bubble generators, bubble solution, and plenty of AA batteries :) We will meet in a Times Square location to be announced, fill our weapons and pull the trigger!

web: http://newmindspace.com/bubblebattlenyc2009.php
facebook: http://tinyurl.com/bubblebattlenyc

Bubble Battle NYC
Times Square (exact location TBA)
Friday, June 12th 2009 @ 6:12pm
Rain or shine. Free and all ages!


POP! Bubble Battle afterparty

Sam Black, Newmindspace & Refuge in Exile present: POP!

After the epic bubble battle in Times Square, join us for an afterparty in a spacious, licensed venue in Brooklyn. 2 rooms of bangin' music, giant soundsystem, full bar, and a complete lightshow by Power Trip Lighting.

Featuring Udachi (Staten Island) + more!
http://www.myspace.com/udachi

* Massive bubble machines
* Vapor bubbles w/lasers
* Inflatable human hamster bubble
* Art installations
* Acrobatic performances on the ceiling track

+ other awesome stuff. 18+ ID required

How will you blow your bubbles?

Return of the Wizard: A Video Game Challenge

Calling all gamers:::

3rd Ward's Video Game Challenge will pit you and your friends against each other in high stakes classic video game competition projected onto 10x10 ft. screens with live DJ's. Relive your glory days - minus the grape soda and nagging parents - plus ice cold beers and cash prizes. Each month will feature a new set of games and a new classic platform. From Excite Bike and Zelda, to Mario Kart and NBA Jam. Nintendo thumb is cool again.

Get your game on from 7 PM til midnight tonight at 3rd Ward (195 Morgan Ave., Brooklyn). It's free to attend, $5 to compete.

And if you can't make this one, video-game challenges are every last Tuesday of the month at 3rd Ward.

The Kite Runner

This more or less sounds breathtaking:::

SOCRATES
SCULPTURE PARK and
The Noguchi Museum
present....

KITE FLIGHT: PAPER PLAY
Seventh Annual Kite Making Workshop
Sunday, April 26, 2009 / 11AM - 2PM (rain or shine)
FREE EVENT: The workshop is free and all materials are provided.

Socrates Sculpture Park and The Noguchi Museum are proud to present the seventh annual kite making workshop and flying event. This free hands-on workshop will take place at Socrates Sculpture Park and welcomes children of all ages to participate. Using recycled paper, children and their families can draw inspiration from the Park's fantastic view of the Manhattan skyline to build and decorate a kite, and then fly it in the Park.

Advance registration is not required, but space is limited, so come early! The workshop will be held - rain or shine - in the education area at Socrates Sculpture Park. The workshop is free and all materials and supplies will be provided.

***

Founded by Isamu Noguchi (1904-1988) in 1985 and occupying a renovated 1927 industrial building, The Noguchi Museum helped pioneer the transformation of Long Island City into an arts destination. The Museum exhibits a comprehensive selection of the artist's works in all mediums, displayed in a series of indoor galleries and an internationally celebrated outdoor sculpture garden. Together, this installation and the Museum's special exhibitions expand the context for Noguchi's work and illuminate his influential legacy of innovation. From 11 am - 6 pm, Kite Flight attendees can cross the street to view two special exhibitions: From Plaster to Stone and What is Sculpture?, as well as artworks from the Museum's collection.

Socrates Sculpture Park was an abandoned riverside landfill and illegal dumpsite until 1986 when a coalition of artists and community members, under the leadership of sculptor Mark di Suvero, transformed it into an open studio and exhibition space for artists and a neighborhood park for local residents. Today, it is an internationally renowned outdoor museum and artist residency program that also serves as a vital New York City park offering a wide variety of free public programs. The Park's existence is based on the belief that reclamation, revitalization and creative expression are essential to the survival, humanity and improvement of our urban environment.

Kite Flight: Paper Play participants will get an early glimpse of Socrates Sculpture Park's spring exhibition, State Fair. The show, officially opening in the Park on Sunday, May 10, 2009, centers around American rural life and uses the platform of the state fair as a means to examine topics such as animal husbandry, specialized horticulture, small scale farming, culinary arts, and the pageantry within these fields that occurs at fairgrounds across the country. The show will also incorporate work that references traditional craft, and the myriad of amusements, rides, competitions and entertainment that are presented as part of state fairs.

How high does your kite fly?

Easter Egg Hunt

Get ready... get set... Go!! The Gallery Church is hosting a free community-wide Easter Egg Hunt this Saturday, April 4. Meet at the Great Hill in Central Park at W 106th Street at 11:00 AM. There will be 20,000 eggs to hunt.

It seems to be geared toward kids, but it sounds right up there with the Great Ice Box Derby, the Clown Pie Fight, the Pillow Fight, and the Moustache Competition.

[image]

Wack Someone on Wall Street ... With a Pillow

After some hub-bub between the organizers and a change in location, the fourth annual Pillow Fight is on for tomorrow at 3 at Wall Street. And really, what better place to want to vent your anger??

Check back at Newmindspace for the latest plans (hey, you never know -- it could change last minute), but for now the instructions are:

A massive pillow fight in New York City! Pillows fly and fake cash soars as we converge on Wall Street for a massive urban pillow fight! Swing and whack as you evade pillow-wielding bank executives. Bring a pillow to Wall Street and wait for the signal. Pillow fight!

This year's pillow fight is timed to coincide with pillow fights in cities all over the world. Learn more about World Pillow Fight Day. This event is hosted by Newmindspace.

The Rules
Feather-free pillows only! + Swing lightly, many people will be swinging at once. + Do not swing at people without pillows or with cameras. + Remove glasses beforehand! + The event is FREE and appropriate for ALL AGES. Wait until 3:00 to begin. + Soft pillows only!
Dress to the nines and demand your bailout money :)

The Cleanup Effort: Volunteers Needed!
This year's goal is to clean up 100% of the litter left behind. To help in this effort, do not bring feather pillows. If you would like to help clean up, please bring some trash bags :) We will distribute gloves and brooms.

Today Would Be a Good Day for a Prank, Don'tcha Think?

Head on down to the Village for some pranking after work today. Urban Madness invites you to join in on a super-secret, hush-hush April Fool's Day prank:

This is another mystery event guys, just know that this one is incredibly prompt. If we pull this off it will be fantastic. Be on time at location and we shall make our mark on this day of great practical (and impractical) jokes.

It'll be short, sweet and excellent.

Simply meet at 6:15 at the McDonalds at West 3rd and 6th Ave. We don't know that the prank will actually go down at the fast-food chain, but we can't help but be reminded of Improv Everywhere's stint at McDs.

While we're at it, let's just mention these other zany social events:

April 4: Pillow Fight -- this moved to Wall Street. Look for a post here on Friday.
May 17: First Annual BigWheel GLOW Race
May 30: Silent Rave 4: Return of the Raveapple

[image: Urban Madness]

The Great Ice Box Derby

The first in what is slated to be an annual Ice Box Derby took place this past Saturday at Central Park. Presented by the cutesy-named Zombie Unicorn, the Great Ice Box Derby was pitched as "Think Big Wheel meets sheet of ice." The snow didn't actually come til the next day so there wasn't any ice, but some time after 2:00 PM, a fistful of hipsters, college students, and little kids gathered in the cold to race their homemade vehicles down various hills on the east side of Central Park. These were the results:::