Brooklyn's Progress
August/September 2005

By Khadija Batuta

On June 7, about 120 Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce Members and friends headed over to Bahía Restaurant and Café in East Williamsburg for the Chamber’s monthly Business After Hours networking event.  The Brooklyn Chamber’s Brooklyn HealthWorks affordable insurance program and the Grand Street District Management Association were the event co-sponsors. 

George Diaz of Latino Laughter, a stand-up comedy show featuring top urban comics, sponsored the evening’s door prize; Kenneth Reid, The Spa Club, was the lucky winner of two complimentary tickets to an upcoming performance.

Besides tasty Salvadorian hors d'oeuvres and great networking, the event highlighted one of the burgeoning commercial districts in this up-and-coming Brooklyn neighborhood.

About The Sponsors
Brooklyn HealthWorks is the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce's affordable health insurance program for eligible small businesses and sole proprietors in Brooklyn.  Brooklyn HealthWorks was created in partnership with Group Health Inc. (GHI), a consortium of health care providers and the Office of the Brooklyn Borough President and business owners.  Brooklyn HealthWorks developed a plan that Brooklyn businesses can afford – a plan tailored specifically to meet business and personal needs.  Brooklyn HealthWorks can provide eligible small businesses and sole proprietors in Brooklyn with a comprehensive health plan for business owners and their employees.

Grand Street District Management Association is celebrating its 20th Anniversary of service in the East Williamsburg section of Brooklyn.  Created by the efforts of property and business owners and the sponsorship of the Saint Nicholas Neighborhood Preservation Corporation in 1985 the BID maintains its objective to energize the community’s economy by revitalizing its physical conditions and provide business solutions to its members.  With a new office located at 760 Grand St. the BID plans to continue the revitalization efforts on Grand St. from Bushwick Ave. to Union Ave. by providing basic services to include holiday lighting and graffiti removal, as well as capital improvements that include façade renovation and sidewalk repair.

The Brooklyn Chamber’s monthly networking events are great ways to meet other Members, make new business contacts and have a great time along the way.  To find out how to host or sponsor a Business After Hours event, please contact Maggie Beaute-Lucien, Director of Special Events, at 718-875-1000 ext. 105, or at mlucien@brooklynchamber.com.