Take A New Look at LICH-Now Part of Suny Downstate

By Tobey, 14 December, 2011, 1 Comment

Recently, a friend told me she schlepped all the way to an emergency room in Chelsea when her six year old broke his arm–because her pediatrician suggested it. She lives about three blocks from Long Island College Hospital. Ok, maybe LICH has not always had top notch ratings, but I’ve never had a bad experience taking my children there for care. And now that it has merged with Suny Downstate Medical Center (the new name is Downstate LICH), I felt it was time to check in with this diamond in the rough we are so lucky to have in neighborhood. When I reached out, they were happy to discuss what’s changed and what you can look forward to in its new iteration (specifically, a ramped up pediatrics department). Here is the letter I received from Debra Carey, CEO of the hospital. Whether you are a stalwart fan or would like to come back to give LICH another look, we think it’s a helpful insight into what’s been going on behind the scenes.

Downstate LICH – Back to Basics
By Debra Carey, Chief Executive Officer

I am pleased to introduce myself to you. My name is Debra Carey, and I am the Chief Executive Officer of the Downstate hospitals, which now encompasses sites in Central Brooklyn, Long Island College Hospital and Bay Ridge (a fully renovated urgent care and ambulatory surgery center, whose patients will come to LICH for inpatient care).

The BoCoCa community knows that Long Island College Hospital has had a few rocky years. Its continued existence was in doubt. Downstate Medical Center acquired the hospital – thus ensuring its future as a vital neighborhood resource. Downstate LICH, as we are now calling the hospital, remains open with all services fully intact.

We want you back at Downstate LICH when you or a family member needs emergency or hospital care. We want to assure you that your excellent community physicians are still affiliated with Downstate LICH. And we pledge: Downstate LICH is fully committed to maternal and child health services.

You don’t have to go out of the neighborhood for care. Our Pediatric and Adult Emergency Departments have capacity and will take care of you promptly and with great skill. Downstate LICH is investing millions of dollars in upgrades of medical equipment, including:
*A new CT scan in the Emergency Department
*State-of-the-art fetal monitoring equipment in the Labor & Delivery Suite
*Upgraded capabilities in the OB/GYN Ultrasound Unit
*An upgraded NICU (neonatal intensive care unit), with Board certified
*neonatologists and new equipment
*Advanced OB/GYN high-risk capabilities, such as first trimester screening, invasive prenatal diagnoses and fetal echocardiograms

We’re investing in human resources, as well. The Pediatric ER remains open, staffed by Board-certified Pediatric Emergency medicine specialists. Specialty pediatric services, such as Pediatric GI and Pediatric Endocrinology, are returning to Downstate LICH. In short, we’re going back to basics: delivering the excellent medical care you expect, right here in the community in which you reside.

Please give Downstate LICH another look. Our medical experts, including doctors, nurses and paramedics, are always available to speak at community forums such as PTA meetings or neighborhood associations. Visit us at www.downstate.edu/LICH and follow us on Facebook. Join our email list to be notified of events and screenings. And above all – do not hesitate to reach out to me at debracarey.ceo@downstate.edu.

Toy and Canned Food Drive for Local Brooklyn Families

By Tobey, 13 December, 2011, No Comment

Got this open letter from the Executive Director of Baltic Street’s Families First community center. Always nice to be able to help the needy during the holidays–especially when they’re right in our own hood:

In the midst of all your holiday shopping, I write to you today with a request to think of those a little less fortunate. Families First is going to be hosting a Toy and Canned Food Drive to benefit two local community-based centers.
Before coming to Families First, I was the School Age Coordinator at The Warren Street Center for Children and Families – a community center located just down the block from Families First on Warren Street. Each year, Warren Street serves 150 of low-income and immigrant children and their families. The publicly-funded program includes a day care center for infants and toddlers, a pre-school and an after-school program for children in Kindergarten through 5th grade.
Founded in 1972, Park Slope Christian Help, Inc. (CHIPS) is a nonprofit charitable organization dedicated to helping the poor, the needy, and the homeless as well as those in emergency situations. CHIPS serve approximately 65,000 meals annually and provide transitional housing to 9 mothers and their children in studio apartments located in its building at 200 4th Avenue.
It is a sad truth that many of the families Warren Street and CHIPS serve are struggling to meet their basic needs and, as a result, are unable to give their children toys or gifts or provide a healthy meal during this holiday season. This is especially true given this difficult economic environment. This is why we are reaching out to you for your help.
We are conducting a community-wide toy and canned food drive to make sure that each child Warren Street and CHIPS serve can experience joy this holiday season. Your donation is tax deductible and I will provide a receipt documenting your donation upon request.
Donations can be left at Families First in the big, brightly decorated boxes until December 21st.
If you have any questions, please feel free to me at 718-237-1862.
With much gratitude and warm wishes for a healthy and peaceful holiday season,
Paula Heitman
Executive Director

Coney Island to Stay, Well, Coney Island

By Tobey, 13 December, 2011, No Comment

image via NY Daily News

Though darkness is falling at approximately 4:47pm, we’re here to tell you summer is right around the corner. Kind of. Sort of. Not really. But if you could bear with me and imagine a sunny day at Coney Island sometime in 2012, it should make you happy that Italian amusement operator Zamperla has decided to leave the boardwalk more Brooklyn than Miami Beach. Last November, we reported that the company was looking to gentrify the area–and asked nine longtime businesses to pack their bags and make way for $15 cocktails. But, according to the NY Daily News, Zamperla has seen the folly of its ways and decided to stick mainly with Brooklyn businesses–including Prospect Heights favorite Tom’s Restaurant. Other mainstays will include the beloved Ruby’s Bar and Paul’s Daughter (I see your bucket of Corona’s and raise you a paper plate of oysters).

“We understand that Coney Island is not Miami Beach. We want to keep what is already working there,” Zamperla USA President Valerio Ferrari told the Daily News Sunday. Zamperla, the Italian ride maker tapped by the city to take over its Coney Island land last year and open new amusement parks, did go ahead with evictions of several businesses: Beer Island, Cha Cha’s bar, Coney Island Souvenirs, Grillhouse, and Gyro Corner.
Also set to return with eight-year leases are the Lola Staar boutique, Coney Island Beach Shop, and Nathan’s — in a new bigger space.
Rounding out the Boardwalk space will be more new rides — including go-karts and the 109-foot SkyCoaster — and a beer garden run by Zamperla, Ferrari said.

Legos Take the Movies On for Holiday Gifting

By Tobey, 12 December, 2011, No Comment

Recently, the Lego folks have been in touch, hawking their movie-based play sets for the holidays. And after taking a look, I gotta admit, they look pretty nifty. I’ll start with Pirates of the Caribean-Black Pearl ($99), which coincides with the release of all four flicks. Your 9 to 12 aged kids can put the 805 piece ship together, then model the mini Davy Jones and Johnny Depp lookalive Captain Jack Sparrow on-board wherever they prefer. Next, I’m loving the DUPLO Brand Cars 2, Big Bentley ($39.99), which is the perfect first Lego kit for the toddler set. As well as building the famed clocktower from the film, it also comes with a Lighting McQueen, Finn McMissile, and of course, our fave redneck Mater. Lastly, we head over to everyone’s favorite wizard–who’s had a pretty big year. Harry Potter- Battle for Hogwarts ($49.99) is meant for years 7 and up, and comes with 7 minifigures: Harry Potter, Neville Longbottom, Professor Sprout, Professor Lupin, Gregory Goyle, Death Eater, and Dementor.

Free Holiday Makeovers in Cobble Hill

By Tobey, 9 December, 2011, No Comment

Going to par-tay it up this season? Make some time tomorrow, 10 December, to head to Cobble Hill’s Shen Beauty (315 Court St.) for FREE makeovers from in-house makeup artists Josh and Judy. In addition to giving you a new look, they’ll also help you clear out your make-up bag from those oh-so-2000 products you may still have hanging around. Holiday palates are available from $25–perfect for pampering yourself or to give as a gift. Champagne will be poured as a little preview of holiday cheer so come on by and partake of the beauty and the boozin’.

Buschenschank Great for Meat, Beer and Service

By Tobey, 9 December, 2011, 7 Comments

Get Cozy at Italian/German Buschenshank

Got a chance to spend some time at the Buschenschank tavern at 320 Court St. (at Sackett) last night, and I think you can safely file this under the “if you build it they will come” category of BoCoCa. Like other new and kinda new restaurants to the hood (like Colonie, Strong Place, Buttermilk Channel and The JakeWalk, to name a few), restauranteurs are beginning to get the idea that folks want a place with great food, a bar to hang out at and most importantly, a hip and cozy atmosphere. Now, I know this is going to get some readers all hot and bothered (Check, we should all be ashamed of ourselves for turning this into a yuppie paradise), but the fact is, these restaurants are thriving and if everything is done well enough, lines are forming out the doors. So I say, keep ‘em coming.
As for the restaurant itself, the bar scene was hopping by 7pm on a Thursday night and my friend and I sat at a two-top bar table instead of one of the longer, communal tables in the dining room. Our waitress was super-adorable and helped us navigate the well-chosen beer menu. I was impressed that there were proper glasses for each tap beer, though I did not go for the Das Boot (maybe next time). We shared a bunch of stuff, including a spinach and potato dumpling which resembled a matzoh ball, except smothered in a rich mushroom gravy, and a beet salad studded with apples and blue cheese which we actually didn’t order, but which she gave to us gratis (not that it would have mattered, but I didn’t mention I was writing the dinner up). The short ribs were fall-off-the-bone tender and deeply marinated for a flavorful biteful, while the Wurst Platter could have fed about four of us. In fact, we’ll be having the remaining sausages for breakfast tomorrow, after I demolish the perfectly wilted red cabbage salad, German potato salad and tender sauerkraut that came with it. The wine list is also worth perusing and we chose an Italian red to wash down the meal, though the German and Austrian selections looked promising.
Also, if you want to come in a little early, it’s a nice place to sit with the kids on a cold, winter’s night. There are no high chairs, FYI, but those long, wood tables are perfect for a family dinner.

Brooklyn Heights Tree Lighting and Caroling

By Tobey, 8 December, 2011, 2 Comments

DUH, UPDATE: This is taking place Wednesday, 14 December. I know, I know, you haven’t taken your hat and gloves out of storage and Christmas trees are currently being erected and lighted. But maybe by next week the temperature will have dropped significantly enough to make the 62nd tree lighting ceremony at Montague St. and the Promenade feel like the real thing. The festivities begin at 5:30pm and carolers will take to the streets to drum up good cheer directly after. All are welcome to join (nobody has to know you’re lip-synching).

Smoked Meat Orgy at Park Slope’s Bark

By Tobey, 7 December, 2011, No Comment

Smoked meat, beer and pudding. We feel strongly about this trifecta, which will be properly worshiped at Park Slope’s Bark Hot Dogs (474 Bergen Street) next Wednesday, 14 December. The tasting menu will consist of five courses featuring an array of smoked meat products from Nueskes, a dessert course by Vera Obias, the pastry chef of Buddakan Restaurant in Manhattan, and paired with a craft ale from Sixpoint Brewery including their newest creation, Mad Scientist #7 Cranberry Porter. Tickets, including all paired beers, are $40 and can be purchased here for either of the two seatings: 6pm to 8pm or 8:30pm to 10:30pm.

Cobble Hill’s BookCourt Welcomes a Few Celebs

By Tobey, 7 December, 2011, 1 Comment

Two well-known artistes will be coming this month to Cobble Hill’s beloved bookstore, BookCourt (163 Court St.). Within two days, you’ll find singer Lou Reed and photographer Annie Leibovitz stopping in to flog their new tomes. On 12 December at 7pm, NYC prognosticator Reed will read and sign the lyrics to his book The Raven, which re-imagines Poe’s dark classic (In 2001 Lou Reed, theater director Robert Wilson, and an all-star cast presented the musical POEtry at the Brooklyn Academy of Music). The book is accompanied by photos by Julian Schnabel and considered the definitive text of the CD release.
On 14 December at 7pm, iconoclastic photographer Annie Leibovitz will promote her new book Annie Leibovitz Pilgrimage, which she created while in her very public “downturn” stage. Covered in the press as having her own financial crisis in 2009, she decided to eschew her usual glam subjects and travel the world to photograph a more personal side of things–including landscapes, everyday folks and yes, lots of dresses worn by women like Emily Dickinson.
Not a bad few nights for our little hamlet of BoCoCa if I do say so myself.

Help Your Kids Read With Helpful Webinar

By Tobey, 6 December, 2011, No Comment

Though this webinar is brought to us by The Jewish Education Project, it’s a great tool for any parent looking to bring books and stories to life for your child during reading time. Parents As Reading Partners: Through a Jewish Lens is a webinar in celebration of Jewish Book Month and will take place in two parts. You can join in by registering here for the sessions on 7 and 8 December at 12:30pm.