Vines & Voices 032: If the BMT Got the Mies Van Der Rohe Treatment
Plus, Bạn Bè closes, Malvan opens, what to do for V-Day and more.
Welcome to Vines & Voices, your weekly look at life across West Brooklyn. Curated by CSJ, this free newsletter brings together the local news and goings-on shaping our neighborhoods, plus a few extras worth knowing. Have a tip, a story idea or something you think deserves attention? Write to us. Your voice helps shape the story.
Introducing CSJ Index
This week, we launched CSJ Index, a new editorial series highlighting the restaurants, shops and neighborhood establishments shaping life across West Brooklyn. Think of it as a living guide, built through concise mini-profiles that capture what makes each place essential.
We’re kicking things off with Cremini’s, the city’s only restaurant dedicated to the cuisine of Italy’s Le Marche region. Elena Salati cooks, Riccardo Massetti hosts, and together they turn family recipes into something deeply personal and unforgettable. Start with the olive all’ascolana. Stay for the pasta. Don’t skip dessert.
CSJ Index is free to read and will continue to grow as new entries are added.
The Weekly Edit
Proposed changes to the Gowanus Green cleanup agreement are drawing concern from residents and local officials, who worry the revisions could reduce National Grid’s financial responsibility and weaken environmental protections at the heavily contaminated site.
Pratt Institute architecture students partnered with Red Hook locals to imagine the future of the Brooklyn Marine Terminal, presenting proposals that center climate resilience, affordability, stronger transit connections and a maritime economy rooted in community needs. Their plans are a reminder that thoughtful, community-driven planning is possible when time and care are part of the process. This one is giving the Edith Farnsworth House by Mies Van Der Rohe:
Cops have been cracking down on retail theft in Brooklyn Heights and Downtown Brooklyn.
A new cocktail bar called Pony’s NYC is opening in Red Hook.
Vietnamese bakery Bạn Bè closed its storefront on Jan. 31 and will continue operating online for the time being.
Red Hook bakery Frø brought its popular Danish rye bread to Meadow Lane this week.
Michelin-starred chef Eric McCarthy is set to open a second restaurant focused on Malvan cuisine, expanding on the success of Indian Table just down the street.
Mayor Mamdani made a surprise appearance at the Brooklyn Museum’s First Saturdays program honoring Black History Month.
Following Trump’s summer travel bans, Le Monde published a photo gallery spotlighting Yemeni shopkeepers in Carroll Gardens and throughout Brooklyn.
Benito Bowl, a.k.a. Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl performance, featured Brooklyn icon Toñita.
The Center for Fiction is hiring a Development Manager.
What to Do for Valentine’s Day
A sauna festival descended on the Williamsburg waterfront yesterday and will run until March 1. There are guided sauna rituals, breathwork, yoga, sound baths, aromatherapy sessions and more.
The Six Bells Country Inn’s Valentine’s Weekend prix-fixe brunch includes a matinee screening of Lady & The Tramp at the nearby Rosendale Theatre.
Tres Belle Spa is running a Valentine’s facial special featuring aromatherapy and an organic 23-carat gold treatment.
A new photo installation at Borough Hall, Brooklyn’s Finest: Legends in Focus, celebrates the borough’s role in hip-hop history through iconic portraits by photographers including Jamel Shabazz, featuring artists from The Notorious B.I.G. to Jay-Z.
One Last Thing
Every member of the band Geese trained through School of Rock, including one at the Park Slope location. The music program famously inspired the Jack Black film.