Local jewelry, indie art and fashion boutique Soft Opening (197 Nassau Ave) is hosting a popup this weekend (Saturday, July 21, 3pm-9pm) for the brand Mercury Hour, a procurer of edgy baubles for self-proclaimed witches. The event will feature limited edition merch, a free tote bag for the first 10 people, tarot readings and of course free wine. Swing by to check out some magickal goods and reveal your future.
More info
Local artist Qieer Wang’s work is incredibly diverse. She dabbles in multimedia, illustrations, film and more, having contributed to the likes of NPR and LennyLetter. We caught up with the Greenpoint illustrator to discuss creating portraits of mental illness, balancing projects, and the limitations of working on a visa.
Greenpointers: Do you live in Brooklyn, and if so for how long?
Qieer Wang: Yes, I’ve lived and worked in Greenpoint for almost two years.
GP: Can you talk about your artistic background, or education, and your influences?
QW: I was educated in illustration for both undergrad and grad school programs. As to being an animator and director, I was inspired from a grad school two-day stop motion workshop in 2015. Afterwards, I started learning techniques and animation principles from online tutorials up until today. I’m drawn to artists like Jan Svankmajer, Hieronymus Bosch, and Lorenzo Mattotti. Continue reading
WEDNESDAY 7/18
* National Hot Dog Day @ Clinton Hall (247 Metropolitan Ave.), 11am, $7, celebrate all day with Kimchi Hot Dogs, More Info
♫ POPC Rooftop Party & Fundraiser @ Our Wicked Lady (153 Morgan Avenue), 6pm, $10, DJs til late! POPC is an arts nonprofit that aims to amplify the voices of underrepresented people and causes through arts and performance, More Info
☺ No Cool Kids @ Starr Bar (214 Starr St.), 8pm, FREE, comedy about akward youth, RSVP
♦ Titanic @ Brooklyn Bazaar (150 Greenpoint Ave.), 8pm, FREE, spend the evening with Jack and Rose, RSVP
♫ Noah PC Presents A Very Bad Room Special @ The Good Room (98 Meserole Ave.), 9pm, FREE, more info
THURSDAY 7/19
♦ RU Exhibition: Scrims & Blurs @ El Museo de Los Sures (120 S. 1st. St.) 6pm, FREE, a navigable pathway of paintings, drawings, sculptures, collages, photographs and partially site-specific installations, More info
♦ Disassembly : Brooklyn. Opening Celebration. @ A/D/O (29 Norman Ave.) 6:30pm, FREE, a participatory art installation that explores our obsession with technology and the untold story of the consumer electronics lifecycle, RSVP
* Beauty Rituals Panel @ Anima Mundi (35 Noble St.), 6:30pm, $30, join a conversation on the meaning of “Beauty,” and explore rituals and self care. Start with a special blended Beauty Elixir tea, delve into a panel discussion, and conclude with a DIY Customizable Vegan Chap stick Class, Buy Tix
☺ Laugh Riots Comedy Showcase @ GAMBA Forest (17 Division Pl.), 7pm, $5-7, Buy Tix
♫ Fitness & Wild Moccasins, Shiffley @ The Knitting Factory (361 Metropolitan Ave.), 8pm, $15, Buy Tix
* Stargazing on the Transmitter Pier @ Transmitter Park (2 Greenpoint Avenue.), 8:30pm, FREE, Members of the Amateur Astronomers Association of New York will provide telescopes to view celestial objects in the night sky on the Transmitter Park pier, More Info
Oscar Wilde famously quipped, “We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars,” and often living in New York City feels exactly like that. If you see yourself in the starry-eyed latter group, members of the Amateur Astronomers Association of NY are hosting an evening of stargazing on the Transmitter Park pier this Thursday evening (7/19). You will be guided through a view of celestial objects in the Gotham night sky via telescope and the naked eye. Possible viewings of The Moon, Jupiter, Venus & Mercury!
When: Thursday July 19th, 8:30pm
Where: Transmitter Park, East River Pier
* weather permitting
Botanical Art Workshop with Wendy Hollender
Wednesday, July 25 | 6pm-8pm
Franklin Street Garden | 61 Franklin Street
Free, materials provided
More info, sign up
A studio apartment in a luxury Greenpoint building could be yours for the (low?) price of $2100, provided you make between $72k and $95k. The 4-floor 20 unit building boasts a gym, roof deck, laundry, and parking, but you’ll most likely have to fork over additional cash to make use of those sweet sweet amenities.
The housing lottery is now open for six units of varying sizes at 197 Freeman Street, with rents ranging from $2100 to $2715. A one bedroom with a private terrace in the building is currently listed at $3115 with no brokers fee. You can apply online for the units here, and the deadline is August 6th.
But with six figure income ranges for these “affordable” units, this housing lottery makes us wonder if the developer really should be entitled to any kind of tax benefit. What do you think, Greenpoint neighbors?
File under not-shocking-at-all news: the former location of beloved neighborhood beacon Bar Matchless (561 Driggs Avenue) is slated to become condos. Developer Bi Hang Cheng has filed permits for a six-story eight unit building to go up in place of the former live music bar. No word on whether the apartments will be rentals. Cheng paid $4.45 million for the building back in April, after Matchless fought closure (and lost the battle) in January.
Since then, the building has remained empty and the facade consumed by graffiti. The developer has not yet filed demolition permits, so the building still stands. For now.
The Grand Street Bridge has been shuttling New Yorkers between Maspeth and Brooklyn since 1903. But, after 115 years of service, the span across Newtown Creek needs a facelift. To make it happen, the Department of Transportation has requested proposals for a new Grand Street Bridge, and for demolition of the old structure. Continue reading
