Sunset Park peddles in hot tacos. Photo by Carnade, from Flickr
Annnnd, we’re back. After a long absence, there’s lots to catch up on. Here are some of the highlights:
Recent(ish)ly in the news:
*New York Mag did a long piece on domestic workers in New York City, many of whom live in Sunset Park. The piece on “nannies” (I’ve just never really liked that term) featured Domestic Workers United.
*City Limits yesterday wrote on how churches are fighting on immigrants’ side, lending a hand in defense and immigration proceedings. An organization tied to Our Lady of Perpetual Help manages 3,000 cases at a time.
*And before we leave this topic, the Supreme Court just handed down a ruling that automatic deportation of those with drug charges was meant for traffickers, not petty possession. It’s still unclear how this will play out, but it could have a huge impact on a lot of lives.
*Dennis Holt puts in his two cents about the Future of Fourth Avenue plan at the Brooklyn Eagle.
*I love the “skate kid” shot at Sunset Park Stills. I was just wondering the other day what looks will define this era (which is one of my favorite pastimes in Sunset Park.) This is one for the look-book.
Those of you who have come across stinky tofu know it’s not for the faint of heart. The intrepid Sarah DiGregorio jumps in head first for the Village Voice.
*Tabula Raza gallery will on June 16 open “Rock Paper Scissors,” a show with a conceptual bent examining the shifting elements that go into each work of art (rock=physicality, paper=communication and scissors=tools). The opening reception is Wednesday, June 16 at the gallery, 24 48th Street, Brooklyn, NY, 11220.
*Vee has been up and about, with typically lush images of Sunset Park. Stop by Sunset Park Stills and take a look.
*One of the most mouthwatering shots at Stills comes from the folks over at Buendia Productions. You can check out their Flickr page, or go strait to the (web)source.
*It’s been a while since he visited Sunset Park, but sometime-neighborhood photographer Evan Sklar has been busy in New York and nearby states. Check out his blog…maybe we can woo him back for some summertime pics.
Know of art news that got left out? Drop a note to sunsetparkchron@gmail.com, or leave it in the comments…
*The Daily News reported that P.S. 150 has the longest wait list in the city, due largely to demand from Chinese families who have moved into Sunset Park in recent years.
*Police at the 72nd Precinct think they may have caught the burglar who has been targeting and stealing from Chinese residents who live the 40s and 50s, and driving up the burglary rate, Inspector Jesus Raul Pintos said last week.
*The lack of Brooklyn-bound toll on the Verrazano has some people worked up, including local owners who have trouble parking in Sunset Park, the Eagle reported.
*The weekly park sweeps at Lets Clean Sunset Park! are back up and running. Want to join in? Check out the website to keep up to date.
*Thanks to the Brooklyn DA, Haitians in need of clothing after the earthquake will soon be sporting a load of designer knockoffs confiscated last year from a Sunset Park storage facility, according to the Post.
*Councilwoman Gonzalez held a leadership summit last week, the Eagle reports. She also brought together a group to talk about the somewhat contentious issue of legislation on vendors along Fifth Avenue. Details on that to come.
*Mayor Bloomberg and City Council Speaker Quinn last week announced the New York City Waterfront Vision and Enhancement Strategy (WAVES), “a citywide initiative that will create a new sustainable blueprint for the City’s 578 miles of shoreline.” Sunset Park obviously has a good bit of that waterfront. I haven’t had a chance to look through it carefully, but I’ll report back on the details of the plan.
*Picturing Sunset Park: Check out a kind of unusual shot I stumbled upon here, and good shot of Chinatown here.
*Frank of The Sunset Park Blog noted a couple of new Italian places in the neighborhood, and made a well-deserved plug for staying in (the neighborhood) when going out to eat.
*Things have been cooking, sprouting and…shopping…over at Sunset Parkour. Take a look out how her seedlings are progressing, and her note on Sunset Park’s recent meh ranking in NYMag’s list of “most livable” New York neighborhoods. Eh, they can keep Park Slope.
Melody Lanes Bowling Alley in Sunset Park, image by Robin Ainger
Local resident/musician Robin Aigner sent this over–it’s one of several images I’ll roll out over the next few days. Do you have any nice shots of Sunset Park? Send an email! sunsetparkchron@gmail.com
Well, things are rather behind over here at Sunset Park Chronicled. Many apologies. Here are a few things that have been happening of late:
*The Brooklyn Eagle ran a dance event today to celebrate Immigrant Heritage Week today.
*There was a dust-up about bikes ( and an aside about a gaff by Boro Prez Marty Markowitz) recently in the news, and the impending Brooklyn Greenway featured, as Sunset Park’s rep Nydia Velazquez.
*Questions have also been raised about what Mayor Bloomberg’s announcement this week regarding a “citywide initiative that will create a new sustainable blueprint for the city’s 578 miles of shoreline” and what “sustainable development” means for the western edge of Sunset park.
*The Village Voice’s Running Scared blog has a shot and description of a yolked suspect who allegedly robbed On the Run Mobile convenience store at 875 4th Avenue. The police alert says he had a gun. It may be just me, but it looks like he was also mid-smoke? Odd. Anyway, take a look.
*The New York Times published an article yesterday about the people who make up the immigrant workforce—many of which are highly skilled workers. I thought it was an interesting piece, a look at on ongoing conversation that obviously involves Sunset Park.
*There was some serious gossip going in the coffee/foodie circle this week when the employees at Gorilla Coffee in Park Slope walked out. The Brooklyn Paper reports despite the mini-scandal, the owners are still churning out beans at their roastery in Sunset Park.
*Speaking of churning, Sunset Park Stills continues to post beautiful photographs, including a moody shot of the basilica. Take a look.
From the people who walk the streets to the sidewalks themselves, Sunset Park has serious texture. Out shooting the other day, I couldn’t help but notice the odd and fascinating variety of doors–oddly high from the ground, camouflaged in walls of color, and a bright spot in a field of gray. So here are a couple of shots with a common theme: unusual apertures.
Have any good “wallscapes” from Sunset Park? Send them along to sunsetparkchron@gmail.com with a note saying when you found it, where and the name you want to use as credit. I’ll put together a sideshow of some of the best looking shots.
After all that heavy stuff, I thought a little levity might be in order:
There’s a new dawg on the block in Sunset Park. ProspectBark, a Brooklyn pet-care business, is less than a year old, but it’s already making moves. It had a get-to-know the neighborhood last week, and now offers its services from dog walking to pet sitting in Sunset Park. You can check out testimonials, find out more, and contact ProspectBark on their web site.
When winter was in full force, Friends of Sunset Park gave a shout-out to the guys taking on the snow like it was their job.
The Center for Family Life’s Spark! blog keeps tabs on the goings-on of their blossoming cooperative network (stay tuned for a story on on of their groups to be published soon on Sunset Park Chronicled).
The Sunset Park Blog has notes on Chinese New Year, the shuttering of Ellie’s Bar and an opportunity for some part time work. Take a look!
Sunset Park Chronicled is overdue for a news update. Below are a couple of links to the latest news about Sunset Park, but it’s just a teaser. Stay tuned for more in the next few days:
*There has been talk for a while about the 14-mile Green way slated to connect Greenpoint to Sunset Park. The Department of Transportation this week announced that it will hold community workshops in conjunction with the Brooklyn Greenway Initiative and the Regional Planning Association to educate the neighborhoods about the bike and pedestrian path. Sunset Park gets its own, which will take place Thursday, April 8 at 6:30pm at St. Michael R.C. Church on Fourth Avenue and 42nd Street.
*Images of the Sunset Park waterfront featuredin a show in February called Gentrification: The Pink Elephant Speaks, a recent art exhibit at The Museum of African Diasporan Art. You an read about the show at the Indypendent, and others that capture the lesser known sites in New York City.
*The New York Times took a tour around Sunset Park. Anything you didn’t know? Anything left out?
Something looked fishy along Sixth Avenue, a reader wrote in this morning. Bricks seemed perched precariously on the facade of 4405 Sixth Avenue in Sunset Park, and the sidewalk had been roped off. A little poking revealed that someone had filed a complaint with the Department of Buildings over falling debris. The Department on March 8 served the building with a “Failure to Maintain Exterior Wall” violation. It is not, apparently, the only issue. Records show the building also has an active boiler violation on file.
Seen anything around the neighborhood? Send a tip to sunsetparkchron@gmail.com
