(for those for whom the Parkside Q is their hometrain)
News and Nonsense from the Brooklyn neighborhood of Lefferts and environs, or more specifically a neighborhood once known as Melrose Park. Sometimes called Lefferts Gardens. Or Prospect-Lefferts Gardens. Or PLG. Or North Flatbush. Or Caledonia (west of Ocean). Or West Pigtown. Across From Park Slope. Under Crown Heights. Near Drummer's Grove. The Side of the Park With the McDonalds. Jackie Robinson Town. Home of Lefferts Manor. West Wingate. Near Kings County Hospital. Or if you're coming from the airport in taxi, maybe just Flatbush is best.
Saturday, September 1, 2018
J'Ouvert - Great Party. Don't Even Dream Of Driving
Head to the early morning J'Ouvert and you might be greeted by a Blue Devil.
The Q recalls the first time he learned of J'Ouvert, the party beFORE the West Indian Day parade. It was 2004 on Clarkson Avenue, our first year on the block, and in the middle of the night, like maybe 3am, my lady and I were awakened to the most outrageous sounds of drumming and horns. We pulled back the temporary shades to witness wild dancing, people covered in paint and baby powder, making their joyous way down the street. I thought I must be dreaming, but Mrs. Q saw it too. I'd been to the daytime parade a dozen times without knowing about the all-night festival that proceeds it, one with deep symbolic roots wherein slaves mocked masters who had mocked them - all related, of course, to Carnival, which also has an extraordinary history throughout the African Diaspora. I mean this is some DEEP shit. So...
Ah hell. The best explanation is to go for yourself. Where it used to start around 2 am, the City's efforts to curb Labor Day violence (often not directly related to J'Ouvert, it must be stated and restated), now you can get up at the easy hour of 5:30, bike or walk (don't drive!) up to Grand Army Plaza, enter the fray or, conversely, wait for it take a left at Empire Blvd. Show up around 8am and you should get a good splash of blissful insanity. There is nothing, NOTHING, like it.
The first terrific video on the event below:
10 comments:
Anonymous
said...
Trying to be positive here, but all that trash throughout the day and into the evening (not even to mention the traffic) was disgusting. The visitors have no respect for the neighborhood. The trash was still around this morning, so Sanitation didn't seem like it was picking up either. Oh, and shootings and stabbings.
It's one weekend a year. I get that it's inconvenient to find parking and get around and the garbage is annoying, but a festival is by definition a disruption of everyday life, and it distinguishes our neighborhood from the others in the city that are homogenizing into boring middle american flatness. The amount of hand wringing over this event is just not warranted. I don't mean to diminish the violence, which is a legitimate concern, but noise and trash for one weekend? c'mon!
On news year's eve in the city, the streets get disgusting with litter, vomit, other stuff. By 1:00 AM, you can see the Dept of Sanitation cleaning up already. I agree with you that it's not so bad if it's just once a year. And I also agree that this is what makes living in NYC not-boring. The costumes are amazing and those in them look spectacular. I just have a hard time understanding the philosophy of "fuck it, i'll just toss my chicken bones on the sidewalk along with my napkins and plastic forks." Did anyone see the house of empty Popeye's boxes in front of the store Monday morning? It's hard to explain to my kids why there is a universe of people who don't seem to give a F*&k about littering when I personally don't understand it. Compare to the other parades, Puerto Rican, St. Patricks, Lunar New Year, it's 2 hours of permitted parading, and then it's done. I was out at 9AM with street closures. At 9PM, I was coming home and still it was a zoo out there. Cops were all over the place, but you can see their general demeanor "I'm not doing a single iota more than what my sergeant is telling me to do because these celebrants hate me"
To Anon at 2:56... I share your frustration and disgust but why are you surprised? Given how many people thoroughly trash a truly special place like Prospect Park on a regular basis, why would you expect them to respect the Popeye's parking lot?
The carnival has gotten too large to be supported by the community. They should have it on a commercial street; such as Atlantic Avenue. Furthermore, it should run for two or three hours max; like all other parades.
OK, by a week post-parade, the streets are looking a little better, litter-wise. Agree the parade should run 2-3 hours max. The duration of the parade including its post-parade festivities and road closures are unprecedented. I'd like to know what other nyc parade has road closures so damn long. And what economic revenue does this parade generate? If it was like the US Open Tennis, that'd be a different story, but we all know it's nowhere close to that.
Speaking of chicken bones on the street, I'd like to know which jerk chicken place is your favorite. I like Pepa's as my favorite and the good thing is that they're always opened late.
Then maybe you need to check the economic revenue that this parade brings to the city before making any comment.Over a million attend this parade. Most vendors benefit from this parade very handsomely.
@Roadrunner, I do not know how much revenue the Caribbean Day Parade brings in, but lets assume your number is true, that 1 million people attend. I doubt it, but ok. I'll even assume, liberally, that each man woman and child spends $20 each at the parade. That's $20M in gross revenues. Now factor in the costs of the huge police presence and overtime needed. Also factor in the big sanitation bill required to clean up the plastic forks, soda cans and chicken bones. This parade is nowhere near anything like the US Open. Not even close. US Open, by virtue of its out of town guests, economically adds to hotels, restaurants, ticket sales, short term employment, car service, in addition to the fact that it's a 12 day event, not including qualifying rounds. The fact that a handful of vendors profit handsomely during Caribbean Day Parade event does not mean this is a good event, economically speaking, for everyone else. I don't want it to go away. I just want it to be shorter in duration.
Someone gave me a little wine this year and I gave a little wine right back. Her friend said to her "SEE, I TOLD YA HE'D WIND BACK!" Apparently she had been watching and was afraid she'd be let down LMAO
10 comments:
Trying to be positive here, but all that trash throughout the day and into the evening (not even to mention the traffic) was disgusting. The visitors have no respect for the neighborhood. The trash was still around this morning, so Sanitation didn't seem like it was picking up either. Oh, and shootings and stabbings.
It's one weekend a year. I get that it's inconvenient to find parking and get around and the garbage is annoying, but a festival is by definition a disruption of everyday life, and it distinguishes our neighborhood from the others in the city that are homogenizing into boring middle american flatness. The amount of hand wringing over this event is just not warranted.
I don't mean to diminish the violence, which is a legitimate concern, but noise and trash for one weekend? c'mon!
On news year's eve in the city, the streets get disgusting with litter, vomit, other stuff. By 1:00 AM, you can see the Dept of Sanitation cleaning up already. I agree with you that it's not so bad if it's just once a year. And I also agree that this is what makes living in NYC not-boring. The costumes are amazing and those in them look spectacular. I just have a hard time understanding the philosophy of "fuck it, i'll just toss my chicken bones on the sidewalk along with my napkins and plastic forks." Did anyone see the house of empty Popeye's boxes in front of the store Monday morning? It's hard to explain to my kids why there is a universe of people who don't seem to give a F*&k about littering when I personally don't understand it. Compare to the other parades, Puerto Rican, St. Patricks, Lunar New Year, it's 2 hours of permitted parading, and then it's done. I was out at 9AM with street closures. At 9PM, I was coming home and still it was a zoo out there. Cops were all over the place, but you can see their general demeanor "I'm not doing a single iota more than what my sergeant is telling me to do because these celebrants hate me"
To Anon at 2:56... I share your frustration and disgust but why are you surprised? Given how many people thoroughly trash a truly special place like Prospect Park on a regular basis, why would you expect them to respect the Popeye's parking lot?
The carnival has gotten too large to be supported by the community. They should have it on a commercial street; such as Atlantic Avenue. Furthermore, it should run for two or three hours max; like all other parades.
OK, by a week post-parade, the streets are looking a little better, litter-wise. Agree the parade should run 2-3 hours max. The duration of the parade including its post-parade festivities and road closures are unprecedented. I'd like to know what other nyc parade has road closures so damn long. And what economic revenue does this parade generate? If it was like the US Open Tennis, that'd be a different story, but we all know it's nowhere close to that.
Speaking of chicken bones on the street, I'd like to know which jerk chicken place is your favorite. I like Pepa's as my favorite and the good thing is that they're always opened late.
Then maybe you need to check the economic revenue that this parade brings to the city before making any comment.Over a million attend this parade. Most vendors benefit from this parade very handsomely.
@Roadrunner, I do not know how much revenue the Caribbean Day Parade brings in, but lets assume your number is true, that 1 million people attend. I doubt it, but ok. I'll even assume, liberally, that each man woman and child spends $20 each at the parade. That's $20M in gross revenues. Now factor in the costs of the huge police presence and overtime needed. Also factor in the big sanitation bill required to clean up the plastic forks, soda cans and chicken bones. This parade is nowhere near anything like the US Open. Not even close. US Open, by virtue of its out of town guests, economically adds to hotels, restaurants, ticket sales, short term employment, car service, in addition to the fact that it's a 12 day event, not including qualifying rounds. The fact that a handful of vendors profit handsomely during Caribbean Day Parade event does not mean this is a good event, economically speaking, for everyone else. I don't want it to go away. I just want it to be shorter in duration.
Someone gave me a little wine this year and I gave a little wine right back. Her friend said to her "SEE, I TOLD YA HE'D WIND BACK!" Apparently she had been watching and was afraid she'd be let down LMAO
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