Celebrating Community
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 […]
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 […]
In addition to the new gym, media center and infrastructure upgrades, the Rec Center now offers a beautiful new learning space courtesy of IKEA. The room includes a comfy lounge with nice lighting as well as a full kitchen area. The room is open to everyone with a Red Hook Recreation Center membership, which is free to those under 25. […]
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 […]
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 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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]