Results tagged “columbiastreet”

Yesterday, the Post reported about a strange and disturbing road rage incident in Red Hook last week. A woman was ultimately repeatedly hit by the driver of a Land Rover.

Insert obligatory phoenix metaphor here: Brooklyn’s Freebird, the used book and corn dogs mecca that closed earlier this year, is set to re-emerge a little later this week from The Embers of Gentrification. While the NY Magazine article linked in that last sentence is about the real estate debacle of Red Hook, the shuttered Freebird, which is technically in Cobble Hill, is sometimes considered (with restaurants like Alma) to be an extension of that troubled...

Well well well, when we reported in August that Lido Bar in Red Hook would be closing we were met with many emails and comments stating this was 100% untrue. Bar manager Molly Franklin even held strong that Lido Bar would remain open and that this was nothing more than "bar gossip."

After questioning the future of Red Hook, we decided to interview someone who can tell us what's really happening in the 'hood. Molly Franklin is the manager of Lido Bar (pictured), and has a thing or two to say about where she spends her days and nights.

The NY Post reports on the ever-declining neighborhood of Red Hook today, with the area going through some changes that may make some suckers wonder why they just spent $800K on an apartment there. The Brooklyn Paper reported on the neighborhood last month as well, stating it "is in fact turning cold one year after New York’s gentrification guard branded it as The Next Big Thing." Of course, the "gentrification guard" had its eyes on the area for more than a year, in 2004 The Red Hook Gowanus Chamber of Commerce stated, '"It feels like Red Hook is being dismissed as the viable maritime and industrial community that it is. They've determined that its future is as a luxury waterfront community."

As we mentioned, City Councilman Charles Barron held his press conference yesterday to announce his candidacy for the 2009 Brooklyn Borough Presidency. He told the crowds that his platform included affordable housing, health care accessibility, more jobs, standing up to developers who use eminent domain, ending mayor control of schools and more would help everyone. "Am I going to be a borough president for all the people? Absolutely. But I'm letting y'all know now, I'm taking care of black folk. Unapologetically."

Lido is somewhat of an enigma along Columbia Street. Unlike the dark hues of B61 across the street, and the low light of Sugarlounge further down the street, Lido’s front windows show all from the street. In fact, the name means a public open-air swimming pool or beach, which probably explains the bare legged women sprawled out on the sign. With nothing to hide, Lido can either seem very empty or one of the hottest places to be in the neighborhood.

We’re pissed. After setting the date on our schedule for an excursion out to the Red Hook Ball fields this Saturday to sample some of the famous Mexican stalls, word comes from Porkchop Express that the opening has been postponed until May 5th. Apparently from the official Food Vendors Committee of Red Hook Park: ...administrative issues beyond our control have forced us to push this date to May 5th. We are very excited to set-up shop (or rather... shacks!) and begin our season as soon as possible.

We’d heard about a recently opened Singas Pizza on Columbia Street, that along with a few tables and chairs, also happened to have a post office inside. They usual jests about mailing pies were made, but not much talk about how the actual pizza was, so we decided to head over and check things out. On the front door was a newspaper clipping proclaiming that their chain, which has over 18 locations around the city, is one of the quintessential pizza places of New York. Considering the shop is about two blocks away from the new comer to pizza stardom Lucali’s, we wondered why no one else had noticed.

Poor Columbia Street. In Manhattan, streets are completely torn up, repaired, and repaved and functional in a day. But for the past 6 months this street on the edge of Carroll Gardens and Red Hook has been in a stages of distinct disrepair, each frustrating in its own particular way. There were the potholes of the summer, the big dig of the fall -when all the concrete and asphalt were removed and new concrete poured- and the seemingly intentional crevices the new concrete came with, which were worse than the potholes. But all that uneven walking couldn’t hide the fact that it’s lined with some interesting bars, and a month ago it gained something kind of novel for the area, a tapas bar.

As much as I pretend to act like it, I am no working class hero. True, I've done a number of blue collar jobs. But that hardly makes me a member of the proletariat. My mom was a teacher and is now a counselor. My dad was a professor, then a high level government official, and is now a lobbyist. And they paid for my undergraduate degree at NYU. No matter how long I drive a cab, I'll never really be working class.

The déjà vu you may get upon entering Buck's Lodge on Atlantic Avenue is not from the country paraphernalia you’ll recognize from similar southern-tinged bars around the area. Even though there seems to be an overload of deer heads on bar walls, it's not that specifically which will make you do a double take. Just think for a moment, order a drink, plop on the evergreen couch, grab a bowl of peanuts and try to explain to the girlfriend why you once visited the red-painted, Japanese-themed gay bar called the Dragon Lounge, the former occupant of the space. Who knew that authentic country flair could be achieved with such incidentals as a big screen TV, Buck Hunter, free peanuts, two dart boards, and some ugly, yet admittedly comfortable, furniture? Especially admire how the once sleek, disco-tinged dance room is now the dart room. There are official lines on the floor. Really, what a job.

In the 1830’s, Court Street was brought down to grade and until the early 1840’s, the Brooklyn Eagle states that one could not see more than thirty buildings south of Atlantic Avenue. This quickly changed. In 1848, J.S.T. Stranahan & Carmichael were contracted for what was known as the "Bergen Hill Improvement." The hill, which is said to have been a popular "resort for sport and mischief," was surrounded by woods and required a nearly 130-foot cut to bring it down to the level of Court Street. The land was then used to fill in sections of the Red Hook marshland from Harrison [Kane] Street south to Hamilton Avenue, including Columbia Street.

Continue reading "Map of the Day: Red Hook - 1776, 1896, 2006"

On Saturday we led a streetart bike tour through the streets of Brooklyn with Mike and Will. At the far end of the tour, we stopped at an abandoned shipyard at the corner of Halleck and Columbia Street. It's filled with amazing graffiti, including this Gable piece-- but that's not the point of this story. Mike pointed out that if you look through the back fence of the shipyard, you can get a clear view into the giant lot where they are building the new Red Hook Ikea store. It's not much to look at now-- but some day soon, you'll be buying all your affordable Swedish furniture on this very spot. Weird!

Steve Tarpin, Steve's Authentic Key Lime Pies

The other evening Gothamist came stumbling out of West Carroll Garden's premiere Mexican hot spot Alma and walked along Columbia Street by the industrial waterfront, dotted with cranes and the remnants of a live poultry market. Just a block away, urban renewal was taking hold - but not here. This desolate strip was remarkably seedy and sad.

Today is "It's My Park Day"! Which means that citywide you can volunteer to help clean up a park near you by planting, painting, restoring and just making it green again. Parks are important for things like: suntanning, reading the paper, people watching and of course...sports!

I bet you all have a good subway story in you. Actually, if you only had one that would be disappointing and we'd say you need to get your upscale ass out of that cab and ride the rails more.