Tag Archives: Fort Greene

Brooklyn Navy Yard Survey

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Brooklyn Navy Yard

Photo By: Michelle Gross

The Brooklyn Navy Yard is quickly emerging as a leading place of business in Fort Greene, Brooklyn. With over 300 businesses, including a variety of industries including construction, theatrical set design, Steiner Studios and B&H Electronics, the Navy Yard is capable of handling any type of business. This Veterans Day, The Navy Yard opened their doors to the public for the first time in their 200 year history, with the opening of Building 92-A state of the art museum detailing the Past, Present and Future of “The Yard.”

With the inception of Building 92 and the emergence of The Navy Yard as a major place of business, I was interested in gauging what people know about this burgeoning area of Brooklyn, and what they think the Navy Yard can do help propel the local community surrounding it.

Photo By: Michelle Gross

My findings for this survey were varied. I reached out to a large network of people including my immediate network of colleagues and friends on Facebook. This was not received and I only received a handful of responses. My next step was to email my survey to an extended network of people. This was far more successful. I received a plethora of responses and was pleasantly surprised to find that many people who had limited knowledge of The Navy Yard were interested in learning more about it.

I also reached out to a broader community. I posted my survey on Thebrownstoner.com, a hyper localized website that cover issues and areas in and around Brooklyn. I was pleasantly surprised by the enthusiasm of which my survey was received. Since many people who subscribe to this website are in some way affected by the Navy Yard, people were quick to post their comments.

The question I was most interested in hearing about was “How do you think The Brooklyn Navy Yard could help boost business in the local community? Please be as specific as possible.” Most people provided valuable suggestions to this question.

To view the survey click here or see link below.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?hl=en_US&formkey=dHBHcVBvWnNDZGNha0sxbm94S3lHeXc6MQ#gid=0

 

 

 

Lights, Camera, Auction!

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By: Michelle Gross

If the world of sustainable upcycling were compared to big budget movie hits, Film Biz Prop Shop is this year’s up and coming rag tag indie. Founded by Eva Radke, 40, the self-proclaimed “Queen of Reuse,” in 2008, Film Biz­­­, a not-for profit operating out of an 11,000 square foot warehouse in Gowanus, Brooklyn, maintains a ‘take no prisoners attitude’ on their mission to repurpose materials destined for the dumpster, and turn them into usable everyday items.

“I saw that there was an egregious, ugly underbelly to the industry that I love most which was an enormous amount of waste, so I took it upon myself to make that change,” Radke said.

Film Biz hosted Lights, Camera, Auction, last Thursday, an event run by a compendium of volunteers and apprentices, in an effort to raise what Radke described as a “winters nest egg.” Auctioneer Al Baker of County Style Auctions, hosted the evenings festivities, as items ranging in prices from a $20 Native American bust to a $400 original chalk-board went up for grabs. “It’s not garbage its opportunity,” Radke said. “We live in Brooklyn, one of the most progressive places in the world, and people see the importance of sustainable use in these materials.”

A former art department coordinator, and eternal lover of all things film, Radke grew up on the sets and soundstages of movies since the age of 19. Now, 20 years later, after years of watching beautiful props and production items tossed carelessly into dumpster after dumpster, Radke took matters into her own hands.

“What started out as a listserv of only 30 close friends in the art department in 2007, now has almost 1000 people. It helps people get jobs, it diverts a ton of waste, and what were realizing is that reuse, saves people money,” Radke said.

The Auction, which grossed over $6,800 in profit, will donate 60% of the money to various charities throughout Brooklyn, including a women’s shelter in Park Slope, Blissful Bedrooms- a volunteer based not for profit supporting children with disabilities, the Sean Casey Animal Rescue Shelter and a Senior Center in Fort Greene, Brooklyn.

“A lot of these materials can change lives. Gym equipment that we donated would have been just put inside a dumpster, is now fortifying the muscles and bones of our seniors,” Radke said.

Are You Shopping Locally?

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Behrens Pharmacy in Clinton Hill

Mohammad Rahman has been working at Behren’s Pharmacy in Clinton Hill for decades. He is one of the millions of workers employed at a small business, the lifeblood of the American economy (PDF).  And to New Yorkers, and Green Point and Clinton Hill, Brooklyn residents in particular, small businesses are a way of life. The threat of their disappearance is enough to incite protest, as seen with the Atlantic Yards development.

But, according to Rahman and workers at other businesses in the neighborhood the deadliest small business killer is less tangible than the Atlantic Yards and local residents have less control over it’s operation: it’s the American economy.

Rahman, standing behind the pharmacy counter waiting for customers said business was very slow, but doesn’t blame people for not shopping locally.

Unless people have a disposable income – unless they have money in their pocket, this economy can’t work…people don’t have the jobs, how will they spend the money?

Rahman said local residents are shopping online at places that don’t have the overhead that a local store like Behren’s does.

Down the street at the cafe Tillies of Brooklyn barista Khephran Riddick echoed Rahman’s sentiment.

“It’s been a little show…It’s tough to find jobs out here.”

Still, small businesses seem to be holding on, despite the continued economic downturn.

Where do you fit in?

If you are a small business owner in Fort Greene or Clinton Hill:

How has your business been affected by the ecomonic downturn?

And residents:

Are you still shopping locally and eating out?

Please respond in the comments.

Breaking Down Barriers: Is The Brooklyn Navy Yard Helping or Hindering the Local Economy?

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Photo By: Michelle Gross

On Friday I had the rare pleasure of taking a sneak peak behind the fence and enter into a world most New Yorkers are not only unfamiliar with, but unaware even exists. The Brooklyn Navy Yard, founded in 1801 following the American Revolution, was purchased by federal authorities becoming an active navy shipyard from that day foreword. At its peak during World War II, “the Yard,” as it is now more casually referred to, employed over 70,000 people at its peak.

Located on a semicircular bend of the east river on the outskirts of Fort Greene, Brooklyn, the Yard  today is comprised of nearly 300 acres. After temporarily closing up shop in 1966 under the orders of  Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara, the property reopened in 1971. It took over 30 years, but the Navy Yard now hosts over 275 industrial businesses, employing more than 5,800 people, a figure that’s up from 3,600 in 2001.

The history of the Navy Yard, is just as important today as it was 200 years ago. As the property continues to change and expand with the ebbs and flows of a volatile economy, it has remained a thriving place of business. In a statement made by The Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation (BNYDC) recently, “From it’s days as a naval shipyard facility, to its modern incarnation as an industrial park, the Yard has been a major source of employment for the surrounding communities, Brooklyn, and New York City.”

Amongst some of the heavy hitting businesses in The Navy Yard are Steiner Studios-the largest sound stages on the East Coast, B&H Photo and Electronics, and Gilt Groupe-a members only fashion, travel and design website and one of the fastest growing e-commerce businesses in the country. Additionally, in an effort to foster the development of green manufacturing, the Yard has become a national model for sustainable urban industrial parks and hosts over 30 green manufacturers.

Photo By: Michelle Gross

In November, the Brooklyn Navy Yard will literally be tearing some of their walls down for the first time for a new museum installment called Brooklyn Navy Yard Center at Building 92. Museum archivist, Daniella Romano said in a statement “We are tapping into this extraordinary history of industry, innovation and creativity. The name is a national icon. But the real significance of the site was almost forgotten or only known to a very few.”

Until now, most people, especially within the Fort Greene/Clinton Hill communities have mostly negative connotations with the Navy Yard. This is due to the fact that it is also the home to another major local business; the Tow Yard. Located on the corner of Sands Street and Navy Street, the Tow Yard is the only publicly accessible area of the Navy Yard to date, so its understandable that most people coming here have a begrudging association with the place.

However there is something truly unique about the Brooklyn Navy Yard, a microcosm seeped in history, immersed in creativity and teaming with innovation. But what is curious is the fact that many people, especially within the local Brooklyn community are completely shut out.  Do you think the opening of the Museum at Building 92 will help to break down these barriers between the Yard and the surrounding area? Why or why not? Also, do you think the expansion of the Navy Yard will help fuel the local economy? This blogger looks forward to your comments.