Obviously you guys knew about our Real Estate section, but did you know that we’ve made some changes to pretty it up a bit? Well, we have, so now seems as good a time as ever to see what magical deals can be found within. For starters, how about this 3-bedroom in Ditmas Park for $2,500/month. It’s being called “unbelievable,” and we can see why. Even without the furniture (we know, sucks you have to buy some) the place just oozes class and refinement. Don’t worry, that doesn’t mean you can’t go home with a six pack of High Life every night. (more…)

Daydream photo by Sean Elias-Reyes via PLGArts.org

If you have a kid, feel like one, or just enjoy good theater, catch one of Shakespeare’s best in your own backyard this June. The sixth annual Summer of Free Theater, presented by PLG Arts, is for Children Ages 3 to 103, which means it includes all Brokelynites, both the young and the slightly more seasoned. “Daydream,” a kid-friendly, 45-minute version of William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, will be featured in 10 free performances in Prospect Park’s aptly-named Imagination Playground, every weekend in June. (more…)

The feline-friendly (and allergy-free) folk out there might pounce on this discount: through Memorial Day, Sean Casey Animal Rescue in Windsor Terrace is waiving adoption fees on cats older than 6 months (though donations are still accepted of course). The facility is a no-kill shelter, which means they have lots of cats waiting for a home. Is that home yours? If so, just let me know and I’ll double up on the Claritin before coming over. via DP Blog.

Wanted: dedicated educators willing to stoke open flames: A plug for a firebug-themed charter school? Almost. Or… just a perfectly innocent chance to teach kids the ins and outs of the 18th Century kitchen. Prospect Park’s well-preserved (and always educational) Lefferts Historic House is seeking three volunteers for its Hearth & Oven program. Volunteers will maintain fires, demonstrate cooking and help students and families “prepare foods using traditional tools and methods.” And, you’ll get to sample whatever charred Revolutionary-era delicacies are pulled from the flames. It requires prior experience teaching or cooking, and it’s billed as the perfect opportunity to learn a “unique skill.” Flames will be lit in July and will last for six weeks. For more details and to sign up, here’s the page on Volunteermatch.

This is the eleventh in our series on the venues featured in the second Brooklyn Beer Book. This week we’re showcasing Double Windsor, a below-the-park oasis for craft beer lovers that works hard at keeping the neighborhood vibe.

Photo via Alex Lopez, NYCgo.com

DOUBLE WINDSOR
210 Prospect Park West, Windsor Terrace

What it is: A casual bar with a serious roster of American craft beers, locally sourced pub food, and frogs’ legs (not a euphemism).

Why we love it: It’s spacious, it’s cheap, and comes with an expansive view of Prospect Park West that includes Farrell’s (so that you can see today what Double Windsor might aspire to be in 150 years, in its best dreams or worst nightmares). (more…)

Time to part with those mini-Guccis and Gap onesies. Monk’s Trunk, a children’s resale shop opening this fall in Prospect Lefferts Gardens, wants to stock its shelves your kids’ old stuff—and they’re paying. If you’ve been saving everything of junior’s out of an over-developed sense of sentimentality, we understand… really, we do. But this is your big chance to get a little in return, because the next stop for this stuff might just be Goodwill. And Monk’s Trunk will even pick it all up. (more…)

Hey PLG/Crown Heights/Flatbush organicists—a nice man named Gabriel (OK, we think most all Brokelyn readers are nice) from the forthcoming Lefferts Farm Food Cooperative asked us to post his plea for volunteers:

The co-op is starting up and needs committed volunteers for various committees. Specifically, there is an immediate need for a web programmer with knowledge of Drupal. Also, if you’re currently a Park Slope Food Coop Member you can get work credit with us. For more information and to join our group go to: http://www.meetup.com/plgfoodcoop or contact leffertsfarm@gmail.com.

Kudos to you Gabriel & Co. After nearly 10 years at PSFC, we’d rather commit hari kari with a burdock root than start a cooperative venture of any kind, but we’ll be there on opening day. And we’ll probably already be suspended.

Photo courtesy of Hollywood Masti Masala

All right, so we’ve got ice skating on the brain this week, but it is one of the best reasons to get out (and stay out) in the cold winter months. Our friend Jennifer just tipped us off to another rockin’ reason to lace ‘em up at Prospect Park: music-themed weekend skates—for the same price as the regular skates, when the music is actually pretty great to begin with. On Saturday (Jan. 9) from 10 to 1, the series kicks off with Beatles Skate!, when you can twist, shout and glide your way through Fab Four classics. And there are four more music days leading up to the Springsteen Skate season finale on March 7 (2 to 6). (more…)

Photo by Stefan Tonio

Lee Avent, the author of this post, is the kind of Brokelyn reader we love: when she noted a dearth of coverage of her own neighborhood, Prospect-Lefferts Gardens, she didn’t merely complain—she gamely volunteered to fill the gap. We now know where to find a $4 margarita, 24-hour jerk chicken, a fast and good tailor (here are some in other neighborhoods too). BTW, we also discovered a handy PLG blog called Hawthorne Street. Hit it, Lee… (more…)