Real Journalism written by people
As I write this, I’m listening to the news talking about the “big, beautiful bill.” That is our legislature trying to put into law all the things that Donald Trump wants to do but can’t without the cooperation of the US Congress. A certain amount of votes are needed by the Republicans. There is all kind of horse trading going […]
Dear Cobble Hill Association Board, I hope you are well. I write in response to your June 24th newsletter regarding the Brooklyn Marine Terminal (BMT) Vision Plan vote. For over a year now, I have been closely engaged in the Brooklyn Marine Terminal process. After speaking with two of CHA’s former Presidents, I felt compelled to share my perspective with you. […]
Almost 20 years since the first decision document outlining the remediation plan for Public Place, a site along the Gowanus Canal which used to be the site of the Citizens Manufactured Gas Plant but now was supposed to become the flagship development of the rezoned Gowanus, with affordable housing and green space, sits desolate. As one of the most polluted […]
New York City’s Economic Development Corporation (EDC) has delayed the vote on the vision plan for the Brooklyn Marine Terminal redevelopment. Again. “I’m very frustrated,” said Jim Tampakis, task force member, maritime expert and owner of Marine Spares International. The Brooklyn Marine Terminal task force, a 28-member advisory body that since last summer has been working with EDC to shape […]
FRIDAY MORNING UPDATE: As Kimball sees the writing on the wall about today’s vote – an email was just sent out to all the Task Force members announcing a two or three week delay, into the middle of July likely interrupting Dan Goldman’s vacation. My guess is that Eric Adams leaned into Governor Hochul to try and find more funding […]
The Brooklyn Marine Terminal (BMT) Task Force is barreling toward a decision that will irreversibly reshape Red Hook and the Columbia Street Waterfront. Let’s be clear: the proposed redevelopment plan is not about helping communities. It’s a land grab by developers disguised as “revitalization,” and it must be stopped. This isn’t urban planning, it’s a bad real estate deal. We […]
It’s primary month. As far as the City Council is concerned, the Democratic Party primary in June is the real election, not the usually uncompetitive one in November. The battles over two city council seats in South Brooklyn, Districts 38 and 39, seem to be coming down to the wire. In district 38, which includes Red Hook, incumbent progressive Council […]
The Red Hook Locals Softball League began May with a double header. MiniBar took on the Wobblies in a battle of two undefeated teams. MiniBar scored a couple of runs in the first inning, and great pitching by Joe “Fish” and some smooth defensive plays helped them maintain the lead into the 6th. In the top of the 6th, MiniBar […]
What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, the trite expression goes. I may not be stronger, but I still love putting together this paper every single month. I’ve never actually lived in Red Hook, but I’ve been on its fringes ever since I moved to Boerum Hill in 1983. My very first Red Hook memory was in 1978 when I […]
The Potpourri of faces starts in 2015 and goes through the present, with the most recent photos at the top. These photos are all taken from Star-Revue photo files, some were printed in the paper, others here for the first time. These are just some of the many people that make Red Hook a community. There are too many to […]
The first five years refers to the years 2010-2014. Most of the photos are from Hurricane Sandy and afterwards. The big events are of course Sandy, which invaded at the end of October 2012; the many resiliency meetings that occurred afterwards; the closing (against most community wishes) of Long Island College Hospital; and various local personalities, including politicians Sara Gonzalez, […]
The Brooklyn Marine Terminal (BMT) Task Force is barreling toward a decision that will irreversibly reshape Red Hook and the Columbia Street Waterfront. Let’s be clear: the proposed redevelopment plan is not about helping communities. It’s a land grab by developers disguised as “revitalization,” and it must be stopped. This isn’t urban planning, it’s a bad real estate deal. We […]
I live in Red Hook, a couple blocks from the water, in one of those mammoth brick buildings that used to be a school. When I lie in bed I can gaze at the World Trade Center spire’s LED light display until it vanishes into the dark sky at precisely 2 am. I love my neighborhood with a passion. I […]
