The former New Warsaw Bakery occupied 848 Lorimer St. via Google Maps)
The luxury development is between Nassau and Driggs Avenue at the former site of New Warsaw Bakery facing McCarren Park.
The Grand McCarren is six-stories with 52 residential units and a street-level parking facility and is next to other recent luxury developments bordering the park, 868 and 906 Lorimer Street.
848 Lorimer St.’s affordable lottery lists four units at 80 percent of the area median income level and 12 units at 130 percent of the AMI.
848 Lorimer St. affordable lottery units at 80 percent AMI:
A studio is available for $1,114 per month one occupant earning between $45,086 – $58,480 per year. Continue reading →
Kitchenware retailer Whisk (231 Bedford Ave.) is closing their Williamsburg location on April 30th after their landlord raised the rent by 44% to over $26,000 per month, Whisk posted on social media on Sunday.
Rent at their 231 Bedford Ave. space was originally $8,625 per month when the business opened on Bedford Ave. and N. 4 St. in 2008, the note explains.
On April 30 we will close our Whisk here on Bedford Avenue. As the owner and creator of Whisk, it pains me to say goodbye. And so I wrote you this love letter to express my adoration for you and to tell you of my decision. It is a story of greed, commercial banking and the distortion of “fair” market rents.
When we opened Whisk on November 26, 2008, our rent was $8,625/month; it ended at $18,452/month. The thing is, we could sustain that high rent. We are a great, busy store and online retailers have not cut into our sales enough to hurt us. But to renew our lease for just 5 years, our landlords asked for no less than $26,500/month, or a 44% increase. To accept that rent would mean increasing prices and depressing wages. And that’s not the contribution I want to make.
So how did it come to be that it’s $26,500 or leave? I believe the story goes like this: Developers identify Williamsburg as the cool place to be. Developers seek loans to amass more land ownership. Banks underwriting these mortgages demand to know payments can be met via higher rent rolls. “We like chain stores for tenants,” they say. Williamsburg businesses shift from independent, unique services to large American and multinational businesses seeking to grow their brand. Can’t actually pay the high rent demand? “No matter,” say these businesses. “It’s an advertising investment!” Private equity supported brands want in; food chains want in; heck, all the banks want in! Big landlords are happy and finally so too are the small landlords who can now say “me too!” on high rent demands.
And therein we see why Whisk has to leave you. I love you for having passed through our doors so many times over all these years. You chose to shop locally; you chose to support Whisk. I am grateful for all my staff now and those of the past. We built Whisk together and I am a better person for all that I’ve learned. I am going to miss Whisk on Bedford so deeply.
And here’s where I make my plea to you to help build a better future. One, honor your neighborhood and decide how to spend wisely. There’s no need to prop up businesses that don’t serve a good purpose; but there’s every reason in the world to support the ones that do. Two, ask yourself: what do you want from your community? Small business decimation does not happen without structural consent, without community consent. Cities like Paris and San Francisco are working to create change. We can too. Help keep this discussion alive by emailing me at [email protected] Let’s talk about a vacancy tax; let’s talk about zoning; let’s talk about a no formula chain policy; let’s talk about online vs brick and mortar sales taxes. There are no easy fixes but we won’t get to a better place without investing in the tough discussion.
Please keep the love for Whisk strong by shopping NOW at our Bedford Avenue store where nearly all items are 30-50% off AND by shopping at our other two locations:
933 Broadway, between 21st and 22nd Streets, Flatiron district (212.477.8680) 197 Atlantic Avenue, close to Court St, downtown Brooklyn (718.852.2665)
The landmarked Williamsburgh Savings Bank in South Williamsburg will soon have a much taller neighbor.
Renderings of 159 Broadway were revealed for the 26-story, 277-foot, mixed-use development featuring a hotel and 21 condos with an expected completion of summer 2021.
Rendering: City Realty
The development from Cornell Realty who purchased the site for $26.2 million, according to YIMBY: Continue reading →
“The Way of the Cross” parade and reenactment by the local church St. Anthony of Padua – St. Alphonsus (862 Manhattan Ave.) began on Dupont Street around 1:30 p.m. today and proceeded South on Franklin Street with an impressive cast of costumed actors. The procession marks the Good Friday Christian holiday, or the Friday prior to Easter. The annual procession is one of the most interesting and theatrical events to catch on the streets of Greenpoint; see the footage we captured from today’s festivities:
We are just a week away from the Cuomo non-shutdown of the L train, as the unreviewed Canarsie Tunnel repair plan officially starts April 26 to fix the damage incurred during Hurricane Sandy, with expected completion in the summer of 2020.
Starting Friday (4/26), commuters between Brooklyn and Manhattan can expect L service to slow to 20-minute increments beginning at 8 p.m. through 5 a.m. on weeknights; more details on the non-shutdown from the MTA:
Weekdays
5 AM to 10 PM
Regular L service, reducing at 8 PM
Weeknights
10 PM to 1:30 AM
Reduced L service
Weeknights
1:30 AM to 5 AM
Regular L service (every 20 minutes)
Weekends
6 AM to 1:30 AM
Reduced L service
Weekend nights
1:30 AM to 6 AM
Regular L service (every 20 minutes)
With the revised approach, L customers will have normal service during the highest ridership times.
Weeknights: 8 PM to 5 AM L trains run every 20 minutes between Brooklyn and Manhattan and every 10 minutes within Brooklyn. Service will ramp down starting at 8 PM to make room for work trains. Overnight, between 1:30 AM and 5 AM, the service runs at its normal frequency, with L trains running every 20 minutes.
Weekends: 8 PM Friday until 5 AM Monday, L trains run 20 minutes between Brooklyn and Manhattan, and every 10 minutes within Brooklyn. Overnight, between 1:30 AM and 5 AM, service runs at its normal frequency, with L trains running every 20 minutes.
L trains will run every 10 minutes within Brooklyn thanks to extra “overlay” trains between Lorimer St and Canarsie-Rockaway Pkwy. We’ll be running these trains during the busiest times L service is impacted by tunnel work (10 PM- 1:30 AM weeknights and 6 AM to 1:30 AM weekends). Service on the L will be reduced nights and weekends. We’ll be enhancing M, G, 7, and bus service to provide alternatives.
The new alternative service map (via MTA)
To compensate for reduced L train service, The MTA says it plans to increase the frequency of G, M and 7 trains:
M service
Weeknights, we’ll extend the hours of normal weekday service into Manhattan, between 10PM and 1:30 AM. After 10 PM on weeknights, we’ll extend M service up to 96 St-2 Av on the Q , instead of to Queens Blvd.
Weekends, we’ll extend service from Essex St to 96 St-2 Av. M trains will run every 8 minutes instead of every 10 minutes during the day.
G service
Weeknights we’ll be running 5 additional G trips between 8:30 PM and 1:30 AM. On weekends, trains will run every 8 minutes instead of every 10 minutes during the day.
7 service
Weeknights, we’ll run 5 additional trips from 8:30 PM to midnight. On weekends, 7 trains will continue to run every 4 to 7 ½ minutes.
New free transfers
Between Livonia St on the L and Junius St on the 3
Between Hewes St/Lorimer St on the J and M and Broadway on the G
A new “Williamsburg Link” bus will run between the Bedford L station and the Hewes Street J/M station stopping at the Metropolitan Avenue G/L station and Marcy Avenue J/M station en route.
We are introducing a new bus, the Williamsburg Link. It will operate on two routes, one clockwise (B92) and one counterclockwise (B91). This bus will provide double the bus service we normally do when there is no L service during weekend and weeknight construction work.
These buses provide connection between:
the Bedford Av L,
Metropolitan Av- Lorimer St G / L,
Marcy Av J / M, and
Hewes St J /M (B92 only).
Weekday nights
B91
B92
8 PM-9 PM
Every 9 minutes
Every 9 minutes
9 PM-12 AM
Every 5 minutes
Every 5 minutes
12 AM-5 AM
Every 10 minutes
Every 10 minutes
Weekends
B91
B92
5 AM-8 AM
Every 10 minutes
Every 10 minutes
8 AM-10 PM
Every 3 minutes
Every 3 minutes
10 PM-12 AM
Every 5 minutes
Every 5 minutes
12 AM-1:30 AM
Every 10 minutes
Every 10 minutes
The M14A regular bus service in Manhattan will run every four to five minutes across 14th Street from 8 p.m. to 12 a.m. and to the Delancey-Essex J/M station every seven to ten minutes.
P.S. 34 Green Team Parents describe the show in a statement:
The Eco-Fashion Show raises awareness about the environmental impacts of consumption and waste, and involves the students in designing and then debuting their designs made out of recycled and upcycled items. The kids spend several months learning, designing, and creating their costumes, and the program is supported by the National Wildlife Foundation. The theme of this year’s show is wildlife, and students have selected species and have written narratives that explain how their species impact their environment and how humans impact the species (e.g., poaching, habitat loss, pollution, water scarcity, etc.).
Local businesses and galleries will extend their hours to open their spaces and display the work of artists to the public; check out the Greenpoint Gallery Night map to plot your route.
Participating locations include:
Areté Venue and Gallery – 67 West St. suite 103 Brouwerij Lane – 78 Greenpoint Ave Calico Brooklyn – 67 West St. suite 203 Dandelion Wine – 153 Franklin St. Dusty Rose – 67 West St. suite 216 G-Spot popup @ Brooklyn Safehouse – 120 Franklin St. Imagic Studio – 937 Manhattan Ave. Plexus Projects – 198 Greenpoint Ave. Yashar Gallery – 276 Greenpoint Ave. Continue reading →
A fire truck blocked traffic from entering Freeman Street from Franklin Street.
Evacuations from Freeman Street between Franklin and West Streets followed the report of a gas leak at approximately 2 p.m. on Tuesday, FDNY said.
The corner of Franklin and Freeman Streets where access is currently restricted.
A gas leak at 77 Freeman St. was initially reported and five buildings in total were evacuated: 74, 77, 79 81 and 89 Freeman St., NBC reports.
Crowds gathered on the sidewalk on Franklin Street across from where emergency responders investigate the source, which is suspected to be related to a gas service connection being installed at a residential building. Continue reading →
As a result of Greenpoint’s rich industrial and manufacturing history, significant contamination of the local soil with toxins such as lead remains a problem.
A soil safety workshop from the Greenpoint Community Environmental Fund will help you learn “what lead (and other contaminants) in soils – and their soil test results – mean” on Saturday, April 20th, at Kingsland Wildflowers (520 Kingsland Ave.) from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Experts on soil contaminants will answer your questions and help interpret soil test results; a 40-pound bag of compost will be available to take home for free.
Attendees should be at least 18 years old and must have completed the GCEF Soil Safety Basics workshop in advance. Contact workshop organizer, Lael Goodman ([email protected]), for permission to enroll if you have not taken the Soil Safety Basics workshop.
A public health emergency was declared by Mayor Bill de Blasio last week in Williamsburg over the growing number of confirmed cases of the highly contagious measles virus in New York City.
Parents now face a $1,000 fine if their child remains unvaccinated in zip codes 11205, 11206, 11211, and 11249, and a lawsuit from Brooklyn parents claims that the new measure is overreaching.
There have been over 280 confirmed measles cases in Brooklyn and Queens this year as of April 8th and “most of these cases have involved members of the Orthodox Jewish community,” the NYC Health Department claims. Across the U.S., 90 new measles cases were reported last week, bringing the total number to 555, “the second-greatest number of cases reported in the U.S. since measles was eliminated in 2000,” according to the Center for Disease Control.
Some Williamsburg parents disagree with the legality of the measure mandating vaccines in New York City and filed a lawsuit against the city on Monday citing “insufficient evidence of a measles outbreak or dangerous epidemic,” the NY Times reports.
