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Hooray for Williamsburg Walks

Williamsburg Walks won the 2008 Streetsies "Best Local Livable Streets Project" Award. Congratulations to Connie, Jason, Teresa, the merchants of Bedford Ave, and everyone else who was involved for their hard work!

There is a good chance that Williamsburg Walks will be returning this summer, but we'll need a bunch of volunteer help. A call for volunteers will follow in the next month or so.

Looking Forward to 2009

Dear Neighbors

2009 will be NAG's 15th anniversary working with our neighbors and friends to create a healthy, equitable, and more livable Williamsburg/Greenpoint community.

This has been a whirlwind year of change and progress for NAG. In 2008 we:

• Launched our tenant anti-displacement program in collaboration with six other local non-profits
• Were awarded the rights to develop the Engine 212 building as a community and cultural center jointly with the People's Firehouse
• Held a town hall meeting in October that was attended by over 100 people
• Launched our 2009 organizing agenda to save affordable housing, create more parks, improve local transportation, increase our local quality of life, and save our community's diverse character
• Launched a new blog, NAG Neighborhood Watch, which is spreading the word about important local issues
• Co-sponsored Williamsburg Walks, a weekly pedestrianization of Bedford Avenue in August

We look forward to working with you and our other neighbors in 2009 on:

• NAG's 2009 Organizing Agenda (click here to find out how you can participate)
• Kicking off a capital campaign to raise the $2 million we need to renovate Engine 212 (more to come on this shortly)
• And much more!

Support Our Work

We know budgets everywhere are tight, but it requires considerable resources to support our work. We would like you to consider making a year-end contribution to support our civic work in the community. Donations to NAG (a 501(c)3 organization) are tax-deductible and can be made online or by check. (click here to donate)

Thank You

None of this would have been possible without the participation of our many volunteers, especially a number of new organizers who have brought energy and fresh perspectives to the organization.

We would also like to thank the many partner organizations and supporters that we collaborate with and, in particular, the New York Foundation, Councilmember David Yassky, and Assemblyman Joseph Lentol for their financial assistance.

But most of all, we would like thank our staff, Peter Gillespie, Michelle Rodecker, and Ryan Kuonen whose hard work and dedication to the organization keep us running

Happy Holidays!
Michael Freedman-Schnapp and Susan Albrecht
NAG Co-Chairs

Update on Meeker Ave Plumes Jan 14th

From the Newtown Creek Alliance, an update on the Meeker Ave underground plumes of chlorinated solvents that cover an area on either side of Meeker Ave near McGolrick Park.

Please join the Newtown Creek Alliance for a briefing on the Meeker Ave. Contaminant Plumes. Brownfields experts Lenny Siegel and Peter Strauss will be on hand to answer questions about hazardous vapor intrusion in homes, the health effects of TCE/PCE exposure, and how to get the Meeker Ave. Plumes mitigated and remediated.

Wednesday, January 14th at 6:00pm

The Green School, located at 223 Graham Avenue between Maujer and Scholes. The Green School is on the 3rd floor of the William J. Gaynor Junior High School building.

Bike Accident at Franklin and Greenpoint

This account of a bike accident at Franklin and Greenpoint earlier in the month is horrifying. The victim (who is the father of a young child) appeared to be going with the light (at an intersection where there are on-road bike markings in all directions), but was hit by an 18 wheeler making a turn. He has a lot of broken bones and is in recovery at Bellvue.

We need more bike safety education for both drivers and bikers in the neighborhood.

Via "The-Know-All"

Update: Foreclosure Averted

The reports of 101 Kent Ave being up for foreclosure were true, but the owner has paid the debt, so hopefully that settles that.

News Roundup!

Everyone's been busy lately, so not too many updates, but here is some neighborhood news.

Is Studio B for sale?
New York magazine's Grub Street says so.

Newtown Creek on "The City Concealed"
A documentary series on Channel 13 (Thanks to Laura Hofman for the tip)

Clown bikers protest the threatened protest against the Kent Ave bike lane
Gothamist has photos. Transportation Alternatives has a petition.

Exxon Mobil pays for Manhattan Ave lights
You can imagine how Miss Heather feels.

Kosciusko Bridge stakeholders meeting tonight
Thursday December 18, 2008, 6:30 pm - 7:30 pm, NYSDOT Region 11 Office, Room 834, Hunters Point Plaza, 47-20 21st Street, Long Island City NY

Development is slowing citywide
Read the Post for more.

Glasslands has fun free stuff all week
Listings on the site (and check out their youth program!)

101 Kent Ave Under Foreclosure?

Details are sketchy, but we have been informed by a helpful commenter that 101 Kent Ave, the building on which NAG rents the bottom floor is being foreclosed upon, according to Brownstoner. We will keep the public updated as we find out more.

Join NAG's Organizing Efforts!

At our organizing meeting last week, we split up into our four issue groups and talked about what the most pressing issues are in each area where we can make a difference. There are a number of efforts moving forward simultaneously, so if you are interested in any of the issues your help can make a difference! This is kind of a long post, but bear with us and read through to find out what we're doing and how you can help.

Each group was tasked with figuring out what the short term and long term priorities are for their issue. The results are as such:

Quality of Life and Community Character

SHORT TERM GOAL: MORE TRASH CANS
The neighborhood has a problem with the appropriate distribution of trash cans. In some cases, trash bags are simply piled up in front of the building, causing sanitation issues, such as rodent problems, trash fires, smell, and aesthetic impacts. The group is going to conduct a survey of the area, create an online map to share the results of the survey and identify priority areas to concentrate on.

LONG TERM GOAL: WILLIAMSBURG/GREENPOINT STORY PROJECT
The neighborhood has been undergoing tremendous changes over the last two decades--as a result, a cultural divide has emerged between old and new residents, low-income and high-income, immigrants and non-immigrants, etc. The story project aims to bridge these divides by using oral histories as a way of educating and fostering constructive civic dialogue among all residents. The goals and scope of the project need to be clarified further before proceeding.

Next Q-of-L/Community Character meeting: Early January (TBD)
To join, contact Gregor Nemitz-Zadie, g.nemitzziadie [at] gmail [dot] com or call the office at 718-384-2248

Transportation

SHORT-TERM GOAL: BIKE/DRIVER/PEDESTRIAN SAFETY EDUCATION CAMPAIGN
The group will educate bikers, pedestrians, and drivers about how to respect each other on the road. This may include encouraging bikers and drivers to respect the rules of the road, advocacy for more/safer bike lanes, and engaging in a dialogue with the local police precincts about ticketing and safety problem areas, etc. The project will begin by creating a network of people who care about road safety in the neighborhood and using that network to distribute outreach material to bikers, drivers, and pedestrians.

LONG-TERM GOAL: FIGHTING TRANSIT CUTS AND EXPANDING LOCAL TRANSIT SERVICE
In the face of massive potential cuts to subway service citywide, our local transit ridership is growing by leaps and bounds, which is putting stress on the system. We will create and/or join a network of transit riders to advocate against transit cuts in our neighborhood. This will involve building a local network of concerned riders, forging alliances with other groups involved in this issue and mobilizing at appropriate times.

Next Transportation meeting: January 8th, 7:30pm, NAG Office (101 Kent Ave @ Nth 8th Street)
To join, contact Lacey Tauber at laceytauber [at] gmail [dot] com or call the office at 718-384-2248

Open Space/Access to the Waterfront

SHORT-TERM GOAL 1: OPEN THE NEW NORTH 5th STREET PIER AND MANHATTAN AVE PARKS
These two parks have been almost completed, but have yet to open because of bureaucratic snafus or a failure by a construction company to comply with safety measures. The group will advocate to open these two spaces as soon as possible.

SHORT-TERM GOAL 2: FACILITATE COORDINATION AMONG PARKS GROUPS
There are many groups working in or around the issue of open space, they do not necessarily share dialogue/plans/activities with each other. In the short term, the group will create a "clearinghouse website" that will link to other group's websites, list events, and include RSS feeds from park group blogs. This will allow for interested people and newcomers to the issue to get involved more easily

LONG-TERM GOAL: CONVERT "MTA SITE" ON COMMERCIAL STREET INTO PARK
Northern Greenpoint is one of the most park-deficient areas of the neighborhood. Because of this, the City promised that the MTA Site on Commercial Street would be converted into a park. However, there have been interminable delays in relocating the MTA facilities and getting approval to convert the site into useable park space.

Next Open Space meeting [UPDATE: early February TBD] Tuesday, Jan 27th at the Green Oaks Club (179 Green Street between Manhattan Ave and McGuiness Blvd)
To join, contact Emily Gallagher at emily.e.gallagher [at] gmail [dot] com or call the office at 718-384-2248

Affordable Housing

GOAL 1: PROTECT LOCAL "SRO" HOUSING
Single Room Occupancy housing (SRO) is historically one of the basic forms of affordable housing, viable for some students, childless singles, seasonal workers, widows/widowers, or others who do not require large dwellings or private amenities. In gentrifying neighborhoods like ours, it has become common practice to evict the SRO tenants, to renovate these buildings, and to make them available at market rate to higher bidders. Long-term tenants in two SROs in the neighborhood have been threatened with eviction by their landlords. The Affordable Housing group will support a campaign to save these low-income dwellings.

GOAL 2: ORGANIZE AN AFFORDABLE HOUSING COMMUNITY WORKSHOP/FORUM
There is a need to energize and educate the community in regards to tenant’s rights. We will organize a forum that will address the issues most important to this neighborhood, create a dialogue with local officials, give a voice to endangered tenants, and hopefully inspire more people to get involved in the cause.

GOAL 3: ACHIEVE PROTECTION FOR LOFT TENANT
There are numerous tenants in loft apartments in the neighborhood that are in legal limbo, jeopardizing tenants while allowing landlords to take advantage of the lack of tenant's legal status. The affordable housing group will support the South Eleventh Street Tenants Association in their fight to keep their home and join the campaign to expand the Loft Law to more endangered lofts in the Greenpoint-Williamsburg neighborhood.

Next Affordable Housing meeting in January (Date TBD)
To join, contact Wilneida Negron at wilneida [at] gmail [dot] com or call the office at 718-384-2248

Candlelight Vigil Planned in Response to Bushwick Hate Crime

As you've probably heard, last week two men were attacked and brutally beaten in Bushwick by men who yelled anti-gay and anti-Hispanic insults. One of them has since died of injuries from the attack. It's being investigated as a hate crime.

Local artist Meg Hitchcock has organized a vigil for Sunday, December 14th at 7 pm. They are meeting up at the Archive Cafe (49 Bogart Street, right by the Morgan stop on the L) and walking to the scene of the crime a few blocks away. They ask that people bring candles and "come show your support in protesting this horrible attack on a member of our community."

Congrats to the Vats!

Our digesters have made it big! The Newtown Creek Waste Water Treatment Center—you know, the big silver egg things in Greenpoint—were named one of New York magazine's "Top 10 Designs: of 2008.

The story says:

At a time when New York architecture has been driven by a luxury race, it's good to see Hervé Descottes's blue spots light up the digester eggs of Greenpoint's sewage leviathan. Those functional forms towering over Polshek's color-coded buildings bring fine design to one of society's least glamorous achievements.

If Descotte's name sounds familiar, it's because he was mentioned in Neighborhood Watch a few months back—he is the lighting designer who also designed the lights for the Mona Lisa.

Of course, what the digesters actually do is more important than how they look, but it's nice to see that form and function can both serve the community.

Photo by me.

Rally Calls for End to Vacancy Decontrol

Report back from the rally here

Protect Rent-Stabilized Housing!

Join a city wide rally to demand that state politicians close the vacancy decontrol loophole.

When the rent in a vacant apartment can be raised to $2,000 a month, landlords can raise the rent to ANYTHING they want. This is known as "vacancy decontrol." The state legislature can end this, saving 100,000 regulated apartments already on the verge.

The Williamsburg & Greenpoint neighborhoods face skyrocketing rents. Through vacancy decontrol, landlords drive out tenants from the neighborhoods where they have spent their lives, charging new tenants inflated rents. This affects everyone in the community, from long term residents to newly arrived neighbors.

Vacancy decontrol will eventually lead to the total loss of rent regulation in NYC, many from our own neighborhood. More than 50,000 rent-regulated apartments were lost in NYC between 2005 and 2008. 100,000 additional apartments on on the verge of deregulation right now.

Vacancy decontrol encourages landlords in regulated buildings to everything possible to make tenants move out and raise rents. Landlords harass tenants and neglect repairs, pushing tenants to move out and allowing landlords to further increase the rent.

The campaign to repeal vacancy decontrol has been hard fought over the years. Last year, the Assembly voted to repeal vacancy decontrol. This year, both the Senate and the Assembly have to pass the bill. Now that the Senate has turned Democrat, the battle is winable and renters can push the Legislature to repeal vacancy decontrol. However, even with the Senate controled by Democrats, overturning vacancy decontrol is an uphill fight. In this year's election, real estate developers and landlords increased the amount they gave to Senate democrats by 15 times over the last race.

Join tenants from around the city in coming together at an important rally to demand the end of vacancy decontrol.

Tuesday, December 9, 2008 from 6:30-8:30pm @ Society for Ethical Culture
2 W.64th St., and Central Park West.
1 train to 66th St; A,B,C,D to Columbus Circle
To jump on a bus from Williamsburg, contact NAG:
ryan@nag-brooklyn.org or 718.384.2248

Upcoming Events

Tonight 7 pm Friends of Bushwick Inlet Park Meeting
If you live in Greenpoint or Williamsburg, come out tonight to learn about your neighborhood's future 28-acre waterfront park and get updates on its progress. Bushwick Inlet Park will stretch along Kent Avenue from N. 9th Street to Quay Street, paralleling the future route of the Brooklyn Waterfront Greenway.

Get involved now with the Friends of Bushwick Inlet Park to help the group with brainstorming ideas, forming committees, and setting short and long term goals for the park and friends group. All sorts of skills are needed: artists, graphic designers, park lovers, neighborhood residents, writers, creative minds, community organizers and more!
Greenpoint Reformed Church
136 Milton Street


December 10 7.30 pm Grand Street Community Band’s Winter Concert
Grand Street Campus Auditorium
850 Grand Street
Jeff W. Ball at jball3@nycboe.net or 718.662.8802


December 12 6–9 pm Williamsburg Art Gallery Association Every 2nd Friday
Member Galleries stay open late, afterparty at Taco Chulo.
For more, visit Raw magazine, or download this pdf of all the openings.


December 13 3 pm Brooklyn Symphony Orchestra’s Classical Music Concert
Grand Street Campus Auditorium
850 Grand Street

December 14 11:30 am Williamsburg Social’s Breakfast with Santa
Our Lady of the Snow
410 Graham Avenue
WilliamsburgSocial@yahoo.com
17.560.8154

December 14 4 pm OperaOggiNY’s Messiah Sing-In
McCaddin Memorial Theater
288 Berry St.
Will Carter at 718-312-8064 or pressoperaogginy.com.

December 21 5 pm Greenpoint Shul Hannukah Party
Congregation Ahavas Israel
108 Noble St
www.greenpointshul.org

Be Nice To Your Neighbors

A new study says happiness is contagious. (NYT)

Development Update: Towers and More Towers

A few development developments:


Community Board 1 approved the 40-story Palin project on West Street in Greenpoint.

Meanwhile, some folks in South Williamsburg want towers, as a way to combat displacement and gentrification. (See also Michael's editorial about the city's proposed cuts to programs designed to help with just these problems.)

The plans for The Viridian on Green Street were released.


The movie theater on Metropolitan is closer to opening.

Curbed says that some waterfront projects are tanking.

Photo by Ken Yee, via a Creative Commons license.

Weekend Events

Lots going on around town this weekend.

If you are going shopping:

The Cafe Grumpy Hearts and Crafts Fair
Saturday & Sunday December 6th & 7th from Noon to 6pm at 193 Meserole Avenue.
(List of vendors, with links, here)


The Third Ward Handmade Holiday Craft Fair
Sunday December 7th from Noon to 7pm at 195 Morgan Avenue in East Williamsburg.

Also: Borough President Marty Markowitz has set up "I Shop Brooklyn" to encourage everyone to shop locally with price breaks and there are local merchants participating. (No Greenpoint participants listed, oddly.) To get your discount, look for the "Shop Brooklyn" sign and ask, "What’s my Brooklyn Bonus?"


Greenpoint Lions Toys for Tots:

Greenpoint Lions Toys For Tots will have bands and entertainment in two rooms.
$20 and a new unwrapped toy
Saturday, December 6. 8 p.m. Warsaw, 261 Driggs Avenue.


McCarren Tree Trimming:

From the North Brooklyn Compost Project. Bring an ornament!
Sunday, Dec 7th 2 pm to 4 pm
Meet at the "Geraldo Tree"
(The white spruce between the
Dog Run and Green Dome Garden)


NY Family Party at The Edge:

New York Family and Edge invites all families to their Holiday Fun Fest. Enjoy live music by Mr. Ray, face painting, cartoon portraits, a magician, goodie bags, and Santa. Please bring a new unwrapped toy to donate.
Sunday, December 7. 12-3 p.m. The Edge Sales Center, 135 Kent Avenue.

Tenants Rights Funds Cut By City

Unfortunately, the money that the City promised the community to pay for tenant anti-displacement programs after the 2005 rezoning is being cut. NAG is one of seven groups in an affordable housing collaborative serving Greenpoint and Williamsburg that stand to lose a significant chunk of funds. We use that money to pay for staff that work to help people stay in their homes. Without it, we will have to let staff go.

These cuts are an outrageous reneging on promises that the City made during the rezoning. We don't have our waterfront parks that were promised and now we're about to lose the tenant services that are supposed to be mitigating displacement that the City's own studies said had to be mitigated.

More information:
Brooklyn Paper
NY Daily News

Join us to Launch NAG's 2009 Organizing Agenda

Working Meeting
This Thursday, December 4th at 7pm

Holy Ghost Ukranian Church Basement
160 North 5th Street (between Driggs and Bedford)

We will implement this agenda starting with a working meeting the evening of December 4, 2008. At this meeting we will break into four issue groups (affordable housing, open space/waterfront, transportation, and quality of life/community character) each of which will identify the aspects of the issues they want to work on. These issue groups will report back at a general meeting in February/March about their progress in beginning a campaign.

More information about the 2009 Organizing Agenda

State to Conduct Contaminant Testing in Local Homes

If you live near the Meeker Avenue Plume, you can get your home tested for PCE and TCE (dry cleaning solvents) that may be evaporating into your home from the ground water. These solvents are a legacy of past industry in the area, as well as illegal dumping.

This is the second year of testing. According to the Newtown Creek Alliance:

During the winter of 2007/2008 DEC/DOH conducted indoor air sampling in East Williamsburg just south of the BQE and discovered hazardous vapors from the Meeker Ave. Plumes in the indoor air of almost every residence they tested. Of the hundreds of homes that are potentially impacted by hazardous TCE and PCE vapors from the Meeker Ave. Plumes, DEC regrettably tested only 12. Of the 12 homes tested: 10 require mitigation, 1 requires mitigation/monitoring, and 1 requires that residents "take reasonable and practical actions to identify source(s) and reduce exposure". Human exposures to TCE and PCE have been linked to the development of autoimmune diseases, birth defects, nervous system disorders, infertility, and cancer. Hundreds of Greenpoint and East Williamsburg residents and employees are potentially affected.

To apply for testing, contact:

Mr David Harrington
NYSDEC
625 Broadway
Albany, NY 12233-7016
888-212-9586

or

Ms. Dawn Herrick
NYSDOH
547 River St
Troy, NY 12080
800-458-1158 ext 2780


For more information on the plume, visit the Newtown Creek Alliance, which has done great work in keeping this issue alive and pushing for action.

Community Board 1 Meeting Tonight!

Too many bars on your street? Worried about development, like that 40-story tower going up in Greenpoint? Try going to a CB1 meeting and speaking out! Or go, and hear what others have to say. Then come to our organizing meeting on Thursday and roll up your sleeves to make some positive changes!


6:30 PM
Swinging 60's Senior Citizens Center
211 Ainslie Street
(Corner of Manhattan Avenue)

Photo of a Greenpoint Santa, by me.