Artists paint Pride inspired murals at 723 Grand Street

The BID worked with the Lisa Project to bring art to the neighborhood.

Mural by Damon Johnson

The Grand Street BID celebrated Pride month by bringing more public art to the district. Working with the Lisa Project and their 50 murals for 50 years initiative, the BID invited the group to include Grand Street in the project.

The Lisa Project brought artists Damon Johnson, Paul Richard, PaidMSD, SINNED & Ria Burns-Wilder. This is in addition to the murals commissioned by the BID which brought Don Rimx & Chris Jehly to the neighborhood.

The works take another step in solidifying Grand Street as a home to diversity and inclusion. Coupled with the Puerto Rican inspired mural by Don Rimx, the BID has sought to bring art to the neighborhood representative of our welcoming community.

See the new works on the western facing wall of Farmer Deli at the intersection of Graham Ave & Grand Street.

Works (left to right) by PaidMSD, SINNED & Ria Burns-Wilder.

Chris Jehly paints murals at Grand Seafood

The Brooklyn local artist is painting the gates at 98 Bushwick Ave

Street artists are continuing to come to Grand Street, this time painting the gates around the L station at 98 Bushwick Avenue. The Grand Street BID has commissioned Chris Jehly through the Grand Street based curation company Owley to paint the gates with a series of 3 murals, the first one is shown above.

Jehly is known for his works that are inspired by his immediate surroundings as he paints. On Grand Street, Jehly says that he would like to capture the beat of the neighborhood, and his first work has reflected that with its vibrance and bright colors.

The artist will continue to work on the gates during the weekends throughout the remainder of the month, bringing new elements with each new mural.

In tandem with the new mural by Don Rimx at 609 Grand Street and the Ellie Balk piece at 772 Grand, the BID has made it a priority to bring world class public art to the neighborhood. Watch Chris paint this weekend, and follow us @grandstreetbid and @ow.ley for live updates on the work.

Happy 14th Birthday Bushwick Country Club

The neighborhood watering hole is celebrating on Wednesday, June 19th

The event will have free oysters + barbecue along with a champagne toast.
photo courtesy of DrinkedIn

As many descriptions of Bushwick Country Club note, it’s neither in Bushwick or a country club, but this staple bar has been on Grand Street for 14 years this Wednesday.

You can still celebrate in summer country club fashion however with free oysters, barbecue and mini golf on a 6 hole course in the backyard. The spot has a photo booth and arcade games as well, but beyond the extras the main draw has seemingly always been the sense of home Bushwick Country Club provides the neighborhood. The bar goes extra miles to create a sense of belonging, even creating country club “membership” cards for regulars.

BCC has also made a name for itself over the years, inventing the now well-known “pickleback” shot in 2006. So celebrate everything Bushwick Country Club has brought to the neighborhood over the past 14 years with a champagne toast and a shot with pickle juice for the chaser.

Where to dine al fresco on Grand Street

Warm weather is here, make the most of it with these Williamsburg open air eats.

Escape to the garden at Huckleberry Bar for a drink
Courtesy of @huckleberrybar

Huckleberry Bar

This chic bar with seasonally driven craft cocktails + small plates has a garden in the backyard and is perfect for any date night.

Los Tacos McOndo

On the intersection of Grand Street & Union Ave, this conveniently
located and stylish Mexican restaurant + bar offers sidewalk bistro seating adjacent
to public art murals.

Street art facing the outdoor seating at Los Tacos McOndo

Willburg Café

One of only a handful of Grand Street restaurants to offer
sidewalk seating, this diner + café spot offers breakfast all day + bargain
lunch combos.

Dar 525

Mediterranean cuisine sitting in the shaded front patio is perfect for any warm summer day.

Shaded seating at Dar 525

Noorman’s Kil

The whiskey and grilled cheese bar has an open backyard suitable for its regular whiskey tastings and $2 deluxe grilled cheese specials every Tuesday.

Le Barricou

This spot known for its national top 100 brunch, also provides some limited seating tables out front for lucky diners on a first come first basis. Arrive early for not only the fresh air, but for their famous oven
baked pancakes.

Seating for 2 outside Le Barricou

AmmazzaCaffe

The backyard seating at this fine Italian restaurant
provides the perfect atmosphere for a special night out

Family style dining at AmmazzaCaffe
Courtesy of @ammazzacaffe

Haab

The Mexican restaurant offers plenty of vegan options and is
just off of Grand Street on Leonard for a more peaceful lunch affair

Flower plantings + bistro seating at haab

World class art comes to Grand Street

The BID has commissioned artist Don Rimx to paint a mural at 609 Grand Street

Don Rimx has public works in NYC, Puerto Rico + more
Photo credit: @donrimx

Grand Street is about to become a lot more artsy. That is because the BID has commissioned a public art mural to be painted by well-known Puerto Rican artist with Brooklyn roots artist Don Rimx. Using Grand Street building walls as canvasses, the BID has made public art a priority in the past by partnering with Ellie Balk on several “Math Driven Art” pieces.

The work produced by the artist will be inspired by his impression of the neighborhood and informed by a documentary the BID has concurrently produced with Owley by interviewing small business owners + residents on their views of the community. The video will also document the painting process and be released after the completion of the mural.

Don Rimx, who is a former Grand Street area resident, plans to represent the small business community while tying in bright colors + themes of the neighborhood’s own Puerto Rican heritage. The wall will face west towards the Key Food at 609 Grand Street (Noorman’s Kil), replacing a graffiti coated surface.

In tandem with Owley producing a documentary on the community + painting process, the Grand Street Neighborhood Initiative hopes to substantially improve the beauty of the neighborhood, while linking the art with a sense of belonging in a cohesive manner.  

The Grand Street BID coordinated the public mural + video with funding from Council Member Levin.

See press coverage of the mural:

Greenpoint Star

Greenline

News 12

Don Rimx’s artistic influence extends across NYC, as seen in this work in East Harlem

Meet the Grand Street BID: Win prizes

The Grand Street BID is partnering with local businesses to talk to shoppers on the street

The BID spoke with families while passing out free coffee + treats.

Look out for the logo to stop and chat with one of our neighborhood staff about the community while enjoying free treats. On a sunny Saturday this past month, the BID took the streets to share Eleva Coffee, Nick + Sons croissants, and spin a prize wheel for raffles + tote bags.

As part of the Grand Street Neighborhood Initiative, the BID wants to expand our reach to have conversations directly with shoppers and residents of the corridor. We collected feedback through community surveys to see what Grand Street patrons wanted to see next.

Shoppers who completed the survey or signed up for our newsletter spun a prize wheel for tote bags, sweets, or raffles of $50 to a Grand Street restaurant + 2lbs of Eleva coffee beans. Seen below, our winners, Ramona ($50 to Le Barricou) and Tiffany (Eleva coffee) are both residents of the Grand Street community.

Follow @grandstreetbid to find out where + when the next pop-up will be. The BID will continue to partner with our businesses this summer to chat + listen to you.

Winners of $50 to Le Barricou from our pop-up raffle

Trash, Trains + alTernate side parking: Memorial Day city service changes

Just like every day, NYC is the best place to spend Memorial Day, here’s the info you need to know.

If you’re not leaving the city, note these changes.
Photo courtesy of Timeout.

Sanitation collection: Suspended. Hold your trash on Sunday night, DSNY will not be collecting on Monday. Be a good neighbor and avoid fines.

L train service: Delayed. L Project work will be taking place on Monday. When planning your trips treat the day like any weekend.

Alternate side parking: Suspended. Save the exhaust and enjoy the day.

Grand Street business owners share their stories in lead up to street murals

The BID spoke with businesses as part of the Grand Street Neighborhood Initiative

The Sandwich Shop owners Clarisa + Ricardo

Why do businesses decide to open on Grand Street? What makes this neighborhood special as opposed to the limitless commercial corridors in NYC? The Grand Street BID serves to beautify the neighborhood + improve quality of life for businesses and shoppers, and as part of that effort we are commissioning street art murals at some of our intersections this June.

As part of that project, we wanted to use the opportunity to get to the heart of what makes this neighborhood worth taking care of in the first place. So we sat down with business owners on Grand Street to talk about the community in anticipation of the streetscape improvements. We asked questions such as “What’s your favorite memory on Grand Street?”, “Why did you open a business here?”, and “Where are you from originally?” to get a clearer picture of Grand Street’s rich diversity and attractiveness to entrepreneurs.

We talked to a variety of businesses, from old timers Bahia Restaurant & Café + Empire Lock, established businesses The Sandwich Shop + Noorman’s Kil, and newcomers Eleva Coffee + King Kog. We also interviewed some residents and property owners for their perspective on the neighborhood. The interviews will be pieced together with documentation of the painting to be released with the completion of the murals as part of the Grand Street Neighborhood Initiative.

Shawn + Anna Maria (King Kog) discussed how they bring infrastructure to NYC streets. Raffaello + Emilio (Eleva) shared their personal connection living in the neighborhood. Luis (Bahia) explained how he’s seen the neighborhood change and how his business has adapted. Melinda (resident) spoke about her move to Grand Street 20+ years ago. There are so many stories to be told by the tenants of Grand Street, and through this documentary, the BID is proud to give those voices a platform.

Stay tuned for the documentary this summer and look out for art popping up throughout Grand Street in the coming months.

Ellie Balk paints 4th “Math Driven Art” work on Grand

The Brooklyn artist is installing her latest project at Grand St & Humboldt Ave

Students from Williamsburg HS of Arts & Tech painting.

If you’ve walked anywhere out of the Grand Street L station it’s hard not to notice some of the bright, puzzle looking designs on the intersections of Grand Street at Humboldt, Graham, and Manhattan Avenues. Maybe you’ve stopped and read the plaques that are posted on the wall detailing each work. If you haven’t, you may be pleasantly surprised that there’s a story to be told for each one.

The paintings are all orchestrated by Brooklyn artist Ellie Balk, who made her name in the community by working with local public school students to create what Balk calls “Math Driven Art”. That is, art that’s conception + design comes from quantitative research, numerical formulas, and data.

With a portfolio of public art that crosses cities and expands internationally, Balk considers herself to be more of a composer. The process begins with an idea of transforming data + numbers into an artistic visualization. Balk’s most recent work seeks to map out students’ interactions throughout the day by genre (phone, face to face, social media) and create art by giving a color to each interaction in a pie chart.

The students of the Williamsburg High School of Arts & Technology were hands-on in bringing the piece to life. Each student involved with the project conducted research for 2 weeks, and contributed to painting the final work under the guiding hand of Balk.

With the completion of this latest installation, Balk will have led students in painting 4 walls on Grand Street alone, incorporating math with art and giving students a platform + opportunity to beautify their community.

See Balk’s work come to life this week at the southern corner of Grand Street & Humboldt Avenue, and explore her entire Grand Street collection throughout the neighborhood.

Yummy Extensions debuts first NYC location on Grand Street

The Dallas-based hair company opened with a launch party on Sunday

The online industry leader opened its doors at 675 Grand Street.

Yummy Extensions has built a reputation supplying top-of-the-line hair extensions unmatched in quality, worn by celebrities, and even being featured at the Met Gala this year. Amassing 287k instagram followers and a robust online sales presence, you’d be surprised to hear that before this move you could only find an in-person Yummy Extensions retail store in Dallas, TX.

That’s no longer the case as owner + founder Yummie has taken the leap to a permanent foothold in NYC after numerous pop-ups throughout the city. The store opened at 675 Grand Street on Sunday with a line-out-the-door launch party featuring Growing up Hip Hop star Angela Simmons.

When asked why she chose Grand Street to open her first expansion store and NYC location, Yummie said she felt comfortable in the neighborhood and she loved the space. Yummy Extensions is the 4th new business on Grand Street within the past month to be opened by an experienced entrepreneur, as the neighborhood has emerged as a destination for small business owners looking to expand their reach into Williamsburg.

To find out more about Yummy Extensions, visit their website and follow on Instagram + Twitter.

NY💘Join us on Sunday May 5th for the Grand Opening of the FIRST Yummy Extensions store in #brooklyn 🎉🎉🎉 Time: 2pm-7pm Come enjoy special exclusive pricing, refreshments,Live DJ and giveaways. See you there #beearly #yummyextensions #yummygirl #yummytakesbrooklyn

369 Likes, 22 Comments - Official Yummy Hair Extensions (@yummyextensions) on Instagram: "NY💘Join us on Sunday May 5th for the Grand Opening of the FIRST Yummy Extensions store in #brooklyn..."

Learn to Reduce + Save for your Business at the NYC Food Waste Fair

Reducing food waste presents opportunities for businesses to cut down costs

The NYC Food Waste Fair at Brooklyn Navy Yard is an annual interactive experience designed to connect food industry professionals with information and resources from the City to cut down and reach zero waste.

On May 23rd, with workshops from food sustainability experts, businesses can learn how to fully utilize “Reducing, Reusing, and Recycling” to save money by eliminating excess waste.

Coinciding with the Fair is the Zero Waste Food Challenge, where you can watch Michelin Star chefs like Michael Anthony from Gramercy Tavern and local leading chefs Naama Tamir from Lighthouse compete to make the best Zero Waste dish.

Buy tickets to the Food Waste Fair (10am – 6pm) + Zero Food Challenge (6pm – 9pm). Early Bird tickets are available at a discounted rate until May 10th.

Learn easy ways to reduce waste at your business + save money right now.

The fair also provides workshop series like a Q & A with the director of Wasted!, May 16th.

Bahia Takes Lead with Storefront Renovations

Bahia Restaurant & Café has evolved its look to reflect the ever changing neighborhood

Bahia’s exterior post-renovation

The times are changing in Williamsburg, and so is Bahia Restaurant & Café. The El Salvadoran restaurant has nearly completed full interior + exterior improvements, converting the inside to the picture above.

Grand Street has seen a lot of change in the past two decades, and the 19 year old cafe is looking to stay ahead of the curve. The restaurant’s owners, Luis and Felix have always been strong members of the
Grand Street community and partners with the BID. Now in this effort, Bahia is proving to be a standard bearer for businesses in their community engagement + commitment to stay in tune with an ever changing retail environment that demands new aesthetic appeal.

New businesses on Grand Street have been increasingly focusing effort on storefront design, and Bahia is now leading the charge for longtime business owners looking to evolve with an increasingly competitive
commercial corridor and restaurant scene.

Although its appearance may have changed, Bahia’s authentic cuisine has remained the same. The eatery excels in its El Salvadoran classics like pupusas + yuca frita and seafood, and goes further to offer Italian +
American dishes as well.

For residents and visitors to the neighborhood, Bahia should be a can’t-miss trip to one of Grand Street’s longest-living and always improving gems. For business owners looking to take the next step in modernizing their storefront, check these guidelines from the NYC SBS on how to begin.

The interior renovations were completed earlier this year

BK Pilates Adds New Fitness Options to Grand Street

Founder Marina Kaydanova returns to Brooklyn with her latest studio

Classes are open to all levels

In a trend of small biz entrepreneurs choosing Grand Street for their 2nd and 3rd businesses, BK Pilates stands out from the group. Owner and founder Marina Kaydanova had found success in two boroughs before opening her brand’s 4th studio at 710 Grand Street this year.

Working in the corporate world, Marina began Pilates as a way to keep in shape, which quickly turned into a passion, which eventually led to opening her first business near Marine Park in South Brooklyn. After success there and further installments in TriBeCa + Flatiron, Marina is bringing her business back to Brooklyn and bringing Pilates to Grand Street.  

Marina says she chose Grand Street for her business because of the beauty of the space and the active presence it provides on the busy corridor. She also loves the sense of community among the small businesses and residents. There was a need too, among Grand Street’s growing fitness studio scene there had yet to be a space dedicated to Pilates.

That’s no longer a concern, and you can choose a group class which last about an hour for $40 or a private lesson that will cost you less than those at Manhattan locations. There is additionally space for pop-ups in
the front and inquiries are welcome at info@grandstreetbk.org.

If you’re curious about the workout, check out @bkpilates on instagram or bkpilates.com to register.

Eleva Coffee Finds a Homecoming on Grand Street

Co-owner Raffaello Van Couten is proud to bring Eleva Coffee to his home neighborhood

Eleva’s inside offers space to work, meet friends, + relax

Eleva Coffee has just expanded to their new home at 649 Grand Street, which in many ways is where their story began. While Eleva has been in business for a little under 2 years, it opened its first storefront on
N 8th street in October.

Emilio Baltodano founded Eleva when seeking to merge ethically sourced coffee with consumer friendly prices, so he used his prior 15 years in the coffee trading business to connect with rural communities in Nicaragua, Guatemala, and Ethiopia. Using his past coffee industry experience, Emilio built a sustainable model that pays Eleva’s farmers above market-rate and invests significantly in building up the infrastructure and schools in the communities they farm.

After founding Eleva, Emilio met now co-owner Raffaello Van Couten by providing Eleva’s coffee to Van Couten’s Williamsburg restaurant, Midnights. Van Couten has lived on Grand Street for over 10 years, and even partners with local biz Willy B Crossfit (667 Grand St) on culinary side projects. When Van Couten and Willy B came into the fold of the Eleva project, Grand Street seemed like the natural next destination for the shop.

Raffaello and Emilio consider Grand Street an integral part of their business today, and they are entrenching their coffee in the community with special discounts for Grand Street residents and baked goods from neighborhood bakery Nick + Sons.

Welcome Eleva to the neighborhood by trying “The Grand” sandwich special asking for your $1 off discount for living in the community.

Emilo ensures Eleva’s coffee is farm-to-cup with close relationships to their farming communites

BK Jani Brings NYC Top 20 Burger to Grand Street

Chef Sibte Hassan is expanding his Pakistani hit from Bushwick to Williamsburg

Rated 8.6/10 from The Infatuation

If you’ve already been behind on your New Year’s Resolution to get in shape, now might be the time to officially throw in the towel. After all, Grand Street’s newest biz opening happens to be home to one of NYC’s top 20 burgers (# 12 to be specific). Owner + chef Sibte Hassan is expanding his New York Times praised business from Bushwick to a new storefront at 679 Grand Street. If you’re not already sold, check out this review from The Infatuation accompanying their ranking:

“When you try the signature burger at this tiny Pakistani place in Bushwick, you’ll think back to a time in your life when you were constantly discovering great new things, like sunsets and scented markers. It might not look all that unique, but instead of mayo or mustard, it has spicy mint chutney, and the big patty is somehow lighter than it looks. We could eat several of these in one sitting, and now that we’ve come up with that idea, we probably will.”

— The Infatuation

Sibte wasn’t expecting to come to Williamsburg, but when he visited his new digs for the first time he knew it was a match right away. Having arrived in New York over a decade ago, Sibte initially came to study at the Parsons School of Design. We’re glad that Sibte changed career paths to cooking, and we’re even happier that cooking is coming to Grand Street.

Chef Hassan in front of the Bushwick establishment (photo: New York Times)

Blue Angel Wine Collects Corks for Recycle

Where to recycle your misc objects on Grand Street

Gabe manages Blue Angel and runs their recycling program

Blue Angel Wines has made a hobby of collecting corks from the bottles they sell. The corks are not to keep of course; they’re all going to recycle. Whether you bought the bottle from Blue Angel or not, bring your leftover corks to 638 Grand Street and they’ll take care of the rest.

There’s a place for all of your other miscellaneous objects to recycle on Grand Street as well. With the chart below, you can find a Grand Street business that will take your leftover clothing, plastic bags, electronics + more.

When you’re doing your spring cleaning, remember it’s Earth month and that there are businesses are here to help keep our city eco-friendly.

Get your business in on Grand

Grand Street BID’s retail availability map details commercial opportunities for small business openings + expansions

Located in the heart of Williamsburg in a vibrant neighborhood, Grand Street has a charming mix of old + new, and small + large retailers from eclectic eateries + bars to clothing boutiques. There is no better time to get in on Grand, and the Grand Street BID has now made opening a small business even more accessible.

Grand Street area residents spend approximately $75 million per year on goods + services outside of the neighborhood. Using our retail availabilities map, future business owners will be able to easily locate + contact a broker to meet shoppers where they live and play.

A destination for young professionals + artists mixed with a thriving community of lifelong New Yorkers, the opportunity to profit with a brick and mortar is here on Grand Street and waiting for you.

L Train Slowdown Begins April 26th

Prepare for the slowdown ahead of time with these easy steps

The L Train is slowing down its service operations on April 26th and now is the time to prepare if you haven’t already. Here are some quick and easy steps to make sure you have all of the information you need:

1. Sign up for the MTA L Project weekly updates. Become the L train info guru for your friends.

2. Read this L train guide from Curbed. Learn the background of the changes + alternative transit strategies.

3. Study this map with L train service changes from the MTA. Understand why you’re transferring at Lorimer Street.

4. Pick up comprehensive L Project + station specific information at our office, 246 Graham Avenue, Brooklyn.

Follow @mtanyctransit on Instagram and @nyctsubway on Twitter, look for #LProject, and always check new.mta.info for service statuses.

Your Guide to Easter on Grand Street in Williamsburg

Where to eat + treat your family this holiday weekend.

Steak and eggs from Thompson Brooke with Rose Sangria

Thompson Brooke (631 Grand St)

There’s nothing better suited for Easter brunch than eggs. Head to Thompson Brooke for eggs florentine, eggs any style, or vegan benedict + a variety of New England fare (including some of Williamsburg’s best oysters).
Opens: 10am, reservations: (347) 681-5646, brunch menu

Los Primos (704 Grand St)

The perfect opportunity to try Los Primos’ Paella special. Only $9.99 for the Spanish specialty to match with sangria + a full menu of Mexican cuisine. If you can’t make this weekend, don’t sweat it as paella is offered fresh every Sunday.
Opens: 10am, reservations: (718) 486-8449, menu

Oven baked pancakes with strawberry butter from Le Barricou

Le Barricou (533 Grand St)

Treat your party to fine French cuisine with a famous weekend brunch menu and pancakes you absolutely must try.
Opens: 10am, no reservations, brunch menu

Bahia (533 Grand St)

This authentic El Salvadorian family restaurant has American + Italian options as well. Try the pollo sorpresa, yuca frita, and fried sweet plantains. Dine-in, take-out, and catering are all available.
Opens: 11:30am, reservations, menu

Desy’s Clam Bar (562 Grand St)

It’s all in the name. Try Desy’s for their seafood with steamed clams, mussels, and traditional Italian offerings.
Opens: 11am, reservations: (347) 599-0267, menu

Arrangements from Flores del Valle won’t break the bank and are sure to impress

Grand Morelos (727 Grand St)

Your first stop for Easter sweets should be this 24/7 diner with a full bakery serving everything from tres leches cake, rainbow cookies, to delicious varieties of flan.
Opens: 24/7, reservations: (718) 218-9441, menu

Flores del Valle (706 Grand St)

Bring spring flowers to brighten the atmosphere with affordable + professional bouquet arrangements from Flores del Valle.
Opens: 9am, order arrangements: (718) 384-6464

DAR 525 (525 Grand St)

Good for Easter or any Sunday, DAR serves a prix fixe bottomless brunch for only $28.95. Unlimited mimosas, bellini, sangria, or bloody marys along with a Lebanese entree choice and gluten free options.
Opens: 11am, reservations: (347) 422-0401, brunch menu

DIY with Key Food (575 Grand St), Ozzie’s Fresh Market (639 Grand St), and Bravo Supermarkets (785 Grand St).
Save a few bucks and make it special homemade with plenty of grocery stores supplying everything you need for the holidays.