Real Journalism written by people
Every year, Staten Island’s Borough President presents a Patrick F. Daly award to outstanding borough educators who shows ongoing commitment to their students. This is something that should be done in Brooklyn as well. The Red Hook community grieved on December 17, 1992, after Daly was caught in a gang crossfire while looking for a student who ran out of […]
In June of 2021, I spoke to Antonio Reynoso about why he thought he should be the next Brooklyn Borough President. This month I had the opportunity to speak to him about his goals and outlook now that he has won the election and begun his term as Borough President. One of the first items on his agenda has been […]
During the COVID-19 pandemic, it has become common for politicians to interact with their constituents virtually and Marcela Mitaynes, an assembly member for District 51 (which includes Red Hook, Sunset Park and northern Bay Ridge) has continued that trend by holding a series of fireside chats. The chats were streamed and recordings can be found on Mitaynes’ Facebook, Twitter, and […]
After numerous delays, Red Hook’s four baseball fields next to the Rec Center are now deemed safe and are open to the public. They had been closed in 2015 due to a Gannet newspaper story that tipped the EPA to look for lead in the soil—which they found. A big change is that the natural grass ballfields have been replaced […]
The Red Hook Recreation Center has remained closed despite getting a temporary boiler after the previous boiler sustained damage during Hurricane Ida in September. The rec center originally closed indefinitely due to the boiler. After some in the community complained, there was initially hope that it could re-open on December 27th. That date got pushed back to January 3rd. However, […]
As I walk down Van Brunt St. to get to work each day, I have been intrigued by a store that features bright green moss in the window. This month I spoke to MossBoss NYC’s founder, Adzi Jasari who gave a greater understanding of his business. “This wasn’t something I always had planned,” Jasari said. “I was actually an MRI […]
New York State Senator Brian Kavanagh held a virtual town hall for South Brooklyn this December. He has represented South Brooklyn and some parts of Lower Manhattan in the senate since 2017, having replaced Daniel Squadron. One of the issues that came up a few times was the increased street traffic caused by lane closures on the Brooklyn Queens Expressway. […]
On Commerce St., right off of Van Brunt St., there’s a black door that says Pearl Street Caviar. I’ve passed by many times without ever paying attention to it, but Pearl Street Caviar product specialist Monica Olivares and founder Craig Page were kind enough to talk to me about their business and take me on a tour. Though I didn’t […]
BA: Thank you for taking the time to talk to me. Is it all right if I jump right in? AA: Yes, of course, I’m happy to. Go for it! BA: You went to Somos, the annual political conference that takes place in Puerto Rico. Did you make some good connections? AA: It’s a good question. Somos is a very […]
DoorDash gave out turkeys along with the Red Hook Initiative and Council Member-elect Alexa Aviles in honor of Thanksgiving at the Red Hook Neighborhood Senior Center. “We’re proud to have supported the Red Hook Community Senior Center, the Red Hook Initiative, and Council Member-elect Aviles in their work to provide seniors with nourishing meals ahead of Thanksgiving,” said a DoorDash […]
Flood Insurance I’ve been in contact with with Jim Tampakis of Tamco Mechanical for the past year regarding the issue of numerous last-mile warehouses moving into Red Hook. He has been pushing for them to use green modes of transportation, including using the waterfront rather than relying solely on trucks. Tampakis has become an advocate for the Red Hook community, […]
Since the coronavirus pandemic began, lots of businesses in New York City and throughout the country have had to close down. However, over the past few months, I’ve noticed new businesses that are opening up despite the challenges the pandemic poses. I’ve had the opportunity to talk to the owners of some of these businesses and find out about their […]
In 2012, Hurricane Sandy wreaked havoc in our community. Basements were flooded, cars destroyed and power was out for almost a month – mostly at the Red Hook Houses,NYC’s second largest public housing project. That’s when Carlos Menchaca came to the neighborhood, dispatched by Kathleen Quinn, at the time Speaker of the City Council. He made himself familiar at the […]
