Photographers and filmmakers, your lives are about to get a little easier. CSI Rentals is opening a new location in Bushwick where you can rent pro cameras, lenses, gels, video equipment and sound gear. Just to clarify, CSI:Miami is not coming to Bushwick, although it really should.
The Grand Opening will take place tonight from 5-7:30pm and will feature live demos of the latest from Sony HD Cinema (camera nerds, go wild), shooting and work flow samples, and as the flyer states (in caps) “FREE GIFTS FOR ALL.” What will these gifts be? We have no idea, but my best guess is a rental coupon or maybe a camera strap? CSI also promises that you will meet friends. So if you want friends, a new camera strap, and some free snacks, this could be the night that changes your life 4EVER. The new location is at 1138 Flushing Avenue, between the Morgan and Jefferson L stops.
Seriously though, it’s about time we had a place to rent equipment locally, since the hood has become home to so many professional photographers, filmmakers, and artists, as well as photo studios, sound stages, and galleries. Also it’s worth it to note that they have a delivery option, for the super lazy or super busy among us (could go either way on this one).
Victims Ali Eskandarian, Arash Farazmand, and Soroush Farazmand (photo by Gabriela Fellet for SPIN)
If you were reading Greenpointers last week or keeping up with the news in general, you probably haven’t been able to shake a general feeling of shock and horror in the wake of the tragic triple murder-suicide that happened in an unassuming East Williamsburg apartment just after midnight on Monday. Arash Farazmand (27) and Soroush Farazmand (28), brothers and members of the local indie band, The Yellow Dogs, were killed, as well as their friend and fellow musician, Ali Eskandarian (35).
Tonight Brooklyn Bowl is hosting a tribute show and fundraiser in memory of the three victims. All of the proceeds (100%) will go to the families of those killed, the hospital bills for Sasan Sadeghpourosko, the bandmate who was injured in the shooting, and the two surviving members of the band. The show starts at 7pm and tickets are still available for $15-$30.
The memorial will feature performances from Nada Surf, Habibi, James Chance of the Contortions, Luke Temple of Here We Go Magic, Dirty Fences, TV on the Radio’s Kyp Malone, Shirin Neshat, and Hamish Kilgour of The Clean. There will also be DJ sets from Paul Banks (Interpol), Vito & Druzzi (The Rapture), Jonathan Toubin, Nick Offer (of !!!), Sinkane, The Men, and more.
The victims were all expatriates who fled Teheran to pursue freedom of expression, in search of a place where they could perform their music, free of political constraints. Several months ago, Arash Farazmand became the last member of the band to be granted political asylum. But despite the way the story is being reported in the mainstream media, the band’s Iranian roots did not define their identity as artists.
It is sad to report that early this morning a 32 year old man was hit on Meeker Ave between Frost and Manhattan Ave and died from injuries to his head, according to Gothamist. The driver fled the scene and the investigation is ongoing. If you have any information, do the right thing and call 911.
It’s mind boggling that someone could hit another human being with their car and drive away. Our hearts and with the family of the victim during this terrible time.
New website, Walkscore, gives Greenpoint a 94/100 rating for walkability in NYC, but also ranks it as the 58th most walkable neighborhood in NYC. This site says that Washington Heights, Harlem & Crown Heights are all more walkable, but don’t you think they should factor in the increased chance that you’re going to get jacked for your iPhone as a walking factor? Or what about street harassment? I’m not sure the ranking system is cohesive enough.
Joe Lentol is getting the MTA to bring us more G & L trains next Summer. Thanks, Joe, now let’s see if we notice a difference.
The Atlantic did a piece about New Yorkers moving to Jersey City that described moving there as much more welcoming than when you move to NYC neighborhoods that are gentrifying so quickly that there’s an inherent rivalry between new transplants and longtime residents. Greenpoint was described as “totally bipolar” because of this dynamic.
According to a recent survey conducted by NYC’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Greenpointers have less sex partners than most New Yorkers. It also probably means that there are more non-cheating couples in our neighborhood than most of Queens and downtown Manhattan.
And finally, North Brooklyn’s freshest butcher, the Meat Hook, will open a sandwich shop at 495 Lorimer next to Gimme Coffee in January. According to their email blast, expect “cold beer” and “sandwiches like momma used to make, if momma was drunk.” Yum. (Grub Street)
Assemblyman Joe Lenthol of North Brooklyn just gave us the lowdown on the new changes from the MTA that will (we hope) improve our transportation options.
L train service will increase during weekday rush hour (8-9am and 7-11pm) by 5 additional round trips, reducing wait time from 5 to 4.5 minutes. The L train will also receive a 20% boost in service on it’s peak Saturday and Sunday hours (9-11pm).
The runt of the MTA litter, Mr. G train, will also get an increase on weekdays form 3-9pm, decreasing wait times from the current 10 minutes, to 8.5, making your commute home a little faster. We’re unsure at this time, why there wasn’t a weekday morning increase, but we’ll take what we can get for now.
Also, for those planning far in advance, the G train tunnel will be closed from Nassau to Court Street for 5 weeks in July 2014, to repair damages from temporary fixes administered after Sandy.
What will you do with that extra 30 SECONDS of free time (that you won’t be wasting on the subway platform)? Read the world’s shortest e-book? Do one push-up? Knit an invisible sweater? The options are endless.
Many of you have likely shopped at Dalaga, the lovely boutique on Franklin Avenue. But you might not have known that the name of the store is actually a Filipino word that means “lady in her prime.” The two sisters who own the store, Michelle and Mary Mangiliman, chose the name as an ode to their Filipino heritage.
They recently send us this call for donations, in the wake of the tragic typhoon that hit the Philippines.
“Thankfully the area where our family lives was not so badly hit, but nearly 480,000 others were displaced and 4 million more ‘affected’ by the typhoon in 36 provinces,” the sisters wrote to us. ”They are expecting another storm to hit them this morning. Relief agencies are immediately calling for canned food, water, medicine and tents for the homeless. We will be accepting any donations starting today and making regular drops to the Philippine Red Cross. We appreciate any support you can give and hope you’ll help to spread the word.”
In case you still haven’t heard, Greenpoint is getting $19.5 million in funding from Exxon Mobile in retribution for that little (huge) oil spill that polluted our soil and waterways many years ago. The best part of this whole settlement is that the Greenpoint Community Environmental Fund has opened up the floor to proposals from locals (that’s YOU) who have projects in mind to improve the neighborhood’s environmental landscape, as well as education and awareness about environmental concerns. You don’t have to be an environmental scientist or urban planning expert to apply–you just need to have an idea for creating a meaningful impact.
The next workshop/networking event is taking place on Wednesday 11/13, from 6:30-8:30pm. Reserve your spot HERE.
From the GCEF: The workshop will provide prospective applicants with a broad overview of the grant program, the online system, and elements of a successful application. Immediately following the workshop, there will be a networking event where attendees can meet and network with others interested in working together on a project proposal for GCEF funding — including community members who may have similar project ideas as well as technical experts who have know-how to offer to a project.
Locals have been buzzing about the forthcoming bar, cafe, and design store, BÚÐIN, making its debut in the neighborhood come December. We sat down with co-owners Crystal Pei and Elliot Rayman (their third business partner, Rut Hermannsdóttir, is based in Norway) to talk coffee, aquavit, Finnish design and why Brooklyn and Scandinavia go so well together. Continue reading →
In a hurry? Probably not the best idea to take the b48.
Greenpointers, we’ve been getting some serious complaints about the B48 as of late. One resident, who frequents the stop on Nassau and Kingsland, has gone so far as to call and email the MTA multiple times to no avail (they replied to her with several canned responses that marked the case as “closed”).
Our tipster writes: For the past two months, service has been non-existent at worst, shoddy at best. As a major artery in the transportation system in Greenpoint, you’d think the MTA would make an attempt to keep this line running smoothly, yet every morning, many of us find ourselves stranded on Nassau between Kingsland and Monitor. Continue reading →
Update 9pm: According to NBC News, the shooter has been identified as 29-year-old Ali Akbar Mohammed Rafie, who had been kicked out of another band, The Free Keys, last year. The weapon used was specifically a .308-caliber assault rifle. The two bandmates who were killed were brothers (Arash Farazmand and Soroush Farazmand). They were 27 and 28 years old, respectively.
Update 1:30 p.m.: Here is information from the Yellow Dogs’ manager, provided by Pitchork
The shooter was not a former member of the band The Yellow Dogs, he was in another band from Iran and the two groups were acquaintances in the past. A personal conflict between the guys resulted in the dissolution of their relationship in 2012. The shooting resulted in the death of two of the members of the Yellow Dogs, Sourosh Farazmand (guitarist) and Arash Farazmand (drummer), along with a friend of theirs, fellow musician and author Ali Eskandarian. The shooter died from a self inflicted bullet wound on site.
319 Maujer is visible at the far end of the street, which was completely blocked off this morning
It’s rare that we have to report on crime in the neighborhood– especially at this scale. Last night, just past 12am, a man whose identity is being protected at this time, shot and killed 3 of his bandmates in their East Williamsburg apartment, before ending his own life. A fifth man, 22-year-old Sasan Sadeghpourosko, was shot in the arm and is currently in stabile condition, according to ABC Local.
Two of the victims were members of the post-punk band, The Yellow Dogs, and were originally from Iran. The shooter was allegedly kicked out of the band for stealing equipment, but it’s not certain if that motivated the shooting.
According to news reports, police were called to the scene at 318 Maujer Street, where they found a 27-year-old an with a gunshot wound (Soroush Farazmand) on the 2nd floor; 2 more men (Ali Eskandarian, 35, and Arash Farazmand, 28) were found shot in the head on the floor above and the gunman’s body was found on the roof next to the assault rifle he used. Eskansarian was a friend of the bandmates, but not in the band himself.
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