Results tagged “jellynyc”

              

Yesterday afternoon the Pool Parties made their debut off the McCarren Pool grounds and on the Williamsburg waterfront, at East River State Park (Mission of Burma, Fucked Up, Ponytail and Jemina Pearl all played). This new home is even more temporary than the last—which is currently undergoing a $50 million makeover—only one summer of shows will be held here before it's time to find a new home. In the meantime, the crowds from yesterday were aTwitter with thoughts on the new space. Most of the reviews have been positive, and for the most part the same elements are there, with some slight changes.

Last year as the the McCarren Park Pool parties were coming to an end forever (not forever), we talked to JellyNYC organizer Sarah Hooper about where they might revive their series this summer. At the time she told us that they were working closely with the Open Space Alliance, Parks Department and Marty Markowitz’s office to find a new space, but no matter what, the show will remain free and they'll always have a Slip n' Slide. Well, it's all happening people.

                      

Well, that's that. McCarren Pool – the giant Robert Moses-era landmark that's been revived as a music, theater, dance and film venue after decades of neglect – hosted its last free 'pool party' yesterday. The Bloomberg administration has allocated $50 million to renovate the pool for swimming, restore the historic bathhouse building, and build a year-round recreation center that is to include a skate park and an ice rink.

The NY Times takes a preemptive look back at McCarren Park Pool, on the cusp of its closing, saying "Like every sweet summer fling...this one is destined to end." The empty pool has given some locals fond memories of the Slip n' Slide, dodgeball, this guy, the music. Sure, the beer lines were long at times, and the entry line even longer, but before the pool gets refilled with water, some are shedding tears over it, because let's face facts: the Sunday Pool Parties just won't be the same when they're not held in a quadruple-Olympic-size swimming pool. As for what the future holds, next year JellyNYC will take the Pool Parties to Austin, Portland, San Francisco, and Nashville--but there currently isn't a site secured for New York. In July, however, they told us "The Open Space Alliance, Parks Department and even Marty Markowitz’s office has been very clear that there will be a space for concerts no matter what in Williamsburg" As for an opposition, Phyllis Yampolsky, founder of the McCarren Park Conservancy, says the pools "basic needs are not for the fashionistas of Williamsburg.”

Along with Doug DeFalco, Sarah Hooper co-runs JellyNYC -- the company that brings free concerts to McCarren Park Pool each Sunday of the summer. With the space undergoing some changes in the future, we checked in with Hooper on the status of the parties and where they may go when the empty pool gets filled with water again. Good news: Marty Markowitz promises they'll be sticking around..and could possibly have a water view.

Photo by Elizabeth Weinberg.

The fate of McCarren Park Pool turned around after being landmarked and given a $50 million gift from Bloomberg, yet its future look is still up in the air. Following the February 4th meeting, last night another Community Board meeting was held to discuss The Pool. This time architects Rogers Marvel and The Parks Department were on hand to present conceptual plans. Curbed has the reveal, but they note the renderings are merely "draft images and, of course, the redesign has to be approved by the Landmarks Preservation Commission."