Gowanus Your Face Off

The New York Times Profiles Neighborhood Resistance to E.P.A. Gowanus Canal Clean-Up Plan

B. Umanov — Fri, 10 May 2013 17:16:11 +0000

The New York Times has published an article profiling neighborhood resistance to the various Gowanus Canal clean-up plans proposed by the E.P.A., from how the canal will be dredged to how the toxic sludge will eventually be used and how future canal contamination will be prevented. A particularly troublesome proposal calls for an 8-million gallon sewage storage tank to be built underground beneath the popular Double D Pool to prevent the canal from overflowing during rainstorms. Neighbors are obviously up in arms about the idea of their children swimming on top of a giant sewage tank, and as fans of the pool at Gowanus Your Face Off we’re not so stoked on that idea either. Read the story here.

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The Carroll Street Bridge Will Be Under Construction Through the End of August

B. Umanov — Thu, 09 May 2013 21:02:01 +0000

Well, this is certainly annoying. Residents of upper Gowanus who have been forced to walk north to Union Street or south to Third Street to cross the canal in recent weeks are gonna have to get used to wearing out their walking shoes for quite a bit longer; the Carroll Street Bridge is going to be out of commission until at least the end of August. According to a sign posted at the construction site (below) the bridge is being “rehabilitated,” which includes the installation of a new timber deck, reconstruction of bridge approaches and sidewalks, steel repairs, cleaning and painting. Here’s a shot of the bridge in its current state, bridge open and docked in its west moor with all the wooden slats entirely removed: If past NYC construction delays are any indication this thing will be closed well beyond the promised August 31st completion date, but we can always hope. The gorgeous old bridge was built in 1888 and is the oldest of only four retractile bridges in the United States.

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Construction Has Begun on The Royal Palms Shuffleboard Parlor

B. Umanov — Thu, 09 May 2013 16:18:14 +0000

After months of neighborhood bickering culminating in the approval of a liquor license last September, construction has finally begun on the Royal Palms Shuffleboard Parlor on Union Street between Nevins Street and Third Avenue. A gray-painted wood construction barrier went up around the one-story property in early April and interior demolition began two weeks ago. See the above photo taken by Gowanus Your Face Off. The below comes from the official Royal Palms Facebook page with the caption “The future front door!”: No word yet on when Royal Palms might open.

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Root Hill Cafe Flooded by Yesterday’s Thunderstorm

B. Umanov — Thu, 09 May 2013 14:00:24 +0000

Root Hill Cafe posted the above picture of a VERY flooded Fourth Avenue (at the intersection of Carroll Street) on their Twitter account yesterday morning at around 8:05am following the intense thunderstorm that rolled through the NYC area this morning. Gowanus Your Face Off called Root Hill and spoke with Maria, who verified that the cafe is open for business today with no significant damage. I haven’t been down to the basement to check for damage yet. There’s probably some. But we’re open for business. We’ve gotten to be experts at this, so we know to how to go through it, clean it and sanitize it. Glad to hear that Root Hill is OK. Here’s another picture of the flooded intersection from Pat Kiernan’s Twitter:

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Save the West Village from Frackin Gas!

GYFO — Thu, 02 May 2013 13:33:20 +0000

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♥ Boston

GYFO — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 12:23:37 +0000

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GYFO — Sat, 06 Apr 2013 11:36:33 +0000

In a world where cooking is boring and lame and filled with nothing but normalcy… comes an dinning event so epic that you won’t even know the people you’re eating with. Choas Cooking goes like this. You get a bunch of people in one room… make some awesome food… and watch the socializing unfold. It’s epic! (we know we used the word epic already, but it’s the best word…deal). Here’s why it’s epic: Attendees get a 100-Course Meal for $20 and only 150 peeps can go. So, do the math. That’s a lot of food, with a lot of great peeps, for like nothing. What are you going to do April 11th sit at home and watch House of Cards? Don’t be lame get out a be social! more details: Chaos Cooking Cambodia Hosted by Gowanus Girls A Spontaneous, 100-Course Meal * Part of the Forward Festival, celebrating Cambodian Arts + Culture * A Very Loose Theme, Cook What You Like! Thursday, April 11, 7pm – midnight Gowanus Loft – 61 9th Street, #C8, bet 2nd Ave + Smith St, Brooklyn $20 / person, space limited Tix + full info! Bonus: Gowanus Girl’s website says there are a few other nice people join the fun: “fab tarot card reader (Theda Jackson-Mau— she was also at our market last fall and she’s phenomenal), tunes by DJ Claudio and retro-fun from our friends over at The Royal Palms Shuffleboard Parlor.”

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More Information About the Greenhouse Atop the Gowanus Whole Foods

B. Umanov — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 22:23:38 +0000

Whole Foods has released a whole lot of new information about the 20,000 square foot greenhouse they’ll be building atop the soon-to-open Whole Foods in Gowanus [via Grub Street]. Gotham Greens – famous for their massive rooftop garden in Greenpoint – will operate the greenhouse, which they’re billing as “the nation’s first commercial scale greenhouse farm integrated within a retail grocery space.” Notably, the rooftop garden will operate year-round and supply fresh produce not only to the Gowanus store but to other Whole Foods retailers throughout NYC. Here’s Whole Foods trying to convince you how green and ethical they are: The new greenhouse will be designed, built and operated by Gotham Greens in partnership with Whole Foods Market. The specially designed rooftop farm will include advanced irrigation systems that use up to 20 times less water than conventional farming as well as enhanced glazing materials and electrical equipment to reduce overall energy demand. Based on the farm’s proximity to Whole Foods Market stores in New York City, the project will eliminate long distance food transport and its associated emissions, while ensuring product freshness, quality and nutrition for thousands of customers in the area. The rooftop greenhouse will be fully operational at the time of the new Whole Foods Market opening. Read the rest of Whole Foods’ marketing fluff, including the lulz-worthy phrase “green collar jobs,” here.

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