5 Things You Should Know This Week

"5 Things You Should Know" will jump-start you into a productive week. Be the first to know about parking changes, important meetings, free events and the hottest get-togethers in and around Bed-Stuy:

1. Traffic Advisory: Atlantic Avenue between Ralph Avenue and Utica Avenue: One lane may be closed westbound except peak hours between 9pm and 3am weekdays. One lane may be closed eastbound except peak hours between 2pm and 9pm weekdays. These closures are limited to the actual work area, two blocks at a time, to facilitate MTA-LIRR viaduct rehabilitation project until the end of 2011. One lane will be maintained westbound between Ralph Avenue and Buffalo Avenue on the weekends from 10pm Friday to 5am Monday.

2. On Wednesday, August 24, the Macon Street Block Association is hosting an evening of jazz with the Brandon Sanders Trio & former member of Beyonce's crew Tia Fuller. The event will take place on Macon Street between Patchen and Ralph Avenues, Brooklyn, NY at 6:30 pm.

3. Thursday, August 25, from 6:00 – 8:00 is The Bed-Stuy Gateway Business Improvement District will hold its monthly professional mixer, Nothing but NETworking. At the BID’s Nothing but NETworking event, you can meet and share a toast to the neighborhood with the folks who make Bed-Stuy home.This month’s event will take place at the brand new Blu York Coffee Lounge, 1365 Fulton Street @ New York Avenue (in the backyard garden). To RSVP for the free event, email: bmitchell@restorationplaza​.org or call (718) 636-6989.

4. Calling all budding cuisinartists (cooks). Hattie Carthan is inviting kids and teens out to its young cooking workshop this Thursday, August 25, from 9:00am – 4:00pm, at the , 677 Lafayette Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11216 Don’t send your kids back to school without learning at least one craft… This is the one: healthy cooking. Youths who are involved with Hattie Carthan Community Market and all youths from the Bed-Stuy Community who love to cook, treasure local farmers markets and healthy produce this workshop is for you! All graduates of this workshop receive tools of the trade (cooking tools), aprons and a stipend to participate in the ever flourishing work at Hattie Carthan, as Chef's.

5. Come check out play at Goodbye Blue Monday, 1087 Broadway, Brooklyn, NY, on Thursday, August 25, at 8:00pm.