Celebrating Community
2025 is election year in New York City. Focus of most New Yorkers is, of course, on the mayoral race which is poised to be an interesting one, following Mayor Eric Adams’s string of mishaps, alleged criminal activities and flirting with Donald Trump, likely selling out many New Yorkers in his so far successful search for legal relief in the
It was a bitterly cold winter morning (probably) on Jan. 27 when New York State Environmental Conservation Officers Bieber and Keegan, fresh out of basic school (the Department of Environmental Conservation’s six-month-long training program for its specialized police officers) visited Star Market at 1778 86th St. in Brooklyn for a seafood inspection. The officers were only there to assist as part
As most in the neighborhood are aware by now, the Brooklyn Marine Terminal is being redeveloped. Since our latest story in the February Star-Revue, nothing has happened that has changed the course of the city’s Economic Development Corporation (EDC), which leads the project on behalf of the city. Despite continued calls to push the deadline for the finished master plan,
Since Trump’s second inauguration – and the crackdowns on documented and undocumented immigrants alike that have come afterwards – growing numbers of New Yorkers are terrified to leave their homes. Many are “very afraid to even go to work,” says Juan Carlos Pocasangre, president of Guatemaltecos in New York, an organization that has been providing help to immigrants from Guatemala
Since Trump’s second inauguration – and the crackdowns on documented and undocumented immigrants alike that have come afterwards – growing numbers of New Yorkers are terrified to leave their homes. Many are “very afraid to even go to work,” says Juan Carlos Pocasangre, president of Guatemaltecos in New York, an organization that has been providing help to immigrants from Guatemala
From my perch here at the Star-Revue I have been closely following the saga of the Red Hook Container Terminal since I started the paper fifteen years ago. The removal of owner Sal Catucci by the Port Authority (which some thought was shady but if there was any shadiness there it’s long under a rug someplace) was my first investigative
PS 676/Harbor Middle School had another family fun night on January 28 after school in their cafeteria. The theme was Lunar New Year. Lunar New Year began on January 29, which marked the arrival of the year of the snake. The Lion Dance is performed during Lunar New Year as well as iconic firecracker ceremony. There was Chinese food and
Money and politics often get in the way of what economists call “The Public Good.” Here is Wikipedia’s definition: “In economics, a public good (also referred to as a social good or collective good) is a good that is both non-excludable and non-rivalrous. Use by one person neither prevents access by other people, nor does it reduce availability to others.
Most New York natives and Red Hook residents are likely aware of the neighborhood’s rich industrial history and bounty of artisanal businesses, but as a five-year transplant to New York City, I had a lot to learn from the locals to find out what they think makes the area so unique and a hub for artisans to thrive. “It’s like
I’ve been trying to calculate how many new apartment buildings are needed to accommodate the 7,000 to 9,000 housing units the NYC Economic Development Corporation (EDC) wants to add to our neighborhood to help pay for the redevelopment of the Brooklyn Marine Terminal, the 122-acre strip of waterfront extending from our neighborhood, through the Columbia Waterfront District, to Atlantic Avenue.
Enrique Barranco opened Wraptor Restaurant and Bar a few years ago at 358 Columbia St. at the corner of Seabring St. in Red Hook. He spoke about the challenges the restaurant faces, the best parts of his job, and his love for Red Hook. “I knew owning a restaurant was part of the dream but I wasn’t sure if I
For Valentine’s Day, my girlfriend Michelle and I went to San Marino, an Italian restaurant at 64 Charlton St. It was my first time going and her second time. There is a spot outside with flowers which would be very nice for the spring and summer but it was far too cold for the outdoor seating on Valentine’s Day. “We
Greece is famous worldwide for its islands and crystal blue beaches. Of course, there is much more than that, as the country contains many surprises for visitors open to discover them. The north, the Greek Macedonia – part of the Macedonian region, occupied by Greece, North Macedonia, and Bulgaria – is full of historical and natural landmarks, immersed in Christian-orthodoxy
In 2025, roughly 25% of mothers are considered “stay at home moms.” This number has increased since 2022, where the number was down to 15%, according to a survey done by Motherly, an advocacy group. It’s no surprise that this number is at odds with the 84% of stay-at-home moms in the 1950s, and the staggeringly small 16% of women
By now, the community meeting on the future of the Brooklyn Marine Terminal, the 122-acre waterfront property running from Atlantic Avenue to Wolcott Street has taken place. There is more about this meeting and the NYC Economic Development Corporation (EDC) process inside these pages. As my publisher has pointed out in his column last month, this decision made by the
District 38 Council Member Alexa Avilés knows how hard the Trump administration’s immigration policy is hitting Red Hook. Avilés, who is Chair of the Immigration Committee, says that community providers have noted drops in undocumented people accessing services and a lot of talk about moving away. People do not feel safe, according to Avilés. “There’s unfortunately an enormous amount of vitriol
A descent into the maelstrom There is a short story written in 1841 by Edgar Allen Poe called “A Descent into the Maelstrom.” It tells the tale of a mariner at sea caught in a giant whirlpool. IMHO we ourselves are currently spiraling downward in a similar predicament. Hard to say when this malevolent spin of events began.
David Lynch sat in a strange seat of power during the 1990s. He had put a tale of psychic terror about a victimized cheerleader addicted to cocaine on network television. He then retconned the notion of Elvis Presley movies to include shocking levels of physical and sexual violence and took it to Cannes. And he syndicated a comic strip that
Each year, I meticulously keep track of every book I read, writing a short blurb to capture my primary feelings and responses to each book. I do this for many reasons, but mostly because my short term memory is so faulty. I also do this so I have recommendations at the ready when asked the loaded question: “What have you
Apparitions of the Eternal Earth. On their monolithic 2022 debut, Eyes Like Predatory Wealth, the Houston, TX trio Apparitions set forth a slow burn with three tracks running, in sequence, 10, 20 and 30 minutes. The fire has been spreading ever since. In 2023, they issued the digital-only Semel, with three poundingly untitled tracks, and this month comes Volcanic Reality (CD
“Lost in Love”: Review of “Horse Crazy,” by Gary Indiana, introduction by Tobi Haslett, Reviewed by Michael Quinn Years ago, I fell for a recovering drug addict. I met him at a funeral for a man we had both been involved with. When he caught me looking, he smiled—a slow, disarming gesture that made my heart thump like a
Welcome to the March Edition of “Tits up Brooklyn!” March is reported to come in like a lion and leave like a lamb…What does that actually man for us music lovers? Does March arrive like the Stray Cats (rockabilly) and leave like Lamb of God (heavy/dark metal)? Or perhaps like Pussy Riot (punk) and leave like the Electric Sheep (female
“Baseball isn’t statistics,” legendary New York sports columnist Jimmy Cannon once wrote. “Baseball is DiMaggio rounding second.” I wonder if Tim Bassett, second baseman for Adler’s Paints, had that in mind when he quipped, decades later, “Is there anything more beautiful than the sun setting on a fat man stealing second base?” It’s entirely possible. Bassett, like his Adler’s teammates
What is the sound of being ghosted after going through a job interview? According to the prog-rock band KADAWA, it’s the crisp, complex rhythms, slashing riffs, and soaring major key guitar solo of “We’ll Get Back to You” off their album, Post-Graduation Fees. Take something larger and not focussed on an individual’s experience: What is the sound of what the
“You have to justify telling jokes about the news at a time like this.” That’s what British political comedian Nish Kumar said in 2022, during his last tour. A lot has happened since then, and Nish is performing in the US now. So, how has this feeling changed? “It’s got worse!” Nish laughs, sitting on a couch in the green
Review of “Days Without Number, New York City,” photographs by Giovanna Silva, with a text by Sasha Frere-Jones Review by Michael Quinn You hardly know anyone, and there’s no place you need to be, so you walk around to get your bearings. You snap pictures of whatever catches your eye. You’re trying to capture a feeling—not just the place but
Smart, simple pleasures. On Only the Void Stands Between Us (LP and download released last month by Silver Current Records), Julie Beth Napolin sings of distance and intimacy. She sings quizzically of a fire coming to burn, it seems, those who don’t deserve to survive, and she sings very directly about praying for the living and the dead. In other
Last spring I wrote in these pages about my discovery of Bay Ridge’s Regina Opera Company. While I did grow up in a house where the Metropolitan Opera was on the radio every Saturday, that was not my cup of tea. The idea of dressing up and paying lots of money to hear a musical show was not my scene.
This is just one calendar year, which may be sufficient time in the pop music manufacturing industry to spot a trend, but is a far less meaningful span in music that wrestles with its own history—the old is constantly being renewed and incorporated with ideas from other genres—as jazz does, and that is so free of commercial pressures (unfortunately) that
Mothers of reinvention. “It’s never too late to be what you might have been,” according to writer George Eliot, who spoke from experience. Born in the UK in 1819, Mary Ann Evans found her audience using the masculine pen name in order to avoid the scrutiny of the patriarchal literati. Reinvention, of style if not self, is in the air
Kaizers Return Kaizers Orchestra has always marched to the beat of their own drum. Now, after their first U.S. performance in years, the legendary Norwegian rock band made it clear they haven’t missed a step. Fresh off a triumphant show at Sony Hall, where their theatrical mix of rock, folk, and energy electrified the crowd, I had the chance to
Afrobeats vs. Amapiano Takeover at Barclays Center On Sunday, August 4, the plaza at Barclays Center echoed with the sounds of Afrobeats and Amapiano as the two genres took center stage at the third annual Africa Everything: Afrobeats vs. Amapiano Takeover. From 12:00 to 6:00 PM, music lovers, undeterred by the cloudy weather, gathered to experience the best of these
