The sunlit halls of Green Desk's Co-working space at 240 Kent
(Sponsored)
Co-working spaces are more than just a passing trend–they seem to be the wave of the future for small businesses and start-ups, especially in Brooklyn. This is exactly the case at Green Desk‘s 240 Kent location, where you’ll find a husband-and-wife-run sex toy business down the hall from a kids health food campaign, both upstairs from a new age-y crystal boutique.
The business and retail owners at 240 Kent are vocal about the leeway for experimentation and growth that the space affords them.
“It’s great because we have the flexbility of trying out our business to see if it works,” said Raymond Ng of Essbar Juicing, located on the ground floor of the building, which is exclusively devoted to retail and food outlets.
The ground floor space, which opened in July, is Brooklyn’s answer to the Chelsea Market, with a maze of speciality food vendors, handmade clothing retailers, and vintage sellers, expanding the options available to anyone talking a stroll along the Kent Avenue waterfront. Once a barren warehouse zone, we’ve watched the whole area undergo a major revamp–from the East River Ferry to the Brooklyn Flea and the Edge (and a bevy of other modern high rises). Now, with the advent of this rapidly expanding co-working/retail establishment, the stretch of Kent between N. 12th and N.1st is quickly becoming a hub of young businesses.
Whether you’re craving a French Toast Cupcake (a la Brooklyn Cupcake or an “Vape Pen” to curb a smoking habit (from Vapor Lounge NY), the stores at 240 Kent are well worth exploring.
Martin S. Needleman, ESQ - Chief Counsel Brooklyn Legal Services
(Sponsored) At Greenpointers, we are passionate about promoting local environmental sustainability, so when we saw National Grid’s ‘B’ Green Challenge, which awards local businesses for becoming more energy efficient, it was important that we help spread the word to local Greenpoint and North Brooklyn businesses.
There are so many simple and easy ways to make your business more energy efficient and the great part is, it will help your business to save money – and win prizes!
National Grid has teamed up with Barclays Center and the Brooklyn Nets in order to promote energy efficiency among small businesses in Brooklyn and a new winning business is named each month.
By participating in the ‘B’ Green Challenge and letting them know the steps you have taken to become a greener business, you have a chance to also win a lot of awesome prizes, like tickets to Nets games or any event at the new Barclays Center, a signed Deron Williams basketball and a signed Joe Johnson poster!
We were recently invited to the award ceremony at Brooklyn Legal Services, which recently won the ‘B’ Green Challenge by doing things like sealing air leaks around windows and repairing their roof, improvements which had a 20% reduction in their energy costs.
It was a special award for Brooklyn Legal Services because they have been working with local organizations toward the construction of green affordable housing and provide free legal services to low-income residents, community groups and non-profit organizations of Brooklyn for over 45 years. Paul J. Acinapure, Esq. spoke about why the award was such an honor for Brooklyn legal Services:
It is particularly meaningful to us to get a green or sustainable recognition because we represent individual and community based organizations through Brooklyn that are local non-for profits that create affordable housing, run day care centers, run healthcare centers. We’ve represented them for decades in terms of doing their legal work in connection with greening and sustainability. In 2008 we created a green building law and justice project for those community organizations that we represent that are committed to greening and sustainability in the work that they do in their neighborhoods.
Now it’s your turn to make your business more energy efficient!
To participate in National Grid’s ‘B’ Green Challenge Register here: barclayscenter.com/bgreenchallenge. The first 100 businesses to register for the Challenge will receive a free do-it-yourself energy efficient item, a programmable thermostat, pipe insulation or weather stripping.
The winning business receives tickets to a Nets game or Barclay’s Center event, autographed Nets memorabilia, a plaque and recognition on Barclayscenter.com.
The ground floor space, which opened in July, is Brooklyn’s answer to the Chelsea Market, with a maze of speciality food vendors, handmade clothing retailers, and vintage sellers, expanding the options available to anyone talking a stroll along the Kent Avenue waterfront. Once a barren warehouse zone, we’ve watched the whole area undergo a major revamp–from the East River Ferry to the Brooklyn Flea and the Edge (and a bevy of other modern high rises). Now, with the advent of this rapidly expanding co-working/retail establishment, the stretch of Kent between N. 12th and N.1st is quickly becoming a hub of young businesses.
