Author: Brian Abate

Feature Story

Visiting a green space under the subway, by Brian Abate

I attended a tour of the new Lowlands Nursery, located by the Smith and 9th Street subway given last month by the Garden Train, a District 15 volunteer organization that was founded in 2017 and is made up of public school parents, school staff, and community partners They believe that all students deserve a school garden and advocate for school […]

Feature Story, History

History: It happened in Red Hook, by Brian Abate

While many Brooklynites associate Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest or fireworks with the Fourth of July, the holiday is also an opportunity to celebrate Fort Defiance. The solid land we know as Red Hook was once pretty much a swamp. In the 1630s Dutch settled in the area and began to turn the marshes into farmland. When the Revolutionary War […]

Education, Feature Story

BASIS seniors present projects, by Brian Abate

Red Hook’s BASIS Independent Brooklyn seniors gave presentations on their projects last month in the school auditorium. A wide variety of subjects were chosen by the students. Students worked independently as they finished normal classes in mid-March. The requirement was to work at least 15 hours per week on their projects in the lead-up to their final presentations. In addition […]

Feature Story

MiniBar notches it’s first ever win in a busy month of May, as the Red Hook softball season takes shape, photos and story by Brian Abate

On May 6, Hometown took on Bait & Tackle in a low-scoring game with excellent defensive plays by both teams. In the bottom of the seventh Hometown led 5-4 but Bait & Tackle led off  with a double. A running catch in center turned into a double play which ended up being the difference in the game as Hometown improved […]

Feature Story

Thank You Jalen Brunson’s story, by Brian Abate

The New York Knicks have captured the hearts of many New Yorkers as this team of undersized underdogs found ways to win despite losing a lot of their key players to injuries. Star point guard Jalen Brunson went from a second-round pick to a star player and Red Hook’s own Lucie Lozinski (Ski Team) has released her song “Thank You, […]

News, Real Estate, Waterfront

Plan To Transform Brooklyn Marine Terminal, by Brian Abate

At a ceremony at the Red Hook Container Terminal, the Mayor, the Governor, the Port Authority and the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) made a surprise announcement (at least to most of the public and this newspaper) about the future of the waterfront from Atlantic Avenue up to the Red Hook Cruise Terminal. They were standing in front of […]

Feature Story

Jim Tampakis wants Amazon to use their waterfront, by Brian Abate

“Freight by Water? Why Not?” was a talk given last month at NYC Technical College, hosted by a group called the Brooklyn Waterfront Research Center. The talk featured five speakers including Jim Tampakis of Red Hook’s Tamco Mechanical, who for years has pushed for better use of our waterfront. Other speakers at the event included NY Times writer Liz Alderman, […]

Feature Story, Sports

A warm chill to start the 2024 season, by Brian Abate

Despite 47-degree weather, the warriors of the Red Hook Locals Softball League (RHSL) had an exciting opening day. The weather meant the planned opening day ceremonies did not happen but the Colucci Cup (trophy named for Jack Colucci) made an appearance in the dugout for defending champions Bait & Tackle. The first two games started at 6 pm with Bait […]

Feature Story

What to know about the 2024 Red Hook baseball season, by Brian Abate

The 2024 Red Hook Locals Softball League (RHSL) began on April 18. This is their third season since the ballfields were re-opened in 2022, after being closed due to post Sandy rebuilding and continued lead remediation.  Bait & Tackle will look to defend its Colucci Cup after an impressive playoff run in 2023 which concluded with a victory over B61 […]

Feature Story

Frank’s Bikes and Birds by Brian Abate

Every month while distributing newspapers, one of the most exciting places to go for me is Frank’s Bike Shop, because there are a couple of very cool-looking parakeets there. I spoke to Frank about his birds, the shop, and his move from 80 Delevan to his new location at 138 Pioneer Street. “I’m not from Red Hook but I’ve worked […]