Author: Brian Abate

News

Alexa Aviles joins family of police victim asking for accountability, by Brian Abate

On March 2, the family of Allan Feliz and politicians including District 38 Council Member Alexa Aviles gathered outside of City Hall despite pouring rain to demand that Mayor Eric Adams and Police Commissioner Edward Caban fire police officer Jonathan Rivera. The officer shot and killed Feliz six years ago after stopping him because he thought he was not wearing […]

Feature Story

Making a dense city more livable, by Brian Abate

Old timers might remember an urban gardener from the last century. Adam Purple, who dressed in purple and drove a purple bike, created a large spiraling garden on the lower East Side which became famous as it was threatened and eventually destroyed by real estate developers. These days, many community gardens in the city are safe from development due to […]

News

Gowanus Canal Conservancy builds a new garden, by Brian Abate

The Gowanus Canal Conservancy (GCC) has moved its Lowlands Nursery from the Salt Lot to a new location next to the new Monadanck building at 25 9th St., next to the Smith and 9th Stret subway. The move was necessatied due to the construction of a sewage tank required as part of the Gowanus Canal Superfund cleanup. Andrea Parker, the […]

News

What’s next for Shore Power? by Brian Abate

S hore power was brought to City Hall on the Ides of February when council member Alexa Aviles and advocates held a press conference on its steps. The Our Air Water Act, sponsored by Aviles,  would require cruise ships to plug into shore power while berthed in New York City. A cruise ship can stay in port for a day […]

News

Locals rally in support of Good Cause Eviction bill, by Brian Abate

Residents of 63 Tiffany Place, politicians, and members of the Cobble Hill and Carroll Gardens community gathered to push for passage of the “Good Cause Eviction” in the state legislature. “Long gone will be the days of landlords doubling and tripling people’s rents just because… said John Leyva, a long-time resident. Leyva is all too familiar with the issue, as […]

News

Red Hook becomes a skateboard destination, by Brian Abate

Red Hook has a brand new BMX bike and skatepark at Harold Ickes Playground on the corner of Van Brunt St. and Hamilton Avenue. The project was first announced by-Borough President Eric Adams in 2017 after kids from Red Hook called for a skatepark in the neighborhood. After a few years with a temporary skatepark but no construction, construction abruptly […]

News

Aviles brings Red Hook together with EDC to discuss Cruise Ships, by Brian Abate

District 38 Council Member Alexa Aviles, representatives of the Economic Development Corporation (EDC,) and members of the Red Hook community met at the Miccio Center on Jan. 16 for a community meeting. Approximately 50 people attended. In December 2022, Mayor Adams announced that MSC cruises would be coming to the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal. The announcement was a complete surprise to […]

News

Talking to Alexa Aviles about land use, by Brian Abate

Between last-mile warehouses moving into Red Hook and the possibility of rezoning, which is currently transforming the formerly industrial Gowanus, land use has always been an important topic in Red Hook. I interviewed District 38 Council Member Alexa Aviles on land use and some of the other important issues for the community. I started off by asking her about member […]

News

More talk about roadways and trucks,by Brian Abate

The NYC Department of Transportation (DOT) met at the Miccio Center (110 W 9th St.) on December 7, updating the community on their Red Hook traffic study. DOT’s goal is to improve travel conditions for all street users (motorists, cyclists, and pedestrians.) This includes making conditions safer and improving quality of life. Studies included measuring the speed of vehicles in […]