Like the rest of New York City, Red Hook has felt the catastrophic impacts of the coronavirus. A number of local charitable efforts and organizations have emerged in recent weeks to assist Red Hook residents who need help during this challenging time. Several community members have formed Red Hook COVID-19 Relief, a volunteer committee that is eager to assist neighbors […]
Red Hook News
72 Miles in 72 Hours
New York City is the epicenter of the devastation caused by COVID-19, and Paul Bamba, a former Marine who owns the Trifecta Strong gym in SoHo, is doing what he can to help out. Bamba will be taking on an inspiring challenge where he will run 72 miles in 72 hours, starting April 10 at 8 pm, in an effort […]
Press Clips
As I sit here about to write this final piece for the April issue, I checked the COVID-19 scoreboard to see that the US has gone over 1000 deaths for the day, the most ever so far, but probably a normal figure for a number of days or months hereon in. The blame game is already starting, with many criticisms […]
Journal of life in Brooklyn during the coronavirus pandemic
It has been difficult selling advertising for the paper, which is my regular job, so I was asked to keep a diary of the past few weeks as I walk around the neighborhood. I also have no sports to watch which has given me a lot of extra time. Day 1: Wednesday, March 18 My first day of keeping track […]
Coronavirus cuts short successful Summit basketball season
After undefeated regular season, Summit Academy Charter School’s boys basketball team easily won their first two playoff games, both of which took place at home in Red Hook, and notched an impressive victory against South Bronx Preparatory. The Eagles were on a roll – until the coronavirus canceled the final games of the postseason. In their first playoff game, Summit […]
Dispatches from the old country, by Dario Pio Muccilli
Giorgio (the name is fictitious for his privacy) is a nurse who works for a hospital in northern Italy, and last week he got infected. He is now one of the 69,176 coronavirus cases in the country. He probably got infected while he was working, and he knew it after the swab he did tested positive. “They called me the […]
Red Hook’s elected officials respond to pandemic
Across the nation, federal, state, and city officials spent the month of March scrambling to prepare their constituencies for an unprecedented public health crisis, advocating for various policies to limit the spread of COVID-19 and to mitigate the impact of the resulting economic shutdown upon business owners, laid-off workers, and other affected populations. Between campaigns to encourage self-isolation and debates […]
Red Hook parents adjust to homeschooling
Parenting, as anyone who’s had a kid or been a kid knows, is a complicated job under the best of circumstances. During a pandemic, it’s a whole new ballgame. On March 14, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that New York City’s public schools would close until at least April 20 to limit the spread of the coronavirus. After three days […]
An anxious intermission for cinema workers
Before I moved to New York, I worked for four years as a movie theater employee. My coworkers and I made minimum wage or a little more, and many could barely afford their rent during the best of times. For some, the lack of disposable income was tolerable only because their favorite recreational activity, by far, was watching movies, and […]
Local bartenders face life after nightlife
It’s no secret that the hospitality industry is in trouble right now. While New York City’s restaurants have pivoted to takeout and delivery during the coronavirus shutdown, drinking establishments that don’t serve food have closed altogether. In Red Hook, Seaborne, at 228 Van Brunt Street, has taken to delivering cocktails, but two beloved local watering holes have temporarily disappeared from […]