August may be upon us, but summer’s not over quite yet. We scoured the web–while in the comfort of air conditioning–to find July’s 10 best in-depth stories from Brooklyn Based, Narratively and beyond. Before you soak up the last of your friends’ rooftop soirées and backyard barbecues, you’ll want to stick these stories in your back pocket for the coolest conversation starters around.
1. Livestock Orphans
A sanctuary fit for a goat. Photo: Courtney Dudley
What happens when all those well-meaning Brooklyn locavores get tired of their pet pigs, backyard chickens and adopted goats? Narratively visited the upstate farm that takes in these urban animal orphans.
2. Hairy Fairy
It’s been the summer of Cera. Not only has the endearingly awkward actor appeared in the new season of Arrested Development; he’s also the star of low budget, indie festival favorite Crystal Fairy, conceived by Fort Greene filmmaker Sebastián Silva and inspired by a similarly transformative road trip that he endured.
3. For the Mockingbirds
The New York Times investigated recent attacks on innocent sunbathers by mockingbirds gone cuckoo to protect their hatchlings.
4. Mad World
Illustration courtesy of Narratively/Keny Widjaja
Narratively took a close look at a Bushwick artists’ commune whose eclectic residents gained more than just inspiration during their stay.
5. Lyrical Prodigy
Akashic Books—an independent Brooklyn publishing house—took a chance on a new voice in the literary scene: Prodigy. The Queens-based rapper published his first novella in mid-July, which was also the first title for Infamous Books, which will specialize in the urban and crime genre.
6. The Latest Scoop
The cones at L’Albero are scooped with artistic flair. Photo: Brendan Spiegel
Brooklyn Based visited the newly opened L’Albero dei Gelati in Park Slope, which features wacky flavors for the boldest of palates. Do yellow bell pepper sorbet and blue cheese gelato suit your fancy?
7. Funny Bones
While SNL has lost some of its comedic darlings over the past few months, The L Magazine has some ideas up its sleeve when it comes to Brooklyn-based replacements sure to deliver fresh laughs this fall.
8. Underground Wonder
Brooklynites will have their own version of Bryant Park come 2016 once construction begins on Willoughby Square. The New York Times explained the park’s innovative layout which will include walkways, gardens and an underground automated parking facility that will partially fund the green space above.
9. Summer of ‘69
Who doesn’t like a little bout of nostalgia once in a while, especially when it’s about old-school Brooklyn? New York Magazine put the spotlight on a July 1969 article by Pete Hamill that captures the spirit of a Brooklyn most of us can only dream about.
10. Superhero-Sized
It took Federico Massa three weeks and 150 cans of spray paint to create this superhero-themed mural on the side of Williamsburg Cinema. Photo: Emiliano Rubinacci
We also checked out a new mural from Federico Massa, a Brooklyn-based Italian artist, whose latest, greatest Grand Street creation, finds our favorite supermen and women engaged in a little suit switcheroo, cross-dressing fun on the side of Williamsburg Cinema.
