Episode 20

The Bay Ridge 5th Avenue BID

At A Glance

  • We interviewed Amanda Zenteno, the Executive Director of the Bay Ridge 5th Avenue BID.
  • The BID provides many services, such as sanitation, security, events, networking, and marketing.
  • We dig into some of the problems merchants face, opportunities they can take advantage of, and dispel a few persistent myths about the local economy.

Bay Ridge is teeming with commercial possibilities, and is home to three major shopping avenues in close proximity. Today we’ll learn what it takes to help them flourish. We sat down with Amanda Zenteno, the Executive Director of the Bay Ridge 5th Avenue BID, or Business Improvement District.

We’ll cover what a BID does and how it’s organized, and what services it provides to the businesses it serves. We also talk about keeping commercial corridors clean and dispelling misconceptions about vacant storefronts. Support your local businesses and have a listen!

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Continue reading “Episode 20: The Bay Ridge 5th Avenue BID”

Episode 19

Happy New Year, Bay Ridge!

At A Glance

  • Check out the results of our favorite episode of 2018 poll!
  • Sneak preview our upcoming episodes.”
  • Our favorite moments of 2018 and what 2019 might have in store.

Welcome to 2019 and happy New Year, Bay Ridge! While we’re busy updating our elected representatives page and nursing our hangovers, we threw together a short episode for you. Chill out with us in our newly renovated studio as we reflect back on 2018, and look forward to 2019! Plus, Rachel will reveal the results of our latest poll! What were your favorite episodes? What were ours? Find out, and get a sneak peek into the episodes we have planned for 2019!

Continue reading “Episode 19: Happy New Year, Bay Ridge!”

Announcement

It's true - Radio Free Bay Ridge merch!

If you’ve been following us on Twitter, you may have noticed a link to a CafePress account claiming to be selling authorized Radio Free Bay Ridge swag. Your eyes do not deceive you – our holiday merch shop is live! It includes a bunch of fun stuff, including things we’ve been using for the past year but have been previously been only available to our volunteers and guests, like t-shirts and studio mugs!

So for a limited time only – probably till the end of December, though you never know – we’re giving YOU – our listeners and neighbors – the chance to take a tiny piece of the podcast with you in your daily life.

We’d like to be clear: this is not a fundraiser. We’re not making more than a couple bucks (tops) on each sale. Any money we receive from the sale of this merch will be put towards offsetting some of the costs encountered by our all-volunteer staff in the production of this podcast.

Also, a new mailing list!

We’re also announcing the launch of our Radio Free Bay Ridge Mailing List! Sign up so we can send Radio Free Bay Ridge community update emails straight to your inbox!

Episode 18

Owl's Head Park Walking Tour

A map of the Owl's Head Walking Tour

At A Glance

  • Our first audio walking tour.
  • Subscribe to the podcast with a mobile device and listen to this episode in Owl’s Head Park
  • Start at 67th Street and Colonial Road.

Why the heck is it actually called Owl’s Head? Find out! Today we partnered with Hey Ridge editor and local historian Henry Stewart to bring you an Owl’s Head Park walking tour. In fact, we think it’s actually the first audio walking tour of Bay Ridge… ever! This 15-minute guided episode is meant to be played on-site at Owl’s Head, at the entrance on 67th Street and Colonial Road. You’ll explore the history of the park, from the pre-colonial era up until today.

We’ll separate the myth from the fact about the name “Owl’s Head”, of course. But did you know the origins of the nearby street names? Do you know who exactly Senator Street named after? Together we’ll walk past where once a grand mansion and castle-like tower once stood, as well as learn about the odd tastes of the man who occupied the grounds. There’s weapons arsenals, gangland shootings, tragic deaths, and development deals gone sour. Henry will also discuss the original designs for the park and what was lost to time. Most importantly, we’ll be out enjoying one of Bay Ridge’s most beautiful parks!

Let us know what you think about the episode, and whether we should do more of them! And in case you don’t get Radio Free Bay Ridge on your phone, be sure to check out the subscription links below.

Subscribe to Radio Free Bay Ridge: iTunes / Google Play / Stitcher / Pocket Casts / Radio Public / Podbean / Castbox

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Election Night Live

SD22 Election Night Live Results

About The Results

  • Thanks for joining us! We’ve stopped updating our results tonight. The results are accurate to the unofficial Board of Elections results.
  • Golden is demanding a count of absentees, though we don’t see a scenario where they will break in his favor. Congratulations to Senator Elect Gounardes.
  • If you have problems viewing the map, you can view the map here as well.

Credits
Today’s live election coverage is being handled by Daniel Hetteix (data entry) and Erik Shell (social media) from Radio Free Bay Ridge’s studio in beautiful Bay Ridge, Brooklyn.

Episode 17

The Art of the Gerrymander

One artistic interpretation of State Senate District 22 (Bay Ridge is on the left) as seen at the Art of the Gerrymander art show.

At A Glance

  • Fight Back Bay Ridge’s first fundraiser brought together the local art and activist communities.
  • The art auction was filled with creative interpretations of Senate District 22’s gerrymandered boundaries.”
  • We interviewed guests and attendees to ask about the intersection of art and politics.

On October 22nd, local activist group Fight Back Bay Ridge held their first fundraiser. Unlike many other groups, which focus on three-hundred-dollar-a-plate dinners or a cheesy speech, they did something both creative and community-building. They sent out a call to the Bay Ridge arts community, including Stand 4 Gallery and many more.

They challenged local artists to create artwork they’d be willing to donate for a silent auction. The theme was to raise awareness and creatively interpret the gerrymandered boundaries of Bay Ridge’s state senate district, SD22. The resulting gallery show brought together the activist and artistic communities of Bay Ridge for one of the first times. Our co-host Rachel Brody interviewed people at the event, discussing how they felt about art, politics, and their community.

Continue reading “Episode 17: The Art of the Gerrymander”

Episode 16

Fact Check: Golden vs Gounardes

At A Glance

  • We’re bringing you Live Audio and Fact Checks.
  • Golden took credit for many things the state did as a whole.
  • Post-debate spin by the Conservative Party doesn’t hold water.
  • Gounardes kept answers short and to the point. Golden took up the majority of speaking time.
  • There were some fireworks moments near the end.

On October 3rd, 2018 we had one of the long-standing Bay Ridge debates occur under the auspices of our local Interagency Council on Aging. Held this year at the Fort Hamilton Senior Center with longtime moderator Peter Killen. The event was a whos-who of local politicians and included debates between every local candidate running in this year’s midterm elections. Today, however, we are focusing on just one: Golden vs Gounardes.

After the #BRForum debates, we asked our listeners what we should do with the audio. A majority of you said we should fact-check the debate… so we did! Today, co-host Dan will be breaking in between questions to provide context and fact-checks.

We’ll hear questions on a wide range of issues, much of it focusing on children. While this may seem jarring for a senior center debate, remember that older adults often have child safety as a top priority, especially as grandkids come along. So sit back and enjoy!

Note: We’ll also be posting the audio for the other debates that day! The include Mathylde Frontus vs Steve Saperstein, Adam Baumel vs Nicole Malliotakis, and Max Rose vs Dan Donovan. They will be available in the show notes below shortly.

Continue reading “Episode 16: Fact Check: Golden vs Gounardes”

Episode 15

The State of Bay Ridge Transit

An antique map of South Brooklyn subway stops, focusing on Bay Ride's 4th Avenue Line.

At A Glance

  • Weekday R Train ridership city-wide declined 1%, but Bay Ridge was twice as bad, at 2%.
  • Weekend R Train ridership dropped over 20%. Last year, R Train service was cancelled on weekends about 20% of the time.
  • Local bus routes that parallel the R Train increased, but not enough to offset the R train declines. Uber and Lyft picked up slack, but some neighbors may simply be staying home.
  • Good news: The B70 had major ridership increases on weekdays, suggesting more job opportunities along the Sunset Park waterfront for people living in Bay Ridge.

Bay Ridge is luckier than most outer borough neighborhoods. Residents have multiple transit options, from trains to bikes to buses to ferries. However, last year’s transit situation was so bad that it was known city-wide as the “Summer of Hell”. Bay Ridge Avenue was closed for six months as part of a new “Enhanced Station Initiative”. This upgrade was spearheaded by our local State Senator Marty Golden, who sits on the MTA Capital Review Board. However, as cosmetic upgrades were being installed, service worsened across the board with little relief. Today we dig into the numbers and analyze 2017’s transit numbers, and what they mean for Bay Ridge.

We were happy to sit down with our transportation correspondent, Brian Hedden in this episode. We focus on the subways and buses, but also cover all aspects of Bay Ridge transit, including tolls, biking, and ferries.

Continue reading “Episode 15: The State of Bay Ridge Transit”

Episode 14

A Million Dollar Question

In today’s episode, Dan and Mary discuss Bay Ridge’s first Participatory Budgeting cycle. During last year’s city council race, every single candidate vowed to bring the experimental budgeting process into our district. This year, it’s finally happening! Our district will be getting a million dollars that will be spent entirely through grassroots democratic outreach, organized by and for local residents.

Bay Ridge, Dyker Heights, Bath Beach, and parts of Bensonhurst will get a million dollars spend on ideas it’s own residents come up with. The money can be used for construction and built things only (capital projects), but beyond that, it’s a very flexible system. Our co-host Dan is actually on the fifteen-person committee of local residents that will be helping to nurture and shepherd these ideas to buildable, votable ballot items. Listen in as we discuss what Participatory Budgeting means for Bay Ridge and how to get involved.

Submit An Idea!
Continue reading “Episode 14: A Million Dollar Question”

Interactive Map

Analysis of the 2018 SD22 Democratic Primary

At A Glance

  • Turnout across the district increased, especially in Marine Park and Bay Ridge.
  • Ross Barkan drove turnout for Cynthia Nixon.
  • Andrew Gounardes has strong base support across the entire district.
  • Certain conservative turnout strategies are showing hints of reduced effect.
Continue reading “Analysis of the 2018 Brooklyn SD-22 Democratic Primary”