NY State Plastic Bag Ban takes effect March 1

The New York State Bag Waste Reduction Act prohibits the distribution
of plastic carryout bags by retailers in New York State

Effective at the beginning of March, NY State has banned many retail stores from using or providing plastic bags for customer transactions. There are however notable exceptions to the new legislation for businesses such as carry out food orders, bags for pharmaceutical prescriptions, and more. To get clear on what the bag ban means and how it may effect you or your business, read the information compiled below.*

For Businesses:

Businesses that are not exempt from the law are required to provide paper bags to consumers and must charge a 5 cent paper bag fee per bag. SNAP and WIC recipients are exempt from this fee. Businesses must show the transaction of the paper bags clearly on receipts and shall state the number of bags provided to the customer. The paper carryout bag reduction fee must be reported and paid to the state commissioner of taxation and finance on a quarterly basis.
 
Q: Which retailers are no longer allowed to provide plastic bags?
A: Any business required to collect tax will no longer be able to provide plastic carryout bags. This includes but is not limited to: clothing stores, convenience stores, drug stores, green carts, grocery stores, hardware stores, liquor stores, office supply stores, pharmacies, and food service establishments located within the above stores.
 
Q: What does the term "plastic carryout bag" mean? Does this include all plastic bags?
A: As provided in proposed Part 351 draft regulations 'Plastic carryout bag' means any film plastic bag, other than an exempt bag, that is provided to a customer by a person required to collect tax to be used by the customer to carry tangible personal property, regardless of whether such person required to collect tax sells any tangible personal property or service to the customer, and regardless of whether any tangible personal property or service sold is exempt from tax under Article 28 of the New York State Tax Law.
 
Q: What is an "exempt bag"?
A: Provided by a restaurant, tavern, or similar food service establishment, as defined in the state sanitary code, to carry out or deliver food; Used as a garment bag, such as those used by a dry cleaner or laundry service; Used solely to contain or wrap uncooked meat, fish, seafood, poultry, or other unwrapped food, flower, or plant items; Used by a customer solely to package items from bulk containers, including fruits, vegetables, grains, candy, small hardware items (such as nuts, bolts, and screws), live fish, or live insects; Used solely to contain food sliced or prepared to order; Used solely to contain a newspaper for delivery to a subscriber; Sold in bulk quantities to a consumer at the point of sale that were specifically prepackaged; in a manner to allow for bulk sale (for example, quantities of bags prepackaged in individual pre-sealed boxes) or prepackaged in individual boxes or containers for sale to a customer; Sold as a trash bag; Sold as a food storage bag, such as those in snack, sandwich, quart, and gallon sizes; Provided by a pharmacy to carry prescription drugs. If an item or circumstance falls under the exempt bag list then it is not affected by the ban.
 
Businesses affected by the plastic bag ban and paper carryout bag reduction fee should make preparations as soon as possible. Order paper bags, prepare to have reusable bags available for sale, and make sure your receipts reflect the paper bag fee correctly. Information about fee reporting is available from the NYS Department and Tax and Finance.

The law goes into effect March 1st, 2020. There is no grace period. The first offense for noncompliance will be a warning, but a second offense will be a monetary fine.

For shoppers:

In transactions not involving exempt bags, businesses will either provide you paper bags with a fee of 5 cents per bag or you can bring your own reusable bag at no cost. WIC and SNAP recipients will not be charged a fee for using paper bags.

Please direct questions to NYS DEC at 518-402-8706

More information can be found here from the NY DEC.

Gothamist has also provided a guide for navigating the ban.

* Information compiled by Jerome-Gun Hill BID.

Rome to Brooklyn Pizza opens at 755 Grand Street

The pizza spot was opened by Brooklyn native + acclaimed chef Aurel Xhepexhiu

Image of a panzerotti from @rometobrooklyn

The drought of a pizza spot on Grand Street is over. Rome to Brooklyn Pizza & Panzerotti opened at the end of January with a full menu of Italian style eats—and most importantly an array of absolutely delicious pizza flavors.

Owner and chef Aurel Xhepexhiu has been in the pizza business since he was a teenager and has over 20 years of experience at some of NYC’s most famous spots. Aurel’s experience ranges from Manhattan institutions like Artichoke Pizza and Brooklyn Pizza Masters to the more local Williamsburg Pizza, but Rome to Brooklyn Pizza is a homecoming for the chef. Originally from Bushwick, Aurel is proud to bring his acclaimed food—which has received a 8.5 rating from Barstool—closer to his home neighborhood.

At Rome to Brooklyn you can find just about any type of slice you’re looking for such as vodka sauce, prosciutto arugula, and blueberry + pancetta. But the menu is also diverse in its offerings beyond the traditional specialty pizza slices. Rome to Brooklyn is flexible for diets as you can pre-order cauliflower pizza with cauliflower cheese in plain, margherita, grandma, and specialty styles as well as vegan pies either small or large. Dessert is on the menu too, RTB has nutella and rasperry pizza, like this heart shaped Valentine’s Day pizza, and zeppoles with nutella and strawberry. The panzerottis, however, are what truly set Rome to Brooklyn apart. Traditionally served in the Puglia region of Italty as a popular street food, a panzerotti is a fried calzone stuffed with different meats and cheeses.

Look out for Rome to Brooklyn in our next edition of Summer Restaurant Week on Grand Street, but try it for yourself in the meantime at 755 Grand Street open until 11pm. The follow @rometobrooklynpizza for regularly hunger-inducing shots of pizza on your feed.

Make pizza and dance! Swing by to say hello to the crew and try the best slice in town. 🕺💃🏻🕺💃🏻🕺 * * * * #goodtimez #happy #pizza #rome #brooklyn #newyorktimesfood #dance #rainwontstopus #thrillist #infatuation #pepperonipizza #cheflife #chef #williamsburg #bushwick #brooklynkid #barstoolsports #dancemonkey

101 Likes, 11 Comments - RometoBrooklynpizza (@rometobrooklynpizza) on Instagram: "Make pizza and dance! Swing by to say hello to the crew and try the best slice in town. 🕺💃🏻🕺💃🏻🕺 * *..."

Grand Street's Guide to Winter Restaurant Week

Breaking down the best of 45 courses on Grand Street from Feb 18 to March 1

Restaurant Week is back on Grand Street for its 7th Winter Edition from February 18th to March 1st. 15 of the best eats in Williamsburg are offering 3 course prix fixe dinners (5 - 10pm) at discounted rates from $12 to $35 as Brooklyn’s annual answer to Manhattan’s pricier Restaurant Week. All along 6 blocks, it might be difficult to choose where to go or decide where new to try. Well here’s your answer as to why you should visit each participating restaurant on Grand Street and what you can order for the best experience. Each of the following restaurants has special event menus, so just ask for a Restaurant Week menu if you don’t see one.*

As always, take a picture of your dinner and post with #DineonGrand for a chance to win $50 to a Grand Street BID restaurant of your choice.

Follow @grandstreetbid for the most up to date information on the event.

Mainstay Must Experiences

Bahia Restaurant—$25

690 Grand Street — menu

It all starts with pupusas. If you’ve never had one, Bahia owners Luis and Felix say to think of them as like the “tacos of El Salvador”. The prix fixe menu at Bahia starts with 2 pupusas of your choice, a salad, or tamal de pollo. We, of course, recommend some of the best pupusas in NYC. Plenty of options for dinner, but our favorite is the Carne Asada: grilled boneless choice shell steak. You get two sides with the entree of your choice from a few options like mixed vegetables, rice, and roasted potatoes. Flan is for dessert and your meal is paired with a glass of delicious red or white sangria.

A hometown favorite, Bahia has been a dedicated community member of Grand Street for 20 years. In 2019, the restaurant doubled down on their dedication to the neighborhood with a complete interior and exterior renovation in order to stay ahead in a changing Williamsburg market. It’s not just about looks though, Bahia is confident that once you’ve had their pupusas and try a glass of their homemade sangria you are certain to return for more. Photo at top of article.

Los Primos—$25

704 Grand Street — menu

With 31 years of experience cooking on Grand Street, Los Primos has proven they have the chops to remain a hit. Despite their long history on Grand Street, they’re relatively new to our Restaurant Week. On joining, Christian who’s father owns the restaurant said, “being here for a while, it was like, let’s ride along with you guys and join the holiday – join the Grand Street BID in this journey” -Bkylner.

For your starter, go with nachos: chicken, ground beef, or cheese—your choice. Fried pork chops are a best seller and also on the Restaurant Week menu, so we recommend you take advantage. But the steak with onions and pork mofongo are also favorites. Finish the night with cheesecake (but the tres leches and flan are good choices as well).

If you visit on Sunday, take advantage paella deal at Los Primos for $10—offered every week.

Grand Morelos—$20

727 Grand Street — menu

Another Grand Street staple, Grand Morelos has been with the neighborhood day and night for decades—literally. The 24/7 diner & bakery has seen us all at our finest and not-so-fine hours. The Grand Morelos bakery is also one of the better kept secrets of our food scene, so take advantage. Guacamole is our go-to appetizer, but we also recommend the cheese quesadillas if you’re extra hungry. Hanger steak fajitas for your entree will fill you if the app didn’t, but try to save room for the Oreo cheesecake. Impossible chocoflan and tres leches cakes are your other options for Restaurant Week dessert. Once you’ve fallen in love with Grand Morelos stop back in for affordable cookies & doughnuts from the bakery and amazing iced coffee (not just by diner standards) any time you want - literally.

Biggest Discount

Indian Kitchen—$12 to $36

739 Grand Street — menu

Restaurant Week is made for sharing. Indian Kitchen wants you to bring your friends to max out on the deal. With 3 people Indian Kitchen provides a vegetable and meat appetizer, three entrees, two orders of naan, and Kheer (rice pudding) for dessert. On a typical night all of that could cost over $60—so make sure Indian Kitchen is one of your top spots for this event.

Fine Dining Experience

All pasta at Ammazzacaffè is made in-house

Ammazzacaffè—$35

702 Grand Street — menu

Winner of this year’s coveted Bib Gourmand title from Micheline Guide, Ammazzacaffè has already built its reputation for affordable fine dining at its best. Take advantage of Ammazza’s Tartare crostino with sea trout, caponata verde, and umeboshi as an appetizers. For your entree, try the Reginette—pork shoulder ragu—which Michelin called “Italian cuisine in all its glory”. Finish the night with buttermilk pannacotta with cherry and hazelnut for the perfect date or special night out on Grand Street.

If the food isn’t enough, visiting Ammazza offers a bit of historical experience. Their location at 702 Grand Street was the childhood home of Betty Smith, inspiring her classic A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. RSVP.

Best Quick Bite

Churros from Taco Edition

Taco Edition—$19

800 Grand Street — menu

A longtime participant in Restaurant Week, Taco Edition is one of our favorite spots for lunch or a quick afternoon bite. Even though the service is fast and the environment is seat yourself-casual, during Restaurant Week you’ll get a lot more than a 5 minute snack. Start with the jalapeño popper balls, move on to the chilaquiles verde with eggs, and finish with the yummy churros you see to the left.

New Faces on the Block:

Ham & cheese empanadas from Masa

Masa Empanadas—$12

804 Grand Street — menu

Masa Empanadas opened from the same owners of Piccoli to Go—remaining dedicated to the neighborhood and providing quick eats empanadas, salads, and pizza. Masa is offering two combos for deals featuring the range of their menu:

1. 2 dinner empanadas—see options here (spicy crab not included); 1 dessert empanada—banana nutella or apple cinnamon; and a salad—caesar kale or Italian vinaigrette arugula

2. 1 pizza—classic, spicy chorizo, or 4 cheese; a salad; and a drink

Our favorite empanadas are ham & cheese, corn, and apple cinnamon. All three pizza options are good but we tend to stick to the classic and the kale caesar is our salad of choice.

Chongkho—$20

562 Grand Street — menu

Butterfly pea lemonade and Thai iced tea

Chongkho opened in August with an eccentric gate mural by well-known artist JPO and serving Thai home cooking. A family owned restaurant, Chongkho offers a warm dine-in environment with welcoming service.

The chicken curry puffs are an appetizer to die for, followed by either drunken noodles or red curry for the main course. The Thai iced tea is truly a standout and Chongkho is preparing a crêpe specially made for Restaurant Week as an option for dessert.

Bright colored decorations and drinks reflect the up-beat atmosphere in Carneval

Carneval—$25

507 Grand Street — menu

Carneval also opened in August featuring specialty cocktails and Latin-inspired cuisine. Owner Mike Cruz grew up just blocks from the restaurant and has created a go-to spot for Williamsburg natives and newcomers alike. A mural of a carnival-themed festively packed J train along the back wall of the restaurant demonstrates Mike’s inspiration and commemorates the Latin heritage of our neighborhood. Carneval is also regularly host to performances and hosted their own toy drive for the holidays.

Most Filling

Ryujin—$25

513 Grand Street — menu

Something about the ramen from Ryujin leaves us stuffed after every bowl. Now add an appetizer and dessert to the mix to really make the most of a 3 course dinner. Keep it light with your app so go with the Japanese pickles or the fried shishito peppers. You can choose from 8 different options of ramen bowl, but our favorite is the spicy miso bowl. Finally, the meal is paired with either beer, sake, or ice cream. The jury is out here so we’ll leave that choice to you.

Most Controversial

Mad for Chicken—$20

617 Grand Street — menu

Boneless or bone-in? Luckily both genres of wing are on the menu. The chicken at MFC is shipped in daily from a farm in Fredericksburg, Pennsylvania and the wings are coated with a unique sauce of soy, garlic, and various fruits. On the appetizer menu, the standouts are the small crab salad or the truffle/ Parmesan fries. We recommend the 10pc wings (with or without bones—your choice) for entree, but kimchi fried rice and kimchi quesadillas are available for non-wing lovers. For a drink you can choose between any draft beer, a glass of sangria, or a soda on the house.

Favorite Mom & Pop

The Sandwich Shop—$20.75

658 Grand Street — menu

The cozy lunch and dinner spot has brought high-quality deli style sandwiches to Grand Street since 2013. The space also feels like a deli, with just a few stools around the bar to dine-in, so get there before they fill up.

Valued members of the community, the Shop has collected and donated over 200 lbs of food in our annual Holiday Food Drives. You can also find The Sandwich Shop in the Wall Street Journal from our last Restaurant Week. All sandwiches, bowls, and wraps are available—but the best bang for your buck is the turkey double decker sandwich to go along with the combo of a beer and bag of chips.

Best Cocktail

Crystal Lake Brooklyn—$20

647 Grand Street — menu

Antique lounge area at Crystal Lake. Photo courtesy of Crystal Lake Brooklyn & JD Hall Photo

The bar is best known for its antique bar and large back space which regularly hosts comedy shows and similar type events. Teaming up with Tacos Lokos 4Ever, Crystal Lake has the best drink and food combination in the event. The entree is a pair of tacos with the meat of your choice or veggies with a side of rice and beans. The cocktails provide the biggest discount and your choices are a cucumber vodka ricky, rose vodka spritz, watermelon gimlet, or the Zebra-Rita.

Most Options

Thip Osha—$25

795 Grand Street — menu

Roasted duck noodle soup from Thip Osha typically costs $16

A cozy Thai spot nearby the Grand Street L station. You may have already tried Thip Osha at Taste of Williamsburg & Greenpoint this past summer. Altogether, there are exactly 50 options on the prix fixe menu at Thip, so there is surely something that will please everyone from curry to noodles to fried rice. Out of all of those choices, our favorites are the crispy chicken wings with red chili sauce to start, roasted duck noodle soup, and banana sticky rice for dessert.

Best Late Night

Los Tacos-McOndo—$28

502 Grand Street — menu

The chic bar and taqueria is a cool spot for late night dinners, dates, and eats after a night out. Open until 3am on the weekends and at least 1am on every other night, Los Tacos is one of the most high quality late night restaurants in Brooklyn. The nachos are absolute standouts at Los Tacos, and you can choose them either as a starter (mini nachos) or as an entree. We recommend at least one of those in your mix. The queso fundido is also very good, but if you’re limiting carbs you can choose the Mexican steak to go with the nachos. Churros with fruit are for dessert, with mango and chili powder as the primary flavors. Note that Los Tacos is cash only.

*Dine-in meals only. After 5pm and no later than 10pm. Tax and tip not included in price. Price is per person and cannot be shared. Event discounts are in effect from Feb 18 to March 1. Restaurants may be closed any time during the event period at their discretion. Price and participants subject to change. Contact info@grandstreetbk.org with questions.

Join our team—Now seeking Neighborhood 360° Fellow applicants

The BID was selected as a fellow host site by the NYC Department of Small Business Services

The BID hosted a tour of the district for the 2019 class of Times Square Alliance fellows this past summer

The Grand Street BID has been selected by the NYC Department of Small Business Services (SBS) as a host site for the 2020-21 class of Neighborhood 360° Fellows. That means that we are now looking for applicants to our join our team this summer through the SBS training program.

Neighborhood 360° Fellows help community-based organizations complete commercial revitalization projects and connect local stakeholders to City resources. The fellows are paid by SBS and are full-time community development professionals, community organizers, or planners. The goal of the program is to build a network of leaders prepared with commercial revitalization expertise and experience in New York City neighborhoods. The fellow will work in our office as an integral member of our team from June 2020 through March 2021 while also being a member of the Neighborhood 360° Fellows cohort, attending SBS hosted talks, training and group learning sessions throughout the fellowship.

With the Grand Street BID—the fellow will be primarily tasked with improving the BID’s outreach to residents, merchants, and property owners while improving the services the organization provides. More information about the project can be found in the Grand Street host project guidelines.

Fellows should be NYC residents within 90 days of starting, have a year of experience in community outreach or organizing, and have an interest in development of the Grand Street community. See the SBS fellow guidelines here. This is an opportunity for emerging professionals or anyone looking to enter the world of non-profits, urban planning, or community development. However, Fellows who typically have the best experiences are familiar with their host neighborhood—so local applicants are especially encouraged to apply.

Applications are open now and will close on March 8th—applications must be submitted directly NYC Department of Small Business Services. The first round of interviews will be conducted in April. Join our team and gain critical, hands-on experience working for a community-based organization.

Want to learn more? Join SBS for an upcoming webinar on February 5th or 13th. Details and RSVP here. Or join SBS in person for a meet and greet Feb 25th.

SBS Commissioner Gregg Bishop speaking with a Fellow cohort.

Winter Restaurant Week on Grand Street returns

Winter Restaurant Week is back in its 7th edition on Grand Street offering 3 course prix fixe discounts to some of Williamsburg’s best fine dining and quick eats. The two week celebration of local cuisine begins on Tuesday, February 18th and runs until Sunday, March 1st. For the winter edition of this semi-annual event, we have 15 participants from neighborhood mainstays like Los Primos to Grand Street newcomers.

The Sandwich Shop is participating once again—see their mention in the Wall Street Journal from our Summer Restaurant Week.

Our 3 new participants—Chongkho, Carneval, and Masa Empanadas— joined the neighborhood within the past year and each offer a dynamic new addition to the restaurant week lineup. Chongkho opened in August with an eccentric gate mural by well-known artist JPO to add to the neighborhood’s collection and serving Thai home cooking. Carneval opened in the same week featuring specialty cocktails and Latin-inspired cuisine. Owner Mike Cruz grew up just blocks from the restaurant and has created a go-to spot for Williamsburg natives and newcomers alike. See a preview of Chonkgho and Carneval from their interviews with News 12 about the event. Masa Empanadas opened from the same owners of Piccoli to Go—remaining dedicated to the neighborhood and providing quick eats empanadas, salads, and pizza.

Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand winner Ammazzacaffè is joining the lineup once again, providing award winning quality dining for a steal at $35 for 3 courses in a prix fixe menu. Los Primos, Crystal Lake, and Mad for Chicken are also rejoining Restaurant Week after debuting in the event this past summer.

Stop by at any participating location to get in on discount dining offers exclusive to Grand Street—and only during Restaurant Week. Just ask for a restaurant week menu when seated. Click here for our official guide giving insight into each restaurant and suggesting our favorite dining options, and you can find the full list of participants and pricing below*. Prices range from $12 to $35 and apply only to sit down dinners (5 - 10pm) —tax and tip not included.**

And remember—snap a picture of you, your meal, or your friends on your night dining out with #DineOnGrand for the opportunity to win $50 to a Grand Street BID restaurant of your choice!

Follow @grandstreetbid for the most up to date information on the event.

Enjoy 3 courses for $20 from Chongkho

Chongkho – $20 (new) —menu

Masa Empanadas – $12 (new) — menu

Carneval – $25 (new) — menu

AmmazzaCaffè – $35 — menu

Bahia Restaurant – $25 — menu

Ryujin – $25 — menu

Mad for Chicken – $20 — menu

The Sandwich Shop – $20.75 — menu

Thip Osha – $25 — menu

Indian Kitchen – $12 — menu

Los Tacos McOndo – $28 — menu

Grand Morelos – $20 — menu

Taco Edition– $19 — menu

Los Primos – $25 — menu

Crystal Lake – $20 — menu

*All prices and participants subject to change.
**Dine-in dinner discounts begin at 5pm and is served no later than 10pm. No takeout or delivery. Price does not include tax or tip. Price is per person and cannot be shared.

Grand Street featured in NYC BID trends report

The report featured the BID’s work curating art in the district and views of the neighborhood

The Department of Small Business Services released its annual trends report on the impact of BID’s in NYC in an effort to shed light on the work of business improvement districts in 76 neighborhoods citywide. The report features data tracking how BIDs are operating to promote retail corridors and shares highlights of accomplishments from individual BIDs. Among those highlighted was the Grand Street BID’s work commissioning various art murals throughout the neighborhood—most specifically “Olor a Azucenas, el Perfume del Barrio” by Don Rimx at 609 Grand Street.

On the project—the NYC SBS wrote “Grand Street recently completed a large-scale mural, which represents the small business community and serves as an homage to the Puerto Rican heritage of the neighborhood. The mural depicts a well-known flower vendor in San Juan but is meant to represent all local merchants. The BID worked with Don Rimx, a local Puerto Rican artist, and interviewed community members to inform the design. They also coordinated support of the property owner and secured funding from [NYC Council]”.

The report also features data points of the work of BIDs across Brooklyn and citywide. Collectively, the 23 Brooklyn BIDs invested $15.7 million into neighborhoods and collected 924,000 bags of litter. Read the full report for more details on how BID’s are keeping NYC neighborhoods clean, safe, and active.

“BIDs create vibrant, clean, and safe districts that improve neighborhoods and commercial corridors by investing back into their communities,” said Gregg Bishop, Commissioner of the NYC Department of Small Business Services. “This report highlights the long-standing partnership between the City and BIDs, working together to build a stronger New York.” 

Here in Williamsburg, this past summer’s mural project is part of an ongoing effort in the Grand Street Neighborhood Initiative to beautify the streetscape of Grand Street for residents and attract visitors to patron our shops. As part of the same project, the BID commissioned several documentaries through Owley and curated murals on the gates at Grand Seafood (98 Bushwick Ave). See our full collection in the art gallery page of our website.

The Fina(L) countdown—Weekend subway closures ahead

We’re nearing the end of the year long L Train Slowdown—which means there will be just a few more pinches for L riders in the coming weeks. NYC Transit announced three weekend closures of the L from Lorimer Street to Broadway Junction this weekend, President’s Day weekend, and a weekend in late March. Work on the L train is scheduled to be completed this spring—ahead of the originally forecasted schedule. Here’s what you need to know from NYC Transit:

No L service between Lorimer St and Broadway Junction

Friday, January 17 to Sunday, January 19
Friday, February 14 to Monday, February 18 (Presidents' Day weekend)

From midnight Friday to 5 a.m. on Monday

The MTA is working on station rehabilitation at various stops between Lorimer and Broadway—so full access to those stations is needed over the weekend.

Here’s the breakdown from NYC Transit of what service to expect:

From 10 PM to Midnight Friday:
L: Operates every 20 minutes between 8 Av and Rockaway Parkway
L: Additional L train operates between Lorimer St and Rockaway Parkway for service every 10 minutes within Brooklyn

From 12:01 AM Saturday to 5:00 AM Monday, Jan 20/5:00 AM Tuesday, Feb 18:
L part 1: Operates between 8 Av and Lorimer St every 20 minutes
L part 2: During the day time, the L operates between Broadway Junction (trains will discharge on the J platform) and Rockaway Parkway every 10 minutes. During the overnight times, the L operates every 20 minutes like a normal schedule.

Here are your alternatives:

Lorimer Street is not included in the scheduled work—so walking to the station at Union Ave & Power St is an option. Additionally, there will be a free shuttle bus running every 3 minutes running along the L route between Lorimer and Broadway Junction.

DOT to add new delineators to the Grand Street protected bike lanes

The delineators will resemble the latest Department of Transportation project on 8th Avenue

On Monday the NYC Department of Transportation will begin installing a new style of traffic delineator on the south side of Grand Street to further separate the protected bike lane from the traffic lane. Upon completion in approximately a month’s time, Grand Street’s bike lanes will have an almost complete barrier from traffic.

The delineators’ role blocking traffic from the bike lane will resemble the latest major DOT Vision Zero project completed on 8th Avenue in Times Square between 38th and 45th streets with modifications specific to Grand Street and its streetscape.

The delineators will be placed at the edge of the buffer zone, 11’ away from the curb and will be interrupted for curb cuts, bus stops, and intersections. Motor vehicles will not be able to drive over the delineators and regulations prohibiting stopping/standing/parking in both the bike lane and buffer zone will continue to be enforced. The parking rules on the north side of the street will remain in place with commercial loading zones in effect from 7am-4pm and 1 hour metered parking from 4pm to 10pm every day except Sunday.

Food Drive Collects 509 lbs of donations for local families

13 Grand Street businesses hosted collection boxes for St. John the Evangelist’s food pantry

After 3 weeks of 13 businesses on Grand Street collecting food donations from shoppers, merchants, and community members—the Grand Street neighborhood was able to donate a whopping 509 lbs of food for the holidays.

Our annual food drive supplies the St. John the Evangelist Church (198 Maujer Street) food pantry with needed supplementary meals to local families during the holiday season. With this year’s haul totaled up, the community’s combined efforts over the past 3 years have collected and donated 1,361 lbs of food for the church’s meal program. With the donations in supply St. John’s has already assembled 100+ family meals with over 150 lbs of non-assembled food to go—helping to keep a well-stocked pantry through the winter months.

We’re thankful for all of our small businesses that took part—a few standouts being Bravo Supermarket which collected an amazing 148 lbs of donations, the Sandwich Shop (133 lbs), Los Primos Restaurant (63 lbs), Absolute Power Fitness (48 lbs), Groomers & Pomade (43 lbs), and Brooklyn Dental Professionals (31 lbs). All of our participants were enthusiastic to contribute and went an extra mile to give back to the community this season.

We will continue to collect donations at our office (246 Graham Ave)—please contact info@grandstreetbk.org to connect with us. Next, follow us @grandstreetbid for the earliest news of our Winter Restaurant Week taking place in February.

Pastrami Masters opens at 812 Grand Street

Serving David’s Brisket House + Lebanese cuisine

This November, David’s Brisket opened at the old location of Wafa’s Express (812 Grand Street)—their second location— under the new name Pastrami Masters with an added section of Lebanese cuisine to the menu.

David’s Brisket is a famous deli in Bed-Stuy (Nostrand & Atlantic Aves) that serves heaping sized sandwiches with pastrami, corned beef, of course brisket, and most traditional Jewish delicatessen staples. With Pastrami Masters now opening, that means David Brisket’s famous pastrami sandwich, which The Brooklyn Paper says blows the rest of the borough out of the water, is now available right here on Grand Street.

Try out Pastrami masters on Grand Street between Bushwick Ave & Humboldt St.

Grand Street's holiday glow up

Holiday lights one again bring a glow to our street this December

Holiday season is officially in full swing on Grand Street. In addition to our 3rd annual holiday food drive, the Grand Street BID lit our holiday lights to kick off the month. The BID has delivered holiday lights to Grand Street every year now since 1985, and is proud to deliver once again this year.

The lights are up between Bushwick and Union Avenues along Grand Street, and help to add holiday flavor to the normal bustle of our neighborhood. The lights will be with us and shining through January, so take advantage and snap a picture of the lights when they’re bright at night and tag us on instagram @grandstreetbid.

In addition to seasonal decorations, the BID also collaborates with local businesses to host a Holiday Food Drive to feed local food pantries. See which of our 13 small businesses taking part will collect donations here.

Grand Street celebrates Small Business Saturday with The Forum

The BID team will host a pop-up event outside of The Forum (711 Grand Street)

BID team out at a previous pop-up event

Grand Street in Williamsburg has always been home to a vibrant community of small and family businesses, so for mall Business Saturday on November 30th, the BID team will hit the streets to celebrate our neighborhood merchants.

Partnering with The Forum, the BID will set up a pop-up table at 711 Grand Street from 12pm to 2pm with Shop Small promotional materials such as stickers, buttons, pennant flags, tote bags, and more for passersby. The pop-up will also include a prize wheel with a raffle for a merchandise prize from Forum.

In addition to setting up outside, the BID will be sharing those promotional materials with retail businesses along Grand Street to spread the cheer around the neighborhood.

Grand Street BID Executive Director Erin Piscopink says, “Grand Street is a unique commercial corridor in North Brooklyn that has retained it’s authentic neighborhood atmosphere, in large part because of the large presence of small businesses that have always found a home in our district. We are proud to celebrate the dedication that our merchants have for our community and the diversity of our 150+ small businesses that makes our street special.”

We are also partnering with Forum to kick off our Holiday Food Drive which helps feed local families at the St. John the Evangelist food pantry at 195 Maujer Street. The Forum is a yearly participant in the program, and will collect non perishable food items from December 1st to 19th to donate to the program.

Come to Grand Street on Small Business Saturday (Nov. 30) to enter our raffle, receive shop small swag, and patron one of our many small retail and service businesses.

Family enjoying Nick + Sons from a May pop-up.

Tote bag winners from our prize wheel at a June pop-up.

Grand Street gives back with holiday food drive

13 Grand Street businesses are collecting food donations for the holiday season

Grand Street businesses are giving back to the community December 1st through 19th by participating in the Grand Street BID's 3rd annual Grand Street Holiday Food Drive. 13 small businesses will host collection boxes for non-perishable food items to be donated to families in the St. John the Evangelist (195 Maujer Street) food pantry program.
The food is used to help the 150-200 weekly recipients of the parish’s hot meal program as well as their food pantry which serves 20-30 families, all of whom live here in the Grand Street neighborhood. The most typical recipients are senior citizens on fixed incomes and working families whose combined incomes don’t allow for full meals by the end of the month. Over the last two years, the food drive has collected and donated 852lbs of food.

You can bring non perishable donations to the following businesses:

• Burnside (506 Grand Street)

• Carneval (507 Grand Street)

• The Laundry Taxi (578 Grand Street)

• Empire Lock (648 Grand Street)

• Eleva Coffee (649 Grand Street)

• The Sandwich Shop (658 Grand Street)

• Brooklyn Dental Professionals (700 Grand Street)

• Los Primos Restaurant (704 Grand Street)

• Forum (717 Grand Street)

• Absolute Power Fitness (750 Grand Street)

• Bravo Supermarket (785 Grand Street)

• Z2A Repair (793 Grand Street)

• Groomers & Pomade (796 Grand Street)

To donate, just stop by any of our participating businesses and drop the food items in the holiday wrapped collection box. That’s it! Use the list below to pick out groceries at a participant like Bravo Supermarket (785 Grand Street) to check out and donate in one trip. Perishable and pre-cooked foods will be also collected by us (246 Graham Ave) so you can pick up a warm meal from any restaurant to help a small business and a hungry family.

Items that are especially helpful are as follows: Canned vegetables, breakfast cereals, peanut butter, oatmeal, rice, beans, canned fish, baby formula + food, granola bars, raisins + dried fruit. Also, pre-cooked meals or food that can be eaten without much heating or cooking required.

*Bring perishables to our office at 246 Graham Avenue between 10am to 5pm. Please call ahead of time at 718-218-8836.

Masa Empanadas opens at 804 Grand Street

Savory + sweet empanadas with a special deal attached

Interior look at the new establishment

Masa Empanadas is open for business. From the same owners of Piccoli To Go, 804 Grand Street now has a new look, menu, and name. From savory flavors like ham + cheese, creamy corn, and Argentinian beef to dessert flavors including apple cinnamon or Nutella banana, Masa serves a bit of everything all in the form of an empanada.

Prices are low ranging from $2.50 to $4 for each delicious empanada, and not to mention Masa offers discounted combos with salads as well. And if you’re worried about missing Piccoli, Masa also serves three varieties of pizzas for any sudden Italian food cravings.

If you stop by tonight + follow @masaempanadas on Instagram then you can try your first empanada for free. Look out for wine and beer to be served in the near future as well. With indoor seating and warm (+ free!) empanadas, Masa is an all around lunch, dinner, or snack option that will have something for everyone.

Nutella + banana empanadas

What's going up on Grand Street?

Detailing the new buildings and developments shaping our neighborhood’s streetscape

Construction at 505 Grand Street

Grand Street is dynamic in shape, with developments usually underway, and always with at least a handful of buildings at some stage of being a work in progress. Here’s information on what’s going up and what you can expect for the ongoing developments on Grand Street.

505 Grand Street
(Union & Grand)

Construction is well underway on this site in progress to a six-story, 14-unit mixed commercial-residential use building. In what will eventually measure a total of 11,720 square feet, the ground floor commercial space will take up 2,630 square feet. BMG Design Build is designing the building.

522 Grand Street
(btw Union & Lorimer)

Structural work is nearly complete for this 6 story mixed commercial-residential development. Standing at 77 feet in height, the structure will provide 10,650 square feet of space, with 1,450 square feet dedicated to commercial-retail use on the ground floor. There will be room for 10 apartments, averaging 920 square feet. There will be some room for bicycle storage in the basement.

L & C associates is managing the design. Completion is likely in 2020 or 2021.

537 Grand Street
(btw Union & Lorimer)

Developers filed plans in October of 2016 to build a 7,579-square-foot building. The plans call for 5 total units and an occupancy classification of strictly residential. The building will be 4 floors.

738 Grand St between Chase Bank and Absolute Power Fitness

738 Grand Street
(btw Graham & Humboldt)

738 Grand Street is a new condo development currently under construction at 738 Grand Street, Brooklyn. 738 Grand Street has a total of 10 units.

For information on current retail availability, check out our business opportunities page which lists Grand Street retail spaces on the market for leasing.

Ammazzacaffè awarded "Bib Gourmand" in Michelin Guide

The award recognizes culinary excellence in “good value” restaurants

The open air backyard garden is mentioned as a highlight for the Italian trattoria.

Ammazzacaffè has just been recognized by Michelin as part of their 2020 guide’s Bib Gourmand selection. The award was created in 1997 to highlight restaurants that achieve Michelin guide quality at more affordable prices.

Michelin states that Ammazza is “bound to surprise you from the moment you enter.” It goes on:

“The large and welcoming space draws you in thanks to an impressive wood bar, sleek dining tables and a handsome penny-tiled floor. Both the tables and light olive-tinged walls are dressed minimally—the former with wild flowers and the latter with beautifully framed photos. The garden outside will transport you to a trattoria in Umbria—on a dime. The well-edited menu spins to the season, but get nibbling on grilled pancetta spiedini, topped with a spicy aïoli and agro dolce. Follow this up with such light and simple pastas as garganelli tossed with a cream-kissed ragù Bolognese and Parmigiano—this is Italian cuisine in all its glory.”

— Michelin Guide

This is the first year that Ammazzacaffè has been selected for the Michelin Guide, joining the ranks of just 7 total Brooklyn restaurants named for the award. Opening at 702 Grand Street in 2016, the restaurant’s name directly translating to “coffee killer” and alludes to a traditional Italian liqueur consumed with an after dinner espresso. The restaurant also happens to be at the location of author Betty Smith’s childhood upbringing, that inspired her novel A Tree Grows in Brooklyn.

Ammazza is a regular participant in both our summer and winter Grand Street restaurant weeks, where you can enjoy their Michelin quality cuisine for prix fixe prices up to $35. See more information on our last restaurant week here.

Find Ammazzacaffè’s full menu here, make a reservation, and follow @ammazzacaffe.nyc for updates on their events, such as weekly jazz performances on Sunday from 7pm to 9pm.

Grab a drink with a "Pour Writer" at Thompson Brooke

Literature + cocktails: Writers take over the bar at Thompson Brooke for “Pour Writer” events

Menu from a previous “Pour Writers” event with Ann Brashares

Banter with your bartender may never be more interesting. In an ongoing series, Thompson Brooke invites prominent authors to take over bartending responsibility for the night. Most recently, Michelle Ruiz Keil took the helm, who’s debut YA novel in May All of us with Wings won her critical praise.

Next up is A Series of Unfortunate Events author Daniel Handler, who writes often under the pseudonym Lemony Snicket. Other notable authors such as Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants author Ann Brashares and author Andrew Ridker of New York Times editor’s choice The Altruist. Each Pour Writer has their own specialty cocktail for the night, Ridker’s was Gin & Generosity and Brashares dished out Manhattans.

Thompson Brooke is a New England style tavern famous for their oysters located at 631 Grand Street. Brooke Costello, who also founded Brooklyn catering company Red Table owns the restaurant and hosts the “Pour Writers” series.

Follow @thompsonbrookerestaurant for updates on the series, and catch Handler behind the bar with delmonico cocktails on Wednesday, October 23rd from 8-10pm.

We've launched our new website!

Explore our public art collection, find savings card deals on our live map, + read through our latest news blog.

photo credit: Owley

Can you tell that we look a little different? This Saturday we unveiled our completely revamped website, replacing the previous look which had been in place since 2012.

The changes aren’t all just aesthetic either. Our website has a brand new public art gallery, new blog format, interactive district maps from live xyz, and a video catalog with documentaries presented by the BID.

We also are now more accessible figuratively and literally. Our support us page allows you to directly reach out to us for volunteering and sponsorship, and our userway accessibility options on the bottom right of your screen allow for our website to be read or listened to by anyone, not just the abled.

Lastly we’ve broken down our work and what we do in each of our 5 neighborhood initiatives: cleaning, greening, events, arts, and stories; so we can connect more clearly with our residents on the work we do to take care of Grand Street.

Take a tour through our website and explore our new features. You may learn a little bit more about us and learn more about what’s going on in the neighborhood.

News banners to line Grand Street--Sponsorship available

The BID is now seeking sponsorship for new streetlight banners

Logos will be placed at the three dots.

Our street lights are receiving a makeover. After 2 years of our previous blue-green street banners, we’ve worked with Brooklyn artist Morgan Winter to shake things up.

Drawing inspiration from the Brooklyn-native perennials the BID planted through the Hort this past spring, Morgan applied her vibrant technique of stencil drawing over water color to bring life to our banners.

While we cannot wait to install our newest art piece following a busy summer of 10 new murals, we first need sponsorship from local businesses that make our work possible. Whether your business is ground floor retail or out of your apartment, displaying your logo on these eye catching canvasses shows everyone your contribution to the community and bring more attention to your brand.

As a 501(c)(3) non profit, the majority of your contribution will be tax deductible and your sponsorship will go directly towards improving our shopping corridor with our 2,800 hours of cleaning in fiscal year 19.

The implementation of new colorful street banners is central to our Grand Street Arts Initiative to invest in Brooklyn artists and to cultivate an art collection that better represents the community of creatives that make Williamsburg unique.

If interested in sponsoring, please reach out to john@grandstreetbk.org. Look out for the streetscape changes in the coming months.

Cleaning up Grand Street--By the numbers

Our 7 day a week clean team collects 5,700+ buckets of trash in a year

One of the Grand Street BID’s most vital functions in keeping the neighborhood thriving for shoppers and businesses is our robust cleaning + sanitation program. You may recognize our star sweeper Mamat in the picture above, and while he stopped to pose for this picture, Mamat is busy each day collecting an average of nearly 16 buckets of trash on Grand Street.

Those daily totals add up to an average of 5,700+ buckets of trash over the course of a year. That is in addition to the BID’s efforts removing stickers + stains and making 50+ quality of life calls to 311 + DSNY that total to 2,800+ hours spent cleaning up Grand Street. With help from Ridgewood Restoration Corp, the BID removed 159 incidents of graffiti on Grand Street in fiscal year 2019. That’s our version of talking trash.

But, the BID also performs a variety of other neighborhood essentials such as our greening efforts which maintained 33 tree beds and installing 22 new tree guards in FY19. With the Hort, the BID also plants + maintains native Brooklyn perennials in our tree beds throughout the district.

Next time you see Mamat on the street, give him a ‘thank you’ for working hard every day to keep Grand Street gorgeous.