Creek Speak is an oral history project that uses online interactive maps to present the stories of people and places near Newtown Creek. The page you are currently viewing provides access to all the audio clips from the project on a single page. To access the audio through the maps interface or to learn more about the project visit the Creek Speak home page.
Laura Hofmann
Esso (ExxonMobil) ad from the 1960's
Age:
51
Neighborhood:
Greenpoint, Dupont St. & Manhattan Ave., previously lived at Clifford Pl. & Guernsey St.
Length of Residence in Neighborhood:
lifelong resident (30 years on Dupont St.)
Occupation/Identity:
community activist, mother, grandmother, wife
Neighborhood Amenities:
parks, youth sports, community spirit, charming stores
Neighborhood Nuisances:
pollution (particularly oil spill and other industrial pollution), limited park space & waterfront access
Activities in Neighborhood:
Green Oaks Club member, community gardener, founded Barge Park Pals, former Greenpoint Ambulance Corps Volunteer, ran softball tournaments for the Greenpoint Hispanos Unidos, active with Brooklyn Community Board 1 Rezoning Group, Newtown Creek Monitoring Committee member, Greenpoint Waterfront Association for Parks and Planning member, Kosciuszko Bridge Stakeholder’s Advisory Group
Social/Family Network in Neighborhood:
most of her family, peers from community organizations
“Put a Tiger in Your Tank”
“Air Conditioner Slime”
“A Slap in the Face”
“Dioxins for Dinner”
“Public Humiliation”
Tom Stagg
1960 aerial view of the Henry St Mobil Oil refinery looking northwest from Apollo St & Newtown Creek
Age:
61
Neighborhood:
Greenpoint, Newel St. & Norman Ave.
Occupation/Identity:
community activist, former NYPD detective, caterer
Neighborhood Amenities:
greenpoint has long been a closely knit community, fantastic environment to raise families in, convenient location, cultural diversity
Neighborhood Nuisances:
Newtown Creek oil spill, odors (benzyme fumes), relatively high incidence of cancer in immediate neighborhood
Activities in Neighborhood:
sang with The Cadillacs, a local doo-wop group, remains active with local youth
Social/Family Network in Neighborhood:
lives with wife, daughter, and grandchild
“Working Family Community”
“Thirty-Eight Cancer Cases on One Block”
“I Love This Neighborhood, I’m Gonna Die Here”
“Not Cleaning it Up Fast Enough”
“Afraid to Get Involved”
Dianne Jackson
Dianne Jackson
Neighborhood:
East Williamsburg, Cooper Park Houses
Length of Residence in Neighborhood:
38 years
Occupation/Identity:
President of the Cooper Park Resident Association, mother, grandmother
Neighborhood Amenities:
ethnically diverse, local parks, shopping strips (Metropolitan, Graham, Broadway), Devoe St. Baptist Church
Neighborhood Nuisances:
truck traffic, waste transfer stations, Newtown Creek, smells, BQE, factories, overcrowding, parking problems
Activities in Neighborhood:
tenants rights, OUTREACH and NAG activism
Social/Family Network in Neighborhood:
interaction with local merchants/businesses, activist groups for the cooper Park Resident Association
“Cooper Park Houses”
“From Industrial to Residential”
“What is That Smell?”
“Dumping Ground”
Paul Boscoe
Paul Boscoe
Age:
34
Neighborhood:
previously lived in Greenpoint at Kingsland Ave. & Nassau Ave., Meeker Ave. & Apollo St., and Newell St. & Driggs Ave., currently lives in Ridgewood, Queens
Length of Residence in Neighborhood:
8 years, 2000-2008
Occupation/Identity:
works for the New York University library system, married
Neighborhood Amenities:
peer social network, small local businesses
Neighborhood Nuisances:
contamination & health issues stemming from the oil spill & local industrial dumping, rising rents (the Boscoes were priced out of Greenpoint and moved to Ridgewood, Queens).
Social/Family Network in Neighborhood:
many friends still live in Greenpoint, last two apartments had closer knit community feel, frequented the Call Box Lounge on Lombardy St.
“Brain Tumor at 33″
“What’s Underneath the Ground in Greenpoint?”
“Do You Know or Care About the Pollution?”
“The Callbox Lounge”
Ariel Prenderville
Domino Sugar Factory, detail from a photo by Mai Armstrong
Age:
20
Neighborhood:
Greenpoint, Russell St. & Norman Ave.
Length of Residence in Neighborhood:
20 years
Occupation/Identity:
student at Brooklyn Tech
Neighborhood Amenities:
McCarren Park, McGolrick Park, laundromat on Norman Ave. & Diamond St., Domino building
Neighborhood Nuisances:
oil spill, garbage dump, water contamination, vermin
Social/Family Network in Neighborhood:
lives with mother, grandmother, and grandfather, two cousins live on the block, best friend used to live across the street
“Family History”
“Watching Buildings Grow”
“Domino Sugar Factory Lofts”
“Neighborhood Pollution”
Katrina Prenderville
St Stanislaus Kostka Catholic Church
Age:
60′s
Neighborhood:
Greenpoint, Russell St. & Norman Ave.
Length of Residence in Neighborhood:
40 years on Russell St.
Occupation/Identity:
Wife, mother, grandmother, former Greenpoint Hospital employee (worked with the Youth Corps)
Neighborhood Amenities/Resources:
cultural diversity
Neighborhood Nuisances:
newer residents, mostly renters, seem to take less pride in their neighborhood (litter, pet waste, standing water), regularly flooded basements due to inadequate drainage, cultural and racial tension, lack of constructive activities for older residents, oil spill, industrial odors
Activities in Neighborhood:
active in block activities for children when she was raising her children, member of a local craft group, sell goods at Holy Family Church
Social/Family Network in Neighborhood:
lives with husband, daughter, and granddaughter, member of local craft group
“People are Churchy”
“Smells Like Somebody Died”
“Oil in the Basement”
“Smelly Tap Water”
Bernie Hunt
Neighborhood:
Maspeth, 59th Ave. & 60th Pl.
Length of Residence in Neighborhood:
39 years
Occupation/Identity:
former policeman
Neighborhood Amenities:
affordable & spacious area (yard was a big draw), proximity to public transportation (bus at 61st St), several schools (PS 73, St. Stanislaus, Holy Cross), safe neighborhood, cultural diversity, LaGuardia Airport because air traffic patterns have limited building height to approximately 6 stories
Neighborhood Nuisances:
neighborhood is lacking a supermarket – previous market was converted into a Staples which is inconvenient for older residents who must now walk to the 65th Place Pioneer supermarket, overpopulation and over-development, pollution, sewage and gassy smells, dusty white residue blew throughout the neighborhood in the 70′s and 80′s.
Activities in Neighborhood:
raising a family
Social/Family Network in Neighborhood:
wife
“Used to Be Farmland”
“Soot Snow Every Morning”
“In Water Out Water”
“Sewage and Gas Smells”
Mildred Hunt
Neighborhood:
Maspeth, 59th Ave. & 60th Pl.
Length of Residence in Neighborhood:
38 years
Occupation/Identity:
mother, grandmother, informal daycare in yard while raising children
Neighborhood Amenities:
low crime, people get along
Neighborhood Nuisances:
odors from pollution and fires in Brooklyn, factories, chemical dumping
Activities in Neighborhood:
interactions with local friends and families, shopping
“Where’s Maspeth?”
“Dumping Chemicals in Maspeth for a Long Time”
“Neighborhood Health Problems”
Dennis Friedman
Dennis Friedman
Age:
56
Neighborhood:
previously lived in Maspeth at the Ridgewood Gardens Co-Op, 53rd Ave. & 62nd St.
Length of Residence in Neighborhood:
approximately 16 years
Occupation/Identity:
got a job in engineering and moved out of Maspeth shortly thereafter
Neighborhood Amenities:
Maspeth is more integrated with the rest of the city, racial, religious & cultural segregation is less prominent, grew up in a very communal environment
Neighborhood Nuisances:
during his time in Maspeth, the area was in a two fare zone, making Maspeth fairly isolated from the rest of the city, city services were a bit lacking and outdated, aware of an abnormally high incidence of cancer among younger people in his Co-Op, building incinerators may have had an effect on local health conditions
Activities in Neighborhood:
grew up in Maspeth, went to Stuyvesant High School and Brooklyn Poly, worked in exports & at father’s photo studio, frequented Grand Ave. shops
Social/Family Network in Neighborhood:
sister still lives in Maspeth, grew up in the same co-op as and is friends with Cookie Samuels, Phyllis Gowa and Arlene Mandano
“Backwardness of Maspeth”
“Cancer and Incinerators”
“Improving Environmental Conditions”
“Sewer Overflows”
Eliza Biondi
Eagle St Rooftop Farm
Age:
29
Neighborhood:
Greenpoint, Monitor St. & Nassau Ave., previously lived on India St. & Manhattan Ave.
Length of Residence in Neighborhood:
5 1/2 years
Occupation/Identity:
waitress & caterer
Neighborhood Amenities:
McGolrick Park, diversity, convenient public transportation, safety, Lutheran Church of the Messiah
Neighborhood Nuisances:
pollution (especially from the BQE) aware of, though feels removed from, the oil spill
Social/Family Network in Neighborhood:
small group of friends, coworkers, McGolrick Park gardeners
“Greenpoint was Cheap”
“Living Along the BQE”
“Ignoring the Oil Spill”
“Green Roofs for Greenpoint”
Gladys “Cookie” Samuels
Looking across Mt Zion Cemetery to the Betts Ave Incinerator stacks, photo by Mitch Waxman
Age:
56
Neighborhood:
previously lived in Maspeth at the Ridgewood Gardens Co-Op, 53rd Ave. & 62nd St., currently lives in Rockaway Township, NJ.
Length of Residence in Neighborhood:
approximately 25 years
Occupation/Identity:
runs an online retail shop that sells sporting goods, mother and wife
Neighborhood Amenities:
close-knit community, affordable, safe area, cultural diversity (more of a mosaic of cultures than a melting pot)
Neighborhood Nuisances:
two-fare zone status isolated Maspeth from the rest of the city, incinerators located within the four Co-Op buildings regularly showered soot on the neighborhood, unusually high incidence of cancer among young co-op residents, now shuttered sanitation department incinerator
Activities in Neighborhood:
shopping along Grand Ave., long walks throughout Queens, attended school in the area
Social/Family Network in Neighborhood:
grew up in the same co-op as and is friends with Phyllis Gowa, Dennis Friedman and Arlene Mandano
“Community Life in the Co-Op”
“Incinerator Soot”
“Find a Safer Area to Live, If There is Such a Thing”
Leela Corman
Age:
37
Neighborhood:
previously live in Greenpoint, Lorimer St. & Meserole Ave., currently lives in Ditmas Park
Occupation/Identity:
professional bellydancer, freelance designer, wife and mother
Neighborhood Amenities:
comfortable, safe, conveniently located and affordable, Greenpoint YMCA, large Polish population added to the unique cultural composition, McGolrick Park, McCarren Park, McCarren Park Greenmarket, local Polish & Thai restaurants
Neighborhood Nuisances:
neighbors dumping bleach into the soil, the police gas pump possibly contaminating surrounding soil, she & her husband weren’t sure if they wanted to attempt a pregnancy in Greenpoint
Activities in Neighborhood:
dancing at the YMCA
Social/Family Network in Neighborhood:
husband, peer group – other artists & dancers
“Community Life in Greenpoint”
“Having Children in Greenpoint”
“Gas Pumps and Soil Contamination”
Arlene Mandano
Arlene Mandano
Age:
58
Neighborhood:
previously lived in Maspeth at the Ridgewood Gardens Co-Op, 53rd Ave. & 62nd St.
Length of Residence in Neighborhood:
approximately 40 years
Neighborhood Amenities:
Co-Op, Grand Ave. shopping area, old meandering cow paths allowed leisurely walking and bicycling, last swath of farms lent neighborhood a rural feel
Neighborhood Nuisances:
occasionally able to smell Newtown Creek, combined pollution from LIE & old incinerator, aware of current traffic congestion
Activities in Neighborhood:
raised in Maspeth, spent first 9 years of married live in Maspeth.
Social/Family Network in Neighborhood:
husband and daughter, grew up in the same co-op as and is friends with Dennis Friedman, Cookie Samuels and Phyllis Gowa.
“Urban Farming in Maspeth”
“When the Wind Blew a Certain Way”
“Cancer in Maspeth”
Caridad Estevez
Neighborhood:
East Williamsburg, Ellery Court & Broadway
Length of Residence in Neighborhood:
51 years
Occupation/Identity:
mother, sister, former hospital volunteer, former factory worker, former JFK airport employee
Neighborhood Nuisances:
litter, crime, drugs, possibly contaminated soil under new homes
Activities in Neighborhood:
assisted friends and neighbors with social services, ran a social club with friends and neighbors
“Growing Old”
“Building on Contaminated Land”
Phyllis Gowa
Age:
55
Neighborhood:
previously lived in Maspeth at the Ridgewood Gardens Co-Op, 53rd Ave. & 62nd St.
Length of Residence in Neighborhood:
20 years, 1955 – 1975
Neighborhood Amenities:
pleasant suburban look and feel (hilly, tree-lined, quiet), relatively safe, low-crime area
Neighborhood Nuisances:
severe air pollution, limited access to public transportation
Activities in Neighborhood:
grew up playing in co-op playgrounds, taking long walks, pursuing photography, shopping along Grand Ave.
Social/Family Network in Neighborhood:
grew up with mother, father & sister, grew up in the same co-op as and is friends with Cookie Samuels, Dennis Friedman & Arlene Mandano.
“Historic Maspeth”
“Industry Out the Bedroom Window”
Grace Tyries
Crossing the Vernon Ave Bridge on the Graham Line
Age:
70+
Neighborhood:
Greenpoint, Newel Street & Nassau
Length of Residence in Neighborhood:
lifelong resident
Neighborhood Nuisances:
Newtown Creek odors (which smell of rotten garbage) are more defined in warm weather, is aware that several residents in Greenpoint have gotten sick and that those residents link the illnesses to the oil spill, believes that widespread littering poses health hazards and is surprised that no one seems to get fined, remembers odors from old Van Iderstein fat rendering plant
Activities in Neighborhood:
active member of the Lutheran Church of the Messiah
Social/Family Network in Neighborhood:
family has lived in Greenpoint for multiple generations, grandparents owned candy & fish stores near Dupont St., now social network is mostly limited to the church
“Trolley Cars”
“Where’d the Movie Theaters Go?”
“The Stench of Fat Rendering”
Fe Escalera
Fe Escalera
Neighborhood:
East Williamsburg, Ellery Court & Beaver St
Length of Residence in Neighborhood:
approximately 50 years
Neighborhood Amenities:
loved how neighborhood used to be culturally diverse and beautiful
Neighborhood Nuisances:
drug abuse, crime, litter, limited employment opportunities, notices unusually high incidence of asthma & bronchitis, neighborhood is less culturally diverse than before
Social/Family Network in Neighborhood:
daughter lives on Green Ave. in Williamsburg
“What They Have is Old Age”
Helen Schumacher
Age:
29
Neighborhood:
Greenpoint, Herbert St. & Henry St., previously at Manhattan Ave. & Norman Ave.
Length of Residence in Neighborhood:
5 years
Occupation/Identity:
Archivist
Neighborhood Amenities:
peer network, affordability, park revitalization, cultural diversity
Neighborhood Nuisances:
repercussions from oil spill, neighbors dumping waste in the streets
Activities in Neighborhood:
limited, works and volunteers in Manhattan
Social/Family Network in Neighborhood:
friends, several neighbors, laundromat owner