Results tagged “greenpoint”

We're halfway through the G train's month-long disappearance on weekends, and naturally there have been horror stories of inconvenient commutes by shuttle bus to under-served parts of Brooklyn and Queens. That Greenpoint blog New York Shitty published a photo series of forsaken commuters waiting for the shuttle bus in Williamsburg, calling it "Waiting for G(odot)," with a dedication to the MTA. And another blogger described an annoying ride on packed shuttle that passed her usual stop by half a block. Nightmare! But not everyone misses the G train, and some wish it would stay disappeared for good. more ›

A 22-year-old man who died of stab wounds outside the China Club early Saturday morning was caught up in an altercation over a woman. Kenyatta Cotterell, the father of a 3-year-old son, was fatally stabbed in the chest after one of his friends flirted with the girlfriend of another man. During the altercation that erupted outside the service entrance to the nightclub around 4 a.m., Cotterell was stabbed in the chest, and two other unidentified men were stabbed. Cotterell's brother tells the Daily News, "It was really pointless. We were fighting over nothing." more ›

With the G train out of commission for four straight weekends, some crafty commuters in the Greenpoint area had relied on the 7 train—just on the other side of the Pulaski Bridge—to get into Manhattan. Well, so much for that stratagem. Starting next weekend, there will be no 7 train service between Grand Central and Queensboro Plaza. And no service for the next 10 weekends after that. Please be patient. more ›

Have you taken the new B62 lately? Are you sure? Because the MTA doesn't think it exists! A reader tells us he was trying to find B62 schedule info on the new mobile site and it was nowhere to be found. Clearly an innocent glitch, however, he continues saying: "I emailed their tech folks about this only to be informed that the B62 route doesn't exist, which raises serious metaphysical questions about how I got home yesterday." more ›

Last month 33-year-old Brit-born Brooklynite Solange Raulston was struck and killed by a truck while biking on Nassau Avenue (at the intersection of McGuinness Blvd) in Greenpoint. more ›

Greenpoint's Club Exit has announced their closure after 15 years in business (via a sign on their door... and website). Owner Mariusz Kupiec told the Brooklyn Paper: “We’re just tired with the scene." That scene has become a rowdy one over the years, with regulars even admitting "they’ve come to expect a punch or two thrown by closing time every weekend." Recently those punches have, at times, even escalated into gunfire! Perhaps the next person to take over the space should turn it into a tea lounge or yoga studio. more ›

It's been just over a week since 33-year-old Brit-born Brooklynite, Solange Raulston, was killed on her bicycle after a truck, going in the same direction, sideswiped her. Her ghost bike (pictured) is now up in her memory, as activists fight to change what is the most dangerous intersection in North Brooklyn — McGuinness Blvd. at Nassau Ave. in Greenpoint. more ›

In response to the death of 33-year-old DJ Solange Raulston, who was struck by a flatbed truck while on her bike in Greenpoint Sunday afternoon, Transportation Alternatives and Neighbors Allied for Good Growth (NAG) have released a statement calling for action. more ›

The city has put its pest infestation statistics online, allowing New Yorkers to see just how vermin-ridden our neighborhoods really are. The new Environmental Public Health Tracking Portal allows visitors to create maps depicting the percentages of households infested by roaches as well as rats and mice. more ›

Yesterday afternoon a British-born DJ residing in Brooklyn was struck and killed in Greenpoint while riding her bike to her day job at a florist. She was two blocks from her apartment, riding westbound on Nassau Ave. when a flatbed truck headed in the same direction sideswiped her near McGuinness Blvd. more ›

20 Bayard, that big hubristic building on the edge of McCarren Park in Williamsburg filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Friday, The Real Deal reports. Are there no hedge funders left who want to live above a blindingly-lit soccer field, 10 minutes from the L train? The building, which was prominently featured on Top Chef, is "nearly full" of owners or renters, but North Development Group apparently owes more than $10 million to more than 50 creditors. The creditor with the largest unsecured claim? A Brooklyn plumber who just saw $325,000 worth of labor go down the crapper, along with the rest of the condo market. (Which kind of takes the fun out of the requisite Nelson laugh.) [Via Curbed] more ›

Last week we noted the opening of a charming new restaurant/cocktail lounge/jazz bar called The Manhattan Inn in Greenpoint (located on Manhattan between Bedford and Nassau); but as you can see this place is so good looking it merits its own feature. This weekend we were actually lured there twice; the first visit was occasioned by our desire to wait out the Saturday afternoon rain and read over cocktails. The back room was uniquely suited for our purposes, and the Manhattan's Manhattan ($9) was as big and inviting as a heated private lap pool. (The classic specialty cocktail menu is from James Endicott, formerly of Per Se and Allen & Delancey, and there is also wine and craft beer on tap.) more ›

Click on the images for the scoop on Bar Henry, Sushi Uo, Mermaid Oyster Bar, Manhattan Inn, Northern Spy Food Co., and Má Pêche. more ›

Miss Heather reports that Russian Blue kitten Lucas is missing from Greenpoint pet food & supplies store Pets on the Run—and what's more troubling is that it's the second missing cat from that area in recent days. A cat went missing from a nearby bodega—and it turned out that a woman in the neighborhood had taken the cat (and, according to another business owner, apparently has a history of taking cats). Luckily, after some neighborly intervention, the bodega cat was returned to his home and his relieved owners—we hope Lucas can have a similar happy ending. more ›

Though the real estate boom is over in Williamsburg, it's apparently still roaring in Greenpoint. A first time developer and former attorney to Donald Trump revealed his plan this week to construct a 47-story high rise on the waterfront that would tower over nearby North Brooklyn skyscrapers like the Edge and Northside Piers by 17 floors. more ›

One Greenpoint mom is riled up after coming face to face with evil corporate sponsorship at this past weekend's Pumpkin Fest in McCarren Park. She tells Miss Heather: more ›

As part of our continuing Open House New York coverage, we visited the Newtown Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant this morning. It is enormous: dozens of buildings on 53 acres at the northern edge of Greenpoint. You've probably seen the huge silver digester eggs from the BQE— at night they're lit up with pretty blue light. An overview of what goes on there: "with a rated capacity of 1.2 million m³/d, this is New York City's largest wastewater pump station and serves an area of 4,162 acres of land, fed by 180 miles of sewers. " Polshek Partnership is responsible for the plant's design— check out their site for some cool progress pictures. more ›

Cops were breaking out the heavy machinery again and revving up the chainsaws—it's bike removal time once again on Bedford Avenue. Greenpoint resident Ben Running started shooting video of the cops removing bicycles in another fiery scene on Bedford and North 8th in the heart of Williamsburg. Police make it clear that they don't want him shooting because as Running says, "They don't want you to videotape and put it on the internet." So like any decent citizen journalist, Running did just that. more ›

Canine-owning football fans need not worry about how they'll watch their precious games out-of-the-house anymore! The Daily News reports that a doggy day care center in Greenpoint has a special package this football season, allowing owners to drop off their dogs so they can watch the games gult-free. Rob Maher, the 31-year-old co-owner of Unleash Brooklyn, told the paper, "People may want to go out to a bar, but they feel like they're neglecting [their dogs]. They're happy to drop them off with us so they can play with other dogs." more ›

The saga of the Kent Avenue bike lane continues! First the Orthodox Satmar Jews in South Williamsburg objected to the old bike lane because of the influx of immodestly-dressed female cyclists, then local merchants complained that customers and delivery trucks had nowhere to park. Barricades were threatened, fake detour signs were put up, and clowns rushed to the scene. Responding to the whining, the DOT ripped up part of Kent and changed it to northbound-only traffic, creating a dedicated bike lane buffered by parking spots. And everyone was happy some were placated! more ›

A Greenpoint couple living on Driggs Avenue near McCarren Park is attempting a novel approach at fighting off what they describe as "hipster creep." They're proudly publicizing their building's long history as the Dekarski Funeral Home from around 1900 until the mid-’70s. more ›

Trattoria Cinque: It's all about the number five at this new 250-seat Italian restaurant, which, depending on your numerological stance, could signify the alchemist's five pointed star of quintessence or the Satanist's pentagram. We'll have to wait and see if owner Russell Bellanca's deal with the devil pays off, but it's certainly a good-looking establishment, with two fireplaces, spacious booths, and wooden tables that complement a grand Italian marble bar spanning the lounge area. Chef Mirco Grassini's rustic Italian menu includes just five dishes in each category (five small plates, five pasts, five desserts, etc.) and will change five times a year in tune with the, uh, four seasons. It's all priced under $25, and includes such options as Lasagna Bolognese ($18); Halibut al Guazzetto with roasted filet, potatoes, cherry tomatoes, olives ($24); and Pizza con Gorgonzola e Pere with pears, gorgonzola, white truffle oil ($12). 363 Greenwich Street; (212) 965-0555 more ›

The pigeon gangs of Greenpoint are still at it! After one baby falcon was rescued from a bird-on-bird attack, our photographer Katie Sokoler informs us the violence is still going on. She tells us, "I came out of my apartment this morning and saw a baby falcon sitting on the railing of my stoop. It was so adorable but then suddenly a group of pigeons came down and started attacking it! I spent the whole morning kicking pigeon ass and finally captured the hurt falcon. But as I was walking back to my apartment, a woman ran up to me and told me that she saw a grown falcon down the street at McGorlick Park and it must be one of her babies. The falcon got frightened and jumped out of my hands and hid in some bushes by a church and now I can find the hurt lil' guy." Greenpoint, it's time to start a pigeon task force. more ›

Will the pigeon bullying story be a plot line in an upcoming 30 Rock? The NY Post talked to Morgan Pitts, who rescued the baby falcon from the gang of birds in Greenpoint; he's an assistant prop master at the show, and his first course of action was to bring the little one over to Silvercup Studios, where a friend's wife at the Animal Medical Center was called. The American kestrel has been named Alice Cooper for the markings around its eyes (a moniker that's bound to toughen it up), and it's sex is not yet known—one of the vets saying, "I love this bird. He or she is so cute." Agreed. more ›

That's right, bird on bird violence is happening in our own backyard: Brooklyn. WCBS reports that a man recently rescued a falcon from a troupe of pigeon bullies! While an adult peregrine falcon could have taken them all out, this one was just a baby, being chased and pecked at by the larger birds. "Morgan Pitts says the falcon was either abandoned by its mother or fell from its nest in his Greenpoint. The frightened chick is now in the care of veterinarians at The Animal Medical Center in Manhattan." One day he'll encounter those pigeons again and the tables will be turned. Until that showdown, however, check out the baby falcons that were born at three different city bridges earlier this year. more ›

Anyone who strolls along Greenpoint's desolate West Street—just one tantalizing block from the East River—is familiar with the frustration of finding many streets leading to the water gated off. It's not as if there's some waterside idyll waiting on the other end of the block, but there's still something refreshing about being able to stand by the river and watch the sunset or fish (shudder). more ›

Hidden away at the end of Greenpoint Avenue by the East River in Brooklyn you'll find Le Grenier, an inviting new boutique that mixes a wide variety of "Industrial & Machine Age" antiques with contemporary housewares. Owner Maya Marzolf spent years renovating the late 1800s building and filling it with her eclectic collection, which her friends have dubbed "Apothecary Chic." Each of the antiques seems to tell a story, and many of them are refreshingly affordable, especially the dishware. We recently asked Marzolf to elaborate on some of the more intriguing items, her love for Greenpoint, and the riverfront park that's finally opened at the end of her block. (Click on the images above for more on the collection.) more ›

With South Williamsburg supposedly still on their break from Hollywood, having been dubbed a no-film zone after too much action, the spotlight has turned to Greenpoint. But the NY Post reports that locals there are also getting riled up over the takeover, which brings a lack of parking spaces and too much traffic. A shopkeeper told the paper, "The thrill is gone. As far as I'm concerned, this is a nuisance. This is of no benefit to anyone around here." more ›

Back in 2005, Mayor Bloomberg and the City Council rezoned a large swath of Williamsburg and Greenpoint to spark a boom in residential construction, and developers immediately raced in to begin work on luxury high rises. Then the economy curled up into a fetal position, and north Brooklyn is now littered with half-finished development. A team of building inspectors have found 143 stalled construction sites around the city, with the highest concentration in Brooklyn, which boasts a total 63 vacant lots and rusting steel building frames—18 in Williamsburg alone. Residents are increasingly outraged about the degentrication, which is attracting squatters and creating a fin de siècle atmosphere of urban blight. Philip DePaolo, who moved from The Bronx to Williamsburg in 1979, tells the Post his adopted neighborhood now reminds him of his old neighborhood: "It looks like I never left." And it's true—the artisanal cheese, the American Apparel, the burning buildings; life on the mean streets of Williamsburg these days makes the '70s-era Bronx seem like Greenwich, CT. more ›

As the freelancer crowd was just rolling out of bed today and starting to think about where their post-holiday drunch would be coming from, many were hit this morning with a terrifying site: suits taking over their neighborhood! Not to worry though, skinny jeans are still here to stay and the fancy pants come in peace—it's all in the name of leisure.That's because Mayor Bloomberg, Marty Markowitz, Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe and a few other pols came down to the Williamsburg waterfront to break ground on Bushwick Inlet Park. more ›