Full Moon

It's supposed to rain later tonight, but at 730 pm, it was gorgeous. There was a full moon over Bay Ridge. You don't notice the brightness so much when out on the street, but in the backyard, away from the streetlights, you still notice the beautiful white moonlight.

I read where in Rome, there are plans to lower the intensity of the streetlights so as to reduce light pollution. So that people can see the sky once more. Brava, Roma.

Moonrise over Fourth Avenue

Scruffy Murphy's - What's Going On?

Not too long ago, Scruffy Murphy's on Fourth Avenue, just off 69th Street, was a popular place, with live bands a couple of nights a week.

Over two years ago, it closed for renovations, and I think, so owner Sean could spend some time back in Ireland. It was supposed to reopen in 2004. Now, 2005 is nearly over and there is no sign of life in Scruffy's, nor in the two apartments above it.

We miss Scruffy Murphy's, who was a good neighbor. Bring it back!

Wild Parrots Of Bay Ridge

I've known for awhile that there are wild parrots in Brooklyn's Prospect Park, but was unaware that there was a monk parrot colony in Bay Ridge. They're up by the Dust Bowl.

I just found this tonight, from the amazing site brooklynparrots.com.

Vincent Gentile Re-elected to City Council

Vincent Gentile, Democrat, won re-election to the Bay Ridge City Council seat yesterday, beating Pat Russo, the Republican challenger. Not too long ago, Republicans always won here. Now, Bay Ridge is a swing area- can go Democrat or Republican.

The State Senator here is Marty Golden, a Republican.

Grandma's Baseball

Visited Grandma's Original Pizza today.

They're crazy baseball fans there. There's a tv across from the marble pizza counter, and if there is a ballgame being aired, it is on that tv. And being commented on, with passion and with knowledge, by the pizzeria's Italian and Mexican crew.

Had a regular slice and a " grandma's" square slice. They were impeccable. At a little pizzeria that always bats 1.000.

Bay Ridge Pizza Hall of Fame

New York has the best pizza in America and Brooklyn has some of the best pizza in New York. And some of the best pizza in Brooklyn is in Bay Ridge.

Here, as a result of extensive testing over decades, is a list of my top five pizzerias in Bay Ridge:

1. Grandma's Original Pizza, 6918 Third Avenue, 718-833-4646. Everything here is of championship caliber, but my favorites are a) Grandmama's Pizza, a crispy thin crust square, with mozzarella, marinara sauce, fresh basil, olive oil, topped off with sharp romano cheese, and b) margherita pizza ( similar to grandmama's but a from a large round pie that isn't crisp.) Fabulous.
2. Pizza Wagon, Fifth Avenue, off 86th Street. Great round pie. Good square.
3. Rocco's, 79th Street and Fifth Avenue. Great round pie. Good square.
4. Lento's. Ovington and Third Avenues. Serving very good thin crust pizza on ancient wood tables since the 1930s.
5. Elegante, Fifth Avenue, between 69th and Ovington. Bare-bones, but a good salty slice essentially unchanged since the mid 1960s.