What's a mile long, takes 6 minutes to bike and took 14 years to build?

Hey Neighbors - 

Happy Saturday. I’m eager to get outside on this spectacular day, finally!

But first, some housekeeping. 

I read last week that in places with local journalism (and hyperlocal Ward 6), “people are more likely to vote, volunteer, and feel they belong.” 

Another fabulous reason to keep reading and sharing Ward 6 with your friends and neighbors! And UPGRADE to $6 a month for those of you who can afford to. This way, Ward 6 will always be free for everyone.

Got a tip? Story idea? Feedback?  [email protected] | @ward6_brooklyn

I’m also looking for people to feature in BK WORKSPACES. All I need is a picture of your desk (or other workspace) and about 15 minutes for a brief interview. 

Post #41: Big soccer day in Red Hook; need a last-minute Father’s Day gift? Red Hook Tavern burger in the air; four businesses are robbed in Red Hook; be careful where you park your car; 100s of residents submit comments about the controversial waterfront “vision plan;” new bike path connecting Red Hook and S. Park.

Forget the $1000 ticket, another $100 for transportation, and hop on your bike and come to Red Hook this afternoon to watch our hometown soccer team in the first game of the Northeast Semifinals. 

Brooklynite and college soccer player Sacha Weiss started Red Hook FC a few years ago after he graduated, and discovered a dearth of semi-pro teams. 

If you love soccer, are soccer-curious, or just want to meet your neighbors: 4:00 PM, Red Hook Field #5, 588 Columbia St. 

Before the game, stop by Soccer in The Streets on Wolcott St. (btwn Van Brunt and Richard’s St.) starting at 1:00 PM, where Street Labs & PS 15 have transformed the block into a celebration of soccer, culture, and community.

At 3:45 PM, join Red Hook FC and other supporters as they walk together to the soccer field game.

PS - I recommend checking out the FIFA Adidas Fan Zone underneath the Brooklyn Bridge. Tickets are FREE. I spent a few hours there this week and met tons of people from all over the world.

My favorite conversations, though, were with the NYPD and other security personnel, who told me they knew little about soccer but said they were excited to be part of the World Cup and meets so many fans (who don’t watch basketball!).

Still wondering how to celebrate Father’s Day tomorrow? Why not honor your father or father figure or guardian by interviewing them with the help of StoryCorps, founded in 2003 with the basic idea that “every story matters and every voice counts.” 

I’m considering interviewing my partner about being a dad, as my father died a few years ago. Or suggest my children interview him.

All you have to do is go to the StoryCorps website and record from a quiet place. Your interview will be archived along with thousands of other Storycorps conversations at the U.S Library of Congress. 

Another option for your dad is the StoryCorps project called One Small Step, which pairs you with a stranger who holds a different political view, “not to debate politics, but to learn who we are as people.”

Fun fact: Legendary Red Hook couple, Andrea McKnight and Jay McKnight, recorded their love story in 2011 with StoryCorps, which also aired on NPR’s Morning Edition.  Earlier this year, Columbia St. (and Lorraine St) was co-named for James “Jay” McKnight, who died in 2024.

If you are a JetBlue Mint flyer (for the record, I am not), you can forget about the month’s wait (or more) for a Red Hook Tavern resy and order the reloved burger from your airplane seat. Both Red Hook Tavern and Hometown BBQ are teaming up with JetBlue’s culinary team to design a menu for both domestic and transatlantic flights. The bad news is, you’ll have to wait until early 2027.

Oh, BTW, I tried getting a resy at the new Tavern Next Door and there were only three three tables, all after 9:00 PM, available for the rest of June. And July is booked solid except for a table here and there.

If you can afford to donate, please help Jalopy, or stop by for a beer and listen to some inexpensive live music. 

There were at least three other robberies Sunday - Monday morning in Red Hook. I’ll share more information when it becomes available. 

“Porch Stomp invites dozens of folk bands, artists, and performing arts organizations.. highlighting artistry ranging from traditional folk to old-time, blues, roots, bluegrass, and Americana.”  

You can now ride from Red Hook to Sunset Park on the new mile-long stretch of the Brooklyn Greenway!  For background on why it took 14 years to build, read “A New Bike Path Takes 14 Years in the Making Connects Red Hook at Sunset Park” by Brennon LaBrie of the Red Hook Star-Revue.

If you follow CSW resident John Leyva’s IG, you’ve seen his incredible videos of these massive trucks trying to maneuver around our street corners and side-swipping parked cars.  

If this happens to you, or if you witness an accident, the Columbia Street Waterfront Association is asking residents (of any neighborhood) to share videos or photos with them ([email protected]), as they are working with the police precinct and our electeds to resolve the problem. 

It’s just whack-a-mole at this point. Just when DOT fixes a problematic intersection, such as Henry and Kane St, trucks, guided by GPS, move to another one. 

Cobble Hill resident and Ward 6 reader, Amy B., shared video with me of a 53-footer trying to get onto Atlantic Ave. from Hicks St. while boxing in an ambulance and manuevering past another 53-footer going east. This is a fantastic corner to watch if you’re really bored. Bring ear plugs.

Early primary voting continues until tomorrow, Sunday, from 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM.

Not sure where to vote? Findmypollsite

What’s on our ballot?

⟹ Candidates (D) for State Assembly:  incumbent Jo Anne Simon and district leader, Lydia Green

Note: The best way to understand the New York State Legislature is to compare it to the U.S. Congress.

➾ Candidates (D) for NYS Comptroller: Incumbent Tom DiNapoli, Raj Goyle, Drew Warshaw

Want more info. about this race: Gothamist, City&State

⟹ House of Representatives (D): incumbent Rep. Dan Goldman, former city comptroller Brad Lander.

Still unsure who to support?  Listen to Monday’s debate or read about it here.

Here’s recent coverage from the NYT. Interesting that the paper’s headline for the online and print versions of the same article are radically different. 

Print: “Israel-Palestinian Conflict Shapes Contest for a New York City House Seat.”

Online: “Jewish Democrat’s Support of Israel May Cost Him His N.Y.C House Seat.”

311 people provided comments to the Mayor’s Office of Environmental Coordination about the potential impacts of the controversial Brooklyn Marine Terminal proposed waterfront redevelopment. Congrats!

The 311 public comments (plus, organizations and elected officials — see below) will guide the next step in the city/state process, where the NYC Economic Development Corporation’s “vision plan” will undergo various studies to assess its potential impact.

This is another example of how residents care deeply about the future of our neighborhoods. When we say the scale and the potential impact of this “vision plan” does not belong here, we have facts and our generations of lived experience to prove it. 

Even though the Mayor is vaguely in support of this “vision plan,” remember it is not legally binding, yet. This means that even if the New York City Economic Dev. Corporation is proposing 40% affordable units, for example, the final plan won’t necessarily include 40% affordable housing.  And unless a final plan includes a timetable that requires affordable housing to be built alongside the luxury units, the BMT could end up like Atlantic Yards, where community members are still waiting for the promised affordable housing.

This means residents continue to work toward a better, more appropriate waterfront plan. To get involved: Columbia Street Waterfront Association, PortSide NY, Voices of the Waterfront, and the Cobble Hill Association. Or contact our elected officials: Assembly Member Simon, AM Mitaynes (RHook), Council Member Hanif , and State Senator Gounardes, or Community Board 6, to let them know you want NYC to do better.

Public comments by the numbers:

12 elected officials; 2 community board letters; 38 organizations; 311 general public – including 46 residents of Red Hook Houses who individually submitted a form letter.(Source: Mayor’s Office of Environmental Coordination)

The People’s Money (TPM):  “is a citywide participatory budgeting (PB) process where New Yorkers decide how to spend part of the city’s budget to help their communities thrive. This process happens every year and is open to all New Yorkers, including youth and immigrants.”  Voting ends tomorrow!

So, you want to buy a place in West Brooklyn? (Court St. Journal/Red Hook Star-Revue)

Renters beware!  How an alleged NYC Real Estate Scammer Stayed in Business Despite Years of Complaints ( Catalina Gonella, Gothamist)

Orange Subway Seats will Soon Kick the Bucket (The City Reporter)

From HellGate: “Endless construction and onerous permit fees have finally killed the Red Hook's Latine street food truck scene.”  

Today! 11:00 AM | Trying to Save America: The Black Social Gospel, Then and Now. Grace Church, BK Heights

Today and tomorrow, 11:00 AM - 7:00 PM (2:00 PM on Sunday) Layla Sample Sale @ The Delta Brooklyn 210 Court St. (Layla Brooklyn is located at 352 Atlantic Ave) 

Wednesday, June 24th, 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM | Join Ward 6 for A Night of Reading and Good Times: Actors Read the Work of Local Authors, including Cobble Hill’s Anne Hellman, whose first novel, The Indecipherables, will be available in January. RSVP 

Friday, June 26th 10:00 AM |The next BMT Advisory Task Force (BMTATF) virtual ( link.) The EDC will provide materials in advance on the ATF webpage (Source: CSWA).

If you have questions you'd like raised at this meeting, please send them to [email protected].

Saturday, June 27th, 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM | Col. St. Waterfront and District 39 street clean-up, meet at Columbia and Degraw St. | I volunteered with the CHA to do street clean-up, and I found it strangely satisfying. I highly recommend.

Thanks for reading! JLH