Stay in the neighborhood. Red Hook & Gowanus Independent, uncensored local journalism — free to your inbox. No spam · Unsubscribe anytime · Privacy policy NVRSTK Studio (pronounced “Never Stock”) is a sneaker customization studio, offering a destination for sneaker-heads and artists to come and learn about the ins and outs of shoe design. Expanding from Staten Island to Brooklyn, […]

I have a remarkable story to tell you. My story is about a competition between the two hippest new stars in New York in 1966. At that time, Bob Dylan went from being the iconic Folk Singer to the most exciting new Rock Star. Andy Warhol went from being the most iconic Pop Artist to the most exciting new Underground Film […]

On Feb. 10, Wraptor Restaurant and Bar, located at 358 Columbia Street hosted a movie night. Shown was a movie called Secret Mall Apartment, followed by a Q&A with the film’s director, Jeremy Workman. The film is about a group of artists who create a secret apartment in the middle of a busy Rhode Island mall in the early 2000s […]

Something has been slowly creeping up on Red Hook for decades—scandification. To be fair, the neighborhood’s roots are intertwined with Scandinavia. When South Brooklyn was first being colonized, its waterfront beckoned to Nordic travelers. You can still find little fragments of this history around the neighborhood, like the Norwegian Seamen’s Church (111 Pioneer St.), established in 1878. In the past […]

Recently, my neighbor Jack called me for advice. He knew that I am the CEO of a skilled nursing facility, and for the past year his wife, Gloria—an avid runner in her early 60s—had been struggling with worsening hip pain. After consulting with an orthopedist, she was advised to undergo a hip replacement. Jack’s question was a common one: after […]

Gowanus is in the middle of a major transformation, courtesy of the 2021 rezoning, and large, new apartment complexes are dotting formerly open skyline. Many are open for business. This is part three in a series learning about the newest members of the Gowanus community. This month, I focused on asking residents who moved to Gowanus in the past few […]

As Iran faced attack on the night of February 28th, 2026, it was disclosed that at least two European governments, Germany and Poland, were informed in advance by the US Administration. Although both governments denied any kind of consultation or agreement with the US and Israel on the military operation, the news sparked outrage among other European allies who were […]

I have a remarkable story to tell you. My story is about a competition between the two hippest new stars in New York in 1966. At that time, Bob Dylan went from being the iconic Folk Singer to the most exciting new Rock Star. Andy Warhol went from being the most iconic Pop Artist to the most exciting new Underground Film […]

The conversion of the publicly owned Brooklyn Marine Terminal and the transformation of Red Hook West from a NYCHA managed property to one leased to and run by private developers bear many similarities. In both cases, public property is either leased or sold to private entities. The PACT program allows NYCHA to lease out its buildings to private housing companies, […]

Entering Gowanus Wine Merchants at 493 3rd Ave. feels almost like entering a home. There are many types of wines and spirits from various regions, and each bottle has a handwritten note on it providing details about the wine. There are also treats and bowls for dogs, and toys for children. Enrique Lopez opened the shop in 2012 with a […]

The woman behind one of Brooklyn’s hottest new speed dating events isn’t looking for love. “I don’t date. I hate dating,” Loretta Gendville told me over a glass of wine just before a speed dating night at her Smith Street coffeeshop, Planted Community Cafe. “I’m just not good at it. I get nervous. I don’t like small talk.” Plus, Loretta […]

The bathroom at Louis Valentino, Jr. Park and Pier is unexpected, standing at the edge of the small park across from Hoek’s Pizza. The metal facility is about 12 feet long, with an overhang and a water bottle refill fountain on the side. A somewhat elaborate light system indicates whether the toilet is occupied, vacant, out of order, or cleaning. […]

For many years, the Star-Revue has included cartoons in our pages. This past year, we increased the comix by an order of magnitude. Each issue contains two full pages of comix, one curated by England’s Marc Jackson, the other by Brooklyn’s own Dean Haspiel. Each page includes at least six different pro artists. In addition, we are very proud to […]