(For some reason this didn’t publish on Saturday, Grr… )
Hey Neighbors -
Let’s not talk about what happened Thursday afternoon. Instead, I will focus on what’s to come, soon.
Before I get started, two corrections from last week:
I incorrectly identified Voice of Gowanus as Voices of Gowanus.
I incorrectly said that, in the past, Threes Brewery used a Stout for its oyster beer, and this year, switched to a Pilsner. Head brewer, Josh, emailed me to say, the brewery has always used a Pilsner, and in prior jobs, he had only used a Stout to brew with oysters. Confusing, but an important difference.
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Post #25: Pier 6 bar returns, sorta; Ample Hills Creamery gets a reboot; Columbia St. Waterfront residents demand safer streets; another battle royale over the waterfront; should wine be sold at supermarkets? A night with local Oscar-nominated actor.
As some/many of you know, I was absolutely sure that local resident, Oscar-nominated actor Michael Shannon, would be my big “get” for Ward 6. Not to discuss his movies or TV show roles, but his R.E.M. tribute band.
In college, I was a huge fan so when a social media post magically appeared of Shannon performing with his band, I could not believe how fantastic they sounded, and immediately decided it was a story for Ward 6. I was sooo close; we even set a date and a place. Then he postponed, and then again, and, well, it never happened.
Still, I enthusiastically bought tickets for the sold-out show at Brooklyn Steele on Saturday night. I stopped complaining about the ticket price when his bandmate guitarist Jason Narducy announced at the show that a percentage of the tour’s (yes, not just a BK performance) proceeds go to Abortion Access Front, founded by the co-creator of the Daily Show, Liz Winnstead.
Actor / singer Michael Shannon and band
How was the show? Pure. Joy. All two hours+ of it. I don’t have much of an ear for music, but Shannon sounds an awful lot like Stipe, and all around me, the crowd belted out every word to every song, mostly from the album Lifes Rich Pageant.
As if the night wasn’t thrilling enough, the iconic Michael Stipe, R.E.M.’s lead singer, made a surprise appearance. Pure. Joy.
SPEAKING OF PURE JOY…
Sorry, I missed seeing the dolphins playing in the East River this week! I was lucky enough to see some on a whale-watching trip from Sheepshead Bay a few summers ago; they are magical. I highly recommend whale-watching, too!
THE BAR WILL BE BACK AT PIER 6 SANS OYSTERS
While Pilot is no more, the Fireboat has taken pole position at Pier 6 and is getting ready to open sometime this spring. I was told there will be a different menu, which makes sense given the new boat is much smaller, and sadly, no oysters will be served.
FROM ICE CREAM TO SMASHBURGERS
Both Court St. Journal and Strong Buzz recently wrote about Ramblin’ Chick, the next chapter for the founders of Ample Hills Creamery, scheduled to open on Court St. near Nelson St. on March 19th. The all-American menu features chicken smashburgers, chicken nuggets, fries, and, of course, soft serve and shakes. Not sure whether they will use Ample Hills ice cream. According to Strong Buzz, the owners spent two years perfecting the menu.
NEW OYSTER BAR AND MORE FOR GOV. ISLAND
And finally… Six Coasts, a new restaurant for Governor’s Island from the founders of Smorgaburg, opens later this spring with chef Scotley Innis bringing his “pan-American flavors.” This restaurant replaces the Island Oyster with great views of Lower Manhattan.
COLUMBIA ST. WATERFRONT RESIDENTS DEMAND SAFER STREETS
Soon after a young girl was hit by a car late last year on Columbia St. & President St., neighborhood parents Robbie Block and Roopa Kalyanaraman Marcello began to mobilize, along with a few other neighbors, to demand NYC make that stretch of the Columbia St. Waterfront safer.
Crowds outside Jalopy before the meeting and inside
They prioritized a meeting with the Department of Transportation’s Borough Commissioner Keith Bray, and last night, in front of a packed Jalopy Theater, Bray and his deputy sat and listened to five local kids and two parents, including Marcello, talk about why these few blocks of Columbia St. should have a stop sign, a raised crosswalk or other safety measures.
“I want to feel safe walking by myself,” said 9-and-a-half-year-old Revathi. Many of the kids talked about speeding cars, drivers not paying attention and their fear after the girl was hit by a car.
Robbie, Roopa, n’hood kids, Comm. Bray and Ria
Elite Minds Montessori (on Columbia St.) administrator Ria Rua questioned Bray about the DOT’s ongoing Columbia St. traffic study, and got Bray to commit to a meeting with the community after the study’s completion, which he said would be “soon.” To approve a stop sign or traffic light, DOT considers vehicle density, speed limit violations, and accidents, among other criteria.
According to research compiled by Marcello, the population of the Columbia Waterfront has grown by 70% in the last decade. And just in the last four months, there were two car accidents on Columbia between President and Summit St., in addition to a cyclist who was hit and the elementary school girl (note: she has made a full recovery after a few days in the hospital and a couple of weeks at home).
This is not the first time the community has requested safety measures on this stretch of Columbia St. Bray said all of those requests were denied because they did not fit necessary criteria for safety measures, including traffic lights, stop signs, speed bumps, and high-visibility crosswalks.
More local coverage: Pix11
WOULD YOU LIKE A BOTTLE OF WINE WITH YOUR BROCCOLI?
I noticed a sign in the window at Heights Chateau Liquor and Wine about a renewed push to change a law that prohibits the sale of wine in supermarkets. I remember this came up years ago, I think, when Trader Joe's first opened, as the market sells alcohol in sother states. However, I noticed the other day that TJs sells low-alcohol wine.
Because we have so many wine stores in our neighborhoods, I personally don’t think we should risk the negative impact on our small, mostly locally owned stores for the convenience of buying wine at TJs.
Michael Brooks, the co-owner of Bed-Vyne Wine in Bed-Stuy, told Hell Gate he sees the legislation as an existential crisis for wine shops.
Here is more info about how to support your local wine store.
WARNING: PLANNING A WEEKEND HIKE?
From the Times-Union: “The state Department of Environmental Conservation has advised hikers to reconsider any imminent plans to venture into the Adirondacks and Catskills after recent warm temperatures and rainfall caused flooding in some areas.
BATTLE ROYALE CONTINUES OVER OUR WATERFRONT
Renderings show apartment towers at Pier 7 and adjacent (NYCEDC)
Rendering looking north on Degraw by Alma
More apartment towers and hotel near the BK Cruise Terminal
Another frustrating meeting with the city agency (NYCEDC) leading the proposed waterfront development. It comes down to a lack of trust and transparency, which, unfortunately, does not exist between the residents of our area and the EDC. Regardless of how many times the EDC staff met with with community members, there was never any meaningful dialogue. Quantity does not replace quality. As many residents said time and time again, the EDC had a plan and we had to accept it.
On a positive note, there was a decent turnout on Wednesday, with many engaged neighbors and many questions. Top of mind for a significant number of people remains the financial structure NYCEDC is using to raise the money needed to upgrade the working port, an essential city and state infrastructure project. To pay for this, the city proposes raising funds by building 30+ apartment towers along the waterfront.
One participant pointed out that the city is not raising money to fix the BQE cantilever by building new housing, so why should we build 30+ towers to pay for a new and critical working port? A resident asked about using public bonds instead, but the NYCEDC did not have a good answer.
If you want to make sure your concerns are addressed in the forthcoming impact studies, both the Cobble Hill Association and the Columbia St. Waterfront Association are a great resource for examples of written comments. If you have any questions about submitting a written comment, I’m happy to connect you to the right person ([email protected]).
For example:
“Study Specific Intersections: Under CEQR, the EIS must identify logical traffic routes and existing problem locations (CEQR Chapter 16, § 341). Among others, the studied intersections must include: Hicks Street & Atlantic Avenue; Henry Street & Kane Street; Henry Street & Atlantic Avenue; Clinton Street & Atlantic Avenue; Court Street & Atlantic Avenue. Why it matters: If known congestion and safety hotspots are excluded, the EIS will understate impacts.”
Cobble Hill Association
Also, the FINAL public meeting for this phase in the development proposal is this Monday, March 16th, via Zoom, where the community has an opportunity to testify. This is a great way to hear your neighbors’ concerns and also get ideas for your written testimony.
NEWS ROUNDUP
If you woke up to the smell of smoke overnight on Wednesday as I did, it was a massive fire in Sunset Park.
From the Court St. Journal, more about the toxic mess in Gowanus: “Martin Bisi of Voice of Gowanus, the grassroots organization advocating for the neighborhood’s cleanup, went on Subway Takes, Kareen Rahma’s viral show, to raise awareness of the city’s plans to build low-income housing and a school on toxic soil in Gowanus.
Police identified the body found in the water near the old Red Hook Fairway as a 15-year-old boy from Long Island. Fox News.
I was glad to see the Brooklyn Eagle follow up with a more in-depth article about the status of the Carroll Gardens library.
MARK YOUR CALENDAR!
Today! 10 - 5:00 PM | Period Pantry for teens at the Brooklyn Heights Library
Tonight! 7:00 PM Stories Sips + Songs brings together Nashville + New York songwriters to share their original music in a Nashville Style Round with fun throwback questions in between rounds! $
March 15, Sunday | No Kings 3 Art Build @ The Old Stone House. 3 PM - 5:00 PM
March 16, Monday, 6:00 PM | Final public hearing for this phase of the BMT development. Residents will testify about concerns with proposed waterfront development. Virtual meeting.
March 19th, 6 - 7:30 PM | Brooklyn Writer’s Exchange | BK Heights Library
March 20 - 21st, Friday - Saturday| The 9th Annual Brooklyn Jug and String Band Rendezvous |Jalopy Theater
March 24th, 9:30 AM | NYC Environmental Justice Plan Town Hall to address inequities in the management of air pollution, heat vulnerability, flooding, and access to green space. Join MOCEJ and The Waterfront Alliance to discuss refinements to proposed commitments, how to ensure that the plan reflects community needs, and how to integrate environmental justice concepts into City planning. RSVP here (from CB2)
Thanks for reading!
See you next week. jlh