Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Great Brookland Yard Sale Photos

Brookland Avenue Blog - Photo Spread

Tyler at Brookland Avenue posted some great pictures of the GBYS. Check them out here.

Feeling Blue?

This week marks National Police Week.

There will be several events in the District of Columbia to honor not only the law enforcement officers the DC Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), but also law enforcement officers from the various states and the federal government. This week was set-aside by a Presidential Proclamation signed by President John F. Kennedy in 1962.

The primary purpose during this week’s events is to pay special recognition to those law enforcement officers who have lost their lives in the line of duty for the safety and protection of others. Prayerfully, there have not been any law enforcement loss of live within the District of Columbia Metropolitan Police Department. Please join me and the 5th District Citizens’ Advisory Council in honoring the service of DC MPD officers and other law enforcement officers around the country.

Monday, May 11, 2009

Brookland Avenue

New Blog Featuring Brookland!

I had the chance to meet Tyler during the Great Brookland Yard Sale. He's launched Brookland Avenue, a new blog featuring Brookland news and activities. Check it out.

Send in Your Pics!

Show off the GBYS

Another big thank you to all who put in their time and effort to make the GBYS another success!
I was out and about with my camera and will be editing the photos this week, so please check back here to view. Also, if you took any pictures, then feel free to send them in or send me a link and I'll publish it.

Sunday, May 10, 2009

GBYS Another Success

Looking forward to 2010

Thanks to everyone for their contributions of time and effort to make the 2009 GBYS a success. The weather was excellent. At the very least, it was a great day to get out and walk the neighborhood. 

I got to visit some of the sales this year and will post some pictures and video this week. If you have any nice shots or clips, please send them in as we'll post them.

Looking into next year, we will be putting together a group of volunteers to help us with this growing event. Please look for the call on the listserve and the blog!

Thanks again everybody. It was a fun day. 

Saturday, May 9, 2009

Ladies and Gentlmen

The Great Brookand Yard Sale is a GO!

Miracles do happen, the weather report today for for sunny weather at a high of 79!
The Great Brookland Yard Sale is on! 

Don't forget to print the map to guide you shopping!


Friday, May 8, 2009

Let the Sunshine!

We are Still A Go for Saturday!

The weather report for tommorrow is very similar to today's. Sun in the AM and showers hitting us later in the evening. So, unless we wake up to rain, it will be full speed ahead on the GBYS!

To be on the safe side, check back here in the AM. We will have a final update between 7:30 am and 8:00 am.

I'm guessing our collective goodwill will keep the clouds at bay!

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

How to Shop the Great Brookland Yard Sale

Easy as 1, 2, 3...

We have worked hard to make your attendance at the great Brookland yard sale easy. If you're interested in attending, just pick an address from the map on the left side of the page and come on over. Each yard sale location will have a complimentary map that will help guide your to other sales in the area. OR you can print up the map (warning as it will contain yard sale summaries it will be many pages long!) and bring it with you.

So check the weather and come on down!

What if it rains on Saturday?

The weather seems content to keep us guessing up until the last minute.

Per the weather channel this morning, there is an overall 60% chance of thunder storms on Saturday. But the good news is that Thunderstorms usually hit in the late afternoon or evenings.

The daytime forecast for Saturday is only a 40% chance of rain which increased to 60% later in the evening. So we will just have to keep an eye on the sky and this blog for updates!

On Saturday morning we will take a look at the data available and make a go or no go decision based on the local radar and other available info. So before you start setting up your sale, check here to see what the over all status is.

In case of rain:

If it does rain on Saturday and the yard sales are cancelled, Sunday has been scheduled as a back up day. Participation on Sunday, due to mothers day, won't likely be as high, but we can only play the hand we are dealt.

So check here for updates before you start to set up!

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Complimentary Yard Sale Kits

Delivery Scheduled Weds. thru Sat.!

Just an FYI, that the Menkiti Group will start delivering Yard Sale kits this Wendesday. The kits will contain copies of the yard sale map for customers and other goodies.

The kits will be delivered to addresses appearing on the printed version of the GBYS Map. You can view that map here.

The kits will be delivered between Wednesday PM and Saturday AM. If you signed up after April 29th, remember that you will be on the online version of the map, but won't be on the printed one. It is my understanding that kits will be going to those on the printed map only.

Looks like mother nature will keep us guessing up until that last minute. What a wet spring we are having. Keep thinking sunshine and remember to keep an eye on the blog for updates.

Monday, May 4, 2009

Weather Outlook

30% Chance of Showers = 70% Chance of Sun!

It's been a dicey week looking at the forecast for Saturday and the Great Brookland Yard Sale. Last week the forecast was calling for an 80% chance of rain, but it seems luck is on our side and the evolving predictions have only a 30% chance for rain as of this morning. Keep thinking positive thoughts!

Friday, May 1, 2009

Yard Sale Map!

Here's a preview of the printable map for the GBYS 2009. (Click for Larger)
Back



Making Your Yard Sale A Success

Yard Sale Marketing Info:

Just a reminder that all the marketing of the yard sale that we've done promotes the overall GBYS. You'll need to put up signage and take other steps to ensure your sale is a success. Please read this so you understand what we are and are not doing to promote the big event.

Post Yard Sale Social

San Antonio Bar and Grill

The San Antonio Bar and Grill has offered us extended happy hour prices and a place to gather following the Great Brookland Yard Sale. This would be a great opportunity for us to socialize and enjoy some refreshments. Since we will all (hopefully) have some cash in hand, why not?

If you are intersted, please drop me a quick email at: Fortinandrew@hotmail.com
This will let us alert them so they can be properly staffed.

Yard Sale Kits Coming


Courtesy of our Sponsor: The Menkiti Group


The Menkiti group will be distributing yard sale kits on Saturday, May 9 before the yard sale kicks off. The kits will include several surprises, but most importantly, printed yard sale maps for you to hand out to shoppers to help them navigate Brookland. More details to follow.


Adopt a Sign!

Help Pull in Traffic from Michigan and Rhode Island Aves:

We are looking for a few creative volunteers to post signs at four locations on the borders of Brookland to direct traffic into the yard sale areas. The locations are: 12th and Michigan, 13th and Michigan as well as 13th and Rhode Island and 12th and Rhode Island. If you want to help out drop me an email at fortinandrew@hotmail.com

This project would involve:
1) Making a sign that would be visible to passing traffic
2) Posting the sign in the morning on 5/9
3) Removing the sign following the yard sale.

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

And Now

A Word from our Sponsor

I am very pleased to announce that the Menkiti Group is generously serving as the official sponsor of the Great Brookland Yard Sale 2009!

Headquartered in Brookland along historic 12th street and certified as an LSDBE, The Menkiti Group was founded in 2004 on the four core values of: Knowledge, Teamwork, Community and Excellence. The organization is a real estate services company dedicated to enhancing the fabric of life in America’s urban neighborhoods through the strategic development, management and sale of mid-market residential and commercial property.

The Menkiti Group will be providing yard sale kits to all those who are signed up as participants in the Great Brookland Yard Sale. The kits will include a bunch of goodies as well as printed maps of the Great Brookland Yard Sale for you to hand to shoppers to help them navigate the GBYS! Better yet, the kits will be delivered to you!

A big thank you to the Menkiti team for helping us build community!

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Marketing Update


City Paper, Craig's List and Post

Just a quick update that online ads promoting the Great Brookland Yard Sale 2009 are up on the City Paper and on Craigslist. As of today I have submitted both and online and print ad for including the in the Washington Post which will run from Sunday, May 3 to Saturday May 9, 2009. The print ad will be as seen in the picture and the online add will be have more detail and I will provide a link when it is posted. Plus we are listed on the Wtop Funformation Calendar and the DC City Events Calendar! Oh and we are list on Councilman Thomas' website.

Keep in mind this advertising will promote the overall yard sale event, not your individual yard sale. Click here for more information on how you can make the most of your individual sale.

Monday, April 27, 2009

Check out our Olive Oil


And make Popeye jealous...

A few years back a friend of our Keith decided he needed a new challenge. With some introspection he turned his interest in Olive Oil into a booming small business.  In fact, here's what Keith about his business All Things Olive. 

All Things Olive was founded in 2004 out of a desire to share our love for real, extra virgin olive oil.  A trip to Paris a few years before included an unexpected stop in a shop dedicated to olive oil from around the world.  This planted the seed that has grown into All Things Olive.  Response to our presence at the Kensington Farmers Market has been wonderful, and we are planning for the day when we can open our own shop dedicated to the world's finest extra virgin olive oils.

All Thing Olive will be taking part in the Great Brookland Yard Sale and offering an array of olive Oils at 1254 Irving Street, NE. Come check it out! 

Also, visit his website by clicking here


Sunday, April 26, 2009

Yard Sale Flyer


Print them up, Post them Around!

Thanks to our neighbor Jenny, I present you with the GBYS Flyer! You can print this up, or go to the Brookland listserve on Yahoo where you will find the file under the Files section in the folder called Great Brookland Yard Sale 2009. Print up a few copies and post them in your office, at your church, or share with friends and family!

You can also email me at fortinandrew@hotmail.com and I can forward the file to you!




Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Marketing Update

Invitations Mailed

Thanks to the help of your neighbor Gloria, this week we mailed out personal invitation letters to more than 15 local area congregations. The letters invited local pastors to post a flier about the GBYS and included draft announcement language for the church bulletin. As reported earlier we are also on the WTOP Funformation Calendar and will be placing classifieds (both print and on line) as we get closer to the event. 

For more information on who the yard sale is being marketed and what you can do to help ensure your sale is successful, please read this

Deadlines

Map Deadline Approaching! 

As of today, we have more than 46 families signed up for the Great Brookland Yard Sale. If you'll be hosting a sale or just shopping around it is shaping up to be another great opportunity to showcase our wonderful neighborhood. Thank you to all that have signed up, helped out and sent in positive comments.

As a quick note, we will soon start working on the printed map showing all the yard sales across Brookland. Copies of the map will be made available to yard sale participants the week before the sale to hand out to shoppers. To be included on the printed map, the deadline for submitting your yard sale is WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29, 2009.

If you miss the deadline, you can still participate in the yard sale, and we can still list you on the dynamic google map, but we won't be able to put you on the printed version.

Monday, April 20, 2009

Just the FAQs!

Great Brookland Yard Sale FAQ

I got a good email this weekend asking about the details fo the Great Brookland Yard Sale and it dawnded on me that I haven't updated the blog with some of the basic information on the sale. If you missed it, here it is...

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

What is the Great Brookland Yard Sale?

GBYS FAQ:The Great Brookland Yard Sale, GBYS, is a set date for Brookland residents to host concurrent yard sales. There are three goals for the GBYS: 1) To bring people from across the city into Brookland to see what a great community we have. 2) To get all of us out and about to meet our neighbors and 3) To get rid of our stuff and make a little bit of money.When is the Great Brookland Yard Sale?The Great Brookland Yard Sale is scheduled for Saturday, May 9, 2009 from 10:00 AM until 2:00PM (individual yard sale times can vary). The date was selected by a public survey on the Brookland Blog (http://www.brooklandblog.blogspot.com/) notice of which was posted to the list serve.

What do I need to do to participate in the GBYS?

Drop me an email at Fortinandrew@hotmail.com and provide your name, address and hours of your sale. If you want to super charge your sale, you can also provide a list of items and pictures. The information you provide will be posted to a dynamic google map and used to create a printed map each person can hand out at your yard sale. This will help you stand out and help buyers find your sale among the many we hope to occur that day.

How will the GBYS be marketed? Will People Show Up?

Like last year, this is a volunteer event and a lot of the coordination will be done via the Brookland Blog, the Brookland Listserve, and electronic communications. Our goal is to provide a common framework that Brookland residents can plug into and we can each to our part to get the word out.As with last year we will be marketing the sale via local press that includes: The City Paper, DC North, WTOP Funformation calendar, Brookland Heartbeat, local blogs and other paid and free media. Individuals are encouraged to share information about the GBYS with their neighbors (especially those who aren’t on the internet!), other neighborhood list serves, with local churches, your office-mates and so on.As in 2008, we will create a dynamic map of the yard sale and make it available to print for each yard sale to distribute to your shoppers.Last year the attendance was surprisingly strong and it was a great event. Of course weather and other factors will play into attendance. But what do you have to lose?

Last year I participated and didn’t get any customers?

Sorry, we can create the event and conditions favorable to the yard sale, but can’t guarantee that those attending will want to buy what you are selling. However, participants who provided more details about their yard sale – items for sale, pictures, etc, tended to have more traffic and sold more things. Location helps too; those on the edge of Brookland got less traffic than those in the heart of Brookland.

What if I don’t have a yard?

St. Anthony Catholic School will host its annual spring market on Saturday, May 9th from 10:00 AM- 3:00 PM.This is the same day as the Greater Brookland Yard sale.Tables are now available for $20.00 each. Proceeds will go toward the 8th grade's class gift.
Please email Mike for more details.michael.thomasian@catholicacademies.org

Friday, April 17, 2009

Marketing Update

GBYS on WTOP Funformation Calendar! 

A great resource for what's happening around town, the Funformation Calendar run by WTOP is a great public service for their listeners. The GBYS is now listed as an event, which often means free plugs on air! Yay!

You can check it out here

Yard Sale Update

44 Yard Sales and Counting...

The map is up to date as of Friday, April 17, 2009 and we currently have 44 families participating!
If you don't see you name, let me know and I will get it up ASAP!


Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Hotmail is Down

Hotmail is down

Hotmail is down this moring. If you sent me a message, I'll get to it as soon as Mircosoft fixes their servive.

Marketing Update!

GBYS - City Calendar, We Love DC Blog

Just a quick update that the GBYS is listed on DC's citywide activities calendar, which you can view here. In addition, the We Love DC Blog has a very nice piece about the yard sale and Brookland in general. The GBYS has also appeared in the Brookland Heartbeat. Tonight I'll be meeting with the Brookland Civic Assoication to promote the event and to do outreach to those who preferr their social interaction to be real versus via internet. Oh yeah, and we are in the process of sending personal invitations to more than 20 congregations in the greater Brookland area.

We're just getting started!

Also, keep in mind that this outreach is promoting the overall yard sale day, not individual sales. Make your you ask yourself -

"How do I make sure my sale stands out among the more than 40 yard sales that day?"

The answer:

  • Submit a short list of your hot items to include on the yard sale map.
  • Take a FREE ad out on Craigslist (the Weds. before the sale) to promote you individual yard slae
  • Make sure you put up signage to direct traffice to your sale.
  • Tell anyone and everyone you know about the GBYS!

Monday, April 13, 2009

Earth Day Sack Lunch - If that's your bag!

EARTH DAY PICNIC in Ward 5

Some of our environmentally conscious neighbors are hosting a picnic to raise awareness of the hazardous cargo that often rattles through our nieghborhood on the train tracks!

JOIN US! for BYO food & drink, croquet, frisbee-tossing & other Earth Day fun.

Bring your cameras & photo-document the hazardous cargoes that move along the RR tracks over a 6-hour period.

HEAR from:JIM DOUGHERTY (Sierra Club), RICK HIND (Greenpeace) & FRED MILLAR (Friends of the Earth) about the hazards associated with the ultrahazardous rail cargoes that move through the neighborhood -- and what we can do about it. ROBIN BUCK about the proposed development of MCMILLAN PARK. JERRY PELOQUIN & the GREATER BROOKLAND COALITION about the hyperdevelopment proposals that threaten the neighborhood. WHERE: Ninth Street Park - just below Colonel Brooks, along the RR tracks (9th & Kearney)WHEN: Earth Day ~ Saturday, April 18th, 10 am - 4 pm (rain date: April 19th)WHAT: Mostly fun & good conversation

On a personal note, growing up in rural Michigan I had friends who had to evacute their house for a MONTH, when a train carrying toxic chemicals derailed more than a mile away from their home, and that was in the country!

Saturday, April 11, 2009

Keep Spreading the Word!

Share this flyer with your neighbors!

Remember to take a minute to click on the image above, print and hand to your neighbors!
More than 30 sales scheduled so far with three additional activities - music, artisan olive oil tasting and the Garden Club Plant Sale!

GBGC Plant Sale!

Garden Club Plant Sale, May 9, 2009

The Greater Brookland Garden Club has scheduled it's annual plant sale for Saturday, May 9, 2009 from 10 am to 4 pm in the parking lot of the Long and Foster offices at 12th and Newton Streets, NE. 

Another great addition to the Great Brookland Yard Sale! 

To sign up to help with the plant sale, please contact Ewan Brown at Ewan_Brown@verizon.net or call at 526-2356. 


Friday, April 10, 2009

Yard Sale Marketing

What I’m doing, what you can do.

If there is one great way to promote a yard sale it is by word of mouth. Folks you know, work with or organizations you belong to are great ways to get the word out about the Great Brookland Yard Sale.

One of the neat things about our event is that it is loosely organized and you are free to take whatever actions you feel appropriate to promote your individual yard sale. We will focus on promoting the community wide event, putting together the online yard sale map and getting a printed version of it completed for everyone to have on hand on the big day.

Check out one of our first plugs on the blog We Love DC, which just did a feature on Brookland and has a mention of the GBYS.

What We Will Do:
1) Outreach to local area blogs to promote the GBYS and the Brookland Area
2) Outreach for free press and paid advertising in DC area local press.
3) Send invitation letters to local churches and their members to visit us for the GBYS
4) Advertise, as appropriate (and affordable) in Washington Post, other papers.

What you can do:
1) Tell your friends, family and co-workers about the GBYS and the Brookland Blog.
2) Send in a yard sale story – a 500 word maximum ‘story’ about your yard sale
3) Post a flyer in your office (Flyer to follow!)
4) Put a free add about your individual yard sale on Craigslist.
5) Take out your own add in the post or other publication.
6) On the day of the event, place signage to direct traffic to your sales.

It’s that easy. Working in tandem we can make sure that we get good attendance and each of you has the ability and tools to maximize the information about your individual sales for potential shoppers. So let’s get going Brookland!

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

No Yard?! No Problem!

Saint Anthony's to Host Yard Sales!


St. Anthony Catholic School, located on 12th and Lawrence, will also host their outdoor market on Saturday, May 09 from 10-3 PM.


Tables can be rented for $20.00 each. Advance purchase only. Call Mike Thomasian, (202) 526-4657.


This is a great option for those without yards of those who live on the outer edge of Brookland.


Big thanks to Mike and Jessica Thomasian for coordinating this!

Poetry Reading!


Brookland Area Writers and Artists Present:

Wednesday, April 8, 2009 - The Brookland Area Writers and Artists* presentsBrookland Poetry Series # 62: Bloom.
Poems of flowering, pollination, opening up, getting started, burgeoning, efflorescing, fructifying, waxing, freshness, the opening of flowers in general, opening to higher perfection, things that are stately and plump, things that go Bloom! and a mass of wrought iron from the Catalan forge or from the puddling furnace, deprived of its dross, and shaped usually in the form of an oblong block by shingling. Now is the time when limbs unfold,When all our trademark trees explode, And crowds return in droves to gawk, To choke both city street and walk, So thick with tourists you can't get by 'em. So let's, with poetry, enjoy this time, Not all about flowers, not all about Spring. A few poems will be (thankfully) on other things.

Wednesday, April 8, 2009 @ 7:00 PM at the Brookland Visitors Center , 3420 9th Street, NE. The BVC is 1/2 block from Brookland/CUA Red Line Metro across Monroe Street, and right across 9th Street from Colonel Brooks' Tavern.This reading is free and open to all. For further information call (202) 526-1632 oremail mgushuedc@yahoo.com. Also see the website www.bawadc.com

Monday, April 6, 2009

Marketing Update

Getting the Word Out...

Over the weekend outreach began to ensure the promotion of the the GBYS. Getting the word out and building excitement helps draw people to our event and timing is everything. To date we've taken the following steps to promote the yard sale:

1) Submitted a request to be placedon WTOP's Funformation Calendar. Last year, this was a very effective marketing tool, in addition to being on their online calendar, they did several on air announcments the weekend of the event. When the item gets posted, I'll provide a link.
2) Local blog outreach including: What's On, Washington, We Love DC and other blogs.

There is way more to come. As with last year, we will run ads in the city paper, craigslist, and other appropriate forums. Also, as with last year, we will mail invitation kits to local churches.
Feel free to share any ideas.

Sunday, April 5, 2009

Yard for those without one

Yard Sale "Commons" Needed...Any Ideas?

Last year we had two locations for folks without yards to set up their sales - St. Anthony's and the Church on 16th and Irving St. Unfortunately, both my contacts at these locations are no longer current. Any thoughts or ideas for a location for people to set up their sale if they don't have a yard?

Let me know your thoughts at fortinandrew@hotmail.com

20 Yard Sales, Live Music and an Olive Oil Vendor

Shaping up to be a big event!

Thanks to your outreach efforts our yard sale count has now passed 20 sales and counting!

In addition to the yard sales we have added a live music stop at Dave's Yard Sale at 1300 13th Street, NE and an artisan Olive Oil market at Andrew and Sam's Yard Sale at 1254 Irving Street, NE.

Like last year, it's shaping up to be a major event to promote our community!

Keep up the good work Brooklanders!

Friday, April 3, 2009

Tell 2 Friends!

Recruitment Weekend!



Thanks to Jenny, we now have a flier for you to print out and give to your neighbors. It contains all the information you need to know to get signed up for the Great Brookland Yard Sale!

So, help us get the word out!

Simply click on the image above and print it out on your computer.
Use a pair of scissors to cut it in half.
Take a copy and drop it off with your neighbor!

It's that easy!

Also, if you have formatting issues of clicking on the image above doesn't work you can:

1) email me a Fortinandrew@hotmail.com and I will send you a printable copy
or
2) You can go the files section on the Brookland Yahoo group, then go to the folder marked "Great Brookland Yard Sale 2009" and click on the file called GBYS Sign-up Flier.

Good Luck!

Thursday, April 2, 2009

Thank you Brookland Heartbeat!

Keeping an Eye on our Officials

First she got threated by Councilman Thomas, now she's exposing the largese of the Ward 5 ANC delegation. Let me just say as a Brookland resident I'm so glad we have Abigail out their keeping an eye on our elected officials. Her article on "Blackberry-Gate" is the kind of journalism that we need more of not only in DC, but across the country. Good Job!

In case you missed it, here's the opening paragraph with a link to the full story.

ANC 5A Votes to Buy Themselves Cell Phones

Chair Backtracks after Questions Raised

On March 2nd, Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 5A voted unanimously to buy top-of-the-line “BlackBerry” cell phones for themselves with public funds. More...


As volunteers our ANC Commissioners should be allowed reasonable reimbursement, but top of the line Blackberries seem out of line and out of touch with the current challenges facing Brooklanders.

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Tell Two Friends about the GBYS




And They'll Tell Two Friends

With the weather getting nice and a forecast for sunny skies this weekend, why not make a commmitment to tell two friends about the Great Brookland Yard Sale and encourage them to sign up?!

I'll post a form on the listserve later this weeek. You can print it up and hand it to two of your neighbors and friends!

Sunday, March 29, 2009

GBYS Map Posted

Great Brookland Yard Sale Map





Seven families signed up and a couple of more waiting in the wings. Tell your neighbors, tell your friends, and let's have a great event!



View Larger Map

Friday, March 27, 2009

A Strong Foundation

Building our Event

As of today, we have 8 families signed up for the Great Brookland Yard Sale.

Jenny (not Jennifer), who did the art work for last years yard sale, has again generously volunteered to put together signage for this year's event. Thanks Jenny!

Caroline Petti of the Brookland Civic Association has added the GBYS to their April 14th meeting to help us get word out to the community! Thanks Caroline.

Keep up the good work. This is a community event so you don't need permission from me or anyone else to take action to promote it, participate or offer ideas.

Here we go!

Kickin it into High Gear?

Brooklanders, thanks to all for who have already responded as interested in participating in the 2009 GBYS. We've got some solid numbers to start things off and a lot of folks willing to lend a helping hand.

The preliminary map will start to come together this week along with a call for more participants.

Expect more regular updates to the Blog as we move forward.

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

What is the Great Brookland Yard Sale?

GBYS FAQ:

The Great Brookland Yard Sale, GBYS, is a set date for Brookland residents to host concurrent yard sales. There are three goals for the GBYS: 1) To bring people from across the city into Brookland to see what a great community we have. 2) To get all of us out and about to meet our neighbors and 3) To get rid of our stuff and make a little bit of money.

When is the Great Brookland Yard Sale?
The Great Brookland Yard Sale is scheduled for Saturday, May 9, 2009 from 10:00 AM until 2:00PM (individual yard sale times can vary). The date was selected by a public survey on the Brookland Blog (http://www.brooklandblog.blogspot.com/) notice of which was posted to the list serve.

What do I need to do to participate in the GBYS?
Drop me an email at Fortinandrew@hotmail.com and provide your name, address and hours of your sale. If you want to super charge your sale, you can also provide a list of items and pictures. The information you provide will be posted to a dynamic google map and used to create a printed map each person can hand out at your yard sale. This will help you stand out and help buyers find your sale among the many we hope to occur that day.

How will the GBYS be marketed? Will People Show Up?

Like last year, this is a volunteer event and a lot of the coordination will be done via the Brookland Blog, the Brookland Listserve, and electronic communications. Our goal is to provide a common framework that Brookland residents can plug into and we can each to our part to get the word out.

As with last year we will be marketing the sale via local press that includes: The City Paper, DC North, WTOP Funformation calendar, Brookland Heartbeat, local blogs and other paid and free media. Individuals are encouraged to share information about the GBYS with their neighbors (especially those who aren’t on the internet!), other neighborhood list serves, with local churches, your office-mates and so on.
As in 2008, we will create a dynamic map of the yard sale and make it available to print for each yard sale to distribute to your shoppers.

Last year the attendance was surprisingly strong and it was a great event. Of course weather and other factors will play into attendance. But what do you have to lose?

Last year I participated and didn’t get any customers?
Sorry, we can create the event and conditions favorable to the yard sale, but can’t guarantee that those attending will want to buy what you are selling. However, participants who provided more details about their yard sale – items for sale, pictures, etc, tended to have more traffic and sold more things. Location helps too; those on the edge of Brookland got less traffic than those in the heart of Brookland.

What if I don’t have a yard?
We will be looking for businesses and locations for those without yards to use for the yard sale, so don’t let that stop you.

What if I want to help organize the yard sale?
Drop me an email at Fortinandrew@hotmail.com. My day job keeps me quite busy with travel, but I can always reply to emails. We will set up face to face meetings as appropriate.

We need volunteers for:

1) Marketing, signage – including event day signage.
2) Map creation and maintenance.
3) Rounding up participants
4) Lining up sponsors
5) Any other creative ideas and such.

Let's get going!

Date Selected for GBYS 2009

Survey Says....

Saturday, May 9, 2009 has been selected by survey participants for the Great Brookland Yard Sale 2009. As with last year's event we will make the following day the alternative day if weather intervenes.

So mark your calendars and start your spring cleaning!

Sunday, March 15, 2009

Great Brookland Yard Sale

Busy..

Thanks for all for filling in the Great Brookland Yard Sale survey.  

Unfortunately, my job has had me on travel nearly every week this year and it looks like there will be no let up through the Spring. I'm bushed and I will not be able to properly focus my energies on the Great Brookland Yard sale this year. I am reaching out to a few community groups to see if they would like to take this on, so stay tuned for more updates.


Monday, February 23, 2009

The Brookland Listserve

Just ain't what it used to be...

Calling all listserver participants! I know there are now multiple listserves that meet the needs of the Brookland Community. It seems the main list serve has evolved (devolved) into primarily a forum for 'political' discourse. Traffic seems to be noticeably down just based on responses and residects to the Brookland Blog. So, I'm asking you all for a favor.

Can you please put out a call for comments, participation and or intrest in the various Brookland-based list serves you may participate in? I know there is a GLBT, Brookland Moms and perhaps others. To assist you, here's a message you can cut and paste if you so choose.

Fellow Brooklanders,

It's that time of the year again to think about Spring and Spring Cleaning. Of course the best way to get rid of your unwanted items is to join in the 2nd Annual Great Brookland Yard Sale (GBYS). As with last year, this is a voluntary, neighborhood wide event to host a series of coordinated yard sales that maximize sales potential, gets people into Brookland and promotes our community as a positive place to live and visit. Planners are currently surveying residents to pick a date for this event. You can take the survey and keep up to date on developments at http://brooklandblog.blogspot.com/. Please take a moment to check it out.



Thanks to all for spread the good word.

San Antonio Bar & Grill - Welcome to Brookland

A Worthy Sucessor to Ellis Island



One of my first encounters with Brookland was during my law school days at Catholic U. On Thursday nights, our last night of class, we would all head over to Ellis Island for burgers and beer. As we all worked during the day and went to school at night, this was our one, welcome pause during the 24/7 craziness that is law school. In fact, when I moved to Brookland in 2005, Sam and I went to Ellis Island for dinner the night we moved in to our Irving Street home.



As you can imagine, Ellis Island had a big place in my conception of Brookland and its closure was a big loss. That's why I was very happy to discover this Saturday, that the San Antonio Bar and Grill is a worthy successor to Ellis Island and certainly a welcome addition to the 12th Street Corridor.

The food was great (and I'm not a huge fan of Mexican or Southwestern Cuisine). The service was attentive, prices reasonable and the decor managed to pay homage to Ellis Island, yet great a more open and airy experience that is noticeably distinct from its predecessor. Since the demise of Ellis Island and Island Jim's, we've pretty much eaten in, but we will definitely be adding San Antonio to our agenda.

Friday, February 20, 2009

Survey Now Up!

Make Your Voice Heard

If you look to the left on this page you will notice the survey for dates for the 2009 Great Brookland Yard Sale 2009. Please pick the date that works best for you and we will use that feedback in scheduling the big day.

Question: How were these dates selected?

These dates are in line with the time frame we hosted the GBYS last year which helps us build the GBYS brand. They are also far enough out to give us all time to plan and sort through our items to prepare. Finally, these are weekends where my job, which requires extensive travel, does not have me out of town.

Thursday, February 19, 2009

Open Thread for Comments and Ideas

Please use the comment section here to post ideas and or comments on what you'd like to see or what you'd like to volunteer to do for the Great Brookland Yard Sale 2009.

Great Brookland Yard Sale 2009?

Time to Think Spring

Ok Brookland, it's time to start thinking Spring and that means the 2nd Annual Great Brookland Yard Sale. Like last year this is a voluntarily coordinated yard sale event to get folks from across the city to visit Brookland and to get us out and about to meet and visit each other.

Please use the comment section to weigh in with your thoughts on a date that would work for you (the survey function on Blogger isn't working at present).

The dates that are available are:

Saturday, May 2, 2009
Saturday, May 9, 2009
Saturday, May 30, 2009

Please chime in and I'll get a survey up as soon as it is working.

Thanks!