Back by popular demand, we will be serving up some Hot Buttered Rum with Sailor Jerry Spiced Rumand The Big Cat Menagerie will be playing music from a gilded past, inspired from vintage jazz.
In addition to our carefully curated group of some talented 50+ makers who will be selling their creations, we will as always have a number of FREE fun activities! Continue reading →
We might live in the concrete jungle, but according to this fantastic interactive tree map made by the New York City Parks department, Greenpoint is blessed with arboreal abundance. Our lovely neighborhood trees benefit from the care of volunteer environmental stewards, known as Citizen Pruners.
The Citizen Pruner course trains and certifies New Yorkers in “tree care, biology, identification and pruning.” Sarah explains that all of these skills and areas of knowledge are intertwined when it comes to properly caring for New York’s Trees, because knowing about a tree’s species, and the specific challenges that species has with weather or growth, helps inform how you prune it.
Trees New York is the only organization in the city that trains and certifies Citizen Pruners, and only certified Citizen Pruners can legally prune street trees in New York. Trees New York certifies about 200 Citizen Pruners every year, but Greenpoint residents are particularly lucky. Anyone who lives in zip code 11222 is eligible for the Greening Greenpoint Scholarship, and can take the course for just $15, thanks to funding from the Greenpoint Community Environmental Fund!Continue reading →
Zach Broussard, Future Marathon Runner. Via Kickstarter
Why run when you could walk? That seems to be question guiding this fall’s newest athletic not-quite-feat: The New York Sorta Marathon. Organized by comedian and former Greenpointer Zach Broussard, the Sorta Marathon is the first short marathon. Instead of 26.2 miles, the length of a traditional marathon, the race clocks in at just .2 miles.
Broussard explores some hard truths about marathons in his YouTube promo video for the event, including this rock-hard reality: 26.2 miles is way too long for most people. Designed to be a race anyone can finish, the event’s Kickstarter page exalts, “finally, a marathon FOR THE PEOPLE.” Broussard knows that not all of us have the time or the ability to train for a traditional race, but that we all face challenges personally or globally. So, how can we feel good? Skip the running and go straight to the runner’s-high! He told me, “lots of our online experience is watching people brag about things that are sometimes out of our own reach. So I thought it would be fun to create an event that allowed literally anyone the chance to brag about some crazy accomplishment.”Continue reading →
The end of the old Kosciuszko Bridge. Via Brooklyn Paper
So far this summer, New Yorkers have reacted to the demolition of the Old Kosciuszko Bridge in a variety of expressive ways. There were the illicit parties held on the Bridge ahead of the scheduled July demolition, and the group of urban vigilantes ready to defend the bridge from demise with wolves and swords.
The city itself decided on a more muted end to the 1939 span that crosses Newtown Creek, connecting Greenpoint to Maspeth, Queens, than these events, or even the Bridge’s namesake, Tadeusz Kościuszko, a Revolutionary hero in both Poland and the United States, might warrant. Instead of the scheduled July explosion, the main span of the bridge was lowered onto a barge in Newtown Creek.
But, anyone who was hoping the bridge would go out with a bang can get psyched. According to Brooklyn Paper and DNAinfo, head of the 94th Precinct, Captain Peter Rose, has announced that the Brooklyn and Queens approaches of the old bridge will be detonated in a controlled explosion around 5am on Sunday, September 24.
That date is tentatively scheduled, and may be subject to change depending on a variety of factors including weather, but that hasn’t stopped the Newtown Creek Alliance from creating a map of the best places to watch the demolition. Check it out here to stake out your spot for the Big Bang!
Transmitter Park, a leafy oasis on Labor Day or any day. Photo by Lucie Levine
Even though Labor Day began as a New York City tradition, lots of us like to get out of town over the holiday. If you were off soaking up the last days of summer outside of the lush tropical paradise that is North Brooklyn, catch up on local news here!
Newtown Creek Alliance Going for the Knockout. Via Newtown Creek Alliance’s facebook page.
Didn’t Catch the match between Floyd Mayweather and Conor McGregor? No worries, you can have a knockout of your own this weekend! Newtown Creek Allianceis looking for volunteers to help with itsKnotweed Knockout at Penny Bridge.
A continuation of our cleanup work at the Penny Bridge site, we are looking for volunteers to help us with weeding and path-making. The vicious Japanese Knotweed, along with other weeds are overtaking portions of the site and we will focus heavily on removing the plant from certain areas for path-making and planting of native pollinator species. Gloves, shovels, trash bags and all other needed materials will be provided.
Saturday, September 9th Sunday, September 10th 11am to 3pm Location: Where Meeker Avenue dead ends at Newtown Creek (Greenpoint)
Get Your “I Voted” Sticker September 12th! via DNAinfo
Get ready to get out the vote, Greenpoint! New York City’s Primary Elections for the Democratic and Reform parties are next Tuesday, September 12th. This handy voting guide lists all candidates running for Mayor, Public Advocate and Brooklyn DA, and includes each person’s bio and policy positions. And here’s how you find your polling place!
In our district, District 33, we will be voting for citywide Public Advocate, Brooklyn DA, Kings County Judge of the Civil Court and NYC Mayor (Democratic Primary). The Public Advocate incumbent is Letitia James, and David Eisenbach is running against her. For Brooklyn DA there are six candidates: Eric Gonzalez, Ama Dwimoh, Marc Fliedner, Patricia Gatling, Vincent Gentile, and Anne Swern. For Civil Court Judge, you can select five from these choices: Robin K. Sheares, John K. O’Hara, Patrick J. Hayes, Frederick C. Arriaga, David C. Pepper, Connie M. Melendez, Patria Frias-Colon, Sandra Elena Roper, Ellen E. Edwards, Isiris Isela Isaac, and Thomas J. Kennedy. For NYC Mayor there are five to pick from: Sal Albanese, Richard S. Bashner, Bill DeBlasio (our current mayor!), Robert Gangi, and Michael Tolkin. Continue reading →
