Monday, December 17, 2012

Holiday Doings at Moore Street Market

 
WOW!! A really busy weekend at Moore Street. On Saturday, the 3 Kings Parador group packed in hundreds of holiday music lovers and revelers. Definitely standing room only!
 
On Sunday, Arts in Bushwick partnered with BEDC to deliver two family-oriented hands-on workshops. Kids (and parents, too) learned how to make prints and holiday cards out of carved sponges, producing some beautiful materials. And if you were a little too young to grasp the concept, there was always lots of paint to make pictures of all types, big and small! If the kids didn't take it with them , see it on display at the market.
 
And thanks to a generous donation from Moore Street tenant Body & Soul Bakery, we had 8 dozen star-shaped cookies to decorate, which the kids did with wild abandon! Enough sugar was consumed to fuel a generator, but the kids had a great time, and their parents got to chill out and talk to friends while the kids were so happily occupied.
 
And then Santa came with his bag of toys, hearing the Christmas wishes of every girls and boy in the market -- everyone was on their best behavior!
 
And last but certainly not least -- Turnstile Tours ended their Immigrant Foodways tour at the market at 1 pm, where the tourists got to eat the market food and take in the sights and sounds.
 
Oh, and did I mention that our Moore Street shopping bag give-away continued, and that we ran out of Pasteles Machines to sell!
 
We also got to meet John, who owns 80 Moore Street, just down the block -- we have to figure out how to work with him to make the block even better!
 
Quite a weekend!!!

Arts in Bushwick co-sponsored a children's art and cookie decorating party at Moore Street on December 16th
Even the adults got into the spirit, making block-print cards and pictures
Art work in progress!
Everyone waited patiently for Santa to come
Santa send Christmas greeting with former Market employee Hipolito and his 2-year old daughter
A Christmas cookie masterpiece!
Lauren Smith of Arts in Bushwick set up the art table
All ready for cookie decorating -- frosting, sprinkles, coconut, Hershey's kisses, colored sugar, and a whole lot more!
Santa worked overtime to make sure all the good little girls and boys got in their last-minute Christmas lists!





Please have a very happy and safe holiday!!

Joan Bartolomeo
Moore Street Market







Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Some Updates

Urban Farm

We got the documents from Parks Department to review this week for turning the vacant lot at 104 Moore Street into a functioning urban farm! If all goes well, we get the keys to the lot at 104 Moore Street on January 2nd, and the farming begins!

Look for a fish pond, maybe some chickens or ducks, and raised planting beds for vegetables. I'll post a picture of the proposed farm as soon as I can. But it's going to make a huge difference on Moore Street, and we're so excited about it finally happening. Thanks to Community Board 1 for throwing their support behind this project!

Public Plaza

Preparations for the reconfiguration of Humboldt Street are finally underway, as evidenced by all the street pavement markings and excavation activity. Once that's done, and Humboldt Street is reconfigured back to one lane, the Public Plaza project behind the market can begin! We're hoping for a Summer 2013 opening.

Commercial Kitchen

The plans were submitted to the city for approval the week before Hurricane Sandy! So we are behind schedule again -- but we have started bidding the work and we are aiming for a January, 2013 construction commencement. We'll be holding off renting any new stalls until that work is done, because different food vendors might be interested once the kitchen is available for use.

Joan Bartolomeo
Moore Street Market

Santa Claus is Coming to Town!

Lots happening at the Market this coming weekend!

  • The Three Kings band will be performing at the market this coming Saturday from 12 to 4 pm. Come and enjoy the music!
  • Flea Market weekends continue on Saturday, with vendors selling jewelry, soaps, candles, etc.
  • On Sunday, join us for a workshop with Arts In Bushwick, to learn how to make wood-block prints. Please bring the family! Hours 12-4 pm. All supplies provided, no cost.
  • Cookie decorating workshop on Sunday! We supply the cookies and the decorations -- you supply the imagination!
  • Santa will be here on Sunday, too, from 12-3 with gifts for the kids. Come for pictures and a treat!
  • Turnstile Tours Immigrant Foodways Tour comes to the Market on Sunday. See their website for more details.
The market is all decked out for the holidays -- come join us in celebration of the season!

Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe Celebrated at Moore Street


A Mariachi band led people in the market in songs celebrating the feast day of our Lady of Guadalupe. Las Gemelas sponsored the festivities offering tamales and other seasonal treats in observance of this feast day, which is widely celebrated by Mexican-Americans.

According to Wikipedia:

Our Lady of Guadalupe (Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe), also known as the Virgin of Guadalupe, is a celebrated Roman Catholic icon of the Virgin Mary.

Two accounts, published in the 1640s, one in Spanish, one in Nahuatl, tell how, while walking from his village to Mexico City in the early morning of December 9, 1531 (then the Feast of the Immaculate Conception in the Spanish Empire),the peasant Juan Diego saw on the slopes of the Hill of Tepeyac a vision of a girl of fifteen or sixteen years of age, surrounded by light. Speaking to him in Nahuatl, the local language, she asked that a church be built at that site, in her honor; from her words, Juan Diego recognized the Lady as the Virgin Mary. Diego told his story to the Spanish Archbishop, Fray Juan de Zumárraga, who instructed him to return to Tepeyac Hill, and ask the lady for a miraculous sign to prove her identity. The Virgin told Juan Diego to gather flowers from the top of Tepeyac Hill. Although December was very late in the growing season for flowers to bloom, Juan Diego found at the usually barren hilltop Castilian roses, not native to Mexico, which the Virgin arranged in his peasant tilma cloak. When Juan Diego opened the cloak before Bishop Zumárraga on December 12, the flowers fell to the floor, and in their place was the image of the Virgin of Guadalupe, miraculously imprinted on the fabric.

Video of the performance will be posted as soon as I find the right USB connector for my phone!
Joan Bartolomeo
Moore Street Market

What is it?


Do you know what this is? This is a hand-manufactured Pasteles machine, used to grind up the plantains needed to make wrappers for pasteles. Many of these machines are made here in the basement of Market -- they are powered by washing machine motors!

Pasteles are a traditional item at Christmas time -- different fillings using meat and or vegetables are stuffed into a masa made of plantains, then wrapped in banana leaves. This is all tied up in parchment paper -- to prepare you boil them for about a half hour or steam them (debate is fierce on the "best" way to prepare them). But the finished product is a delicious, labor-intensive seasonal treat that is eaten in great quantity.

Many people learn how to prepare Pasteles by working side by side with their mothers and grandmothers, but if you don't have the time to make them yourselves, many vendors at the Market sell them by the dozen. Pop in and pick some up!


AC Tropical makes and sells hundreds of pasteles every day this time of the year!
This time of the year, we get calls from all over looking to see if we sell these machines, and they sell out within days of being made. Today, as I write this blog, we only have 2 left in the entire market. I have already gotten phone calls from three people asking if we have  them, including one from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania!

I told the vendors they better be busy elves and make a lot more machines to meet the demand.

Friday, November 30, 2012

Celebration of the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe -- December 12th

Las Gemelas (#6) will be celebrating the Feast Day of Our Lady of Guadalupe by offering traditional holidays foods like tamales to thier customers. Come join us!


Fiesta!!
 Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe

Miercoles, Deciembre 12th
10 – 12 am

Las Gemelas
La Marqueta de Williamsburg
110 Moore Street, Stall #6
Brooklyn, New York 11206

 Celebre la Fiesta con nosotros

Tamales y comidas tradicional
Gratis!!!


Thursday, November 29, 2012

More Great Tours from Turnstile Tours -- Immigrant Foodways December 16th


Turnstile Tours

The Spirit of the Season

World War II Tours of the Brooklyn Navy Yard
Charity Christmas Tours of historic Brooklyn church
Immigrant Foodways Tour and holiday events
Helping our neighbors recover from Sandy
Showing images to a tour group at dry dock one in the Brooklyn Navy Yard

"The Can-Do Yard": World War II Tour of the Brooklyn Navy Yard

Our newest tour of the Brooklyn Navy Yard has launched, and we hope you will join us to explore this fascinating history. We already have been honored to host two World War II veterans on this tour – one who served in the Merchant Marine, another in the Navy – and they have shared powerful and moving stories with our visitors. We are pleased to offer free admission to any World War II veterans, and discounted tickets to military veterans of all ages.

During World War II, the Brooklyn Navy Yard played a pivotal role in the American war effort – it built or repaired over 5,000 ships, sent troops and supplies to fronts across the globe, and the tireless efforts of its 70,000 workers earned it the nickname "The Can Do Yard." This tour will examine the role of the New York City waterfront in the war effort, explore connections between the Yard and famous battles of World War II, and visit sites of significance that remain from this era, including the Naval Hospital campus, the Naval Film Exchange, a working dry dock, and even businesses outside the Yard that switched to wartime production. By visiting these sites, hearing the stories of workers and sailors, and examining historical images and documents from the period, we hope to evoke a sense of what the Yard was like during the war and illuminate the historical legacies that persist to this day.

This tour is being offered in partnership with the Brooklyn Navy Yard Center at BLDG 92.

Upcoming tour dates:

Sunday, December 2nd
Saturday, December 8th
Sunday, January 6th

Time: 11:00AM-1:00PM
Tickets: $30 per person


Click here for tickets & information

We also offer our 2-hour overview tour of the Yard every Saturday and Sunday at 2:00PM.

Be sure to read our blog, where we'll be sharing great stories about the Yard's history, and check out wonderful photos taken by our friend David Berkowitz on the Veterans Day launch of this tour.

Image Source (Above): David Berkowitz
Father Timothy Dore and Cindy VandenBosch in Santa caps

Tour an Historic Brooklyn Church and Support Families in Need

In the Spirit of the Season: A Christmas Tour of the Parish Grounds of Most Holy Trinity-St Mary
Discover the beautiful church and parish grounds of Most Holy Trinity – St. Mary, built in 1885 as “The German Cathedral” and described in author Betty Smith’s famous novel, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. Led by Father Timothy Dore and Turnstile’s founder Cindy VandenBosch, this tour will venture up into the bell tower, down into the crypt, and even take a peek into the German-themed Rathskeller rectory.  Attendees will learn about the origins of many Christmas traditions, highlighting the parish's early beginnings in the mid-1800s with stories of the origins of Santa Claus and Christmas trees, and discussing more recent immigrants from Latin America, the Caribbean, and Poland, who have brought new traditions to the church, from Noche Buena to the Three Kings Day Parade.

All proceeds from the tour go to benefit Trinity Human Service Center, a non-sectarian, non-profit organization that provides food and social services for needy families in Brooklyn. Cindy has been proud to offer this tour experience for four years, and it has helped to raise thousands of dollars for struggling families – we hope you will join us this season.


Saturday, December 15th, 2:30-4:30PM
Saturday, January 5th, 2:30-4:30PM
Tickets: $20 per person. Space is limited, so advance ticket purchase is required.
Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Most Holy Trinity-St Mary Church

Explore Latin American Food and Culture in Williamsburg

Immigrant Foodways Tour
Our Immigrant Foodways Tour takes you on a journey through the sights, sounds, and flavors of the diverse Latin American cultures that come together in Brooklyn's East Williamsburg neighborhood. Once known for its pickles and kosher meat, today the neighborhood serves up herbal teas from Mexico, sounds of salsa, and traditional foods from Latin American countries. Based on interviews with neighborhood residents, this tour explores the history of Brooklyn’s “Avenue of Puerto Rico” – once the heart of a Jewish community – and takes an in-depth look at the Moore Street Market, built in 1941 to mark the end of the pushcart era and today a centerpiece of the Spanish-speaking community. By the end, you’ll be equipped with new knowledge about Latin American ingredients and a booklet of traditional recipes to help you recreate the tastes and smells of the market in your own home.

Sunday, December 16th, 10:30AM-1:00PM
Tickets: $42 per person. Advance ticket purchase is required.


Click here for tickets & information

Holiday Events in Williamsburg

In addition to our Christmas Church tour and Immigrant Foodways tour, there are many other holiday events going on this time of year in East Williamsburg. The Graham Avenue Business Improvement District will be running its Holly Jolly Trolley this year to transport shoppers around the neighborhood. The trolley will operate on Saturdays and Sundays throughout the Christmas season from 11AM to 3PM. For more information, visit the Graham Avenue BID's website. The neighborhood's annual Three Kings Day Parade will take place Sunday, January 6th, along Graham Avenue, and will feature menagerie of animals – including a camel! – in its procession (if you want to learn about the origins of the nativity scene, come on our Christmas Church Tour!).

Special Holiday Food Cart Tours

Throughout the holiday season, we will continue to offer our Food Cart Tours on our regular schedule – Wednesdays in the Financial District, Fridays in Midtown – but with a special twist. Tours in December will include special holiday content, including stories about New York City's sidewalk Christmas tree vendors and roasted chestnut sellers, and holiday foods and traditions from the home countries of the immigrant vendors we work with. With Manhattan already abuzz with the holiday spirit, we hope these tours will offer unique insight into holiday traditions and foods. If you have family in town or you're just visiting New York for the holidays, our Food Cart Tours are a great family experience.

Financial District, Wednesdays, 12:00PM-2:00PM
Midtown, Fridays, 2:00PM-4:00PM


Click here for tickets and information

Help New York City Recover from Sandy

Many of our partners, friends, and family were deeply affected by Hurricane Sandy. In the days and weeks since the storm, our team has tried to do what we can to help in the relief efforts, but there is still so much to be done. Many of the street vendors we work with were affected, as Manhattan's Financial District experienced massive flooding, forcing many of them out of their regular locations and causing them to lose customers they had relied on for years to support their small businesses. But street vendors have stepped up to the plate in Sandy relief (read about this on our blog), bringing their mobile kitchens to the hardest-hit areas of the city to provide hot meals for families in need, free of charge, thanks to support from crowd-sourcing campaigns and generous donors. The Brooklyn Navy Yard was also hit hard by Sandy's storm surge, and roughly 25 of the Yard's 275 businesses suffered losses in inventory and equipment – some were even taken offline completely, and remain so to this day. Both IceStone, a manufacturer of countertops made from recycled glass, and Ted & Honey, the café inside the Brooklyn Navy Yard Center, have launched campaigns through the crowdfunding platform Smallknot to help them get back on their feet. The Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation is working hard to provide support for the tenants and workers at the Yard, but every bit helps.

The outpouring of support from individuals and organizations during this crisis has been incredible, and we have been deeply moved by people's generosity, selflessness, and hard work. We would like to extend special acknowledgement to some of the groups that we have worked with, including Occupy Sandy, COJECO, Team Rubicon, and the New York City Food Truck Association. Cindy has compiled a list of resources that you can use to donate money, supplies, or your time to the people in need. It has been a month since the storm, but there are still thousands of families without homes and in need of support. As the weather gets colder and the prospect of spending the holidays without a home, job, or belongings, that support becomes ever more critical. Thank you for your help.

How you can help victims of Sandy.


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Upcoming Tours


Fri, Nov 30
Midtown Food Cart Tour
Sat, Dec 1
Brooklyn Navy Yard Overview Tour
Sun, Dec 2
World War II Brooklyn Navy Yard Tour
Brooklyn Navy Yard Overview Tour

Wed, Dec 5
Financial Dist Food Cart Tour
Fri, Dec 7
Midtown Food Cart Tour
Sat, Dec 8
World War II Brooklyn Navy Yard Tour
Brooklyn Navy Yard Overview Tour

Sun, Dec 9
Brooklyn Navy Yard Overview Tour
Wed, Dec 12
Financial Dist Food Cart Tour

Fri, Dec 14
Midtown Food Cart Tour
Sat, Dec 15
Christmas Church Tour
Brooklyn Navy Yard Overview Tour

Sun, Dec 16
Immigrant Foodways Tour
Brooklyn Navy Yard Overview Tour
Plastic deer Christmas lawn ornament

Gift Certificates Available for the Holidays!

Give the gift of a unique New York City experience this holiday season. Gift certificates can be purchased by tour or dollar amount. Give the gift of an historical tour of the Brooklyn Navy Yard, a strolling lunch of street food, or a weekend visit to an historic public market!

Purchase Gift Certificates
Brian and food vendors

Write a review! Tell your friends!

If you recently joined us for a tour, we would greatly appreciate it if you wrote a review of your experience on our TripAdvisor page. Online reviews go a long way in helping us reach more customers and improve our experiences. We rely a great deal on word-of-mouth, so please, tell your friends and family about your tour and help us get the word out about or small but growing company. And we always welcome your feedback if you would like to send it to us directly at info@turnstiletours.com
People unloading supplies for Sandy relief in Coney Island

From our blog

Neighborhood Eats Tour from Urban Oyster

Our friends at Urban Oyster offer a wonderful food tour of Brooklyn's Smith and Court Streets, highlighting a vibrant mix of small, locally-owned, artisanal food shops, both old and new. Stops on the tour include Italian and Middle Eastern shops that have long been staples of the neighborhood, as well as the growing scene of cafes and restaurants specializing in New American cuisine. While you enjoy their delicacies, you will also learn about the neighborhood's rich history and get to meet the local business owners.

Tours are offered Saturdays, 1-4PM

Tickets & information
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Monday, November 26, 2012

ArtsINBushwick Mural Contest at Moore Street Market



 ArtsINBushwick presents its 2012-2013 Community Mural Project: How Does Food Unite People?

What??
Arts in Bushwick is inviting you to enter a mural design contest for high school students in Bushwick! You can enter the contest by creating a mural design that answers the question “How Does Food Unite People?” The winning selection will be transformed into an amazing outdoor mural at the Moore Street Retail Market (La Marqueta de Williamsburg), in the spring of 2013. You can participate in the contest, or on the mural team, or both!
 
When??
All mural design contest entries must be received by December 22nd. The
mural team will begin meeting and painting in Spring on 2013. All entries will be on display during a special exhibition at the Moore Street Retail Market. The final project will be showcased during Arts in Bushwick’s Bushwick Open Studios in June 2013.
 
How?!
You can participate by entering the contest, or by signing up to be on the mural
team, or both! You can sign up with your art teacher.
 
The Details:
 
Contest Theme:
How Does Food Unite People?
Create a mural design proposal on an 8 ½ x 11 inch piece of paper that answers this year’s theme question “How Does Food Unite People?” and include a short written statement (no more than 1 page) explaining how your design answers this question.
 
Along with the mural design proposal and written statement, please include the following: Your name, grade level and the name of your school or after school program. Please turn in your entry to your teacher.

Submission Guidelines:
High school students in grades 9-12 that attend school or an after school program in Bushwick, New York may enter the contest. Submissions may be
submitted individually or they can be a collaborative group idea (i.e. group of friends, or a class). Entries must directly respond to the contest theme and must be respectful of all members of the community.

Winning Entry
The winning entry will be chosen by a jury. All entries will be on display at the Market during a special exhibit. Winners will be chosen based on creativity and consideration of appropriateness to the theme. GOOD LUCK!