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 […]
Author: Brian Abate
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
City Council defies Mayor Adams as it legislates to protect citizen rights, by Brian Abate
The Bronx Defenders (360 E 161 St.) hosted a town hall on Dec. 5 on the “How Many Stops Act.” This act includes two bills, including Intro. 586 which is sponsored by Public Advocate Jumaane Williams and District 38 Council Member Alexa Aviles. This bill makes it mandatory “for the New York City Police Department [NYPD] to report on all […]
Local politico looks to change truck routes here, by Brian Abate
A bill that would re-design New York City’s truck route networking and help Red Hook deal with the increasing number of trucks coming into the neighborhood will hopefully be signed by Mayor Adams in the coming weeks. Introduction 708-A, sponsored by District 38 Council Member Alexa Aviles “would require the Department of Transportation [DOT] to redesign the city’s truck route […]
BQE Update, by Brian Abate
A Zoom meeting was held with members of the Department of Transportation (DOT) updating the public on the possibility of changes to the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway (BQE.) More than 120 people attended the meeting on Nov. 8, and the meeting materials will be posted at BQEvision.com. “We’re sharing a toolbox of ideas but this isn’t a place for making final decisions,” […]
The story of Steve’s Key Lime Pie is also the story of the neighborhood, by Brian Abate
The Barnacle Parade has become an annual celebration in Red Hook, which began on the first anniversary of Hurricane Sandy in 2013. The parade celebrates the community’s resiliency and a tradition of the parade is that it ends at Steve’s Authentic Key Lime Pies (185 Van Dyke St.,) where the family business gives members of the procession free key lime […]