But, if you’re more into grass than grass-fed, then Long Island City is the place for you. The second phase of Hunters Point South Park opened last Wednesday, and the Architect’s Newspaper says the 11 acres of riverside park land, “brings a fresh breath of air to the formerly inaccessible, industrialized site and showcases expansive views of the East River alongside Newtown Creek.”
A Rendering of the Timber Bridge between Greenpoint and LIC
The good folks at Creme / Jun Aizaki Architecture and Design are hoping to bridge the gap between Greenpoint and Long Island City with a floating bridge connecting Manhattan and Vernon Avenues across Newtown Creek.
Doesn’t the Pulaski Bridge already do almost exactly that? You might ask. The project, known as the Timber Bridge at LongPoint Corridor, seeks to do it better. According to the project’s Master Plan, the Timber Bridge would reduce the 12-minute trek across the Pulaski Bridge into a 2 minute jaunt.
Beyond that, the project calls for “a renovation of the street at Manhattan Landing, a pedestrian bridge across Newtown Creek, waterfront restoration and expansion on both sides of the bridge, and a pedestrian route across the LIRR railyard.” Continue reading →
The Queens Anti-Gentrification Project and Progress Queens will be hosting an event tonight called “Money, Power and Politics: Queens Democrats Examined.” The Queens County Democratic Party is also known as “The Queens Machine.” According to a press release for the event, “activists will participate in a panel discussion on the upcoming New York City Council speaker’s race, the influence of money on elected officials, and the impact on local Queens communities of legislation and policy favorable to the real estate industry.” The panel’s special focus on issues surrounding real estate development might make it of interest to community members here in Greenpoint grappling with changing landscape of the East River Waterfront.
What: Money, Power and Politics: Queens Democrats Examined
When: Tonight (12/4) 6:30-8:30pm
Where: LaGuardia Community College (31-10 Thomson Ave., Room E242)
Who: Anyone interested in local politics or community advocacy
For years I used to love taking the number seven train through Long Island City just to see the amazing 5 Pointz building and its amazing graffiti. Some called it “The United Nations of Graffiti” because of the international artists who created the art there. Other people dubbed it “the world’s only graffiti museum.” The owner, Jerry Wolkoff, had given the artists’ permission to use the building as a canvas for “aerosol art” and the building was covered in multicolored murals and tags, making it a tourist mecca as artists and fans of graffiti art from around the world traveled to see the former industrial building in Long Island City that artists had decorated for two decades. Continue reading →
Louis Fratino’s Long Island City studio is part of the Artha Project artist residency program. Among the others in the shared studio space, I am quickly drawn to a long wall jeweled with multiple small paintings that hold snapshots of moments shared between Louis and those close to him. A gentle stretch from an inversion, a simple sip from a cup, two figures nuzzling in bed, the paintings bolster warmth, solidarity, and peacefulness. His works are clearly intimate in both scale and subject. Each supple figure is cradled safely in its tight frame, yielding both tenderness and eroticism. His painting in progress hangs in the center of a paint speckled circle, warmly haloed by the brush strokes of preceding works. There is an intuitive desire to squeeze the juicy feet and bellies of his adoring figures. The dry and waxy rendering of paint invite a closer look into his inventive mark making techniques that create a diverse textural surface.
Greenpointers: When were you first exposed to art as a child?
Louis Fratino: My first experience with art was probably my amazement with various illustrations in children’s books as a kid. I used to hoard books and try to figure out how they could make the character look the same on each page. I made my own versions of books as a kid. We also lived not so far from Washington D.C., so I was able to go to the Smithsonian and the National Gallery of Art which was incredible. I always really loved drawing and don’t remember having a defining moment of figuring that out. It was just always something that I did. I would go through multiple reams of printer paper in a weekend. Eventually my parents noticed and heard from my teachers that I was very interested in art. I took art classes in high school where we had a very robust program. The art room was in the old gymnasium where six or seven people could be working on easels at one time. I have always made work about relationships and intimacy and love. In high school I was making paintings about my siblings, and when I was in a relationship I started painting the person I was with.
Dolphin Street, 2017, oil and crayon on canvas, 30 x 24 in. Photo: Greenpointers
Louis: I decided I wanted to study painting my freshman year of college. I was trying to entertain the idea of a dual degree in illustration right up until graduation. I made a manuscript for a children’s book and had done some editorial pieces. I decided it wouldn’t be possible to go all the way and do both at the same time. There are tons of artists who make publications and do things outside of painting when they’re older that I want to do, but I think right now it just demands too much to try to build both of those careers. Illustration in a way feels harder to me sometimes because you don’t get to just generate your own material. And maybe that’s why I’m ultimately a painter.
NY Sun Works’ Greenhouse Project at PS84, Image Credit: Ari Burling
This Saturday and Sunday, October 14 and 15, Open House New York will present a citywide celebration of architecture and urban design, for the 15th year in a row. One of the largest architecture festivals in the country, with more than 200 buildings and projects across the five boroughs, from historic to contemporary, will be opened up over the weekend for tours and talks with architects, urban planners, historians, preservationists, and city leaders.
The advance reservation tours are all sold out, but don’t worry—there are several unique locations you can still visit sans reservations (and for FREE) in North Brooklyn, as well as a couple not-to-be-missed in Long Island City. Check out the list below!
[[ NORTH BROOKLYN ]]
NY Sun Works’ Greenhouse Project at PS84 | 250 Berry St Saturday 10am-2pm The rooftop greenhouse at PS84 serves as an urban farm and hydroponic science lab for K-8th grade students. The lab was developed and programmed by NY Sun Works, a non-profit that builds hydroponic science labs in urban schools to teach students and teachers about the science of sustainability. Continue reading →
Unlimited Warm Cocktails at the Spiked Mug Festival? Yes Please!
An assortment of festive cocktails like the “Kansas Christmas Cake” made with whiskey and allspice, hot buttered rum, mulled wine, warm cider, spiked hot cocoa plus winter beers like Coney Island Brewery’s “The Plunge” spicy Belgian-style ale and more are coming to The Factory (30-30 47th Ave, LIC) and you can drink them in unlimitedquantities on Saturday, December 17 and Sunday, December 18 from 11:30AM-8:30pm!
Spiked Hot Chocolate
Just a few stops away on the G train, the Spiked Mug Fest and Holiday Bazaar is reppin’ Queens’ diverse eateries, creative vendors, and fun times with festive drinking, good eating, local shopping, and music. Tis’ the season so why not do them all at the same time and place?
For all you Halloweeners out there, here are our top picks for some fine spine chillin’ in North Brooklyn. Whether you’re in the mood to dance the night away with DJs, see rad costumed cover bands, freak out at scary movies, compete in a costume contest, take a zombie terrarium class or participate in a basement seance, our neighborhood has truly an abundance of choice this year.
⟫⌇⧘⧚⧛⧙⌇⟫ WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 26 ⟪⌇⧘⧚⧛⧙⌇⟪
GIF-O-Ween at Brooklyn Bazaar Sponsored by GIPHY and presented by Animation Block Party, GIFOWEEN is a Halloween-themed animation loop contest! This party will feature the official launch of GIPHY PRESENTS: GIF DANCE PARTY, a fully immersive dance environment that allows you to finally become dance partners with all your favorite online characters at once! Brooklyn Bazaar | 150 Greenpoint Ave. 8pm-12am, FREE, Costumes highly encouraged RSVP on Facebook
The ever popular LIC Flea & Food market right on the Long Island City waterfront is kicking off its fourth season this weekend. There you’ll find a variety of antiques, vintage wares, collectibles, art, crafts, and fashion. You should also come hungry to check out lots of delicious food vendors, and thirsty—again they’re hosting the All-Queens Beer Garden, which will be pouring beers from Queens-based breweries. Continue reading →
GIF-O-Ween at Brooklyn Bazaar
The ever popular 
