BROOKLYN MEDIA GROUP JANUARY 20 - JANUARY 26, 2017 13 Increased bus service called for during Bay Ridge Avenue station shutdown BY MEAGHAN MCGOLDRICK [email protected] Bay Ridge R train riders are seeking some sort of resolution to a plan of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s that would see not only an overhaul of one of the neighborhood’s four subway stations, but also its closure for at least half a year. “While we are glad to see that Bay Ridge Avenue will be included as part of the MTA's Enhanced Station Initiative, we are concerned about the impact that the projected closure will have on riders who use the station,” wrote concerned resident and avid R train rider Andrew Gounardes in a letter addressed to both MTA President Veronique Hakim and Governor Andrew Cuomo that will be sent alongside signatures from a subsequent petition. “Closing this station will force riders to travel an additional half of a mile to either 77th Street or 59th Street just to ride the R train.” Gounardes and company are calling on the MTA either to run shuttle bus service between Bay Ridge Avenue and 59th Street or temporarily boost bus service on three nearby buses – the B9, B37 and B63 – while the Bay Ridge Avenue station is closed for repairs. “This will help mitigate the impact that the station closure will have on R train riders and provide continuity of service as we approach a season of inclement weather,” said Gounardes, who is certainly not alone in this fight. On Tuesday, January 17, a bevy of local legislators announced that they have penned a letter to Cuomo and Hakim, requesting the same thing. “As the second busiest station servicing commuters in Bay Ridge, the R train is a critical and affordable transportation resource for students, working professionals, and seniors on a fixed income traveling to and from the neighborhood,” wrote the group, which includes State Senator Marty Golden and Assemblymembers Nicole Malliotakis, Felix Ortiz and Pamela Harris. “Additionally, the Bay Ridge Avenue station serves as a vital transfer point between the R train and the B64 and B9 buses.” According to the pols, the shutdown will require nearly 8,379 commuters on average to travel to another stop to catch the R on a daily basis. Once reconstruction is complete, the revamped Bay Ridge Avenue station will feature enhanced lighting throughout, as well as improved signage to make it easier for straphangers to navigate their stops. It will also include at least one countdown clock, improved cell service, new art and a real-time navigation system. The Bay Ridge Avenue station is just one of 31 stops citywide that will see such an overhaul, as announced by Cuomo over the summer. According to government officials, the station will close in April. Gounardes’ petition, at http://bit. ly/2iC6A20, will be sent to Hakim and Cuomo come February 15. BROOKLYN MEDIA GROUP/file photo The Bay Ridge Avenue station. Best of Brooklyn Food and Beer Festival to debut in January at Industry City BY MEAGHAN MCGOLDRICK [email protected] The best of all worlds will collide this month as the first ever Best of Brooklyn Food and Beer Festival gears up to take over Industry City. The foodie-friendly event – which will showcase the best of the best in both food and drink – comes on the heels of this year’s Best of Brooklyn competition, hosted by Brooklyn Media Group, publisher of BrooklynReporter. com, Brokelyn.com, The Home Reporter, Brooklyn Spectator and Spectator News and several other local outlets. In the competition, now in its fifth year, over 45,000 voters crowned more than 100 winners in categories like Best Bar, Best Burger, Best Happy Hour and more, in a borough which is now known worldwide for the quality and originality of its culinary offerings. Now, you’ll have your chance to see those winning vendors – and taste their wares – in one place, Sunset Park’s Industry City. “Brooklyn has an amazing, diverse offering of food and drink,” said head of Brooklyn Media Group Josh Schneps. “This is an amazing opportunity to get out during the winter and discover all of those amazing things that Brooklyn has to offer in one place, and have fun in the meantime.” “Food and beverage manufacturing has made a major comeback in New York City in the last few years, particularly here in Brooklyn,” said Andrew Kimball, CEO of Industry City. “At Industry City, these makers – many of which are startups – are an important part of our innovation economy ecosystem that also includes tech, fashion, design, and media. We’re excited to celebrate and further support these makers with the Food and Beer Festival and look forward to offering a larger audience the opportunity to enjoy the many great food and drink products being made throughout the borough.” Among the participating restaurants are: Athena Mediterranean Cuisine, Café Grumpy, Chavela’s, Giovanni’s Brooklyn Eats, Beehive Oven, Bareburger, Buttermilk Bakeshop, Kings Highway Bakery, Kulushkat, Kings Highway Bakery, Paesano on 13th, Miti Miti: Modern Mexican, Bogota Latin Bistro, Bean Post Pub, Doughnut Plant, Dinosaur BBQ, Peaches Hot Chicken, Ho’Brah, Xin Chinese Restaurant, ALC Grocery and Audrey’s Concerto. Food prices will range from $2 to $8. Among the beverage providers will be GuS-Grown-up Soda and Essentia Water, with local breweries including Brooklyn Brewery, Sixpoint Brewery and Coney Island Brewery pouring tastes. In addition, the Museum of Food and Drink and Brooklyn Zoo will be on hand. Music will be curated by C’mon Everybody. The festival will take place on Saturday, January 28 from 12:30 to 8 p.m. at 220 36th Street. Tickets are available for two sessions: I (12:30 to 2:30 p.m.) and II (3:30 to 5:30 p.m.) plus an After Party (6 to 8 p.m.) Both sessions offer early bird tickets that allow entrance a half an hour prior to opening, as well as a souvenir tasting glass. VIP Beer Enthusiast tickets are also available for both sessions, and include early-bird hours, other perks, entertainment and games, a souvenir tasting glass and a copy of the Brooklyn Beer Book. For more information or to purchase tickets – which include unlimited beer tastings from Brooklyn Brewery, Sixpoint Brewery and Coney Island Brewery, among others – visit www.bestofbrooklyn. splashthat.com.
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