WILLIAMSBURG, BROOKLYN: starting at 7pm on Saturday, community, activism and artists come together to breathe life into the vacant Engine 212 Firehouse, creating an event in the spirit of the rough and raw art happenings, performances and exhibitions that have made Williamsburg a vibrant center of the arts in New York City.

"The People's Firehouse" is a dance installation inspired by the firehouse's history of civil service and its deeply rooted relationship with its community. The dance explores the space's specialized depth and structure, as dancers move through each other and work together to celebrate the firehouse's evolving role in the neighborhood as an arts space, accompanied by violist Brian Thompson playing selected repertory works from composers such as J.S. Bach, Hovhaness, and Benjamin Britten. Nick Yulman will play selected audio stories about Williamsburg from No Bills, an oral history project carried out in conjunction with the North Brooklyn Public Art Coalition. More information about the project is available at http://www.nobillsstories.org/.

The exhibition is free and takes place from 7pm to 9pm, at 134 Wythe Ave. btw. N. 8^th and N. 9^th Streets in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Performances start on the hour at 7pm and 8pm.

This Series is made possible by: the City of New York for providing access to the site, the NTHCCC Arts Committee: Paul Bargetto (Production Manager), Lise Brenner, Aslihan Demirtas, Melissa Estro, and Jackie Moynahan, countless volunteer’s donated time, equipment, and the artists.

This series is sponsored, in part by the Greater New York Arts Development Fund of the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, administered by the Brooklyn Arts Council, Inc. (BAC) and is also made possible with public funds from the Decentralization Program of the New York State Council on the Arts, both administered in Kings County by the Brooklyn Arts Council, Inc. (BAC).

Join us for an evening of cocktails for the cause, at DRINK Williamsburg Greenpoint, Tuesday June 28th, 8pm at the Brooklyn Brewery. Enjoy "Sips" of signature cocktails created for the event from the neighborhood's best. Watch as top bartenders put their skills to the test in a "Iron Bartender" style battle, fashioning two different cocktails from secret ingredients, revealed that night. Top prize awarded by a panel of guest judges including Toby Maloney from Alchemy Consulting, NYC, and Brooklyn Brewery's Brewmaster Garrett Oliver. Live music by Djangos and Tangos and bar snacks provided by local restaurants and food purveyors.

Tickets are $25 advance sale, and $35 the day of: GET YOUR TICKETS NOW

Cocktail "sips" from Dram, The Drink, Maison Premiere, The Richardson, Rabbithole, Manhattan Inn, 285 Bedford, Saint Vitus, Brooklyn Winery and more...Also sample The Concoction, Brooklyn Brewery's latest Brewmaster's Reserve, based on The Penicillin cocktail.

This event is 21 and over only. IDs will be checked at the door. "Sips" are limited to quantity at hand, arrive early to ensure you'll get to sample them all!

All proceeds from the event will benefit the building of the Northside Town Hall Community and Cultural Center a joint project of two longtime North Brooklyn neighborhood non-profits, Neighbors Allied for Good Growth (NAG) and The People's Firehouse, Inc (PFI.) Located on the site of the former Engine Company 212 firehouse, the redesigned building will provide a permanent home for the two founding non-profits to continue to serve, organize, and advocate for the community, a flexible cultural exhibition and community meeting space on the ground floor and serve as a place for all to celebrate and build community.

We need a few good volunteers for Drink, contact community@nthccc.org for more info.

Follow us on Facebook + Twitter for updates on Drink WG and more!

Check out filmmaker Minos Papas's video from our last Arts Happening, "A Collaboration of Dance and Musical Composition" by Alon Nechushtan and Stephanie Sleeper.

Arts Happening Series Presents: A Collaboration of Dance + Musical Composition - 5/14/2011 from Northside Town Hall on Vimeo.

Drop by this Saturday at 2pm, 5pm and 8pm for screenings of film at the firehouse and our latest Arts Happening - "This is a History of New York," an evening of experimental documentary film curated by Mary Billyou.

An Evening of Experimental Documentary Film

curated by Mary Billyou

Saturday June 11, 2011

Engine 212 Firehouse: 134 Wythe Ave. Williamsburg B’klyn

WILLIAMSBURG, BROOKLYN: starting at 2pm on

Saturday, community, activism and artists come together to breathe

life into the vacant Engine 212 Firehouse.

This is a History of New York is a screening of experimental

documentary films about NYC, curated by Mary Billyou.

The event features films by: Mary Billyou, Jem Cohen,

Koken Ergun, Brian Frye, Paul Garrin, Ken Jocobs,

Jonas Mekas, Martha Rosler, Shelly Silver and Caspar Stracke.

The exhibition is free and takes place from 2pm to 10pm,

at 134 Wythe Ave. btw. N. 8^th and N. 9^th Streets in

Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Screenings start at 2pm, 5pm, and 8pm.

This series is sponsored, in part by the Greater New York

Arts Development Fund of the New York City Department

of Cultural Affairs, administered by the Brooklyn Arts

Council, Inc. (BAC).

This series is also made possible with public funds from

the Decentralization Program of the New York State

Council on the Arts, both administered in Kings County

by the Brooklyn Arts Council, Inc. (BAC).

A Collaboration of Dance & Musical Composition

Alon Necheshtan and Stephanie Sleeper

Saturday May 14th, 2010

5 pm - 8 pm

@ Engine 212 Firehouse: 134 Wythe Ave

Starting at 5pm on Saturday, community, activism and artists come together to breathe life into the vacant Engine 212 Firehouse.

A Collaboration of Dance & Musical Composition is a collaboration between choreographer Stephanie Sleeper and composer Alon Nechushtan exploring together the spaces

between performance and soundscape. The event features musicians from the other string quartet and performers from sleepdance.

This series is sponsored, in part by the Greater New York Arts Development Fund of the NewYork City Department of Cultural Affairs, administered by the Brooklyn Arts Council, Inc. (BAC).

This series is also made possible with public funds from the Decentralization Program of the New York State Council on the Arts, both administered in Kings County by the Brooklyn Arts Council, Inc. (BAC).

TASTE Williamsburg Greenpoint, a culinary celebration of North Brooklyn’s local flavor, is gearing up for year two!

SAVE THE DATE...
SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 18TH, 2011

photo courtesy Bob Van Lindt

Last May’s inaugural event brought over 40 of the neighborhood’s top restaurants together along with over 1,500 hungry participants to eat and drink for a great cause.

We were able to raise close to $100,000 toward renovating the historic Engine 212 firehouse on Wythe Ave, getting one step closer to the $2 million needed to make it a reality.

We need your help to make this year’s event better than last’s...

If you would like to be a participating restaurant, sponsor, or volunteer, sign up now!!

The NTHCCC Arts Committee is seeking application for the 2011 Arts Happening Series- Deadline for submissions is January 21st, 2011.

To help ensure the vitality of the North Brooklyn Creative Community and in the spirit of the Firehouse's role as a historically important site of local activism, we are repeating our 2010 strategy of staging art events in this currently raw space in order to draw attention to its rich presence - past, present and future.

2011 Arts Happening Series will present art exhibitions and performances on the following four Saturdays: May 14th, June 11th, September 10th and October 8th.

Download an application NOW!! 2011 Arts Happening Series Application

Have any questions, email us at arts@nthccc.org.

Northside Town Hall's Arts Happening Series Presents:

Projected: Engine 212

Installation by Aslihan Demirtas & Nandini Bagchee

Friday Sept. 24^th, 2010 8pm-11pm

Engine 212 Firehouse: 134 Wythe Ave. Williamsburg B’klyn

WILLIAMSBURG, BROOKLYN: starting at 8pm on Friday, community, activism and artists will come together to breathe life into the vacant Engine 212 Firehouse, creating an evening in the spirit of the ad-hoc events/exhibition of Williamsburg in decades past.

The interior of the firehouse, despite its shambolic state, is a charged environment. One that rallied a community to mobilize and unite, and generated the momentum that will ultimately allow for Engine 212 to become a publicly-owned community center. The exhibition will focus on the interior as a repository of the past, when the cavernous space housed operating fire engines. Using the ephemeral medium of projected light, Aslihan Demirtas and Nandini Bagchee will ruminate on the latent possibilities of this vacant interior. The installation will speculate on the context, surroundings and history of the building, while alluding to its future as a place to experiment, and create a new arena for debate and discussion.

Crispus Attucks Ensemble & Alper Yilmaz Electroacoustic Trio will perform and engage the audience by inviting them to read selected texts from community and activism related literature. Featuring music composed and performed by: Crispus Attucks Ensemble: Kevin Russell, music/direction & Alper Yilmaz Electroacoustic Trio with Nick Kadajski, Rick Parker, and Alper Yilmaz.

The exhibition is free and takes place from 8pm to 11pm at 134 Wythe Ave. btw. N. 8^thand N. 9^th streets in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

Dear friends, neighbors and supporters:

We wanted to be sure that you know about all of the exciting events coming up this month in connection with the Northside Town Hall Community and Cultural Center. We’re making a lot of progress towards our goal of converting Fire Company 212 into a vibrant and active Community Center that will serve the diverse populations of North Williamsburg and Greenpoint. Please note these upcoming events; we hope we can see you at all of them!

• September 13, 2010, 3 pm, 134 Wythe Avenue. Our Borough President, Marty Markowitz will announce his Capital Budget allocation of $742,000 towards the reconstruction of the Firehouse. If you are able to come during the day, please join us at the Firehouse to thank him, salute his support, and let him know how much these funds mean to us.

• September 15, 2010, 6 to 8 pm, The Arnold and Sheila Aronson Galleries at the Sheila C. Johnson Design Center at Parsons, New School of Design 66 Fifth Avenue at 13th Street, New York. The Firehouse is the subject of an exhibition at Parsons, organized and designed by Aslihan Demirtas, an architect and adjunct faculty at Parsons, School of Constructed Environments ( and a local resident). The exhibition materials as well as the exhibition itself are produced by AAS Interior Design students. We hope to see you at this festive exhibition and experience first-hand the enormous support given to our cause by this prestigious institution.

• September 2010, Community Board 1, Land Use Committee meeting (Date, time and venue to be announced.) The disposition and transfer of the Firehouse from the City to us, is being reviewed by the Land Use Committee of Community Board 1, as part of the New York City Uniform Land Use Review Process. This meeting will be an opportunity for our supporters to comment and assist us in this process.

• September 24, 2010, 8 to 10 pm, 134 Wythe Avenue. This will be the final arts event of 2010 that will be staged in the Firehouse, and will feature the creative work of Aslihan Demirtas and Nandini Bagchee, architects and designers from the neighborhood of the Firehouse. In addition to their visual work, the event will host two bands who will be performing and engaging the audience.
  

Please join us when you can to celebrate our past, present and future as the Northside Town Hall becomes a reality.

Come Join us from 7pm-10pm at 134 Wythe Ave, Engine 212 Firehouse!!!!

Animation Feast & This place is ours / We are this place
Adel Kerpely, JiHyun Ahn and Elizabeth Otten

Friday June 11th, 2010
Engine 212 Firehouse: 134 Wythe Ave. Williamsburg B’klyn

WILLIAMSBURG, BROOKLYN: starting at 7pm on Friday, community, activism and artists come together to breathe life into the vacant Engine 212 Firehouse, creating an evening in the spirit of the art happenings and ad-hoc events/exhibition of the old Williamsburg days.

Animation Feast is a collection of short animations by Adel Kerpely and JiHyun Ahn. Each introduces an extraordinary character going on its journey; Ghost from the other side, world wanderer empress, hungry man in danger, wiggly giant washcloths and a bird who breaks through the limits of this physical world. “Our personal creatures bring life to the abandoned historical building of the firehouse.”

This place is ours / We are this place is Elizabeth Otten’s site-specific video installation inspired by the physical and emotional presence of “The People's Firehouse”. This new work reflects upon the history of the building and how the sacrifices of people who occupied it for 16 months in the 70s, people who fought in 2003, and the people rebuilding it now are alive in the architecture. A meditation on the concept that people can imbue a place with an indelible essence and importance, the installation bridges the building’s past and future in its uniquely reciprocal relationship with the community.

The exhibition is free and takes place from 7pm to 10pm at 134 Wythe Ave. btw. N. 8th and N. 9th Streets in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

For more information visit: www.nthccc.org

NTHCC is chilling at the Absolut Brooklyn launch party at the Causey Contemporary Art Gallery. We're enjoying the new cocktails, some great performances by Kyp Malone and Sarah Fullen, and some cool art as well. The new vodka launches June 1st.. it has a nice apple and ginger taste to it... goes great with some Jameson and ginger ale. Really cool that out of all the places Absolut could chose for its new vodka and launch party, that it was in our neighborhood. Some nice ou d'oeuvres being passed around from locals Nita Nita and others.

This is all leading up to Taste Williamsburg's big event in the next few days to help build our Northside Town Hall. We're all really excited to be here, can't wait for the event.

Kyp Malone performing, view from the Blogger's table.

Kyp Malone and Renee of Sunlight Records

Aboslut and NTHCC

Sarah Fullen and the Stanleys

IMPORTANT MEETING FOR VOLUNTEERS, SUNDAY, APRIL 18TH, ON BERRY STREET #113, BETWEEN N 8^Th & N 7^TH at 7PM

IN ORDER TO BUILD THE NORTHSIDE TOWN HALL COMMUNITY AND CULTURAL CENTER OUR NEIGHBORHOOD NEEDS TO RAISE $2 MILLION…

A capital campaign is under way, after a competitive city wide process Neighbor’s Allied for Good Growth (NAG) and the People’s Firehouse, Inc. (PFI) were awarded the rights to re-develop the former Engine Co. 212, “the People’s Firehouse”, on Wythe Avenue. The redesigned building will become the Northside Town Hall Community and Cultural Center and will provide; a permanent home for the two founding non-profits, affordable office and meeting space for other community groups, a ground floor affordable exhibition space for local cultural and arts organizations, and serve as a place for all, neighbors and businesses, old and new, to celebrate and build community... together.

Over 25 of the areas top restaurants and bars are joining together on Sunday, May 16th for the first annual Taste Williamsburg Greenpoint, an outdoor culinary benefit on N11th St. between Berry St. and Wythe Ave, in and outside of Brooklyn Brewery, to help raise the much needed funds and awareness that will make this vision a reality. Ticket holders will get a delicious sampling of “taste” size offerings from participating exhibitors, while enjoying live local music performances, food demonstrations, and a pop-up market of home made goodies for sale with an after party at Brooklyn Bowl.

Help us make this fun filled day a big success, in an effort to "bring community to the table!" join us at the first annual Taste Williamsburg Greenpoint Benefit.

We will need a ton of volunteers: help spread the word, help on the day of the event. Activist, food-obsessed, wine and craft spirits lovers, neighbors who cherish our neighborhood, we have a variety of tasks for you! Join us for an information and training meeting- RSVP at info@nthccc.org

Sunday April 18th

7pm at People's Firehouse, Inc. Office

113 Berry St. 11211

Tickets for the event are on sale now at Brown Paper Tickets

If you are interested in becoming a sponsor, making a donation, volunteering, or to find out more please contact us at info@nthccc.org

The best way to reach us is by e-mail

Phone information: Felice at Teddy's Bar & Grill: 718-384-9787 (noon Tues. - Sat.); Ryan at NAG offices: 718-384-2248, leave message for callback later.

The Northside Town Hall Community and Cultural Center Presents:

Arts Happening Series

Friday April 9th, 2010 6pm - 10pm FREE
Engine 212 Firehouse: 134 Wythe Ave. Williamsburg B’klyn
Featuring work by:
Julie Fotheringham, Zevan Rosser, Vera Angelico and Zahava Rozman

The Northside Town Hall Community and Cultural Center presents the first in a series of Friday evening performances held once a month from April through August. Starting at 6pm on Friday community, activism and artists come together to breathe life into the vacant Engine 212 Firehouse to create an evening in the spirit of the art happenings and ad-hoc events/exhibition of the old Williamsburg days.

Artists Julie Fotheringhamm & JarryLowder will present a durational performance art piece with live sound; Zevan Rosser will embark on Gesture Capture, multimedia performance with custom software; and Vera Angelico & Zahava Rozman will engage the passing public and attending audience in a performance art piece by asking, “What’s Your Burning Issue?” The intention is to create a sacred space where visitors can freely and openly express themselves in a community of supportive listeners. This event will give initiation for the coming up new renovation of the building into a community center.

134 Wythe Ave. btw. N. 8th and N. 9th Streets in Williamsburg Brooklyn.

CALLING ALL ARTISTS!!!!

(Filmmakers, Visual Artists, Sculptors, Musicians, & Performers)

Interested in presenting your work in an untraditional raw space in Williamsburg???

The Northside Town Hall Community and Cultural Center Inc., (NTHCCC) is looking for artists to present their work in the currently vacant Engine 212 Firehouse – the future home of the NTHCCC.

Art Happening Series 2010 Dates:

April 9th, May 7th, June 11th, August 6th

you can download application and RFP here or email arts@nthccc.org

All applicants MUST attend a site visit on March 20^th from 2pm- 4pm before submitting their proposal.

Deadline for Applications is March 31^st, 2010 in the office- postmarked applications will NOT be accepted.

NTHCCC Art Happening Series-

where activism, art and culture stand together

Have Questions? Contact Art Happenings Producer- Jackie Moynahan at arts@nthccc.org or 516-647-9555

People's Firehouse Holiday Party!

December 18th

5 - 11PM 113 Berry Street

The People's Firehouse, Inc. (PFI) has a very special relationship with the old Engine Company 212 Firehouse on Wythe Avenue.

In 1975, The People's Firehouse pioneered the community involvement in efforts to save Engine Company 212. Once again, in 2003, citizens of the community led by The People's Firehouse Inc., fought to save fire protection in the Northside of Williamsburg. This struggle laid the groundwork in the City's decision to deliver the Wythe Avenue Firehouse to the community as the Northside Town Hall Community and Cultural Center. Please join us in a celebration of this commitment by so many over the years, and the continued community commitment today in securing the building for our neighborhood.

PFI and NAG (Neighbors Allied for Good Growth), in partnership now lead our campaign to raise over $2MM in the renovation of EC 212 - and bring the Northside Town Hall Community and Cultural Center to fruition.

Contact info@nthccc.org to get involved, and read all about the efforts on the NTHCCC blog and website.

We wish you all a very happy holiday season and thank you for your continued support!

Join North Brooklyn advocacy organization Neighbors Allied for Good Growth (NAG) for a holiday party and Fundraiser on Thursday, December 10 from 7-10pm at The Woods.

No cover (but we'll be happy take your donations!)

Come meet your neighbors, listen to some music, drink some cheap drinks, and bid on a silent auction, featuring great stuff from neighborhood spots, including:

-Third Ward
-Word Bookstore
-The Brooklyn Kitchen
-Alter Clothing
-The North BK Compost Project
-Three Kings Tattoo Parlor
-Charm School Design
-Transient Pictures

... and more to be announced!


NAG is a volunteer-based community planning and environmental justice organization that has been performing grassroots organizing, advocacy and outreach/education to the North Brooklyn waterfront community of Williamsburg/Greenpoint since 1994.

This past year, NAG guerrilla gardened, fought for the creation of new waterfront park space, lobbied for more bike racks in the neighborhood and safer and better transportation options, improved street tree maintenance, sponsored Williamsburg Walks, recorded oral histories from the neighborhood's longtime residents, held an educational forum on housing rights for tenants, counseled tenants one-on-one in landlord disputes, and began plans to turn the former Engine 212 building into the Northside Town Hall. Whew!

Next year we have even more exciting plans in store, but we can't do it without YOU!

The Northside Town Hall held a Bake Sale on Saturday to raise funds and awareness about the Town Hall Project while sharing some sweet treats with the community. Thank you to the Greenpoint Food Market for allowing us to be apart of the market and share a table alongside the amazing array of local food entrepreneurs.



For those of you who might not already know, The Greenpoint Food Market is a celebration of all foods fresh and local, artisnal and homemade. It functions as a support system for the growing variety of local food makers by providing them an opportunity to present and share their home-crafted goods while bringing the community together over delicious food.

GFM takes place once a month at the Church of the Messiah, the next market will be Dec 19th, 2009 SAVE THE DATE!

A huge thank you to all that made the Raise the Roof Concert a huge success! Over $10,000 was raised and we couldn't have done it with out the tremendous energy and support of the organizers, musicians, volunteers, and all that came out to show their love for the Northside Town Hall!!

Charles Bissell of the Wrens

They Might Be Giants

Nada Surf

THANK YOU!!!