Outside the Brooklyn Weather Observatory it is overcast. The Post-Fourth of July forecast calls for it to be “mostly cloudy and humid with a couple of showers and a thunderstorm.” The high will be 78. Tonight will be “cloudy most of the time with a shower or thunderstorm around” and humid.–Accuweather

[Image courtesy of Dietrich/Flickr]

Joey Chestnut won the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest today again. Besting Takeru Kobayashi in a five hot dog tie-breaking eat off. It was the first tie breaker necessary in the long history of the competition. The ten-minute regular competition ended with 58 dogs downed by both.

If you’re heading out for fireworks tonight, the obvious Brooklyn viewing spots include the Brooklyn Promenade, Furman Street under the BQE and Empire-Fulton Ferry State Park. There’s room for a lot of people between all these spots, but it’s a fair bet it’ll be extremely crowded. Further upriver, East River State Park in Williamsburg is going to be offering a front row seat given the positioning of the fireworks barges a bit further south than usual this year. That set of barges will be around 20th Street in Manhattan this year versus the usual 34th Street-ish spot. The park keeps track of the number of people inside and the gates are closing at 8:30. Hopefully, they’ll let in more people than last year.

If you’re in Red Hook tonight or want to head there for a non-Ikea-related reason, definitely go down Van Brunt Street and check out the Mark van S Studio at 384 Van Brunt. The people behind the “What’s the Hook?” photo show are projecting images of Red Hook on the building after dark. What’s the Hook?, which is totally worth checking out, will also be part of the BWAC Summer Show and will be running the slideshow again on July 12, which is BWAC’s “Second Saturday” night at the same studio. The image above is from last night.

We return to our Brooklyn Back in the Day series of historic Brooklyn photos with one that is entirely appropriate to July 4. This is a photo from the Coney Island History Project–whose website is worth checking out and whose facility on Surf Avenue under the Cylcone is worth a visit. It shows Coney Island on July 4, 1957, 51 years ago today. Back in the day, of course, Coney could attract up to 1.5 million people on the Fourth. Here’s a recollection fromm the Online Journal An American Dreamland:

When I was just a boy my parents would take me to Coney Island for July 4th. This was 1947, a few years after WW II, when the Cyclone roller coaster roared down from the sky, the Wonder Wheel rose in the hot sun and later the great parachute jump spilled its screaming couples 220 feet down to a jolting halt, a few feet from the sprawling boardwalk, the planked wood stretching from the proletarian Brighton Beach to the elegant gated community of Sea Gate. All this life punctuated by disastrous fires and marvelous restoration, shedding its stars, like Durante, Mae West, Sophie Tucker, Eddie Cantor, into America.

Between them, Nathan’s hot dog stand grew on Surf Avenue to the mother of all fast food joints, with the greatest hot dogs, French fries, fresh fried seafood, roast beef and hot buttered corn you could imagine on working people’s wages, plus a July 4th hot dog eating contest. Is this America or is it just Brooklyn? Or are they one?

Here’s another photo below from the 1940s that shows an even more crowded Fourth of July scene:

Hausman Street in Greenpoint is one of those streets where nearly every house sports an American flag. What better way to wish everyone a Happy Fourth of July than from Greenpoint, via these photos from Miss Heather.

[Photos courtesy of Miss Heather]

Here’s another video posted by Hunter-Gatherer that has a lot of footage of Brooklyn in the 1980s. It comes from a film about the making of Last Exit to Brooklyn, which was released in 1989 and set in the 1950s. Great, great stuff.

Perhaps the Green Boroughs Walking Tour of Park Slope green businesses would be of interest? It will take place on Sunday, July 27. Per an email:

The Green Boroughs Walking Tour of Park Slope will take you to the newest, coolest, greenest retail stores, green buildings, community gardens, parks and other green places in Park Slope! Meet the Brooklynites, including the designers, architects and “Greentrepreneurs” who are helping to make Park Slope one of the greenest parts of New York City. Touch, taste, and try on green clothing and other green products. You can’t do this on-line! The tour will start at 1 PM and conclude at about 3:30 PM. To reserve your spot for this tour or any of the Green Boroughs Walking Tours, call Les at 718.530.5074 or e-mail _Les@greenboroughs.com_
(mailto:Les@greenboroughs.com) today!

The cost is $25 per person; $15 for full-time students.

Yes, we’re very heavy on Coney items on this Fourth of July, but why not? Here are some vids from Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contests of the past:

Given that it’s July 4, why not a list of upcoming Coney Island events, starting with today’s big show, the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest, which starts at noon:

July 4 at 12:00 pm
Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest
Stillwell and Surf Avenues

July 19
Village Voice Siren Music Festival
on two stages: one on West 10th Street and the other on Stillwell AVenue, both off the boardwalk

July 18 & 19 at 9:00 am and July 20 at 10:45 pm
AVP Pro Beach Volleyball Tour
Beach at West 19th Street

July 26 from 12:00 pm to 5:00 pm
Astella’s 18th Annual Sand Sculpting Contest and Coney Island Unity Day
Prizes, live music, dance performances, information tables. On the beach between West 10th and West 12th Streets

[Photo courtesy of Rubys Host/GL Flickr Pool]

Another pretty Coney Island sunset placed in our GL Flickr Pool courtesy of Rubys Host.

We found this via Kinetic Carnival, which is turning today and to which we wish a very happy birthday and offer our congrats for two wonderful years of superb and vital posts on Coney Island. We love you!!! The poster on YouTube writes: “This is bonus footage from the movie End of the Line. This sequence was crucial to the film, in which the main character (played by Britten Darrow) is riding the Cyclone in an attempt to hide from a murderer who is stalking him throughout Coney Island. This is the raw footage that was shot on the cyclone that night. It has been subtitled so you get the full effect of it. For those of you who havent seen the movie, search ELWOOD GENTRY END OF THE LINE.”

[Photo courtesy of Sustainable Flatbush/GL Flickr Pool]

Here’s a chalk drawing expressing love for Brooklyn…uh “Brookln” put into our GL Photo Pool by Sustainable Flatbush.

Right now, it’s cloudy and some light moisture has been falling on and off outside the Brooklyn Weather Observatory. At some point the sun is supposed to come out, then there will be a chance of thunderstorms, making for some exciting fireworks watching possibilities later. The high today will be 82. Tonight will be mostly cloudy with some thunderstorms around and a low of 67. Here’s hoping for a dry and thunder & lightning free fireworks.–Accuweather

The GL reader who sent us this pic of this way busted fire hydrant on Grand Street in Williamsburg between Wythe Avenue and Kent Avenue called it “fire hydrant trying make a getaway (it actually points almost directly to williamsburg’s 212 fire house that was closed a five years ago).”

Here’s our regular weekly post from the Center for the Urban Environment about the great tours they run:

Newtown Creek Cruise. Sunday, July 13 – 9:30 – 12 noon – with Jack Eichenbaum. This canalized creek, a tidal arm of the East River, forms the boundary between Brooklyn and Queens. Join us to cruise what was once the busiest waterway in the world. In its industrial heyday, it carried more traffic than the Mississippi. Other waterways may equal — but none can surpass — its historical significance. Learn how this area developed from marshland to a flourishing industrial center and then declined. You’ll hear about the bridges and industries along its edges, and how adjacent neighborhoods such as Hunter’s Point and Greenpoint came to be. Meet at Fulton Ferry Landing, foot of Old Fulton Street, opposite the River Café. Fees $50.00 for non-members; $40.00 for members, seniors and students. Pre-payment required. For reservations and pre-payment call (718) 788-8500, ext. 217.

(GL Note: We did the tour in 2006. You can see our post here.)

This isn’t a Brooklyn story, but it’s a privacy issue of concern to anyone that’s ever watched, uploaded or posted a YouTube vid. (Which is pretty much everyone reading GL.) Given that we upload vids and that we post them often, it’s of great interest and it’s pretty horrifying: a Federal judge has ordered Google to turn over all YouTube user records to Viacom, which is suing it for copyright infringement. The judge did, however, allow Google to protect its trade secrets (whew). As for users, no luck. Per Tech Crunch on the Washington Post: “That data includes every YouTube username, the associated IP address and the videos that user has watched on YouTube. Google will also be required to hand over copies of every video removed from Youtube for any reason (DMCA notices or user-initiated deletions). Stanton dismissed Google’s argument that the order will violate user privacy, saying such privacy concerns are merely ‘speculative.'” In theory, Viacom could use the data to sue individual users over what they’ve watched or those that have uploaded protected content. The good news is that the ruling is so insane that it is likely to be found unconstitutional. Tech Crunch writes that “the privacy fallout of this ruling is spectacular. The EFF has already chimed in, noting that the order is highly likely to be in violation of federal law…I say this with the utmost respect, but Judge Stanton is a moron. And Google simply cannot hand this data over without facing a class action lawsuit of staggering proportions.” The are more stories on the issue here, in this Google news search. We’d embed a video as a visual with the item, but we’re really not in the mood right now.

With the raucous Coney Island Scoping Hearing an amusing memory, it’s worth noting that it is still possible to submit written testimony about the Coney Island rezoning proposal. While are appropriate, the scoping process determines the study of the proposal that is done, so specific comments related to what the city should study in terms of impacts are very much on point. Send written testimony by July 11 to: New York City Economic Development Corporation; Attention: Rachel Belsky, Vice-President; 110 William Street; New York, New York 10038. Comments can also be sent via email to rbelsky@nycedc.com. The Planning Department’s web pages on the plan can be found here.

“From East River views to local craft brews, Brooklyn does Fourth of July right. During the Battle of Chicken and Beer at the Brooklyn Lyceum, the fried chicken is endless, the Brooklyn Lager is all-you-can-drink, and the break dancing should not be attempted at home…For the Williamsburg set, Artland has soul on the turntables, meat on the grill and drink specials all party long, and Glasslands hosts a ‘Barack and Roll Benefit’ where melancholy folk artist Phosphorescent will turn on his love light as soon as the fireworks die out.” There’s way more, so check out the full Tip Sheet.–Brooklyn Based

Herewith a selection of shows in Brooklyn through this holiday weekend compiled by Dan Bennis:

Friday 7/4/08
Jalopy: Marc Ribot y Los Cubanos Postizos, La Cumbiamba eNeye, The Quackatorians, Juan Medrano Cotito (Latin) $17, 4:00pm

Union Hall: 4th of July BBQ–The Sweet Divines, Brownbird Rudy Relic (Indie) $15, 6:00pm

Barbes: Conjunto Guantanamo (Afro-Cuban) $10, 9:00pm

The Yard: Stimulous Package–Indian Jewelry, 80’s Hardcore, Marnie Stern, Ponytail, The Apes, Double Dagger, Power Douglas, DJ Dirty Fingers $12, 1:00pm

Brooklyn Lyceum: Battle of Chicken and Beer–DJ DP1, break-dancing all night, all you can eat chicken, all you can drink Brooklyn Lager, prizes!!! $20, 8:00pm

Click here for some Saturday and Sunday selections

“I live in Bay Ridge, and commute to Manhattan by mass transit. This has always meant a journey involving the R train, but not this past week. I decided to conduct a scientific experiment and commute for a week via the Express Bus. Since most people in Bay Ridge have never taken an express bus, let me first say what they are. There are two express buses serving Bay Ridge- the X27 goes to downtown Manhattan, while the X37 travels to midtown. They travel the length of Shore Road to 69th Street, from which they hang a left on Third Avenue, where they take the on-ramp to the Gowanus Expressway. The Gowanus is painfully congested at all hours, but worse still during the rush hours. But since the express buses get to use the HOV lane, they cruise at a blazing 45 mph or so, while the cars to the right stand still.”–Bay Ridge Blog

Sure it’s a gimmick, but we have to say that it’s an interesting one and one that affords everyone an opportunity to meet their representative. Assem. Hakeem Jeffries is holding “Summer at the Subway” office hours again this summer. The hours are every Tuesday and Wednesday starting on July 8, 2008 and concluding on August 13, 2008. Per his website: “Since not everyone has the time to visit the office during the day, for the second consecutive year, Assemblyman Jeffries will bring his office to a location where many community members find themselves at some point when returning home from work.”

The full schedule after the jump.

It seems like only yesterday we were walking backwards down Williamsburg’s Havemeyer Street in a big crowd in blazing heat in front of a three-ton, five-story tall statue carried by several dozen men that can not stop on a dime. And, now, it’s almost time to do it all over again. The 121st Annual Feast at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, aka the Giglio, starts on Wednesday, July 9 and runs through July 20. While the feast itself involves a lot of street food, games and rides, the highlight are the two Sunday “dances” of the incredible Giglio statue. They take place on Sunday, July 13 and 20. (There’s also a Night Dance on Thurday, July 17. The Capo Parade on the morning of the 13th is also worth catching. To us, the Giglio is one of those must see things, even though it seems to get more crowded and insane every year. More information over at the Giglio site (which was down when we checked it last night). You can see our 2006 photos here and our 2007 pics here.

Click here for our vid of the 2007 Giglio Dance.

We were going to call 30 Second Life a “new” Brooklyn blog, except that’s it’s been around since December, so it’s only new to us. Regardless, it’s being produced out of Park Slope and it features 30-second slice-of-life clips. The creator emails to say: “The blog is about my day to day interactions with the world and set to music. I shoot tons of footage with a small video camera, edit it down to 30 seconds. Much of the footage takes place in the Slope and other parts of brooklyn.”

The short documentary about Diana Carlin (aka Lola Staar) and her Dreamland Roller Rink has been posted online at the Glamour website. (The magazine was one of the sponsors of the event at the Childs Building in the Spring.) It’s interesting and features interview with Diana, historian Charles Denson, developer Charles Bendit of Taconic Investment and others. It starts out with some great historical footage of Coney. Unforunately, the vid can’t be embedded and there isn’t even a direct link to it, requiring some navigation through a Tommy Hilfiger website, but it’s worth the trip if you’ve got 10 or 15 minutes to spare. Click here, click on “Watch Films” and just keep clicking until you get to the vid. Also of note, there’s some indication in the email from Lola Staar that the reopening of the roller rink is “around the corner,” which indicates there will be some roller skating in Coney Island this summer.