Celebrating Community
I’m happy to be able to start off this column by cheering some neighborhood heroes on a hard-fought victory. Last year I wrote about the plans of an investor to build a huge apartment building over where the Chase Bank is on Hamilton Avenue. I called it a ridiculous idea, based upon their presentation at the community board. In addition […]
As progress continues toward cleaning up the Gowanus Canal, the controversial Gowanus rezoning plan has become entwined in the discussion. The Gowanus advisory group, called the CAG, hosted reps from both the Planning and Environmental Protection agencies to answer questions about how their actions will impact the Superfund work. The Gowanus rezoning will result in skyscrapers invading Gowanus, bringing as […]
The Gowanus Landmarking Coalition wants to thwart the planned demolition of the S.W. Bowne Grain Storehouse, a circa-1886 brick industrial structure at 595 Smith Street. On the morning of March 13, the preservationists held a rally on the Hamilton Avenue Bridge over the Gowanus Canal. Last year, a fire damaged the Storehouse, which the Chetrit Group, a real estate development […]
Does Red Hook have a neighborhood “style”? Not really, it’s more of a attitude: old ghosts, waterfront grit, industrial innovation, creative hotbed, and a diverse caring community. Motley is another word that comes to mind.We used to have a lot of vacant or underused lots, over the past few years, many of them have been turned into new buildings. We […]
In late January, the website StreetEasy published a study (of sorts) that determined “The 10 Healthiest Neighborhoods in NYC.” To the surprise of many, Red Hook earned the top spot on the list. StreetEasy is a real estate database that lists New York City properties for sale or rent. It is not a medical authority. Its criteria for neighborhood health […]
Joseph Baglio is a broker and Partner at Madison Estates, one of the leading boutique brokerage firms with two offices serving Brooklyn (one on Douglass Street and the other on Avenue R). Many of Madison Estate’s transactions take place in Carroll Gardens, Cobble Hill, Brooklyn Heights, Park Slope, Bay Ridge, Midwood, Flatbush and Marine Park. Baglio has been working in […]
Broker Victoria Alexander opened Realty Collective in 2005, which has offices at 223 Columbia Street and 351 Van Brunt Street. While properties they represent can be found throughout Brooklyn, Realty Collective’s agents serve the needs of prospective buyers, sellers and renters for commercial and residential properties located in (but not limited to) Red Hook, Park Slope, Boerum Hill, Cobble Hill, […]
Licensed real estate salesperson Nadia Hussey, who lives in Brooklyn Heights and works at Citi Habitat’s Cobble Hill office, first delved into the industry around 2005. Since joining the Citi Habitat team in 2016, Hussey has been focusing on sales and rentals in lower North Brooklyn (as well as some in Harlem where she had previously lived). She believes the […]
City Planning’s February 6th event to show the public the progress of their Gowanus rezoning plan turned into a kerfluffle when the 5th Avenue Committee sent Red Hook’s Karen Blondel into the PS 32 auditorium with chairs and a megaphone. “After two years of community engagement in this process, the City of New York continues to exclude any commitments to […]
I live in a 1,200 square foot apartment with three other adults. I share a room with my boyfriend, Eli, and we live with his sister, Tara, and her boyfriend, Andrew. This familial setup can be difficult to describe in casual conversation, “My boyfriend’s sister’s boyfriend is also my roommate…” I enjoy our family arrangement and I like to imagine […]