A merry, mini, holiday at the Queens Museum via Artsy.net. Photo by Max Touhey
Happy Holidays, Greenpoint! Greenpoint’s festive lights, abundance of holiday markets, and glorious array of bakeries has us all set for merry making. While we have some great ideas for last minute gifts, the news this week points to one big ticket item: if all you want for Christmas is a condo… you’re in luck. Two more properties in the area have been acquired by development firms.
Meanwhile, the waterfront esplanade promised in front of The Greenpoint, a 40 story development still in progress, is beginning to take shape. Private developers are required to create public park land, and to cede that land to the city, as part of the 2005 rezoning agreement. The esplanade should be complete by the spring.
If all this redevelopment is getting you down, here’s something that might bring a little cheer: the Queens Museum has a stunningly accurate 1:1200 scale model of New York City. The model was first commissioned by Robert Moses for the 1964 World’s Fair, and has been updated over the years. In order to maintain the model, the Queens museum is “selling” the miniature properties. For $100, you can buy any apartment you like, and even get a deed in the mail.
Greenpointers have been watching the changing East River Waterfront. A community development meeting on Wednesday allowed residents to hear from developers, and voice their concerns about on-going construction projects in North Brooklyn. While the luxury towers seem to leave a lot of Greenpointers out in the cold, this week The Brooklyn Eagle toured Level BK, in Williamsburg, offering a look inside.
Transmitter Park is one of the great gems of the Greenpoint waterfront, but the oasis has turned terrifying for pet owners. A shaggy, unleashed, black dog has brutally attacked several other dogs in the park without cause or warning. Continue reading →
North Brooklyn Farms (320 Kent Ave) is having their fifth and final Every Body party of the season! Join them on the farm for a day-into-night party with food, drink, music & art. 2-10pm, $10 tickets hereContinue reading →
A biker busts out some tricks on Freeman Street. Photo: Erik Keithley
This past weekend the Five Boro Bike Tour kicked off the summer cycling season (even though our weather hasn’t fully turned warm yet, dangit). If you love nothing more than pounding the pavement on two wheels when the weather’s at its finest, here’s a roundup of other local bike events happening over the next few months. Take a seat and pop a wheelie through North Brooklyn! Continue reading →
The Brooklyn Barge (3 West Street, at Milton) finally opened yesterday for its third season. This is Greenpoint’s only waterfront bar with unbeatable views of Manhattan. It’s the kind of place you can round up a dozen friends last minute or bring a date to watch the sunset and twinkling skyline after dark. You can enjoy ten beers on tap (half of which are local to NY), sample the shared bites menu or go with their signature Barge Tacos or Burger. There’s something for everyone including veggie and gluten-free options.
The launch of the NYC Ferry service (which had prices drop down to $2.75 one-way) will surely increase traffic from Manhattan to Greenpoint foreshadowing the imminent boom of housing along West Street. As a result, we should probably expect bigger crowds at the Barge this season. Continue reading →
Starting this morning, the East River Ferry is no more—it’s transitioning into a new entity, NYC Ferry, to provide city-wide service. The good thing about the new city-subsidized service is that fares are being slashed to $2.75 for a one-way ticket (formerly up to $6). As Greenpoint’s waterfront transforms itself from industrial shoreline to “Dubai on the East River,” and greater numbers of people settle along the East River shore the importance of local ferry service becomes increasingly important. Let’s take a look at the history of the Greenpoint ferry. Continue reading →
Next week, Tuesday March 7th from 7-10pm local watering hole The Diamond (43 Franklin St.) is hosting a Waterfront Defenders Party to benefit this trifecta of fantastic local organizations— The Billion Oyster Project, Newtown Creek Alliance and Friends of Bushwick Inlet Park. Proceeds from beverage sales will be donated and split evenly between them. Meet guest bartenders from these great organizations while learning more about what they do and how you can get your hands dirty!
What’s been going on with the negotiations between the city and the owner of the CitiStorage site? Come join Friends of Bushwick Inlet Park tonight at Greenpoint Beer & Ale to chat about the park’s future. While there’s currently nothing specific to report, FBIP has been told that the parties have begun negotiating, so they’re cautiously optimistic. But that said, they believe that time is of the essence and hope the parties will come to a settlement soon. However, if negotiations fall apart and no deal is made then potentially the only remaining course of action would be for the city proceed to eminent domain and condemn the CitiStorage site for the public good, fulfilling the 2005 rezoning agreement to the benefit of all New Yorkers.
Join FBIP tonight and engage with fellow open space advocates!
Greenpoint Beer and Ale | 7 N15th St @ Franklin St. Wednesday October 5th Meet Up at 7:00pm Updates + Q&A at 7:30-8:00pm Craft Beer & Conversation thereafter
Now with flames under control at CitiStorage, FDNY and local city agencies have started the arduous task of cleaning up and assessing what remains from the damage. Yet for those managing the wreckage, dealing with complaints of poor air quality and dodging the mounting conspiracy theories rippling in intensity across the neighborhood might prove more difficult to contain than the fire itself.
Next week, Tuesday March 7th from 7-10pm local watering hole 
What’s been going on with the 
