In 1996, when his family emigrated from Poland with hopes of a better life, 7 year old Adam Kownacki started life in America in a house on Russell Street and enrolled in P.S. 34. “We came in, didn’t speak the English language, we had a hard time adapting to the culture,” said younger brother Lukasz. And Greenpoint wasn’t like how it is now back then, according to Adam’s other brother Pawel. “It was rough. If you walked into the wrong part of the neighborhood, you got beat up.”
Adam was not only the new kid in town but also “heavyset” and became a target for bullying. Why would anyone pick on a big guy, I wondered. “I know a lot of big kids, they’re soft. They don’t want to hurt anybody so many people, as they do with adults, mistake kindness for weakness,” said Adam’s trainer Keith Trimble. Indeed, Adam Kownacki, nicknamed “Babyface” is soft-spoken and has a cherubic demeanor that belies his fierce fighting skills in the boxing ring – With two Golden Gloves, an undefeated record, and a string of knock-out wins, Adam is on his way towards being the first Polish-American heavyweight champion of the world. Continue reading →
If you like raw fish, salads, and the kind of sweetgreen experience that let’s you pick and choose your ingredients, we have some good news for you: We have our first poke bowl joint in the hood.
Greenpoint is a little late in the fad, and sure it’s probably your run-of-the-mill trendy version of the traditional Hawaiian dish but a new set of friendly faces braving the risks of brick and mortar food small business ownership is welcome over another empty storefront.
Give Poké Zest (629 Manhattan Ave) a shot and tell us what you think.
If you didn’t get a chance to check out the local art here in the historic Leviton building during last year’s Greenpoint Open Studios, here’s a good reason to venture out to 276 Greenpoint Ave before the next one on June 2-3 (Mark your calendars!): Greenpoint-based artist, CJ Hendry’s MONOCHROME is an immersive art installation where you can wander through seven rooms, designed in high saturation Pantone colors. Our favorite color, is of course the green kitchen.
Follow the yellow dots into a dark industrial hallway to the freight elevator, which will eventually open up into an expansive raw warehouse space that hosts the makeshift rooms. Continue reading →
Bar Matchless during the Bomb Cycle 2018 (photo: Julia Moak)
Today is a sad day for Greenpoint as one of its best cultural icons will be closing down for good – but not before one last hurrah tonight (January 8, 2018). After 15 years of being in business in 544 Manhattan Ave, Bar Matchless is unceremoniously shutting its doors after receiving a letter in the mail that the Sheriff is coming this Thursday, January 11th to enforce their eviction.
Free drinks tonight for volunteers who can help move Bar Matchless out. If you are available Tuesday, January 9th and/or Wednesday, January 10th, fill out the form and come say your goodbyes!
There was an outpouring of support for Bar Matchless after we reported that its future was precarious last week. Greenpointers’ responses ranged from anger & frustration to heartbreak & sadness about this loss. Here are a few from over 140 comments on our Instagram post about it: Continue reading →
If you haven’t already heard, the rumors are true. The building where Bar Matchless (557 Manhattan Ave) is in has been sold and they were asked to vacate the premises. But they aren’t going down without a fight and they are still open for business.
The question of how long remains precarious as they have not been able to reach the landlords or new owners about the possibility of staying. For now, Tuesday 2-4-1 drinks, cheap late night food, and epic hangover brunch lives on in what is a Greenpoint institution.
Bar Matchless is one of the last men standing, having survived the death knell of North Brooklyn DIY spots and small performance spaces of yesteryear. Since its inception in 2003, it’s always been in the black and is still a legit thriving successful small business. The only reason it is slated to close is because the current landlord has not renewed the lease and the new owners remain out of touch – literally and figuratively. Continue reading →
“Correa, a resident of the Bushwick houses with thirteen prior arrests, was identified by witnessses as the man who killed Carroll, NYPD Chief of Detectives Robert Boyce said Monday.”
Sharp Studio greets customers with a glass of wine (photo: Julia Moak)
Tucked away among artists and creatives in the historic Pencil Factory building, Sharp Studio (61 Greenpoint Ave) is where Alex Ruano shapes, styles, and colors with his primary medium – hair. “I love doing men’s haircuts as much as women’s,” says Alex. “So I found a raw space that reminded me of old Soho, old New York and I wanted to design a space that isn’t overly feminine or masculine. It’s very neutral and comfortable. You feel like you’re going to a friend’s house, not a hair salon.”
After weaving through the ground level hall to Studio 107, you walk through black grand double doors to be met by a chic industrial interior with plush leather chairs, blankets, modern fireplace, and a study. Alex greets you with a glass of wine before he begins.
Plush leather chairs, fireplace, blankets, and cute dogs in Sharp Studio (photo: Julia Moak)
I went to Sharp Studio for a cut and color. “I want to do something drastic,” I told Alex but I wasn’t sure exactly what. After talking through what style I like, what goes with my face shape, and what would take the least amount of maintenance, we decided on a mid-length ash blond color. Continue reading →
Cheesemonger Lisa Griffin in Monger’s Palate (photo: Julia Moak)
Did you know that just four ingredients make up thousands of types of cheese in seven different categories? Self-proclaimed cheesemonger Lisa Griffin (and bonafide American Cheese Society Certified Professional) will readily geek out about all things cheese—from how it’s made, to how it tastes, where it comes from, and what food to pair it with. “The most important question is what you don’t like because that eliminates certain things right away. And it depends on what the occasion is,” she says. Whether you are going to a picnic, throwing a party, or having a romantic dinner at home, you can expect a personalized cheese experience at Monger’s Palate (192 Driggs Ave).
After culinary school and several years of working in fine dining, Lisa began to focus on her favorite food item (you guessed it, cheese) and honed her expertise at NYC’s famed Murray’s Cheese and then at Lucy’s Whey cafe. “Cheesemonger” harkens back to the days when you’d go to a central market where designated mongers of all kinds would sell goods. In that spirit, Lisa has curated an assortment of old world staples featuring international and domestic cheese makers.Continue reading →
In Colleen Blackard’s universe, everything is illuminated. Her photorealistic artwork is a deep dive into personal experiences—real or imagined—that transcend time and space. Through detailed monochrome imagery created with ballpoint pen, marker, ink wash, or monotype, we get a glimpse into her world, which moves between feelings of pain, abandonment, renewal, and reconnection.
Fate (2014, Archival marker on paper, 48″ x 72″)
“The way I draw is to follow the light… to see where it leads,” she says. For years, Colleen spent long meditative hours drawing circles to capture the inner glow of her subjects and to reveal the light within. “Circles are so expansive. They create more space than you’d expect from a tiny little region.” In a close-up view of her work, you see meticulous coils of tightly drawn lines that make up the resultant photorealistic images. While they range from scenes in nature to portraits, recurring motifs of the sky, water, and a decaying barn manifest an undercurrent of emotions derived from her earliest memory of pain. Continue reading →
It’s going to be a weekend full of celebrating local arts in Greenpoint and we can’t wait to kick off the Greenpoint Open Studios 2017 festivities in Java Studios (259 Kent St) with FREE locally crafted beer by Greenpoint Beer & Ale, portable brick oven pizza by Luzzo’s BK, Ginger Ale by Bruce Cost, and of course an outdoor reception and three floors of ART!
dikhroos, a Public Space Activator by Architensions illuminates the outdoor space at Java Studios
Like last year, we expect a night full of creative energy where the entire building becomes alive with art and music. Inside, studios will be open, hallways will be full of art, and The Java Project’s gallery show “H E A D S” will have its opening reception.
Outside in Java Outback, “dikhroos,” a public space activator art installation by architecture and design studio Architensions is up to illuminate the space with iridescent lights projected below and above through a modular tent that engages people through its properties of a chromatic space.
Alongside live body painting and performance art curated by The Hollows, there will be live music includes Teen Body, Jules & The Jinks, Ocho Ocho Ocho, Mike Bloom, and Hongo Beats & Mike Bhaiya.
Greenpointers will be manning the bar and serving up some “Misspelt” Belgian Farmhouse Style Saison and “Runner” London Porter by Greenpoint Beer & Ale so swing by and cheers with us for an epic Greenpoint weekend!
