Catch the Greenpoint Memorial Day Parade is Sunday May 26th, 2013 – beginning at 9am. It begins at The American Legion (519 Leonard St) and goes up Nassau Ave, then up to Manhattan Ave to St. Anthony’s Church (Milton St & Manhattan Ave) where there will be a Mass in honor of living and deceased US veterans. Then the parade will retrace its steps back to the post for a memorial service and flag raising. More info at Greenpoint Gazette.

We spotted this Bald Eagle on its huge nest on the Delaware River this past weekend. Thank God they didn’t go with the Wild Turkey as Ben Franklin suggested for the national bird. Bald Eagles are way more bad ass.

But if you want to get into or out of the city via the L train, consider yourself stuck.

According to the Weekender there will be no L trains between Lorimer St, Brooklyn and 8 Av, Manhattan. This begins late tonight (Friday 5/24) and continues through Memorial Day.

Baja Style Oyster Mushroom Tacos
• Make a beer batter with some flour and beer, salt and pepper. The batter should be the consistency of thick pancake batter and not too watery. Coat oyster mushrooms in the batter and deep fry in vegetable oil. Season with salt and pepper.
• Top with chipotle mayo, which can be easily made by mixing some mayonaise or veganaise with canned chipotle peppers or chipotle sauce in adobo.
• Top with corn salsa, made with chopped red onions, red peppers, corn, tomato, cilantro and lime.
• Top with fresh shredded red cabbage.
• Serve on your choice of corn or flour tortilla.

We are very excited to have one of our all time favorite people Yana Guilbuena as our chef, preparing a Filipino Feast as part of her own SALO dining series.

Everything will be served on banana leaves! (No stupid plates or forks!)

Plus Brooklyn Gin is generously providing the cocktails.

And we couldn’t think of a better outdoor space for an early summer dinner than Domestic Construction!

You won’t get a meal like this anywhere!

Menu:

• Ensaladang Lato – Seaweed Salad

• Chicharon Bulaklak – Deep Fried P ork Rinds

• Inihaw na Pusit – Grilled Stuffed Squid

• Sinangag – Garlic Fried Rice

• Saba at Langka Turon – Banana and Jackfruit Spring Rolls

• Special Brooklyn Gin Cocktail

$45

Reserve your supper. (Space is limited.)

* Reservations are non-refundible.

Greenpoint Church
136 Milton Street
Brooklyn, NY 11222
Hours: Wed 6-7pm Dinner; Thurs 10a-5pm Food Pantry
Phone: 718.383.5941

Church of the Ascension – Food Pantry
122 Java St, Brooklyn 11222
Hours: Tue 10-11am
Tel: 718-389-3831

Bancos de Alimentos

¿Necesita ayuda para alimentar a su familia o gustaría ser voluntario de tu tiempo? Pueden ayudar la Iglesia de Greenpoint e Iglesia de la Ascensión. Por favor, vea  en la dirección y horarios más abajo.

Iglesia de Greenpoint
136 Milton Street
Brooklyn, NY 11222
Horario: Miércoles 6-7m Cena; Despensa de comida 10- 5pm Jueves
Teléfono: 718-383-5941

Iglesia de la Ascensión – Despensa de Comida
122 Java St, Brooklyn 11222
Horario: Mar 10-11am
Tel: 718-389-3831

There are more events in our weekly calendar. Submit Greenpoint events, too!

WEDNESDAY 5/22

• Poetry Teachers Open Mic @ Milk and Roses (1110 Manhattan Ave) 7-10pm, FREE, come and sing, dance, act, be funny, be a writer, try out new work, play music, or just hang out with some good friends, featured poets: Thomas Fucaloro and Ryan Buynak
• Bike Night @ Brooklyn Brewery (70 No. 11th St) 7:30-9:30pm, FREE, kick off fundraiser/rider registration for BRAKING AIDS Ride in support of Housing Works, live entertainment, prizes, pizza, $2 drafts. Register to ride and drink FREE! RSVP
• Barely Legal: Live Comedy @ The Palace (206 Nassau Ave) 9-11pm, FREE, stand-up comedy show is hosted by Natalie Shure and Lauren Vino
• Emotional Rescue: Rolling Stones Party @ Manhattan Inn (632 Manhattan Ave) 11pm-3am, expect very tight pants, ironic British babbling, rooster-like dancing, a heightened sense of sexiness, freedom, and bliss, RSVP

THURSDAY 5/23

• East Bank Music Series @ Church of The Ascension (127 Kent St) 7:30-8:45pm, $10, Music by Dimestore Dance / Ezekiel Healy / Browngrass Current
• Resolve @ Brooklyn Photo One Night Only (39 Ainslie St, #3) 6-9pm, Featuring collaborative work by Alexander Porter and James George
• Total Control / Raspberry Bulbs / Crazy Spirit / Survival @ 285 Kent, 8pm, $10, RSVP

FRIDAY 5/24

• Spanish Cider Tasting @ Eastern District (1053 Manhattan Ave) 5-7pm, FREE
• Abemixture’s Staycation Spectacular @ Legion Bar (790 Metropolitan Ave) 7:30-9:30pm, FREE, comedy, music, drink specials, RSVP
• YACHT / Prinzhorn Dance School / Larry Gus @ Shea Stadium (20 Meadow St) 8pm, $17

SATURDAY 5/25

• Bock Party @ Brouwerij Lane (78 Greenpoint Ave) 12pm-10pm, a celebration of spring, warm weather, and strong German beer.
• March Against Monsanto @ Union Square (50 E. 17th St) 1pm, the Monsanto Protection Act is a bill that recently passed that states that the Secretary of Agriculture may grant temporary deregulation status so that genetically modified organism (GMO) farmers and growers may continue the cultivation of biotech crops even as legal challenges against the safety of those crops are underway, and prevents courts from interceding the review process, RSVP
• Var / Pharmakon / Anthony Naples DJ set @ The Rink (67 West St) 9pm, $10

MONDAY 5/27

• An Evening With Tica Douglas @ Manhattan Inn (632 Manhattan Ave) 10pm, Intimate Live Acoustic Record Release

TUESDAY 5/28
• Affordable Housing Happy Hour @ NAG (110 Kent Ave.) 5-8pm, Beers + CUP’s Affordable Housing Tool Kit = NAG Action Nite, RSVP

*  Greenpointers’ Pick
♫ Music
♥  Pheremones likely
♦  Art Event
☺ Comedy Event
#  Foodie Event

Who listens to radio these days? I enjoy some WNYC action from time to time (when they are not doing a pledge-drive, of course), and my neighbor across the airshaft seems to enjoy sports radio at elevated volume levels around 7 a.m., so there are at least two of us. But after some research I discovered that, much to my surprise, my neighbor and I are not the only radio listening New Yorkers. There are millions of us!

I also learned that WNYC, my favorite radio station (see above), transmitted from Greenpoint, Brooklyn, for over 50 years, sited in what is now the aptly named WNYC Transmitter Park. The park—located where Greenpoint Avenue hits the East River—was opened in 2012 after a two-year, $12 million redevelopment project. The final product is lovely, with natural wetland landscaping, a pedestrian bridge and pier, killer views of Manhattan, and a nautically-themed children’s play area that reflects the site’s waterfront context.

And happily, the redevelopment plans preserved a small, non-descript 1930s building, the one remaining physical clue that the site broadcasted the “voice of New York City” across the five boroughs and beyond. Read on to discover how Greenpoint and the history of radio are intertwined.

WNYC was founded in 1924 and the first broadcasts were sent out to listeners through a transmitter located on the 25^th floor of the Municipal Building in downtown Manhattan. Unfortunately those new-fangled skyscrapers shooting up in the 1920s and ‘30s began to create interference for the transmission signal, causing “dead spots” in broadcasts. These dead spots were so notorious at the time that by 1934 WNYC was described as “practically a useless shamble.” In order to improve reception around the city, the radio station went in search of a site to construct a new transmitter, discovering an ideal spot in a dilapidated Greenpoint ferry slip.

As Greenpoint was becoming a bustling neighborhood in the 1850s, ferry service from Greenpoint Avenue began to shuttle passengers across the East River to 10^th, 14^th, and 23^rd Streets. (Step it up, East River Ferry!). With the construction of the Brooklyn Bridge in 1883, and subsequent bridges and tunnels crossing the East River, ferry use began to decline. By the 1930s the unused Greenpoint ferry slip was ideal for WNYC’s purposes as it was located on the East River and surrounded by low-scale buildings that would not create transmission interference. Although little remains of the site’s previous use, for those in search of “ancient” New York history, the pedestrian bridge in the current park crosses over an excavated ferry slip.

With underwriting from the federal Works Progress Administration, ground was broken in November 1935, and in less than two years the station had a new transmitter. The building, with simple Art Deco detailing, featured two four-legged galvanized steel structures that rose 304 feet in the air (Greenpoint’s very own Eiffel Towers!), large illuminated WNYC call letters, and a north symbol on the roof so that planes flying overhead could get their bearings. The image to the left, painted by architect Allan Gordon Lorimer—and now hanging in the WNYC green room where guests wait before going on air—shows an aerial view of the transmitter site with five airplanes, each flying to a different New York City airport: Mitchel Air Force Base (decommissioned in 1961), Roosevelt Field (the takeoff point for Lindbergh’s 1927 solo trans-Atlantic flight, closed in 1951 and now the site of a mall), North Beach Airport (now La Guardia Airport), Miller Field, and Floyd Bennet Field (both now part of the Gateway National Recreational Area).

In his opening ceremony speech, Mayor La Guardia anointed WNYC “New York’s own station” and described the new equipment as “right up to the last minute,” with spherical microphones, speech amplifiers, frequency monitors, and a micro-ray system that was the only one in use outside of the Vatican. The transmitter in Greenpoint was used until 1990, when the station began broadcasting from the Meadowlands in New Jersey. The two towers were torn down several years later but the small one story building remains. Although the building has been altered and is somewhat unimpressive without its transmitting towers, there is still a stone plaque that reads “Transmitter House of Radio Station WNYC, Constructed 1936.” And according to Andy Lanset, director of the archives of New York Public Radio, there are plans to incorporate the site’s history into the building when it reopens.

WNYC Transmitter Park’s deep connection to the history of radio and Greenpoint endures. It is remarkable to think of all the transmissions that originated from a site in our very own neighborhood, including the first radio announcement of the Japanese attack at Pearl Harbor on December 7th, 1941. WNYC Radio is now the most listened-to public radio station in the United States, with more than 11.5 million people accessing their programming each month. It has become one of the most significant voices of New York, and broadcasting from Greenpoint enabled WNYC to become a part of the fabric of our neighborhood and our city.

To learn more about the history of radio in New York City, and for a guided trip to the historic radio site at Transmitter Park, join WORD Bookstore and Preservation Greenpoint for a special event on June 9^th. Historian Alec Cumming will discuss Brooklyn’s contribution to the city’s radio history, from the many Yiddish stations of the ’30s and ’40s to Radio Soleil’s work in the aftermath of the Haitian earthquake, followed by a guided walk over to WNYC Transmitter Park. RSVP on Facebook (encouraged but not required).

Images courtesy of the the WNYC Archive Collections, and the WNYC Radio, Film & TV Archive at the New York City Municipal Archive.

To learn more about the WNYC Transmitter site in Greenpoint and the artwork shown above, check out the following articles and blog posts from WNYC: WNYC’s New AM Transmitter, 1937; A Look Back: WNYC Transmitter Park in Photos; WNYC Transmitter Park; and Artist and Architect A. G. Lorimer Captures WNYC’s Old Transmitter Site from Two Perspectives.

You’ve had this conversation before: a friend describes someone from Greenpoint, “a young white dude, covered in tattoos,” but that’s every guy in Greenpoint and needs some elaboration. She continues with “beard, rides a bike,” and you’re still stumped.

The Greenpointer I am describing is 18 year old Derek Atson, an enthusiastic and friendly young guy who was born and raised on Monitor St. He proudly shows off his huge chest tattoos of the old Greenpoint tanks and the G-train. And he raps about the neighborhood he loves.

His stage name is Can’t Stop Atson and he recently won a Def Jam Showcase, an esteemed accomplishment for any budding MC.

He was 17th to perform out of 35 contenders. At first worried because the place was empty, the room soon became packed with his own Greenpoint fans, family and friends. “Everyone was wearing my shirt. I rocked the crowd,” Atson said.

The win entitles him to a meeting with the Def Jam. I asked if he wants to get signed with the label but Atson thinks strategically about his career moves at this early stage. If he gets signed now he gets $1 million cash up front for a 3 year commitment, but what if next year he could make $10 million on his own?

Not an impossibility given social media’s overnight success stories. And it’s where his rap career took off. “I began writing quotes for Facebook and decided to turn them into songs,” he said.

What he hopes comes out of the meeting is “connects” to get introduced to other people and to play more shows.

Music, especially rap music, is a big part of Atson’s life. “I grew up around it, it’s urban. Brooklyn is urban. My father would listen to it. My brothers would listen to it. Everyone would listen to it.”

“My whole family is Greenpoint oriented,” Atson explained as we chatted on a bench in McCarren Park.

His father Rick has been a Greenpoint DJ for 30 years and is founder of the non-profit 5 Boro Basketball League, and his brother is a local music producer and helps manage his new career. Atson’s proud Mom shares his music on Facebook everyday.

Atson told me that growing up in Greenpoint “was the best… I grew up on the ‘other side.’ For me, there is either that side over there – Winthrop or McGolrick and there is this side which is near Milton Park… All my memories are from Milton Park,” also called American Playground.

What does a 19 year old Greenpointer rap about? “No gangster stuff, ” he said, “That’s not me. I rap about Greenpoint. I rap about playing basketball, hanging out with my friends, how music is my life.”

Despite his love for Greenpoint, some criticize the area for not being a rough enough neighborhood for a rapper. “Some people say it’s soft. It’s where I’m from so why wouldn’t I want to put Greenpoint on the map? It’s not gangster or tough. I don’t want it to be gangster. I love where I live,” Atson said.

On being a white rapper, Atson said, “I love it. People don’t judge anymore. You have to be better. There’s a lot of black whack rappers. If you’re a white whack rapper you’re going to get destroyed.”

Asked if he would ever live anywhere else he said, “I don’t want to move anywhere.”

The only thing he wants is a huge Greenpoint sign, like the one Sunnyside has.

Check out Can’t Stop Atson’s music video below for his song “Music is Life” all shot in Greenpoint and all his social media links.

Facebook.com/CantStopAtson
Youtube.com/Atsonmusic
Soundcloud.com/CantStopAtson
Twitter.com/CantstopAtson
Instagram@CantStopAtson
CantStopAtson.blogspot.com

CAFÉ GRUMPY TOTE – $14

Café Grumpy – 193 Meserole Ave

Already loved by GP locals, Café Grumpy is almost famous for it’s reoccurring role on ‘Girls’ as the place of work for Hannah and [real life Greenpoint fixture] Ray. This tote is sure to impress by displaying a dual appreciation for artisanal coffee and local pop culture.

GREENPOINT TERMINAL WAREHOUSE TEE – $38

Alter – 140 Franklin St

A major neighborhood fixture, the Greenpoint Terminal Warehouse is a place of mystery and history. Originally established as the largest rope factory in the country, this structure has seen some of the best and worst of our neighborhood’s past, from a women-fueled 1910 riot to a 2003 Santacon after party (dubbed the Sick Santa Explorathon). Get in a nostalgic spirit by rocking one of these – just be sure to know something about the establishment first.

BROOKLYNSKI NECKLACE – $55

In God We Trust – 70 Greenpoint Ave

Add some love to your layers with this brass-etched Greenpoint signage necklace made by local jewelry designer ‘Brooklynski’. Available in both black and white on 16″ chains. Bonus: Half of all proceeds go to funding arts programs at Brooklyn public schools.

GREENPOINT TEE – $14.95

Cato’s Army & Navy – 654 Manhattan Ave

Maybe the best gift on the list, this comfy tee comes in 4 colors and ranges in sizes from Small to 2XL. It is sure to suit anyone from your Great Aunt Margo to your obese cousin Timmy.

GREENPOINT PHOTO BOOK – $25

Kill Devil Hill, 170 Franklin St

Compiled by Greenpointers’ owner, Jen G., this photographic journal of our beloved ‘hood makes a perfect coffee table book – slash – conversation starter. Mosey on over to Kill Devil Hill to show GP some love while dually helping to support our beloved boss.

WORD TOTE AND TEES – $8 & $20

Word, 126 Franklin Street

Show off your nerdy know-how by supporting our amazing local bookshop with the purchase and sporting of either of these versatile products. Think a T-shirt isn’t versatile? Think again. Try wearing it under a blazer paired with skinny jeans and pumps (OK – go ahead and add the horn-rimmed glasses) and voilà, geek chic.

LIVE POULTRY SLAUGHTER TEE – $20

G – Spot (Online)

We found this T-Shirt designed by Greenpoint artist Chris Smith AKA Subtexture at the recent Greenpoint Gallery Night. The copy on the website reads: “Celebrate gentrification and the taste of fresh chicken with this shirt!” When asked why it doesn’t read “Live Poultry Laughter” as the actual sign on Greenpoint Ave reads since vandals erased the S, Chris said – “because that isn’t funny!”