Under the K Bridge Park, a new public park built beneath the overpass of the Kosciuszko Bridge, officially opened last week.
The new park is seven acres and comes equipped with bike paths, greenspace, and skate park.
“The Kosciuszko Bridge project continues to reap benefits not only for motorists, pedestrians and the cycling community, but for a North Brooklyn community craving for more open space in the midst of a worldwide pandemic,” said Governor Andrew Cuomo. “Under the K Bridge Park is living proof that the Kosciuszko Bridge project didn’t just connect two New York City boroughs, but is helping to transform an entire community.”
The bike lanes at Under the K connect to North Brooklyn’s growing bike lane network and to Queens via the shared-use path on the Kosciuszko Bridge.
The new Kosciuszko Bridge officially opened in August 2019 and included pedestrian walkways and bike lanes. The project represented the first major bridge crossing built in New York City since the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge opened to traffic in 1964.
Under the K also features more than 20,000 trees and plants, bringing a much needed touch of color to the largely industrial Newtown Creek waterfront.
“With the addition of this truly innovative urban park, DOT is expanding those benefits to further integrate green, open space for the enjoyment of all New Yorkers,”. “The COVID-19 public health emergency underscored the need for outdoor recreational opportunities and that’s exactly what Under the K Bridge Park provides,” said Marie Therese Dominguez, commissioner of the state Department of Transportation. “With expansive walkways, innovative design and landscaping, this bridge truly connects people through infrastructure and greenspace.”
The new park will be open daily from dawn until dusk, with COVID-19 health and safety measures in place to ensure park visitors comply with the state’s guidance on masks, social distancing, and gatherings.
“North Brooklyn has been historically underserved with its amount of parks and open space,” North Brooklyn Parks Alliance founding board member Joseph Vance explained. “Under the K Bridge Park opens the door for innovative transformation of underutilized public land for open space.”

From June 8 to June 28, a new memorial at Green-Wood Cemetery will honor the more than 52,000 New Yorkers who have already died from the COVID-19 pandemic. The new installation — titled ‘WE REMEMBER: A COMMUNITY COVID MEMORIAL’ — features images, nameplates, and other items along a 200 feet stretch of the iron gate at the Cemetery’s iconic entrance on Fifth Avenue and 25th Street.

Naming the Lost Memorials, a nonprofit that has organized previous COVID-19 memorials in New York City, worked in collaboration with Green-Wood Cemetery to bring WE REMEMBER to life. The cemetery also partnered with over 20 local organizations to help promote and finance the memorial, including Brooklyn Roots, Flushing Town Hall, the Worker Justice Project, Hebrew Tabernacle, and the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs.
“All of us at Green-Wood have seen, firsthand, the toll that COVID-19 has taken on family, friends, our community, and even our industry,” said Kay Turner, an artist, folklorist, and team member at Naming the Lost Memorials. “This beautiful living memorial gives us a special place to remember what they meant to us and how they each made this world a better place.”
Turner continued: “Even as New Yorkers begin to feel the joys of opening, the pandemic rages on in other parts of the world. It’s not over. Nor is the sense of loss we feel knowing that 600,000 of our loved ones in the United States are gone from us. Mourning and remembrance are still necessary acts. Naming those lost to COVID-19 must continue. Our memorial at Green-Wood provides a place to do just that.”
WE REMEMBER functions as an interactive exhibit. Community members and passerby are encouraged to create their own nameplates to add to the ever-growing memorial wall.

Unfortunately, the opening ceremony that was planned for the memorial was cancelled due to weather, yet Green-Wood still hopes to organize candle lightings, name readings, and other events down the road.

Green-Wood Cemetery experienced a dramatic increase in burials and cremations during the pandemic’s heights last spring and summer. The volume of deaths was so great that the cemetery was forced to institute a partial cap on the number of cremations it would allow within a day. Although case numbers and deaths continue to decrease, the staff at Green-Wood Cemetery has remained extremely busy since the pandemic’s start.

For more information on the memorial, visit https://namingthelost.com/memorials/.

Ernesto Gonzalez first fell in love with pottery when he took an entry-level class in high school. After many years of study and practice, he has now transformed that passion into a thriving business that offers lessons and rental space to pottery enthusiasts and novices alike in North Brooklyn.
“I started giving pottery lessons in Bushwick about five years ago,” Gonzalez explained. “It started as a simple sip-and-spin thing with friends and family, but then eventually developed into a full business.”
Gonzalez moved from California to Bushwick in 2013, and brought his love for clay making with him. In 2020 he moved again, this time to Greenpoint, where he opened a pottery workshop and studio named Barro (Spanish for “mud”) at 67 West Street.
Gonzalez continued offering classes outside through most of the pandemic as he prepared to open the new workshop. Coming out of the pandemic, he is hoping to take his growing business to the next level.
“There was no pottery studio in this area,” Gonzalez said. “People have loved having such a convenient place to come and learn pottery. Some of my students live only a block or two away.
Barro offers a variety of classes for pottery newcomers and experts. Gonzalez recommends the one-off “Intro to the Pottery Wheel” class for beginners who are mainly focused on having fun.
For more experienced potters, he suggests the four-week “Fundamentals of Wheel Throwing” course that highlights more advanced techniques.
After taking a class, students are encouraged to rent a throwing wheel to continue honing their craft.
Gonzales credits his success in part to the vibrant and welcoming culture of North Brooklyn.
“Greenpoint is so close-knit and supportive,” he said. “Everyone here believes in me and supports me, and I am really grateful for that.”
Even though he now instructs dozens of students a week, Gonzalez has been able to continue honing his own abilities as a potter at Barro.
“I believe that you can only become a better potter by teaching,” he said. “The fun is in the process.”
Formerly an accountant, Gonzalez now works full time at Barro teaching classes and creating commissioned pieces. He hopes that his success story will inspire other artists and entrepreneurs to pursue their dreams, especially as the COVID-19 pandemic comes to a close.
“The city lost a lot of good businesses during the pandemic,” Gonzalez explained, “but now that things are coming back to life, it is the time to try new things. If it doesn’t work out, you can always try it again in some different capacity.”

Registration for classes at Barro can be made at barrobk.com. Additionally, Gonzalez will offer multiple in-person pottery demos on weekends throughout the summer at Greenpoint Terminal Market.

Follow Barro on Instagram @barrobk.

Calling all rock bands! 

Nonnas 1977, a classic rock themed pizzeria with locations in Astoria and Bayside, just announced that they will be hosting a “battle of the bands” competition on their social media platforms.

The winning band will receive a $100 NONNAS 1977 gift card, a custom pie named after them, a feature story in the local Queens Ledger Newspaper, and a chance to perform live in front of fans at NONNAS’ Astoria location on Astoria Boulevard later this month.

To enter, bands are required to post a one-minute video performance on their Instagram, Facebook, or TikTok feed and tag @nonnas1977 Pizzeria and use the hashtag @nonnas1977bandwars. Bands can rock out to an original or cover classic rock song. If the band does not have a social media page, the performance can be submitted by emailing john@queensledger.com.

NONNAS 1977 will select the top 4 bands, post each band’s performance on their Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok feeds, and NONNAS 1977’s fans will vote by commenting on their favorite performance.

The submission deadline is Wednesday, June 16th and voting will start on Friday, June 18th on all NONNAS 1977 social media platforms of Instagram, Facebook, and Tiktok. 

“We are as just passionate about rock and roll music as we are about making great pizza,” said NONNAS 1977 co-owner Leon Leandrou. 

That fact is evident as soon as you walk into NONNAS 1977. 

The pizzeria names each of their pies after famous classic rock song such as “Proud Mary” or “Roxanne”. There is classic rock memorabilia on the walls, and classic rock playing on the speakers, making the NONNAS 1977 experience a rocking one.

You can follow NONNAS 1977’s “Battle of The Bands” competition on their social media accounts.

Three federal elected officials were at Elmhurst Hospital last week to push for funding for  modern, safe, and equitable maternal health care experience for surrounding working class and immigrant communities.

“We know that maternal mortality is disproportionately higher amongst women of color,” said Senator Kirsten Gillibrand. “This funding would be able to be used to provide more modern, safe and equitable maternal healthcare to the surrounding communities. It will also allow the hospital to provide families with more space and more privacy during delivery which will not only help control the spread of infection but also help new parents recover, bond with their baby, learn to breastfeed and care for their newborns.”

Congresswomen Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Grace Meng recently submitted a joint funding request for $3 million to pay for the improvements.

“We need to do better, we need to have a better and stronger infrastructure than we did before the pandemic started.” Meng said.

At the height of the pandemic, Elmhurst was one of the hardest-hit communities in the country. Elmhurst Hospital struggled to keep up with the demand. 

“This hospital is one of the only places in the world where a person’s income does not determine their quality of care,” said Ocasio-Cortez. “This hospital is one of the only places in the world that says, ‘I don’t need to see your insurance right now. I don’t need to see your papers right now. You’re a human being and we’re going to give you the best quality of care no matter what.’”

Join this FREE Zoom seminar, hosted by Beacon Eldercare and ALJ Law, ti find out how to help your loved one live in their home longer and safer in an environment that they love.

Beacon Eldercare, located at 69-23 Grand Ave. in Maspeth, has been helping families throughout New York City to find the best practices and solutions to healthcare needs for decades. Now, through the use of the conference call app Zoom, Beacon Eldercare CEO Yvonne Murphy and Andrew Jaloza, of the Estate Planning & Elder Law Group, will share their vast knowledge during their free upcoming virtual informational seminar. 

“We want to be able to communicate with families who need our help and we’ve found that we’re able to do that by utilizing social media and meeting technology,” said Beacon Eldercare’s founder and CEO, Yvonne Murphy. “It’s important that families start a dialogue about estate planning and elder care early.”

Murphy and Jaloza are hoping that the virtual open forum gives more people the opportunity to get their estate planning and elder care questions answered. As an added bonus, four attendees will be picked at random to receive $50 gift cards from local businesses. 

Click here to enter the FREE Zoom seminar on Thursday, June 17th at 7pm

Yvonne Murphy has more than 20 years of experience with long term care, health care, housing options, consulting and supporting families who are caring for elderly loved ones. Ms. Murphy is known to be the “champion of innovative and diverse care plans for those with special needs.” She is the Founder and CEO of Beacon Eldercare, a New York licensed home care agency, and Beacon Geriatric Consulting Agency, the consulting arm of the agency. Ms. Murphy received her first Masters’ Degree in Social Work from Adelphi University and continued her graduate studies to acquire a second Master’s Degree in Forensic Psychology from John Jay College. 

Andrew L. Jaloza was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. He attended Columbia University for his undergraduate studies and graduated from Brooklyn Law School in 1987. Andrew has been an admitted attorney practicing in the state of New York since 1988. For over 26 years, he has assisted countless families in the areas Estate Planning, Real Estate, and Business Law.

“This virtual seminar is an excellent opportunity for those with questions about estate planning and eldercare to connect with two professionals with extensive experience in those areas,” Jaloza said. “We’re looking forward to having productive and informative conversations, and also giving away some fun prizes.” 

Click here to enter the FREE Zoom seminar on Thursday, June 17th at 7pm

Dough Doughnuts (Dough), a beloved donut shop with locations in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn and Flat Iron, Manhattan opened a new location in Astoria last weekend on May 29.

All weekend, lines snaked up and down the block as locals were buzzing with anticipation of the new addition, which is located on 21-70 31st street. 

“I practically saw the line from a mile away,” said local resident Ian Martin, as he stepped out of the shop, donuts in hand. “I needed to check it out. I can’t wait to get home and try these,” he laughed. 

Customers watched in awe of the unique glazing process being performed behind the window. Dough has over 30 flavors of over-sized brioche style doughnuts, prepared in small batches throughout the day. Their unique flavors include dulce de leche with almonds, hibiscus, lemon berry, passion fruit, s’mores and strawberry boston cream. They even have a vegan selection of donuts. 

The first hundred customers received a free t-shirt with their purchase. In addition to the wide variety of flavors, complementary shirts, and warm staff, Dough launched a brand new cherry Greek yogurt donut. The sweet treat has a sour cherry yogurt parfait spread on their signature brioche-style dough, topped with chopped walnuts and finished with rose water and mint. 

Co-owner Steve Klein told Eaterthat the shop will be opening an additional location in Rockefeller Center in the upcoming months.

Dough was founded in 2010 in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn. Dough expanded into Manhattan, placing roots in the Flatiron district in 2015 and two kiosk locations Urbanspace Vanderbilt (Grand Central) and City Kitchen (Time Square) were opened after Flatiron. 

The company has recently teamed up with Black Tap Craft Burgers & Beer to create an exclusive rainbow pride doughnut crazyshake, which is exclusively available at the Black Tap location in SoHo in limited quantities per day all month long. The dessert consists of a vanilla rainbow shake with a frosted rim, topped with a Dough Doughnut rainbow donut, rainbow twisty pop, sour rainbow belt, rainbow sprinkles and whipped cream. For every shake purchased, the company will donate a portion of the proceeds to the LGBT Center of NYC. 

The Astoria location offers coffee from brewers Bonjourno Artisanal Coffee. The opening hours are Mondays through Sundays from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. To see their delicious menu visit https://www.doughdoughnuts.com/