New York City Council Member Stephen Levin will hold a public meeting to hear feedback from Greenpoint parents on the plans to build a 600-seat elementary school on a vacant lot across the street from the Nuhart Plastics Superfund site (280 Franklin St.), which will be remediated in the next few years after the proposed cleanup plan (PDF) is approved. The meeting will take place on Thursday, Nov. 8, at 7:30 p.m. at the Dupont Senior Center (80 Dupont St.). The school would take around three to five years to complete following approval. Continue reading →
As a wave of eager voters arrived at their poll sites across New York City today, tens of thousands of Brooklynites faced extended lines with wait times over two-hours due to malfunctioning ballot scanners. The resiliency of NYC voters was on full display as they waited through the chaos, likely wondering why New York doesn’t have early voting.
The line at John Ericsson Middle School 126 (424 Leonard St.) in Greenpoint wrapped down the hall outside of the voting room and the wait time was over two hours at 2 p.m., after four out of six ballot scanners stopped working.
LIC waterfront with new development (courtesy of Joe Mabel)
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has been intensely lobbying Amazon to locate its HQ2 in Long Island City. Gov. Cuomo jokingly offered to rename Newtown Creek ‘Amazon Creek’ on the condition that the corporate giant agreed to choose LIC. He even humorously offered to change his name to ‘Amazon Cuomo’ to entice the corporate giant to choose Long Island City.
It seems that Cuomo’s intense lobbying may have borne fruit, according to a Monday report in the New York Times. The Times reports that Amazon has decided not to create one mega headquarters, but to divide the new headquarters in two. One of those locations, according to the article is in LIC. The other location Amazon has chosen is Crystal City, Virginia, in the greater Washington D.C. Area. The Times, however, did strike a cautionary note, though, stating that the company has made no final decision. Continue reading →
The long lines to vote and scan ballots at 715 Leonard St.
Greenpointers hoping to cruise by their poll site this morning and vote in a timely fashion were met with hour-long wait times as early as 8:30 a.m. at the McGuinness Senior Center (715 Leonard St.). Continue reading →
The 2018 midterm elections are a high stakes affair, with the Democratic party poised to take back Congress (and potentially the Senate). So grab a friend or two, most importantly vote and then check out one of the local viewing parties:
Brooklyn Bazaar (150 Greenpoint Ave.)
The Midterm Election Viewing party at Bazaar w/ Drink Specials
7 – 8 p.m. – ambiance + live music + playing the #actuallycurious card game from Curiosity Lab 8 – 8:30 p.m. – featured speakers, economist Esben Baek + poet Michele Hatchette 8:30 – 8:45 p.m. – Musical intermezzo with Xavier White + results watching 8:45 – 9:15 pm. – featured political guest, new state rep Julia Salazar + conversation between guests and audience 9:15 – 9:30 p.m. – musical intermezzo with Andrew Milea + results watching 9:30 – 10: p.m. – mini haiku duel (4-8 poets duel, first come first served for signups) 10 p.m. – ??? – discussion, celebration, therapy, and meeting new friends
It’s time to study up on your ballot options, find your poll site and vote tomorrow (11/6) in what is regarded as one of the most consequential midterm elections in history. Our traditionally blue state registered 108,801 Democrats and 5,077 Republicans between Nov. 1, 2017 and Nov. 1, 2018; the youth vote is also expected to increase, unlike recent midterm elections.
Here’s a rundown on the federal and state candidates, and the three local ballot initiatives.
Northern Territory (12 Franklin St.) is closing for the winter, and summer 2019 will be the popular bar’s last at the current Franklin Street location.
You can come to say goodbye in person to the Northern Territory crew at their Winter Hibernation Party on Saturday, Nov. 17, from 4 p.m. – close, where Greenpointers staff will be guest bartending with pumpkin spice hot mulled apple cider, a crowd favorite from our Samhain Fall Market.
Owner Jamie Toll says the cold winter months bring a large reduction of customers along with significantly less foot traffic near the once-barren waterfront region at the border of Williamsburg and Greenpoint.
The NYPD’s 94th Precinct released a traffic alert regarding the 2018 NYC Marathon’s route through Greenpoint.
Starting on Sunday, Nov. 4, from approximately 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. there will be no traffic on:
Bedford Avenue between Metropolitan Avenue and Manhattan Avenue.
Nassau Avenue between Banker Street and Leonard Street
Manhattan Avenue between Driggs Avenue and Java Street
Greenpoint Avenue from Franklin Street to Humboldt Street
Traffic from the Greenpoint Avenue Bridge will detour onto Humboldt Street from Greenpoint Avenue.
Traffic North of Greenpoint Avenue will be able to cross under the Pulaski Bridge at Clay Street and proceed to Provost Street to Greenpoint Avenue toward the Greenpoint Avenue Bridge.
Key Food’s entrance will be on the Newel Street side.
Bus service in Greenpoint will be suspended during the marathon. Bus service will operate South of Meeker Avenue.
S. 3rd St in Williamsburg, a section of the neighborhood known as Los Sures. (Living Los Sures)
Like many other Greenpointers, I heard the news of the closing of the American Deli (97 Franklin St.) with great sadness. The bodega has been a neighborhood fixture for the twenty-five years I have lived here and its closure is just another sign of the disappearance of the once vibrant Puerto Rican community in North Brooklyn.
When my wife and I first arrived in the area in the early nineties the bodega was one of the few active businesses on Franklin Street. Many of the other storefronts on the street were boarded up and hadn’t done business for years, but the bodega was always one of the few places on Franklin Street to grab a bite to eat or pick up some beer.
New York City Marathon; runners take to Manhattan Avenue in Greenpoint. (courtesy of Kai Brinker)
It’s one of the greatest sports events on the planet, and this Sunday (11/4) the New York Marathon will wind its way through our area. 50,000 competitors will pass down Manhattan Avenue and it is one of the very few world-class sporting events you can see live and for free. For better or worse, the race will also close off Manhattan Avenue, Greenpoint Avenue and part of McGuinness Boulevard for several hours; moving in, out and around our area will be tricky. Despite the minor inconvenience, the race is still a spectacle to behold and Greenpoint is one of the best places in the city to watch the drama of the marathon unfold. Continue reading →
