And you thought your landlord was bad at fixing things

Photo via scottclarkphotography.net

You think getting your landlord or super to fix shit in your apartment is hard now? Try having to go through the bank! Gotham Gazette recently reported that many New Yorkers – including Park Slopers – are being forced to do just that.

An estimated 30,000 New Yorkers were forced to put their property in foreclosure when the housing bubble burst a few years back. Many of those foreclosures were on rental buildings, meaning that tenants were left with no one to turn to when the light fixture broke in the hallway or the roof started leaking.

READ MORE

[FIPS WAS THERE...] 'The Little Dog Laughed' at The Gallery Players

Photo by Neal Freeman | From left: Yore, Seibert, Mendes, and Verafield

We here at FIPS spend a hell of a lot of time out and about in Brooklyn, attending outdoor concerts, comedy shows and various other events. So [FIPS Was There...] is where we're gonna' talk about all this shit.

When I first discovered that Park Slope had its own theater company, I was hella embarrassed. After all, I talk a big game about how I’m on top of shit around these parts. You’d think it wouldn’t take the five years I've lived here to find the goddamn theater in the neighborhood!

READ MORE

More Etiquette Rules for New Yorkers to Follow!

VIA JAYSHELLS

Artist Jason Shelowitz (a.k.a. Jayshells) made a name for himself last April when his super rad Subway Etiquette posters popped up around town. The guerrilla marketing campaign didn't make the MTA too happy, as they quickly removed the 600+ posters around the city (our personal favorite? this one against nail clipping). The posters eventually resufaced on Jayshells' Etsy page, at $75 a pop. 

READ MORE

Celebrate your Gay Marriage This Weekend With Marty Markowitz!

New York made history on Friday, June 24th when the marriage equality bill passed and that weekend was one huge celebration. Governor Cuomo signed the bill into law late on Friday evening, and by the time the NYC Gay Pride Parade winded down on Sunday evening, even the straightest people we knew were rawkin' a rainbow flag and a hangover. But newsflash: it takes 30 days for bills to go into effect, which means this Sunday, July 24, it's officially legal for the gays to get hitched in New York State!

Oh heeeeeey, it's time to party all over again!  

Of course, anyone who's had to go to the DMV knows that government organizations are usually closed on Sundays. But like TD Bank, New York State now has Sunday hours (albeit just this once), as all five City Clerk's Offices will be open from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM this Sunday to start ringing in the gay marriages. 

READ MORE

[FIPS WAS THERE...] 'Ghostbusters' at Brooklyn Bridge Park

New column alert! We here at FIPS spend a hell of a lot of time out and about in Brooklyn, attending outdoor concerts, comedy shows and various other events. So [FIPS Was There...] is where we're gonna' talk about all this shit.

Last Thursday, a few of my besties and I made the trip over to Brooklyn Bridge Park for our first outdoor movie of the season. The flick showing that night was Ghostbusters, the 1984 classic starring Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Sigourney Weaver, and a baby-faced Rick Moranis (note to self: Netflix Honey I Shrunk The Kids immediately). 

If you haven't been to an outdoor movie at Brooklyn Bridge Park, you have plenty of opportunities -- the Syfy Movies With A View series runs every Thursday night through September 1st. Here's a few tips:

READ MORE