According to a suit filed by New York and six other states against the bankrupt company Chemtura Corp., fields in Red Hook Park have levels of PCBs over 110 times what environmental agencies consider safe. Polychlorinated biphenyl production was banned by Congress in 1979 because exposure was linked to things like low birth rate for pregnant women, liver cancer and a loss of motor skills, but apparently leaked into the park from Chemtura's Red Hook plant, which closed in 1999. Chemtura, the nation's largest producer of plastic additives, has repeatedly refused to clean a leak at its plant. more ›

Like the rest of the city yesterday, Brooklyn was recovering from an angry summer squall that shut down the subways and even had its own tornado. more ›

As we mentioned earlier this week, the vendors who set up shop at the Red Hook ballfields may be at risk for losing their permit. According to the New York Times, the vendors have operated for years under a series of temporary use permits, but now they will have to place a formal bid with the city in order to remain in the space. But the vendors are not guaranteed to win this bid, so the fans of this culinary community institution have rallied behind it. more ›

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. more ›

Imagine a very special hot dog vendor—one who bakes the bun and forms the sausage to order right before your eyes. This kind of immediacy to your meal is hard to find on the street. But not if you venture to Red Hook Park. On weekends a veritable caravan of Latin food stands sets up beneath a giant tent the length of a city block, and all of the food is cooked right here. Head for the lady making arepas on a makeshift griddle. Choose your filling (pork, cheese, or both), and stand back to watch as she scoops a ball of corn masa dough from one container, massages it into a disk, envelops the savory filling, and slaps it down on the griddle. A couple minutes later, she’ll flip it, when the underside has achieved a lovely brown crust. For $1.50, the arepa is served with a huge garnish of what could be south-of-the-border slaw—shredded cabbage and carrots doused liberally with a mild chile-tomato sauce. The arepas here are worlds apart from those pre-formed patties ubiquitous at street fairs now. These little cakes manage to be both creamy and tender as well as chewy and crispy all in one bite. These arepas, a meal in themselves, express a different style than those of the legendary Arepa Lady, which are more like snacks. more ›

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! more ›