Cool or Not Cool: Strip Club Ad on 4th Ave. Billboard

Have you seen the giant billboard for a Sunset Park strip club over on 4th Ave. and President Street? Well, according to Brownstoner, some people are finding it pretty offensive. A reader wrote in:

“Obviously, this is inappropriate for our neighborhood, is there anything that can be done? As far as I’m concerned, it is better that it is a woman’s face, instead of a suggestive photo of a women’s body, but it is still not right for Park Slope!”

I don't know. Peyton's Playpen sounds like the kind of place you might take your kid. 

What do you think? 

The Trendification of the Brooklyn Girl

There's a think piece (and I use that term loosely) over on The Cut today about the marketing of the "Brooklyn Girl" in books, TV and movies these days. Apparently, there is a new chick-lit novel out called Brooklyn Girls, and according to Yael Kohen, the author of the article and a Brooklynite herself, it's a total fail when it comes to describing actual girls who live in Brooklyn. By way of example, she provides a quote where a tanned, good-looking guy gets out of a cab with an equally good-looking woman. 

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Cool or Not Cool: Make Large Parties Give Cops & Community Board a Heads-Up

City Council member Jumaane Williams plans to propose legislation that requires hosts of large parties (40+ peeps) to give cops and their local community board a heads-up at least than three days before. Not that you will need their permission. It would just mean you have to NARC on yourself before the party even happens.

Williams’ legislation comes in response to a shooting at an East Flatbush party last month. A man who was denied entrance fired into a crowd of guests, injuring eight. Williams feels this was inevitable, saying that “when there's 200, 300 people in a backyard, and this happens on a routine basis, you're really inviting trouble."

In addition, Williams proposes fines for house parties that advertise, charge a covers at the door and/or sell drinks (aka “house clubs”).

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Open thread: Summer Reading

Behold, my current summer reading pile, which sort of resembles what a bride needs for her wedding day: something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue. Two things blue, actually. EW has a Summer Must List and New York Magazine's Vulture blog has 25 Books to Beach-Read This Summer. What's in your beach bag? 

FIPS Summer Stories: Two If By Hipster

 

It's hot and gross and the number one thing New Yorkers love to do in the summer is get the hell out of New York. Whether it's the Hamptons or the Cape, the Adirondacks or Catskills we love to flee the red-hot stink of the city for the months of July and August. Problem is, sometimes the very thing we need a break from follows us to our summer destinations. 

I will begin my tale with a little back story...

Right before, the Clinton-era of Good Feelings, my parents were able to score themselves a house on Martha's Vineyard when it was still affordable. It's been in our family for close to 20 years now and it has been my summer escape ever since. Yes, I know, I'm a lucky bastard. 

So, fast forward to last Wednesday, I'm on my way up to MV and I witnessd something that reminded me that you can't always get away from it all:

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