Enrique Barranco opened Wraptor Restaurant and Bar a few years ago at 358 Columbia St. at the corner of Seabring St. in Red Hook. He spoke about the challenges the restaurant faces, the best parts of his job, and his love for Red Hook. “I knew owning a restaurant was part of the dream but I wasn’t sure if I […]
Author: Brian Abate
Spending Valentine’s Day in Greenwich Village, by Brian Abate
For Valentine’s Day, my girlfriend Michelle and I went to San Marino, an Italian restaurant at 64 Charlton St. It was my first time going and her second time. There is a spot outside with flowers which would be very nice for the spring and summer but it was far too cold for the outdoor seating on Valentine’s Day. “We […]
Carroll Gardens Association empowers Nannys, by Brian Abate
The Carroll Gardens Nanny Association (CGNA) is working to raise the standards in the domestic work industry. Rosemary Martinez, Wendy Guerrero, and Charon Best are all a part of the CGNA with Martinez working as a domestic worker organizer and Guerrero working as a program coordinator. All three have in common that they all did domestic work after moving to […]
Spring Bank officially opens on Van Brunt, by Brian Abate
After years without a bank, Red Hook celebrated the opening of Spring Bank at 356 Van Brunt St. with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Jan. 23. Despite cold weather, more than 50 people attended the celebration including Senator Andrew Gounardes, Akbar Rizvi, the Chief Lending Officer (CLO) and president of Spring Bank, ReyJane Gaudin, the branch manager, Assembly Member Marcela Mitaynes, […]
The place to go in Red Hook for good food served late, by Brian Abate
Wraptor Restaurant and Bar, 358 Columbia St., is located right on the street corner where Seabring Street. becomes Coles Street. in Red Hook. One of the things that stands out about Wraptor is that while most of the options for food in the area are closed at night, this restaurant is open from 10 am to 2 am seven days […]
Rooftop ceremony at PS 58, by Brian Abate
On Dec. 10, City officials, students, and teachers met with the press on the roof of P.S. 58 at 330 Smith St. for a ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrating the completion of the installation of solar panels, part of a city wide initiative.. “At DCAS [Department of Citywide Administrative Services,] part of our mission is to help the City push toward major […]
The never ending Columbia Street traffic jam has an effect on business, by Brian Abate
Residents and businesses in the Columbia Street Waterfront District have been dealing with extreme traffic along Columbia St. and throughout the neighborhood. ever since the BQE bottleneck under the Brooklyn Heights Promenade was introduced in 2022. Driving just a few blocks can take 30 minutes or more as cars look to avoid the heavy traffic above. Mazzat, a Mediterranean restaurant […]
New fields lure soccer league to Red Hook, by Brian Abate
Red Hook Football Club is the highest level soccer team in Brooklyn and its leaders are looking to build a club with social justice at its core. The team plays its home games right at the newly renovated Red Hook Soccer Fields. “This actually started because I needed to find a place to play that was at a decent level,” […]
Red Hook Business Alliance returns to BWAC, by Brian Abate
The Red Hook Holiday Market runs one more weekend, the 21st and 22nd, from 1-6 pm. The Holiday Market is presented by the Red Hook Business Alliance and Brooklyn Waterfront Artists Coalition (BWAC) and will take place at BWAC, 481 Van Brunt St. Door #7A. The Red Hook Business Alliance was founded in 2019 by Susan Povich and Victoria Alexander […]
I went to a BMT feedback session, by Brian Abate
There have been a few large community meetings and some smaller ones following Mayor Adams’ May 14 announcement about a planned transformation of the local waterfront. This has been the plan of the NYC Economic Development Corporation (EDC) who is tasked with leading the transformation. I attended one of the smaller sessions on October 23. Four people showed up to […]