Trending
latest
Bubble baths are nice, but true self-care starts within. A somatic psychotherapist can you show you how. (sponsored)
Thursday, January 21, 2021
If your online life is anything like ours, you just got hit with the 100th article, Instagram post, or podcast this year already filling you in on the importance of “self-care”. As you click in and start reading or listening, all the familiar suggestions show up – have you tried ... (read more).
If your online life is anything like ours, you just got hit with the 100th article, Instagram post, or podcast this year already filling you in on the importance of “self-care”. As you click in and start reading or listening, all the familiar suggestions show up – have you tried yoga? What about journaling? When’s the last time you walked in the woods, took a bubble bath, spent quality time with friends? You’ve heard it all before, you think to yourself, and it all sounds so simple and straightforward. Right? Why am I not just doing it already? Where will I find the time? Suddenly whatever anxious or depressed feeling had you reaching for a remedy in the first place is now doubled over with worry and self-critique about why something so seemingly easy and wonderful feels so out of reach for you.
Self-care as it is usually prescribed these days is – let’s face it – one more thing to do. An activity as simple as taking a bath actually requires a significant expenditure of time and maybe even energy. For all us parents of young children, when’s the last time your bathtub was acceptably clean and uncluttered when that precious half hour of free time rolled around? Quality time with friends sounds like it should be all warmth and sweetness, but the reality is that relating (and especially quality relating – connected, present, attentive) draws heavily on our time, patience, and focus, and all the more so these days when in-person contact with others is severely limited. If you’re usually running on empty, like modern parents often are, then these never-ending suggestions to do more can be about as helpful for your anxiety as a late night email from your boss.
Building up Internal Resources
We therapists like to use the word “resources” to describe anything that brings balance and ease to your nervous system- that helps you feel calm, open, and ready for life. All of the activities that have become the staples of what we now call self-care are all actually good examples of resources. The challenge is that they are all external resources, they exist outside of your mind and body. That means a few things: (1) They will always require some expenditure of time and/or energy to acquire or maintain, and (2) they are simply not always available when you need them. A hot bath is usually at least 3 hours away when we need it most, and even our closest friends can’t answer every call in time to help us face a difficult moment.
The good news is, there is a whole other repertoire of powerful resources ready and waiting to be tapped – and they live right where you are standing. Our internal resources are not things or activities, but our in-dwelling capacities to soothe ourselves in moments of storm and stress. Every baby is born with the potential for effective self-soothing, but whether that potential develops into a strong and available internal resource depends on a variety of developmental factors, ranging from parenting to bodily health to economic security, etc. What you need to know is that it’s extremely common to reach adulthood without having sufficiently developed the ability to self-soothe, even if you had the most well-meaning parents.
That’s where therapy comes in. Brooklyn Somatic Therapy offers a holistic approach to psychological healing and personal growth that works directly with the mind-body connection. It combines elements of talk therapy and experiential therapy with mindfulness and body-centered awareness practices, granting quicker and more focused access to the core wounds underlying current psychological problems. Rather than merely talking about stress-relief strategies and sending you on your way, our approach enables you to experience in real time how your thoughts and emotions create tension in your mind and body, how they respond to specific triggers in predictable patterns, and how you can activate your internal resources right in the midst of sadness, anxiety, anger or shame.
So what does internal resourcing look like? Because people are so different, internal resourcing is not quite a one-size-fits-all thing. For some folks, it’s working to change the tendency to hyperfocus on physical or emotional pain; for others, it’s learning precisely which body parts tense up in difficult moments and how to intentionally relax them; some develop a repertoire of specific images, phrases, and loving self-touches that bring nourishment to recurring emotional wounds; for still others, it’s simply learning to recognize sooner when their system is begging for a pause and a deep breath.
Just as a child needs an adult to help them learn self-soothing, it’s pretty tough to develop internal resources on your own from a blog or recording. Working with a skilled therapist takes the pressure off of you to identify your most potent resources and figure out how to strengthen them and apply them to your specific issues and needs. So while therapy is another demand on your time, its impact can extend way beyond the one hour a week it requires. Unlike the bathtub, the resources you cultivate in therapy will follow you around and be available when you need them.
For more information or to get in touch with a therapist, visit our website.
)
Free walking & running programs in local parks
Tuesday, January 19, 2021
Brooklyn Bridge Park and Fort Greene Park offer free running programs for grown-ups to shape up, connect with the community and take a break from the little ones or just bring them in the stroller….
Shape Up NYC | Fort Greene Park | Saturdays 10 to 11 am
This free walking program ... (read more).
Most up-and-coming NYC neighborhoods 2021 are in Brooklyn
Thursday, January 14, 2021
Brooklyn landed eight of the 10 spots on the StreetEasy list of up-and-coming neighborhoods in NYC including Fort Greene and DUMBO. For 2021, the borough is poised to become the default option for New York renters and buyers. Many of the Brooklyn neighborhoods listed had attracted creatives and ... (read more).
One Prospect Park West: 64 Curated Residences at the Gateway to Park Slope (sponsored)
Thursday, January 14, 2021
Timeless and handcrafted, One Prospect Park West‘s elegant homes have been masterfully transformed and now occupy a prestigious address on the corner of Prospect Park and Grand Army Plaza. One Prospect Park West is located at the gateway to Park Slope, where live pours out onto the hundred-year stretches of idyllic, ... (read more).
Timeless and handcrafted, One Prospect Park West‘s elegant homes have been masterfully transformed and now occupy a prestigious address on the corner of Prospect Park and Grand Army Plaza. One Prospect Park West is located at the gateway to Park Slope, where live pours out onto the hundred-year stretches of idyllic, tree-lined streets. Just outside the Lobby doors, escape to Prospect Park for rest and reflection with meadowlands, hills and forests to take you away from it all.
These 64 carefully curated condominium residences feature an interior scheme that has been sensitively realized by local and acclaimed designers, Workstead, who have preserved historical interior characteristics while adding refined details that evoke the building’s 1920s pedigree.
More than just communal space, the gracious amenities are social spaces that foster community, nurture wellness and inspire the imagination. Including a landscaped roof terrace, boutique fitness center and movement studio, basketball court, children’s playroom, resident’s library, and more.
Take a peek inside: model residence now open by appointment. Brought to you by Sugar Hill Development and Douglas Elliman Development Marketing. One to four bedroom residences available from $1.5M. Click here or email sales@1prospectparkwest.com to learn more.
)
An update on Gifted and Talented testing & programs in the City
Wednesday, January 13, 2021
Tests to enter Gifted and Talented programs were held in January in the past, however the whole process has been delayed this school year due to the pandemic. The mayor announced that this school year the tests will be administered in April with results being sent out in July, a ... (read more).
New public elementary and middle school coming to District 13’s Downtown Brooklyn
Wednesday, January 13, 2021
The Department of Education has published latest opening dates for two new public schools opening in District 13 in the next years.
The Albee Square elementary school in Downtown Brooklyn is slated to open in September 2023 for children born in 2018 entering Kindergarten that year. The six-story elementary school for ... (read more).
Open House is open for tours! (sponsored)
Monday, January 11, 2021
Come take a (virtual) peek at Open House Nursery School! We are now scheduling tours for 2021/22 admissions. In keeping with our progressive educational philosophy, Open House Nursery School in Boerum Hill is an open door to young children and their families. No screening, interview, or formal application determines admission. All that is required is interest, as ... (read more).
Come take a (virtual) peek at Open House Nursery School! We are now scheduling tours for 2021/22 admissions. In keeping with our progressive educational philosophy, Open House Nursery School in Boerum Hill is an open door to young children and their families. No screening, interview, or formal application determines admission. All that is required is interest, as established by taking a tour, filling out a brief application form, and paying an application fee. If the school has more applications than openings, it conducts a lottery.
)
Child-friendly things to do in Brooklyn and beyond
Sunday, January 10, 2021
Finding socially-distanced activities for kids in the cold NYC winter is not that easy! We have put together a list of things to do with your family from ice skating on Court Street to visiting China Town’s latest street art.
Court Street in Carroll Gardens now has an ice rink best ... (read more).
. No lockers available for rent. Find out more here and make a reservation here.
Mott Street between Canal and Bayard Street in Chinatown has been filled with around 250 violet, pink, orange and gold lanterns hanging above the street. Local artists have painted whimsical designs and auspicious characters onto them: fu, for good fortune; he, for peace. Other characters stood for love, happiness, wealth and longevity. Depending on the success of the fundraising campaign SendChinaTownLove, the next step is to light up Bayard Street from Mott to Bowery Street. The installation will be available to view well into the new year.
An interactive national cultural awareness exhibition honors LGBT+ seniors and advocates for a more accepting future in Brooklyn Heights (for older kids). Not Another Second tells the stories of 12 LGBT+ seniors and explores the years they lost due to societal constraints. The project acknowledges the sacrifices and contributions of these seniors, celebrates their beauty and bravery and empowers them to share their words of wisdom with younger generations. The Watermark at Brooklyn Heights is practicing safe social distancing guidelines for the in-person exhibit. Space is limited to 10 attendees per 1.5-hour slot. Screening will be done prior to entry and masks must be worn. Timed tickets are required for Not Another Second: LGBT+ seniors share their stories. Tickets are limited and free of charge.
Brooklyn Bridge Park offers a monthly free scavenger hunt! This month’s family-friendly scavenger hunt will have you investigating the sustainable design of Brooklyn Bridge Park! You will be challenged to travel through the northern end of the park (from Pier 1 to 99 Plymouth Street), searching for clues and answers to our questions about the park’s incorporation of reused and recycled materials and efforts in conservation and ecological restoration. All are welcome to participate, however this month’s activity is best suited for grades 2 and up. RSVP here.
Aerialist + Acrobats Residency at BKLYN Studios in City Point showcasing works-in-progress and show-ready acts of dazzling skills, innovative movements, and super-human strength and flexibility. Training: Monday-Friday 9am-1pm & 6pm-9pm, Sunday 10am-7pm until February 28th. Artists will be inside BKLYN STUDIOS. Masks & social distancing are required. Find out more here.
)
Pier 5 soccer field in Brooklyn Bridge Park open again
Thursday, January 7, 2021
Pier 5 in Brooklyn Bridge Park has re-opened again to the public. The Pier 5 turf replacement and renovation project has been completed, bringing new turf, upgraded LED lighting and restoration to the existing infrastructure. The soccer fields are available to use again. Athletic league permits for the spring season ... (read more).
Hollow Nickel, 494 Atlantic Avenue (American)
Someday Bar, 364 Atlantic Avenue (Bar)
Bijans, 81 Hoyt Street (Persian)
Little Sweet Café, 77 Hoyt Street (coffee shop)
Grand Army, corner of Hoyt and State Streets (American)
Rucola, corner of Hoyt and Dean Streets (Italian)
Absolute Coffee, 327 Atlantic Avenue
French Louie, 320 Atlantic Avenue (French American)
Sottocasa, 298 Atlantic Avenue (Pizza)
two8two burger, 282 Atlantic Avenue
Tenichi ramen, 116 Smith
Bar Tabac, front area bar only, 128 Smith Street
Hi Hi Room, 138 Smith Street (American)
Sixth Ward, 166 Smith Street (tex-mex)
Brooklyn Heights
Heights Cafe on Montague Street (American)
Cafe Buon Gusto on Montague Street (Italian)
Dellarocco’s on Hicks Street (Italian)
Vineapple Cafe on Pineapple Street (French/international)
Henry’s End on Henry Street (American)
Clark’s on Clark Street (American)
Estuary at Pier 5 in Brooklyn Bridge Park (American)
Carroll Gardens
Fragole on Court Street (Italian)
Court Street Tavern on Court Street (American)
Enoteca on Court Street
Cobble Hill
Black Forest Brooklyn on Smith Street (German)
June on Court Street (wine bar)
Kitchen on Court Street (American)
La Vara on Clinton Street (Spanish)
La Cigogne on Union Street (French)
Gersi on Court Street (Italian)
Verde on Smith Street (Italian)
Big Tiny on Smith Street (French)
Savelli – fully enclosed backyard, 195 Smith Street (Italian)
Jolie Bistro, 241 Smith Street (French Mexican)
Karazishi Botan, 255 Smith Street (Ramen)
FOB Filipino BBQ, 271 Smith Street (Filipino)
White Maize, 277 Smith Street (Venezuelan)
Kittery, corner of Smith and Union streets (American)
Cubana Café, 272 Smith Street
Clover Club, 210 Smith Street
Clinton Hill
Locanda on Gates Ave (Italian)
Aita on Greene Avenue (Italian)
Putnam’s Pub on Myrtle Ave (American)
Downtown Brooklyn
Circa Brewing Co on Willoughby Street
Pollo D’Oro on Gold Street
Menya Jiro on Gold Street
Juniors on Flatbush Ave
DUMBO
Westville DUMBO (American)
Cecconi’s DUMBO (Italian)
The Osprey at Pier 1 in Brooklyn Bridge Park (American)
Time Out Market (various cuisines ->closing again December 20)
Fort Greene
Dino on Dekalb Ave (Northern Italian)
Miss Ada on Dekalb Ave (Israeli)
Evelina on Dekalb Ave (Italian)
Colonia Verde on Dekalb Ave (Latin)
Olea on Lafayette Ave (Mediterranean)
Black Forest Brooklyn on Fulton Street (German)
Gowanus
Claro on 3rd Ave (Mexican)
Leyenda on Smith Street (Latin)
Jolie Bistro on Smith Street (French/Mexican)
Lavender Lake (bar) on Carroll Street
)
 and the “Antigen” or “Rapid Antigen Test” which is less reliable but offers results in minutes/hours. Our overview of test centers includes locations where you and your kids can get tested in Brooklyn Heights, DUMBO, Downtown Brooklyn, BoCoCa, Fort Greene and beyond.
NYC Health and Hospital community testing sites
Testing at the NYC Health and Hospitals sites in Brooklyn is fast and free (not even a co-pay)! Children 2 years and up as well as adults can get tested there. These NYC Health and Hospital sites offer the PCR tests which deliver results in 2 to 4 days. No appointment necessary, just walk in. NEW online wait time tool with updates every 2 hours for 51 Health and Hospital Covid testing sites.
NYC Health and Hospitals Red Hook Recreation Center | 155 Bay Street
PCR tests and antibody tests available now. Monday – Sunday, 9 a.m. – 7 p.m.
NYC Health and Hospitals Brooklyn Army Terminal | 140 58th Street
PCR tests available only. Monday – Sunday, 9 a.m. – 7 p.m.
NYC Health + Hospitals/Gotham Health Fort Greene | 100 North Portland Ave
PCR and antibody tests available only. Covid testing offered Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Find out more here.
Public COVID-19 Express testing
You can now make an appointment for a free rapid COVID-19 virus test at COVID Express Quickie Lab sites throughout the city. All tests performed at these sites are PCR-based laboratory diagnostic tests, which are the most accurate type of test available. Testing will be available by appointment only. The fastest way to make an appointment is to choose a time through their online scheduler. These tests are also free for New Yorkers, regardless of immigration status.
Crown Heights, 1218 Prospect Place
Fort Greene, 295 Flatbush Avenue Extension
Private providers
The private providers below might charge a co-pay or fee for the test. Patient responsibility, or your out-of-pocket cost, for COVID testing is based on your specific insurance coverage and plan.
BHMA Urgent Care Downtown Brooklyn | 514 Fulton Street
Monday to Friday: 8 am to 8 pm, Saturday and Sunday: 8:30 am to 6:30 pm. Find out more here.
CityMD Urgent Care Brooklyn Heights | 135 Montague Street
CityMD is currently offering three forms of COVID-19 testing at all locations – Rapid testing, PCR testing and Serum Antibody IgG testing. COVID-19 testing is walk-in only, no appointment needed. Weekdays 8 am to 8 pm, weekends 9 am to 6 pm. Find out more here.
CityMD Urgent Care Boerum Hill | 457 Atlantic Street
CityMD is currently offering three forms of COVID-19 testing at all locations – Rapid testing, PCR testing and Serum Antibody IgG testing. COVID-19 testing is walk-in only, no appointment needed. Weekdays 8 am to 8 pm, weekends 9 am to 6 pm. Find out more here.
CityMD Urgent Care Cobble Hill | 228 Court Street
CityMD is currently offering three forms of COVID-19 testing at all locations – Rapid testing, PCR testing and Serum Antibody IgG testing. COVID-19 testing is walk-in only, no appointment needed. Weekdays 8 am to 8 pm, weekends 9 am to 6 pm. Find out more here.
Leaf Medical DUMBO | 18 Adams Street
Leaf Medical offers the PCR test and antibody test. Schedule a telemedicine visit first. Find out more here.
Leaf Medical Carroll Gardens | 325 Smith Street
Leaf Medical offers the PCR test, rapid test and antibody test. Schedule a telemedicine visit first. Find out more here.
One Medical| 386 Atlantic Avenue
We’re currently offering PCR testing to anyone with coronavirus concerns by appointment only. Find out more here.
PM Pediatrics Boerum Hill | 240 Atlantic Avenue
PM Pediatrics is offering COVID-19 PCR, rapid antigen tests and antibody tests for children and adults. Walk-ins welcome. The center is open seven days per week from 12 to 10 pm. Find out more here.
ProHealth Urgent Care Carroll Gardens | 330 Court Street
ProHealth Urgent Care is offering COVID and antibody testing. No symptoms or referrals needed to get tested. Weekdays 8 am to 8 pm, weekends 8 am to 5 pm. Find out more here.
Northwell Health-GoHealth Urgent Care Park Slope | 365 Flatbush Avenue
PCR tests and antibody tests available, make an appointment first to get tested. Opening hours are 8 am to 8 pm from Monday through Friday and 9 am to 5 pm on Saturday and Sunday. Find out more here.
)
 named Kosmo Kidd crash lands his wind-up rocket ship in Lily’s kitchen. Kosmo whisks Lily away to his floating treehouse in Outer Outer Space, to join his Spacetronaut crew. Lily and Kosmo share many adventures, exploring exotic alien worlds and facing fearsome villains, as Lily proves that a girl from Brooklyn can hold her own among the galaxy’s greatest junior space cadets. Recommended for 7-10 year olds. Shop here.
Mermaids on Parade by Mel Hope Greenberg
Excited about wearing her own special costume for the day, a little girl goes with her family to Coney Island to take part in all the festivities of the Mermaid Parade where mermaids, Neptunes, and sea creatures of all shapes, colors, and sizes go to strut their stuff! Recommended for ages 4 to 7. Shop here.
How Emily saved the Bridge by Fieda Wishinsky
The Brooklyn Bridge, the iconic suspension bridge that connects Manhattan and Brooklyn, was completed in 1883. It is thanks to Emily Warren Roebling that the bridge was finished at all. Emily was not an engineer, but she was educated in math and science. She married Washington Roebling, the chief engineer of the famous bridge. When Washington became ill from decompression sickness, Emily stepped in, doing everything from keeping the books, to carrying messages for her husband, to monitoring the construction of the bridge. She was the first person to cross the Brooklyn Bridge when it opened. Recommended for ages 3 to 6. Shop here.
)
