Thanks to heroic efforts by the Bloomberg administration (well, maybe not quite heroic) we can expect free AT&T-supplied Wi-Fi in five Brooklyn parks by summer's end. I'm working on getting specific dates for the roll out, but soon enough, you can get connected while lolling in the grass in Prospect Park, after your tennis game in Fort Greene Park, and while gazing at the Brooklyn Bridge at Brooklyn Bridge Park!

Here's where to look for wifi soon:

Brooklyn Bridge Park, Fort Greene Park, Herbert Von King Park, McCarren Park and Prospect Park.

It's part of a five year initiative to "provide free Wi-Fi service at 26 locations in 20 New York City parks across the five boroughs," according to a City Hall press statement. The digitization of the city's parks  is part of a May 2011 comprehensive strategy, detailed in a report called Road Map for the Digital City, that aims  "to make New York the nation's leading digital city." Yes!

A spokesperson for the Mayor's Office has assured me that Brooklyn's parks are at the top of the list, likely to be ready by autumn. Stay tuned.

Wow. Who could live in a better place? This summer over 70 films are being shown outdoors in Brooklyn. From romantic piers in Red Hook to roofs in Williamsburg, all kinds of fabulous, mostly retro, flicks are being shown in equally fabulous, and varied venues.

And, many are  free!

Check out this calendar of summer  outdoor movies, every day of the week, in Brooklyn!

Happy Independence Day! July 4th weekend is here, and if you're staying in the Big Apple, there's a lot to see, do, eat, and enjoy in Brooklyn this weekend.

See what's happening in Brooklyn on July 4th weekend.

Find out what's happening where, and when, here:  Day by Day listing of Brooklyn July 4th Events!

Don't know what to do? Have a BBQ in a park, walk over the Brooklyn Bridge, head to Celebrate Brooklyn! for a free concert of great reggae music in Prospect Park, go kayaking off of Red Hook pier, attend the International African Festival, take a ferry to DUMBO, celebrate Emancipation Day, watch a classic movie (Hairspray) and an unbelievable eating contest (Nathan's Hot Dogs) in Coney Island, head to the beach, grouse about the Macy July 4th fireworks being over the Hudson, not the East, River, and more!

Have a great weekend!

Day by Day listing of Brooklyn July 4th Weekend Events

You've gotta love Red Hook. I mean, whether you're a buttoned up banker from Brooklyn Heights or a sailor from Sheepshead Bay, Red Hook simply has a distinct flavor to it.

I'd forgotten how great this corner of Brooklyn can feel -- unscheduled, inconsistent, sort of old and organic -- until I nipped over there the other day to write a little article on to get to Red Hook. (It's not so easy. Here's how to get there by hook or by crook....)

With so much waterfront, open sky and those fabulous old warehouses, it's a sort of dreamy-grungy getaway. Red Hook's a place where, if you aren't hyper-focused on getting in and out of the Chelsea Nursery or Fairway, you feel curiously free.

Not sure what to do in Red Hook? Here are some faves:

1. You can sip coffee with the Statue of Liberty at the very back of Fairway, in the cafe.
2. Or check out the BWAC art show.
3. Explore the waterfront park behind IKEA.
4. Marvel at the imagination of the folks who've turned an old barge into a museum and showboat.
5. Take a ferry boat to Manhattan, the South Street Seaport, and back again.
6. Hang at the soccer fields and try some snacks made by the now-famous Red Hook food vendors there.
7. Check out a handful of historical houses, little shops, bakeries and restaurants around and off Van Brunt Street.
8. Play pool, have a beer, maybe hear jazz at a low key pizzeria.
9. Make a pilgrimage to Sunny's Bar, which bless its heart still has a listing on its website from May 2009.
10. Gaze at the old trolley tracks and trolleys behind Fairway (see a photo here),  think about how Brooklyn was before Robert Moses.

And, this summer you can go kayaking off of Louis Valentino Jr. Pier Park as well, for free. Get info on the free kayaking program.

In other words, if you've got some time to meander, uncrowded, quirky Red Hook's just a great place to do it

.And, a post script, which is thanks to the vigilant folks of Red Hook, who helpfully pointed out some necessary corrections (now made) in the above!