Friday, June 21, 2013

We Are Gowanus Organizing Stoop Sale To Benefit Fight Against Rock And Roll Playhouse

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photo courtesy of We Are Gowanus
Members of We Are Gowanus (WAG) have organized a block wide stoop sale for this Saturday, June 22nd from 1 PM to 5 PM on DeGraw and Sackett Streets from Hoyt Street to Bond Street.
All proceeds from the sale will be used by the group to fight "against the implementation of a nightclub in a residential area."

We Are Gowanus was formed in early May by residents whose property abuts an old 6,570 SF warehouse building at 280 Bond Street that impresario Peter Shapiro wants to transform into the Rock And Roll Playhouse (RRPH).

According to RRPH's web site, the venue will feature "family friendly programming during the day, as well as programming for adults, such as educational talks, jazz and theatrical performances in the evenings."

We Are Gowanus asserts that Shapiro spoke of the evening programing more in terms of a late night music venue featuring jazz and possibly other music seven days a week for those 21 and older. It would also feature a full bar with a last call around 1:30 AM, 2 AM on week-ends.

Members of WAG believe that RRPH's children's programing is "a supterfuge meant to dull community opposition so that his liquor license and building modifications sail through city bureaucracy."

Swing by the stoop sale this Saturday and support your DeGraw and Sackett Street neighbors.


10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Good thing we solved all the other problems in the neighborhood...

Anonymous said...

Looking forward to the stoop sale and supporting our neighbors!

Anonymous said...

This blog should just change its name to notinmybackyard.com

Anonymous said...

Furthermore...why would people spend their efforts raising MONEY to combat a family friendly establishment, thereby serving their small personal interests, when there are so many legitimate and important causes that could benefit from fundraising within the community and beyond? Seems typically bourgeois and self serving. I hate that this is what Brooklyn has become.

Anonymous said...

Seems like this "campaign" is already pretty well funded.

Margaret said...

The comment that this is a family friendly establishment is the ruse that the owner is trying to put forth. If it were family friendly, why wold he not soundproof the establishment?
This is an inapproptiate venue for this location. The people living in the area do not want it for good reason. The owner misrepresented this place, trying to put a family-friendly spin on it as a Trojan Horse to get in. NIMBY is a respectable response.

Anonymous said...

If it was family friendly, why would he? If there are no plans for loud music there is no need for drastic soundproofing measures. I do not understand the distrust around this project, esp since the DOB plans filed state the same occupancy that he is claiming. Seems if he goes drastically above that, which WAG claims he is planning on doing, it will be pretty easy to get him shut down. What am I missing?

Anonymous said...

It's become quite evident that the only ruse that's occurring is that residents who live directly around the playhouse are fearing their property values and are spending money accordingly trying to protect the wallets.

Margaret said...

12:10 - so you are not considering the quality of life? Just property values? hmmm...are you connected to this rock and roll venue in any way to make such a dismissive statement? And there is nothing whatsoever wrong with being concerned about BOTH your quality of life AND your property values.

Anonymous said...

Question to my friends and neighbors in the community:

Do you want a 180 person family centered music education venue with Blue Ribbon food and jazz in the evenings?