Recently in Gowanus Category

Lineup for the Yard (Carroll Street on the Gowanus) Sunday parties has been released and it looks to be a super fun summer--and all within walking distance:

Sunday Best! takes over The Yard, a leafy waterside lot on the Gowanus Canal for a nice, mid-afternoon barbecue. It's no ordinary weenie roast, though. The bar-b's organic and resident DJs Justin Carter, Eamon Harkin and Doug Singer play alongside some of the finest DJs to ever take on a back yard…

May 25
Roy Davis Jr – Chicago house legend playing his first New York set in years

June 01
King Britt – This party with the former Digable Planets member is FREE!

June 08
Trusme – A Manchester man walking in the very large shoes of Moodymann

June 15
Stefan Goldmann - Innervisions artist who makes jangling, melodic dance music

June 22
Afrika Bambaataa – The hip-hop progenitor and legend who still keeps it eclectic

June 29
Rick Wilhite and Jerome Derradji – Three Chairs member with Still Music founder

July 6
Riton – UK re-rubber on Berlin's Get Physical imprint

July 13
Kevin Saunderson – The Detroit legend plays a special house set

July 20
Move D – Former Warp Records ambient artist now making super deep house

July 27
The Wurst BBQ – My Cousin Roy and Doug Lee serving up sausages!

August 3
Danny Wang – The prodigal progenitor of disco house returns to New York!

August 10
John Tejada – Maker of the lushest and bumpiest techno of the past decade

August 17
Pilooski – Paris' edit-maker of the moment

August 24
Joakim – The Tigersushi and !K7 artist brings weird, organic dance jams

August 31
Metro Area – Hometown disco heroes close out the series nice and easy

Though you should never need an excuse to check out all the great art and design going on in Gowanus (and surrounding neighborhoods), the Annual Gowanus Artists Studio Tour does give you a good one. Today and tomorrow, between 1 p.m. and 6 p.m., artists open their studios and pretty much every medium is represented. There's a printable map on the website, or you can pick up a brochure at one of the stops.

Taken over Labor Day weekend.

While we're on the subject of The Yard (see Black Sabbath post), I thought I'd pass along this flyer for a Labor Day shindig there. Might interest ABL: Radio listeners.

Sometimes information converges. Like on Saturday when we were crossing the Gowanus Canal at Carroll Street and stumbled upon a performance at The Yard (that outdoor space on Carroll Street that every so often fills the Gowanus with sweet refrains of live music). I'm not a metal connoisseur,  but Dennis assured me it was a Black Sabbath cover band. And, lo and behold, but what do I find in my ABL inbox, but an email announcing "an afternoon of Black Sabbath, with the Rub and Sabbra Cadabra, the world's greatest Black Sabbath tribute band." I'm happy to report that the crowd was way into it (and cover was only $3). Also, the Gowanus was as high as I've ever seen it. Just FYI.

MSNBC: Whale Wanders into Brooklyn Bay
Gothamist: Guess What's in the Gowanus Canal
Gowanus Lounge: Gowanus Whale Tale Continues
NY1: Whale Spotted in Gowanus Canal

Most fascinating story of the month, I say.

Our friend over at RandomBrooklyn took this rather disturbing/amusing picture of the Whole Foods site in Gowanus. Brings new meaning to genetically modified veggies.

For those worried about the Mermaid Parade being a little too wet on this soggy Saturday (or if you're saving your weekend subway energy  for Pride tomorrow), a closer alternative is the Miss Rockaway Boat Party on the Gowanus. Hard to tell if the World War II navy boat will provide much shelter from the rain, but it might at least be a shorter trip to a local bar in case of torrential outbursts. DJ sets are listed as "booty bass, disco, and fucked up global hip hop," and a performance of Alan Lomax sea shanties should complete the appropriate Noah's ark vibe.

First, I must apologize for the lack of photos on the site. I've misplaced (lost?) my camera battery charger, and the battery is dead. It makes me very sad. I keep hoping I'll find it in the apartment, but I just might have to bite the bullet and buy another one.

Now, on to Pathmark. With the loss of the world's most poorly run Key Food on Court Street, which still hasn't turned into the promised drug store, the neighborhood had to find a new place to shop for groceries. Of course, we still patronize Sue and her natural foods mini-grocery, and on occasion we've stopped into that little grocery next door, which is only good for the very basics of basics (hmmm .... I think I need a can of tomato paste). But we've also started making the trek to Pathmark, known on the company's own website as Gowanus Pathmark. On our side of the neighborhood, it's not so far away.

You'd never know it was there, even if you're a frequent shopper at Lowe's, which shares a parking lot with the behemoth (Pathmark faces Hamilton). And it is a large grocery store. It's like stepping into the suburban grocery store of one's youth. Wide aisle, so many aisles that you could lose a child in there if you really wanted to. It still puts the veggies on Styrofoam trays, but at least the veggies are fresh. It also has an impressive selection of Latin food products--Latin cheeses, crema Mexicana, arepas-making stuff, wide selection of items from Goya.  And it's a good place to stock up on staples.

Of course, the vast majority of people there are stuffing their carts with extra-large bags of frozen chicken wings, so if you find bulk purchases of frozen meat products disturbing, you might want to stick with the Met Food on Henry.