Parents' convince our electives to open Van Brunt Pre-K school! La Bicyclette v. Le French Tart for the best croissant?

Hey Neighbors!

Happy Saturday of a glorious long weekend. And yes, the rainy weather sucks.

What a difference a week makes! Last Saturday, beneath stunning blue skies, I visited The Longest Table in BK Heights, the Kite festival at BBP and the Red Hook rummage sale where I got lucky.

I posted about bringing a version of the Longest Table to our corner of Brooklyn and tons of people responded. I even got a few volunteers ready to help. Consider it done.  

There is a consistent theme at every Brooklyn event I go to— people tell me they want to meet their neighbors and build a community. Me too, which is part of the reason I started Ward 6.  

Post #35: Victory for local campaign to open a new Pre-K school; our hometown RHFC wins again, and Mamdani’s plan for a lucky 1000 New Yorkers; Butter be damned! La Bicyclette v. Le French Tart, my unscientific taste test and other eat/food/drink news; Columbia St. Waterfront residents fight a proposed street redesign; What Brad Lander told a group of residents (BK workspaces returns next week)

The best news of the week, by far, was the Mayor’s announcement that the Pre-K school on Van Brunt and President St. will open this fall with 45 3-K and 18 Pre-K seats.

Zack Hetrick, the star and producer of his clever social media campaign about the school, and Jessica Setton, both Columbia St. Waterfront parents, crunched pre-K data, lobbied our electives, and created a “community waitlist” with 90 families signing up, 32 of whom ranked the Van Brunt school as their first choice. 

Hetrick and Setton said they had never launched a campaign or done anything like this before. 

“I only did this because I volunteered at my oldest’s 3K classroom,” said Zack, “and loved going in every day and so wanted to make sure other kids had a shot at a [pre-k] seat, too.” 

“I’m beyond thrilled,” said Jessica. “Happy the city not only listened to our complaints, but seems to be interested in using our data to make fundamental changes to a broken system.” 

I was told parents’ advocacy (there were many families involved) played a large role in the Office of Childcare’s decision to open the Van Brunt school, as the location was not originally included on a list of schools to open this fall.  The school has the capacity to add more than 60 seats in the future if the city receives additional funding. 

At a community forum with congressional candidate Brad Lander on Wednesday, he also took some credit, saying he had called the Office of Childcare about the local campaign to open the Van Brunt facility. 

Congrats to all the families involved, the CSWA and Council Member Shahana Hanif.

“We are making sure working people will not be priced out of the game that they help create,” said Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Thursday.

Athletic reports that the window to apply for tickets will start Monday, May 25th, at 5 PM and will be available only to New York City residents. Seats are in the upper tier of MetLife Stadium.  $50 also includes free transportation!

Ever since the Brooklyn chain La Bicyclette strangely opened across the street from Le French Tart, I’ve wondered, why that location and which bakery is more authentically French? 

While I still searching for the first answer, I tried to answer my second question by planning a mini, non-scientific, blind-taste test with a few French friends. I bought croissants and pain au chocolats from each bakery without revealing to my friends which pastry belonged to which store. I considered including Brooklyn French Bakers on Columbia St., as I read they were up for best croissant again (they won!), but decided to keep it simple. 

Judges: Nadine, a French-Canadian, who says she has been to France more times than she can count, her Nice-born husband, Emmanuel, and their BK-French son, Hugo. 

“Smells more like a French bakery,” said Nadine, who voted for Le Tart’s. She did not like the slightly sweeter taste of La Bicyclette’s. “The sweet glaze is not necessary.”

“Way better; more butter [than La Bicyclette],” Hugo added.

“The solid chocolate is more authentic,” said Emmanuel. “It’s fluffier, too.” 

“A tiny slab of chocolate [in the La Bicyclette] is more French,” added Nadine

“The size of (Le Bicyclette) is more French,” said Hugo.

Which do you like better? ([email protected])

Yesterday, I met longtime Woodhull St. resident Regina, and her two daughters, Antonia and Felicia as they talked to their neighbors about the Department of Transportation’s proposed streets changes (see maps). The traffic direction on Woodhull St. would become east to west, and Rapelye west to east. “Increasing through-traffic on this block creates an unnecessary and substantial safety risk…” for the 100 families that live on the residential block. Rapelye, on the other hand, is mostly industrial.

On Wednesday, the Department of Transportation presented its redesign plan to the community board, which also includes a new traffic light and crosswalks to slow down vehicles traveling west on Hamilton Ave. 

They are encouraging people to join them at the community board meeting June 10th and to sign their petition.

Unfortunately, Rep. Dan Goldman postponed the Columbia St. Waterfront Association’s Community Forum for the second time last weekend.  It’s been rescheduled for Tuesday, June 2nd from 3- 4:00PM @ Stephen's Cabrini Hall (125 Summit Street, Brooklyn). Submit questions here.

His opponent, Brad Lander, joined about 40 people on Wednesday, led by CSWA president Randy Gordon. As expected, there were many questions about the Brooklyn Marine Terminal, as well as air pollution, the rights of car owners, and how Lander would help protect Federal workers if elected.  

Here are some highlights:

Q:  14-year-old Levi asked what Lander will do to decrease air pollution from last-mile companies and cruise ships.

Lander didn’t say much about last-mile companies such as Amazon, other than that he will work with the community if elected. However, Lander became animated when talking about cruise ships polluting Red Hook and beyond, by not plugging in to shore power at the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal. He blames the EDC for not resolving this issue, as it’s been going on for 15-years, Lander said.

On breaking through the inertia to fix the BQE? 

Lander said, unfortunately, there is no easy answer and that all stakeholders need to reconvene to choose the “least bad option.”

On the Brooklyn Marine Terminal?  

Lander responded to a question about the Crain’s article from a few weeks ago that accused him of flip-flopping his support of the BMT. The article said Lander pressured or convinced Council Member Hanif and BK Borough President Reynosa to support the controversial “vision plan,” which includes 30+ apartment towers. Months later, Lander questioned whether the BMT site is appropriate for housing.    

While Lander said he talked to people on the Task Force, “I did not lobby or pressure anyone,” he told the group of residents.  “I did not reach a clear conclusion myself [about the BMT] because I didn’t have one.”

In Lander’s EIS comments to the city, he wrote, while the city needs more housing, and while he has supported housing development in the past [i.e., Gowanus], not every development is appropriate for housing. 

Lander told us he supports housing at Pier 7, as it makes sense adjacent to the apartments at Pier 6, which he said would also improve the park entrance. 

(Note: Here, Lander agrees with the EDC; I understand his thinking, but the only problem is that there is a beer distribution company operating on Pier 7 with blue-collar, union jobs. Does it make sense to kick out a money-generating business?) 

He also accused the EDC of having a baked-in plan from the beginning, with housing as the centerpiece and the port as a necessary afterthought. He’s called for delaying the next phase of the BMT by a few months.  “I do not think this plan should be adopted or the EIS started unless meaningful engagement with the community happens.” 

On affording housing at the BMT? 

Lander said the community should be able to get an “iron-clad” commitment on this (EDC promised 40% affordable) and make it enforceable. I hope Lander is right given Atlantic Yards and other development projects where promised affordable housing never materialized. However, from my understanding, the “vision plan” is not a legal document and is subject to change.

I will keep you updated as affordable housing is what we need.

On helicopters? 

“I would ban them if I could. No one needs to go from here to the Hamptons in a helicopter. They have a tiny benefit for a tiny number of people.” Amen.

On Rep. Dan Goldman? 

Lander said Goldman accepts corporate donations, and that he does not. And said he would give Goldman “some amount of praise” for his work on immigration. 

On immigration? 

He said he would continue fighting Trump’s ICE policy. “The energy in MN was so powerful,” he said, and he would like to see a similar NYC response.

TODAY! May 23rd to August 9th, 10 - 5:00 PM | Powerhouse Arts: “Brooklyn Waterfront Artists Coalition (BWAC) is presenting its first in-person art exhibition since the devastating fire on the Red Hook waterfront… Unmoored/Unbound, a collaboration of Powerhouse Arts speaks to the perseverance and resiliency of artists in the face of adversity.”

TODAY and TOMORROW, 11:00 AM | Be Seeing You, vintage clothing sale | 193 Dean St., bring cash (tks Dom!)

TODAY - Ongoing | Photoville Festival under the Brooklyn Bridge.

Sunday, May 31st, 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM | Families for Brad [Lander] - Prospect Park picnic | RSVP and location info here 

Tomorrow! 1:00 PM - 5:00 PM | Mary Whalen ship tour: Explore the Coastal Oil Tanker - great for kids! By the Red Hook ferry stop - Free

Thursday, May 28th, 5:30 PM | Come celebrate with the Col. St. Waterfront Association! New traffic lights, Pre-K school, and much more. Mother Cabrini Park on President St.

Thanks for reading! jlh

When I walked around The Longest Table on Saturday in BK Heights, imagining a version in our community, I met two 20-ish women drinking wine and leaning on a metal fence, chatting because there weren’t any empty seats. We talk about why an event  like this had attracted blocks and of people (more than 2k RSVPed). Their motivation was a chance to meet neighbors, which they said isn’t always that easy. Sure, bars are always an option, they agreed, but not always easy and doesn’t necessary mean more community.

I heard the same sentiment at the Cobble Hill Association’s community service night a few months ago. CHA always skews a bit old so I was pleasantly surprised to see so many younger folks show up on a cold, rainy night for a good cause and to meet neighbors.

As you know, building community is part of my motivation with Ward 6. With information/ news so splintered these days, it’s harder and harder to have shared experiences.  Hundreds of you now have that with Ward 6 and more soon as I plan my first neighborhood get-together.

Columbia St. Waterfront Association, first founded because of the Brooklyn Marine Terminal, is now a critical neighborhood group where people show up for holiday gathering at a community park or trash clean-up. Most recently, CSWA organized a meeting about Pre-K needs in the community in response to a parent group that had started lobbying the city to open up a renovated facility on Van Brunt and President St. More than 40 people showed up. 

MARK YOUR CALENDAR!

Sunday, May 31st from 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM | Families for Brad [Lander] - Prospect Park picnic | RSVP and location info here 

Powerhouse Arts May 21st - Brooklyn Waterfront Artists Coalition (BWAC) is presenting its first in-person art exhibition since the devastating fire on the Red Hook waterfront in September of 2025 left them without a home base. Unmoored / Unbound, a collaboration with Powerhouse Arts in Gowanus, speaks to the perseverance and resiliency of artists in the face of adversity.