by Carson Bandy
Last Saturday, October 26, a group of other NYU students and I had the opportunity to volunteer with the lovely folks at the Newtown Creek Alliance. We convened at their headquarters in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, to first learn the 3-R mantra that they follow; Restore, Review, and Revitalize. The Creek is part of the Hudson Estuary, flowing west for almost 4 miles between Queens and Brooklyn, before emptying into the East River. With a highly central location, the Newtown Creek became a place of industry for the city in the early 19th and 20th centuries. Everything from oil refineries and distilleries to copper wire mills and sugar refineries found a home on the banks of Newtown Creek.