Memorial Day Photographs
A few Terrors and a few IYWMBers got together earlier today at Dreier Offerman Park in Brooklyn. Yesterday was court scouting today and today was game day!
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May 29, 2006
May 28, 2006
bocce in sw brooklyn
I feel a bit like a man obsessed. But not too obsessed. Bocce can be a healthy outdoor activity, right? I mean, there can be a tremendous amount of walking back and forth involved.
I didn’t play bocce earlier today, but I did a fair amount of scouting around the southwestern parts of Brooklyn. My tour of Brooklyn bocce facilities continued this afternoon. I definitely had more success today than I did Thursday.
My travels are highlighted in the photo below:
I started the day with a burger from Bubby’s in DUMBO (*no photo available. Superfine wasn’t open.). Their biscuits are almost perfect – just a touch too dry for me. This morning the two bocce courts I wanted to visit most were the courts at Dyker Park and the ones at Marine Park. I’d heard that both were active and filled with players. Before brunch, I’d picked up both bus and subway maps. I was anxious to get started.
Since the F train is accessible from DUMBO, I decided to begin the day’s bocce search at Gravesend Park.
When the conductor’s voice echoed through the train that we’d be going express I smiled. After going underground in Park Slope, it didn’t take long to get to the 18th Ave. stop. An eleven block walk through the Borough Park neighborhood led to Gravesend Park. A quick glance failed to offer any view of bocce courts.
I walked the park between 18th and 19th Avenues and couldn’t find any bocce courts. Knowing better things were to come, I continued south.
There’s something calming about taking the bus when you’re not in a hurry. I love traveling above-ground when I’m visiting parts of a city I’ve never seen before. The trip along the B8 isn’t a bad one at all. It’s interesting to watch the repeating process of one neighborhood transforming into another.
The B8 took me to Cropsey Ave and 17th Ave. I hopped off and walked a block to the north side of Bath Beach Park. This photo was taken from Shore Pky, the opposite entrance than the one I used. This park can definitely be described as an “active” bocce park.
There’s a fence around the park and I assume a guy named Sal is responsible for unlocking the gate every morning.
There was a game going on in one of the two courts in the park. Eight men were on the field, with a few others huddled around. The dirt surface was well maintained
On a hot day like today, the sun can get pretty strong. Without any arboreal shade, the gentleman here had created tarps at either end of their preferred court. I hate to say this because I want to be nice, but just to the left of the end in this photograph (and behind the fence) is the men’s bathroom. It could use a little shade, too. If I ever play at this bocce court, my nose will ask that I play from the other end. In addition to the two bocce courts, the fenced-in area also housed picnic tables and benches. The city should really start renting this area for parties and cookouts!
I had a brief conversation with one of the players who informed me that all the guys who play there pay a $5 maintenance fee for the balls and upkeep. He didn’t direct me to Sal, though.
Because it’s so close to the water, I couldn’t help but walk across Shore Pky and onto the pedestrian bridge that crosses the Belt Parkway.
I left the park and thought about catching the B64 to Dyker Park. I walked along the route, but never saw the bus headed in my direction. Fifteen minutes later I crossed 14th Ave into the eastern part of Dyker Park. I was excited that I’d get the chance to watch more bocce here.
No dice. More fences. More locks. I couldn’t believe the two bocce courts here were empty! I looked around, stunned. Groups of men were sitting at a half dozen picnic tables along the fence line. I made eye contact with the one younger guy who hopped up to talk to me.
Apparently, they were locked out of the bocce courts this past Monday. Repairs and upgrades are forthcoming. He found this out after making a number of calls to the parks department. The group that plays bocce here hadn’t received any notice of the upgrades. And they don’t have an exact timetable as to when they’ll be completed.
One can assume these bocce courts will be closed for the rest of the summer. There are no signs about the construction. I find that odd because I imagine these two courts are among the most active in the city. As the guy I spoke with pointed out to me, the trees provide great shade. There’s a store across the street so the players can get sandwiches and coffee. It’s a great place to play bocce and I definitely look forward to visiting these courts next year.
The love for bocce here definitely seemed strong and the guy I spoke with thorught I was a journalist. He saw me taking pictures and hoped that I could get them seen, that I could write an article. He’s still steamed about the bocce situation there. I can’t believe I didn’t pull out my notebook and at least get his name. He was a really nice guy and definitely the person to speak with about bocce at Dyker Park. The city told him that he and his friends could play at some of the other city courts, like the ones at Marine Park. As he shared with me, “gas is expensive. And there’s no store across the street.” But members of the bocce groups here, at Marine Park and at Bath Beach play at each others’ facilities. The guys at Dyker Park pay $5, but at Marine Park the fee is $25! I want to meet the collector of these fees! Why didn’t I pull out my notebook and become a journalist this afternoon???
Also, I forgot to pack a bottle of water when I left the apartment this morning. I was excited to visit Marine Park and I headed over to the bus stop. When I looked at my map, I decided to take the B1 along 86th Street. I’d jump off around Avenue U and catch another bus that would get me closer to Marine Park.
The route along 86th Street is even more interesting than the route down 18th Avenue. I felt like I was in an entirely different city. A city with a lot of people.
When I disembarked, I checked my maps again. Why was I deciding to skip checking out the bocce courts at Drier Offerman Park? Was it because I couldn’t locate them on Google Earth? Hadn’t my conversation about shade at Dyker Park taught me anything? Instead of finding a bus on Avenue U, I walked toward Cropsey Avenue, cursing myself for not catching the X28 at Dyker Park
I looked through the front gate at Drier Offerman Park and saw the bocce courts right away. They weren’t fenced in and no one was playing on them. Not a good sign. The parks website says "Drier-Offerman Park" and the sign at the park says "Dreier Offerman Park." Interesting.
Whoa! Two courts! In the shade! That the surface wasn’t covered with rocks or patches of weeds was the most shocking thing of all! I’d found the bocce courts I wanted to play on!
There’s even a scoreboard! I’m still trying to think of what can be used as pegs to keep score.
Benches! A picnic table! And the wood along the lower court walls seems to be in good shape, despite needing a coat of paint.
In going through the photos this evening, I noticed that one rail section on this court is missing. It’s not a huge deal, and definitely not a deal breaker for playing here. A few minutes spent sweeping a few stray leaves, and these courts should be playable
I checked out the neighborhood. A store for coffee or donuts or Haagen-Dazs ice cream bars is just across the street.
My trip to Marine Park will have to wait a few weeks.
I’ve sent an email to some friends in Brooklyn. We plan to play on the Drier Offerman Park bocce courts at 1:30pm tomorrow, Memorial Day. I’ll take photos!
May 25, 2006
Hinting at a NY Bocce Overview
I'm in the midst of planning a summer baseball trip (Quick! Someone tell me if it's better to see the Burlington Bees or Clinton Lumberkings!) and I've been using Google Earth to get an idea of the spatial relations between cities in the midwest.
And when you're playing with Google Earth, you've got to look at your own city. Combine that with my lack of plans for the coming Memorial Day weekend and it's a recipe for searching out New York City bocce courts. I spent part of yesterday cross-referencing the courts listed on the parks website with the aerial photos from Google Earth.
After scoping out a few far flung Brooklyn locations, I turned my focus on Manhattan. The court Jamie visited two months ago isn't listed, but one at James J. Walker Park is. Zip zip zip on Google Earth and "WHOA! that's just a few blocks from my office!"
I swung past the park yesterday afternoon and took a few photos.
Approaching James J. Walker Park from Hudson Street brings a new ballfield into view. There's a large fence in centerfield. Behind that fence one can see the concrete ends of a bocce court. I entered the park from Clarkson Street, walking along the outside of right field.
The bocce court looks to be in okay condition. Having never played on an outdoor bocce court, I don't know how to perform an evaluation. The surface looks below average and it certainly isn't made of crushed oyster shells. There are divets in the course, but it's possible bocce could be played here. I plan to walk past the court once a week during lunchtime to see if there are actually bocce players engaged in a game.
This photo-taking convinced me I should check out a few of the bocce locations on Brooklyn, as an advance scout for outdoor play this weekend.
After work, I took the F Train to Bridge Park. If you look at a map, this park covers the Brooklyn approach to the Manhattan Bridge. The surface is all asphalt and concrete, bisected and trisected by the elevated highways of the BQE.
I don't think repairs have ever been made to this actual park. And who decided it would make sense to do anything recreational beneath a highway? This seems like an artificial way to increase the acreage of NYC parks.
Bridge Park 3 it is. Early this week when discussing playing bocce this upcoming weekend, I'd mentioned this park as a possible location. I sent an email with the subject line "brooklyn smog style bocce." I had no idea how right I was. One wrong throw and you're sending a bocce ball hurtling upward into the windshield of a car zooming by at 40 mph!
A closer look reveals there will be no aberrant bocce tossing. In addition to the desolate nature of the "park" the sides of the two bocce courts are surrounded by fences.
But what about being a rebel? I walked closer, thinking that my friends and I could just tear the fences away! No dice. There's no hint of wood sideboards. The courts are strewn with trash. Oddly, between the wood chips and the grass the surface looks much better than it could. Obviously, these courts have been cleaned out in the past year.
From DUMBO, I walked to Court Street and deeper into Brooklyn, planning to check out the bocce courts at Carroll Park.
Nestled between Court and Smith on Carroll Street, this park looks to hold a gem of an outdoor bocce court. It's protected from the basketball courts by high fencing and the park sees regular visitors. I smiled when I glanced at the court's surface from a distance. I thought a comfortable spring weeknight would bring out bocce players. I was wrong. The court was empty. AND I couldn't have played if I'd wanted to. Both gates into the court area were locked!
The court was surrounded by brooms and other items used to maintain such a good looking bocce surface. In addition to those items, a scoreboard was hung from the fence at mid-court. I want to play here! Who has the keys to those locks? When are people playing here? Do I have to join a society to get in?
Perpendicular to the nice bocce court is this one. It's not overrun with garbage, but the surface looks to be all gravel!
Do people play on this court? I'm definitely not bringing my new bocce balls here. And what kind of rolls can one expect on a jagged stone surface?
This hint of NYC bocce courts has fired me up to go on a quest for more places to play. The idea of playing on a true outdoor court excites me. I may spend my Sunday checking out the courts in Astoria or elsewhere in Brooklyn. I will find a place to play on Monday.
May 21, 2006
Closing the most recent season...
The rest of the photos I took during the 2006 Winter/Spring Tournament are located here.
May 18, 2006
another group of photos
The peanut gallery.
Group photo time!
Boccelism accepts the trophy!
The Sensei presents awards like the teacher he is!
May 17, 2006
photographing, not rolling
Sure, Cobra Kai professes to be all tough, but they're all a bunch of softies when you get down to it.
This group of Terrors refused to leave the bar and spent the afternoon and evening watching some pretty good bocce.
Actual bocce being played. The day was not just an excuse to drink.
Mayor Ed Boch
I'm a little slow on the uptake (it's because I never check referrer logs). Check out the website of league team, Mayor Ed Boch. They've got a brief recap from the party: And the Winner is....
Since we play on different nights, I think we should set up a pre-summer bocce scrimmage with this gang of hooligans.
May 16, 2006
more photos from sunday's tourney
The Plop N Drops
New balls for the semi-finals!
Ahh, remember the good old days when the Terrors had the most recent trophy and were Top Shelf material?
More photos coming soon.
May 15, 2006
Sometimes Sundays Aren't What You Plan
Yesterday was a perfect day for an indoor bocce tournament. The skies were overcast and the chill in the air practically invited folks indoors for a day of drinking and rolling. Sadly, it turned out to be a day of drinking for the Terrors.
We faced off against OLD DIRTY BARRISTERS at 3pm. As the scoreboard shows, things got interesting in game two. Game three was hard fought, but the reverse of Saturday's match against Team ODIN was the result. We had a 5-4 lead until some shakey rolling by the Terrors and perfect rolling by ODB gave us the loss.
Despite disappointment, the Terrors will be back. Meanwhile, congratulations go out to BOCCELISM, the winners for the most recent season.
I'll add more photos soon.
Here's a bit of wrap-up on the day from the Cobra Kai Bocce Dojo.
Here's a video from The Old Dirty Barristers.
A tournament report from Watch Your Balls!
May 10, 2006
The Tournament is this Weekend
I just heard the Coffee Flats Terrors will face Team ODIN on Saturday. The match is scheduled to begin at 3pm. I'm sad I'll not get to see Bad News Pandas in uniform. Bad News Pandas is one of my favorite team names.
If you're looking for a full weekend of bocce action, Saturday's Tourney starts at noon.
May 04, 2006
scrimmage day photos
Cobra Kai's Sensei shared the tale of this past Saturday at Floyd. Neither the opponents for his team (Cobra Kai) nor our team showed (Team Odin did let us know they couldn't field a team at match time, so that was cool of them). In a fun twist, a team from previous seasons was enjoying a Saturday afternoon at the bar. That team? Dr. Strangeballs. They took on Cobra Kai. Once that match finished, The Coffee Flats Terrors found themselves in a match versus the two teams - Kai at one end and Strangeballs at the other. I took a few photos:
