On November 9, a three-alarm fire tore through Manhattan Avenue buildings near Huron Street. The fire started in the apartments above M&W Laundromat (995 Manhattan Ave.), a Greenpoint mainstay that was opened in 1992 by Miriam Carballo.
Thankfully, no one was injured, but, the fire caused significant damage to the laundromat and apartments in the building, leaving residents without homes and the M&W staff without wages as the laundromat was forced to close indefinitely.
Rounders, the sports bar next door that took over the old Esme space in April, announced that it would also have to close for the foreseeable future due to damage from the fire.
Three Go Fund Me campaigns have been organized in relation to the fire. The first is raising money for the staff of M&W Laundromat with a goal of $5,500.
The page’s organizer, Paul Campagna, wrote, “Miriam and her laundromat are a staple of the Greenpoint community… As chain laundromats come and go in the neighborhood, Miriam and her staff have welcomed newcomers to the block, watched babies grow up, and have provided a space for other vendors to operate and community members to gather.”
“Miriam is devastated, but poised to reopen,” Campagna added. “Her close-knit staff are out of work while M&W is closed, so we are raising funds to support the M&W crew during this difficult time.”
The second Go Fund Me campaign was set up by Carol Anne, one of the residents of 995 Manhattan Avenue, with a goal of $4,500.
“Hey guys, as some may know, my apartment caught on fire this past Sunday in NYC, and I can no longer live there,” Carol Anne wrote. “The building will be torn down. All of my clothes have smoke damage, and I lost all my furniture and place to live. I also was given no backpay from the original deposit and this past month’s rent. I am currently looking for places to sublet starting Dec 1. Any help would be greatly appreciated, and thank you so much.”
The third Go Fund Me campaign was set up by another resident, Bladimir Diaz, with the humble goal of $600.
Diaz wrote, “As some of you may know, my family and I had a fire a week ago and we can no longer live there. We lost most of our furnitures and clothes because of the smoke damage. I would be very grateful for any help.”
The November 9 fire was the second fire in a few days on that Greenpoint block. A fire broke out at an apartment building at 155 Huron Street a few days before that, leaving one person injured.