Thursday August 6, 2009 @ 7 pm
Smooch Wine Bar and Café: 264 Carlton Ave.(off DeKalb Avenue), Brooklyn, NY
Nearby subway stops: G at Clinton-Washington Avenues; C at Lafayette Avenue

Come celebrate summer and the power of grassroots action at Smooch Wine Bar and Café in Fort Greene, Brooklyn.  The Fair Trade wine and organic beer will be flowing during the two-hour open bar, so bring your friends, co-workers and family-members to mingle and network–all in support of women artisans in the developing world.  Tickets are available for as little as $25*, and all proceeds help GGP’s partner organizations fund much-needed health care, education, human rights and income-generation projects in their communities.

Who knew grassroots activism could be so fun?

Tickets: $25 pre-registration, $30 at the door. To RSVP, please email Lauren or Julia at info@globalgoodspartners.org

Brooklyn, New York July 24 , 2009 – On Monday Southwest Brooklyn’s Uprose will be joined by Borough President Marty Markowitz and local officials to headline a news conference launching their environmental justice tour. As part of the tours, UPROSE will travel in their new, customized hybrid electric bus through Sunset Park, making additional stops at Bay Ridge and Red Hook, to educate residents on strategies for achieving clean air, water, and equitable access to natural resources.

As one of the most diverse areas in New York, Sunset Park bears a disproportionate impact of the City’s environmental and public health problems—it is the site of a sludge treatment plant, dozens of toxic brownfields, a bus depot and various truck routes, which contribute to rising cases of asthma. Its lack of open space, with ¼ of an acre for every 1,000 residents, has contributed to a growing epidemic of obesity and Type 2 Diabetes. The overall rate of obesity is up to 25%, which is greater than that of all of NYC, and is highly concentrated among the area’s children.

Since 1964, UPROSE has trained generations of youth leaders in environmental justice to address issues such as land redevelopment and use, alternative energy systems, and climate change adaptation, to develop strategies for sustainable growth. Because of their advocacy, $36 million has been awarded towards environmental remediation to Sunset Park’s waterfront park.

Bay Ridge bars

Bay Ridge, which is getting known for its active nightlife in recent times, is slowly translating itself to be known as little New York. Emulating the whacky nightlife of New York City, this small town in Brooklyn is getting famous for its night clubs, pubs and bars. These hangouts offer the perfect ambience to the diverse crowd in Bay Ridge.

With John Travolta tapping his foot here decades ago, it is not only Saturday Night Fever, it is party fever at Bay Ridge every night at its bars and pubs. Guzzlers Inn, one of the hip and happening bars for the youth, is crowded day and night by teenagers. True to its name, there’s no stopping to one’s guzzling with the crackling of mugs creating a cacophony all night long.

Drink and Dine, Three Cheers, Golden Meadow, Antiques are some of the best known bars in Bay Ridge. These bars are reviewed by top food guides and best selling food magazines for their ambience, service and cocktails. These bars are also classified as family bars and youth hangouts.

Whether it is a special dinner with family or just an evening with friends, you can be sure of getting the perfect blend of your favorite drink with lip smacking delicacies at any of the bars in Bay Ridge.

On your next visit to Bay Ridge, don’t forget to visit the best knows bars, because you will miss ALL THE FUN.

Bay Ridge Rover invite every local people that will like to blog about Bay Ridge to send e-mail with their articles to info@bayridgerover.com .Either you want to blog one time for a matter that you find intresting or you want to be a regular author this is your chance to let our readers to know your thoughts or inform users for any breaking news that are related with Bay Ridge.

Bay Ridge shopping

The next time when you visit Bay Ridge in Brooklyn, do not forget to carry your shopping list. Bay Ridge offers the best shopping experience to shopoholics. The best of leading clothing brands from across the world will definitely force you to loosen your purse strings.

Bay Ridge is truly a shopping paradise.

Hope you have already started making your long list so that you shop till you drop when you visit Bay Ridge. Happy shopping!

Bay Ridge restaurants

Bay Ridge boasts of restaurants that brings you closer to every nook and corner of the globe. From Swedish to Mexican, Thai to Arabian, Japanese to Indian, you have restaurants that not only serve the exquisite cuisines of these countries but also represent their culture.

If you are a foodie and love to binge on various tastes, then a visit to each of these restaurants is a must when you are in Bay Ridge.

You will be surprised to know that, busy New Yorkers, who work tirelessly through out the week, will not miss even a single chance to drive through Bay Ridge and treat themselves to sumptuous and delicious cuisines at any of these finest restaurants.

All said and done, one must salute the city of Bay Ridge that has welcomed setting up of restaurants representing the cultures of various countries.

With the cycle of recession making a turn for good, the real estate business in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, is looking up with a positive trend. Investing in Bay Ridge, that faces the skyline of Manhattan area in New York, had been a dream for many.

 Builders and developers have been offering great bargains for investors; given the current situation where buyers are recovering from the recession period. The real estate in Bay Ridge was hit in a big way with property prices nose diving in the last six months. There had been a decrease of 20 to 25 per cent in the property value in up-market areas of Bay Ridge. However, in order to boost the real estate sector in this city, noted developers and builders have assured to retain the market prices offered in the last six months.

 According to a noted builder in the city, whom I met recently while looking for a villa in Georgetown locality in Bay Ridge, people are slowly thinking of investing in properties again. “The property prices, which had sky rocketed a year ago, had forced many buyers to drop the idea. But now, many buyers are showing interest to invest in properties,” he added.

 It is not only the residential estates that are creating a buzz; even commercial properties are getting a better deal.  Multi national corporations and retail chains are eyeing Bay Ridge to expand business. The new Central Business District is sure to change the real estate business scene in Bay Ridge as super malls, multiplexes and business centers will raise their heads in a year or two.

 With the residential localities being divided into three zones, the property prices in Zone A is 25 per cent higher than that of Zone B, while Zone B is 15 per cent higher than that of Zone C. These areas have been divided based on their proximity to the harbor.

 Many upcoming housing projects are offering facilities like video door phones, burglar alarms, and maximum resistance to wind, water and dust etc.  With developers lining up to offer the best and make the most, the real estate scenario in Bay Ridge is sure to make noise.

Bay Ridge, all set to stand tall

With the increase in immigrants, the demographics of the Bay Ridge area in Brooklyn is all set to change.

In order to enable smooth standard of living for the native residents and ensure development of city’s infrastructure, the Town Planning Department has proposed new zoning regulations and has made amendments to the new Bay Ridge Community District (BRCD). Finally, it looks like the residents’ wish to see a modern and developed Bay Ridge is turning out to be a reality.

The new zoning regulations will curb haphazard growth of the existing blocks in Bay Ridge and will allow for new blocks to come up. With amendments to the City Development Act proposing to bring to books those violating the zoning regulations, a majority of old timers are heaving a sigh of relief.

A separate colony has also been proposed for the immigrants where permission will be extended to only detachable homes. Hopefully, this ensures retain the character of the residential neighbourhood.

I am overwhelmed at the Mayor’s gesture in granting permission to set up schools to teach native languages of immigrants from various corners of the world. With this, Bay Ridge gets the distinction of becoming the first city in USA to support such a cause.

There are hopes of further improvement to the city with American president Barack Obama recently announcing a slew of development projects in Bay Ridge and neighbouring cities. However, people of Bay Ridge are also worried at the fact the two architectural marvels in their city – Hamilton Fort and the Green Church, may get lost in the ruins with modern structures raising their heads in the city. Let’s hope that the development of Bay Ridge area will do less harm to its old architecture and retain the old charm.

The place to be

When I think of Bay Ridge, a neighbourhood in the southwest corner of the New York City borough of Brooklyn, it’s largely middle class neighbourhood, Fort Hamilton and the ruinous remains of the Green Church, the long boulevards and a colony of wild Monk Parakeets that live in the Leif Erickson Park, bring back the memories of a great time I spent there for over two years.

 Undoubtedly, Bay Ridge’s natural beauty, set in the serene surrounding overlooking the skylines of Manhattan area is a Small Paradise on its own.

 Nestled in the neighbourhood of New York Bay, the Ridge Boulevard is the best place to spend time. How can I forget the evenings spent walking down the Boulevard through out my stay! The brick oven bread at Frances Bakery was the best I had ever tasted.

 Even as I paint a bright picture of Bay Ridge, which has a mix of Italians, Irish, Greek, German and Scandinavian population, the local community leaders always struggled to improve the standard of living of people residing in small colonies

 The crime scene was no better in Bay Ridge. You will be terrified to know about the spate of burglaries that were reported often in addition to an alarming increase in out door drug use. Residents often complained that the police were lax in controlling the crime.

 How can I forget the untiring efforts of a community leader, who made every move to race against other neighbourhoods like Green Park, Rock Avenue and Slopebush. A fitting example to this is the idea of setting up food co-operatives in the area to ensure decent food supply to the residents.

 It’s two years since I left Bay Ridge, and I am relocating for good. Hope, the city welcomes me with the same warmth and care.