Be afraid, Greenpoint. Be very, very afraid.
Not of Jack Skellington, or Krampus, or even of the holiday sweaters Grandma knitted you, but of …
Bad Santa.
SANTACON IS COMING TO TOWN. And by town, we mean Greenpoint. And by Greenpoint, we mean your usually sweet, charming neighborhood of peace, calm and puppies. In fact, we recommend that you hide your puppies this Saturday from puking Santas.
BLACKOUT03, a new play by fifteen-year Greenpoint resident Kate Bell, is premiering tonight at Manhattan’s HERE Arts Center (145 6th Ave, New York, NY) as part of the legendary Downtown Urban Theater Festival, and stars Alex Major, Chinaza Uche, LaTonia Phipps, and Lindsey Austen. The play is now sold out.
The play takes place on a Greenpoint rooftop during the historic blackout of August 2003, and centers on four friends who meet up to enjoy the magical evening, but “when the lights go out, shit gets real,” says Bell, and issues of race, class, and gentrification bubble to the surface. Greenpointers caught up with Bell today before the show. Continue reading
(sponsored)
It’s almost summer. North Brooklyn bike lanes are busy and the parks are full of folks like you who want to feel great and get into shape. But getting fit isn’t just hitting the running track. Wellness is also about eating great and staying active with fun fitness routines. There are a variety of ways to get healthy in our neighborhood, meet new people and enjoy irresistible perks. A great way to get started is through Athletes Club.
Athletes Club is a members-only service suited for everyone that loves to live healthy and active! It’s the best way to discover, experience, and save at top-notch fitness studios, healthy restaurants, and active shops in New York City and North Brooklyn. Members receive unlimited benefits to use at over 100 partnering businesses, including Brooklyn Boulders, Summer’s Juice, JackRabbit Sports, SYNC Studio, and Torque Fitness, Ride Brooklyn, and Awakening NY.
Plus, members can experience free classes, social outings, and other unique experiences, like the all inclusive World Cup Viewing Party. Say goodbye to your boring fitness routine!
Members save $100s each month. Get started today for only $19.
Join now: www.athletesclub.com
Here’s a rundown of what local businesses are offering through Athletes Club: Continue reading
(sponsored)
Continuing our tradition of intermittently scheduled but always entertaining live, unamplified and ass-whipping shows, The Exley (1 Jackson St) proudly presents The New Orleans Swamp Donkey’s Traditional Jass Band.
Following recent NYC shows at Leadbelly, The Radegast Beer Hall and SOHO House, the Swamp Donkeys will play their unique version of traditional New Orleans Jazz from 4-pm Tonight June 7th at The Exley (1 Jackson Street, b/w Union and Meeker).
Everything happens on the front patio– live music, the hood’s best classic cocktails, some food, and no cover charge. The band is rumored to appreciate tips, CD purchases, smiles, and dancing. Join us on a perfect Brooklyn Summer afternoon of booze, sunshine, food, and great live music. Get an idea of what you’re in store for in the video below.
Sponsored post courtesy of The Exley.
Do you ever stop to think about the enormous undertaking and organization required to keep New York City clean? Robin Nagle does, and she wants everyone in New York City (and beyond) to realize just how different our day to day lives would be without the impressive work of the sanitation department.
On Thursday night, Robin Nagle spoke to a group of about 50 people at Acme Studios in a talk entitled “Invisible Trash: Exploring New York City’s Garbage.” She covered 400 years of garbage collection history and the ins-and-outs of snow removal, street cleaning, and disaster response in the Department of Sanitation of New York. Her book, Picking Up, was also on sale which chronicles her findings while studying the history and culture of sanitation workers, as well as her time working trash removal with the department. Continue reading
Last Friday night we were so excited to light our Greenpointers Neon Sign. Ain’t she a beaut? Thanks to everyone who donated and made this beautifully crafted piece of art a reality. And thanks to Robbie Ingui of Artistic Neon for doing such a badass job. The sign will be on display at our Holiday Market on 12/8/13! Come by a check it out.
Watch my Thank You video, too… Continue reading
In a tragic turn of events for the street art community worldwide and the general soul of NYC, 5Pointz’s exterior walls and the works of over 1500 international artists was completely white washed under the cover of darkness last night with protection from the police – all for the development of high rise luxury towers in Long Island City, despite rallying against demolition and an effort to get landmark status for the building.
In a comment to Hyperallergic, 5Pointz curator Jonathan “Meres One” Cohen called the landlord Jerry Walkoff, “the biggest art murder of our time.” Enough said.
There will be a candlelit vigil at 5Pointz tonight according to the Save 5 Pointz Facebook page.
RIP 5Pointz
See more of Max Dworkin’s photos at www.Pictured.tumblr.com.
There have been talks about the MTA partnering with Citibike to foot the bill for bike docking stations in Greenpoint and LIC given the G train service outage beginning next weekend.
I got on the phone with Citibike and the MTA to find out whether this is happening.
The short answer from the MTA is that “it is being discussed” but “there is no timeline.” Part of the discussion includes the MTA paying for the bikes.
Ronald Leiva, representing Citibike said that it’s “a possibility,” but that I should consider it a “rumor” with “no hard evidence” but that he is “not denying that it is not happening.” He went on to say that there is also “no timeline”, but he did mention that if the MTA were to pay for the program they would get their logo on the bikes. Score! Maybe they could put the G train logo on it.
When questioned as to why Greenpoint was not initially included, he said that the DOT chose the locations which are in more densely populated areas around bridges. Apparently the Queensboro Bridge and our beloved Pulaski don’t count.
According to the Daily News, Greenpoint was in the initial plans which, “were scaled back, and those neighborhoods were excluded after equipment stored in a Brooklyn warehouse was damaged by Superstorm Sandy flooding.”
Leiva of Citibike went on to say that as they receive more “sponsorship” aka advertising dollars they will expand outward and that they will likely expand into Greenpoint, but this may not be for “a few years” – unless the “rumors” about partnering with the MTA become a reality in the short term.
Do you want Citibike in Greenpoint? Were you disappointed when Greenpoint didn’t receive a docking station? Will you use Citibike in place of G train service to LIC?
