The Brooklyn Brief: Beach closures and the end of an era for a punk-metal club

By Joshua Encinias

Welcome to The Brooklyn Brief, your new Monday roundup of the latest news, happenings, tidbits and everything you need to know to start your week in the better borough.

If there’s a can’t-miss event before Friday, you’ll find it here. And if it’s interesting or important to your life in Brooklyn, we’ll have that too.

In the news

• Legendary punk and metal venue Saint Vitus in Greenpoint is officially closing for good after a having been temporarily shut down in February over permitting violations. The announcement was shared on their Instagram account, where they also teased that more will be announced.
• Beaches in Brooklyn and Queens remain closed to swimming Monday due to life-threatening rip currents brought on by Hurricane Ernesto. “We want people to be out and we want them to be enjoying our facilities, but we want them to do it safely,” NYC Parks Commissioner Sue Donoghue said in a statement.
• Paul S. Randazzo Sr. of Sheepshead Bay’s Randazzo’s Clam Bar passed away on August 12 at the age of 66. His family-run business is famous for their fried clams and best-in-class red sauce. New York Times’ outgoing restaurant critic Pete Wells gave them a shoutout in our 2022 interview with him.
• Beloved Bensonhurst Italian eatery Ortobello will rebuild after a fire tore through the establishment in April. Andrea Cerasuoli’s father opened the restaurant in 1974. There’s a GoFundMe set up to help offset the cost of repair.
• Brooklyn Org and Groundswell unveiled a new mural at the Atlantic Terminal Mall on Thursday titled “Show Brooklyn Some Love,” reports the Brooklyn Eagle. The 500 square-foot mural was completed with the help of over 40 volunteers.
• Brooklyn Bridge Parents compiled a list of fall afterschool programs for kids all across the borough.
• A new grant will help provide STEAM education to 180 elementary school girls in Brooklyn, BK Reader reports. Full STEAM Forward is a nonprofit dedicated to promoting equity in science education for girls of color. They were awarded a $15,000 grant from the Cleveland H. Dodge Foundation.

ICYMI

• 15 French spots to check out in Brooklyn now
  A snapshot of Brooklyn’s French culinary scene.
• Filmmaker Ridley Scott on ‘Alien,’ AI, the afterlife and why most horror films fail
  The brusque English filmmaker goes off about his favorite topics.
• 4 local sustainable swimwear brands to check out before your next beach trip
  How to have a sustainable summer in swimwear, from 3D printed fits to hand-knit beach wear.
• It’s official: Brooklyn’s ‘Greenest Block’ is in Crown Heights
  Lincoln Place between New York and Nostrand Avenues was declared the borough’s ‘Greenest Block’ by the BBG.

What to do this week

Monday, August 19

Reductress Presents: Haha…WOW!
7:30 p.m.
Join the editors of Reductress and their favorite comics in a show at Union Hall that will make you say, “haha…wow!!” Hosted by Freddie Shanel and Julie Lim with special guests Kylie Brakeman, Amanda Gordon, Jessie Lee, Conor Janda and Rima Parikh. 702 Union Street. Tickets are $18.98.

Childish Gambino at Barclays Center
8 p.m.
Donald Glover brings Childish Gambino’s “The New World Tour” to the Barclays Center on Monday night. Willow opens for the eclectic and multi-faceted entertainer. 620 Atlantic Avenue. Tickets start at $93.60.

Tuesday, August 20

Jersey Shore BlueClaws at Brooklyn Cyclones
7 p.m.
Watch the Brooklyn Cyclones’ home game against the Jersey Shore BlueClaws on Tuesday night. Plus, at Tuesday and Wednesday night home games, you can get dinner and a show for just $25. You will receive a field box ticket and their meal deal, which includes a choice of hamburger, hot dog or chicken tenders, chips, fountain soft drink or 12-ounce beer. A Kosher option is available for $28.

Wednesday, August 21

Written in Brooklyn Storytelling Series at the Wythe Hotel
7 p.m.
The “Written in Brooklyn Storytelling Series: Simply the Best” promises a night of original storytelling told straight from the heart. Hosted at the Wythe Hotel, you can sit back, relax and immerse yourself in true stories from Jonathan Bender, Tiffany May, Julianne Cross, Emily Antoniades, and Erin Michele Davis. 80 Wythe Avenue. Tickets are $28.52.

Thursday, August 22

‘Good One’ opens at the Alamo Drafthouse Brooklyn
Various times
“Good One” is a Brooklyn-set film that was a breakout success at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival. India Donaldson’s piercing debut drama opens at the Alamo Drafthouse Brooklyn on Thursday and stars newcomer Lily Collias as 17-year-old Sam, forced to play mediator and peacemaker while on a three-day backpacking trip in the Catskills with her father (James Le Gros) and his oldest friend (Danny McCarthy), whose gently contentious back-and-forth threatens to reach a boiling point as their trek goes along. 445 Albee Square West. Tickets are $20.88.