Van Voorhees Park could have two sections joined together in BQE fix

Brooklyn Paper is reporting that the city is weighing a plan to relocate or altogether remove the Atlantic Avenue on-ramp which bisects Van Voorhees Park on Columbia Street. The $1.9 billion dollar repair of the BQE between Atlantic and Sands could begin as early as 2019. While the Transportation Department weighs their options for accommodating the traffic flow during construction, they may take the opportunity to join the Continue reading “Van Voorhees Park could have two sections joined together in BQE fix”

South Brooklyn car-sharing pilot to begin this Spring in CSWD, Cobble Hill, Carroll Gardens and Red Hook

The New York City Department of Transportation carsharing pilot program is scheduled to launch this Spring. The two-year program would exclusively designate hundreds of spaces in parking facilities and hundreds of on-street spaces in select neighborhoods for shared cars. While the DOT has not yet announced which carsharing companies will participate, there will likely be more than one.

Of particular note is that the carsharing spaces will not be subject to alternate side of the street parking. According to the Department of Transportation website, the following fourteen neighborhoods will Continue reading “South Brooklyn car-sharing pilot to begin this Spring in CSWD, Cobble Hill, Carroll Gardens and Red Hook”

It’s time for the annual Cobble Hill Halloween parade!

The Cobble Hill Association’s annual parade begins at 4:00pm on Halloween night! Gather up the whole family at Cobble Hill Park on Clinton Street between Congress and Verandah Place. The parade takes all the little ghouls and goblins through Cobble Hill and features some of the best decorations in all of New York City.

Enjoy the festivities and have a happy and safe Halloween!

Annual Southwest Brooklyn Fall Festival registration now open

The Carroll Gardens Association is proud to be hosting their annual festival on Saturday, September 16th, 2017 from 12:00pm to 5pm. All events take place on Columbia Street between DeGraw and Union and on Union Street between Columbia and Hicks. This year’s festival will include live performances, children’s activities, local food, community service providers and a wide range of Brooklyn artisans and vendors. I’ll be there and I hope you stop to say “hello!” Registration is now open for vendors and sponsors at www.swbfallfest.com.

The Carroll Gardens Association is an affordable housing and economic development grassroots organization working in Southwest Brooklyn and they are located right here on Columbia Street. Their mission is to Continue reading “Annual Southwest Brooklyn Fall Festival registration now open”

Italian bakery signs giant lease on Van Brunt

As first reported by The New York Post, Italian bakery Princi has leased 18,000 square feet of space at Van Brunt and Hamilton, where The Columbia Street Waterfront District meets Red Hook. The Milan-based bakery was recently acquired by Starbucks. The coffee giant will feature Princi products at their new Reserve Roastery locations (The first New York location will be opening at 61 9th Avenue in Manhattan later this year.) Continue reading “Italian bakery signs giant lease on Van Brunt”

Brooklyn Bridge Park Spring/Summer calendar now online!

Pilates by Fitness Guru in Brooklyn Bridge Park

The Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy and Brooklyn Bridge Park have released the 2017 Spring and Summer program of events. Visitors will be able to enjoy a variety of free cultural, educational, and recreational events, as well as expanded opportunities to volunteer and support our world-class waterfront park.

Here are just a few highlights from the upcoming season –

Long-time audience favorites such as Books Beneath the Bridge, Jazzmobile, and All The Park’s A Stage will all return along with a number of free outdoor fitness classes such as Zumba, Pilates, Broadway Dance, Hip Hop Dance Aerobics and Sunrise Yoga. New fitness classes like Body-Combat and Bond Fitness promise to stretch the skills of seasoned participants.

Movies With A View returns July 6th with a screening of Office Space. Other Continue reading “Brooklyn Bridge Park Spring/Summer calendar now online!”

The South Brooklyn Ferry is almost here!

The South Brooklyn Ferry

The city has announced that service on the South Brooklyn route of the Citywide Ferry will begin on June 1st. The ferry will operate between Bay Ridge and Wall Street with stops at Sunset Park, Red Hook, Pier 6 and Pier 1 along the way. The South Brooklyn route is part of an expanded ferry system that will eventually connect Rockaway Beach to the Bronx!

The ferry will depart every 30 minutes in both directions during rush hour on weekdays and with less frequency on weekends and off-peak hours. The city estimates that total travel time from The Atlantic Basin in Red Hook to Wall Street will be approximately 24 minutes. For a complete schedule and more information, visit the NYC Ferry official website here.

Registration for The Epic Ride is now open!

The Epic Ride

The Brooklyn Greenway Initiative is a non-profit organization located right on Columbia Street. Their mission is the development and stewardship of The Brooklyn Waterfront Greenway. The Greenway will eventually be a 26-mile landscaped route for pedestrians, runners and cyclists and will connect neighborhood parks and open spaces from Greenpoint to Bay Ridge.

The Epic Ride is scheduled for June 24th and ends with the Epic After Party at Riis Park Beach with live music, food, drink and a dip in the sea! To register for The Epic Ride or to find out more about other events, visit The Brooklyn Greenway Initiative here.

Brooklyn-Queens Connector could be coming to Columbia Street

 

Mayor DeBlasio and the Department of Transportation have begun meeting with the public in a series of “visioning sessions” to talk about the future of the BQX.  I attended the first of these meetings in Astoria and it was certainly enlightening.

The proposed streetcar would connect Sunset Park, Brooklyn and Astoria, Queens with stops in Red Hook, The Columbia Street Waterfront District, The Brooklyn Navy Yards, Williamsburg, Greenpoint, Long Island City and several other waterfront communities. You can visit the Friends of the BQX here to learn more about the plan being proposed.

Brooklyn Bridge Park expansion on the way

The New York Times reported on the soon-to-be-opened Pier 6 expansion as well as new park area for the plaza at Jay Street just below the Manhattan Bridge. The area at Pier 6 is designed to be a more open and “passively” recreational space than the surrounding sports fields. The space at Jay Street will serve as the Northern entrance to the park and will include an annex of the Brooklyn Children’s Museum; an Environmental Education Center, to be run by the Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy; new bathrooms; a rebuilt dog run; a refurbished lawn; and new flower gardens. Read the full article here.