The Day: Memorial Day, Citi Bikes and Flying Milk Cartons

The Day: Memorial Day, Citi Bikes and Flying Milk Cartons
These kids look like they're trying to enter Fort Greene Park an unconventional way. What unusual sights have you seen around the nabe lately?
These kids look like they’re trying to enter Fort Greene Park an unconventional way. What unusual sights have you seen around the nabe lately? (Photo by Chris Dell)

Good morning, Fort Greene and Clinton Hill.

Yesterday brought lots of rain to the neighborhood. But we saw that some of you still made it outside, shown in this shot of flooding in Fort Greene Park. You can expect a combination of sun and rain this weekend, but Memorial Day looks like it’s shaping up to be a beautiful day.

Memorial Day is also the citywide launch of the Citi Bike Share program, which has already triggered a mix of bitter disapproval and eager support among locals. Will you be hopping on one of the bikes on Monday, locals?

If not riding a CitiBike, how will you spend Memorial Day? If you have fun plans in the neighborhood, be sure to snap a few photos and post them in The Nabe’s Flickr group.

  • Speaking of biking, some local riders have expressed concerns about teens filling milk cartons with rocks and tossing them at cyclists who ride under the Fleet Walk pedestrian bridge connecting the Ingersoll Houses to Navy Street, DNAinfo reported. At an 88th Precinct Community Council meeting on Tuesday, Captain Ceres John said he had not heard about the carton-tossing. “We are noticing kids in the park doing this rite of passage thing where they are hitting the person and running,” he said, according to DNAinfo. “But I have not heard of milk cartons.”
  • Plans are in the works with the city Department of Buildings to construct a five-story, 32-room hotel along Park Avenue between Cumberland Street and Carlton Avenue, Brownstoner reported. The hotel will be part of the Choice Hotel group, which includes Comfort Inn, Quality Inn and Clarion Hotels, the site owner told the website. To move forward, the hotel still requires financing and Department of Buildings approval, so construction is not expected begin until next year.
  • Looking for an artistic, musical event to attend in the nabe this weekend? Consider attending Summer Rising, a gathering of artists, musicians, community activists and filmmakers held tonight and tomorrow night from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. at Free Candy – 905 Atlantic Avenue at Saint James Place. The event will be hosted by Syreeta Gates, the editor of a book called “Just Because,” with music provided by deejay Lil Tiger of the Sound Liberation Front. You can also expect to listen to a spoken word performance, watch the trailer for a documentary called “Lucky,” and hear numerous bands with a variety of musical styles.