The 2013 West Indian Day Carnival

I think that you'll probably see and hear more preparations if you go over to the PLG side of Empire and into Flatbush. The sense I get is that the changes in the neighborhood have pushed a lot of the preparations out of the area.

The influx of bars and restaurants have resulted in fewer landlords that are looking to enter into 8-12 week leases for space. There are three storefronts on Nostrand currently doing costume prep between Fulton and EP that I know of. Ten years ago there were probably 3 times as many not to mention a similar number on Franklin Avenue. A lot of the places that were used by steel pan groups for practice on Grand, Classon, etc have been converted from garages and auto shops to residential or commercial space.

Yes.

As a result, it all seems much less intense in "the area I walk my dog"

---> roughly the rectangle formed by Vanderbilt, Atlantic, Brooklyn Avenue and Crown St<---

It now feels as if the parade is going to visit the area, as opposed to emanate from it.

<small>View Larger Map</small>

Did anyone else notice the NYPD bucket truck with an ESU type truck behind it going down Eastern yesterday? It looked like they were setting up more surveillance cameras. Not sure if this has to do with the parade or if the timing is coincidence. However, I'm banking on the former.

I would like it to be stated for the record that I welcome our government minders and that Big Brother always knows best.

NewGuy, you didn't have to state that for the record. Big Brother already knows what you think.

As a result of NYPD cameras and lots of people making videos of the parade on their cell phones, I expect that we will get really good photos of anyone who commits a crime along the parade route.

...especially if the offender happens to be a shapely female and dressed almost exclusively in sparkles.

wondering the over/under on there being more deaths than last year

Many people don't realize that Big Brother is a blood relative to Uncle Sam.

PG-

In this instance, Raymond Kelly is responsible for feeding Big Brother.

goldemi-

You'd have to define the parameters before I make a prediction.

I.E. Just the day of the parade? Actually along the parade route, or within 1/2 mile of it?

J'ouvert is a seperate event and should be counted seperately, right?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J'ouvert

Saw a bunch of barriers either up or waiting to be put up around Kensington Ave today.

Some of the new trees they planted on the new Eastern Parkway median by the museum have died, simply because they were new trees.

They have put little fences around all of the alive ones, but not bothered to do so with the dead ones.

...makes me believe they might be able to optimize their time and resources.

photos of the Saturday children's parade, taken by myself and friends:

press:

http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/brooklyn/west-indian-day-parade-set-kick-46th-year-article-1.1442158

More photos of the children's parade from friends:

The Curry chicken stands are going up! I can taste it already!

Hey WhyNot, was that ClayFilms little one in that first picture being held by Daddy.?

BTW, J'Ouvert is 2 AM - 6 AM Monday Morning. GAP, Flabush, Rogers and Empire should all be quite busy.

Advice: http://brooklyn.com/eventdetail-63505858618.html.

Really long video from last year's J'Ourvert:

newguy88 said:

The Curry chicken stands are going up! I can taste it already!

Although it is Sunday night, they are serving food already!

Some stands have even brought entire chest freezers, which they are powering by generators. Tomorrow is hopefully a profitable day!

The overnight festivities have made the NYPD and FDNY busy locally:

Assist Officer | Eastern Parkway & Rogers Avenue Brooklyn, NY | 9/2/2013 7:29 a.m.

Robbery | Rogers Avenue & Sullivan Place Brooklyn, NY | 9/2/2013 7:09 a.m.

10-13 Over The Air | Franklin Avenue & President Street Brooklyn, NY | 9/2/2013 5:13 a.m.

Assist Officer | Bedford Avenue Brooklyn, NY | 9/2/2013 4:20 a.m.

Assist Officer | Nostrand Avenue & Clarkson Avenue Brooklyn, NY | 9/2/2013 3:49 a.m.

Slashing | Eastern Parkway & Classon Avenue Brooklyn, NY | 9/2/2013 3:48 a.m.

Shots Fired | Franklin Avenue & Carroll Street Brooklyn, NY | 9/2/2013 3:33 a.m.

Large Fight | Nostrand Avenue & Fenimore Street Brooklyn, NY | 9/2/2013 3:26 a.m.

Shooting | Flatbush Avenue & Beekman Place Brooklyn, NY | 9/2/2013 2:25 a.m.

Foot Pursuit | Flatbush Avenue & Lincoln Road Brooklyn, NY | 9/2/2013 2:09 a.m.

Large Crowd | Bedford Avenue & Montgomery Street Brooklyn, NY | 9/2/2013 1:36 a.m.

Foot Pursuit | Utica Avenue & Montgomery Street Brooklyn, NY | 9/2/2013 1:13 a.m.

Large Crowd | Flatbush Avenue & Church Avenue Brooklyn, NY | 9/2/2013 1:00 a.m.

http://gothamist.com/map/

Heard there was a shooting at Grand Army Plaza this morn. and unofficially the weekend was begun with man with a gun chasing another thru the childrens playground at Brower Park around five p.m. see you at the get together on Tuesday!

It's not a parade until there's gun-play.

Approximately 1:45 PM, the last of the politicians finally pass the Brooklyn Museum.

The large speaker trucks follow.

2:30 PM. What is expected to be a soaking rain, begins.

I saw it looked like rain and bolted at around 2. Glad I'd did. Ugh I think my bones are still vibrating from the semis with the sound systems. But over all I had a blast! Was it just me or was the crowd chiller this year?

One's experience of the parade often depends on where one is located within it:

Disturbance

NYPD Units requesting assistance for large disorderly group at this location of the West Indian Day Parade.

Utica Avenue & Union Street

Brooklyn, NY

9/2/2013 3:01 p.m.

http://gothamist.com/map/

4:00 the rain has stopped.

Early press: http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2013/09/02/brooklyn-to-celebrate-west-indian-culture-today/

Assist Police

BROOKLYN *ASSIST POLICE* EASTERN PKY AND NEW YORK AV. PORTABLE UNIT REQUESTING MORE UNITS FOR CROWD CONTROL. NOW ADVISING A NO FURTHER. (c) [MNS3]

Eastern Pky And New York Av

Brooklyn, NY

9/2/2013 4:50 p.m.

http://gothamist.com/map/

In 2012, the violence began to surge as the parade ended. 2013 is looking similar:

Breaking News Network wrote: Shooting

BROOKLYN (67-PCT) *SHOOTING* 1680 BEDFORD AVE 2 PEOPLE SHOT NOT LIKELY. EMS ON LOCATION. 2 PERPS M/B FLED (C) [MNS254]

1680 Bedford Ave

Brooklyn, NY

9/2/2013 5:45 p.m.

This is near Ebbets Field houses (Montgomery St)

...the Sanitation vehicles have begun the clean up of the parade route.

BROOKLYN: *STABBING* ROCHESTER AVE & EASTERN PKWAY. PD O/S WITH A MALE STABBED REQ A RUSH ON THE BUS (c) [MNS257]

Rochester Ave & Eastern Pkway

Brooklyn, NY

9/2/2013 6:33 p.m.

The police helicopters seem to be spending a fair bit of time flying east to west tonight.

Large Crowd

Additional units requested to the location regards assistance dispersing a large, disorderly crowd.

102 Utica Avenue

Brooklyn, NY

9/2/2013 6:59 p.m.

I think opening up the streets to cars is part of the NYPD's crowd dispersal strategy. They street cleaned and reopened EP at around 6:45. Now, they are giving the food vendors a little while to load everything on uhauls on the service roads

Then, sanitation will clean the service roads and let people park again.

Taken by friends:

Those who would like to see more photos of the costumes and the politicians, are encouraged to see this story by the Daily News.

24 photos ---> http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/west-indian-day-parade-2013-gallery-1.1443746?pmSlide=0

Great coverage from the patch on the parade. Actually kind of insane how they managed to ignore it.

A lot of the after parade excitement seems to be happening South of EP

Large Crowd

Task Force has been mobilized, aviation enroute.

Nostrand Avenue & Crown Street

Brooklyn, NY

9/2/2013 7:58 p.m.

The shootings that happened at approx 5:45 near Ebbets Field resulted in arrests:

http://brooklyn.news12.com/news/cops-2-arrested-in-connection-to-shooting-stabbing-that-injures-3-near-west-indian-day-parade-route-1.6000603

The stabbing at 6:33 at EP and Rochester is mentioned, but his condition is not provided.

And, that's it for tonight's coverage!

...See everyone at the Parade, Museum Events and Barclays again in 2014!

Welcome to Fall!

A couple police vans loaded with cops and a cruiser just rolled by my window. One of the vans was driving in reverse! Hope they were just transporting cops.

The parade didn't seem to have many people this year. One could actually stretch without any hindrance. The pace of the parade seemed lethargic. Walk a few feet, stop, wait to move again, repeat. Still, I liked it. I especially liked seeing steamed lobster and clams being offered at the stalls.