Newspaper Chase IV

Now that I live in New York, I've been going a little newspaper crazy. There are so many papers here! So far, I've been sticking to the New York Post, Daily News, and Newsday to acquaint myself with the papers I've not read much previously. But, soon, I think I'll be able to return to my normal newspaper grazing -- adding some nice new locals.

This past weekend, I was pleased to see that my new neighborhood -- Greenpoint in Brooklyn -- even sports two papers of its own! The Greenpoint Gazette and Advertiser is a 25-cent weekly published on Manhattan Avenue and claiming to be the "voice of Greenpoint." With a questionable print quality -- a lot of the ads appear distressed, and the designers made some bad typeface calls -- the 20-page tabloid largely consists of legal notices and unbylined news releases. If the Gazette and Advertiser didn't have the legal notice contract, my guess is that it wouldn't be in print. The Brooklyn Public Library has a lot of back issues on microfilm.

Despite the slim pickings of the Gazette and Advertiser, the Greenpoint-Williamsburg Gazette -- "your weekly source for local news" -- is a promising 28-page tabloid that also costs two bits. While the paper runs its share of unbylined stories and news releases -- complete with stand and smile photographs from banquets, awards ceremonies, and other events -- the weekly features a more timely focus on news affecting the area. The highlight the week of Dec. 30: Motiva Enterprises donates historic property to the Greenpoint Monitor Museum. The paper's offices are on Nassau Avenue, not far from where I live -- I'll have to stop by!