You can expect some interesting changes and a bit of a makeover for the Municipal Building in Downtown Brooklyn. Mayor Bloomberg recently announced a $10 million deal to turn the first floor space into a “hip” restaurant and shops. The building currently houses the Department of Finance but I guess that’s a little boring and of little use to most Brooklynites. The first floor was sold to a developer and is part of a master plan to return the neighborhood to a retail and dining destination.

Who bought the 49,000 square-foot space? Al Laboz, chairman of the Fulton Mall Association, not to mention he’s sort of a big deal in Downtown Brooklyn’s real estate biz. Laboz states, “The goal is a cool, hip restaurant with a mid-level price range.” But this plan isn’t just about giving the hipsters more cool places to dine. It’s part of Bloomberg’s plan to cut costs by reducing the amount of city-owned property. Major retailers have been popping up all over the area, like Aeropostale and H&M. The area is a large business district, but probably won’t be for very long.

But this project also means job creations –64 construction jobs and 114 permanent jobs. No word yet on what stores will be built, but it’s highly doubtful it will be an Apple store. Hipsters cry…construction begins 2012.

I was biking down Grattan St. in Bushwick this morning and to my delight, my suspicions that a new joint was opening up were correct. It’s a ramen place called Shinobi, or something like that. They put up their sign the other day, which means they’ll be serving delicious treats pretty soon, probably by September, if my innate food sense is correct.

And the best thing is, I know it’s going to be delicious. Because one, hipsters won’t stand for sub-par ramen. And two, because there’s a reputation Bushwick has to maintain as emerging food center.

It started with Roberta’s. Then came Momo and The Morgan and Arancini Bros. and pretty soon, this new ramen place, which will probably be better than Momofuku, or if not, at least more local.

Oh and by the way, I’m blowing up Cain’s Tavern‘s spot, too. It’s a new bar on Wilson and George St. It’s cute and hip. What else would you expect?

My mom’s moving back to New York soon. She probably wouldn’t be able to afford (or want to live in) one of the dumpy Manhattan studios in her price range. So all of the above are reasons why she should just buy a loft in Bushwick.

Brooklyn Borough Hall is a highlight location for environmentally conscience New Yorkers. It’s one of many GrowNYC Greenmarket locations.  Here you can find programs and produce aimed at improving New York City’s quality of life. Back in March they began a compost. Every Saturday from 8AM to 5PM there is a food scraps collection for citizens. It will be transported to a facility to be used as amendments for fertile soil. This initiative will continue through to December so you have plenty of time to get involved.

Summer costs are already rising because of energy consumption. The compost can actually reduce costs in other areas of city life. Food can sum up to around 17% of New York City’s waste. To send it to a landfill actually increases the disposal costs. Not only that but it contributes to the emission of greenhouse gases that pollute city air. The compost can be used for planting trees and other plants in NYC parks, sidewalks, and gardens.

If you want to help out you can drop off scraps of the following foods: vegetables, fruit, non-greasy rice, pasta and cereal, coffee grinds and filters, tea bags, egg shells, and more. Place these scraps in some sort of plastic container, milk carton, or compost pails. It’s an easy summer activity to do that gives back to the community. While you’re there you can check out other things at the Greenmarket like fresh food and educational events.

It’s been a tradition for me and my friends to go to the free summer movies throughout NewYork City. One of my favorite locations, though is right by the Brooklyn Bridge. The Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy teams up with the SyFy channel to bring Hollywood favorites to Pier 1, Harbor View Lawn. The movies are sight enough, but the fantastic view of the Manhattan skyline behind the screen is beyond words.

It kicked off last month but it’s continuing until September 1st. The remaining films include An American Tail (Aug 4), Breakfast at Tiffany’s (Aug 11), Crooklyn (Aug 18), Rosemary’s Baby (Aug 25), and the public vote on September 1st. The place gets crowded pretty quick. The most popular films are the hardest to find space for so be sure to get there early! The event opens around 6PM and the movies will start a little before sundown. There will be snacks, beverages, and music available to you but I highly recommend you bring your own. Also be sure you have some sort of towel or blanket to sit on and sunglasses because the sunset gets kind of intense.

It’s all about good times and summer fun. Enjoy a nice breeze off the water, relax for the movie, and go to Grimaldi’s Pizza not too far out of your way afterward for a slice or two.